Betty and the BBC and Mr Gove

Hello Betty Fans,  Oh what an exciting day I had with Lovely Luke from the BBC who followed me around on my journey and, guess what, I met my arch enemies Mr Gove and Mr Eustice . 

 

But I am running ahead of my story.  Mary sent a sentence of news to the BBC Radio 4 iPM programme expressing her ambivalence about going to London every week.  I thought she meant she enjoyed it but "ambivalence" is a big word for a Badger and she told me it meant that she was in 2 minds about going.  I think that's a bit shabby- I thought she liked our adventures. Anyway, the BBC got in touch with Mary and said Luke Jones would like to go with me and Mary on our weekly trip to DEFRA.  I told Luke to make sure he wrapped up warm because we have had snow and it was really, really cold. Here is a picture of the snow in Mary's garden.  The Chickens did not like it- they aren't tough like us Badgers.

Luke came to Mary's house and she drove him to the station.  I told him how brave he was  going in the car with her.  We all stood on the platform being interviewed by Luke.  Then we went on the train and the silver tubeworm.  We walked to our first DEFRA venue in Smith Square and Luke asked me and Mary lots of questions about why we have been going to DEFRA every Thursday for 18 months. Mary said it was to bring to attention the cruelty, irrationality and cost of killing 70,000 Badgers in the last five years, 

This is Luke.  

He is very clever and charming and Mary said he will be famous one day; he has already run the proper PM programme once I think.  He probably wants to be the next Eddie Mair or, more likely, Louis Theroux.   You Hupeople who don't listen to the radio may have no idea what I am talking about.  Radio 4 is  radio station that intellectual older people like Mary listen to, although Radio 4 is  trying to be more "accessible" to younger  and  less clever folk.  Which will probably explain why all the important serious bits Mary told Luke were edited out and the programme became a jolly day out with a Badger-mad eccentric. Still we laughed a lot, especially when Mary had to explain to Luke that Gays were not Badgers.

We stood outside DEFRA and people waved but DEFRA staff were very shy when they saw the microphone and didn't want to say anything that might get them in trouble. We even saw Mr Gove's lovely driver but I didn't tell Luke because I didn't want to cause any trouble for my friend. One lovely Human who was delivering a parcel said how much he liked badgers.  He told us all about Honey Badgers who live a long way away.  They are not as handsome a European Badgers:



When these Badgers are in the mood for mating, they become super-badgers and will even attack a big Bear.  Their speciality is biting off the testicles of Bears or anyone else who gets in the way of their passions.  Luke cut that part of the interview out. Here is a picture of Mr Gove and Mr Eustice with Mrs May.  They both look a bit worried; perhaps they know that an Angry Badger is after them.  

Actually I had just told Luke how much I hated these Ministers because they have killed my Brian and Bryony and all the other 70,000 Badgers for no good scientific reason   Mr Gove and Mr Eustice came along later and, in his usual polite fashion, Mr Gove said Hello.  Mr Eustice smiled; if only they knew what I was thinking about.  They are very lucky that I am not a Honey Badger but am instead a polite British Badger who doesn't eat testicles.

Or perhaps they did know because what should come along  but a Pest Control Van that parked next to me:

Obviously there wasn't a Badger Control Van nearby so they sent a Beaver Van instead.  I quickly moved on from Great Peter Street to Marsham Street to get out of danger.  I sent Luke home because he turned blue.  These London types just don't know how to dress for standing around in freezing temperatures. 

I had lots of people taking their Selfies with me and promising to tweet and Instagram me.    Mary dragged me home early because she was worried about her Chickens dying of cold.    Once we got home she got out one of her best bed coverings and put it on the snow to stop their feet getting cold.  Honestly!

Mary heard her radio programme on Saturday evening by accident.  She was a bit annoyed that taking me to London every week was under the heading of an "extreme hobby"!!!  She had hoped for a more intelligent and serious article, but at least she might have raised the profile of Badgers for me.  And Luke was good company.  I think he owes Mary and me an interview with Mr Gove and Mr Eustice..  Now THAT would make a jolly programme for iPM and I promise not to bite any part of their bodies.... below the waist anyway.

If you want to hear Mary then this is the link to the programme:
Betty on BBC Radio 4

We went to DEFRA again today but we had no great adventures.  One man did shout at me and said I should be worrying about the world and not Badgers.  I told him that we worry about everything and want to make the whole world a better place for Hupeople and Badgers and Polar bears , even for Chickens.  I reminded him of the words of Mahatma Gandhi who said "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated." Britain isn't doing very well on that score...

Night Night fans

Betty🐾🐾🐾