A giant metal Christmas tree

I'm writing my blog nice and early today, because I know there won't be much of an opportunity once the circus begins tonight. 

We start filming in a scrap yard in Sunderland, which will hopefully be lit up like a giant metal Christmas tree. We're filming a brass band there; a subtle little joke on my part. I've already told them I'm going to load their instruments on a lorry after the shoot to, see how much I can get for them!

We move on to Sunderland at about 8pm, where we're filming a group of street dancers, before heading to Pelaw; a place I'd previously thought was called Pelau, which has caused much mirth in various meetings. 

The night shoot officially begins at Gateshead Station at 11pm. I'm part nervous and part very excited. I really have no idea what to expect. I know what I THINK it will look like, but it's fairly rare for my imagination and reality to end up in the same place!

I'm at BBC Newcastle right now, and people are rushing about all over the place making last minute plans. It's a bit strange to know that there's nothing else  for me to do until the shoot begins, when I'll go into manic overdrive! Snow is forecast for tonight! Joy! 

February 18th, 1661, and Pepys took Elizabeth and his recently acquired Valentine, Martha Batten to the Exchange, which was a sort of 17th century department store near the Temple. Pepys, taking his Valentine's responsibilities rather too seriously, shelled out 40 shillings on 7 pairs of white gloves for Ms Batten. We don't know if he also treated his wife to anything. Flushed with gloves, Martha Batten then decided to take everyone to Lombard Street, where she bought a suit of "lutestring", which I'm informed is a glossy silken fabric better known as lustring.