A Christmas Gift to all listeners, GJBS blog followers and lovers of performed poetry. Robert Browning's poem about Thirteenth Century local government corruption, pelf and dishonour. A poem that many of today's politicians, business "leaders" and many others should acquaint themselves with and the understand the moral.

The Pied Piper by Robert Browning

History of the Gypsy Jack Boggle Show on Australian Community Radio

Australian Community Radio, by & large is run by volunteers in each local community having a licensed community radio station. They are not allowed to advertise on air and often the presenters provide their own libraries. 
In my mind one of the best features of Australian Community Radio is that it gives voice to the under and unrepresented members of society. Most frequently this is the youth segment, particularly those still at school. 
Australian community radio helps to ameliorate the effects of those trying to create mono-culture around the world. Sadly community radio is frequently hijacked by those wishing to merely emulate the national broadcaster or commercial stations largely peddling paid religious proselytising, ideologies or dogma either in the present day or in the presenter's memories of perceived better times.
The Gypsy Jack Boggle Show evolved from its forefathers:- "The British Isles Folk Club" that briefly met on the old NSW Transport's Sydney Harbour passenger ferry, "The Karribee" in Gosford, NSW harbour. 
In about 1997 or 1998 I was asked to put together a programme of folk music for "Wyong Gosford Progressive Community Radio (PCR FM)" broadcasting from Kariong on the New South Wales Central Coast. That programme was called "The British Isles Folk Club on Air" .  It quickly morphed into "BIFCOA" or "Bloody Incredible FolkMusic Covering Our Australia" as my personal record library undertook a meteoric increase in material.
The vinyl records that became part of my library included recordings often brought by migrants from their home countries when they came to live in Australia. (See my comments to the Federal Parliament enquiry reproduced through the Australian Federal Hansard). In the years that it broadcast, "BIFCOA" sent to air songs and music in more than seventy different languages.... A record that the national broadcasters had difficulty in equaling. 
Another feature that "BIFCOA" introduced was,  whenever possible,  to give English language translations of other language lyrics . 
This preceded legislation by the government. It simply enables all to comprehend the lyrics in the Australian common language of English so that all can better appreciate the fore-parent's thoughts and emotions held within the common pool of wisdom often transmitted by oral means alone as many could not read.
Owing to problems with the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) and the erratic issue of temporary licenses to 2PCR-FM severely impinging upon our ability to provide our usual comprehensive station coverage throughout the day, I developed a morning programme called "Gypsy Jack's Boggle Show". That was a programme that "took" public entities to the citizens to let them learn of their available services and "brought" the people to the services. The whole of course was bound together with folk music from all sources. It frequently amused me that many services paid from taxpayer monies did not wish to participate and publicise their services! Perhaps they were afraid of having the public ask them to provide service. 
How language is changed to suit current spin: - I knew such as "civil servants". The word "civil" is now substituted for "public" - a word that I more associate with urinals and overpaid Australian radio announcers whose latest pronouncements are discussed within the aforementioned utilities ad nauseum.
Consequent to the "ABA" preferring to give the "PCR-FM" permanent license to a non-local proselytising religious broadcaster from another area and the convalescence that I needed after having been run down by a motor vehicle outside my 21st century "vardo" in West Gosford, my broadcasting ceased.
A dozen years ago a thousand plus kilometre move was accomplished from the Central Coast to the Victorian Wimmera for health reasons.     

 I returned to broadcasting with the "Gypsy Jack Boggle Show". The other very important factor to broadcast of course is that "for as long as there is one person out there listening to the programme I will continue". To this I add that it is also very important that I have access to artists who are still performing the musical heritage bequeathed by their ancestors or creating heritage in the form of "today's tradition" to be passed on to future generations.
The Gypsy Jack Boggle Show has resulted in the wholehearted resurrection of the concept of folk and traditional music on the radio. I slightly modified the title of the original programme that I presented on PCR-FM and gave it specific themes for each week of the month:
                                       - 1st Sunday: Australian Theme
                                       - 2nd Sunday: Celtic Theme
                                       - 3rd Sunday: English Theme
                                       - 4th Sunday: World Theme
  if occurring                - 5th Sundays: Long Pieces &              Concerts
From July 2010 I was asked to relieve another presenter who became gravely ill. He had a classical and classics based program every Wednesday. After quite a few months it became apparent that this presenter would not be back for a long time so I moved the three hour time slot into the "Gypsy Jack Boggle Show" umbrella to create an outright classics theme. This continued until July 2011 when the relieved presenter was able to return to present his programme. The ingrate & local 'management' offered no thanks. 
All editions were interleaved with beautiful poetry performed live to air. In total over 500 poems were performed. 

- as the advert said:

                 "Tune in or chew your own ears off!"

                 "Miss it & Moan, Listen, Live & Love"

I always started the programme with "The Spinners" of Liverpool singing "The Family of Man". If any one has an alternative suggestion please get in contact.

This was followed by my Lancashire greeting:-

                                                            "By Gum, it's gradely t'be back on FM. Today being the ..... Sunday of the month it is our ........themed day." 

Our frequent closing theme was Allan Bell singing "So Here's to You".

 Following disagreement with local management & local xenophobia with preference for commercialised pap the broadcasting ceased. 

The Pied Piper by Robert Browning

Poetry on the GypsyJackBoggleShow-Rjn Performances