Good afternoon, and isn't it?
I have just been outside to enjoy the lovely afternoon sun and can report that last week's trench is now fully filled in, leaving some fresh tarmac scars, a lot of dust and very neatly repainted yellow lines reminding motorists they may not park there. Apart from motorcyclists who have their own little "Motor-cycles Only" bay, undisturbed by the trench but now flanked with fresh yellow lines that stop, abruptly, at the bay's edges. Sitting there, legally, is an old scooter with a little "Jam Buster" sticker beneath the number plate. In a reverse of Orwell's "Animal Farm" dictum of Two Legs Bad Four Legs Good, we live in a city where, for a long time, it has been Two Wheels Good Four Wheels Bad. Like a corner square in Monopoly, "Free-parking" was the order of the day for the bikes but, in Westminster, no more. And the Mods, Rockers and, for all I know, the Secretary of State for Communities who rides a Harley, aren't happy bunnies. Or bikers. Glen dons his leathers and skid-lid to explain all among the protesting greasers.
Whether or not all the protestors are the genuine article may prove tough to tell. The Met have their own squadrons of elegant masters of the beautiful BMW and the huge Honda. They chase speeders, act as out-riders to resident and visiting dignitaries and generally roar around town looking cool. But if the G20 protests are anything to go by, some of them may have left their law-enforcement leathers at home and donned jeans, Hell's Angels T- shirts and who knows what to blend in with the protestors. That is the allegation coming from some of the G20 lot and they have got a hearing, and not a little sympathy, from Tom Brake MP. When it was suggested at the meeting that this might make them "Agents Provocateur" a slightly risque conversation ensued involving stockings, suspender belts, footballers, my share-portfolio and whether or not the lovely Lizzie, our news editor, and the equally lovely Lucy, with whom I am lucky enough to be presenting tonight, would be able to concentrate. Friends, I fear the lack of concentration for predictably puerile reasons would have been elsewhere. Marcus rises above this youthful exuberance and delves into the allegations of mutton dressed up as lamb in the policing of public order in our great city.
There was a distinct lack or public order in Tower Bridge this afternoon when all hell broke out because a lift fell ten feet in a scene one can imagine doing justice to a Hollywood block-buster or, I fear to report, bone-buster. Ten people were on board and six had nearby hospitals added to their tourist itineraries. Seriously frightening stuff. Harris, who has been known to whistle "Miss Otis Regrets" (Google Otis and lift) will be saying "Ground floor: casualty and A & E" as he reports on the plight of these poor souls.
Bones were broken but life, thank goodness, wasn't lost. Such fortune did not befall the heroes on the Greatest Race ever raced in cinema - the chariot charge in Ben Hur. Flogging your opponent, mid-race, would nowadays certainly mean a hearing before the Jockey Club for "Inappropriate Use of the Whip". But forcing jagged wheel trims into your opponents spokes, only for said opponent to fall beneath what remained of the chariot as it scorched its way across the blood-stained sand, is fatally short of cricket. Yuk. So, having enjoyed Pink Floyd and the Rolling Stones in recent months at O2, I am intrigued to learn how a re-enactment of said carnage under the protection of the former Dome will look, sound and even smell. Julie will tell us and you may need a strong stomach for this one.
I think Phil probably needed that attribute too went he went underground for you, to see the completed London orbital water-system. It may be modern but large volumes of water, underground, have always worried me.... unlike rats, amoeba and other aquatic life-forms. I know: sieves, treatment plants, boiling and the rest of it but I remain cautious. W.C. Fields made a powerful argument against drinking water with which I do not agree nor will I sully these pages by repeating (Google if you dare!) but I retain my more modest reservations. So, Phil - rubber gloves, wellies and lots of soap - is your guide.
The People's Millions doesn't have long to run so tune in to learn details of how to join the queue of the deserving - £50 k the ceiling but lots of it to go to London's best good causes.
Lucy, celebrated for the loveliest giggle on British TV, is giggling into the phone as I write. No, she has now leapt to her feet and is rushing to talk to one of our producers. I am secretly giggling with pleasure at the prospect of working with her again. But you never know who else might drop by, such is her professional circle of friends and contacts. Perhaps Michelle Pfeiffer to apologise for getting my first name wrong last week? A weekend of bleak introspection followed, I can assure you, after she referred to me as "Alan".
I will write a large cheque to persuade Chrissie to persuade "The Gods" to keep this weather fine. But she is talking of Horse Guards Parade, Trooping the Colour and abseiling. I am confused but I am assured it will be brilliant and not distract from an accurate forecast.
The papers - wonder what you'll make of the new look Standard? - and that's about it but as I proof read these ramblings I can think of little that out-does it, between 6 and 6.30.
Lucy, leather-clad-bikers, under-cover agents, Agent Provocateur, miles of pipes to ponder, and millions of pounds to give away - enough for everyone I'd have thought. If not, on yer bike - but we'll be here!
Alastair and Lucy.
11.5.09
8.5.09
London Tonight Tonight
Good afternoon.
Among the pantheon of great journalists in the canon of English literature, two tower above most: George Orwell and Charles Dickens. I don't think "1984" or "Animal Farm" would make great musicals, though there are a few laughs in Orwell's "Keep the Aspidestra Flying". But Dickens' "Oliver Twist" begat "Oliver!", to lasting success. It is, in truth, a bleak morality piece with an uplifting finale of family love. At its dark, throbbing heart is a gang of young criminals who, in modern times, would have been held up as frightening examples of abuse and neglect; but in the musical they are an "artful" band of "dodgers" who sing and dance their thieving way through London's streets. They are all boys. Today we have a troubling example of a C21st Fagin who frightened a posse of young girls into mounting a lucrative campaign of pick-pocketing on the London Underground. Phil reports on the devastating scale of their "got to pick a pocket or two" antics and what befell their svengali.
I love horses and so do my children. They are lucky enough to have their own and lavish TLC on them without too much prompting. Though big, they are creatures with warm, winning eyes, a controlled power which respects the presence of smaller creatures and a curious ability to reciprocate affection despite their relative size compared to the young, human recipients of that affection. To read of the uncaring cruelty visited by the Gray family upon their collection filled me with sadness and disbelief. The RSPCA, as they often do, came to the rescue and the Courts are poised to do the right thing, too. Glen, a fine reporter who, in another life, might well have made an equally fine jockey, saddles up and rides off into the sunset - well, to Amersham actually.
That will take him north from here: just as well he isn't heading south, towards Sidcup, given he might just fall off his steed and be in need of A&E. It is a service that is to be lost from Queen Mary's Hospital in that fine borough. And, God forbid that he should have a sex change and fall pregnant - maternity being downgraded too! The planners say, as planners always do, that it'll be alright, and good, and even better; the locals say not if you have a stroke, heart-attack or go into labour. Lewis, our healthiest young reporter (no risks here!) is on his way with a blue light on his handsome head to discover who is right in this clash of the claims.
Our dear American Cousins are in Perugia with the latest on the Meredith Kercher case - DNA is said to link Amanda Knox to the killing of Meredith. Our hope is that technology will link us to the Cousins: fingers crossed.
Fingers, arms, legs and anything else that "crosses" if you play your cricket against Thames Ditton. A man with a past has joined them and we will reveal him at 6 - as he whacks all opponents' hopes to the boundary without them touching the ground! Marcus is all in white, with his trousers held up with his old school tie.
At risk of offending Marcus, and every other Gooner, plus my son Oscar, and every other Blues fan, I will say that we are previewing a Battle of the Giant LOSERS of the Beautiful Game. Who needs the Champions League when runner-up status is at stake in the Premiership? This doesn't get any better, does it? I'll stop and move on.
Films - can't bear Star Trek - but quite like the sound of the "fantasy horror animation" as described by the New Boss. But what will James make of "Coraline" and the Trek offering? Don't boldly go to the channel changer and you'll find out at 6.
What Not to Miss is not to be missed; some debate about where to put Robin - the roof beckons but who knows: not him, yet!
The papers are full of second homes, Jaffa Cakes, horse manure and MPs.
And Faye, (black suit, silver pendant, smart shoes and the biggest belly I have ever seen for one so lovely and normally so size 8-ish) has popped in to say Hi. That's nice but I think next time there will be two of them - or three if hubby comes to celebrate too - and I think it will be soon.
The Oz is in make-up, not that she needs much. She is going to see a girl-friend in her first-ever flat-racing race at the weekend which I envy, in so many ways. Perhaps I'll just have a fiver on the outcome.
Gosh, is it that time? People are talking to Faye about towels and hot-water, hospitals and birthing pools. Odd that. But not as odd as the letter that arrived from the Post Office Press Office, containing some really beautiful new stamps celebrating Henry V111's 500 years. They forgot to pay the postage! And the Government expects to sell it off to the Dutch? They must be mad.
See you at 6, unless I am sent to you recorded delivery in which case, see you Monday.
Alastair and Alex
Among the pantheon of great journalists in the canon of English literature, two tower above most: George Orwell and Charles Dickens. I don't think "1984" or "Animal Farm" would make great musicals, though there are a few laughs in Orwell's "Keep the Aspidestra Flying". But Dickens' "Oliver Twist" begat "Oliver!", to lasting success. It is, in truth, a bleak morality piece with an uplifting finale of family love. At its dark, throbbing heart is a gang of young criminals who, in modern times, would have been held up as frightening examples of abuse and neglect; but in the musical they are an "artful" band of "dodgers" who sing and dance their thieving way through London's streets. They are all boys. Today we have a troubling example of a C21st Fagin who frightened a posse of young girls into mounting a lucrative campaign of pick-pocketing on the London Underground. Phil reports on the devastating scale of their "got to pick a pocket or two" antics and what befell their svengali.
I love horses and so do my children. They are lucky enough to have their own and lavish TLC on them without too much prompting. Though big, they are creatures with warm, winning eyes, a controlled power which respects the presence of smaller creatures and a curious ability to reciprocate affection despite their relative size compared to the young, human recipients of that affection. To read of the uncaring cruelty visited by the Gray family upon their collection filled me with sadness and disbelief. The RSPCA, as they often do, came to the rescue and the Courts are poised to do the right thing, too. Glen, a fine reporter who, in another life, might well have made an equally fine jockey, saddles up and rides off into the sunset - well, to Amersham actually.
That will take him north from here: just as well he isn't heading south, towards Sidcup, given he might just fall off his steed and be in need of A&E. It is a service that is to be lost from Queen Mary's Hospital in that fine borough. And, God forbid that he should have a sex change and fall pregnant - maternity being downgraded too! The planners say, as planners always do, that it'll be alright, and good, and even better; the locals say not if you have a stroke, heart-attack or go into labour. Lewis, our healthiest young reporter (no risks here!) is on his way with a blue light on his handsome head to discover who is right in this clash of the claims.
Our dear American Cousins are in Perugia with the latest on the Meredith Kercher case - DNA is said to link Amanda Knox to the killing of Meredith. Our hope is that technology will link us to the Cousins: fingers crossed.
Fingers, arms, legs and anything else that "crosses" if you play your cricket against Thames Ditton. A man with a past has joined them and we will reveal him at 6 - as he whacks all opponents' hopes to the boundary without them touching the ground! Marcus is all in white, with his trousers held up with his old school tie.
At risk of offending Marcus, and every other Gooner, plus my son Oscar, and every other Blues fan, I will say that we are previewing a Battle of the Giant LOSERS of the Beautiful Game. Who needs the Champions League when runner-up status is at stake in the Premiership? This doesn't get any better, does it? I'll stop and move on.
Films - can't bear Star Trek - but quite like the sound of the "fantasy horror animation" as described by the New Boss. But what will James make of "Coraline" and the Trek offering? Don't boldly go to the channel changer and you'll find out at 6.
What Not to Miss is not to be missed; some debate about where to put Robin - the roof beckons but who knows: not him, yet!
The papers are full of second homes, Jaffa Cakes, horse manure and MPs.
And Faye, (black suit, silver pendant, smart shoes and the biggest belly I have ever seen for one so lovely and normally so size 8-ish) has popped in to say Hi. That's nice but I think next time there will be two of them - or three if hubby comes to celebrate too - and I think it will be soon.
The Oz is in make-up, not that she needs much. She is going to see a girl-friend in her first-ever flat-racing race at the weekend which I envy, in so many ways. Perhaps I'll just have a fiver on the outcome.
Gosh, is it that time? People are talking to Faye about towels and hot-water, hospitals and birthing pools. Odd that. But not as odd as the letter that arrived from the Post Office Press Office, containing some really beautiful new stamps celebrating Henry V111's 500 years. They forgot to pay the postage! And the Government expects to sell it off to the Dutch? They must be mad.
See you at 6, unless I am sent to you recorded delivery in which case, see you Monday.
Alastair and Alex
7.5.09
London Tonight Tonight
Good afternoon.
There are men digging a trench outside our building. They are burying green tubes but claim they are "laying cables". I am suspicious because they have virtually completed this clandestine activity in a couple of days. Were it water or some other vital utility, it would have taken weeks; or they would have started and just walked away, mysteriously. What are the cables really for? What will be running through those green pipes? I only ask because I am a suspicious person, at heart. Were the pipes blue, it would be clearer - they would be proper conduits for the stream of expletives and venom which flowed from the mouths of Hiddink's babes after their brutal, questionable, dubious and badly refereed departure from the Champions League last night. If you are a Barca fan then welcome to our great city, and goodbye; but if you are Norwegian, then I'd get back to the land of the fjords asap if I were you and you might be advised to take the myopic whistle blower with you. Actually, he had to be smuggled out pdq - perhaps the pipes were laid in preparation for his "runner" - surely he planned to ensure ManU met a team other than another English one some moons since? I am told it felt that way. We're completely impartial observers here, of course. Glen, even more impartial in these matters perhaps, and, I suspect, not averse to Scandinavian culture, is down Stamford Bridge way to pick up the pieces.
There were not too many pieces of the Bismark left to pick up after Rodney and George V had done their duty to King and country. They were not the character from "Only Fools and Horses" and the Queen's grandfather but a pair of fine battleships of the line. But putting Bismark in a condition to be dispatched Davy Jones' way were the pilots and observers of a squadron of Swordfish aircraft, the pride of the Fleet Air Arm. That great organisation celebrates it's centenary on the Thames at Greenwich. Chocks away with Bomber Harris, on loan from the RAF, for the duration.
The duration of Samantha Orobator's stay in Laos may be a touch shorter than she had feared - at one stage it looked as if it might have been tragically permanent as she faced the prospect of "justice" by firing squad for having an obscene amount of heroin tucked between her night-dress and wash-bag when stopped at the departure gate. HM Government seem to have done a deal and a lawyer is being allowed to see her. Martin Geissler, one of ITV News' finest foreign correspondents, is there and has the latest as Liz wraps up the comings and going in the diplomatic world.
There was a time when a ransom might have been asked for and paid - but any such claims upon the Peoples Millions would, I fear, be judged inappropriate. Other better causes however are welcome to pitch for the pounds and the "how to do it" bit comes mid-way through the show.
Then the bit I am entirely schizophrenic about. I have always adored Michelle Pfeiffer (I thought of fjords as I typed that - the spelling rather than the view, I suppose). The Fabulous baker Boys would be on my Desert Island list or, failing the whole movie, the bit on top of the piano.... Anyway, she is in town to promote her latest offering. My interests are known and my interviewing skills, normally not in doubt. The Oz likes Hugh Jackman and got to interview him. I like Michelle but the Oz goes there too. I am down, as down as those wretched pipes, sinking beneath a surfeit of concrete and clay as I write. Anyway, the "Oz meets Michelle" is also on the show. I'll be the bloke on the left, looking the other way.
Phil, after the lions, should have known better. There's a story in the running order called Animal Man. It features a "man", plus leopards, lions, snakes, iguanas and sloths -- who may be "slow" but have awfully long claws. If he survives, he'll be with us. If not, look out for a black tie and a letter of apology to Mrs B. who is still getting over his dalliance with the Chelsea Pensionerettes, I am told.
Chrissie is worried about tomorrow but slightly more optimistic about the weekend; the papers are awash with tear jerking tales but share we must, and share we will.
I'm off to check on the progress of the pipe-men and expect the Pfeiffer bit to have been deleted by the beautiful but defensive Oz by my return. I will trust the New Boss and see if it is misplaced or rewarded.
See you at 6.
Alastair, who can't be trusted with American actresses, and the Oz, who can .... with all men and women of the silver screen.
There are men digging a trench outside our building. They are burying green tubes but claim they are "laying cables". I am suspicious because they have virtually completed this clandestine activity in a couple of days. Were it water or some other vital utility, it would have taken weeks; or they would have started and just walked away, mysteriously. What are the cables really for? What will be running through those green pipes? I only ask because I am a suspicious person, at heart. Were the pipes blue, it would be clearer - they would be proper conduits for the stream of expletives and venom which flowed from the mouths of Hiddink's babes after their brutal, questionable, dubious and badly refereed departure from the Champions League last night. If you are a Barca fan then welcome to our great city, and goodbye; but if you are Norwegian, then I'd get back to the land of the fjords asap if I were you and you might be advised to take the myopic whistle blower with you. Actually, he had to be smuggled out pdq - perhaps the pipes were laid in preparation for his "runner" - surely he planned to ensure ManU met a team other than another English one some moons since? I am told it felt that way. We're completely impartial observers here, of course. Glen, even more impartial in these matters perhaps, and, I suspect, not averse to Scandinavian culture, is down Stamford Bridge way to pick up the pieces.
There were not too many pieces of the Bismark left to pick up after Rodney and George V had done their duty to King and country. They were not the character from "Only Fools and Horses" and the Queen's grandfather but a pair of fine battleships of the line. But putting Bismark in a condition to be dispatched Davy Jones' way were the pilots and observers of a squadron of Swordfish aircraft, the pride of the Fleet Air Arm. That great organisation celebrates it's centenary on the Thames at Greenwich. Chocks away with Bomber Harris, on loan from the RAF, for the duration.
The duration of Samantha Orobator's stay in Laos may be a touch shorter than she had feared - at one stage it looked as if it might have been tragically permanent as she faced the prospect of "justice" by firing squad for having an obscene amount of heroin tucked between her night-dress and wash-bag when stopped at the departure gate. HM Government seem to have done a deal and a lawyer is being allowed to see her. Martin Geissler, one of ITV News' finest foreign correspondents, is there and has the latest as Liz wraps up the comings and going in the diplomatic world.
There was a time when a ransom might have been asked for and paid - but any such claims upon the Peoples Millions would, I fear, be judged inappropriate. Other better causes however are welcome to pitch for the pounds and the "how to do it" bit comes mid-way through the show.
Then the bit I am entirely schizophrenic about. I have always adored Michelle Pfeiffer (I thought of fjords as I typed that - the spelling rather than the view, I suppose). The Fabulous baker Boys would be on my Desert Island list or, failing the whole movie, the bit on top of the piano.... Anyway, she is in town to promote her latest offering. My interests are known and my interviewing skills, normally not in doubt. The Oz likes Hugh Jackman and got to interview him. I like Michelle but the Oz goes there too. I am down, as down as those wretched pipes, sinking beneath a surfeit of concrete and clay as I write. Anyway, the "Oz meets Michelle" is also on the show. I'll be the bloke on the left, looking the other way.
Phil, after the lions, should have known better. There's a story in the running order called Animal Man. It features a "man", plus leopards, lions, snakes, iguanas and sloths -- who may be "slow" but have awfully long claws. If he survives, he'll be with us. If not, look out for a black tie and a letter of apology to Mrs B. who is still getting over his dalliance with the Chelsea Pensionerettes, I am told.
Chrissie is worried about tomorrow but slightly more optimistic about the weekend; the papers are awash with tear jerking tales but share we must, and share we will.
I'm off to check on the progress of the pipe-men and expect the Pfeiffer bit to have been deleted by the beautiful but defensive Oz by my return. I will trust the New Boss and see if it is misplaced or rewarded.
See you at 6.
Alastair, who can't be trusted with American actresses, and the Oz, who can .... with all men and women of the silver screen.
6.5.09
London Tonight Tonight
Hi,
I'm starting to think there's a conspiracy here - not sure what the purpose of it is but the evidence of it is in the form of chocolate. Bags of it! Yesterday Al magically produced a box of celebrations (well, he probably sent some little person to get them for him..but magic all the same). Then, he proceeded to judge us all by what we chose and how many we ate. Proudly announcing to Chrissie before the weather that I'd eaten 9! Lies, lies and more lies - it was probably more like 5 but that's not the point.
I've lost the point - and clearly the plot. It was all very nerve-wracking last night during the show - with a zillion chocolate calories rushing round my system and the crew from X-Factor filming us (apparently we're going to be on X-Factor - that's far too exciting!!) So, I'm trying to steer clear of Ronke's chocolates today - not that I think she's trying to sabotage my mind or body (I do a good job of that all on my own truth be told). But because I'm trying to concentrate!!
I've just heard a brainteaser - what do Jade Goody, I-Carly, Paris Hilton and Steve Bunce all have in common....? Stay tuned til the end for the answer...
For now though - I'm still trying to concentrate. I've just told Al I'm blogging - he looks confused and a little put out so I'd better make it good - he should be fine - I've pointed him in direction of chocolate bag.
Serious stuff now...
It sounds a bit like Second Life - no, not another brainteaser - it's part of a community centre in south London. The council's spent a bucket load on this place which on the one hand did cost loads - but on the other hand does sound like it's money well spent. This centre's got a computer generated high street - which we're sending Glen down - where kids (and Glen) will encounter drug dealers and the like and be given ways of dealing with scary situations like that in real life. Sounds good - but some schools aren't too happy though 'cos they want to take kids there but it still costs. Glen will have all the info.
Then - another way to stay safe - get a cop to walk you home. Never going to happen, right? Well, it is happening for real in east London - where signs have gone up outside banks offering police escorts for people worried about getting home. Now those are cops you can bank on...get it?! Oh dear.
Now, we've got the latest from Laos where confusion seems to be the operative word. Samantha Orobator's still in jail and facing a death sentence accused of drug smuggling. But some officials are saying she wouldn't face the firing squad as she's pregnant. Martin Geissler's in Laos so will be able to tell us exactly what's going on.
We've also just heard about the sad death of Max Mosley's son. The F1 boss has had a terrible year - finding himself at the centre of a scandal and nearly losing his job. Police say his son Alexander was found dead in west London at home - but they don't think there's anything suspicious about how he died. Ben Scotchbrook will be there to tell us more.
Well, after Arsenal failed to deliver in last night's Champion's League semi - I think "they got stuffed" was Al's observation. And from a self-confessed football non-enthusiast - that's saying something. They were indeed stuffed - 3-1 - putting an end to hopes of an all London final. But Chelsea are still in it - they're facing Barcelona tonight - so we're shifting hopes to them on behalf of London. (Not sure you'll all agree but we have to be patriotic on behalf of the Capital - No?)
Then - the BEST thing on tonight's show - so I'm reliably informed by Neil, Lizzie and Al - is Chris De Burgh delivering his giant easter egg to the cricketers. Now, if that doesn't sound surreal I don't know what does.
Not sure how he managed to snaffle back that egg - I was still in the process of coming up with a way of sneaking a bit - ok the whole thing...!
Oh well - see the egg, cricketers, Chris and all the rest at 6.
Alex & Alastair.
ps. Answer to the brainteaser - they've all been nominated for the Broadcast Digital Award for Programme Launch.. Steve Bunce's Boxing Hour is on Setanta Sports News - so huge congrats to them (much bias from me clearly) for that along with nominations for Best Sports Service and Channel Launch - fingers crossed.
5.5.09
London Tonight Tonight
Good afternoon.
Max, our genius entertainment editor, was the first to swoop when I announced I had just purchased a large box of chocolates to lift collective spirits, post the Bank Holiday break. What he and the rest of the collective didn't grasp was that it was my version of the X-Factor auditions. How bold they were, which hand they used, what language they spoke in and which sweetie they took. Hannah, who is Welsh, came over nearly last, very quietly and said, in good English, "Can I have a sweetie?" Why did she choose a Malteser, I wondered? "Because they are light," she responded with a winning smile. This is a confectionery-lifter of Eistedfodd standards. I can see her winning over Ant, Dec, Simon, the girl who used to be in that game-park drama and old motormouth, himself, Southend Piers. Her future, if not her waist-line, is secure.
Max, meanwhile, who was first, was so becuse he has secured us a glimpse at the real X-Factor auditions down O2 way. The New Boss (as in a Hampshire village, you have to have been round for ages before you cease being the "new" anything) wasn't sure if there were many "weirdos" and he thought there may even have been some men and women of genuine merit. Lucy, for whom I am saving a Malteser, will return with her material and if anyone can get "weirdos" AND men and women of real merit, it is her - for she is a woman of endless merit and talent and not a molecule of "weirdness" about her.
The Oz, who was on the phone, has finally struck - she is going through them all but has settled on ..... a Malteser! These woman. I am now on my nineth mini-Mars Bar.
I do not know if chocolate offers any protection against swine 'flu. It seems to me that a national campaign that involves TV ads and a letter through the post to everyone is a good start... if you have shares in ITV or hope to give the Post Office a boost on the way to partial privatisation. I also find a drug called TAMIFLU difficult to take too seriously. It should be called something serious like Relenza which is another anti-flu drug but sounds like it means it. Wasn't "Tami" a character "in love" played by Debbie Reynolds? We continue to fret about swine flu, quite rightly, as it might get very serious but with 27 cases in a population of a little over 50,000,000,000 I think we remain on the side of the hopeful, for now.
Harris, nevertheless, is on the case and has found three schools and three nurseries that either have cases or are guarding against them. There are official expressions of concern about the reactions but, among parents and pupils, some relief.... apart from those who have had to have their public examinations rejigged. If you've peaked, you're going to be down; if you'd quite forgotten about GCSE French oral, you live to fight another day.
The Oz is now on sweetie two - a Galaxy the size of a postage stamp. That's her calorie limit for at least an hour. Unlike the child Liz chanced upon who is only 16 months old but needs 3000 calories a day to maintain her body weight. She only weighs 17 lbs. The Oz says she is "ickle" which is either a misspelling of one of the results of winter precipitation or an Australian expression of affection toward the small among us.
Andy Townsend is not small - he is a giant among those who both know and care about football - the Oz is like that too whereas I am weak on both fronts. Thank God for the Oz and Andy who will share with you, and me, the second leg prospects of the great Gunners against the fearsome Reds in tonight's continental clash for European honours.
The total value of the 22 players on the pitch tonight is probably not far short of half a billion pounds. A little more than half of that is what was spent making London's railway stations safe and accessible for the disabled and three out of four still aren't. Nick has the sad statistical indictment and has been talking to some for whom it really is a matter of life and death.
There is even more including weather, whether you want it or not, and papers which will not be used to cover up any cracks in the above. You thoughts on swine flu will also be most welcome unless they are contagious.
See you at 6 by which time the sweeties will have all gone and I may find standing up a challenge. The Oz is licking her fingers. Did she sneak a third when I wasn't looking? I muse, I merely muse.
At six, then.
Alastair and Alex.
Max, our genius entertainment editor, was the first to swoop when I announced I had just purchased a large box of chocolates to lift collective spirits, post the Bank Holiday break. What he and the rest of the collective didn't grasp was that it was my version of the X-Factor auditions. How bold they were, which hand they used, what language they spoke in and which sweetie they took. Hannah, who is Welsh, came over nearly last, very quietly and said, in good English, "Can I have a sweetie?" Why did she choose a Malteser, I wondered? "Because they are light," she responded with a winning smile. This is a confectionery-lifter of Eistedfodd standards. I can see her winning over Ant, Dec, Simon, the girl who used to be in that game-park drama and old motormouth, himself, Southend Piers. Her future, if not her waist-line, is secure.
Max, meanwhile, who was first, was so becuse he has secured us a glimpse at the real X-Factor auditions down O2 way. The New Boss (as in a Hampshire village, you have to have been round for ages before you cease being the "new" anything) wasn't sure if there were many "weirdos" and he thought there may even have been some men and women of genuine merit. Lucy, for whom I am saving a Malteser, will return with her material and if anyone can get "weirdos" AND men and women of real merit, it is her - for she is a woman of endless merit and talent and not a molecule of "weirdness" about her.
The Oz, who was on the phone, has finally struck - she is going through them all but has settled on ..... a Malteser! These woman. I am now on my nineth mini-Mars Bar.
I do not know if chocolate offers any protection against swine 'flu. It seems to me that a national campaign that involves TV ads and a letter through the post to everyone is a good start... if you have shares in ITV or hope to give the Post Office a boost on the way to partial privatisation. I also find a drug called TAMIFLU difficult to take too seriously. It should be called something serious like Relenza which is another anti-flu drug but sounds like it means it. Wasn't "Tami" a character "in love" played by Debbie Reynolds? We continue to fret about swine flu, quite rightly, as it might get very serious but with 27 cases in a population of a little over 50,000,000,000 I think we remain on the side of the hopeful, for now.
Harris, nevertheless, is on the case and has found three schools and three nurseries that either have cases or are guarding against them. There are official expressions of concern about the reactions but, among parents and pupils, some relief.... apart from those who have had to have their public examinations rejigged. If you've peaked, you're going to be down; if you'd quite forgotten about GCSE French oral, you live to fight another day.
The Oz is now on sweetie two - a Galaxy the size of a postage stamp. That's her calorie limit for at least an hour. Unlike the child Liz chanced upon who is only 16 months old but needs 3000 calories a day to maintain her body weight. She only weighs 17 lbs. The Oz says she is "ickle" which is either a misspelling of one of the results of winter precipitation or an Australian expression of affection toward the small among us.
Andy Townsend is not small - he is a giant among those who both know and care about football - the Oz is like that too whereas I am weak on both fronts. Thank God for the Oz and Andy who will share with you, and me, the second leg prospects of the great Gunners against the fearsome Reds in tonight's continental clash for European honours.
The total value of the 22 players on the pitch tonight is probably not far short of half a billion pounds. A little more than half of that is what was spent making London's railway stations safe and accessible for the disabled and three out of four still aren't. Nick has the sad statistical indictment and has been talking to some for whom it really is a matter of life and death.
There is even more including weather, whether you want it or not, and papers which will not be used to cover up any cracks in the above. You thoughts on swine flu will also be most welcome unless they are contagious.
See you at 6 by which time the sweeties will have all gone and I may find standing up a challenge. The Oz is licking her fingers. Did she sneak a third when I wasn't looking? I muse, I merely muse.
At six, then.
Alastair and Alex.
1.5.09
What Not To Miss
Here are the events featured on this week's What Not To Miss:
Vaisakhi On the Square
Canalway Cavalcade
Henry VIII's May Day Celebration
Vaisakhi On the Square
Canalway Cavalcade
Henry VIII's May Day Celebration
London Tonight Tonight
Hi,
The sun's shining - two people got stuck in the ITN revolving doors - I giggled like a school girl - Jon Snow saved them - there are swine flu notices in the bathroom reminding us to wash our hands (Big Boss says he must have missed something about how it's transferred) all very confusing - I'm sneezing, snorting and saying swine flu but Al's ignoring me. It's definitely Friday.
It's not just Friday - it's also the start of the bank holiday weekend - and not just any bank holiday weekend - but a sunny one. Robin says so - well, he kind of said so through gritted teeth - but I'm going with it. Even though I said I'd work on Monday - being sure it would not be sunbathing weather. My flat mate is doing just that at home - lucky redundant/job hunting person! I shall be joining her in our garden tomorrow though if Robin's telling the truth - if not I might lock him up on the roof where he's heading later to stand outside and deliver weather prediction - as if to prove a point.
That's what we can look forward to at the end of the show anyway. At the start we've got the story of a south London girl who's in prison in Laos and may face the firing squad after being caught with heroin on her. She says she was forced to carry it by someone else. She's now also pregnant - which is strange considering she's in an all female prison. We're talking to her friends and to an Aussie woman who's been in the jail there too.
Then we've the latest on swine flu. We're being bombarded with news about the disease because of cases being confirmed all over the world. But we're told that London's prepared and if it starts to spread we have the right drugs. Marcus is checking on that as we hear some businesses are buying in stocks of Tamiflu (the drug to treat swine flu) which could mean people who need it now might not be able to get hold of it.
Jamie Oliver kick started it - now we could be seeing the benefits. Newham's school kids are going to get healthy dinners - and they're not just healthy - they're also going to be free! Emma Walden's going to see just what's being dished up - and if the parents are happy about it...?? Remember the Mum's passing chips and burgers through the fences to their little (ish) ones..? She'll be on the look out for those I imagine..
We're also catching up with those squatters who'd found themselves a lovely home on Raven's Ait - looks like they've been voted off the island.
And we're checking in with the lovely James King - he's going to present a feast for the eyes in the shape of Hugh Jackman - all muscle bound and shirtless as Wolverine in his new movie - it's definitely a good Friday - and then Hannah Montana - little Miley Cyrus (makes me feel v old!) in her latest teen flick.
And if you heard what sounded like a lot of cats being strangled in Trafalgar Square last night you'll know all about this. It was part of a new viral ad campaign - you remember the one with everyone dancing at Liverpool Street - the same company - it's T-mobile obviously...don't know why I feel like I can't say it !! Anyway, they've done another one - it's of a whole load of people doing mass karaoke. Sound like an assault on the ears to me - Lucy went to find out and she also ran into Pink - who can clearly sing. She's also quite intimidating. Poor Lucy thought this might be an act and she would end her interview by saying - I thought you were going to be scary but you're not - she dropped that line after finding out in truth Pink really is quite scary.
Can't wait to see it.
Watch with me and Al at 6.
Alex & Alastair.
ps - We're also just getting news of a shooting outside Wandsworth Prison - and some disturbing details about Baby P's step-father which have just been released in court. We'll have details on those stories for you too.
Robin's Weather Blog
Good evening,
At the risk of morphing into Bill Oddie & suffering a huge identity crisis I thought I'd share with you the news that on Wednesday I heard a cockoo, a sure sign of Spring (as if we needed another one). I can also boast having heard, for the first time in my life, a nightingale. It really is beautiful but if I'm honest there's something a little unsettling about hearing birdsong -however magical- at 11 o'clock at night. I've read that it's International Dawn Chorus Day on Sunday but I'm not sure, even with my new found enthusiasm for all things ornithological, that I will be bounding out of bed at 4am to witness the wake-up call. If I change my mind, however, at least the reasonably fine weather which is on the menu for the next fwew days will take the edge off the horror of a pre-dawn start.
We're doing well in the South East; mainly dry & fine so get out there & enjoy it if you can, but not before you've tuned in to the show....
See you later,
Robin.
At the risk of morphing into Bill Oddie & suffering a huge identity crisis I thought I'd share with you the news that on Wednesday I heard a cockoo, a sure sign of Spring (as if we needed another one). I can also boast having heard, for the first time in my life, a nightingale. It really is beautiful but if I'm honest there's something a little unsettling about hearing birdsong -however magical- at 11 o'clock at night. I've read that it's International Dawn Chorus Day on Sunday but I'm not sure, even with my new found enthusiasm for all things ornithological, that I will be bounding out of bed at 4am to witness the wake-up call. If I change my mind, however, at least the reasonably fine weather which is on the menu for the next fwew days will take the edge off the horror of a pre-dawn start.
We're doing well in the South East; mainly dry & fine so get out there & enjoy it if you can, but not before you've tuned in to the show....
See you later,
Robin.
30.4.09
London Tonight Tonight
Afternoon,
Swine flu is here - and it's all anyone's talking about. I've lost count of the number of times people outside work have asked me what I know about the disease and how serious it really is. On theirs and your behalf we're speaking to the experts and keeping an eye on what the latest information is.
I started this week giggling at pig jokes and sound effects - but am now - like the rest of you I'm sure - not really seeing the funny side any more.
Seeing the government ad this morning (which you'll see a bit of on the show if you haven't seen it already) telling you to avoid spraying your sneeze germs in public - makes the threat of us catching and spreading it even more real.
It is really worrying - especially as it feels like hayfever season's upon us - cue lots of sneezing and lots of worried glances from fellow commuters! The big boss has already had some of these looks and says he can't be held responsible for his actions if he sees someone wearing a face mask on the train. But would that be an over-reaction? - the face mask that is, not his reaction to the mask wearer..obviously..
Piers is on Swine Flu alert today and will tell us the latest - with two more cases in London confirmed as I write this - and the latest advice for all of us avoiding sneezing people across the capital.
Ben's yelling at the television - a little girl who's the youngest member of Mensa is on - and she's on our show later too. I think she's gorgeous and clearly very bright - she picked the odd one out in a picture of 3 oranges and a banana, can name an isosceles triangle (I've just had to spell check that!! - say no more..) but she didn't manage to name the scalene one when Ben did..so we can be fairly sure he's smarter than a 2-year old. But I still reckon she's super cute. She knows the capital of Indonesia too! David's going to be introducing you to her later - I have a feeling you'll be on my side of the cuteness debate - whether she's a genius or not!
I've been told - in quite a stern fashion by Neil - that despite my pleas she's not coming in tonight - but Su Pollard is. Hi Di Hi wasn't really on my radar but the new musical Shout! is. Well, in truth, my Mum requested I take her next time she visits - it was Priscilla last time which she loved. So Su's going to tell us all about the 60's show - and about turning 60. Now, this is a line of questioning Ben is determined to go down - I'm not sure any woman wants to talk about her age after 21 - but Ben reckons she won't be offended...we'll see shall we....
Before all that we're marking the 10-year anniversary of the Soho bombing. 3 people died in the blast at The Admiral Duncan and dozens more were injured. Emma Walden's gone to meet family and friends as they mark the day.
There's also more fallout from the G20 protests. An officer's had to quit after he wrote something on his Facebook page which was apparently about Ian Tomlinson's death - and Boris has been heckled at a Met meeting today as he tried to defend the cops. Marcus is there to tell us just what went on.
Then, don't miss Phil's return to the lion's den. We're prepared for another mauling - I hope health and safety have been warned...
See you then,
Alex & Ben.
29.4.09
London Tonight Tonight
Good afternoon and we are so sorry for the delay - the Oz has been involved in a big rehearsal and I have been involved with the former MP for Finchley who came to power 30 years ago on Friday. Excuses, excuses.
Tonight, how prepared is London for Swine 'flu? We have one case but millions of worried folk. Our aim is to report and put nerves at ease.
Also, how prepared are London's youngsters to be "screened" for knives on their way to school? Waltham Forest are doing it in all their secondary schools. This could catch on but is it right?
How prepared are Imogin Appiah's buddies to be brave and help her in her quest for a bone-marrow transfusion? And their mums and dads? The answer will raise your spirits and may save Imogin's life.
How ready are London's "brick and bum-crack" brigade to build the Olympic stadia? Not quite enough, it seems, so it's back to school for them. I expect lots of shovels and trowels to show up on the scanners!
How do you rate the Gunners' chances against ManU and what about the prospects of an all-London final in the Champions League? After last night's nail-biter in Barcelona, all eyes swivel to Old Trafford. I feel good about it. Do you?
How old must Michael Caine be before he retires? It was going to be 70-ish but then along came the Budget, 50% tax and a great part as a magician. Lucy sees if the old roots are still growing deep. Lucy Cotter - a genius - not a lot of people used to know that. Now they do!
Finally how fair's the weather and London's papers? I don't know but we both will by 6.30.
It's short and sharp, like some of those knives in Waltham Forest.
It's to the point as will Arsenal's strikers be tonight.
And it is brief. As I doubt Michael Caine will be.
But it's all there, as is he.
See us at six or be prepared for our sadness.
Alastair and Alex.
Tonight, how prepared is London for Swine 'flu? We have one case but millions of worried folk. Our aim is to report and put nerves at ease.
Also, how prepared are London's youngsters to be "screened" for knives on their way to school? Waltham Forest are doing it in all their secondary schools. This could catch on but is it right?
How prepared are Imogin Appiah's buddies to be brave and help her in her quest for a bone-marrow transfusion? And their mums and dads? The answer will raise your spirits and may save Imogin's life.
How ready are London's "brick and bum-crack" brigade to build the Olympic stadia? Not quite enough, it seems, so it's back to school for them. I expect lots of shovels and trowels to show up on the scanners!
How do you rate the Gunners' chances against ManU and what about the prospects of an all-London final in the Champions League? After last night's nail-biter in Barcelona, all eyes swivel to Old Trafford. I feel good about it. Do you?
How old must Michael Caine be before he retires? It was going to be 70-ish but then along came the Budget, 50% tax and a great part as a magician. Lucy sees if the old roots are still growing deep. Lucy Cotter - a genius - not a lot of people used to know that. Now they do!
Finally how fair's the weather and London's papers? I don't know but we both will by 6.30.
It's short and sharp, like some of those knives in Waltham Forest.
It's to the point as will Arsenal's strikers be tonight.
And it is brief. As I doubt Michael Caine will be.
But it's all there, as is he.
See us at six or be prepared for our sadness.
Alastair and Alex.
28.4.09
London Tonight Tonight
Good afternoon.
An old friend of mine, the late former Speaker of the House of Commons Jack Wetherill told a lovely story at the expense of American tourists. When showing some of them an original of the Magna Carta in his rooms, they'd asked when it was signed. "1215", he correctly replied. "Gee", said one, looking at his watch. "Just missed it!". It was a little after one o'clock. Americans love the House of Commons and are convinced Big Ben is the clock tower and not the bell. They also love the Globe, brilliant and accurate representation that it is of Shakespeare's Tudor south bank theatre. Say Deptford to most and they'd glaze over. Say it's where the author of "Doctor Faustus" and "Tamburlaine" was brutally murdered with a drunken stab above the eye and their eyes, too, would cloud over, as must the eyes of the author of those fine pieces as the blood dripped from his fatal wound. Christopher Marlowe was a gem of a playwright, his life cut short in a bar-room brawl. Others say he was assassinated for spying but I prefer the Pewter Plot to the Espionage Saga. Anyway, all that Deptfordian ignorance is about to change at least among the newspaper reading public in the US because no less an organ than the New York Times has proclaimed Deptford "cool" and "hip". Batten down the hatches and prepare for Bermuda shorts, burgers and big camera lenses as The Cousins sweep East across the Pond. Phil who, like me, thinks we should have resisted a little more in 1776, has our account.
Accounts remain unsettled as far as the relatives of the victims of 7.7 are concerned. Yes, the immediate perpetrators were killed by their own hands, along with 52 innocent men and women. But who helped them and where are they? The authorities thought they'd netted three but a jury disagreed, although it was deeply suspicious about aspects of their travel plans and hobbies. Marcus, as focused as the Gunners attack line, has been deployed and has court verdicts and some of the anger of one of the survivors.
An odd clash also sits in our running order. Our poll, that shows most of you still trust the Met, and next to it, details of the latest youngster, murdered in cold blood. A third of you don't trust the Boys and Girls In Blue - I wonder if that includes the family of the dead boy and/or the scum who did it? Lewis treads a delicate line which, when I last looked, wasn't blue but could have been.
Staying firmly on the right side of the line is the amazing Doreen Lawrence who went through it all, and more, with the murder of her son Stephen more than a decade ago. She is still pushing hard for a better world and told the MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee what still needed doing. She is a tornado for good, that woman, and she blows your way at 6.
Where Glen will be at 6, I am less clear. As told to me in The Meeting, he was "down a hole" but should hurry back to us "like a rabbit".
Now I am somewhere between Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and the Channel Tunnel on this one. It has something to with luggage. I hope, if he has gone missing, that he has some sandwiches and a bottle of water in his. I suppose we will all find out together before 6.30. Maybe he is in Deptford, attracting Americans?
He could be in Barcelona having spun several yards of line to the Boss. Don't know where his footy affections lie, to be frank. But something big is going down in the beautiful Iberian City tonight in the world of "twenty two men kicking an inflated leather sphere at an area defined by three struts of wood and as much netting as you need to catch a lobster supper". Andy Townsend will make sense of it for you and me. The Oz is more than clear on these matters and I enjoy the warm glow of her knowledge and assuredness in all matters sporting.
We will both enjoy the warm glow of little Imogin Appiah's friends who are giving their all to find a bone-marrow donor for their buddy. This is a life and death one and we've more on it tomorrow, too.
We will also have more of the weather tomorrow but more of what, specifically, I don't know. Cue Robin, the Matisse of Meteorology.
Papers if the machinery doesn't start chewing things up again and that is about it.
The Oz has purchased coffee and nuts. There's something wrong with the coffee so we'll either be with you at 6, in Court or in Hospital. My money is on the former as we are both made of sturdy stuff but who knows.
The nuts seem both fine and appropriate.
Til then, then..
Alastair and Alex
An old friend of mine, the late former Speaker of the House of Commons Jack Wetherill told a lovely story at the expense of American tourists. When showing some of them an original of the Magna Carta in his rooms, they'd asked when it was signed. "1215", he correctly replied. "Gee", said one, looking at his watch. "Just missed it!". It was a little after one o'clock. Americans love the House of Commons and are convinced Big Ben is the clock tower and not the bell. They also love the Globe, brilliant and accurate representation that it is of Shakespeare's Tudor south bank theatre. Say Deptford to most and they'd glaze over. Say it's where the author of "Doctor Faustus" and "Tamburlaine" was brutally murdered with a drunken stab above the eye and their eyes, too, would cloud over, as must the eyes of the author of those fine pieces as the blood dripped from his fatal wound. Christopher Marlowe was a gem of a playwright, his life cut short in a bar-room brawl. Others say he was assassinated for spying but I prefer the Pewter Plot to the Espionage Saga. Anyway, all that Deptfordian ignorance is about to change at least among the newspaper reading public in the US because no less an organ than the New York Times has proclaimed Deptford "cool" and "hip". Batten down the hatches and prepare for Bermuda shorts, burgers and big camera lenses as The Cousins sweep East across the Pond. Phil who, like me, thinks we should have resisted a little more in 1776, has our account.
Accounts remain unsettled as far as the relatives of the victims of 7.7 are concerned. Yes, the immediate perpetrators were killed by their own hands, along with 52 innocent men and women. But who helped them and where are they? The authorities thought they'd netted three but a jury disagreed, although it was deeply suspicious about aspects of their travel plans and hobbies. Marcus, as focused as the Gunners attack line, has been deployed and has court verdicts and some of the anger of one of the survivors.
An odd clash also sits in our running order. Our poll, that shows most of you still trust the Met, and next to it, details of the latest youngster, murdered in cold blood. A third of you don't trust the Boys and Girls In Blue - I wonder if that includes the family of the dead boy and/or the scum who did it? Lewis treads a delicate line which, when I last looked, wasn't blue but could have been.
Staying firmly on the right side of the line is the amazing Doreen Lawrence who went through it all, and more, with the murder of her son Stephen more than a decade ago. She is still pushing hard for a better world and told the MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee what still needed doing. She is a tornado for good, that woman, and she blows your way at 6.
Where Glen will be at 6, I am less clear. As told to me in The Meeting, he was "down a hole" but should hurry back to us "like a rabbit".
Now I am somewhere between Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and the Channel Tunnel on this one. It has something to with luggage. I hope, if he has gone missing, that he has some sandwiches and a bottle of water in his. I suppose we will all find out together before 6.30. Maybe he is in Deptford, attracting Americans?
He could be in Barcelona having spun several yards of line to the Boss. Don't know where his footy affections lie, to be frank. But something big is going down in the beautiful Iberian City tonight in the world of "twenty two men kicking an inflated leather sphere at an area defined by three struts of wood and as much netting as you need to catch a lobster supper". Andy Townsend will make sense of it for you and me. The Oz is more than clear on these matters and I enjoy the warm glow of her knowledge and assuredness in all matters sporting.
We will both enjoy the warm glow of little Imogin Appiah's friends who are giving their all to find a bone-marrow donor for their buddy. This is a life and death one and we've more on it tomorrow, too.
We will also have more of the weather tomorrow but more of what, specifically, I don't know. Cue Robin, the Matisse of Meteorology.
Papers if the machinery doesn't start chewing things up again and that is about it.
The Oz has purchased coffee and nuts. There's something wrong with the coffee so we'll either be with you at 6, in Court or in Hospital. My money is on the former as we are both made of sturdy stuff but who knows.
The nuts seem both fine and appropriate.
Til then, then..
Alastair and Alex
27.4.09
London Tonight Tonight
Good afternoon.
Professor Stephen Hawking thinks that what really distinguishes us from other animals is our ability to talk. Others, particularly of a religious persuasion, would argue it is choice - or "free-will". I think it's clothes. But, tonight, we focus on a different paradigm of distinction - the ability to talk AND make a choice - marvellous example of dialectical analysis - thesis, antithesis, synthesis!
We, with our good friends at YouGov, have asked Lononers to express their views on Bozza, up to now; and who, come the day, should inherit his blonde mantle should it be decided by the electorate that it should slip from his tousled pate.
Oddly, they, which is actually you, think he's doing well on two things I wouldn't have given him a marshmellow's chance in a Guy Fawkes bonfire of; but, hey, that's the joy of asking AND listening. And one of the things in which you think he is as much use as a seventh stump at a cricket match was something I thought he was thriving at. I love a good mix of free-expression and being put in my place. As for the Derby which will be the great Mayoral stakes, come May 2012, there's one person who could say "You're Fired!" to Bozza with all the authority of a majority of the London electorate. And our poll suggests that anyone who knows the line that comes after "The worker's flag is deepest red" might as well apply to be a replacement for Ronaldo. Harris will reveal all and we'll ask for a little more from you on why that is how you feel or, at least, how the sample sephologists say can speak on your behalf feel.
The Tamils have moved on, which is good news for those passing through or around Parliament Square but bad news for the Indian High Commission which is, this very afternoon, boosting the business of several glaziers to a significant degree.
Still on an international theme, we hear more about Marnie Pearce who was convicted of adultery in the United Arab Emirates, best known to most of us as the home of Dubai or, for those of you who were at school when most of the Atlas was pink, as one of those countries with very straight-line borders. That's because they were designed in a small room in the Foreign Office by a man with a pencil, a ruler and no grasp at all of the cultural, historic or religious aspirations of those whose oil wealth was all that mattered in those days. Marnie is now free but is staying because her kids aren't. It is an amazing story, safe in the hands of Ronke.
Alfie Liverpool was shot dead two years ago but his killers have not been released because they have never been caught, let alone convicted, sentenced and sent down. It is unbearable for his mum who tells Lewis she knows someone knows. What she doesn't know is why they are staying schtum, a year on.
In committing ourselves to give "the oxygen of publicity" to her campaign, I am reminded we have a special guest tonight who has made many records and sold millions of them. Alas, 'Oxygen' is the only one I could recall until I met him. It was a couple of days ago but tonight we are unleashing the phenomenon that is Jean Michel Jarre upon you. He is handsome, articulate and genuinely interesting. Je ponse. J'espere.
Finally, Johnny Vaughan and Lisa Snowdon have booked their places at the Emirates Stadium come June. Nothing, absolutely nothing at all, to do with the previous Emirates story. Nor, absolutely, is Johnny seeking to replace Cesc Fabregas. Lisa, on the other hand, may fancy her chances at putting that lovely lass selling programmes by the south stand out of work but I don't know for sure. Lisa is very tall and could certainly have a fine view of potential customers. Anyway, they explain to Lucy why they are going to be at the still relatively new home of the Gunners as they unveil a brand new home for one of their most fun things. I think I'll park it there.
Suffice to say it is too wet to let Robin out though I said at The Meeting that I thought it would be reasonable punishment for his turning the glory of the weekend into this lot. KD has cake and is speaking to him as I write. Is this bribery or is it her lovely character prevailing in forgiveness?
The papers are damp and squashy at the edges but I've no doubt your e-mails will be crisp and to the point.
I am poised to distract KD and seize that final morsel of cake.
Caked-up or castigated, I'll see you at six, in glorious company.
Alastair and Katie
Professor Stephen Hawking thinks that what really distinguishes us from other animals is our ability to talk. Others, particularly of a religious persuasion, would argue it is choice - or "free-will". I think it's clothes. But, tonight, we focus on a different paradigm of distinction - the ability to talk AND make a choice - marvellous example of dialectical analysis - thesis, antithesis, synthesis!
We, with our good friends at YouGov, have asked Lononers to express their views on Bozza, up to now; and who, come the day, should inherit his blonde mantle should it be decided by the electorate that it should slip from his tousled pate.
Oddly, they, which is actually you, think he's doing well on two things I wouldn't have given him a marshmellow's chance in a Guy Fawkes bonfire of; but, hey, that's the joy of asking AND listening. And one of the things in which you think he is as much use as a seventh stump at a cricket match was something I thought he was thriving at. I love a good mix of free-expression and being put in my place. As for the Derby which will be the great Mayoral stakes, come May 2012, there's one person who could say "You're Fired!" to Bozza with all the authority of a majority of the London electorate. And our poll suggests that anyone who knows the line that comes after "The worker's flag is deepest red" might as well apply to be a replacement for Ronaldo. Harris will reveal all and we'll ask for a little more from you on why that is how you feel or, at least, how the sample sephologists say can speak on your behalf feel.
The Tamils have moved on, which is good news for those passing through or around Parliament Square but bad news for the Indian High Commission which is, this very afternoon, boosting the business of several glaziers to a significant degree.
Still on an international theme, we hear more about Marnie Pearce who was convicted of adultery in the United Arab Emirates, best known to most of us as the home of Dubai or, for those of you who were at school when most of the Atlas was pink, as one of those countries with very straight-line borders. That's because they were designed in a small room in the Foreign Office by a man with a pencil, a ruler and no grasp at all of the cultural, historic or religious aspirations of those whose oil wealth was all that mattered in those days. Marnie is now free but is staying because her kids aren't. It is an amazing story, safe in the hands of Ronke.
Alfie Liverpool was shot dead two years ago but his killers have not been released because they have never been caught, let alone convicted, sentenced and sent down. It is unbearable for his mum who tells Lewis she knows someone knows. What she doesn't know is why they are staying schtum, a year on.
In committing ourselves to give "the oxygen of publicity" to her campaign, I am reminded we have a special guest tonight who has made many records and sold millions of them. Alas, 'Oxygen' is the only one I could recall until I met him. It was a couple of days ago but tonight we are unleashing the phenomenon that is Jean Michel Jarre upon you. He is handsome, articulate and genuinely interesting. Je ponse. J'espere.
Finally, Johnny Vaughan and Lisa Snowdon have booked their places at the Emirates Stadium come June. Nothing, absolutely nothing at all, to do with the previous Emirates story. Nor, absolutely, is Johnny seeking to replace Cesc Fabregas. Lisa, on the other hand, may fancy her chances at putting that lovely lass selling programmes by the south stand out of work but I don't know for sure. Lisa is very tall and could certainly have a fine view of potential customers. Anyway, they explain to Lucy why they are going to be at the still relatively new home of the Gunners as they unveil a brand new home for one of their most fun things. I think I'll park it there.
Suffice to say it is too wet to let Robin out though I said at The Meeting that I thought it would be reasonable punishment for his turning the glory of the weekend into this lot. KD has cake and is speaking to him as I write. Is this bribery or is it her lovely character prevailing in forgiveness?
The papers are damp and squashy at the edges but I've no doubt your e-mails will be crisp and to the point.
I am poised to distract KD and seize that final morsel of cake.
Caked-up or castigated, I'll see you at six, in glorious company.
Alastair and Katie
Weather blog
Good evening,
The weather's turned & so have we.
Gone are the happy faces & cheery greetings. No more 'Turned out nice again, hasn't it?' or 'Isn't it warm?' but instead we are all now making do with a curt nod or a barely audible grunt.
We're even walking differently; heads down & shoulders up against the wind & rain. Scurrying rather than strolling.
Spring can do this. Seducing us with sunshine & a balmy breeze one moment & then slapping us around the kisser with wind & rain the next. It's worth remembering on days like today that the weather here can be glorious. It already has been & will be again & in the meantime we have to stay strong.
Onwards & upwards my friends.
See you later.
Robin.
The weather's turned & so have we.
Gone are the happy faces & cheery greetings. No more 'Turned out nice again, hasn't it?' or 'Isn't it warm?' but instead we are all now making do with a curt nod or a barely audible grunt.
We're even walking differently; heads down & shoulders up against the wind & rain. Scurrying rather than strolling.
Spring can do this. Seducing us with sunshine & a balmy breeze one moment & then slapping us around the kisser with wind & rain the next. It's worth remembering on days like today that the weather here can be glorious. It already has been & will be again & in the meantime we have to stay strong.
Onwards & upwards my friends.
See you later.
Robin.
24.4.09
London Tonight Tonight
Afternoon,
Quick question..Could it BE any nicer outside!!??
Very jealous of any of you who have been working outside this week. Robin is looking less scared of me - I have threatened violence if the weather doesn't continue this weekend - I have a bbq planned and a summer dress purchased for birthday celebrations and I will not be pleased if I have to put a mac over it and stand under a brolly to burn my burgers. He seems confident I may only have to dodge the odd summery shower. He'll tell us all the details later - here's hoping - for him as much as me!
Our meeting was moved outside in the sun in honour of the gorgeous day. But the kids in our first story weren't moved out of the classroom for the same reason unfortunately. Their teachers sent them home for reasons like not having the right pencils or pens or being cheeky in class. Now, this wasn't just a couple of kids - it was almost half of an entire school, apparently, on one day. Perhaps the teachers wanted an afternoon off in the sun - or perhaps they were just at the end of their tether and needed to instill a bit of discipline. Rachel's gone to find out.
Then, we've finally found out who the victim in the jigsaw killings was. Jeffrey Howe's body parts were found scattered miles apart - now police have arrested two people and they're building up a picture of the victim.
We've also got some green Olympic news for you - apparently organisers - trying to make sure our buses and tubes don't seize up no doubt - have come up with plans to use ferries to move around not only the spectators - but also some of the building materials needed to get our venues ready for 2012. The best bit is - they're solar powered. Hope they work - and hope Bozza and co come up with a way for the rest of us to use them. Would be lovely to get a solar powered ferry home tonight...I'll settle for a stroll along the river for now though.
This time last year I was getting ready to run along the river - and the rest of it! It's marathon time again. I know loads of you will be getting butterflies as the last few hours slip by and you taper off and carb load. We all wish you the best of luck and will be cheering you on. It's such an amazing experience - and the feeling you get running past all those people who've come out to support you is so overwhelming it erases all memory of that horrible winter training. I have to admit my time wasn't great - I did finish before some of the rhinos and the guy in the diving suit - but one guy reckons he's going to do it in just 90 minutes! Emma Walden's been to meet him.
Right now we're trying to get to the bottom of what's going on with Frank Lampard. The Chelsea player's been on the radio blasting one of LBC's DJs who he reckons accused him of not looking after his kids properly.
Then it's movie time - Robbie Collin is here to tell us what to check out at the flicks - I wish there were drive-ins here or more open air theatres. Wouldn't it be lovely to sit outside and watch a movie tonight...wonder if taking the laptop into the garden would have the desired effect...maybe not....
One of the Love London Awards went to one of our fantastic cinemas - find out which one and who else won what tonight. I went along and presented the award earlier today for best neighbourhood restaurant - such a fantastic event and so many deserving nominees. See for yourself later.
There's also what not to miss if you need inspiration for the weekend..
See you at 6.
Alex & Ben.
23.4.09
London Tonight Tonight
Good Afternoon... everyone.
I'm going to start with a 'mea culpa' - or an 'apology' if you speak English.
In my e-mail yesterday, I said that I and a number of my colleagues weren't fans of Iron Maiden and that we couldn't name one of their songs. Can I say now - so there's no confusion - I am no barometer of taste, fashion or popular success. I don't like flares. I didn't like them when everyone else did. My hair has had the same 'shape' (I wouldn't venture 'style') since it first grew on my head. My dad was embarrassed by my dancing.
I certainly don't believe the fact that I don't have an Iron Maiden album nestled in among my Abba, Elton John or Kings Singers CDs is in any way a measure of their talent or success. They are huge. They are hugely talented and successful. You should give them a try. You might like them.
There. Glad that's sorted.
Now then, now then, on we go to today's stories. And we kick off with Boris. We saw him yesterday, with Alastair Stewart tagging along to see what taxpayers get for their mayoral money. Well, today it seems he's refused to commit to running for a second term in the job. Now, he did not say he wouldn't. He just said he wouldn't rule out not running. What can we make of that? Well, watch the programme and Mr Harris will do his damnedest to make some sense at least.
We'll also have the latest twist on the ghastly story of the man who, having been murdered, had his body parts spread around the Hertfordshire and Leicestershire countryside. Well, the police say they have now identified the victim. We can't tell you who it is because they won't tell us. We can tell you they've arrested two men in connection with it all. Phil Bayles will fill in the details.
Ms Walden's mission for the day is to tell us all what the International Olympic Committee thinks about London's preparations for 2012. Probably slightly more than those opposed to turning Greenwich Park into an eventing park.
Ms Wickham's day has been filled with preparing a report on the country's biggest IVF centre - at St Thomas' Hospital. She's been speaking to a family who've just had a baby - their first baby born without the gene that can lead to Huntington's Disease.
Lucy has a very different family story - two girls, twins, in fact, who starred together in the gangster film 'Snatch' and who are now directing their own gangster film about their own dad. It takes all sorts.
And then there is Glen's report on a new musical. It's about the late Jade Goody. There will be those a little taken aback at the idea. All we can say is watch Glen's report and remember 'Goody Two Shoes' is being staged with her family's full support.
I'll sign off by flagging up the growing support for St George's Day. It's today, everyone. Damien's on full patriotic duty.
All of us are on duty at six.
See you then.
Ben & Alex.
22.4.09
London Tonight Tonight
Good afternoon to you.
And what a lovely, lovely afternoon it is. Perfect for sitting outside a pub I'd say, quaffing a little something in the spring sunshine. Before the budget sticks the price up. I'm glad to say I don't smoke - never really appealed to me - or I'd be even more out of pocket. I'd better make this quick so I can pop up to the shops to stock my cupboard with (only-ever-to-be-drunk-sensibly) booze.
We're going to start our programme this evening with a man called Levi Bellfield - you may remember he was jailed last year for the murder of two young women. At the time detectives said he was their main suspect in the murder of the Surrey schoolgirl, Milly Dowler. Well, he's now given an interview to the Daily Mirror - from prison -in which he admits driving a red car seen in the area, and on the day, Milly was last seen alive. Ronke will look at what that means for the investigation into her death.
The police are also at the heart of our next story: if rank and file officers find themselves tasked to police a huge demonstration and they were hit in the ensuing rumpus, how should they respond? Well, it seems one or two of them are considering 'rolling with the punches' rather than responding in a way some might consider too violent. We've tracked down some internet chat where officers are making clear they'd rather take a 'softly, softly' approach and keep their job than risk any flak from 'getting it wrong'. We'll have a chat with the head of the coppers' union in the studio.
We'll also have the heartbreaking story of a young girl who was deprived of oxygen at birth. The consequences for Ellie and her family have been truly awful not to mention their battle to get an NHS trust to admit the blame for the mistake. Well, they have achieved that at least. Today, the hospital in Stevenage has been ordered to hand over 6 million pounds in compensation. Liz will be asking just how 'compensated' the parents feel.
Anyone here a big fan of 'Iron Maiden'? I'm going to be honest. I'm not. When I asked Ms Hyndman - currently knocking out e-mails to her mates - if she was a fan... "No" came very quickly. Robin says he's "always loved" them. Actually, can anyone name an 'Iron Maiden' track..? Probably just as well they've opened a hotel. Lewis has been for a sneaky peak. Probably found there were no TVs in the room - all been thrown out of the window. That's a joke. In case the lawyers are feeling short of cash after the Budget.
Then we have seven women short of clothes. Naked, in fact. Well, they will be if you pays your money and gets along to the Noel Coward Theatre for the stage version of the film version of the, er, paper thing with all the year's dates on it. Lucy has been speaking to the cast of 'Calendar Girls'.
Have I left anything out? Oh yes, Mr Stewart may have taken the evening off from presenting duties but he's been a very busy chap of late. Yesterday, he spent the day with the Mayor of London. So, if you want to see what one of the country's big political beasts is like as he prowls the streets of London, tune in. And you can see what Boris is like too.
See you at six.
Ben & Alex
21.4.09
London Tonight Tonight
Afternoon,
They've done it!!! I'll tell you who's done what in a mo (see, now you have to read all my ramblings...hehe..) I've got a banging headache - no booze to blame so unfortunately I'm going to have to blame it on the weather. It's beautiful out there but I fear the sun may be to blame. I shall stop whinging and get on with it though - as there is a lot of good stuff to get through.
We kick off with the hangover from all that kicked off at the G20 protests. Now our top cop is launching an initiative to stop violence against women. That's today - but 3 weeks ago it was one of his officers directing the violence at a woman. We talk to Nicola Fisher - the woman on the receiving end of that gloved slap and baton whack - I think her opinion is something along the lines of "that's a little bit hypocritical, no?" We're of course interested in your opinions too - is Sir Paul being a hypocrite, or are the cops getting a rough ride over all this G20 stuff? Yes, there may have been violence but are we tarring the whole force with the same brush?
Catch up with what Boris thinks about all of this too - Al's been out and about with the Mayor today - apparently there's a memorable tube journey and some bike riding to look forward to. I don't imagine they were both in lycra suits a la Chris Hoy - ok, I do imagine that...you'll see the full interview tomorrow.
We're just hearing about a pretty scary situation at Basildon Hospital. The police have been called in to look at some intravenous bags which might have been tampered with - they're also looking into the death of a three year old girl - which could be linked to the damaged bags. Ronke's been dispatched to find out all the details so she can tell us and you later.
Also just found out that John Worboys is going to serve a minimum of 8 years for the attacks he carried out on his customers. The former cabbie is also going to have to hand over the money he made driving his black cab to his victims.
Then we have a story about a girl with an extraordinary condition which means she's living her life virtually as a statue. It's a condition which affects just one in a million people - Liz has been to meet her and hear her emotional story so we can all learn more about her plight.
Now, I know you want to know who's done what - you probably guessed if you've been watching the show over the past week - it's the cricketers up Everest. They've only gone and set the record for the highest game ever. It's taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get there and get through those overs. I can't wait to hear just how they finally managed it. Mark's going to be live to fill us in.
Also looking forward to finding out about State of Play - it's the new movie which Ashton Kutcher's been tweeting about - see how down with the kids I am now! Anyhow, Lucy's back from Thailand looking fresh and relaxed - although I hear she did catch sight of a tank or two out there..but I digress. She's on the red carpet later talking to the stars - just a Dame - nothing to get excited about or anything...
So, we end as I started - with the weather - and the lovely Robin will hopefully tell me the forecast is still good for my barbie this weekend - I'm off to find something to sort this headache out - ice cream could do it.
See you at 6.
Alex & Al.
Everest Test
They've played.
The first picture is above - we're awaiting video footage and our exclusive report from Mark Jordan who's travelled with the teams all the way.
London Tonight - 6pm - ITV1 London
Weather blog
Good evening.
Even the current dry, warm & sunny weather didn't take the edge off yesterday's 'Supermarket Incident'.
The UK remains one of the world leaders in poor customer service. I know this, but each time I'm a victim I'm still surprised.
A manager's special was charged at a very unspecial price & so I queried it. Very politely. Help (a misnomer) came in the form of a junior manager who initially insisted I was wrong & then, when it became clear the mistake was his, offered no apology but instead said the fault was mine because I hadn't told him where to look.
This was then made worse by the barrage of abuse I received from the lady in the queue behind me who seemed to think the inevitable delay was my fault & that I was enjoying being an awkward customer.
I despair.
Online shopping from now on, I think....
Until later,
Robin.
P.S. The weather's staying good for the rest of the week!
Even the current dry, warm & sunny weather didn't take the edge off yesterday's 'Supermarket Incident'.
The UK remains one of the world leaders in poor customer service. I know this, but each time I'm a victim I'm still surprised.
A manager's special was charged at a very unspecial price & so I queried it. Very politely. Help (a misnomer) came in the form of a junior manager who initially insisted I was wrong & then, when it became clear the mistake was his, offered no apology but instead said the fault was mine because I hadn't told him where to look.
This was then made worse by the barrage of abuse I received from the lady in the queue behind me who seemed to think the inevitable delay was my fault & that I was enjoying being an awkward customer.
I despair.
Online shopping from now on, I think....
Until later,
Robin.
P.S. The weather's staying good for the rest of the week!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
