Tuesday 23rd July
Glasgow
It was quite quiet at the top of Buchanan Street in the heart of Glasgow when we started rigging.
Although, we were not the only ones getting set up.
A tent had been put up. Inside a couple of guys were fitting a large clock and two racing bikes minus their front wheels, one blue and one red.
The bikes were attached to rolling roads. This is where members of the public would be able to challenge Sir Chis Hoy's Olympic time.
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| The cycling challenge tent being set up |
We were there to mark a year to go until the start of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
It was not going to be a very busy morning but, there was enough to keep us going. Nick Dixon had come up from London to do one main broadcast, a few short teases and a couple of short news broadcasts. We were also going to do a down the line interview with Sir Chris Hoy at 7:35.
The timing of this interview was critical because he was scheduled to do a whole host of interviews throughout the morning at exact times.
It did not take ling before things did start to get a bit hectic as all the other broadcasters arrived, well rather surprisingly all except Sky News. They were perhaps busy with another story about a baby that had been born yesterday.
The thought had crossed my mind that the birth of the royal baby in London might have pushed out our broadcasts given how crazy everyone seemed to be going about it.
The only time that there was a little bit of stress for us was just before our first short tease when there was no one around, the samba band had just arrived and was still a few hundred hards way. The dancers had gone off to get into their costumes and had not appeared.
Thankfully they were all there in time, albeit with only about fifteen seconds to spare!
There was no time to be polite as Nick and I ordered then into position and to start doing their thing, whatever that was going to be.
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| The dancers and the game's mascot, Clyde. |
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| Kilted samba band |
There was a bit of stress from the gallery in London when Sir Chris was not in place until about a minute to go until his interview.
He was the man everyone in the media wanted to speak to and members of the public wanted pictures with and to get his autograph.
He played his part with all of us very well. He took the time to say hello and thanks to not only the reporters but the others in the crew and managed to keep smiling as he was hustled from one interview to another and then on to photo calls with a few scribbled autographs in between.
In general it was a bit manic but we all got what we needed.
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| The BBC prepare for their first live broadcast,.. |
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| ..then their down the live interview with Sir Chris.. |
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| ..and recorded interview |
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| Sound recordist Ian gets him wired up for our interview |
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| Then it's ITN's turn with Debbi and Alan.. |
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| ..before a scrum of other reporters |
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| Photo call time.. |
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| ..with a few photographers |
When we had been given a clear from Doug the technical director we went off for our breakfasts and then head home. Sir Chris had gone to join some lucky people for a rather more glamorous bit of dining outside the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
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