Carol's accent is Lancashire, not Scouse! Christine has what they call a "good face for radio" so I expect is not what the producer's want but both women are knowledgeable and practical. I don't think this generation of producers want to see Bob F's collection of old freezers and fridges being used as ponds and seed tray watering devices.
I loathed GW with Toby Buckland and Joe Swift. Both fell for the gimmicky production values and lost all integrity. Joe Swift might know a bit about design but he was most certainly not a plantsman and knew very little about plants and their habits/needs/care. Not convinced he's learned much since either. I remember Toby tossing tools around, building a very stupid/unsafe water feature with slates that would topple the first time anyone leant on it and just doing mad things that just don't work with plants.
Adam trained with Geoff H and knows a lot about being a practical gardener form building things to plants and planting. I like his gentle style of presentation.
Monty grates on me less these days - probably cos I always fall asleep and have to watch the recording when I have time so I can skip bits - but I still don't see the sense in having him and his garden as the base for GW when it is so unlike 99.9% of the viewers' plots with no concession to the average small plot with some grass for kids and dogs to play, a washing line, a shed, small greenhouse if lucky. I don't resent or even lust after his acres or his compost heaps or his greenhouses and potting sheds - got my own - but I just don't think his style of gardening translates well to smaller domestic plots.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
I have to say I'm a Titchmarsh fan and always have been. I expect it's because he was the lead presenter on GW when I first got into gardening. He knows his stuff and I like the way he presents without coming over all 'knowall'. Of the others I like Chris Beardshaw very much although you don't see much of him these days. Adam and Toby are okay, as is Carol now she's toned down a bit, although a little goes a long way.
It's a good job this forum relies on the written word rather than the spoken word if people think Christine is broad!!!
My (now ex) sister in law is from Suffolk and she said she could never understand me because I sound like Peter Kay. In the end I took her see him at local gig..all evening she was asking me what he'd said. I used to say she sounded like somebody off TOWIE... that never went down well at all.
Carol is from Manchester .....although I don't hold that against her I'm a scouser .... totally different accent.
I met her once when she was filming in Scotland and I was on the same programme. Really down to earth and easy to chat to.
I bought a plant off her once when she had her own stall at one of the 'early' shows. Many people don't realise she is time-served at the sharp end of the business and certainly knows her stuff. Ok Carol & Christine can be a bit annoying at times (but then so can I) but I always look forward to their offerings on GW or GQT.
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Loved GW with Alan T in charge tho it was a shock when Geoff H died and he took over at short notice. Loved his How to Be a Gardener series too but canna thole his Love Your Garden shows on the other side.
Chris B is just brilliant so I was really pleased when he started turning up on Beechgrove after he left GW.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Posts
I loathed GW with Toby Buckland and Joe Swift. Both fell for the gimmicky production values and lost all integrity. Joe Swift might know a bit about design but he was most certainly not a plantsman and knew very little about plants and their habits/needs/care. Not convinced he's learned much since either. I remember Toby tossing tools around, building a very stupid/unsafe water feature with slates that would topple the first time anyone leant on it and just doing mad things that just don't work with plants.
Adam trained with Geoff H and knows a lot about being a practical gardener form building things to plants and planting. I like his gentle style of presentation.
Monty grates on me less these days - probably cos I always fall asleep and have to watch the recording when I have time so I can skip bits - but I still don't see the sense in having him and his garden as the base for GW when it is so unlike 99.9% of the viewers' plots with no concession to the average small plot with some grass for kids and dogs to play, a washing line, a shed, small greenhouse if lucky. I don't resent or even lust after his acres or his compost heaps or his greenhouses and potting sheds - got my own - but I just don't think his style of gardening translates well to smaller domestic plots.
Easy enough to make if you wanted one though.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I'm a scouser .... totally different accent.
I met her once when she was filming in Scotland and I was on the same programme. Really down to earth and easy to chat to.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
I bought a plant off her once when she had her own stall at one of the 'early' shows. Many people don't realise she is time-served at the sharp end of the business and certainly knows her stuff. Ok Carol & Christine can be a bit annoying at times (but then so can I) but I always look forward to their offerings on GW or GQT.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Chris B is just brilliant so I was really pleased when he started turning up on Beechgrove after he left GW.