Edinburgh
On the train to Edinburgh this morning I realise I've become one of those loud and annoying people who has one mobile phone conversation after another. Of course I would blend in with all those suits in business class, except the Â鶹Éç doesn't allow us to travel by anything other than standard fare. Quite right! Anyway, Gareth Hydes calls. He's the Senior Producer of Topical Programmes and Events and is planning a big health campaign in January. We want to gets lots of listeners involved and Gareth suggest we make it a challenge format with involving a big prize. We can't get involved in commercial sponsorship, nor can we spend too much of the licence fee buying a prize, so we discuss a "money can't buy" prize. I suggest mentioning it in this diary to see if listeners have any suggestions.
I go to the Â鶹Éç studios at The Tun and, as ever, have forgotten my little security fob to get me through the various double-doors. Luckily my colleagues take pity on me and let me in. I'm here to talk to the Arts & Features teams who are all working flat out on programmes for our Christmas schedule, including a gem of a programme which tells The True Story of Whisky Galore. The Radio Cafe team tell me they have unearthed some archive material involving Rikki Fulton and Frank Sinatra. We talk about a special programme - Sinatra in Scotland. I've already commissioned a programme on the Beatles in Scotland. I wonder what other big names have arrived on our shores. I guess the story of Elvis at Prestwick has been told too many times.
