As I write this, there is an open box of chocolates sitting next to me. I've had three already. I know, I know, but it is Friday and it's the first chocolate I've had all week... a desperate attempt to shrug off the excess pounds that came with Christmas.
One of our producers, who's in training for the London Marathon (I would, honest, but I've got a dodgy knee), has been on rather a strict diet and has managed to lose the best part of a stone before Christmas. Cut out all sorts of fattening food - and booze. That's commitment for you. And frankly, rather dull.
So, moving on to the programme. It's Friday so we'll be looking at a couple of the big movies coming out this weekend. One's for children. One's for their parents. I'm looking forward to seeing both actually.
And sticking with the entertainment world, Ms Cotter has been to Canvey Island to find out how it changed the history of rock music. I know what you're thinking. I thought the same when I read the prospects for today's programme. We'll find out more together on the programme.
There's also a lot of 'weighty' stuff in the run-down.
You'll have done well to miss the fact that former Prime Minister Tony Blair is being grilled by the Chilcott Inquiry about what he said, thought and did in the build-up to and during the war in Iraq. Well, no one will be following what he says today more closely than Roger Bacon, whose son Major Matthew Bacon was killed in action in September 2005. He's never forgiven Mr Blair for the war and how it was conducted, even calling for him to be prosecuted. Roger has gone down to the QEII centre in Westminster to hear Mr Blair's testimony - in person - and we'll speak to him afterwards for his conclusions.
We'll also have the latest in the trial of two people accused of killing a kitchen salesman, chopping up his body and then spreading the parts round Leicestershire and Hertfordshire. And the latest is fairly dramatic. One of the defendants who had previously admitted chopping up the body but denied murder... has now pleaded guilty to the murder as well.
The story we'd like you to share your opinions on this evening is the commitment made by Community Police Officers in Bexley. They have promised to visit every home before the year. Good idea? Waste of money? Frightening prospect? Watch Lewis' report and then let us know.
And the other reports I have to tell you about is a special report from Emma Walden who is in France today. You may remember the discovery of a mass war grave in Fromelles two years ago where the bodies of thousands of 1st World War soldiers had lain unmarked for 90 years. Through painstaking research, some of those men have now been identified and Emma has been on an emotional journey with a family from a village called The Lee in Buckinghamshire. A grandson paying his respects to his grandfather who died for his country.
So - a very full, very varied programme.
See you at six,
Ben & Nina... hey, wait... don't go yet. Read on - because Mr McCallum is up next:
Good evening,
At the station this morning I was asked by a fellow commuter if I'd be able to gave a talk on meteorology at his son's school. My gut instinct is always to fight shy of such requests, not because I resent being asked (after all it's very flattering) but because I feel a bit of a fraud. I'm not a forecaster as such (that requires a meteorology degree & an aptitude for science which I lack) but merely a presenter who trained in Broadcast Meteorology in order to qualify for my current job. However as we chatted it became clear that the talk required is less about meteorology & more about weather presenting as a career & therefore I probably could cobble together a handful of useful pointers.
In addition to general advice on television presenting there are a couple of specific skills which weather presenters need to master; top of the list should be having a pithy rejoinder always to hand for remarks like "I suppose we've got you to thank for this" & "Got it wrong again didn't you?" & "Can't you do something about the weather then?" followed closely by knowing what to leave out of the forecasts as too much detail is guaranteed to lose you your audience. Ultimately what we really want to know is whether we need coat, umbrella or suncream....
With that in mind it's coat for the next couple of days. It's going to be nippy.
Hope to see you later,
Robin.
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