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


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.