ER: But before you renounced the position that your sponsors were trying to put you in, in California you had what I suppose I would describe as a revelation. What was revealed to you? I have read the story of when you saw a roadman. K: Sir, at every talk, at every discussion I say this: don’t do it, be careful, don’t… – you follow? – it’s so silly, because you’re destroying yourself, you’re following… I may… what K is talking about may be utterly false. Begin with scepticism, don’t accept anything, including what I’m saying. Work it out; let’s discuss it, let’s go into it together, so that there is no you as the leader and I the follower; we are together in this beastly business of living.

He was born in India to parents who were neither particularly influential nor wealthy; there was however something special about him right from the start. At the age of 14 he was discovered by Annie Besant and C.W. Leadbeater of the Theosophical Society, a group of radical thinkers who believed there was a common strand of truth to all the world’s great religions. They believed the young Krishnamurti was the new Messiah and groomed him to become the world’s spiritual leader.Already well known to Radio 4 audiences as a continuity announcer and newsreader on the network, Kathy’s first programme as chair will air to audiences on 3 May. Eric’s departure will be marked by a special programme broadcast on 26 April from Manchester - not far from where the first episode ofGardeners’ Question Time was recorded in 1947, and Eric’s first episode in 1994.Gardeners’ Question Time co-chair Peter Gibbs will continue in his current role, presenting around a third of the episodes. In 1975, Scher moved premises again, establishing the Anna Scher theatre. There were no auditions to get in, only a waiting list, which reached as many as 5,000 names. Once admitted, each member of her class could expect Scher to impress upon them a cherished saying from one of her heroes, Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “Everyone’s a VSP – Very Special Person.”

A year or so ago he says he was taken out for lunch by a BBC head honcho who politely requested Robson provide as much notice as possible when he decided to call it a day. “I went home, thought about it and said to them ‘my contract is up in 18 months. Why don’t I give you 18 months notice?’” K: No, just look at it. You say, ‘How can I strip away, put away my conditioning?’ That means there is a “you” and a conditioning, which means there is a division. Right? The “you” is also conditioned. I don’t know if you follow it. Old battered chairs line the walls. You sit in one closest to the door. Nobody notice me, please. Nobody does. The 50 or so other kids are too busy with their chat, their excitement, their … what’s that thing I don’t recognise from normal school? Oh yes, their happiness. ER: I follow you up to there, but doesn’t that lead us to a paradox, that the people who listen to you, who come to this school, who listen to you in India or California, do they not regard you as a signpost in a pathless land? ER: (Laughs) Can I ask you what happens when you approach the pathless land of truth, when you step over its boundaries and you find yourself there, do you have to do anything with that truth or does it just do it for you?

D - F

Another EastEnders star, Jake Wood, described Scher as “this whirlwind of energy … I’d never met anybody with that drive. I was a bit intimidated, to be honest.” Eric Robson says: “Having travelled the length and breadth of the UK with Gardeners Question Time for 25 years, it feels an appropriate time to be moving on. I’ve loved every minute of it, but I’m also delighted to be handing the trowel on to Kathy - someone I know will fit right in to the GQT family.” Each year the programme visits a botanic garden to stage its annual GQT Summer Garden Party. The event includes seminars and talks given by the GQT panel, a chance to receive first hand advice from a panelist inside the GQT Potting Shed plus two programme recordings. A highlight of the horticultural calendar, the event attracts a large audience of keen amateur gardeners. Most recently the Summer Garden Party has been hosted by Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, [8] National Botanic Garden of Wales [9] and Ness Botanic Gardens. [10] I look forward to this new role immensely and will do everything I can to continue to support our members as we navigate the many new challenges our industry now faces.” Cumbria Tourism offers its sincere thanks to Eric for his long-standing service and contribution, along with the Board members also stepping down following their terms as valued Non-Executive Directors and observers: Kerry Powell, Mike Turner, Paul Armstrong and Liz Moss.