Good afternoon.
From a pigeon's perspective, this London Tonight lot have a rather mixed programme for you tonight.
From a pigeon's perspective, this London Tonight lot have a rather mixed programme for you tonight.
I have to declare an interest: I am a Trafalgar Square pigeon. I, and my many siblings (can't be sure about my parents, for obvious reasons) have felt under considerable threat for sometime. I do not take well to being called a "rat with feathers" and, given I do not have the vote, can do very little democratically to express my views about this man my great-grandfather called Red Ken. My grandfather knew him as an MP but we have only known him as Mayor. And he hates us. It is difficult to live with. He wants us dead. And to learn that some pie in the sky idea has wafted over from Los Angeles, like a mad migrating magpie, and involves putting us on "The Pill", makes me believe the man is not only bad but definitely mad.
Someone called Robin (is that supposed to be a joke?) Ross will explain all at 6.
Someone called Robin (is that supposed to be a joke?) Ross will explain all at 6.
Some of my human friends are active members of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds - in London they even set up a branch call "RSPB Including Pigeons, Mr. Mayor". Anyway they, and pretty well anyone else who has joined a society to protect the lovely countryside and save the planet, are all threatened with a ban from Heathrow Airport because they want to protest against another runway. Incidentally, we don't want the runway either. 30 tons of aluminium hitting an innocent pigeon at 300 mph is not amusing. The Mayor has a rant about this at 6 and Simon Harris who, like me, enjoys flying, has the story.
A gull, who is a friend from the coast, tells me raw fish is terrific. Chilled but not frozen. That odd-ball EU Health and Safety mob insist it must be frozen when served to you humans as something called sushi. You'll break your teeth, I tell you! Anyway, apparently London Sushi chefs are in a flap about it as Phil will tell.
Tamzin, who loves all wildlife including pigeons, has unearthed some great old pictures of even older pops stars, all of whom Alastair recognises and many of whom he has even seen.
You'll be hearing from the Household Cavalry in Iraq and in their London barracks, plus the first interview with a remarkably brave and inspiring lady who was a victim of the London bombs but has taken to flying. She's just completed a fund-raising tour.
Now that's my kind of lady!
Now that's my kind of lady!
Alastair and Tamzin ask me to ask you to join them at 6.
(I'll be in the Square, unless that Livingstone bloke gets me first.)
Oh, I'm all of a flutter.
