Rob Cowan and Herbie Goldberg

[Paulie55]

Isn't it about time Herbie Goldberg was given his own show? Every day I hear this man's name read out.
Surely there are other well-informed listeners who merit a mention? Has he a share in the programme?

[Ferretfancy]

Is he real? I sometimes think that he is a character from the Henry Root letters, or like those ladies who write gushing letters to the Radio Times, you know, "Well done BBC ! "

[french frank]

Is he real? I sometimes think that he is a character from the Henry Root letters, or like those ladies who write gushing letters to the Radio Times, you know, "Well done BBC ! "

I'm sure he is real. I remember him contributing to the BBC R3 boards, c 2000. But one might assume that not many people write/email/text/ring in ...

[antongould]

We established some time ago that Mercia is Rob Cowan and I have always thought Herbie was yet another of Caliban's aliases.......

[Nick Armstrong]

We established some time ago that Mercia is Rob Cowan and I have always thought Herbie was yet another of Caliban's aliases.......

Are you calling me a smart-***e?!

[antongould]

Are you calling me a smart-***e?!

If the trousers fit......

[Nick Armstrong]

If the trousers fit......

Studiously avoiding any 'cap' metaphors, I see, anton

[vinteuil]

Is he real? I sometimes think that he is a character from the Henry Root letters, or like those ladies who write gushing letters to the Radio Times, you know, "Well done BBC ! "

... are we referring to Rob or Herbie here? I think they're both Henry Root characters

Actually I think H Goldberg is R Cowan....

[cloughie]

Is he real? I sometimes think that he is a character from the Henry Root letters, or like those ladies who write gushing letters to the Radio Times, you know, "Well done BBC ! "

He's probably the husband of the lady from Cheltenham who used to get frequent mentions on Les Dawson's Blankety Blank.

[Flosshilde]

If the trousers fit......

Does my ar*e look smart in these?

[Lancashire Lass]

HG set the Brainteaser this morning. But I didn't listen long enough to find out whether he'd also e-mailed in the answer, thus getting his name read out twice.

It really is rank amateurism of the presenters to keep giving him a name-check, however much he bombards them with e-mails. CFM don't favour specific listeners like this. I suspect even the most ardent fans of the new regime are fed up with it.

[Ferretfancy]

Fulsome praise from Sarah Walker for Herbie's quiz setting this morning These puzzles are supposed to get more difficult as the week progresses, but Herbie's offering was a pushover today. The trouble is that this feature on the programme tends to develop a hideous fascination, like the enjoyment of scratching an itch.
I must get out more.

[Nick Armstrong]

Fulsome praise from Sarah Walker for Herbie's quiz setting this morning These puzzles are supposed to get more difficult as the week progresses, but Herbie's offering was a pushover today. The trouble is that this feature on the programme tends to develop a hideous fascination, like the enjoyment of scratching an itch.
I must get out more.

If it's raining, come and have a scratch over on the AA thread

[Anna]

As Caliban denies being Herbie, and if people are fed up with Mr. Goldberg's name being mentioned so often can I suggest that the AA regulars get together and submit some of the less cryptic brain teasers that there have been over the years? It may be that Herbie's are the only ones that Rob considers are up to scratch so he would probably welcome an influx of past ingenious puzzles which are only solveable when the very last clue is revealed.

[Dave2002]

We established some time ago that Mercia is Rob Cowan and I have always thought Herbie was yet another of Caliban's aliases.......

Mercia = Rob Cowan.

That's news to me, though not implausible.