BBC day 5
Off to our breakfast haunt. U2 album Rattle and Hum playing for the third day in a row. I love Daniel Lanois’ production skills but this is ridiculous. Again we are asked for our room number, again I say that we are not staying here.
Off to the BBC, an easy walk. Get to the media cafe and we are security checked. We are the only foreigners amongst the pommies. Our tour guides are 2 young guys, Jamie and Simon. Jamie is a classic. His dry sense of humour and general banter should be part of something live to air. Anyway. We are informed of the fact that the Queen opened this facility last June. We get to look at the new integrated newsroom and go thru the various roles of the different sections. Theresa May (Minister for Defence?) sashays past and is interviewed outside. This is a pretty amazing facility where 6000 people work and programs are broadcast to something like 200 million plus countries in multiple languages.
Next I find myself presenting a news bulletin on camera with a 12 year old, before we go to the older part of the newly conjoined facility which has managed to be integrated with the radio portion of BBC. Apparently during the Second World War Charles De Gaulle used to come down to this spot and deliver a speech to his subjects. Churchill as well. I think television itself was invented here in 1936 on an old radio portion of this facility. Ricky Gervais started here along with a host of other personalities. There exists in the radio part of the facility, a theatrette where a lot of prominent acts have performed to a small audience of about 400. They can only ever be paid 66 pounds. No one is ever paid any more than 66 pounds. Its a government rule. Sue engages in a radio play with self made fx. Tour over.
Off down to Regent St to look for more stuff. Can’t believe the crowds. We work our way back to home base. Another day.
a radio star is born
the new breakfast team
gazlington 