Welcome to London Tonight Tonight.

This is the official website of London Tonight, on ITV1 in London and the South East every weeknight at 6pm.


31.7.09

London Tonight Tonight

Dear One, Dear All... Welcome to the Weekend.

Got to be a quick affair this afternoon. Not sure sure where all the time has gone. Better get on before much more slips by.

We start tonight with the latest twist in the Gary McKinnon saga. His worst fears were realised this morning when the High Court effectively ruled he should be extradited to America, to be tried for hacking into rather of lot of military computers. It's yet to be decided whether his legal team can challenge this ruling in the newly established Supreme Court. Today is a massive blow to him. We sort of feel rather close to this story on London Tonight. We certainly retain our journalistic integrity and it's not for us to say whether he should be extradited or not - but the mainstay of his defence against it is the fact he's autistic - something an expert diagnosed after he was interviewed on the programme.

We'll speak to his Mum tonight to see how he's getting on and what they plan to do next.

Who else are we talking to? Well, you can expect a completely different conversation with Aly Michalka. She's young. She's, dare I say it, rather a good-looking young lady, and her new film 'Band Slam' hits the cinema next month. She'll tell us all about that and her band '78 Violet' - a double act with sister, AJ.

Oh, and we'll also be hearing from Robbie Collin - in to talk about 'The Taking of Pelham 123' and 'The Land of the Lost' - two movies coming to a cinema screen near you.

Hopefully, if you were to pop along and see one or both of them, they'd make you 'happy'. Or perhaps, it's a decent bottle of red... or maybe collecting stamps or... you get the drift. All sorts of things make all sorts of people happy (sorry, this is a bit like a bad philosophy tutorial, isn't it?), but we hear from a professor this evening who reckons we can all spread a bit of happiness. It can be infectious. At least I think that's what they said at the programme meeting. Truth to tell I'm a bit in the dark on this one. Don't worry, I'll have it licked by the time we go on air.

We'll also have some pictures of bad men stealing cash-machines... and tell you how long they'll be spending at Her Majesty's Pleasure.

Oh - and there's the latest on the train strike hitting commuters going into and out of Liverpool Street. That won't make anyone happy.

Hopefully... overall... we will.

See you at six,

Ben & Lucy

30.7.09

LONDON TONIGHT TONIGHT

Good Afternoon to you...

It's very British to bang on about the weather all the time... and frankly, rather dull. However, I am British and I wouldn't want to disappoint so, here goes.

I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THE RAIN I WANT SUNSHINE I DON'T WANT TO HAVE AN UMBRELLA SURGICALLY ATTACHED WHAT HAPPENED TO SUMMER I LIKE BEING OUTSIDE I DON'T WANT TO WEAR WADERS TO WORK

There, that's better.

Shall we look at the programme now?

Actually two of our stories have an element of weather dependency today. We'll be live down at Somerset House as their 'Summer Screen' series gets under way - it's where they show films in tee open air. Rather brave this summer, don't you think? Anyway, we'll be chatting with a couple of people involved in the first film being shown. No, not the projectionist. Ever heard of Penelope Cruz? Lucy Cotter thinks she's "one of the most beautiful women in the world". I couldn't possibly comment. Anyway, I can tell you that she'll be there for a live chat, along with the director of the film. You get plenty of bangs for your showbiz buck on our show.

I'll come to another big name we're featuring in a moment, but let's just take care of that other story where weather plays a part. It all takes place in Trafalgar Square - between 5 and 6 o'clock this evening. I'm not going to encourage everyone to toddle off there now as you wouldn't back home in time to see the show. However, if you've got mates who're going to be in the area, then tell them to make their way over to the fourth plinth which will be holding up our reporter, Nick Wallis, as a shining example of 'man on plinth'. He applied for his slot along with thousands of others and came up trumps. He's even got his Mum going along. Should be fun. I wonder if she'll chuck a tomato at her little boy.

Now the other star I mentioned - lead singer of 'The Clash', otherwise known as Mick Jones. His Mum probably knows him as 'Michael'. Damien Steward - who's been chatting with him - says he's looking like a 'mid-period Humphrey Bogart'. Don't ask. I didn't, and Damien's gone back to his desk now. Anyway, Mr Jones is proof that rather well known adage - 'old rock stars don't die, they open little museums of their old memorabilia'. And you can see the proof of the programme.

I'm finding it rather difficult to concentrate at the moment as various members of the team are hovering round the desk - sticking great fistfuls of cake into their mouths. Toby - one of our freelance producers - is taking a bit of a break from his shifts with us, to go and get married. As a parting gift, the terribly decent chap has coughed for two fabulous cakes to chomp through. It would be un-gentlemanly of me to highlight who has been back for 'seconds'.

I've just seen the time - better run through the rest of the programme, very quickly.

We'll have the latest on the trains strike that's caused such a headache for people commuting in and out of Liverpool Station today. And will do tomorrow.

And we'll also be remembering a man who was born in London, married in Romford and worked in Dagenham. Henry Allingham had a fairly inauspicious life by and large but like too many of his generation he had to fight in the trenches in the 1st World War. He died last week - one of the last two Britons who could say "I was there. I knew what it was like". Sadly, the other wartime hero, Harry Patch died a matter of days later.
Well, Henry's funeral was held today, marking the end of a most extraordinary man.

See you at six.

Ben & Lucy
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29.7.09

LONDON TONIGHT TONIGHT

Good Afternoon on this lovely sunny day,
Oh well actually it's very grey and extremely dull out there isn't it. I for one think we've been robbed. Just a few weeks ago we were being promised a 'BBQ summer'. I had visions of sitting out on my now lovely, although very small patio, glass of wine in hand, olives to the ready - taking in some rays. However after only a couple of weeks of, admittedly glorious sunshine - we are back to grey skies and overcast weather. So what has gone wrong?

Have all the weather men and women been lying to us? Well we have our very own weather expert Chrissie is on the case with all the answers.
If the weather hasn't made you angry enough then our next story will. Stan Thorn is in his 80's, he fought in the 2nd world War and probably thought the worst was now over. However he's been robbed by those closest to him twice in the last year - Ronke has been to meet him.
Sangetta has been out talking to pregnant ladies in South London (although in some ways she could have stayed in the office as I think every other woman on our team is expecting!!). The local NHS trust there has cancelled NCT classes because of sine flu and the risks it poses to pregnant ladies - however not everyone agrees this is a good idea.

Simon Harris has got the job of the day - he's been up in a helicopter looking at the first section of the new East London overground Line which will be up and running next month.
Yes I hear you all rejoice - better transport links, however as always there is a 'but' - I'll let him explain.

Next up a really inspirational little girl. 11 year old Annalise Cabrera was diagnosed with leukaemia a couple of years ago but really has an amazing attitude to her condition.

She's won a writing competition with a story comprising of just 6 words (inspired by the famous one by Ernest Hemingway 'For Sale: Baby shoes, never worn) about what she's been through - Liz has been to congratulate her.

And finally - the one the gentlemen in our audience have all been waiting for.
Naked Ladies.....well not quite but nearly!! Calendar Girls is the brilliant story of a group of WI ladies who stripped for a charity calendar. That story is now being told on the West End and we have two of the leading ladies in the studio - June Brown and Jerry Hall - Alastair is very excited (as am I!!)

That's all to come at six - try and stay dry till then!
Lucy and Alastair
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28.7.09

LONDON TONIGHT TONIGHT

Hello and Good Afternoon to you...

Well, we're hoping for a change of fortune tonight after the programme had more than its fair share of technical glitches yesterday. You'll often hear people talking of a 'gremlin in the works'. Well, yesterday it felt like a whole family of them had set up home in our works. However, one of the good things about our job is that each day presents a clean sheet (sort of) so it's 'onwards and upwards' (and keep your eyes peeled for gremlins).

I'm sitting next to Ms Cotter today - she's presenting the programme all week - and she's just come back from a chat with Bill Nighy. A terrific actor, most of us would agree and Lucy says he was a lovely bloke to boot. Makes you sick really. Talented and nice. Anyway, Bill's got a movie out about all-action guinea pigs. (I wish I could say I was joking.) You get to decide whether Nighy's nice or not. And whether you care - providing he cuts the mustard in the fight against rodents.

Now, one imagines Mr Nighy would care quite a lot about another of our stories: DVD piracy. A family has been caught red-handed running a piracy empire here in London. Apparently, they were knocking out so many, shall we say 'adult' films, they were putting legitimate 'adult film shops' out of business. Makes you proud, doesn't it? Anyway, the father and two sons now have plenty of time to reflect on how proud they are of their work... in prison.

What else? What else?

We'll show you the latest bit of kit that's been wheeled out by the London Fire Brigade. When the going gets really tough, it's now a robot that may get going. When it's just too dangerous to send in a fire-fighter (and London's fire-fighters are among the bravest and best in the world) they'll now be able to send in a robot. You may have seen the sort of thing at work, defusing bombs. Well, the LFB is the first brigade in this country to use them in their line of work - we'll show you what they can do with them this evening.

We'll also show some rather unusual job interviews that were held today. No smart suits for these applicants. No neatly styled hair. Got spots? Lovely. Weeping sores would be good too. That is, if you want to play a zombie. The London Bridge Experience has been on the hunt for zombies. And we've been looking at the best - and worst - of them. Seriously. Some of them are really bad. Which may be a good thing.

Damien Steward's just wandered past - he's come over all nautical today. Apparently, people who know about such things have found remnants of what are believed to have been huge 19th Century warships - rotting in the Thames mud down by the Thames barrier. Mr S has been for a closer look and he'd rather proud of a 'nautical coat' (his words) that he's donned for the occasion. I'm not sure if he has a dressing-up box at home, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Our top story tonight is the story we want you to share your opinions on... It's 'kettling' where the police pen in protesters to stop them causing havoc everywhere. The problem is that sometimes 'non-protesters' get caught up in it all and feel unhappy about it too. There's also a fairly large quota of people who believe that we should be able to demonstrate peacefully without being corralled by the cops. All very well, but then not everyone does it peacefully, do they? Some people smash windows and worse. Lots to think about and a Parliamentary Committee have just reported on what they think about the Met's methodology. It's not good.

So - a fairly busy programme then.

See you at six,

Ben & Lucy
Please Note:

Any views or opinions are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent
those of Independent Television News Limited unless specifically stated.
This email and any files attached are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual
or entity to which they are addressed.
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Please note that to ensure regulatory compliance and for the protection of our clients and business,
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Thank You.

27.7.09

LONDON TONIGHT TONIGHT

Good Afternoon to you...

I fell a bit of a fraud writing this today because - unless something goes horribly wrong - my contribution to this evening's programme can best be described a 'walk-on part', or rather a 'sitting down part'. I'll be the general news boy while Alastair and Lucy take centre stage in our super-duper Olympic special. As I write, Mr Stewart and Miss Cotter are on their way to Stratford to present the programme from the Olympic site.

Unless you've not tuned in to any news programmes today, you'll probably have caught on to the fact that it is three years - to the day - until the London Games get underway. Excited? Dreading them? Cross about them? Well, there's no avoiding them - the London Olympics are happening - and tonight on London Tonight, we're giving you a comprehensive progress report on the preparations.

We'll be looking at the main venues - most of which appear to have become embroiled in a some sort of hoo-hah. The main arena - what will they do with it afterwards? The aquatic centre - how come it's so vastly over budget? The Olympic village? How come the tax-payer is coughing for it all?

You'll be able to see for yourelves how they're all coming on - Lucy's been up in a helicopter for a bird's eye view too.

We'll also look at how the 20-12 athletes are coming along - that's what it's all about, after all.

And to put it all into perspective, we'll be talking live to Dame Kelly Holmes and Lord Sebastian Coe. Lucy and Alastair will put them through their paces. There's a lot at stake here after all.

As I say, I'll pop up briefly to make sure the rest of the day's big stories don't go unnoticed - but the main event is over in Stratford this evening.
It's a landmark today - and we're marking it in style.

See you at six.

Ben
Please Note:

Any views or opinions are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent
those of Independent Television News Limited unless specifically stated.
This email and any files attached are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual
or entity to which they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error, please notify postmaster@itn.co.uk

Please note that to ensure regulatory compliance and for the protection of our clients and business,
we may monitor and read messages sent to and from our systems.

Thank You.

24.7.09

LONDON TONIGHT TONIGHT

Good Afternoon one and all,

It's Friday afternoon and when I find myself doing the main programme on a Friday I buy a box of chocolates to share with whoever's on duty.. Partly to big up the weekend. Mainly to get people to pretend they're my friends at playtime. Now, today's box has been open for about three quarters of an hour and yet there are loads left. This is somewhat unusual. Normally, Ms Hyndman tucks in quite merrily - but she's just had a big sandwich and a bit of cake which appears to have taken the edge of her hunger. Becky wandered over from planning to take a fistful - which she's going to share out with some others - or so she says. One of our producers, Robyn, is never backwards in coming forwards - but she's rather pregnant and getting over here appears to be too great an effort. Very unlike her. And it's her birthday - so I'll take a couple over to her in a moment. Still - there are rather a few left. Not that I mind. Any remaining at the end of the day will be coming home with me. Should be a good weekend.

Better get on with the programme run-down.

So - bendy-buses. He said he'd get rid of them and, today, Boris started to make good on his word with the first batch being taken out of service. Anyone getting to and from anywhere on the number 507 bus will now not be doing on on a bendy bus. We're not allowed to express our opinions - we have to be objective about these things. You, however, can say what you really think and we hope you will when we open this one up for e-mails and texts later.

We've a horrid tale of a 13 year old girl being abducted and sexually abused by someone - CCTV pictures showing the moment she was snatched off the street. Police would like your help to find her attacker.

In fact we've got two police appeals for you tonight - doing our bit to keep the capital safer. You may remember we reported on a possible arson attack in Tooting a couple of weeks back - where two brothers and two sisters were left seriously ill in hospital. Well, one of those girls has since died - and the police need to find out what happened and who was responsible.

We've also got a report on Amy Winehouse's court appearance - she was found 'not guilty' of punching someone today.

And sticking with the musical theme, Lucy Cotter has been talking to Aha - about performing at the Roundhouse and their upcoming new album.

Throw in a couple of new films hitting London's cinemas and our usual Friday guide to What Not to Miss, and that's going to pretty much fill up our half hour.

Now, anyone for a chocolate?

See you at six,

Ben & Alex
Please Note:

Any views or opinions are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent
those of Independent Television News Limited unless specifically stated.
This email and any files attached are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual
or entity to which they are addressed.
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Please note that to ensure regulatory compliance and for the protection of our clients and business,
we may monitor and read messages sent to and from our systems.

Thank You.

23.7.09

LONDON TONIGHT TONIGHT

Afternoons,

I'm getting sick and tired of writing about the weather !! One minute it was chucking it down with rain - so much so that Channel 4's studio flooded and they had to do the bulletin from the newsroom! - and now it's hot and sunny and I've had to put my glasses on. That is also to do with the fact that I had to have a drink at a leaving do last night - wouldn't normally on a school night but I did.

Alastair has just introduced me to the fine dining in Andrews Caff - sausage, egg, chips and beans for me, double egg and chips for him. It made me feel better for a while but now I have a headache - he has one too but not because of booze, he thinks it might have been the egg. Either way I've sent him off with two nurofen so I'm sure we'll both be fine for the show.

No bacon for lunch but plenty of pig on the menu tonight. The swine flu has infected 100,000 more people in the last week - more than 800 are seriously ill and as the capital we have the most people with the most cases. There's now a website and a hotline for people who think they've got it to check their symptoms and get their tamiflu prescription. But it's only just gone live and there are still loads of people heading for A & E causing, what Al says is friction on the front-line. Jon Gilbert's been sent to hospital to talk to staff about what they're having to deal with.

Then we've the masked man who gunned down a football coach in front of his players - Lewis Vaughan Jones is speaking to the victim's girlfriend as police try and work out why he was targeted.

Then the good news - the power's back on in south east London, our water bills are going down and Amy Winehouse is looking healthier. She's in court after a bust up at a charity bash - Nick Thatcher's there and will tell us what's been said.

We've also got the song for Gary McKinnon - pop stars are getting together to do a single in support of the computer hacker - they're hoping Barrack will change his mind and stop him being extradited to the States.

That's not all - Quentin Tarantino's talking to Lucy about Brad Pitt (mmmmmm) and his rudely named new movie, Simon's been to meet a fast running man who's about to face the lightning bolt that is Usain on the track. And - the interview I can't wait to see but will have to 'cos it's at the end of the show - is Katie Price! Jordan's talking to Piers about all the stuff - mostly her book and also horse riding at the Olympics. less about the Andre and more about the
Endelay!

I've just said the word Chocolate to Al - and have proof the way to a man's heart is definitely through his stomach. He dribbled visibly at the prospect so I am off to cake shop to get the naughtiest cake I can find to top off a truly naughty day.

See you at 6 hopefully without telltale chocolate smudges on our faces - but I can't promise!

Alex & Alastair.
Please Note:

Any views or opinions are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent
those of Independent Television News Limited unless specifically stated.
This email and any files attached are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual
or entity to which they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error, please notify postmaster@itn.co.uk

Please note that to ensure regulatory compliance and for the protection of our clients and business,
we may monitor and read messages sent to and from our systems.

Thank You.

22.7.09

London Tonight Tonight

Afternoons,

I'm distracted by Lewis who is talking about the money shot and referring to a fish tank without a lot of fish in it...I'm sure all will become clear later. I'm told it's something to do with evacuating fish from the Thames - news to me there are any in there.. I remember there being a whale at one point, but also remember it didn't survive long enough to call London home. If there are fish, I imagine they look a little like the three eyed ones on The Simpsons. Perhaps I'm being slightly unfair..I do love the river. Actually only this weekend we were at Greenwich Market and stumbled across some old pics which prove that people did actually use the banks as a beach - I had my doubts when told the tale but was proven wrong.

I digress.. but am going to stick with the fish theme as fish - Koi carp to be precise - have become the first victims of the power cut. The lights are still out in 10 thousand homes and businesses in south east London and Kent - and it's not just the lights - tv's are off, computers have powered down and there's no leccy to run the fish tank holding said carp. Glen's gone to get the latest for us and to find out what's happened to the fish.

Away from fish and over to Boris - he's talking swine. We'll be asking the Mayor about all things flu related - can we go on the tube - what about pregnant women - where and when can we get hold of the Tamiflu and what can he do - if anything - about the pandemic.

There's also news of more support for Gary McKinnon - remember the computer hacker with Asperger's syndrome who could be sent to jail in the States - well, the PM's given his support now too.

If that's not enough for you Lucy's got Denzel to round things off nicely..

Sounds good to me.

See you at 6.

Alex & Ben.

21.7.09

LONDON TONIGHT TONIGHT

Afternoons,

The weather just can't make up its mind can it? Neither can I - am I wearing summer frocks or wellies!? Either way I have blisters and no umberella so am not a very happy - or dry - bunny.

Could be worse - at least the lights and - more importantly - the TV are on at home. Some of you lot are going to miss the show tonight! The lights - and tvs - have gone off in Bexleyheath after some idiot messed with some cables. EDF haven't managed to sort it out yet - it's been off since yesterday! Maybe they'll fix it by the time the show goes out - maybe not.. Glen's gone to find out.

After that we're looking into wardens or the lack of them in one borough - with London's elderly population hanging around for longer surely we need more people to watch out for them in sheltered accomodation - not less. Blindingly obvious - but not the case. Phil Bayles is asking why?

The old folk might not have enough people keeping an eye on them - but kids - and teachers - in one school have perhaps too many eyes watching over them. They've got nearly 100 cctv cameras pointed at them - big brother or just the ticket? Marcus Powell will tell us.

The swine flu school kids in China have been let out - all except one who is in quarantine - apparently he's passing the time eating mcDonalds and watching DVDs - but I'm sure he'd still rather be with his mates who are now continuing their holiday in the Far East - Ronke's been to speak to some of their parents about the whole ordeal.

We've got Linford Christie's daughter, who's celebrated long into the night after winning Miss England. She'll tell us if the crown - and the chance to compete in Miss World - could ever mean more than an Olympic medal.

And last but not least - Brian Conley - he's here to talk about dressing up as a woman.

Can't wait.

See you at 6 - if you've got the power and tv on at yours.

Alex & Ben
Please Note:

Any views or opinions are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent
those of Independent Television News Limited unless specifically stated.
This email and any files attached are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual
or entity to which they are addressed.
If you have received this email in error, please notify postmaster@itn.co.uk

Please note that to ensure regulatory compliance and for the protection of our clients and business,
we may monitor and read messages sent to and from our systems.

Thank You.

20.7.09

London Tonight Tonight

Dear One and All -

So, let's get the sports news out of the way. Hurrah and double well done to England's cricketers who have just won the Second test against the Australians - their first Lord's test victory over the men in green caps since 1934.

I'm just going to pause for a moment - so should you - so we can all savour that...

Still pausing.

Done. Not that we're gloating - that's a very unattractive past time. But it's not a bad thing to enjoy the finer things in life. And breaking a 75-year-old duck seems pretty fine to me. What's more - the opposition are no slouches, and there are still three tests to go. Let's face it, we could soon be licking our wounds.

And talking of licking wounds. Hats off and double respect to Mr Tom Watson. What a golf legend. What a shame that the impossible dream proved just that. Not least because someone sitting not too far from where I'm sitting now had a small wager on his being crowned Open Champion for the sixth time. Ah well, he can hold his head up high. As can the eventual winner, Mr Cink.

Now - onto the programme - and there's a commonly accepted understanding that if something looks to0 good to be true, it is too good to be true. Today, there are a lot of people who've been ruing the day they were tempted to invest an awful lot of money in a scheme which seemed to offer wonderful returns only to find out that it was a great big con. The victims include the rich and famous as well as just the rich. It sounds ominously like the Bernie Madoff scheme across the pond. He's now in prison - and will be for a very long time.

Our thoughts go out to the family of Henry Surtees this evening. You may have heard of his rather talented dad, John. He's the only man ever to have been crowned world motorbike champion and Formula One champion. He now lives in Surrey. Well, his son, Henry, died yesterday - striving to follow in his father's footsteps. He died after he was involved in an accident in a Formula Two race at Brands Hatch yesterday.

There's a strong family theme in another of our stories tonight - a mum claims she's been banned from school after she told another little boy to stop bullying her son. Was she right? Was she wrong?

And from one school report to another (this is going terribly well, isn't it?). It's a sort of 'animals took over the zoo' story - with the 11 year old pupils at a school in Southwark. We can imagine what could go wrong... At the time of writing, I have no idea whether it did.

Sorry to say there's more on swine flu tonight and we're looking at its impact on the international travel scene. It's summer holiday time after all - schools breaking up for the long break but lots of pupils are finding that the great getaway isn't really happening. Or if they've got away, they can't get back home again - that's what's happened to a number of London children in Beijing. They've been quarantined in a hotel over there. While other kids from Esher, a football team, have been told their dream trip to a tournament in South Korea has just been cancelled - in case they take the virus with them. It seems London isn't just the national hotspot for the virus - it's got a world-wide reputation too.

Oh, and there's a story about a rather unhappy Winston Churchill.

We'll all find out more in the programme.

See you at six,

Ben & Alex.

17.7.09

LONDON TONIGHT TONIGHT

Good Afternoon to you...

It's Friday everyone. 'Hurray' for those who get tomorrow and Sunday off. And for those working through the weekend... well, presumably it's 24 hours closer to your days off. You do get days off, don't you? If you don't, I'd be looking closely at your contract if I were you. If you work for yourself... take a day off. You've earned it.

So what will people be doing with their days off? DIY? Playing with the kids? A spot of gardening? Eating and drinking with friends? Or - going to the cinema, perhaps? With the help of Mr King, we'll be taking a look at a couple of your newer cinematic options on the programme. If you watched yesterday, you'll already have had a taste of 'Moon'. We spoke to its director, Duncan Jones. He's a terribly nice chap with a terribly famous Dad, a certain David Bowie. And having asked Duncan on the programme, I can now say with absolute confidence - it's pronounced Bowie. Not Bowie. (You should have been watching, shouldn't you?) Anyway, the second film we'll look at is one of those rather large affairs. A juggernaut of a film really - the next instalment in the Harry Potter saga. I've got tickets booked for that (actually, Mrs S did the booking). Can't wait. Ms Hyndman says she's enjoyed the ones she's seen but isn't a devotee. She's probably got other things in her life. Like Madness. She's off to see Madness, that is. She's not mad. Officially.

We have another giant band from the 80's on the show, actually. Anyone for 'Duran Duran'? A useless 'Trivial Pursuit' tit-bit for you: their 'View to a Kill' single is the only James Bond theme song ever to make to the top of the US charts. There you go - you can drop that one into the conversation if things are going a little slowly when your friends come over for dinner. Or leave them at the table while you finally get round to that DIY.

Now - the serious stuff. And our top two stories couldn't be any more serious really. The first is the death of a London mum. That's sad enough, but it's emerged she's one of the 29 British people to have died of swine flu, and she lost her life right after giving birth to her baby. What's more the baby is said to be 'very poorly'. And, in another worrying sign of the scale of things to come, the London Ambulance service is cancelling 'extra' training for its paramedics to keep as many of them on the front line as possible.

The other extremely serious event we have to tell you about is the shooting of a young man who was simply out playing football with his mates. A guy turned up on a bike in West Wickham and just opened fire at his victim - shooting him dead, there in front of his friends - before pedalling away. It sounds like an organised hit - that's what the police think, certainly. Marcus will have the latest.
Can you imagine being faced by a gunman? There you are, doing your job, and you're confronted by someone trying to kill you. Sadly, for our police officers, the possibility is all too real. It was for four fine and upstanding members of the Met: Stephen Hayter, Barry Leban, Richard Cousins and Michael Carroll. They showed the sort of bravery you read about in books... and see on our programme tonight.
Don't know about you but I'm waiting for a fairly important letter at the moment - so I, for one, will be interested in the latest on the, er, latest postal strike that, er, 'struck' today. Sorry, it's getting late. And it's Friday.
However, one more story to give you the heads-up on is the heart-warming latest on young Harvey Parry. At just four years old, he's been a friend of the programme for some time now. He lost both his legs to meningitis and has been on a number of trips to the States to get the very best man-made legs money can buy. Well, it's time for a new pair. And he's hoping these will enable him to not to walk but run.
Good story to end on.
It's in the mix tonight.
See you at six,
Ben & Alex


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Thank You.

16.7.09

Good Afternoon to you...

We can't give you the world tonight, but we can give you the moon... sort of.

I don't know about you but I get goose pimples when I watch the footage of Neil Armstrong making his way down the steps of Apollo 11' Eagle landing craft and placing his foot on the moon "One small step for man... one giant leap for mankind". It's said he meant to say "One small step for a man..." but fluffed it. You can kind of forgive his nerves. He must have been as nervous as turkey at Christmas.

Anyway, I digress. They're great pictures. But the picture quality isn't what you'd call great. Well, 30 years on - some new (or should that be 'old') picture has emerged... digitally re-mastered... and it gives a much clearer picture of that historic journey. And the man responsible for getting the best out of the old tape? He's a Londoner.

So - we'll be hearing from him tonight, and we'll also be talking to Duncan Jones. You might know him, or remember him, as Zowie Bowie - son of 'The Man Who Fell to Earth'... aka 'Ziggy Stardust'... aka David Bowie. Anyway, Zowie Bowie... aka Duncan Jones (I hope you're following this) has just made a film about the moon, or rather a man working on it. Did you know that the final instalment of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy is said to have cost around £300 million to make. Well, Dunc's new flick - his first in fact - cost a measly £2 and half million. The trailer looks cracking though.

Something else that looks impressive is a Galapagos Tortoise (not much of a link, I grant you - but time's pushing on). Did you know that if you tickle their legs they go into a trance. And I know that because Liz Wickham told me. And she knows that because the good people at London Zoo told her. Hopefully, Liz will have picked up some more facts and figures from her day out. The pictures promise to be terrific.

Our big story tonight is the worrying march of swine flu. They reckon ("they" being the experts) that within weeks now, 1 in 8 workers will have the virus. London is undeniably the worst affected area in the country - and the borough with more cases than any other is Tower Hamlets. We have to be careful how we put this but one doctor has told us that "people are stretched and feeling the strain". Doctors are already cancelling holidays. They're asking part-time doctors to work full time. They're asking those on study leave to come back to 'the front line'.

Okay - time really is running out now - so you'll have to tune in to the programme for more on the above - and the David and Goliath story of when the removals men came up against the might of the international Olympic movement. Plus we speak to the guys who are making the most of an empty house on one of the most expensive roads in the country... with the owner's blessing.

See you at six,

Ben & Alex

15.7.09

London Tonight Tonight

Good afternoon.
We are on fire, as I write. Like Ed Morrow or Walter Cronkite, during the blitz, I am standing here watching and reporting the smoke rise and the debris fall on a great nation, a gutsy people, a proud race..... actually it is only an alarm but it's very exciting.
As was a man who for the life of me looks like Bob Hoskins with a beard, when he learned his son had walked into a camp-site and said his name was Jamie. Jamie had been missing for 12 days in a beautiful but dangerous mountainous region of Australia. Not an alarm and rehearsal for him - this was the real thing. His dad flew to Oz to help in the hunt only to be told, yesterday, the lad was probably done for by the dingos. Then the phone rang as he was about to board the plane back home... Liz takes up the story that echoes with laughter and relief from north London to the Blue Mountains.
Our next story is more of a challenge. On the one hand, a lovely guy and popular teacher, died in tragic circumstances and is much missed by friends and pupils alike. On the other hand, he was on a bender in Brighton and ended up... well, I'll let Lewis take up the story but believe me you will need to understand irony as much as sympathy for this one. He was a Kiwi who lived and worked in Harrow.
All I need now is a Tasmanian to make up the set. The Oz, that's our Alex rather than the continent country suddenly finding the means to speak, tells me Tasmania is part of Australia. Constitutional and legally, of course it is but I think the Hobart Straights stands between her position and mine, and, indeed, between Tasmania and the mainland.
I have scoured my notes from a particularly noisy and rushed meeting and there are no Tasmanians so I'll move on, accepting it as only a part-job done, in antipodean terms.
Our schools are full. Well, they're not - they are emptying fast as the summer holidays begin. But come September they will be full to over-flowing. The off-spring of redundant Lehman Brothers employees are, I am told, forming orderly queues with others whose mums and dads had scrimped and saved at the margin to buy a private education for their little darlings only to feel the squeeze of the recession or the grim thump of a P45 landing alongside the school fees bill. Add to that Londoners were breeding more successfully 5 years ago and you have a problem. Perhaps we couldn't have predicted the recession, whatever Jeff Randall tells you on Sky and in the Daily Telegraph, but the baby-boom of 2004 would have proved a bit obvious, wouldn't it. We'll ask the spokesman for Admissions Policy for London's Schools what, as Lenin put it, is to be done?
When a mummy deer is shot by poachers and the mummy deer has three baby deer, what is to be done? An extended re-make of "Bambi"? "Bambi -the revenge", in which three orphaned deer rampage across Norfolk and trample a poacher to death? The possibilities are limitless. We have a nicer answer which you will enjoy. Glen plays Thumper.
Was it her destiny as a child to be a Chicago moll? I don't know but we'll ask Michelle Williams.
Robin says it is too wet to go out so he'll do the forecast in the studio. It is raining and it is St Swithin's day. All that I didn't know about that particular superstition was that St. S was a chap and not a chapess. A fine school for fine girls in Winchester is named after him. Was there another side to him, beyond the meteorological thing? Not sure I want to know but I may ask Robin.
The Oz says we're wimps - the fire-alarm and all that. She may have a point but I've always thought fire safety and adhering to alarms is the better part of valour. Like taking drinks out to your last two batsmen when defeat is staring the possibility of a draw in the face. I don't think she's forgiven us... anyway, the next Test opens at Lord's tomorrow so we preview it with an open contest between the rival tribes of supporters. It is a frightening prospect made all the more terrifying when I tell you Damien is the man in the white coat and white trilby with three jumpers wrapped round his shoulders. I am heading for the long grass, via silly mid-on and probably off. That will make some of you smile as it stumps others.

See you at six, so long as we reach the boundary without touching the ground......
Alastair and Alex

FW: weather blog

Good evening,
 
Last night there was a perfect example of a shower, live on TV during the weather bulletin.
 
I was standing in a recently revamped garden in Wandsworth, instructions from the studio being beamed via the magic of a satellite truck through my earpiece, & no sooner had I received my cue to talk than a shower started.
 
The fact that it was a light one was both lucky & unlucky. Lucky because I didn't get drenched but unlucky because it wasn't visible on screen & I was therefore able to make no more than a passing reference to it. My walk to the station moments later (I'd declined the obligatory ITN limousine ride back from work to my front door in the interests of fitness) was not only dry but also pleasantly sunny with the net result that it felt like a completely different day. Perhaps 'unsettled' -which is what's currently on offer- is the meteorological equivalent of schizophrenic, leaving us dodging sunburn & soakings in equal measure & never feeling totally relaxed.
 
My challenge, on a professional level, is to find fresh ways of saying "sunshine & showers" in a bid to keep interest levels up & viewers tuned in even if the news on the weather front isn't particularly good.
 
See you later,
 
Robin 
 

14.7.09

London Tonight Tonight

Afternoons,

We've just had a very energetic meeting - where every story on tonight's show has been shuffled around the running order. Robin's just asked if it was like that yesterday! We have a new boss in the big boss chair - Paul is keeping Faye's seat warm while she concentrates on the tiny (probably a bit poopy) seat end of the gorgeous new addition to her family.

Basically - there's a lot to tell you tonight and we're trying to work out how best to deliver it. Robin we think will be delivering his weather from a garden in Wandsworth - we're not sure if this garden is worthy of Robin's presence yet so hold onto your hats for decisions on that. Ben's being sent there whether the garden is splendid or otherwise. It's because there's a scheme in Wandsworth where you can go and garden in an older person's garden if you don't have a garden. You see. Ben will explain later if not.

From pride in the gardens to pride in our young heroes. Young being the sad but operative word here. Eight soldiers are being returned to us today after making the ultimate sacrifice - 3 of them from our region. As we pause to think about their families we'll also be meeting a living hero. He's 101 - and still has a season ticket at Millwall - my limited knowledge of football fans means I think he's probably made of pretty hard stuff to support Millwall!

LVJ's the lucky one meeting him - then Glen's meeting a very, very lucky family. They've only gone and bagged themselves squillions and billions on the lottery. Ok, they won 8 million - but surely anything over a million must feel like billions - I can but dream !!

Lucy's got a dream of a job today - the nicest, smiliest men in pop - not Take That again - we're going back a generation to visit the Bee Gees. She's out now and even though I'm not expecting to hear her come back screaming about tickets to a gig like she did with the ever so lovely Take That - I think she will love them. We'll find out later.

We'll also have all the latest info for you on swine flu - after that little girl Chloe died we've all got a lot of questions - like is it a good thing schools break up next week - or is it just going to make things more complicated? Should we all be vaccinated? Are we being told the whole truth? Well, we shall endeavour to answer with the help of Simon Harris.

Before all that Liz Wickham starts our programme on another sad and tragic note. She's been to meet the family of a little girl who died after a monitor alarm next to her hospital bed went off - her mum says the nurse ignored it and left her baby girl to die. The hospital has questions to answer and the police may even become involved.

Sorry to end on such a sad note - but that's how we start tonight - unless things all get changed round.

For now - I'm off to get my face on.

See you at 6,

Alex & Alastair.

Weather blog

Good evening,
 
Still smarting from the noisy waterpump a couple of weekends ago, we had another neighbour incident yesterday.
 
The same gentleman, whose garden is obviously his pride & joy, chose to have a bonfire in the afternoon. I'm unclear as to the intricacies of bonfire etiquette, but at around 3 o'clock our house & garden disappeared in a pall of thick smoke leaving us a little tight lipped.
 
I realise that by mentioning this I am fast-tracking my admission to the Club fo the Terminally Smallminded, but we'd spent the entire morning blitzing the house. By lunchtime it was as clean as a new pin with all the windows open to the gentle breeze & the washing line groaning with several loads of fragrant laundry, all of which had escaped the showers & were drying perfectly in the sun.
 
Then came the smoke.
 
Inside it was a grey haze within moments with dust mites everywhere & outside the sun disappeared & the laundry was efficiently kippered. I won't pretend we didn't communicate our dismay.
 
For the foreseeable future it's staying unsettled. You might be able to get your washing dry & you might be able to have a bonfire; it's a game of chance. It's reasonably warm though, in direct contrast to neighbourly relations in my neck of the woods....
 
See you later,
 
Robin.  
 

13.7.09

London Tonight Tonight

Good afternoon. Sir David Frost once, famously, invited Peter Cooke to a dinner party featuring show-bizz, political and even 'royal' gliteratti. But such was Peter's distaste for Frosty that, after a moment's pondering, he answered the invite with the collectable response, "I find I'm watching TV that night, David..." If you were watching , last week, what follows London Tonight on ITV you will know I was presenting the Evening News. This week , I am back in harness and what a day to return!
Swine 'flu, which has been building up like gathering clouds, is moving from dark skies to a torrent - after the Essex death last week, we have a little school girl, today, from West Drayton, who has tragically died. Glen is at her school and is trying to find out as much as he can about her, her family and her friends. We will also have the best and most reassuring advice we can muster. But it is a bleak day.
Tragedy, too, from Afghanistan, but lifted by the remarkable valour of the victims of that dusty, distressing conflict. Three more young men from our part of the UK died at the end of last week and died seeking to help their comrades. They died, as Gordon Brown is telling the House of Commons as I write, protecting us from terrorism. You may or may not agree with his analysis but you will, I am sure, share the heartbreak of their families and friends. Ronke pays tribute.
We have all paid tribute on many occasions to the brave men and women who fight fires in London. We have smiled, too, when they have rescued cats from trees or helped extract people from often odd situations with goodness knows what stuck gracious knows where. So, our eye-brows rose when we learned that the GLA said it was investing £9 million of your money to sub-contract "emergency cover" to a private firm which currently services the fire-engines and other appliances our brave lads and lasses in blue serge use. It seems it is to replace the Green Goddesses and the Army who sprang, or trundled, to keep us safe when the FBU went on strike. Right or wrong? Provocative or a wise precaution? We'll ask Brian Coleman who runs the GLA's Emergency Services Sub-Committee.
Harris has pictures of the first new rolling stock, apart from the tasty Javelin trains, to grace London's over-ground railway in 30 years. Have they learned nothing in three decades, some of you may be moved to query, when we tell you that among the defining characteristics of these carriages is fewer seats. The boss of TfL says it is so we can move "more freely" through the carriages in pursuit of the Holy Grail of railway travel - a seat. My experience of Tokyo and New York, let alone the Bakerloo Line, is such that this will often prove a fruitless scrum. Harris will, I know, be entirely objective but I doubt my ire will wain.
Lucy has an interesting tableau which features an imaginary meeting between Nirvana rock-star Kurt Cobain, who blew his brains out with a collectable shot-gun, and Sex Pistols rock-star Sid Vicious, who was stabbed to death by his lover in a drug-alcohol haze. Not my idea of a pleasant Saturday night party but very watchable, perhaps. Tussaud's Chamber of Horrors does good business, so why not.
The Americans thought they were buying Tower Bridge when they bought, and had delivered , London Bridge. I do not know which bridge a latter day Evil Knievil thought he was leaping over on his motor-bike but the pictures are spectacular so we will share, several times.
Chrissie clears the bench to deliver her forecast, and the front-pages may be graced with my biker friend. They would if I was the editor but I am not. I am here.
And I am sitting next to the Oz who has helped me spell Mr Knievil's name. If it's right, what a pair we make; if it's wrong, I'll transport her back to the land of the koalas and barbies.
Assuming she is right, we'll see you at 6.
Alastair and Alex.

9.7.09

LONDON TONIGHT TONIGHT

Hello to you and welcome to your Thursday edition of 'London Tonight Tonight'...

So, where to start?

Well, shall we start with a story we were going to go much bigger on, but now, we're... er, not. It's like this.

Once upon a time there was a lovely lady who lived in a lovely house in Hertfordshire, and she found a pendant. In a field it was, hiding in the mud. A beautiful thing it was - bright and shiney - and made from pure gold. Well, this pendant made the lady very happy, especially when a wise old man told her it might be worth a quarter of a million pounds. This made the lady even happier. She'd sell her new treasure, she said, and give the money to the bank so that her lovely home would be hers, all hers. One day the lady took her treasure to the auction house to sell it but... oh, and it's such a 'big' but that it sort of scrubs out the happy ending altogether: the bloomin' pendant didn't even fetch its reserve price of £30,000. So she didn't sell it and she's still got a mortgage to pay. So, the moral of the story is... 'wise is as wise does'. Doesn't really work, I know, but I got a bit bored by the whole fairytale thing.

Back in the real world, let's run you through what we have got this evening.

We start with a story we've covered extensively before - the problem of dangerous dogs. More specifically the dangerous owners who breed and train dogs to fight and attack. We were out on a number of police raids early this morning - along with the Deputy Mayor for Policing, Kit Malthouse. Has the time has come to revisit the Dangerous Dogs Act as the problem doesn't appear to be going away? If anything, it's getting worse.

Two more really weighty stories for you...

Six teenagers were jailed for at least 18 years each today after they murdered another teenager - 16 year old Shaquille Smith. They were all members of 'The London Field Boys'. Shaquille's 'crime' - as far as these guys were concerned? He was talking to a lad in the park whose dog later attacked members of the gang. It is (another) truly horrid story - and you may be surprised to hear that members of Shaquille's family have been working on a play about a teenager who is stabbed to death. It was prompted by Shaquille's death and gives an insight into how his family have come to terms with their loss.

Simon Harris has been talking to the aunt of a London backpacker who's gone missing in New South Wales. To get news that someone you love has disappeared must be dreadful enough - for them to be on the other side of the world must make you feel helpless beyond belief. Well, Jamie Neale's father has flown out to Australia to help look for his son. We'll have the latest on that.

There is some 'lighter' stuff too... you've heard of 'speed-dating'. We've got 'speed-flatmate-hunting'.

You've heard of cinemas being turned into bingo-halls and the like. We've got one that hasn't - throughout its gloriously long history - and now has a lottery grant to prove it.

And the King of Pop is dead. Long live the King of Pop. The 'Thriller' musical has proved so popular at the Lyric Theatre that its producers are now planning to take it round the world. If you're not planning a round the world trip yourself, you can still get up close and personal with Michael Jackson... sort of... at Madame Tussauds. His 13th likeness - planned before the man himself went to the big arena in the sky - was unveiled today. What do the fans think?

Oh, and we're talking to Oasis too. Are they really going to split up..?

Lots to fit in - and you'll want to tune in to see Ms Hyndman's hairdo. It's bouncy.

See you at six,

Ben & Alex

8.7.09

London Tonight Tonight

Afternoon,

Tonight - after doing his best Michael Jackson turn - well Moonwalk but you know what I mean - Lewis will be starring as James Bond. He's getting properly suited and booted to drive a Bond car worth 100 grand - it's clearly been a tough week for our Welsh wonder - hope he's insured.

Speaking of Wales - not on the show - but on my telly - The Ashes. I am torn between supporting the Aussies as I grew up there and England - as I was born here. Is it terrible of me to just wait and see who's winning before declaring my support..? Probably yes, but it's more fun that way. It's a good way to wind up Neil - programme editor - who's off to Wales to watch tomorrow. Don't ask me why it's being held there - I don't get it either but Ricky Ponting's probably right - there'll be more support for Oz than the Poms for sure! (No chance - ed.)

On to more stars of the show and Nick Wallis - who is leaving us later this month to present the breakfast show on BBC Surrey - huge congrats to him! But, for now he is with us and has just been to meet Florence and the Machine. Which is not anything to do with machinery as such - more to do with a London lovely whose album's tipped to knock even Jacko off the top. You've probably seen the posters for her album on the underground - it's the one with the girl with lungs showing under her dress. Eye-catching indeed - and the music's apparently great too. Nick reckons she's a star so we shall all see later.

I am working my way from the bottom of the show to the top tonight just for the "down under up over" effect of the Ashes - you see. So before the first part Phil Bayles has been to meet some sisters who didn't know each other - hadn't spoken for 30 years - but found out they both worked for Waitrose and are now back in touch. Love that kind of thing. Before that Damien's at the Barbican and Sangeeta's with a very brave pensioner.

In the first part of tonight's show we'll tell you about the honey trap killers who lured a 16 year old to his death - his only crime - falling in love with the wrong girl. We've also a 20 thousand pound appeal for the killers of a man shot at random in a south London park.

We're also going round in circles - as that's what the M25 does when it's actually moving. No wait - that's what drivers do on the M25 when it's flowing freely - when's that again? Anyway - it's getting wider near the M40 so Simon's been chucked in a chopper to check on progress. We'll be after your opinions on this - is it money well spent making the car park wider?

Must go - there is chocolate cake on a nearby desk - in honour of Rachel Millichip's last day before she heads off to produce a Mini Milli - with my name on it!

See you at 6.

Alex & Ben.

7.7.09

London Tonight Tonight

Good Afternoon all -

Well, it seems incredible, doesn't it? Can it really be four years since those atrocities ripped through the lives of so many people in our capital. So many lives ended. So many more devastated beyond repair.

If you watched the programme last night, you'll have seen the extraordinary memorial that's been erected in Hyde Park. 52 stainless steel columns to represent the 52 lives that were lost. The consensus of opinion here in the office is that it's a really striking sculpture. Like most people, I've only seen it in our pictures and it certainly appears to capture the spirit of those who died and the defiant stand we must all make against terrorism. The Prince of Wales led the official unveiling ceremony today and spoke very movingly.

But for many of the families and friends of the victims, for those who lived to tell the appalling tale... a sculpture is simply not enough. The call for a full public inquiry is getting louder - a mother who lost her son 4 years ago today gives it voice on our programme this evening.

So tonight, four years on, we'll report on the remembrance and the fight for answers.

That's not the only contentious story we have for you. You'll remember the accusations that some Metropolitan Police Officers were too heavy-handed in containment of protests during the G20 summit. You'll remember the pictures, no doubt. You'll remember that one man died - although the full reasons for that are still being investigated. However, a report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary says the Met wasn't up to the job, that it hadn't planned properly. We'll have the low-down.

We'll also take a look round what there is to see of the Olympic Village. Okay, it's still 3 years until the greatest show on earth comes to town, but time's a-hurrying by. And even if you're not a sports fan, you'll want to take an interest in the invoice. The village will cost £1 billion... of tax-payers' money.

And there are also two, shall we say, 'lighter' stories to bring you. Firstly, a 'Spaceman goes to School'... and then 'The Biggest Thrill of All'. I'm going to leave those with you - just to whet your appetite. They both promise to make great viewing.

As does, can't believe it's here, the latest 'Harry Potter' film. Don't know about you but I love, love, love the books. And to those who say "but they're children's books", I say "thhthhththththhhhththhh" (that's a raspberry). Tonight "Potter 6" gets its premiere - aficionados will know it as the "Half Blood Prince". We're there in Leicester Square for all the razzmatazz.

So, as ever, a mixed programme. A full programme.

See you at six,

Ben & Alex.

Weather Blog

 
Good evening,
 
The stream at the bottom of our garden is looking a little (but only a little) healthier following the recent showers.
 
In the winter it's quite impressive but has lately been a shadow of its former self. This didn't, however, stop a neighbour from using it to irrigate his garden during the dry spell we've just had. It's all above board apparently. You are allowed to pump a limited amount of water per day for private use.
 
This is all well & good & presumably saves him money & is ecologically sound, but the key word is pump. The pump isn't silent. In fact for the bulk of the day on Sunday the garden was being generously watered, with the pump doing an admirable impression of a coffee grinder. For about 6 hours. It was the soundtrack of our lunch in the garden & was even audible indoors over the Wimbledon coverage. When the pump went off the silence was almost oppressive.
 
Less than a day after the watering was complete the showers arrived & the negative (& shamefully suburban) half of me is simmering with resentment that my Sunday tranquility was ruined needlessly, but the positive half of me is delighted that the weather's unsettled. It may be wet out there but at least it's peaceful.
 
That said things are improving in the second half of the week. At the moment the weekend looks changeable & if I'm honest I don't know whether that's good news or not.
 
For the rest of the day I'll work hard on regaining a sense of perspective & look forward to seeing you later with Victor Meldrew fi r mly back in his box,
 
Robin 
 

6.7.09

London Tonight Tonight

Good Afternoon to you all. Welcome to the start of the week...

First things first. Did you enjoy the weekend? Were you out playing in the sunshine? Did you stay in and watch the tennis? Ms Hyndman was busy moving house. As was our programme editor. At least their sofas didn't get wet.

Now, the day's news... and the top of the programme tonight is dominated by the appalling fire at a block of flats in Camberwell. 6 people died. That's 6 people who should be alive tonight including children as young as 3 weeks old. This is a dreadfully sad story as well as an extremely worrying one. What caused the fire? What caused it to spread in the way it did? Were those trapped given the right advice? There's conflicting advice as to what the fire brigade told them to do. We'll be looking into all of it and we're talking with the Fire Service right now, fixing up an interview with one of their top officers.

We'll also be looking at the identical tower block next door to the one hit by the fire so we can all understand the situation better and perhaps draw some conclusions.

There are, in fact, a number of quite awful stories in the programme tonight. Piers Hopkirk, for instance, has been talking to a woman called Sarah who has a very sad story to tell. Her father, Roy, died of a heart attack. Sarah says the paramedic got to his house around 6 minutes after Roy dialled 999, complaining of chest pains. However, Sarah maintains, the paramedic then spent a quarter of an hour outside the house filling in 'risk assessment' forms. Roy died on the way to hospital - and his daughter believes he could - and should - have been saved.

Tomorrow, of course, marks an anniversary of a huge waste of life. '7/7' means the 'July terror bombings' to people across the country, let alone the capital. For those directly affected by the attacks, it will always be the most painful of days - people who lost parents, children, spouses, siblings, friends. And it begs the question - what's the best way to remember them? Well, a woman who lost her mother in the bombings has helped to design memorials for the victims. It's being unveiled tomorrow - but Phil Bayles has already had a look around.

It's a very different sculpture you'll find down on the famous (or should that be infamous?) fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square for the next 3 months or so. The definition of 'living art' individuals will be taking their turn to stand on top of the plinth and... well, doing what they want to. Who's going to be the first to get their kit off then? I read that one girl, who has her place booked, toyed with idea but has decided against it. One man has said he's only going to wear his pants and socks. How very British? If he sips on a cup of tea and hums the national anthem, we could have a new national icon.

Actually a national icon began his new job managing Chelsea today. Not our nation, obviously - Mr Ancelloti is an Italian icon. And Mr Powell will give us the rundown.

And I'm now going to run down and get a drink from the machine.

See you at six,

Ben & Alex

Weather blog

 
Good evening,
 
Pedantic though it may seem there's a difference between rain & showers, but in order to clarify matters further we should introduce a verb which makes that distinction too.
 
When I woke up this morning it was raining, except it wasn't rain it was a shower. Moments later it was dry with patches of blue sky. By the time I climbed into the car to drive to the station it was raining again, except (yes, you've guessed it) it wasn't rain etc. etc.
 
You'd be forgiven for thinking that as I write this I'm wearing a grubby Met Office anorak with a barometer sewn into the lining, but this is more about meaning than meteorology. Showers by their very nature are hit & miss & not long lived. Rain is more all encompassing & can hang around for a long time. This is a fairly black & white explanation for a phenomenon that has many grey areas, but I hope it is in some small way useful. Perhaps the verb we are looking for could be a fusion of shower & rain -shain for example- so that if it's shaining we can all take comfort in the knowledge that it won't last & that there's even a chance of a glimmer of brightness too.
 
So here goes; it'll shain tomorrow -possibly heavily- but by the second half of the week things look set to improve.
 
Sorted.
 
See you later,
 
Robin. 
 

3.7.09

LONDON TONIGHT TONIGHT

Afternoons,

Sitting here watching Wimbledon (I'm working hard if anyone asks obviously) - actually managed to miss Federer breeze through into the finals - something about slicing through it like butter was the description used in the meeting just now. High hopes for Andy Murray who's on court now. Off court..well, to be honest on court, in the umpires chair and in the commentary box was where one London Tonight reporter managed to find herself. We've got the pics to prove it and see what All England officials have to say about it. She wasn't a security threat so it's more amusing than worrying but still..see what you think.

Before that we've got the latest swine flu figures. Worryingly we have had our first death in London from the disease - but, as with the other deaths in the country - the teenager in question did have other medical problems so we're being told it's more down to that than the disease itself getting more aggressive. The figures themselves say 100,000 of us a day are going to be infected - that means around 10,000 a day here in the capital. Although the virus itself isn't life-threatening it's still concerning - as none of us want the flu - swine or otherwise. We've got advice and details tonight.

We've also got more on the double jeopardy case which has seen an ex-footballer jailed for killing his girlfriend - 7 years after being cleared of the crime, the case against a woman who lied about where she lived to get her kid into a good school and a look at what's happening down at Stratford station in preparation for the 2012 Olympics.

James King's here too to talk Public Enemies and a third Ice Age flick and Lewis has been down to the Nordoff Robbins awards to catch up with the Beach Boys and Lulu - but didn't manage to get Take That on the show for the second time this week as they were a no show. Ah well.

To make up for it Al is back with me tonight - not right now..he's off planning something but will be on the sofa sans tie in his usual Friday style later.

Can't wait - see you then.

Alex & Alastair.
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2.7.09

London Tonight Tonight

Good Afternoon to you.

Let's start with one for the tennis fans. Serena Williams is in trouble. She's a game down in the third set of her semi-final. Now, bearing in mind that people have been spouting on for ever and a Wimbledon day that it's going to be a Williams v Williams final, this comes as something of a surprise. Of course, by the time you read this, it may all have changed and the bookies will be bracing themselves for a definite Williams pay out. I'll give updates.

If you're not a tennis fan... turned out nice again, hasn't it?

** It's matchpoint against Ms Williams... which she saves **

Now - the programme - and we start with a fairly familiar phrase for London news viewers... "Crossrail may not happen". It seems - according to a leaked memo - that there's a thumping great hole in the Department of Transport's budget and the odd expensive project may have to go quietly into the night... and it's thought Crossrail's name could be on the list. Which is a bit of a blow to all those businesses and homes that have already been affected by the project. We're thinking about the Astoria which has already been closed and gutted...

We've got some CCTV pictures to show you tonight - taken four years ago. They show police officers from Southend restraining a chap they'd just arrested on suspicion of assault. You might think they're being 'fairly rough'. The jury at the inquest, however, did not - and cleared the coppers of any wrongdoing. It's a tough call. We weren't there. See what you think.

** Mummy Williams is looking awfully nervous **

Alex has just walked in from taking the air. Apparently "it's hot". She's a whizz with the weather. Don't know why we bother with Robin. He, by the way, will be talking us through the weather from Wimbledon this evening - gloating over the people who've been camping out to guarantee a centre court ticket tomorrow.

** Okay, 6 games to 5 now in the third set. Ms Dementieva is in the driving seat **

We've got a couple of watery stories for you tonight. One is a pretty pretty Tales of the Riverbank affair, and how we make sure Ratty and Moleface (whatever) can live their lives in harmony while us humans use the Thames to our best advantage.

The other is not such a poetic picture - it's all about a giant sewer that's being built to cope with the, shall we say, 'outflow' from millions of Londoners. At the moment, when there's a lot of rain, the outflow ends up flowing into the Thames which isn't great for Ratty and Moleface. Well, would you like it? So, Thames Water's building an enormous tunnel to cope a little better.

** 6 games all - and I find myself feeling somewhat grateful that I'm not in the firing line of Serena's smash **

Any Sandra Bullock fans in the house? Don't go out then - we're talking to her about her new film.

We'll also be talking to the 'fastest man in the world'. That's a great brag, isn't it? Picture the scene down your local..

Mr Holt: "I've just had a promotion at work".

Mr Colt: "Yeah, I've just passed my diving instructor's exams."

Mr Bolt: "I've run faster than anyone else in history."

Mr Holt & Mr Colt: "Your round."

** NEWSFLASH: Serena's in the final. Good effort from Ms Dementieva (imagine what her nickname was at school) **

There's a little tail piece in our programme tonight - it's about the second most kissable waxwork at Madame Tussauds. Bet you can't guess who...

See you at six,

Ben & Alex

 

 

Weather Blog

 
Good evening,
 
The weather's perfect at the moment. Couldn't be better, in fact. That is if all you have to do is shuttle between the pool & the fridge with nothing more to do than stare into the middle distance, taking the occasional nap when the going gets tough.
 
When temperatures reach the thirties, as is the case today, & you've got to go about your daily business, meet deadlines, think clearly & generally keep going it can all get a bit much. In one of the studios where I work the noisy air conditioning has to be switched off when the camera's rolling because it would be audible in the bulletin. Normally this doesn't matter, but recently it's posed quite a challenge & earlier today I found myself starting to suffer from brain-melt meaning I was in danger of making even less sense than usual.
 
I'll be out in the sun again at Wimbledon later on which will be significantly hotter than the stuffy studio in question, so just in case my grey matter turns to microwaved mush & the forecast is gobbledeegook, I should tell you now that showers are on the way over the next few days & it'll be getting cooler. Hurrah.
 
See you later,
 
Robin. 
 

FW: weather blog

 
Good evening,
 
The weather's perfect at the moment. Couldn't be better, in fact. That is if all you have to do is shuttle between the pool & the fridge with nothing more to do than stare into the middle distance, taking the occasional nap when the going gets tough.
 
When temperatures reach the thirties, as is the case today, & you've got to go about your daily business, meet deadlines, think clearly & generally keep going it can all get a bit much. In one of the studios where I work the noisy air conditioning has to be switched off when the camera's rolling because it would be audible in the bulletin. Normally this doesn't matter, but recently it's posed quite a challenge & earlier today I found myself starting to suffer from brain-melt meaning I was in danger of making even less sense than usual.
 
I'll be out in the sun again at Wimbledon later on which will be significantly hotter than the stuffy studio in question, so just in case my grey matter turns to microwaved mush & the forecast is gobbledeegook, I should tell you now that showers are on the way over the next few days & it'll be getting cooler. Hurrah.
 
See you later,
 
Robin. 
 

1.7.09

London Tonight Tonight

Hello, Hello and Hello again.

You know the Great British public never ceases to amaze me. If it's raining, people complain. If it's too chilly, people complain. And now, after we've strung three proper days of summer together, people are complaining "it's too hot". The tube is horrid in this weather - yep. It's no fun wearing a suit in this weather - yep. It's really not great for some people on health grounds - double yep. But for most of us - it's rather nice isn't it? Isn't it? Sorry - needed to get that off my chest. And now I have, I'll move on.

Actually, we'll have more on the balmy weather and its impact on the barmy people who go out in the middle of it. Liz Wickham's on hospital watch in Tooting, to see if any Wimbledon fans take a little too much of the sun get sent to its A&E department.

While we're on the subject of a certain tennis tournament, can anyone confess to having any experience as a ballboy or ballgirl. I only ask because more than twenty Wimbledon staff members have been sent home now after showing 'flu-like' symptoms. The big worry, of course, is that they've got swine flu. **SWIFT INJECTION OF REALISM HERE: THEY'VE BEEN SENT HOME AS A PRECAUTION. I'M NOT SAYING EVERYONE'S GOT IT AND ANDY MURRAY'S CHANCE OF WINNING GLORY IS GOING TO BE OUTSMARTED BY A VIRUS** Nonetheless, the organisers could do without people staff being sent home. Phil Bayles will tell us how worried they are.

Jon Gilbert is on duty in Hendon with the latest on a flat exploded in the early hours of this morning.

Glen Goodman will have the latest on the latest pop video that's being shot here in the capital. If I started singing about Robert DeNiro waiting for Cruel Summer - apart from thinking "someone else has been spending too long in the sun", you might think Bananarama. Well, it seems "Bananarama never split". It's a line from a programme editor - and he's very proud of it. So proud, it's going to get a run out on the programme tonight. Anyone adverse to cheese should turn the sound down when we start talking about all-girl groups.

If boy bands are your thing then we have something for you too. Lucy Cotter has been granted an audience with Gary, Jason, Howard, Mark and Robbie. Just kidding, Robbie isn't expected to turn up but the other four who've taken Taken That into the stratosphere will be talking about ending their UK tour in London.

Something else that may be ending in London is National Express train lines. The company has admitted defeat today in its attempt to run the Easter Mainline franchise which takes you Kings Cross up to aunts in Newcastle, Leeds or Edinburgh. They're losing too much money apparently and so the Government's going to step in and take over. But National Express also runs two commuter lines into the capital - C2C and National Express East Anglia and there's a suggestion that the Government wants to take those franchises away too. How will it affect commuters? Simon Harris will hopefully be able to answer that.

Meanwhile - if you were a fan of the Good Life, you'll remember
1. Margo Leadbetter was played magnificently by Penelope Keith
2. Margo Leadbetter lived in Surbiton.
3. Margo Leadbetter was easily put out by things.
What she'd have made of Surbiton's dark secret uncovered by police today is anyone's guess. Lewis Vaughan Jones will have the full story.

I can't imagine why you'd want to miss it.

See you at SIX.

Ben & Alex

Weather blog

 
Good evening,
 
Yesterday was the hottest day of the year.
 
32C at RHS Wisley in Surrey.
 
These temperatures are air temperatures, in other words they are measured in the shade. Step out into the sun & it will be appreciably hotter. As much as 10 degrees hotter in fact. So we should spare a thought for Andy Murray et al who'll be playing in really punishing heat. Yesterday at Wimbledon over 200 people were treated for heat related health issues & today the Met Office has raised the Heat Health Watch Alert to level 3.
 
Yesterday evening I was in Trafalgar Square in the blazing sun with hundreds of opera fans for La Traviata being streamed from the Royal Opera House onto giant screens. Unlike every other member of the audience I was wearing a suit & tie & can honestly say it's the hottest I've ever been in my life in this country. My bottle of cooling water -   a must in these conditions   - was at blood temperature within moments but I was past caring as I drank it in 3 hasty gulps.
 
Today it's even hotter & I'm off to the O2. Still wearing a suit & clutching another bottle of warm water. My challenge will not be to talk sense & keep to time but rather to talk at   all & keep upright! Wish me luck.
 
See you later,
 
Robin.