Nigel Slater

[Tiger Lil']

Excellent

[Nurse Duckett]

Tiger said:

Excellent

Is that it? Only one word?

I can't say that I've heard of him but then I don't read The Observer. I feel sorry for anyone whose mother died when they were only nine years old, and who grew up afraid of their father.



I'd have picked a different Beach Boys record, myself. Heros and Villans, for instance. Or California Girls or God Only Knows.

[Tiger Lil']

Yes, that's it! I am very fond of his book Toast.

As you say, his Beach Boys choice was not the best to our minds.

[Crusoe]

Well, it was the third quite interesting DID in a row but, at the same time, I was a little disappointed. I suppose the problem is that almost all of the biographical detail had been covered far more elegantly and eloquently in “Toast”, so I didn’t learn anything particularly new.

I was impressed by the way that he chose his records: clearly he did have a deep emotional attachment to these particular choices and they clearly had significance for him, rather than being selected to create a certain image, as some guests’ choices seem to be. Unfortunately the choices weren’t, on the whole, ones that personally excited me.

I would be interested to know what Lux made of the programme, as a newcomer to Mr Slater.

[sportyscouse]

Oh dear, I found this most tedious, and Ms Lawley particularly so. He said that he had thought about, and rejected, a roast dinner and would plump for tea and cake....and what did La Lawley do? ming on about roast pork and dauphinoise spuds. I do wish she'd at least try to listen to the guests once in a while.

[Luxury Yacht]

Okey-doke, as a newcomer to Mr Slater, the programme did make me think kindly about possibly reading his book(s) at some point.

Who doesn't enjoy reading about comfort food? And hearing about comfort music? Good for him for being honest about it. Makes a change, and reminds me of the fine actor Timothy Wossname* and his DID.

Yes, it was quite good. The guest wasn't irritating, though Ms Lawley was - quite so, sportyscouse, re the cake and change of subject.

It seemed to veer slightly towards the "In The Psychiatrist's Chair" territory which is not unwelcome. The tale of his father crying into his empty plate of smoked haddock, bought with Nigel's pocket-money, was very touching.

As usual, I missed the end because I nodded off.

I liked the Beach Boys track which he chose, because I always thought it was a Ramones song.

Edit to add: *Spall - and waltzing round the room singing his head off, clutching sprog. Aaaah.

[Luxury Yacht]

I'd like to add that Mr Slater pleased me by choosing a "secondary" choice, by picking Roxy Music instead of whateveritwas for whateverreason ( remind me, someone: mindsgoneblank).

I don't think I've heard anyone do that before.

[Craise Finton Kirk]

Luxury said:

Who doesn't enjoy reading about comfort food?

Not me, Ms Yacht - sorry!!!

DID is one of those programmes where one is allowed to wear one's heart on one's sleeve. In The Psychiatrist�s Chair was the other. Professor Clare could see inside people's souls; Ms. Lawley struggles. I'm not too sure that we gained any additional insight into his character.

I would have been utterly depressed if a parent of mine had married simply because someone could cook! Oh how depressing. The problem for me is that one's either a foodie or one isn't and I'm not. I don't derive any comfort or solace in food, so the subject doesn't interest me. The two camps are as highly polarized as 'hippies' and 'straights' (or 'suits'). R4 is full of foodies, hence the reason for the listener to be bombarded constantly with food related subjects - on 'Woman's Hour', 'The Food Programme' (please note how Andrew Jefford was chosen to host last week's POTW. Why don't we hear Mark Radcliffe?) and The Wine Programme (Yuk, I hated that series - the most polarized R4 programme that I've heard in the last 20 years. How many ordinary R4 listeners own a Steinway piano?).

I couldn't figure out where Mr. Slater's upper-class southern accent had come from. I used to work with people from Wolverhampton and they didn't sound like that. I'm also concerned when I hear someone with an upper-class accent refer to their mother and father as 'mum' and 'dad'. Tony Ben always refers to his late father as 'my dad' and it doesn't sound right. Posh women usually call their mothers 'mummy' and I find that more aurally digestible.

Not too keen on the musical choices and I wasn't convinced that he was a Stone Roses fan. However anyone who's suffered such dreadful trauma as a child deserves eternal happiness and he loves his pussycats, so he's OK by me.

P.S. A foodie should never marry a non-foodie. It's a recipe for a very unhappy marriage.

P.P.S Concerning Ms Yacht's reference to the Roxy issue. I thought he mentioned choosing something from Revolver





(Edit: Minor correction made, to references, at Craise's request.)

[Tiger Lil']

Guest-Craise said:

P.P.S Concerning Ms Yacht's reference to the Roxy issue. I thought he mentioned choosing something from Revolver

He decided that none of the tracks on his favourite Beatles album worked too well on their own, so Roxy Music was his fall back plan.



(Edit: Minor correction made, to references, at Craise's request.)

[sportyscouse]

Revolver I believe, and it urged me to get orf my fat backside and play it......I think he had a very good point! tried it with S. Pepper too.....

[Nurse Duckett]

Guest-Craise said:

Posh women usually call their mothers 'mummy' and I find that more aurally digestible.

Yet when I hear a grown man referring to his mother as 'mummy' it makes me cringe. Cringe

I always think Oh Grow UP![/i][/color][/size]

Mater is the way to go.

[Craise Finton Kirk]

Nurse said:

Yet when I hear a grown man referring to his mother as 'mummy' it makes me cringe. Cringe

I always think Oh Grow UP!

[/i][/color][/size] [/quote]

I always think of Nigel Pargetter and wonder when The Archers is going to be killed off.

On the issue of 'mummy', I was very impressed with the little boy in Dr. Who who kept asking: 'are you my mummy'? Sounded very spooky. I was always on first name terms with my mother - Mater is a bit too Radio 4 for my liking. It's the kind of thing one would hear in one of those 1830 hour comedies (Ed Reardon, Giles Wemmbley Hogg) . Not for me.

[Dame Hilda Danvers]

Guest-Craise said:

I was always on first name terms with my mother

Guest-Craise said:

Sounded very spooky.

That is one of the spookiest things I've ever heard of. Did your mother encourage this over-familiarity? Parents should be kept at arms-length IMHO. Or even barge-pole length. Much healthier in the long run.

[Luxury Yacht]

Guest-Craise said:

Giles Wemmbley Hogg .

That's two b's.

A word rightly possessing two b's must be respected, and I fear your education must be lacking, CFK.

Please forgive my familiarity in addressing you as "CFK" but I'm not sure which end of your name is which.

[Luxury Yacht]

Guest-Craise said:

Not me, Ms Yacht - sorry!!!

Oh ... OK. You are forgiven, but you're very odd.

I would have been utterly depressed if a parent of mine had married simply because someone could cook!

Yes, that was rather creepy. However, my Dad, when a young chap, used to visit regularly some distant relations who'd feed him macaroni cheese because he'd said on his first visit, out of politeness, how much he enjoyed it, even though he had to choke it down. The male of the household, who was the non-cook, said to Pater, "Take my advice, son, marry a good cook."

How true are the proverbs "Looks don't last - cooking do"? "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach?" And why do people take the object of their affections out for a meal? It can't be just the opportunity to get them on the other side of a table for two for a couple of hours, can it?

A rather nice man took me out for dinner last weekend, and the food was fabulous; nothing to do with comfort or solace, but rather, celebrating sensuality.

I like hearing about food on Radio 4. Perhaps it's strange to experience one sense through the medium of another. I even like "Veg Talk" - whoever commissioned that was brave.

How many ordinary R4 listeners own a Steinway piano?).

I don't know. Do you? Do you think they should have a phone-in to find out? But first, we need to define "ordinary".

I couldn't figure out where Mr. Slater's upper-class southern accent had come from. I used to work with people from Wolverhampton and they didn't sound like that.

Hee hee. That one puzzled me too. They didn't state which "posh" bit of Wolverhampton he came from. If it were Pattingham, it would be understandable.

P.P.S Concerning Ms Yacht's reference to the Roxy issue. I thought he mentioned choosing something from Revolver

Oh yes, so it was. I could just imagine him spending whole evenings going through his record collection, playing everything, before he chose the final eight. Quite sweet, really.