The international intrigue and sadistic murder that has dominated the national TV and press for days finally boils down to a house, a restaurant and a hospital in London.
Alexander Litvinenko was the former KGB spook who died last night - he'd made London his home and his headquarters for attacking the Russian regime of his old boss, former spy-master and now President of Russia, Vladimir Putin. In a death-bed note, Litvinenko said it was Putin, thousands of miles away in Moscow, who ordered his death, here in London. Piers has been putting the pieces together of a story that John Le Carre and Ian Fleming would have been proud of.
Moving breathlessly on, not a little anger in the newsroom about another of our top stories: think Piccadilly Circus, think neon ads; think Leicester Square, think movie posters the size of mountains and yet more neon lights; think Trafalgar Square and, with the recent brief exception when the Column was under repair, you think... great, no ads! Not any more! And, to make matters worse some think, the ads will be on the side of St Martin's in the Fields. OK, it will pay for repairs but a price too far? Glen is on the case.
A full news round up, via continuing problems for Anton Ferdinand and a bunch of Health and Safety types at Tower Hamlets who say putting up Christmas decorations is just too dangerous so they won't be allowed, and we come to last nights Visit London Awards: will Gordon Ramsey turn the air blue when he hears the results? You'll have to be there to find out!
As you will have to be if you want to win tickets to Christina Aguilera's sell-out gig at Wembley Arena. But, because it's Friday, we are throwing in the chance for you to live the CA life-style for a day with personal shoppers, trips to Harrods and a limo' at your beck and call. I'm breathless again...
Just time to tell you we have a movie review, Tamzin's spectacular What Not to Miss and Willsy previewing the Premiership battle of the giants: Chelsea vs some bunch in Red from up north... Well, the north west to be fair!
And Robin says the gales will be even stronger than Chrissie warned last night: that'll put the breath back in you...
See you at 6!
A & T
