In the days of Lord Reith
Sir: Much as I enjoyed Kenneth Allsop's autobiographical ruminations on the sur- rogate security of a bygone Children's Hour (28 February), even though his poetic references to lamplighter and muffin-man conjured up Dickensian rather than Reithian days, I defensively question the validity of his two last sentences: 'Will it [in future] be possible to say anything about sound radio? Will it even be noticed?'
Having only comparatively recently started to listen seriously, I am delightfully surprised to discover how far overall quality on Radios 3 and 4 exceeds that of television.
One has only to read through the sound programmes to realise how wide the net of interest is cast. Even the quiz programmes, e.g. Any Questions, Brain of Britain, My Music, etc, are infinitely more stimulating to thought, and better written than their non- equivalents on TV.
I cannot believe that I am in a minority,
since an ever-increasing percentage of the population reaches middle age and so has more time to listen and say a great. deal about sound radio—if the present excellent standard is kept up. Ergo, of course it will be noticed. It would be a crying shame as well as an adverse comment on national in- telligence if it were not.
Anna Marlowe
Clanville House, Clanville, Andover, Hants
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