Cameraman based in Edinburgh, employed by ITN, working for ITV's Good Morning Britain covering stories all over the UK and the world. War Zones, World Cups, Royal Tours and many other less exciting assignments, like interviewing current and ex Prime Ministers have kept me busy over the years working in Breakfast Television since GMTV came on the scene back in '93 and regional TV before that. In 2009 I began to record what it is like to work, the often strange and long hours needed to bring the hard news, human interest and fluffy fun to the UK's TV screens in the morning, mostly broadcasting live.

Friday, 9 October 2009

Ah! The Manchester Rain.


Tuesday 6th October


Our assignment for the day was straightforward. Ravi the producer simply had to get opinions from "salt of the earth" Mancunians about what the Conservatives needed to do to win their vote.


The ladies of our weather department got it dead right.


It was going to be heavy rain all day.


The pair of us ending up looking like two forlorn puppies after enthusiastically chasing a ball thrown into the sea but returning without it.


It took the best part of two hours in the pissing rain to get what was needed.


It was not for the shortage of hardy northerners grimly determined to shop despite the monsoon conditions.


We went through the full gamut of: "sorry I've got a bus/train/appointment to get to", "I don't really do politics", "Oh I don't want to be on television",


 "Get ME on telli!"


"What could the Tories do for you?"


"I don't know really..... When will I be on?"


"Don't point that camera at me."


Of course there was a large number of people that either just stared straight ahead and kept on walking or gave us a look that said "no I won't allow you to take a dump in my mouth", when Ravi very politely approached them.


By the time we'd finished I was surprised that the coast guard helicopter was not overhead preparing to winch us up and dump us at our respective hotels.

No comments:

Post a Comment