Pictures
if you're anything like me - and I hope for you're own sake you're not - you'll do most of your communicating by email, texts and mind reading these days. But it's still lovely to receive something through the mail, which is why last week I started asking listeners to send in picture postcards. We've already had several. We enjoy them but wider enjoyment is limited. It's pointless on a radio programme.
Never mind. What we'll do later this week is start putting the postcards here on the blog. So if you'd like to send us a postcard of your own, our address is: PM Pointless Blog Postcard Thing, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ News Centre, London W12 7RJ.
By the way, do you have access to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Parliament? During the conference season, during the lunch breaks, they're running archive conference material. Yesterday it was Harold Wilson (black and white and someone behind Mr Wilson smoked like a chimney throughout the speech). Today it's an old Tony Blair. Or rather a young one. Being applauded by a young Clare Short. Robin Cook is there. It's an interesting watch. This afternoon's speech will be big on our programme tonight. Alastair Campbell will be among those commenting on it. Will he like it?
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I think, perhaps we are all a little like you Sir Ed, that's why we're all here!
Tempting though bbc parliament is - I have a kind of Don't Switch the TV on During the Day rule, that way lies perfidion...
SB1 - really?
Gosh I keep getting an extremely cross message on submitting, and it looks like it's all written in htmlspeak, Ooo-er
I thought it was very appropriate that a man like Peter Mandleson should use the word "fissure" in this mornings interview on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Today programme.
Q do I have access to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Parliament ?
A yes
Q do I watch it?
A why would I want to do a silly thing like that? I get my share of politicians on Today, PM, the News, The Week In Westminster ie pre digested. I couldn't take the raw stuff. I'd be throwing things at the set.
And the current crop are bad enough without wanting to be wafted back to how things were.
Also please don't call HW archive material. Some of us remember him as PM, even if we were only slips of things at the time.
It is nice to get mail though but all we got today was Computer Weekly - bah humbug.
Um, has the PM newsletter arrived with everyone else? I've checked my email, and it's not there! Eddie, did I say something to upset you???
FF
You don't suppose Eddie is listening to the PM?!?
He can't make putting together a news programme more important than we, his cult of Blogistas.
This isn't good enuff.
SB6
FF- Not a sign of it. Eddie's too busy reading his postcards.
no my PM letter hasn't arrived either - maybe there's lots of exciting news breaking and they're just too busy to send it out.
oops, while I was waiting to be given permission to send this post in, the newsletter arrived.
amazing coincidence, but then lilfe's full of 'em.
Will Alistair like Tony's speech, "fissure" he will!
Hey, Hillman Hunter @ sb3.
I've just done a Google word search for 'fissure'.
I see what you mean.
Looking at Nick Robinson's blog, Ed's lot seem a whole lot more on the ball, so perhaps we can forgive the odd day when the newsletter arrives late on our mats. Mind, he's only got 35 mins more to get it to us - otherwise it'll be yesterday's news!
Thanks Eddie - newsletter safely received at 16.28
FF. Got mine at 3.19pm, followed a link to here only to see that comments were being left in the future. This comment is being left at 3.27pm. I wonder what time it will be posted on the site?
re 8 & 12
:o) My copy's arrived now. Thanks Ed! Now, will I manage to escape the office on time and actually catch the start of the programme for once?...
I've just "Googled" fissure too. For sure, oops!
Would somebody involved in the programme please suggest to Carolyn Quinn that she avoid opening up by tutting each and every time she comes in? No criticism implied.....
if Lord Falconer really thought that crack of Tony's about his wife not running off with the chap next door was 'very funny' then he really really should get out more.
anne : I got two Computer Weeklies today, one was delayed by exactly a week. Odd.
Mike D : Me too, ooh, nasty.
Can't wait for the postcard pictures, although it's what said on the back that's usually most interesting : see for some examples and a charity to contribute too as well, cool.
Eddie,
I have some of those blank postcards that would be suitable for showing on the radio.
Eddie,
I liked the Toady award given to Peter Hain yesterday by Brillo Pad Neil. His kissing up to Brown was enough to make you puke. Did Neil present one today?
I just heard the ad for Desert Island Discs by Kirsty Young after the 6 o'clock news. Sexxxxxxy!
I've got to say that the five minutes (although they seemed like hours) that Charlie Falconer was on the show this afternoon were really a waste. After all, as a personal friend of TB, what else is he going to do but say what a wonderful speech it was; how we were all lucky to have lived on the same continent as TB; how we'll all miss him terribly when he's left, etc... Any chance we can try to get some more objective commentators on future shows?
Sorry, rant over. I guess it's just hunger that's making me ratty. It's till another 25 mins before my dinners' finished cooking... Ah well, maybe another glass of wine will help :o)
Cleaner's been in the PM office today emptying the bins. I had to share the tapes she found with you...
(sound of chairs crashing over as staff leap to feet)
Rupert: Gosh, morning Boss. We don't often see you at work. (nervous giggle) I mean we don't often see you in our office at work!
Boss: At ease, people. I've come to see (sound of finger pointing) -that one.
R:(whispers) He's called Eddie, Boss.
B: Right, Eddie. I've had a very serious complaint about you.
EM: Is it the expenses claim again, Boss?
B: No, Finance say they'll overlook that this time. They know you have trouble with numbers. This is far more serious. The cleaners are threatening to strike. They say this whole office is full of sand, & it's coming from your desk.
(footsteps)
B: Good grief, they're right! What are these dinnerplates with sand and plastic trees on, all over your desk? That one's even got an umbrella, & shells. Why, they look like little desert islands!
EM: (proudly) Just thought I'd get in the mood now I'm presenting D I Discs.
B: But Kirsty Young's got the job.
EM: That's just Publicity using her as a red herring, so celebs don't pester me to have them on the show. I'm definitely the new presenter. Why would they want her? She hasn't got half my talent. Or wit. Or gravitas.
B: No I'm sorry Eddie, the job's definitely Kirsty's.
EM: That's just not fair. She gets everything. She even did Have I got News for You. I could have done that. I'd be good on telly. Ian Hislop spoke to me in the canteen once. He told me the table was a disgrace & would I wipe it properly & move the last person's tray so he could sit down.
B: Look, for the last time, Kirsty's got the job, not you. Now fetch a brush & pan & get that sand swept up. Kirsty is one of the Corporation's greatest assets, of course we'll keep her on tv as well.
EM (mutinously) What's she got that I haven't, I'd like to know.
B: In a word, Eddie? "Hair"
(tape ends to sobbing)
Tomorrow I will be out all day as we have visitors, not staying with us - they're actually on a tour - but tomorrow is their free day so we're taking them off the beaten track to show some of the nice bits the tourists never get to. So I will not be around tomorrow much before 7. Don't know who's doing the chocolate run but whoever you are can you get me a picnic, and put it in the cupboard for when I get back. Please please don't put it in the fridge like other half does sometimes. It works for Mars bars, it doesn't work for picnics.
Andy we got our CW fine last week. The best thing about this weeks we thought was that we could read Dilbert through the wrapping and therefore didnt have to unwrap it before chucking it in the bin.
So while we're in nostalgic mood perhaps we could all nominate our favourite New Labour moment that we're going to cherish and be proud of after the great man has gone. Mine is a toss up between the death of David Kelly, people being arrested for daring to demonstrate when the chinese Prime MInister visited and of course the ringing declaration that the british people were totally behind the invasion of Iraq almost immediately after over a million people hit the streets of London to point out that they weren't. Although come to think of it, tanks at Heathrow... that was quite a good one too.
Ann (#23),
Can I add:
Terrorism laws so draconian that they caused the woman reading a list of the British dead in the Iraqi campaign at the Cenotaph to be arrested;
ID cards and the centralised database State;
Selection allowed in education on any grounds other than being intelligent;
Private Finance Initiative, with the highlight of flogging the nations Tax offices to a company based in a tax haven;
Flogging NHS logistics to DHL, in my experience, they are the most expensive carrier (more so than the other well known names)
Oh, I could go on, but cannot be where the sun shines from.
SB24
Annasee, that is magic! Musical comedy genius, or what?
Anne, I don't like any chocolate kept in the fridge, spoils the taste, imho!
andycA*, I was so taken with it when I found the link from your site a while back that I've registered to buy the book. (Urge,urge to all to check it out). Perhaps Sir Ed did too and that's where he got his idea? It sent me hunting out a shoebox full of postcards, relics of family house clearouts*, and the backsides are just as fascinating as the front.
*(I am the happy recipient of all the family mementos, hence New Building Activities)
Newsletter got here at 3.38 but I'd given up checking!
SB26
Annasee, your cleaner should be on the national payroll for bringing us such news nuggets:o)
As for the New Labour moment, I'd like to nominate the sheer temerity of claiming that charging students more to go to University would drive up applications. It still boggles the mind that they can believe that...
FF (#26),
What with the latest debt figures announced today (and surely set to rise with the much larger student fees, this government is definately worried about personal debt. There isn't enough of it.
Annasee, do the tapes archive back to Sequin's reign? and far better than the recent limp 15 minute musicals of late...
SB27
John (27), not only do they mention C Quinn, but owing to 6 hours of rehearsal/recording yesterday in which I played 19 bars of music ( albeit several times) I was able to transcribe several more tapes. Over the next few days, you should be able to share a complaint of Nick Clarke, Lissa's worries about Eddie, and find out what Bagpuss is doing in the office.
(NB Eddie - there's still a chance to stop this madness if you get that £20 000 here today. But there have been offers from the Sun & News of The World. I can't give you preference for much longer...)
Annasee,
Do you have the tape where Nick Clark tried to dope Sequin just before a PM using a mint (look back in the archives....)? Anying with Fig Lover in?
SB29, but seems easy this morning, Them Aster is'nt posting using his TARDIS today....
Val : Excellent! Thanks for doing that, it makes me feel like I've done something useful, for once.
Here is the link again for those who've not yet looked :
Good Works being done here!
Alastair Campbell will be among those commenting on it. Will he like it?
Oh good lord.
Thank god I'm on the good painkillers right now.
Let's do the timewarp agaiiiiiin...
Er, what's going on?
What's happening with the blog?