For years and years we listened to the BBC World Service through the night.

That's rubbish of course - we were tuned to the World Service and we would, or wouldn't, catch moments of breaking news or strange observations on account of it burbling-on in the background.

But we did have our moments.

I'm certain sure that we were the first to know of the start of the first Gulf War as we listened to the reports (propaganda?) of the delivery of the 'keyhole' bombs that were to undo Saddam in moments and liberate not only Kuwait from his aggression but also his subjects from their oppression.

And we were in the very underpass with Diana and Dodi before the paparazzi had scooted away.

But then we learned, slowly, that overnight radio listening is both anti-social and possibly unhelpful to rest.
We were corrected in both West Cork and Thezan re. the impact, on others, of our habit.
And then Sue had a 'sleep specialist' (Dr. Sleep, if you please) on the radio who declared our habit to be unhealthy.

So we sought to correct our ways.
And, largely, we did.

But, for me, sleep is not necessarily a straight-line achievement so, as time went on, I decided that, sometimes, the witterings of the World Service serve me better than my own middle-night thoughts.

As others with this predilection will know, the World Service, on long wave 198, reverts to Radio 4 at precisely 5.20 a.m. for the shipping forecast - another addiction - and at 5.30, for that is when the shipping forecast ends, there is a medley of news-briefings, weather and moral injunctions before at 5.45 there commences fifteen minutes of farm news and information.

And as I listened to this farming slot one recent morning I was surprised and delighted to hear Ella McSweeney.

I was delighted to hear her as she is, in my view, one of the best presenters on the airwaves and should, long ago, have been elevated within RTE to be the principal voice on wild life matters.
I won't name names but why does RTE insist on promoting - in both senses of the word - the mediocre and neglecting and often loosing true talent?

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