Good afternoon.
Mark Saunders was a bright and popular barrister. He was married to Elizabeth and they lived in an expensive flat in London's smart and fashionable Kings Road area.
Today he is dead following a dramatic siege, prompted by him taking pot-shots from the flat which drew an armed Police unit from the Met.
It ended with Mark dead from gunshot wounds but, as yet, we don't know whether he shot himself or if the Police shot him. The Independent Police Complaints Commission are investigating. It's just the start of a tragic mystery.
What went wrong with this successful and promising life? Why did his wife run, crying, from the flat? Why, as one of his final acts, did he throw a cardboard box from the window having scrawled on it, in black ink, "I love my wife dearly xxx" ? We are all trying to find out as much as possible and Glen will pull it together for you at 6.
There's a lot more news besides that sad tale.
The closure of umpteen post offices despite the fact that the locals don't want them closed.
The shock of a politician doing what he promised to do as Boris bans booze on the buses, less than a week into the job.
And a competition to chose a piece of sculpture we can all feel as proud of as the good people of the North East do about their Angel of the North.
Mr. Waterman was proud to answer his daughter's request for a "pirate" themed party and topped off his plans by running the Jolly Roger up a make-shift flag pole at their home in Surrey. We all do balloons and even string letters spelling out HAPPY BIRTHDAY but a flag? Fab. Cue, then, the tedious officials at the Council who managed to quote legislation which says it's OK if it's a Union Jack or a St. George's flag, but a Jolly Roger is against the law. "Take it down or we'll fine you!" they said. In true pirate tradition Mr Waterman told them to "walk the plank" and some of his neighbours donned black eye patches and "Yo Ho Ho-ed" in support.
She may be a fan of Take That, for all I know: my daughter is. Anyway, Take That aren't fans of the musical which opens tonight in a "Mamma Mia/We Will Rock You" sort of celebration of their music. I think Gary's accountants and probably Chancellor Alistair Darling will quite like it, but I am just a touch mercenary about these things. Lucy loiters with intent at the theatre.
So will it be from tragedy to triumph or tragedy.... to tragedy?
You'll just have to be there at 6 to find out and to fully understand what I am getting at.
Alastair & Katie.
