TTFN CMJ of TMS

Listening to TMS which for so long meant listening to CMJ has been a pleasure. Whether in the back garden or on the Continent CMJ on TMS has been a constant more reminiscent of a Goliath than a David.

For decades I've tuned in to CMJ on Long Wave and was inspired to write a book recording my efforts to keep up with the Cricket between Shipping Forecasts while on holiday in France and Spain.'French and Spanish Cricket for Beginners' may not be everyone's cup of tea and toast with its irreverential flavour and curate's egg variability in taste, but it stemmed from my appreciation of CMJ et al.

I can't think of many radio programmes that act as the perfect backdrop to driving close to Sheer Khan cliffs with breathtaking views, through signal stealing gorges and wicket taking tunnels where the lovely lady riding shotgun is roused from her slumbers by shouts of 'Short' or 'Yorker. Bowls him'.

What other broadcast can have its transmission impeded by her Continentally interfered travelling companion of fellow Long Suffering Waves to have 'Here Comes Pollock' misinterpreted as 'Here comes Bollocks' explained to my eternal shame as 'It's just an introduction to A View from the Boundary'?

I know it's not the end of TMS but as with the passing of John Arlott and Brian Johnston you do begin to worry that another important brick in that boundary wall has gone, and we all know that boundaries can lead to disputes between the closest of neighbours. The polarisation of views can blind reasonable people into actions unbecoming of them freezing out those who do not wish to take part in or listen to a Radio 5 style phone-in rant.

Simom Barnes said it all much better in 'The Times' on Wednesday. He knew that he was privileged to have known CMJ well and knew him to be one in a million. I feel privileged too to have had one of those 'million radios' from which classical bowling actions (pictured) were described so classically 'with a voice brimming with love'.

Though not the paper's Correspondent CMJ was nonetheless The Guardian of TMS. Aggers is there to hold the fort and long may he continue so that I can listen via whatever form of technology ticks the boxes that good old fashioned CMJ and Long Wave did for all those years.

BBC still in crisis?

I woke up this morning at precisely 127-7. It was Sir Geoffery again on Long wave TMS. As the early bird worker to whom I text updates of the cricket is holidaying in Seville, I thought I'd leave her enjoy her home made marmalade, toast and tea before I send her the bad news.

Not that I could let her know how her captain pin up had got on today as TMS didn't seem to be so concerned about informing the relatively later rising fans such as moi or the I'm staying in bed for a lie in as it's Saturday and there's no interruption on LW fans. Although Prior, Bresnan and Broad had injected some respectability I reluctantly but boldly texted the heart breaking news that England had been bowled out for 191.

I waited for the details of what had happened but they were not forthcoming, so unless you are one of Blowers' twitchers with a Bush radio you would have remained empty handed, but not as you would know it Trotty. It could cost the early bird worker now holidaying in Seville a fortune in texts seeking the required information. In desperation I got out of bed to fetch the laptop. I knew that the TMS commentators spend half their lives on twitter. The details would all be there.

They were. While I pondered whether to be as Direct as Sir G who was saying that someone should be telling the top order batsmen to get their heads over the ball in the England dressing room, or as diplomatic as Aggers who must have been stung by the tweet he retweeted calling him an 'uneducated idiot' in response to his complaint about too many fireworks celebrating Diwali, as TMS was broadcasting a piece explaining what it was about, while they were filling up on tea and chocolates.

Well that decided it. Be direct for results. Say something about basic broadcasting. I sent off a couple of tweets to Aggers, to TMS itself and to the producer. To what effect? None of course. Still no hint of the information, no apologies or admissions of guilt despite drink breaks, injury time and groundsmen-on time.

Yesterday I suggested to Aggers in a tweet that GB should become DG of the BBC after rounding on him for not asking Ed Hawkins, author of 'Bookie Gambler' more searching questions. Perhaps TMS producer would do for a start.


I know its not Newsnight, but as Sue Lawley said all those years ago in the Woodville Halls, Gravesend. 'It's your BBC'.

But not as you know it Jim. Not as you know it.

England Nelson-0 thanks to no DRS, Aggers. England expects and so do we.

I did get a reply from Simon Mann, for which I'm grateful, who wasn't sure what I was on about. Like many of the past readers of the book (pictured) you are in good company, Simon.