Firstly, apologies for the rather abrubt end to last night's programme. One minute we were hearing from Lucy Cotter at the O2 about the BRIT nominations, the next we were off air without so much as a 'goodbye from us'! No, we weren't all off down the bookies to place bets on Lucy's BRITs tips, but there was a minor drama with a fire alarm. Katie and I were, of course, prepared to keep broadcasting until the bitter end, but we were told to join the orderly queue marching to the assembly point outside. So, apologies for that, but I understand you were left in the capable hands of Fred Dineage and the 'Meridian Tonight' team? I also understand that Fred signed off by thanking viewers in London and urging you to stay with them as theirs is 'a much better programme anyway'. He's a real card, Fred...no really, hilarious! ;-)
So. Tonight then...
We'll have details on the murder of a woman in Reading. The 19-year-old was found on a footpath next to the river Kennet at about quarter past nine last night. Forensic teams spent this morning searching the scene and police are asking for anyone who saw anything to get in touch. Murray Dron will have the very latest for us.
The takeover at West Ham by former Birmingham City owners, David Gold and David Sullivan features heavily this evening. They've got some task on their hands with the previous Icelandic owners leaving things in a pretty sorry state at Upton Park. There was the usual press conference rhetoric earlier which ranged from Premiere League survival in the short term to world domination in the long, but they're well aware of the task ahead. Sullivan estimates the club has debts in excess of a hundred million pounds and has inheritted a squad in need of serious bolstering. On the bright side for West Ham fans, what you have got in David Sullivan is a man committed to the cause. I interviewed him several times up in the Midlands while he was at Birmingham City and he was never shy of telling anyone of his aspirations to one day own West Ham. He's been waiting over twenty years. They aren't the sort of owners who sack managers either - two in sixteen years at Birmingham - and in Karen Brady, West Ham's new Vice Chairman, the club has one of the shrewdest operators in the business. What is interesting, is Mr. Sullivan's desire to move the club into the Olympic stadium...although without the athletics track. Quite what that does to the all-important legacy that was key to London's bid, only time will tell.
We'll have the Surrey family who are twenty six million pounds richer after winning the lottery...maybe we'll put them in touch with West Ham? Also, Lucy has the lowdown on new play, 'Six Degrees of Separation' - openning at the Old Vic tonight. And Robin will be going round in circles to bring us the weather as he marks the tenth anniversary of the London Eye. He'll be broadcasting live from one of the pods...a podcast then, surely?
See you at Six
Matt and Katie. And Robin...and Robin again...oh look, there's Robin...!
