has been in Amsterdam.
"It could have been Beijing, however this is a picture taken outside Amsterdam Central station on Wednesday. I’m not sure how they cope in the rain and snow however."
New readers should know that Jonnie is the brains behind the froggers refuge - there's a link on the right.
which regular frogger sent this? It's me with a Becks...
get my hair done like Becks? Once again I'm annoyed that a style I'd been considering has been hijacked by him. I expect it's all too late.
It's been quite a week for us. I discovered a colleague of ours thought Ted Heath was still alive. In her defence she said she was overseas at the time.
Some of the comments on the Blog about women in the forces, and bikes of all genders, will feature in "letters" tonight at around 1745. We're busy putting it together now.
This is the place where you can talk about anything serious that you like. There are lots of other places on the Blog where fun and frivolity rule...and as you can see below, we sometimes start threads on topics that have come up on the programme.
But The Furrowed Brow is where you can talk about the serious topics you want. Seriously.
People clearly want to talk about that too. Do it here! Mike R posted this on another thread...
Sorry, Eddie, I would just like to comment on the motorbike piece that we just heard.
The gentleman motorcyclist is absolutely correct to point out the abyssmal standards of driving that are becoming the norm amongst many car users. This applies equally to new drives and experienced drivers. Both have learned bad habits. Experienced drivers have learned them over many years of battling with congestion, during which the temptation to break the law and rules of etiquette have been too much and have now become the norm. Younger drivers, literally, learn their bad habits through the media, laddish culture and games consoles. I speak from the experience of talking to several A-level college students of my acquaintance who have told me that they drive "properly" for the test, but as soon as they get their own car, they drive how they want to drive. They acknowledge that its not safe, but then, I got the sense that they didnt care.
btw the apostrophe key doesnt work, it keeps accessing some kind of search function.
Anyway, yes, there are bad motorcyclists, but there are far more bad car drivers.
The Governments approach to this is familar. Theyre going after the easy target again. In the same way that the Home Office chases successful, law abiding immigrants because theyre easier to find and deport than the real criminals who drop off the radar, so the Government look at the statistics and see that motorcyclists are dying in droves. What to do? Tell you what, impose restrictions on motorcyclists so that they cant get themselves hurt. Eventually, people will stop riding motorbikes because of the sheer inconvenience of it all. This is like saying that the entire population should wear stab proof vests and not go out after 8pm in case a murderer has a go at us, instead of trying to catch the murderers. Its always easier to solve a problem by imposing on the law abiding citizen, because you know he will do as hes told.
Sounds a little like the approach to Iran, but thats another topic.
You heard Col. Stewart. What do YOU think?
Well that WAS quite a lot. Here is Alistair's piece. Cue in the posting below.
and this is a first.
You'll be able to hear here, a piece which will be broadcast in tonight's programme.
"More than 50 British troops have died in Afghanistan since their deployment, but nearly a hundred have also been wounded in battle. The medics based at Camp Bastion in Helmand have to pick up the injured, bring them back and treat them…whether they're British troops, Afghan forces or even Taleban fighters. Alistair Leithead joined the Immediate Response medical Team and sent this exclusive report"...it will follow soon
the programme last night, thanks to Breaking News and that sort of thing. We trailed it. It would have sounded like this:
"What are the best ways of avoiding a parking ticket? Well - not parking illegally is probably number one on the list. But if you find your back wheels WERE on double lines, what then? I've been hearing from Simeon Ademolake who has first hand experience of how to beat the traffic wardens":
Here it is.
the link on the right to the PM Frogger's Refuge. Do use and enjoy!
In a while I hope to post another item that didn't make it to air. It's traffic related.
Last night, a piece by our fine reporter Chris Ledgard - soon to be leaving us :o( - never made it on air. There was a host of snafus I won't trouble you with. But it was scheduled to run and never did. We thought that was a bit of a waste as the piece was ready to run but technical bits got in the way.
So here is Chris's cue and piece.
"Detectives hunting a killer in Bath have made an unusual appeal: they want to speak to a poet. Paul Kelly was murdered in a pub in the city on New Year's Eve. A number of people have been arrested but no-one has been charged. Someone though has been pasting a poem on bus shelters and lamp posts in the area around the pub where Paul was murdered. The police say the author appears to have witnessed the crime. The poet urges the killer to come forward. Reporting for PM, Chris Ledgard:
And this is the report.
featuring the holiday snaps of listeners and froggers, Jonnie says:
"This is a typical bridge looking down one of the canals in Utrecht. Off to Amsterdam today and then back home tomorrow. "
which got us the nomination for the Sony "Interactive Programme Award, along with the text that accompanied them.
1. Text interaction 22/11/2006. Duration 1'31"
PM receives hundreds of texts and emails during the programme. Eddie Mair reads out many of the pithier ones. This contains a selection on the same topic
2. Birdsong. 06/06/2006. Duration 3'38"
Big Ben's chimes - which usually signal the end of PM - fall silent for repairs. Listeners write, email and text the programme to offer suggestions on how to replace them. One reader suggests bird song. The idea is taken up.
3. The announcement that Eddie Mair is starting a PM blog. 17/08/2006. Duration 37"
From small beginnings, the PM Blog rapidly expands and is soon the BBC's most visited blog. By mid December 2006, there had been 15,000 hits.
4. Letters. 24/11/2006. Duration 6'59.
Every Friday, a selection of listeners' letters, texts, emails and phone calls are broadcast.
5. Window on Your World. Duration 54"
PM asks listeners to take a photo of what they can see at 5pm on December 5th and to send in their photos so they can be put up for all to see. Eventually, more than 4,000 are sent in.
6. Window on Your World. 16"
Another request for pictures.
7. Wood Pigeon. 22/06/2006. Duration 3'49"
A listener complains that, in our birdsong slot, we have badly edited the Wood Pigeon's call and it ruined his enjoyment. He is right.
8. Trail. Frequent use. Duration: 13"
A trail from a former PM presenter, Clare English, mentioning the Blog.
9. Probation interview. 07/11/2006. Duration 7'08"
In response to a BBC story about criticism of the Probation Service, a mother emails to say her drug addict son is due in court and she wants him in jail, not on probation. PM contacts her and she agrees to be interviewed.
Breaking news (hence the upper case headline...) PM has JUST been nominated for a Sony Award for best interactive programme. This is down to you, and a little bit to us. So please, trebles all round and our grateful thanks.
The Sony Awards are seen as the radio industry Oscars so to be nominated for the Blog is a great honour. Plus, the programme has been nominated as Best Speech Programme.
Good news too for our Friday chum Paddy - BH's jam spoon competition has been nominated for a Sony too.
But look - back to you. Thank you.
A delightful email arrives from former PM blog supremo Lissa, who sends this snap of her with her husband on holiday on Lundy island. Thanks Lissa. How the hell are you?
I find, on which for the first time that year, you really feel the heat of the sun on your back. Similarly, there is that weary day as autumn approaches when you know the sun's rays will bear only light for months to come.
After another marvellous World at One this afternoon, I walked (sauntered? flounced? minced?) over to a well known coffee store near the office for one of their refreshing beverages. Returning to the office, I noticed on the expanse of grass outside which for months has been frozen/muddy/snow covered - certainly devoid of people - there were dozens of people from the BBC and surrounding offices all lapping up the heat. I paused for a moment or two, and enjoyed the heat too. And arrive back at my desk strangely ready to communicate again. To reach out and express myself. Ah the wonders of the sun.
Actually I've just realised it's the quad latte. Sorry.
Horatio's been asking.
continues unabated.
We got this:
with this accompanying note:
"As requested by huge public demand, a recent picture of Bailey. It may not what be you expected, but to justify it, I actually grew up within earshot of Gorleston lifeboat maroons. (Different shipping area, but still valid, I think.) So are there any Rockalls out there? Or maybe a Portland Bill? Or even Heligolands? See you on the beach. Jennifer Bailey."
Ahem. Belinda sends this "rather dreadful picture of the Humber Shipping region, looking out into the far distance which is the Thames region (if you squint). It's not as artistic as the previous contributions but water is water after all."
And Gossipmistress send this:
"Antony Gormley's figures looking out to sea area 'Irish Sea' from Crosby Beach. They get submerged, to varying degrees when the tide comes in and some of them have barnacles on their bottoms!"
but we just had a lovely letter from Christine van Meeteren in London. She wrote:
"Dear PM Team - I took this photo back then, when you told us to, for "Window On Your World". I've only just had the film developed. I really was pondering this revolting form
at the witching hour. It's probably all too late but I thought you might like it anyway, as it has come out so aesthetically pleasing in spite of its heart-breaking subject."
We loved it so here it is. Thank you Christine.
moved the clock forward in the office. That's got to be a good sign.
the 17th of August 2006 that we first got comments on the PM Blog...and true to form lost several. We found them last week. They were with Gilbert and George.
Anyhoo, we appealed here on the Blog and on the programme for people whose comments had fallen by the wayside to come forward...even helpfully listing all the names we had.
Here then are the pearls of wisdom from people who got back in touch, pleading: "Yes...publish my seven month old comments. My life is incomplete without them, damn you".
"I should be working instead of reading the newsletter, blog and cricket updates. If I get into trouble what do you suggest I use as an excuse?" - Ian Roberts
"Could this be the "birth pangs" of a new PM?" Sebastian Sandys
"A momentous day indeed! I've now linked this blog to my own desperate effort at blogging. I must warn you though. After the first blast of "thoughts", the will to type (or live to get things to type about) does tend to fade... and no - I haven't linked just to improve my Google ratings! looking forward to.... something!" whisht
"Welcome to the blogging world Eddie - good luck. Whats powering this blog?" Matthew Maber
"Welcome to the wonderful world of the Web, Eric!" Chrissie L
"Nice pic, black and white can be so flattering. I suspect a time and motion team would have a field day at the BBC though :-)" Jonathan (jonnie)
"They say that the beauty of radio lies in triggering the listener's imagination. Why not try the same on this blog: add no more entries but allow us, the readers, to populate our imaginations with what we think you might have written? It's bound to be more satisfactory than anything you could actually write :)" Geoff Realname
"Fab! Worth the wait!!!" Liz Taylor
Susie Witterick wrote: "Is there already a secret sect in the PM blog? And if so how do I get into it? :)" There is indeed a society in the PM blog. To join the Mysterious and Ancient Order of Blogwatchers Allied to PM (MAOBAPM). Meetings are held in a darkened room with all the members wearing masks to ensure that anonymity is assured. The handshake alone takes months to learn, and, if not properly performed can lead to a dislocated shoulder. suffice to say that all commenters on the inaugural blog by Eric are automatically enrolled in the order. I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting... By the way, I happen to know that sarah did indeed get the report to her boss on time, and she will be given an eccles cake in reward tomorrow.... "
The Blog is full of places for frivolity and fun. In here, it's serious. Think, reflect, debate...then later maybe relax on the beach. Seriously.
this time from Caroline Mcadamclark - or at least that's my interpretation of your email address Caroline. Thanks for this. She says:
"Hi ---re the Shipping Forecast here's one of the paintings mentioned in the clip on Wednesday: 'Lundy' Others might follow if theres any interest out there."
and by way of a preview of tonight's programme, I walked up to tonight's editor (blogger Marc) at around 1545 to ask about the programme.
BRAND new and never attempted before on the blog in the next few minutes. It may or may not work.
irony. Or is it just agony? I sent the newsletter which drones on about how efficient the sending of the newsletter has become of late...and it takes more than an hour to arrive.
"We're complete professionals on PM"....we can now bring you this.
Over the weekend by the way, there'll be a new Furrowed Brow and of course a new beach...plus I'll post those missing comments from Day One which some froggers contacted us about. Stand by.
is that things start up almost accidentally and then take on a life of their own. For example. Yvonne's report about paintings inspired by the Shipping Forecast (or as someone wondered on a thread - the shipping forecast) caused one listener to send us a paining of South East Iceland (see the thread: "The programme last night featured")
Now Leslie Burgher gets in touch with this:
"Since you have a picture of South East Iceland I attach one of Fair Isle. This photo was taken whilst flying from Orkney to Shetland last September on the scheduled flight."
I have a feeling this may run and run...
as you are very well aware.
Last night though we (that's Rory the business chap, Vaughan the news chap and me) teetered on the edge for several moments. Rory said something in his piece about game machines which immediately struck Vaughan and I as funny - in a completely childish way. Helpfully, we disolved into silent giggles. When we finally arrived at a 13 second long piece of audio and we could all talk to each other, we pointed out to Rory what he'd said. Then HE dissolved.
Somehow he delved deep into his years of experience and managed to carry on without guffawing. But the suppressed laughter carried on, and as is so often the case when you can't do something, got worse.
We lived to tell the tale. Hope none of it showed on air. Will try to find the offending words and post them later. In the cold light of day I'm sure it will be gloriously unfunny.....
today yet I don't appear to have anything to show for it. Among the stories we ALMOST ran - something about London sewage, and the hunting ban: Ann Widdecombe was standing by to be interviewed at 16.00 on that, but we plumped at the last minute for more on the Bob Woolmer story.
The lead will be Open Skies. We've a live interview with the lead US negotiator, who will have ringing in his ear comments from the BA boss who recorded a piece with us earlier.
The only other recording so far has been with a chap from Sony about their new gaming console.
Stand by for Andrew's piece on what I've been told to call BBC News School Report Day. There's more on it here and as I've noted on the "Today is" thread, if you have any questions about Andrew's stuff, please post them - I guess here is as good a place as any - and he'll do his best to reply tomorrow.
a lovely piece by Yvonne Murray about an exhibition of paintings inspired by the Shipping Forecast. It opened in the Piers Feetham gallery in Fulham in London. The artist, Caroline McAdam Clark, is a self-confessed Radio 4 addict and also a sailor.
Well we got this email from Peter Collyer who wrote:
"What a shame your sailing artist couldn't get to South-East Iceland. For those who would like to see what it's like, here is the painting of South-East Icelend from my Shipping Forecast exhibition, which was in 1998, and I don't sail."
BBC News School Report Day.
Our reporter Andrew Bomford is at Knutsford High School in Cheshire, and will be appearing on the programme tonight, and his piece will feature a 3 and a half minute report compiled by some of the children themselves. This is Charlotte and David (who have voiced up the report) interviewing Inspector Chris Morrell of Cheshire Police
and this is Charlotte.
Here is Bradley, who is featured in the report and lives on the Longridge Estate:
and here's Ryan interviewing Marylyn Kerby, the Community Development Officer at Macclesfield Borough Council, who is also featured in the report.
I remember 5,000 years ago getting my first real taste of radio doing this sort of thing. So who knows, maybe one day some of the children featured here could be on the radio again as presenters. Or they might be brighter than that and get proper jobs.
I remembered last night after work that I promised a "glass box" for your thoughts on the programme. And thanks to a glitch which meant I was unable to log in away from work, it all rather fell by the wayside. Apologies.
As I said in a previous posting, we chose not to do the programme from Westminster last night, and made an effort to get non-Budget stories in. But your feedback would be useful in shaping future Budget coverage. Not just whether it was too much or too little, but was it the right sort? Did you want less politics, or better coverage of the arguments? Was the economics of it clear? I don't want to be prescriptive, because you'll have your own view of the programme that maybe doesn't touch on any of the above.
Whatever you thought - all constructive thoughts are welcome.
(Oh and by the way the Blog passed 30,000 comments yesterday. Well done to us all. We must do something big and outrageous when we get to 50,000)
will represent Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest this year, and will also appear in tonight's PM. Budget permitting.
It's here. Tell us what you thought of it by using the comment button.
1242: John Prescott smiling
1250. Tony Blair pointing.
1259. Tony Blair staring at the back of Gordon Brown's head.
1303: Tessa Jowell and Patricia Hewitt talking to each other
1306: The two men behind the front bench fold their arms.
1312: Gordon Brown makes arm gesture.
1313: Gordon Brown says "constituency".
1317: Tony Blair now focussing on Mr Brown's hair.
1319: Lots of waving. See you next year.
is sweeping the nation. Children are chattering about it. Mothers are comparing notes over coffee. In workplaces, offices, factories and homes across the land, there is only one topic of conversation. And tonight we're going to turn that Budget Buzz into rip-roaring radio.
In the meantime, and only a day late, here are some more lovely snaps from Nils' travels - he brought us another piece last night. This first pic is corn trading at the Chicago Board of Trade.
Nils says: "The noise and energy of the trading in the 'corn pits' of the Chicago Board of Trade have to be seen - and heard - to be believed. And over the last the year the price of corn has doubled because of demand from ethanol refineries. The ethanol is mixed with petroleum and used in cars.
This second pic
is of the traders' colourful jackets. "The traders wear jackets of astonishing garishness. Many of the designs would give hippies from the 1960s real doubts about whether they were going a bit over the top. Apparently the point is that a jacket needs to be distinctive so that you know who you are doing a deal with, even if you are making the bargain via hand signals across a crowded trading pit."
And finally a more tranquil scene: Sam Martin - talking to Nils amid his 19,000 acres of farmland
"For corn farmers like Sam Martin business is booming. But he admits that the price of food is going up. Ethanol based fuels produce slightly lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels. But it may mean higher prices for basic foodstuffs."
is Budget Day. In years gone by we would have dragged our sorry carcasses to Westminster, and devoted most of the programme to the event. But it's been our experience in recent years that maybe we were doing too much on it. Certainly, the feedback we got via email and the Blog to the last budget and the more recent pre-Budget report suggested that we should be more selective in our coverage.
We're going to do the programme from our usual base in W12, and do our best not to overdo it.
There are practical reasons for this too. Desk space at Westminster is at a premium. There often isn't the space for people to work in. We lose valuable production time shuffling back and forth. Sometimes being located close to a story can contribute to us losing perspective on everything else. Oh there are lots of reasons. See how it all sounds tomorrow. We've still not started our Glass Box idea formally ( it IS coming) but we'll do one tomorrow so you can let us know what you think.
Former petrol station attendant Riath Hussein, with his daughters Noor, aged 5 (left) and Rana aged 6, at their home in Hillah, central Iraq. In April 2003, driving through Hillah, Riath and his brother Faris came across an American military chekpoint. They misunderstood instructions to stop. The Americans opened fire. Faris was killed and Riath was blinded in both eyes. "When the Americans first came to Hillah," he said, "I cheered and welcomed them I did not expect them to shoot me".
Hakima Mohammed, also from Hillah, with a photograph of her son Thama Nema Sarhan, an Iraqi army officer who died in a battle with US forces. When I wondered who she blamed for the death of her son, she asked if it was 'safe to tell the truth'. Reassured that it was, she then said - in a crescendo of grief, "I blame Saddam Hussein, Saddam Hussein, Saddam Hussein".
A Baghdad family using the shade of their home to shelter from 38 deg Centigrade heat (100 F) after a power cut stopped their ceiling fan.
Voters being searched before going into a polling station in Baghdad, on January 30th 2005. I didn't photograph what they could see behind me: Iraqi police clearing a street full of human remains after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives.
An early voter filling in his ballot form in Muthanna, a mixed district in central Baghdad, on polling day, January 30th 2005.
A US tank, with an insensitive message, during the security clampdown for the election in Baghdad in January 2005. "You'll have to forgive a bit of cavalry swagger," one US officer commented.
and I am alone in the office. I offered to answer the phones while everyone else goes outside to show their support for our colleague Alan Johnston who disappeared in Gaza a week ago.
Please give him a thought this lunchtime. Thanks.
I know of course that several regular froggers ARE.
It's a list of people who contributed comments on Day One of the PM blog, but whose words we managed to LOSE. We gave them all to Terry Wogan but something happened and let's just leave it at that.
Anyway. We want to make things right. If YOU are on the list below and would like to see your original comment posted on the Blog - just send us an email. PLEASE mark the subject line "You screwed up the Blog again you losers" and send it to pm@bbc.co.uk.
PM: not always right, but when we make a mess we like to try to put it right.
Tom
Anne Connell
laurie
Grant Thomas
Al Findlay
Christopher
Susan Wakefield
Hugh Jarce (ho ho ho)
Susie Witterick
Gordon
Angela Smith
Bill Braham
Rob F
R Brown
Lucy
Bronny
Coco
Stephen
Anthony Hood
Steve
Michael Helm
Rob Young
Sally W
Andrew Richards
Lorraine P
John Quinton-Barber
The Stirrer's Mate
Chin Hiong-Chong
Jonathan
Robert
Greg Ashman
Nick Burch
John Osborne
Dicky
Chris Carter
Mark Drew
David
Warren
RevdBill
John Cant
Roger Croxson
Ian Roberts
David Buckland
Michael Ames
Paul
beachcomber
Matt Whitby
Sarah Caney
Chris Charlton
Joel Hammond-Turner
Matthew
Joel Wood
Wendy
Sarah's mum
Sean Williams
Peter Gray
Matthew
Liz Taylor
Jo Pott
David Way
Whisht (a familiar name)
Sebastian Sandys
Steve Waring
Mark Drew
Christine
Phil Harrison
Hella
Di Millman
Eleanor
Sharon W
Bob O
Richard Goldsby
Daffers
Alan Stratton
Jane Merrifield
Liz Arundell (another familiar name)
Ian
Brian W
Chrissie L
Helensparkles (ditto)
John Crowther
John Westward
Christopher Stone
Nick Firth
Del Hintze
Robert
Roy
Harry Giles
Rosalind
Charles Hatton
Lucy
Cary Godsen
Jinny
Rosalind
D Baker
Boocock
Clare Metcalfe
Daniel Gordon
Ollie K
Gerard
Howard Almond
Julie Bingham
Gari
Steph Smith
Cathy Harrison
Sheila Russell
Sue-Sue
Carol
Hilary Allen
Aaron
James
Bill (scotland)
Alan Watson
Barbara Wright
Adam IC2eyes
Katie
Adam
Fearless Fred
Lynn Taylor
Geoff Realname
Clarey
Andrew
James Newman
Tim C
Stewy
Roy Hayter
Leila
Gill Bonnell
Loco
Martyn
Sydney
Gill
Andrew Knight
Dave G
Mrs Trellis from North Wales
Angela
Les Hemmings
Binsieboy
John Arrowsmith
David Reed
Boa Mondo
Jacks
Adrian Shaw
Liz
R of P
It's always a bit of a whirlwind, catching up after holidays. I've been replying to old urgent emails from people in other bits of the BBC saying things like: "Hey what was the name of that woman you interviewed last Friday?" or "can you present our programme on Tuesday", or "I am a senior BBC executive but I appear to have a cat on my head, what should I do?"
Ronnie Corbett is on the front of the Daily Mirror today, pointing. Why?
Upon my return I hear that (and I hope you're sitting down for this) we've discovered another way we let down people with this Blog. Oh yes. Just when you thought we'd run out of ways! To be fair, this dates back to Day One - but we intend to right the wrong. If we've time, as we watch every single moment of the Phil Spector trial. I know the judge is worried about meeting a Wall of Silence.
And I still have that Julie Andrews book on my desk. I will do something about it. I promise.
One other thing: we are about 300 or so comments away from our 30,000th. Good grief.
OK so as it turns out I can start a new Beach today. Hurrah!
If you're new and wondering what on earth The Beach is...well, it’s a place to go when the stresses of your real life need relieving. Sometimes it is fairly quiet and you might feel like you’re the only one around, but you can leave your ‘footprints’ for others to find later on. Othertimes it is the home for a real party, with constant gossip, leg-pulling, rumour, innuendo, chit-chat and weirdness.
If this were a forum (and it sort of is because we post responses to each other, not just to Eddie, hence our term for ourselves 'Froggers', a combination of forum and blogger) then the beach would be the off-topic area.
It's a tropical location, no matter the time of year it's always warm and pleasant there. Sunrises and sunsets are spectacular, the evenings balmy. It has a number of different locations; the Nick Clarke waterfront bar; the smokers corner; Fido's Run for the dog-walkers; the Naughty Step and many others.
How do you find your way around? There is no direct answer to the question. The beach is a moveable feast, literally. It will be renewed by our Lord and master Mr. Edward de Mair each Monday morning. This is because we have found in the past that when the number of posts exceeds about 600 the entire thing becomes unwieldy and unstable. A case of the beach turning to quicksand.
Froggers often leave bottles / glasses / trays of their favourite tipple on the bar for others to sample, not to mention big / small eats.
There is a herd of camels who frequent the sands, which froggers are very fond of. There are sun-loungers, so you can take it easy and catch some rays. Quite often the late-night attendees will have a barbie.
It's a fun place, with only one real rule; Be nice to each other; we are ALL chums here. New Froggers are ALWAYS welcome.
The real debate happens on the other threads. The beach is a place for banter, whimsy, relaxation and friendship, where jarring comments are not particularly welcome. There are certain very mild protocols, which you tend to pick up as you go along. So slip your shoes off, feel the sand between your toes, relax and enjoy yourself.
Created for the first time by a wire-free facility in a hotel reception. But that's the only froth you'll get. It's all serious in here.
Got the theme tune running through my head - but as I said yesterday , and as Mr RIppon repeated VERY CLEARLY during our post programme meeting - "IT'S NOT COMING BACK".
Two more things about yesterday's programme - I still don't know the answer to my question about whether it'll cost more to go digital if you have more than one tv set in your home. For some reason, and lots of you picked up on this, the minister seemed to find my inquiry difficult to answer. It really was a genuinely innocent question that I thought you might also like an answer to. We're still waiting.
Also... and this is very disappointing. I read out a text from Torquay asking how much the 1948 Olympics cost. During the programme we had an email from a woman who said that one of her relatives had worked on the Olympics and she had detailed figures. Hurrah. We were hoping to interview her today. However, she got a better offer from the Mail. Boo.
Amanda has been running a sweepstake for the Cheltenham Gold Cup. I've drawn two horses which I'm reliably informed have no chance of winning! Forget the Past and Neptune Collonges. But you never know.....
Bye for now,
sequin
Edward Genson – one of Conrad Black’s high powered legal team – has difficulty walking and rides around on an electric scooter. At a preliminary hearing the crush of cameramen around him was so bad that he was knocked to the ground.
This time the bearded attorney managed to remain firmly seated, with the aid of numerous court officials holding back the photographers, cameramen and the odd radio journalist.
Thanks for all the comments yesterday on Trident and on Blue Peter ( Big Sis and Peter Scott - yes I am reading the blogs!). Hope you're not too traumatised by the fake phone-in news. I know many people are still reeling from the news that Petra was switched at birth, and Fred the tortoise became Freda the tortoise ( or was it the other way around?)
To take your mind off things, we've got some pictures from Chicago - Nils Blyth is there covering the trial of Conrad Black . I'll send them out later when he gives them to me.
sequin
You're going to hear a lot about Trident and the nuclear deterrent today. If it bores you, I apologise in advance. I must say that before this debate erupted I had pretty much assumed that we had a nuclear deterrent and we would always have one. That Britain would always be one of the "nuclear nations". But now that the moment has come for a change of course, do you think we should grab the opportunity to go nuclear-free ? Or by doing so do we condemn future generations to a more dangerous world? Depends, I suppose, on where you think the future threat will come from. If you are a "glass half empty " merchant, like me, you think the world is doomed anyway.
Let's change the subject.... saw a lovely cherry blossom on the way in. And those of you who enjoyed Hugh Sykes' contributions from China may be in for something more later.....
sequin
I cycled in today. I don't know what it's like where you are but here it really was the perfect morning - a bit breezy, warm enough to wear shorts but not hot enough to get that sweaty-headed helmet -hair thing. Ed never needs to worry about these things - he's got less on top than me.
It's climate change day 2 - green will dominate the programme again. Sceptics are starting to come out questioning the idea that humans are damaging the planet. Just as I was getting into the recycling groove as well. Technically if we were all really serious about tackling CO2 emissions we'd give up eating meat wouldn't we because methane from cows is a major pollutant as you know. But how many of you would take your environmental awareness that far? ( unless of course you're already vegetarian or vegan in which case please excuse yourself from that question.)
sequin
Bonjour mes petits chous....
Blame Lord Dearing .
Ed is off on his hols for a week - he'd run out of fake tan - so I'm in the chair again. And delighted to be here. Can I start with an apology please? When I last filled in for him a few weeks ago on a Friday I didn't have a chance to reply to many of your kind comments and "welcome backs" on the blog. I wasn't meaning to be rude. Honest. I just need to learn to manage my time better this week. . Any tips? Do you have special "blog time" in your day?
How do you say blog in French? Could it, I wonder, be le blog ?
sequin
This week's Beach starts on Saturday and lasts all the way through to next Monday. We'll have a job keeping it tidy over all that time.
Are you new here? Wondering what on earth The Beach is?
Well, it’s a place to go when the stresses of your real life need relieving. Sometimes it is fairly quiet and you might feel like you’re the only one around, but you can leave your ‘footprints’ for others to find later on. Othertimes it is the home for a real party, with constant gossip, leg-pulling, rumour, innuendo, chit-chat and weirdness.
If this were a forum (and it sort of is because we post responses to each other, not just to Eddie, hence our term for ourselves 'Froggers', a combination of forum and blogger) then the beach would be the off-topic area.
It's a tropical location, no matter the time of year it's always warm and pleasant there. Sunrises and sunsets are spectacular, the evenings balmy. It has a number of different locations; the Nick Clarke waterfront bar; the smokers corner; Fido's Run for the dog-walkers; the Naughty Step and many others.
How do you find your way around? There is no direct answer to the question. The beach is a moveable feast, literally. It will be renewed by our Lord and master Mr. Edward de Mair each Monday morning. This is because we have found in the past that when the number of posts exceeds about 600 the entire thing becomes unwieldy and unstable. A case of the beach turning to quicksand.
Froggers often leave bottles / glasses / trays of their favourite tipple on the bar for others to sample, not to mention big / small eats.
There is a herd of camels who frequent the sands, which froggers are very fond of. There are sun-loungers, so you can take it easy and catch some rays. Quite often the late-night attendees will have a barbie.
It's a fun place, with only one real rule; Be nice to each other; we are ALL chums here. New Froggers are ALWAYS welcome.
The real debate happens on the other threads. The beach is a place for banter, whimsy, relaxation and friendship, where jarring comments are not particularly welcome. There are certain very mild protocols, which you tend to pick up as you go along. So slip your shoes off, feel the sand between your toes, relax and enjoy yourself.
it was rather dreary.
Which reminds me that Julie Andrews book is still sitting on my desk. We must give it as a prize to someone. I'll try to organise a premium rate phone line.
A word in your ear: next week on the blog, Nils Blythe, our business guru and thoroughly decent person, will be reporting from an as yet undisclosed location...and just as Hugh Sykes kindly put himself at your disposal, so will Nils. Be nice.
By the time we got off the air last night, we'd had only one email from a listener concerned at our repeated use of the word "bastard" in the Patrick Mercer story. Many others urged us to say it more often...naughty!
But it does raise something that concerns us all the time - use of language. For example, on the Sunshine post there's a discussion about how we refer to the act of dying. As far as "bastard" was concerned, the listener who complained said she didn't expect her three children who were listening to have to hear that sort of thing on PM and she turned off. Why didn't we bleep out the word, she asked.
It put me in mind of a story a while back in which audio recorded on a mobile phone of an allegedly racist incident was at the heart of a big story. The language was very strong....with F's and C's and more. We thought it was worth playing the audio (with bleeps) but we were deluged with complaints. Most people argued that the PM audience is mature enough to deal with sunch language, and that we rendered their understanding of the audio meaningless with our beeps.
I don't raise that example to equate the two cases...or to say that the woman who emailed is wrong...she may be right. Was it necessary to hear the word, and if so, quite so often? It was something we talked about last night after the programme in the Glass Box....a facility which will be appearing on the Blog in some form soon.
Seriously.
Once again I get it in the neck for something I didn't do. I mean, I screw up enough without getting the blame for things I didn't do.
The marvellous Danny Savage interviewed "Cannabis Gran" last night. Rather well I thought. He didn't deserve...and I certainly didn't....this call to the Listener Log...
"Eddie Mair treated Patricia Tabram in the most appalling fashion. He was utterly rude to the lady. Who does he think he is talking to the woman like that? If that man had to spoke to me in that way, I would have had him arrested."
Caller, if you're reading this, please note: if you don't stop paying attention you buffoon, I'll have you arrested. And your radio taken away. And the tin foil removed from your head. And then send round Sheffield police.
start the day here. Will the news cupboard be any less bare today?
Sadly just hearing that John Inman has died. On PM of late we've been trying to improve how we respond when someone the audience might be interested in passes. We're fond of replaying interviews they've done with us...or sometimes mixing recordings of their voice with, perhaps, tributes from others, or the music/poetry or whatever that the deceased was famous for. We felt there was a tendancy in our business to spend a long time hearing others talking ABOUT the deceased, rather than hearing them in their own words.
Another factor for us is when the news was announced. Mr Inman's passing became public in the last few minutes so it will be mentioned, at least, on Today. The World at One would be unlikely to do much on the subject, so it may fall to us to bring you something. We'll see.
I rather enjoyed the content of the programme. The stuff on the blog earlier, and in the newsletter, was not really a joke. The news diary was rather quiet for today. We could have done more on stories you heard earlier in the day but we thought - nah. So there were blank spaces in the running order for much of the day...or at times, stories we were rather bored by. We wanted them to be replaced with things we liked and in the end they were.
Mind you - maybe you hated it. We can't please everyone. I am intrigued though by an email we got while we were on the air. A woman heard me read a comment from the Blog (about cannabis) and emailed to say - hey, that's my long lost brother..(or it may have been cousin...I'm not at work and can't check the details). I emailed back to say that he was on the blog and to contact him that way. I hope she did. Will keep you posted if I hear more.
You heard her. What do you think?
we've cobbled something together. See what you think.
I've left my cake out in the rain. I don't suppose anyone has the recipe?
I've just seen live coverage on telly of a Northern Ireland politician voting. He couldn't actually be seen for all the camera people and journos around him. I wonder what he looked like, as he prepared to enter the polling station. I guess we'll never know. Life is full of disappointments. That, and the cake. Bugger.
I won't lie to you, the news cupboard, ( as one of my colleagues often puts it ) is almost bare.
We might just go on with some light music at five and see what happens.
tri-media world we all work in, a well known BBC correspondent has just popped into the PM office to recount a tale of his visit to telly make up a few moments ago. They made up only one of his eyebrows, explaining to him that one didn't match the other, colourwise.
On the plus side no-one said they were too close together.
Wild horses would not drag his name out of me.
were very interesting. Ours was the last in a long line of interviews they've done today. I think ours was the first though to include a question from a listener. And it was a very good one. The piece is scheduled to run just after 17.30
to people's comments on the idea of a Glass Box - a place here on the blog for people to comment on the programme. I think it would be a great idea. We're working on ways of making it happen. I think it might be fun for us all. As it happens, once again tonight I'll be dashing off after 1800 to do another documentary interview. So now I think of it, if you have a comment on the programme - please use the comment column below. We can think of this as a kind of prototype.
Will be interviewing Mr and Mrs Gay shortly, who were cleared last week of killing the toddler they wanted to adopt. Have just spoken to a man about a new movie - in the piece you'll hear his voice will be intercut with bits of the movie. It will be as if I never existed. He was very good - the movie, Amazing Grace, he was less keen on.
It's gone 12.30 and aside from a slightly rowdy 11.00 meeting I feel a bit disengaged from the programme. Finger will be pulled out and work will be done. Having said that, Jeremy and Amanda (tonight's deputy and editor respectively) are looking at Amanda's holiday snaps on the web. Might have a peek.
my gift for pronouncing foreign names and places names is legendary.
People often stop me in the street and ask - HOW do you do it? (Some also ask why do you do it, but that's for another day).
I tell them - it's meticulous attention to detail. This is me asking a guest I've just recorded an interview with, how I should say her name.
in our office about Elaine Paige, who has a birthday today.
The Press Association says she is 59. The Guardian puts the age at 55.
How old is she?
Well, arriving at the office today and it was confirmed the blog has been "fixed" after yesterday's eye-watering colour change. I've tried not to ask too much about it as it might make me want to punch someone, and my parole officer is very strict about that kind of thing. I don't think it was anything that anyone intended, by way of a makeover or relaunch or anything. We're putting it down in the cock-up column.
It's quite a big column.
is apparently the colour. How did that happen. Is anyone else having trouble reading the links on the side...and for that matter the comments? It's giving me a headache. I'll have to fire off an email to someone and pray it doesn't leak..
It’s a place to go when the stresses of your real life need relieving. Sometimes it is fairly quiet and you might feel like you’re the only one around, but you can leave your ‘footprints’ for others to find later on. Othertimes it is the home for a real party, with constant gossip, leg-pulling, rumour, innuendo, chit-chat and weirdness. If this were a forum (and it sort of is because we post responses to each other, not just to Eddie, hence our term for ourselves 'Froggers', a combination of forum and blogger) then the beach would be the off-topic area.
It's a tropical location, no matter the time of year it's always warm and pleasant there. Sunrises and sunsets are spectacular, the evenings balmy. It has a number of different locations; the Nick Clarke waterfront bar; the smokers corner; Fido's Run for the dog-walkers; the Naughty Step and many others.
How do you find your way around? There is no direct answer to the question. The beach is a moveable feast, literally. It will be renewed by our Lord and master Mr. Edward de Mair each Monday morning. This is because we have found in the past that when the number of posts exceeds about 600 the entire thing becomes unwieldy and unstable. A case of the beach turning to quicksand.
Froggers often leave bottles / glasses / trays of their favourite tipple on the bar for others to sample, not to mention big / small eats.
There is a herd of camels who frequent the sands, which froggers are very fond of. There are sun-loungers, so you can take it easy and catch some rays. Quite often the late-night attendees will have a barbie.
It's a fun place, with only one real rule; Be nice to each other; we are ALL chums here. New Froggers are ALWAYS welcome.
The real debate happens on the other threads. The beach is a place for banter, whimsy, relaxation and friendship, where jarring comments are not particularly welcome. There are certain very mild protocols, which you tend to pick up as you go along. So slip your shoes off, feel the sand between your toes, relax and enjoy yourself.
you'll have a chance to talk to our man in Chechnya here on the Blog. I'm not promising anything.
And apologies to Big Sis who sent this yesterday but it somehow got lost somewhere.
"While I am not Welsh, I live with a Welshman (and a Scot, as it happens, but that's another story). I attach a greeting to you from him on this, his Saint's Day. It is my lovely friend Dafydd, nearly 17 years old, and still smiling. The picture was taken a few years ago, but is particularly appropriate today as it combines the Saint with the symbol. Hope you like it as much as I will like seeing your Mandarin (if and when you ever share it with us)."
And that does remind me that card is still sitting here. I'll see what I can do.
Jonnie (who it turns out knows Editor Amanda from a previous life) took up the suggestion of having a place for people to critique the programme. Here was his thought:
"I think - from now on , along with the 'Beach' and the 'Furrowed brow' we should have the 'de-brief' thread! perhaps we should just call it 'glassbox'
Eddie et al, could simply open up the blog and all would be there on a plate.
Not such a bad idea really?
As an experiment, tomorrow I will create a new page on the extra site called 'glassbox' or we can change it to whatever.
If it sits better on the BBC site as another thread all well and good.
AND! It's March so we were told we will be able to have all these new features :-)"
And indeed the experiment looks like fun. Should we have a Glass Box here? What form should it take? And will we get told off for starting one?!
It's serious in here
etc.
It's not every day someone says to me:
"wondered if you'd like to see my bucket of toads."
But today it happened:
Carol writes that she doesn't have "a witty explanation of why we have so many this year, it could be global warming, more likely it's that the cats have eaten all the frogs. But when I go down the garden every evening to feed the cats (untame ones) I take a bucket to remove the toads from the path and put them into the garden pond. I'm thinking of having a garden fete especially to play "guess how many toads in the bucket". Not much happens around here.
I'm also going to make up a place mat for my friend who's coming to dinner tonight - she hates toads."
On my desk this morning a colleague has placed a copy of a biography of a very famous person. I think we'll make it a competition prize. I'm curious to know, however, who you think it's about, from the quote on the back cover (this is not the competition, I'm just curious):
"(CELEBRITY NAME) is, quite simply, a phenomenon. She has probably brought more joy to more people than any other star of her generation."
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