Tour Of Media City UK, Salford Quays

The other weekend I travelled to Manchester to meet up with my friend Debbi. We had pre-booked a tour of the TV studios at Media City UK at Salford Quays which was a short tram ride from the centre of the city. We got to the tram stop where a member of staff told us due to storm damage (a huge hole had appeared on the Mancunian Way during a rainstorm the previous day) we would not be able to take the tram direct to Media City but would have to get a bus to Cornbrook and then the tram the rest of the way. It was all very well organised, loads of staff directing people, but it made the journey last 30 minutes instead of ten, so our plan to get a quick breakfast before the tour was out of the window.

The tram stop was right beside the studios and we got there ten minutes before the start of the tour. We were given a laminate pass to wear round our necks and off we went. The first place they took us to was a room with a mock up of the Breakfast TV and Question of Sport sets. The staff got people to read the news and do the weather forecast and then have a quiz. It took quite a long time and I was rather underwhelmed, I expected to see more of the real thing not play about in a mock up. Though I did get a photo taken with the "cloak of invisibility" material which absorbs light (can't remember its proper name) from which the weather screen is made.

We then went to another building (nearly getting blown off our feet by the wind in the process) and into a radio studio (BBC 5 or 6, again can't remember which).  It was a small room with one window looking through to another studio, eagle eyed people noticed it was Craig Charles in there and we caught him opening up a bottle of wine, wish I could get away with that at work! There was lots of equipment which the guide explained to us, including the machine that makes phone call interviews sound as if the person is live in the studio. She also explained the roles of individuals who would be in the room when broadcasting. I found this room interesting, and the guide gave a good description of what happened in a radio studio.

Next we went into the "dead room," which was a u-shaped room with walls and ceiling covered in triangular pieces of grey foam. This room absorbs all sound and it was really strange  to be inside without the slightest echo, and even if someone is just around the corner you can't hear them. The sound absorption gave the room a claustrophobic feel.

Then it was into the Blue Peter studio which was surprisingly small, with a ceiling literally full of lights  and the place was a complete mess! The show was off air on holiday and maintenance was being done, though it looked as if the place was being destroyed.  The guides talked about the long-running programme and we saw all the different Blue Peter badges there have been. We were in there for a while and again I thought we could have done something more interesting and informative.

That was the end of the tour and both Debbi and I were somewhat disappointed with it. The guides were good and knew their stuff, but we had expected to see actual working studios and gain a real insight into the processes behind TV, however we did not get that, this was just a superficial look around the edges of the process.

The Jean Genie, David Bowie 1973

This performance by David Bowie of The Jean Genie was first broadcast on Top of the Pops in 1973 and has never been seen since, the tapes having been wiped by the BBC. The footage belongs to John Henshall a cameraman who worked on the programme who kept copies for himself.  He didn't know the BBC had not kept a copy and also was unaware of how important the footage was, and it was only when he mentioned it on Johnnie Walker's Radio 2 show that it all came to light.

Mark Cooper, executive producer of Top of the Pops 2 said: "Bowie singing The Jean Genie is electric and the kind of piece of archive that not only brings back how brilliant Top of the Pops could be, but also How a piece of archive can speak to us down the years."

I loved Bowie in the 70's, he was so pushing the boundaries, mixing theatre with music and he was so different to anything else at the time. He was androgynous, almost alien, sexy, charismatic, unique. This performance is him at his best, it is indeed  "electric," every now and then an artist will do something special and this is an prime example, lost for 38 years (yikes!) and thankfully found again.  As Mark Cooper said, some performances are so amazing they can still captivate people decades later.

Apparently Henshall has hundreds of other tapes, what other delights could he have for us?

Egypt Reborn

I couldn't ignore what has happened in Egypt over the last couple of weeks.  I've followed the People's Uprising via the excellent cover the BBC gave it.  Part of me watched, hoping that the people would succeed, but thinking they probably wouldn't.  Ordinary people can't overthrow an oppressive dictator of 30 years can they? 

But on the 11th February Mubarak stood down handing over the reins of government Higher Council of the Armed Forces.  The unbridled joy of the people was moving to watch, it felt like such a victory for the ordinary people who often feel they have no voice or power.  Over the weekend the people spontaneously tidied up Tahrir Square, cleaned monuments, painted, brushed, picked up litter.  Almost as if they were sweeping away the old to make room for the new. 

The hardest time for Egypt is still ahead, trying to form a democratic government will not be easy.  But I so hope for those very brave, ordinary people that it succeeds, and that this most ancient of countries becomes all that they want it to be.

Missing Snowman and Whiteout UK

You know life is wieder than fiction, this story was reported by the BBC

Woman Dials 999 to Report Snowman Theft in Kent


A woman who dialled 999 to report the theft of a snowman from outside her home has been branded "completely irresponsible" by Kent Police.

The force said the woman, from Chatham, thought the incident required their involvement because she used pound coins for eyes and teaspoons for arms.

During the call the woman said: "It ain't a nice road but you don't expect someone to nick your snowman."

Kent Police said officers had given her advice on real 999 emergencies.

The force said the call was made at the same time as operators fielded thousands of other phone calls about the heavy snowfall and sub-zero temperatures in the county.

During the conversation she said: "There's been a theft from outside my house.

"I haven't been out to check on him for five hours but I went outside for a fag and he's gone."

When she was asked who had gone, the woman replied: "My snowman. I thought that with it being icy and there not being anybody about, he'd be safe."

She was then asked whether it was an ornament, and answered: "No, a snowman made of snow, I made him myself.  It ain't a nice road but at the end of the day, you don't expect someone to nick your snowman, you know what I mean?"

The operator then told her she had rung an emergency line and she should not be calling it to report the theft of a snowman.

Ch Insp Simon Black said: "This call could have cost someone's life if there was a genuine emergency and they couldn't get through.  It was completely irresponsible.

"We have spoken to her and advised her what is a 999 call, and this clearly was not."

(http://www.bbc.co.uk/)


Whiteout UK, satellite photo taken yesterday



Live Aid - 25 Years On

It's the 25th anniversary of Live Aid today.  Still now I can remember the horrific BBC news reports that shocked the world and inspired Live Aid.  It was the first of its kind, there have been many similar events since but none has had the same emotional impact.  The nurse who featured in one of the reports, Claire Bertschinger, recalls her expereinces here .  Live Aid did make a difference.

A whole new generation has grown up since the concerts and a couple of young men, not born when Live Aid happened, have made a film to commemorate the anniversary.  They spent two weeks in Ethiopia earlier this year and have made a film called Twenty 5 chronicling the country today, where there is a lot of hope and dynamism, though the famine is not forgotten.  It's good to s the next generation doing something like this.  Read about the film - premiered today - here Twenty 5

U2's performance was one of the highlights of the Wembley concert.  I was familiar with the band then and quite liked them, but this performance made me realise the band was special and I've been a true fan since that day.  Bad was the song that did it, Bono's performance was stunning, moving and inspired.  It was a brave song to perform, most people will never have heard it before, but it worked.  It caught up the emotions of that day, the pain, but also the hope.  Even now, everytime I hear Edge's opening notes to Bad shivers run down my spine.   Remember twenty five years ago today once more below.

The Crystal Caves of Mexico

On the BBC tonight a new series called How The Earth Made Us, which looks at how geology, climate and geography influenced humankind.  I'm interested in this sort of stuff, and will be watching the series.   I saw some information about  the first programme and there was a video and facts about this amazing crystal cave in Mexico.  It is absolutely stunning!  You can read the information and watch the video here .

The programme airs on BBC 2 tonight at 9pm.

Bono and Edge Interview and New Song

There is info and a link to the BBC on @U2 here about the interview Bono and Edge did on August 19th in London, they also premiered a new (old) song. The link will only be around for a few days so have a listen now.