Guest PaulG - Surely we're all friends on the folk scene? I know for a fact that Ali has a limited amount of time to answer the phone after the show before she has to pack up and vacate the studio and the box of tricks that takes the calls has about a dozen lines on it. Ali doesn't know who's ringing so it's pot luck if she answers before you ring off.
I didn't know Ali until I went on the show to talk about the Four Fools festival and other things but I'd like to think I've been supportive of the show with various emails to the BBC and suggestions to Ali.
Looking back at the guest list over the past 13 weeks, I'd hardly call the choice nepotistic:
Antique Roadshow, Clive Gregson, Joan Blackburn, Jim Schofield, Myself, John Howarth, Rising Sun Band, Eric Bogle, Harry Basnett and Bernard Cromarty, Anthony John Clarke, Geoff O'Brien and two shows with no guest but plenty of music.
Instead of writing in complaining, why don't you write in with suggestions of what to include? Do you run a club or a festival yourself? I'm sure Ali would love to have you on the show to talk about it.
Instead of a show that had a limited life of twelve weeks, thanks to the "fan club" writing in to the BBC with letters of encouragement we now have a show running for an indefinite period - indeed Monday night on GMR is great for people who like "fringe" music, Irish, Folk and Country from 7-00 till 10-00pm. Where else do you get that? It was good to hear the interviews by Alan Keegan in "The Parlour" programme with both Ali and David Spencer who runs the country programme. Hopefully all three programmes will pick up listeners over the coming months.
I hope you'll keep listening to the show and maybe we'll get chance to hear you on it one day.
Cheers
Mark