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18.3.09

London Tonight Tonight

Hi,

You know by now that I hate trains - I think it may stem from a rather unfortunate incident I had a Clapham Junction. This was pre-ticket gates at Waterloo. I'd run to get the train and turned up at The Junction sans ticket. The guard just looked at me like I was a cheeky fare dodger when I told him I didn't have a ticket from Waterloo and needed to pay for it. He wasn't having any of it - told me I'd be fined twenty quid and made me cry (ok, I cry easily..and yes, I did think it might help my cause). The point of all of this, is that our old Mayor Ken of the Livingstone has done a similar thing - and has only gone and got away with it scott-free!

Not Fair I say - what do you reckon...? Apparently it's not just because it was Ken - according to the train people, it's up to the guard who gets fined and who doesn't. This should work in our favour then ladies - batting an eyelash, yes? But, NO! Simon's going to sort through the ticket stubs and find a nice guard - hopefully!

Before that - a really sad story about two teenagers who sought refuge in a take-away. They'd been chased and the man in the shop said they could hide out there. He went home and told them to lock up when they left. Problem is they never did - and he came back in the morning to find the young girl dead and the boy in a really bad way. The police think they may have been overcome by carbon monoxide fumes - Lewis is looking into it for you.

Then Marcus is tracking down a father and son who've apparently been trapping wild birds and selling them on as pets - unbelievably they've been accused of catching them on trees they've covered in glue! Ben (who's with me tonight) reckons it sounds like something out of one of his childhood books. I'm not sure how they're meant to get the birds off the tree once they're stuck. But that's not the point is it...?

Phil Bayles is on an island tonight. No, he's not been sent to an exotic location - he's in Kingston on the Ait (that's olde worlde English for island apparently) that's been over-run by squatters. They've taken over after the company who used to use it for weddings and parties etc. went bust and shipped out. The squatters want to stay and turn it into an "eco town" - find out more later.

And don't miss finding out more about lesbian vampires - Ben and I have been warned about this one by Faye... Ok Ben mostly - but still - I'll tread carefully. It's for James Corden and Matthew Horne's new movie - Lesbian Vampire Killers. That's who they are in the movie and Lucy's met them. Three of the ladies will also be with us in the studio - we'll try and avoid heading down the smutty (obvious) route and talk about the movie itself... Wish us luck!

Meanwhile - we'll be wishing you luck - with the launch of The People's Millions! It's time to get your entries in if you're involved in a good cause that needs our (well... Not ours... but the National Lottery's) cash.

Get thinking.

See you at 6.

Alex & Ben.

Squatters occupy the Thames

Have you heard of Raven's Ait? Maybe you've even been to a wedding reception there. It's an island in The Thames off the A307 Portsmouth Road. It used to be used for functions, but shut at the end of last year. Now it's been occupied. The video below is from the squatters themselves - we're going over to the island this morning and will bring you the full story tonight.