1984: After the killing of WPC Yvonne Fletcher in London, I spent 11 days in one corner of St James’s Square covering the Libyan Embassy Siege. Every time reporters wanted to file copy or check in with their newsdesk we had to leave our media area, walk to the nearest public telephone box and risk missing an important development. Aside from radios, we were otherwise standing on a pavement and cut off from the outside world.
2011: First read of Col Gaddafi’s rumoured capture via a Tweet from Jon Snow before turning to live satellite TV pictures from the scene. Then watched footage of Gaddafi’s final moments on my mobile phone minutes after it was posted online thousands of miles away. At the time I just happened to be travelling on a tube train heading to within a few hundred yards of St James’s Square.
Sometimes we take technology for granted. What will 27 years from today bring?
BBC: LIbyan Embassy Siege Ends
Amazeballs. My above tweet late this Friday afternoon resulted in quite a response. Having failed to create a hashtag and not wishing to clog timelines up with multiple RTs, here are some of my screen snapshots of what was said. With thanks to all involved – and apologies to anyone I missed.
With an honourable mention for:
Spooks star Lara Pulver – new Section D chief Erin Watts – talks to BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen Live’s James Martin this morning about the final series of the MI5 drama, True Blood and her role in the second series of Sherlock, on screen in 2012:
Why I love BBC Local Radio.
I heard the below while listening to BBC Radio Jersey last night.
BBC Cornwall presenter Tiffany Truscott (pictured) was sitting in for Duncan Warren on the weekday evening show broadcast by several BBC Local Radio stations across the south west.
At the end of a rainy, cloudy and foggy day, which had forced the cancellation of the much anticipated Jersey Air Display, Tiffany spoke to 88-year old Ray from St Clement, Jersey.
Ray had called in to take part in the regular “Unanswered Question” game.
But before giving his answer, he brought a little sunshine into the world.
Click below for the short clip – and stick with it…
Photo and clip copyright BBC.
Happy 18th Birthday to Eleanor Rachel.
Click on image to enlarge.
No smashed TV sets at this hotel.
The aftermath of this evening’s London round table interviews for some of Sky1 HD’s new comedy series.
Among those we interviewed were Jane Horrocks and Jason Watkins for Trollied, which starts a week on Thursday (Aug 4).
Ralf Little, Craig Cash and Michelle Terry for The Cafe.
Plus Sally Lindsay, Daniel Ryan, Sian Reeves, Adrian Bower and Neil Fitzmaurice for Mount Pleasant.
All part of Sky1 HD’s autumn line-up launched today.
Click here for more details.
And, yes, they are all bottles of water – not vodka.
How could you think such a thing?
Update: Now Sky’s post-interviews party is long gone (I wasn’t invited), I can reveal that the interviews took place here.
It’s one of London’s newest hotels and a fine addition to the capital’s long list of swanky places to stay – or simply take Afternoon Tea.
