From The Editor's Chair
Peter Barron was born in Saltburn, and raised in Middlesbrough. He joined The Northern Echo as a reporter in 1984, rising to become the paper's editor in January 1999.
No need for the f-word
AT the risk of being branded the new Mary
Whitehouse, I find myself appalled at the
dumbing down of television - and by
Jonathan Ross in particular.
Don't get me wrong - I generally like Jonathan
Ross. I'm not a prude, I appreciate the fact that his
show is broadcast after the watershed and I recognise
that times change. But (and this is where I
start sounding like Mrs Whitehouse) why does he
have to be so crude?
The f-word used to be bleeped out on his show,
but now is invariably left in. These days, only the
c-word is bleeped out, but for how much longer?
The f-word featured several times without a
bleep on last Friday's show but the previous week
was the most shocking yet.
Michael Aspel was being quizzed about his days
as the host of Miss World and was asked whether
he'd "f***ed" Miss Uruguay.
Aspel, desperately trying to remain cool, mumbled
something inconclusive.
He was followed by Gwyneth Paltrow who was
told by Ross with a twinkle in his eye: "Well, I'd
"f*** you." The actress giggled and shrugged it off.
Try to imagine Michael Parkinson saying such a
thing to Julie Andrews and you realise how far
we've fallen.
I know, I know. I can always switch it off and
watch something else, but Jonathan Ross is funny
without needing to sink so low.
I assure you that The Northern Echo is a long
way from removing the asterisks from the f-word,
unlike The Guardian and one or two others, which
publish it in full.
IN my experience, it's always sunny in Ingleton,
a charming village a few miles out of
Darlington.
Two years ago, I opened the village fair and the
sun blazed splendidly.
Last week, I was back to speak at the village hall
(£3 a ticket in aid of the community association)
and the weather was as warm as the
welcome. Many thanks to those who sat inside listening
to me, instead of enjoying the golden
evening outside.
This year's village fair on June 14 is to be opened
by local newspaper legend, Jim McTaggart. If it's
raining, he'll be introduced as Jim McTaggart, formerly
of the Teesdale Mercury. If Ingleton's
bathed in glorious sunshine, he'll be Jim McTaggart,
currently of The Northern Echo.
OUR parliamentary correspondent, Rob Merrick,
has already pointed out the irony contained
in the Government's announcement that
foreign footballers, like other immigrant workers,
will have to pass basic English tests.
The Home Office declared that they will need to
learn phrases such as: "How do I get to the Post Office?"
Probably not the best example to give in view
of the Government's threat to axe 2,500 of them.
By way of a neat postscript, I can provide a disturbing
insight into why local post offices are facing
such dire financial problems.
The Deputy Editor of The Northern Echo, Chris
Lloyd, was in the post office in Croft-on-Tees the
other day when Middlesbrough footballer George
Boateng popped in.
The impeccably polite Mr Boateng bought a 36p
first-class stamp and left five coins on the counter
- a 20p, three two pences, and a five pence. It was
one of those larger, old-style five pence pieces and
we are quite sure the Boro midfielder thought it
was a 10p. But, with the Government's axe hanging
over so many local post offices, it could make
all the difference.
George - you don't need directions, and you know
what to do.
AND finally Top of the most popular stories'
list on the BBC website on Friday was: "Great tits
cope well with warming".
I couldn't help thinking visitors had got the
wrong end of the stick.
10:20am Monday 12th May 2008
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