Let’s Make It 2012 Again

Remember 2012? It was a good year.

For me, I had just finished school and got my first job, my sister had graduated and the terror of going into the big scary world was dulled for the time being.

Oh and we also had the Olympics in London, in case you forgot…

I don’t live in London but on the weeks leading up to the opening ceremony I went for a visit and even though I didn’t go to any events I felt like part of it. The same was felt outside London. From Norwich to Crew, Gretna to the Gorbals. It just so happened I got to watch the opening ceremony in a London suburb (Just outside Penge East) where the local community gathered in a park, set up a barbecue and sat on the grass to watch it unfold on a big screen. The sun was setting and the world watched us, just being us. (Kenneth Branagh in a top hat and the Spice Girls) 

That was a great feeling. We were proud of ourselves and pleased for each other. Athletes brought home medals to the nations. All-proud to be Northern Irish, Welsh, Scottish, English and British. We looked good… well G4S didn’t.

4 Years later.  Here we are and one half of the nation dislikes the other and vice versa .We look like we’d rather close our door than welcome in, not just people but culture, kindness and potential. I don’t mean ‘Brexit’ which now seems like the punch line to an un-funny joke, whatever way someone voted doesn’t matter. It’s the current mood and I didn't know how to fix it. 

Then Wimbledon started, it was on screens and in speakers everywhere and we all collectively said ‘Ohh yea, it's that time of year’. The penny dropped (About as far as it did on the morning of the 24th) We’re all gathering together, watching the best people in the world play tennis at a level the majority of us only reach when describing how good our game is to someone we’re trying to chat up and we love rooting for Andy or Gordon Reid or the underdog at their first grand slam.

We get that feeling back for a bit.

We’ve all been so bombarded with news we’ve forgotten to be nice. Remember what it was like watching Andy win gold or Tom being over the moon for a bronze. We welcomed the world, gave them a pat on the back and said; ‘Right, what are you drinking?’ Let’s get back to that … the last thing we need is America making fun of us… (Wink)

I Think You Should Listen To This

If you need something to listen to on a lazy Sunday I recommend Dead Ringers.

Dead Ringers is a weekly topical impressionist sketch show on BBC Radio 4.  It's always delivered comically but it's been particularly on point with the variety of news in the last few weeks.

Highlights include:

A sassy John Humphries.

Kirsty Wark's mamma

And DIANE ABBOT?

All of the above will make sense when you listen.

======Listen to it here======

The thing that makes Dead Ringers is the magnified personalities that still sound real. It also does that thing which radio is so good at. It allows the sketches to take place in bizarre and far flung places. (Such as putting Jeremy Corbyn on the moon.) Which wouldn't be as funny or believable on TV

Not no negate how good the TV version is.

Here's a great clip featuring a youthful John Finnemore :

While you were away…

The very first thing I saw when I woke up today was someone getting shot, a video on twitter that showed the shooter in Dallas. A story that dominated headlines all day.

Horrific, from all viewpoints and a story we will no doubt learn more of in the coming days.

Twitter is great, social media (for the most part) is a good thing that can inform, amuse and entertain.

On days like today, Twitter hinders. It dilutes the pool of information with re-hashed headlines, ‘BREAKING NEWS’ and speculation. Rather than writing about the people, the reason or what those in power might be able to do, some journalist’s time was devoted to tracking down and sharing the picture of a man who was not involved and writing articles about a deleted tweet from a former politician who’s idiocy if measured by numbers would be tenfold his amount of followers.

As news becomes more international and local/ national tragedies are broadcast round the world faster than is healthy, we’ll need to find a better way of working/ reacting online, especially if something is on going. Even though we’re becoming numb, many still attach a lot of trust to the words ‘Breaking News’ and this leads to miss information and misconception. The last thing that this tragedy needs is for an important message to get lost. A message that if it was already held in the palaces that it's not, this might have been avoided. #BlackLivesMatter

BBC Music Awards 2015

It's already February...it’s taken ages for me to get round to doing this.

As all of this blog stuff goes...

These are a few videos from my week working at the BBC Music Awards 2015.

I wanted to have a lot more but I was...:

1. Actually working and being quite busy.
2. Running out of space on my phone on occasion.
3. Finishing work at a silly time and forgetting/passing out.

(A few videos are filmed in portrait. I'll claim this as a stylistic choice despite it actually just being me forgetting how to hold a phone.)

DAY 1- The Traveller Meets the Trip

It's fun being offered wine at 12:15 in the afternoon

I began the week on a Tuesday and managed to get on the first train travelling down south after the chaos and floods caused by Storm Desmond.

DAY 2- Rehearsal Day

Sorry Zoella and it totally is a ladies cardigan.

After meeting up with the team in the hotel bar, the next morning’s rehearsal began. We had a lot to get done, so finding a spare moment wasn’t easy.

DAY 3- SHOW DAY

Ok, it’s only a video of One Direction performing from stage side, but still...

I'm putting myself to shame by not actually having any more proper vlogging videos left.

The day began at around 6AM for me. I had a relaxed breakfast to myself before heading to site. We had a dress rehearsal before the full show, unlike the 2014 awards, it was being recorded for UK audiences to be shown later that day on BBC 1.  However the event was also being beamed live around the world so the nerves were very much with us. Tapping on our shoulder every now and again.

This year I was looking after the BBC Concert Orchestra, a rather daunting prospect despite my previous experience of looking after large groups of musicians. I envisioned myself lugging around bags, briefcases and bassoons as well as chasing countless musicians to get them to stage in time for performance. This was not the case.

They’re a professional orchestra, of course they were easy to work with and a good laugh as well.

Oddly, my jacket had the pleasure of going down the red carpet twice while I only went once. It travelled with One Direction but not me to begin with, then Little Mix; I was in it that time.

The show appeared to go without any major issues, other than Rod Stewart jumping out of his skin! Not due to Celtic losing to Aberdeen, but the pyrotechnics - surely an emergency flare isn’t out of the ordinary when you’re Sailing…

No? Suit yourself.

Once it was over we put the stars in cars and dismantle the dressing rooms, followed by a quick team photo.

Then it was off to the bar for the after party!

The next day we had booked the early train back. Not sure whether this was a wise choice or not, but we made good use of the empty train carriage provided to us.