Gardeners angered as BBC replaces horticultural show with live snooker
Britain's usually peaceful gardening community have been angered by the BBC. The broadcaster has replaced horticultural favourite Gardeners' World with live snooker as the World Championships hit the semi-final stage and experts and amateurs alike are outraged by the decision.
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The gardening advice programme, fronted by Monty Don, usually airs on a Friday night but this weekend snooker from Sheffield will take it's place on BBC Two.
So why the outrage? As many keen gardeners will point out, this particular weekend is one of the busiest for those tending to allotments and gardens across the country.
Veteran broadcaster Peter Seabrook told The Telegraph: "It's unbelievable. It's the busiest gardening weekend ever experienced i April and the BBC takes off Gardeners' World. Typical.
"It was pretty obvious to those of us that know anything about gardening that the Easter bank holiday, the wedding and May bank holiday coming together would mean a busy gardening time. I throw my hands up in horror."
Traditionally between the Easter bank holiday and May day, gardeners would be turning their plots after the winter and, because this year April has proved unusually warm, now is the ideal time to be planting fruit and veg seedlings.
The revamped Gardeners' World, with Monty Don at the helm, has proved popular with viewers and received good reviews. But the BBC insists it is "contractually obliged" to show the snooker and the show has had to make way.
Chief executive of the Garden Industry Manufacturers Association Neil Gow said: "This confirms how out of touch the BBC is with what is going on. It is not very good planning on what is going to be one of the biggest weeks of the gardening year."
What do you think? Are the BBC out of touch or are the gardening community over-reacting? Leave your comments below...
