(Links to all parts of the series are at the end of this post.)
June 12, Wednesday
Around 50 years ago. Those were the days of valve radio sets. We had one at home. An HMV radio.
Though my father was a chemistry teacher, he had a deep interest in history and current affairs, and he would regularly listen to news bulletins and other programmes.
I was in school at the time, and I was fascinated by this large device sitting on a shelf that allowed us to hear voices and music from far and wide.
My curiosity wasn’t so much about the radio itself but about the world it brought into our home, from local happenings to global events. A few years later, the smaller transistor radios arrived.
Among all the stations I listened to, the BBC World Service stood out. It made a lasting impression on me, and even now, I still listen to it. Unlike in the past, though, when I miss a live broadcast, I can catch it later as a podcast.
My conscious decision to choose journalism as a career was in no small way shaped by the BBC, and it was a childhood dream to visit the radio station.
Today was that day.
After a morning walking tour of London, we took the tube from Green Park to Oxford Circus. Just 500 metres ahead was the iconic Broadcasting House.
This was also an occasion for me to meet a journalist who works there whom I have known for a few years. Despite having a recording scheduled for later in the afternoon, he had done his prep work ahead of time and took a break to show me around. I was so grateful for his kindness.
Even though I’ve spent 37 years in the newsroom, stepping into the BBC felt different.
It was about reconnecting with those early days when I would listen to the World Service, an association that sparked my passion for current affairs and, ultimately, journalism.
I didn’t want to leave. But time was running out.
(To be continued)
Links to all the posts in the series
01 - Departure (June 05, Wednesday)
02 - Dockwray Square, Tynemouth (June 06, Thursday)
03 - Cresswell Pele Tower (June 07, Friday)
04 - Howick Hall Gardens & Arboretum (June 07, Friday)
05 - Boulmer Beach, Zamorins (June 07, Friday)
06 - Beamish Museum (June 08, Saturday)
07 - The Holy Island of Lindisfarne (June 09, Sunday)
08 - Linhope Spout Waterfall (June 10, Monday)
09 - London, Wanstead (June 11, Tuesday)
10 - London City (June 12, Tuesday)
11 - BBC (June 12, Tuesday)
I am glad you got a tour, however brief. Be well!
ReplyDeleteHi Darla - Yes, thank you. :-)
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteWhat a great little interlude for you! I'm delighted you got to strike this off your bucket list. YAM xx
Hi Yamini - Yes, it was! Thank you.
DeleteHi Pradeep - how cool to have been able to touch base with a fellow journalist and to have a personal tour of the BBC. I'm sure it will tick off an item or two that was on your bucket list. This UK trip sounds like it was everything you hoped it would be.
ReplyDeleteHi Leanne - Yes, it was like a dream come true! Just being there at the BBC.
DeleteHappy to learn you could visit the office building of your favourite radio station BBC and have a guided tour! Great to hear that you have been a journo for more than three decades. Have you published any book of your columns?
ReplyDeleteHi KP - Thank you. No, I haven't published any books. Maybe I will once I retire in about seven months time and I will have more time for myself. However, I have written quite few articles that were published in the newspapers I have worked for. Being in the newsdesk, my work profile is planning and selecting the contents of the next day's newspaper and also editing the news items that finally go into the paper.
DeleteOh wow. That must have been great to see.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed it was.
DeleteWow, that must have been amazing to see the place that had so much impact on your life.
ReplyDeleteExactly! It was incredible to be there and relive the memories!
DeleteHow wonderful for you, Pradeep. That must have been a fantastic experience, especially for you as a journalist.
ReplyDeleteYes, absolutely. Although short, the visit was deeply fulfilling. Thank you.
DeleteI'm so behind when it comes to pop cultures.
ReplyDeleteThat's perfectly fine. The interests of each of us vary.
DeleteMy youngest daughter worked for BBC News when she left university.
ReplyDeleteI remember the 'old days' of BBC news, when there would be strange, dissonant noises and a sort of echoing when reporters in other countries contributed.
I am glad to know that your daughter worked for BBC News. I do remember the echoing sound in reporters' despatches. Those were when telephone lines were used. It vanished when reporters could use satellite uplinking facilities to send their stories.
DeleteThank you so much. It was a short but extremely heart-filling visit.
ReplyDeleteYou had a dream and believed in it, it came so true.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you were able to visit the BBC and also meet your friend. It is not like the BBC some years ago. There are allegations of systemic bias.
ReplyDeleteYou may be interested to know Melville de Mellow was offered a position with BBC and he chose to remain with All India Radio.
Thank you. I think I have heard about Melville de Mellow preferring to stay with AIR.
DeleteRegarding the allegations of bias, I don't think any media organisation is free of criticisms. In fact, organisations like BBC get the brickbats from all sides. Most people will find something that they felt wasn't okay.
By the way, I am biased towards BBC!
I am glad you realised your childhood dream. I am also glad you weren't disapointed with your visit and tour.
ReplyDeleteHi CherryPie - Thanks for your kind words! It was incredible to finally experience something I'd imagined for so long.
DeleteThat must have been a marvellous experience and I am envious. No matter what new media comes along, I am and always will be wedding to radio.
ReplyDeletewedded, of course.
DeleteThere's something special about radio that transcends newer forms of media. The intimacy, the imagination, and the immediacy of radio are hard to replicate.
DeleteHow wonderful for you I love the radio and listen to Radio 4 all the time.
ReplyDeleteBBC was the ultimate in news broadcast in my childhood too though I could hardly follow the accent. The radio was the only infotainment in those days.
ReplyDeleteHi Pradeep - that's great to know you were able to visit and team up/meet a fellow journalist from the BBC World Service and get a quick tour in. I listen to the World Service now too ... I'm looking forward to your next post ... you certainly crammed a lot in. Also this visit was timed just right for when you retire sometime next year ... fun to think about ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHi Hilary - Thanks for your kind words! The tour was informative and inspiring, and I'm glad you're enjoying the World Service as much as I am. I'm working on my next post and hope to share it with you soon.
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