We stopped for beans on toast at Sandbach Services, which has to rank amongst the worst service stations in the world. It’s pokey and ludicrously expensive, although it looks as though its undergoing some kind of face lift at the moment. There were giant holes in the ceilings with dangerous-looking wires poking out all over the place and a giant sign very proudly announced that a McDonalds is on its way. What a relief. Proper food at last!
Nathan dropped me off at Hangar Lane from whence I skedaddled to White City, or Shite Shitty as I like to call it, for a meeting at the BBC. Penny and I were being introduced to our mentor for The Space, a lovely chap called Jonathan, who directs the television content for much of the Proms season each year. I liked him enormously and feel very excited to be working with him on the project. I think I might get to shadow him when he does his work, which could be a very interesting learning opportunity.
I got a little lost in the rabbit warren of buildings to the East of television centre and was forced to stop a friendly-faced lady to ask which of the buildings was the one the BBC staff called White City. She was very helpful, and after I’d thanked her, she started to gush, "ooh how lovely...” she said, “look at you! Are you a creative?" I was wearing a cloth cap, but wasn't aware that I was looking particularly arty. A few seconds earlier, for example, a chap had walked past with a violin strapped to his back, but she didn't feel the need to say anything to him! This was the BBC, a veritable hub of creativity. Surely she sees people in cloth caps all the time, even if most of them are actors in period dramas! Perhaps I've started to emit a sort of creative power, which hypnotises anyone who stares into my Bambi-like eyes. Or maybe she simply thought I was a Blue Peter Bring and Buy sale.
My mind keeps flitting back to the joy of last night, and I continue to feel immensely proud of what we all achieved. Nathan says he thinks I sailed quite close to the wind with the speech I made. Apparently encouraging a group of people to resort to civil disobedience if the local council continue to ignore them, is not necessarily what’s expected or appropriate at a film premier. Try telling that to Vanessa Redgrave!
Pepys worked hard all day 350 years ago and subsequently didn’t find much to write about. His closing remark reminds me that he’s a man after my own heart: “My mind in good ease when I mind business, which methinks should be a good argument to me never to do otherwise.” It always feels much better when you’ve done a good day’s work.
Jonathan Haswell?
ReplyDeleteEllie