Gardeners World - not back for 4 weeks! - Page 8

Found the address. Wrote the letter.

BBC Audience Services
PO Box 1922
Darlington
DL3 0UR

8TH July 2012-07-08

Dear Sirs,

I would like to complain about the cancellation of BBC Gardeners World for the entire month of July, the busiest time in the garden. I have been unable to make this complaint online because your messaging service will not permit me enough characters to make my point and also it seems that one can only complain about a broadcast programme, not the cancellation of a programme.  That only merits a ‘comment’. Frustrating!

At one time, there was a wealth of gardening programmes. Of the few remaining, GW is iconic. I believe that in this day and age, to regard gardening as a minority interest is astonishingly short-sighted. We are in a recession where everyone is encouraged to make, renovate and grow things, yet the information needed to do so is being given a very low priority.

Furthermore, when much of our countryside is being built over and such vital creatures as bees are becoming endangered, the private garden has never been more important as a habitat and food source. We should be encouraging and fostering gardening as a vital part of our country’s future, not reducing its profile.  Almost everyone has the potential for a garden, even if it is only a balcony or window-box. In creating a garden, they are not only contributing to their own mental and emotional well-being, but to the well-being of our nation and its food supplies. As a nation, we can no longer produce enough food for our population and we are losing the insects we need to preserve our food supply.  This is more important than who wins Wimbledon!

Sport is great and this is an historic year, but It is simply untrue that there is no time for a half-hour gardening programme  - just cancel some of those repeats!  There are also BBC1, BBC 3 and BBC 4. We gardeners don’t mind changing channels!

That last point about different channels is an important one I think. There's a lot of discussion about the fact that there aren't enough young people turning to gardening. There's a challenge for the BBC. Make something for BBC3 that would encourage young people. My serious interest in gardening started when I was 23 so it can be done!

I mentioned on another thread that Carol Klein's cottage garden series is being repeated, every night this week, 6.30pm, on BBC HD.

On the issue of beginning to address the more thoughtful aspects of gardening, that program has been followed by repeats of Chris Packham's ecology series. I find his programs fascinating. It's quite staggering how much most of us gardeners are completely unaware of the very complex relationships between the plants and animals and insects in our gardens.

I totally agree that its a shame that not only gw is cancelled but short coverage of the Flower show .    with all the channels available you would think that the BBC could find some other place to stick all their sport  ( I can think of a few places!!!)

JOHN PHIPPS wrote (see)

I totally agree that its a shame that not only gw is cancelled but short coverage of the Flower show .    with all the channels available you would think that the BBC could find some other place to stick all their sport  ( I can think of a few places!!!)

Not so -in defence of the BBC they don't show that much sport no matter how it appears -it represents 8% of their output and when it is shown get huge viewing figures.

I repeat again what I have said before there is room for all tastes- some have more one and not all gardeners don't like sport -the issue is that  GW should be on throughout out the gardening season but not necessarily in the same spot i.e.8pm or 8.30pm Friday evening on BBC2

Sport does gives us something to watch when we can't go outside because gardening has been cancelled (by order of The Power above). It's raining here again this afternoon. But it's a lovely day in France, so we are able enjoy Le Tour, and lots of pictures of the gorgeous French countryside, courtesy of  ITV4.

Unless like me you don't like sport. Still, I'm watching Volcano Live so I'm a happy bunny at the moment. Plus I just received my Daylilies from John Bowers. Shame they're stopping the online service but I've got a lot of lovely plants at rock bottom prices!

GW back next Friday-so may have been 4 weeks-but only 3 Fridays if that makes sense

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l44r8

and there two programmes from Tatton Park- on Wednesday at 7.30pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l1cxm

and Friday at 8.00pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01l1cx5

Was so excited today thought "oh Friday GW is on" checked the guide and was deflated.. still not on, starting to get withdrawl symptons now I think, with al this bad weather coul do with Monty's garden to look at and compare.

Wow what a birthday treat 20th of july, hooray for gardeners world

Many thanks Gardening Grandma! I have just read your letter and it has spured me into writing also. I have emailed a complaint and had a very patronising and unsatisfactory reply. I will send a  letter to the address you have given above.

that's what I hoped for! I was incensed at the word limit and the patronising tone of the BBC's compaints procedure - and the fact that you could not complain about the non-appearance of a programme, only about one that took place. The cancellation of a programme warrants only a 'comment'.  Thanks for writing!

 thank goodness monty is back this friday, he has been missed, why cant he have an hour long show ,because 30mins isnt nearly enough were as alan titchmarsh love your garden is 30mins toooooo long what a boring show , its old hat ground force but without the personality. 

hoping to go to tatton park show on friday , i do hope i can meet monty,carol ,joe or rachael  , and i hoe the weather holds out. xx

When I saw the heading for this thread I thought I would give my two pence worth. No chance, you all seem to have covered every point that I was going to mention. Nevertheless, I am quite annoyed about the way we are treated so, as I have been doing surveys about tv programmes I thought I would let them know how we gardeners feel so I told them about this site and asked them to have a look if they were really interested in what people think! Whether it will make any difference I don't know  but anything is worth trying

Thank you BBC2, for listening to us gardeners, for not knocking GW off for the Olympics, and for useful advice on Friday's (27 July) programme.  Long may this consideration continue.

Monty told me he was off to Ibiza for his summer job!

Someone said Alan Titchmarsh's Love the Garden is coming on again.  Ground Force was OK when there was decent coverage of real gardening as well, but more of the same? Alan Titchmarsh is on TV (and everything else) far too much - can he turn down a job ? I doubt it!  I feel that he is trying to milk the millions (£) 

I wish dear Geoff Hamilton had lived longer, he was a real gardener and loved his audience and they loved him. He should have been given awards for his genuine service to the public! Come to think of it, I'd prefer to watch his old Gardeners' World programmes again than any of the new ones - old fashioned are they - what about the Beechgrove Gardens - watch it every week on Catch up TV! 

My Sky+ has gone a bit weird. I have Gardeners' World on series link and instead of it showing its name it shows 20:30 03/08/12.

I hope this doesnt mean they're going to cancel it or rescedual

Good to see GW back on, still wish it could be on for an hour though

Yes, wouldn't it be great to have a whole hour of GW, instead of the 30 mins.  I enjoyed last nights programme, especially as I love roses and there were lots about them.  I like Monty Don but my fave is Carol Klein she just explains everything so perfectly and her enthusiasm is wonderful.  Come on Carol do another series of your own, I loved Life in a Cottage Garden