Starlings!
As discussed tonight - this photo taken earlier by our guest from the RSPB Dan Parkinson.
Archives for November 2009
PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Rupert Allman will read your comments and may well add his own.
AM Glass Box.
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
Historical Questions.
Any Questions last night came from the . In the room next to the main hall where we selected the questions for the programme, there was this striking poster. 
Advent calendar update
Eddie asked for your photos and thank you to those of you who have been sending them in.
This came from David McNickle:
If you want to join in, send your photo for Advent to pm@bbc.co.uk, putting ADVENT in the subject line.
Glass Box for Friday
Fiona Leach is our editor this evening. If you have any comments about the programme, place them here and she will have a look through them later, after we've had our own meeting at 6pm.
all the best,
sequin
The Eyes Have It
Nigel Wrench writes: the eyes belong to the composer Richard Barrett, on PM this evening with his new work "Mesopotamia", which has its first public performance at the this weekend.
It's the fifth in a series of political works he collectively calls "Resistance and Vision". The first was called "NO", written as the war in Iraq began, and nominated for a Radio 3 listeners' award.
Hard to listen to, certainly. At the part of the rehearsal that I heard, the London Sinfonietta, which commissioned "Mesopotamia", was battling to come to terms with the complexities his almost melody-free composition requires.
Protest music? Of a sort. The question plainly is whether political beliefs as expressed in avant-garde music can have any effect.
The composer's answer? "It's incumbent upon artists, upon composers, to try and be more explicit in relating music to everything else that is going on in the world."
Ask not what PM can do for you....
| 10:31 UK time, Friday, 27 November 2009
Eddie wasn't joking*. We get a lot of help from you, our lovely PM listeners- be it when you share your expertise with us, or when you're busy firing up all manner of instruments to play the Upshares theme. You may wonder if it's even possible for us to ask you to do more, but here goes.
There are often days in the PM newsroom when an important report is published, often around mid morning, and we try to bring you a fair representation of the main points. Sometimes the reports are very long, and sometimes they cover specialist areas. Yesterday's Walker Review is a case in point, so we asked for your help. Our theory is that the PM audience have a lot of collective knowledge, of the kind that would augment our coverage, so from time to time, we're going to be asking you to engage the collective PM audience brain, read some or all of these documents, and point us in the direction of what jumps out at you. It's called crowd sourcing in the jargon, though I prefer the term cheap labour. Yesterday, we didn't post the report in time, though I enjoyed your pithy observations. So I'm putting a general priniciple to you: namely, are you up for it?
(*add your own punchline)
The Beach
Come on. You know you want to join in......
AM GLASS BOX FOR FRIDAY
Hello, while Eddie travels to his latest Any Questions location, I'll be with you for PM. If you have any ideas or a particular item you would like to hear on tonight's programme why not let the production team here know by writing it in the glass box?
Thanks,
Carolyn
Who deserves a New Year's Honour?
Her Majesty the Queen has her Honours List, and at iPM, we have our own.
We don't want to be bossy about what sort of person qualifies...it really is up to you. It might be someone in your family, or someone you work with. You might want to nominate them for doing something extraordinary or perhaps they do something unspectacular, but which you believe merits a bit of attention.
There's no prize as such: just the honour of iPM making a fuss over the winning nominee. The iPM production team will choose from the names put forward and its decision will be final.
If you have someone you'd like to nominate, please email iPM@bbc.co.uk, putting HONOUR in the subject line. You can also write to iPM New Year's Honours, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV Centre, London W12 7RJ.
The closing date for entries is Saturday December the 12th.
PM Glass Box
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Eloise Twisk will read your comments and may well add her own.
Would you like to help us?
is the Walker report on banks.
As you'll see it's big. HUGE. Nils will talk about it in tonight's Upshares.
But if you fancy a bit of crowd-sourcing (in the jargon), why not have a read and let us know if there's stuff in there that jumps out at you.
A secret prayer.
Recently, we asked listeners about secrets they keep from their partners.
A card has arrived which says: "My hidden practice is to pray every night after I have thought about the past day with special regard to the things that have gone well. Mostly I pray for my family and a few friends I know have troubles. In these times, I would be embarrassed if my family or anyone else knew I did this."
Discuss.
Advent.
OK, we're on. Please send your photo for Advent to pm@bbc.co.uk, putting ADVENT in the subject line.
AM Glass Box.
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
PM Glass Box for Wednesday
Would you like to tell us what you thought of tonight's programme? Eloise Twisk is editing and she will look through your comments after we've had our post-PM meeting at 6pm.
We're going crackers....
On PM this evening we are talking to the boss of Britain's biggest Christmas cracker manufacturer. After decades of the same old jokes they've decided to ditch some of the golden oldies and introduce some new ones. He'll be unveiling a couple of the new jokes this evening
Already you've been coming up with your suggestions. Here are a few that have been emailed to us ....
What did the timid pebble say? I wish I was a little bolder.
Why did the pasty cross the road? Because he was meat 'n' potato!
Q: 'What did Mummy Biscuit say to Daddy Biscuit when Baby Biscuit fell down?'
A: 'Oh Crumbs!'
What have we started?????!!
Hugh's Baghdad archive.
At the start of the Iraq Inquiry yesterday, I posted a link to some of Hugh's old photos.
It inspired Hugh to delve into his archive, and he's send me these words and photos:
"Baghdad broken
Petrol pump attendant Riath Hussein blinded by US troops when his brother Faris misunderstood orders to 'Stop!'
Arabic for stop is not stop, it's keff.
He's with his daughters Rana and Noor. When the girls walked into the room, I asked Riath: "Are these your daughters?"
He replied: "I don't know - I can't see them"
The windscreen of their car. Faris was killed.
Father mourning his son, who was killed in a US bombing raid.
Mother and son. He was killed in a battle between the Iraqi army and American tanks. I asked her who she blamed for his death.
"Saddam Hussein! Saddam Hussein! Saddam Hussein!"
Before answering the question, she asked, "Is it safe to tell the truth?"
American soldier in a helicopter over Baghdad.
Do they know it's Christmas? December 2004, in a DFAC at Camp Victory, Baghdad. DFAC - Dining Facility.
Carvery in the DFAC.
Camp Victory accommodation.
Early voter, Baghdad, January 30th 2005. An hour later, a suicide bomber killed two policemen at this polling station.
Zafaranyia, Baghdad.
Three sisters. Basra, July 2003. They helped me find a shop where I could buy some new film (yes, film). I hope to track them down one day. This year, I did find two others I'd taken pictures of; one said, with a broad smile, "You promise you'd come back, but I didn't think it would take six years"."
Advent.
Hello. I'm keeping Carolyn's seat warm till she gets in. (insert Carry-on style remark/sound effect here).
And I've been wondering about Advent this year. I always enjoy doing our annual photo thing. Are you up for it this year? If there's demand, we'll do it...but don't want to burden you if you'd rather not. Leave a comment to let me know.
AM glass box for Weds 25th November
I'm sitting in for Eddie today while he's off on a course to learn how to make the blog even better than it is! In the meantime, we have a programme to do and would appreciate any ideas from you. Let us know before we have our PM meeting at 11am. Eloise Twisk is editing today.
See you later,
Carolyn
Tonight's Upshares.....
...music was sent to us with this email: "A few weeks ago the Upshares Downshares theme music was inspired by the great English tradition that is morris dancing. Mr Ilett's rendition was a gallant attempt, somewhat marred by not having any morris dancers to hand or, indeed, any instruments.
, based at Wickham in Hampshire, have both. The attached is a fine example of their prowess at both playing and dancing, and we present it for consideration as the Upshares Downshares theme music.
Incidentally, the side were so taken with the tune that it looks likely to be incorporated into our repertoire in the near future.
Yours sincerely
Cath Watkins"
PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Rupert Allman will read your comments and may well add his own.
The Iraq Inquiry.
Peter Hunt will report from there tonight. You can see its website .
Thinking about the conflict has sent me into Hugh Sykes' archive. Here is a posting and some photos from March 2008.
Do NOT laugh
at this.
AM Glass Box.
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
Helping Cumbria.
And email arrives from Allison Parkes saying "Please could you give me/annonounce on air details of where we can send monies to help the flood victims in Cumbria. We are quite rightly a very generous nation to victims of disasters abroad, here is a chance to show support at home."
Thanks for writing - try .
Aerial views.
We're talking about them tonight, is the website of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. In the photograph you can see here, Flight Lieutenant Jimmy Taylor, who speaks to us about his experience taking photos from the air in the autumn of 1944.
Who deserves a New Year's Honour?
Her Majesty the Queen has her Honours List, and at iPM, we have our own.
We don't want to be bossy about what sort of person qualifies...it really is up to you. It might be someone in your family, or someone you work with. You might want to nominate them for doing something extraordinary or perhaps they do something unspectacular, but which you believe merits a bit of attention.
There's no prize as such: just the honour of iPM making a fuss over the winning nominee. The iPM production team will choose from the names put forward and its decision will be final.
If you have someone you'd like to nominate, please email iPM@bbc.co.uk, putting HONOUR in the subject line. You can also write to iPM New Year's Honours, Room G601, ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV Centre, London W12 7RJ.
The closing date for entries is Saturday December the 12th.
PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box.
Flooding info, Northern Ireland.
Thanks to Lady Sue for her fine work sorting this out. is the link for Northern Ireland's Rivers Agency.
AM Glass Box.
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
Psssst.
Good morning. Flooding still dominates the news, and it's good to hear that the Large Hadron Collider is working again.
But never mind all that. Do you want to know a secret? Our listeners have told us several.
iPM is on at 0545 on Radio 4, or you can podcast us here.
Flooding information.
The covers England and Wales.
There's the .
This is where you'll find the .
The telephone number for the Floodline service for England Wales and Scotland is 0845 988 11 88.
PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box.
AM Glass Box.
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
The PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Dan Mitchell will read the comments and may well add his own.
Autumn.
From Gill sent on October 20.
The AM Glass Box
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
Nils in Malawi.
More from Nils on the programme tonight:
Linda is a nine year old Malawian girl who walks six miles each morning to get to school - we will be telling her story tonight.
Nils talking to the headteacher of a village school in Malawi - we will be hearing how he teaches classes of a hundred pupils at a time.
Break time at a village school in Malawi.
The PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Ryan Dilley will read the comments and may well add his own.
The AM Glass Box
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
Thought for the Day.
reports that the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Trust has "rejected calls for non-religious contributors to be allowed on Radio 4's Thought for the Day."
We'll talk more about this on the programme tonight. As Media Guardian notes, iPM, the programme that starts with its listeners, talked about this in January.
You can hear the full 22 minute discussion between the Rev. Prof Alister McGrath and Prof AC Grayling here.
Read what the Radio 4 Controller wrote (and listener reactions) here.
And if you're really keen there's even more here.
The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Trust ruling is here.
Hugh Sykes in Afghanistan.
"I went to Paghman village near Kabul. The message from there pretty much matches what David Milliband has been saying - that there must be a political strategy there, not just a military one. Though, in Paghman they put it rather more strongly: "British and American troops are wasting their lives here"....
First snow of winter on Paghman mountain.
Paghman bazaar.
Mohammed Shafi's bakery.
And here he is inside, with his team and his oven:
Marbles
13 year old Hijrat, marble champion of Paghman, lining up a shot
Hijrat and his friends.
Paghman elder
Mujahed Hotel
Retired Mujaheddin fighter Mohammed Rahim, with photographs of his two brothers who were killed by Red Army troops. Mohammed told me he and his men had shot down four Soviet helicopters near the village.
A Paghman lane. Cold clean mountain air.
Paghman women."
The PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Dan Mitchell will read the comments and may well add his own.
Alex Stubb.
He's Finland's Foreign Minister and he's on PM tonight...talking about his country's troop commitment in Afghanistan. He has his own you know.
Upshares on the road....
Nils is in , as you heard last night. Here he is with some of the women of Lundu village. The other shot is of Nils with his producer, Jatinder. There'll be more on the programme, and the blog, tomorrow.
The AM Glass Box
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
The PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Rupert Allman will read the comments and may well add his own.
Teenage mothers.
Terry Stiastny writes: "One of the more controversial ideas in Gordon Brown's speech to his party conference this year was the plan for teenage mothers to be put in a "network of supervised homes" rather than given a council flat. Some critics compared the idea to the Victorian workhouse.
Some hostels for young parents already exist -- including the network of Foyers run by housing associations for homeless young people."
You can hear Terry's report in PM tonight. For the Blog she writes: "Here are Amber and her son Riley, who live at the Barking and Dagenham Foyer, as featured in my piece. Riley thought the microphone was very funny, but mostly tried to eat it."
The AM Glass Box
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
Going nuclear.
What happened when two listeners came on iPM to talk about the government's nuclear plans. Hear it...and see a visual mock up here!
Several eagle-eyed listeners
wanted me to ask the Political Editor of The Sun this week about what they said was a spelling mistake on the paper's website. Well The Guardian has an update .
You can read the original posting here.
Remembrance.
This week we've been remembering the British servicemen and women who've died in conflicts around the world. One such service was held in Crete, where more than three and a half thousand British and Commonwealth troops and sailors died during the Battle of Crete in 1941. The battle was a humiliating defeat for the Allies - but a phyrric victory for the Germans, who suffered more than 6 thousand casualties. Our Europe correspondent Dominic Hughes travelled to Crete with his father Peter, who was laying a wreath on behalf of the Royal Marines Association. It was an especially personal trip as Dominic's grandfather George Hughes, a career Royal Marine, fought and was taken prisoner there. You can hear Dominic's report tonight...and there's an .
The PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Dan "the man" Mitchell will read the comments and may well add his own.
The AM Glass Box.
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
The Beach.
The beach is a state of mind, where we escape from the must to the maybe and what if, where thoughts may be lightly etched on the shore or sculpted in the sand, admired and commented on by others, then swept away by the waves or jumped on by small children of all ages... 
Dementia drugs.
There's more about tonight's story .
If you want to share your own experience, please click on Comments.
The PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Eloise Twisk will read the comments and may well add her own.
Sid sends
"Happy Birthday Ernie!
Here's a picture of a leaf-cutter bee taking a leaf home ..." 
David Dimbleby has been attacked by a bullock.
From the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Press Office:
"John Humphrys will stand in tonight for David Dimbleby as Chair of Question Time
David Dimbleby will not be chairing Question Time this week - the first he has missed in over 15 years - but he will return next week. John Humphrys will temporarily take the chair tonight.
David Dimbleby was injured yesterday in a minor farming accident. David was loading a bullock onto a trailer when the bullock reared resulting in David being briefly knocked out. He also received a cut to the head that required stitches.
David is recovering well. He attended hospital yesterday, but as he received a head injury, he is staying there for observation. This is just as a precaution, which is not unusual for a patient suffering concussion, and he should return home shortly.
David would like to thank the staff at the hospital and he looks forward to returning to Question Time next week. He said: "I haven't missed a Question Time in over 15 years. Trust my wife's bullock to take me out. I'll be giving bullocks a wide berth in future.""
Lissa Cook,
former head of everything here, spotted this in the twittosphere last night. Hello Lissa!
The AM Glass Box.
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
The Road Home, by Jay Winter.
"The road home from war is always a long one. Some take a lifetime to complete the journey; others finish it in time to take up their lives again. The disabled know the difficulty of the journey home, each in his own way. Anyone with eyes to see can recognize the hardships they and their families face to start their lives once more.
The Sun, Gordon Brown and Jacqui Janes.
You heard Tom Newton Dunn on the programme. What did you think of his responses to listeners' questions?
The PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Eloise Twisk will read the comments and may well add her own.
Val P writes:
"I'm by no means a skilled photographer, but when I found myself for the first time at the on such a moving weekend, in such stunning weather as we had on Saturday there, I couldn't resist sharing a couple of the photos with you."
Got a question for The Sun
about their Gordon Brown/Jacqui Janes coverage? We know from the Blog and our email inbox that some people do.
This afternoon I'll be recording an interview with Tom Newton Dunn, the paper's political editor.
If you have a question you'd like to ask, drop an email to pm@bbc.co.uk.
1315 UPDATE: We'll record the interview at 14.30, before today's PMQs.
1451 UPDATE: The interview's been recorded and we'll broadcast it in full tonight.
Armistice Day.
³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ News coverage is .
The AM Glass Box
Good morning.
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
The PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. This is the last editing shift for a while for tonight's editor Mark Frankel, who's off to another bit of the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ for a while. But he will read your comments and may well add one of his own.
Hugh in Afghanistan.
"Cheerful child labour: 14 and 15 year old wheelbarrow boys, Kabul.
English student Hadi Attay, waiting three days for news of his sister, admitted to the emergency ward at Jumhuriat Hospital, Kabul.
The outdoor waiting area for family and friends of patients - Hadi slept three nights here.
New Jumhuriat Hospital - new but closed, despite being 'opened' by Hamid Karzai during his election campaign.
Doctors discussing how to raise funds for essential equipment that they need for the hospital. The hospital budget is good. They laughed when I asked where the money had gone. "A lot of money, a lot of people, a lot of pockets".
Barber Nazar Mohammed and his son Amir Mohammad, with his new certificate. Supporter of Hamid Karzai - but he told me he has to deliver now - jobs and an end to corruption.
That certificate.
Vendor on a Kabul pavement.
Friends in a Kabul park
Thinking.
Dusty and turning cold - central Kabul at the weekend.
Dozens of children beg from cars during the rush hours.
Awful Kabul roads.
Ramazan Bashardost, who came third in the first round of the presidential election, with more than 10%. He told me Hamid Karzai is "King Karzai, the King of Fraud". Bashardost campaigns against corruption."
The AM Glass Box
Good morning.
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
The PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Rupert Allman will read the comments and may well add his own.
Today's PM Newsletter has been sent. Will anyone get it?
Just in case, here it is:
"Hello.
I'm hoping this reaches you safely. There have been all sorts of problems with the system in recent days, so here's hoping this reaches you. Thank you for your patience.
In the programme tonight, nuclear power, Brian Hanrahan in Berlin, we might talk more about Gordon Brown's letter to a grieving mother, and Hugh Sykes will report from Afghanistan.
Nils will have an eye on events at Cadbury. I'm curious as to whether any subscribers have a special memory of a Cadbury product. Does a bar of Dairy Milk remind you of your mum? Does a Curly Wurly bring memories flooding back? I don't want any stories about Flakes, thank you very much. I know some ex-pats who beg for Cadbury products. If you have a tale to tell, do drop me an email: pm@bbc.co.uk.
See you on the ice at 5.
Eric Twirl."
Of course if you have a Cadbury memory you're welcome to leave it here.
I looked for a good photo to go with this and I'm rather pleased with this:
("01/01/1973 © ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Picture shows Mrs. Betty Cadbury with her grandchildren Nicholas and Caludia and Arthur Negus."
Brian Hanrahan
is hard at work covering the commemorations of the fall of the Berlin Wall. His producer Amanda writes: "We're camped out in a very flash modern apartment overlooking the Brandenburg Gate. It has got white walls, white sofas and cream carpets. So not our usual working environment. Television has taken over the balcony so they have a great view of the ceremonies. The radio team is in a bedroom, and there's one broadcast point in the loo -- Iets hope we don't have to use that.
At the moment Daniel Barenboim is rehearsing the Staatskapelle Berlin outside in the square. They'll be taking part in the ceremony this evening when one thousand giant dominoes are toppled around the centre of the city. They've been decorated by school children from around the world. We saw one last night that looked to have been inspired by Rhubarb and Custard. 
Dear First Name.
The story in about Gordon Brown's letter to a grieving mother (³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ News coverage ) got us talking in the office about related matters. A friend of mine who has worked at the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ for about 200 years got a letter from the Corporation which began "Dear First Name Smith".
Martha just relayed a tale of a colleague who got a bottle of champers for a huge success at the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ which on closer inspection had on it "Courtesy of British Airways".
Any other tales?
The AM Glass Box.
Good morning.
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
War letters. Hear them here.
Good morning. In case you're getting an error message on the iPM Blog page (I know I am) here is Jennifer's posting:
"Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, listeners share their letters and messages from loved ones and relatives sent away to war. The letters span World War I to Afghanistan and are written from the heart.
You can listen to the letters here:
Thanks to everyone who contributed, we've included more letters below. If you have a letter you'd like to send us drop us an email."
Jay Winter's essay, "War Wounds".
You can read more about Jay Winter .
"In the ranks of the men who served in the Great War, the men who collectively constituted the Lost Generation, there were many who had lost their limbs, their eyes, their minds. Others were less severely wounded, but still woke up every morning for years after the war accompanied by painful reminders of their injuries.
The PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Fiona Leach will read the comments and may well add her own.
War Letters
After this piece on Broadcasting House, iPM has had a big response from listeners, passing on their wartime correspondence.
We're busy putting together tomorrow's programme, and we're lucky to have the likes of to read some of the letters for us. Bill just popped over and said hello. Nice man. Here he is as Mr Meagles in Little Dorrit. 
It really would be worth your while podcasting tomorrow's programme. Details of how to do that are here.
With Remembrance Sunday approaching,
on PM tonight the American historian will bring us an essay entitled War Wounds.
You'll be able to read a transcript on the blog later.
The Beach.
Welcome to The Beach, a very special place on the PM Blog. The sun shines, the drinks are free, there are more than enough sun loungers and hammocks to go round, and the camels are friendly. So, take a break from your day to day stresses and strains and relax.
There are only two rules; 1) be nice to everyone, and 2) don't eat the petunias
The AM Glass Box.
Good morning.
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
The PM Glass Box.
In a real glass box every evening at 18.00, the PM production team meets to discuss the programme that's just finished. You're encouraged to do so here in this virtual glass box. Tonight's editor Fiona Leach will read the comments and may well add her own.
The PM Newsletter.
Sadly there have been problems with the newsletter recently. We've been doing our usual to send them, but they've not been arriving. Please accept our apologies. We'll stop sending them until we've killed the gremlins.
In the meantime, here is a bonfire night-related photo for us all to enjoy.
Will you have a better day than this?
It starts slowly. Thankfully there were only minor injuries.
The AM Glass Box
Good morning. How lovely to be back. There will be fireworks tonight.
You may have read your morning paper and listened to the radio, and have some ideas you want to hear on PM tonight.
Perhaps a question about something in the news you would like answered - or better still, direct experience of something topical. Or maybe there's an aspect to a big story you haven't heard explored that you would like to hear.
The PM team will meet in a real glass box at 11am. Why not be part of the meeting by sharing your thoughts in this virtual glass box?
PM Glass Box for Wednesday
Hello, there are several big news items on our agenda today - Rupert is editing. We'd like to know what you thought of the programme so let us know. He'll have a look at your comments after we finish our own 6pm debrief in our newsroom glass box.
All the best,
sequin
So has Sir Christopher got it right?
Read about it
AM Glass Box for Wednesday
We may have a busy day ahead of us... but that doesn't mean we're not open to new ideas. If you have any story that you think we ought to consider for this evening's programme, then please let us know. It's best to put your thoughts down before 11am which is when we hold our planning meeting . Rupert is in charge today.
Thanks,
sequin
PM Glass Box for Tuesday
Hello there. If you have any patience left with the blog and you can bear to put a comment here about the programme, then please do. Dan Mitchell is editing PM today and he will look at your comments after our 6pm meeting in our own glass box.
Stay cool!
Carolyn
Dare I ask...
How you are all getting on with the blog?
I have no idea what was going wrong yesterday, but I'm told that great blogtastic brains have been working on it. Hope they get it sorted, for all our sakes.
I missed you all yesterday. Felt rather lonely!
AM glass box for Tuesday
We'll be meeting at 11am to talk through ideas for this evening's programme. If you have any suggestions could you let us know?
PM Glass Box for Monday
Would you like to tell this evening's Editor, Rupert Allman, what you thought of today's edition of PM? He'll look at your views after we've finished our 6pm meeting.
All the best,
sequin
Would you, could you?
Lie, that is.
To get your child into a good school.
The schools adjudicator in England is expected to call for tougher measures to punish parents who cheat and lie to get their children into good schools. At the moment, the only punishment for trying to beat the system is to have the disputed school place taken away. The chief adjudicator's publishing a report in which he examines the measures some parents use to get their children into their favoured school.
Are you prepared to tell us whether or not you've lied in similar circumstances? Or been "economical with the actualite"?
AM glass box for monday
We'll be meeting at 11am to talk through ideas for this evening's programme. If you have any suggestions could you let us know?
Many thanks,
sequin
Changing your identity
A quick note on a behind-the-scenes change that will affect commenters today. The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ is implementing a new sign-in system across all its blogs and message boards, called ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ iD. Anyone wishing to comment from now on will be prompted to upgrade their accounts -- this is a one-time-only process and it's relatively painless.
One note of caution though: if you've got multiple ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ accounts, you'll only be able to upgrade one of them to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ iD using your preferred username and email address.
Should you be burning with questions about this, you can get more information and help over at the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Internet Blog.
PM Blog Czar Out.
UPDATE: Okay, not quite painless then... Apologies to all the people who've had difficulties signing in or posting since the upgrade went live. There's clearly a bug in the new system.The Blogs team tell me they're working on fixing it as a matter of priority, so bear with us.
If you're specifically affected by the "Confirm Registration" link not working, a workaround (discovered by The_Wrath_is_Come) is to right-click on the link and open it in a new tab/window. The Blogs team are looking into the other issues people are having, and I'll report back here when I hear from them.
MORE UPDATE: Blogs team 'expect the situation to have been resolved within the next hour.' (as of 3pm)
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