GMTV's Top Secret Mission

Sunday 29th November

It was a hush hush job with the military .

It was one of those need to know assignments. I had to be careful who I talked to about where I was going and what I would be doing.

I drove from Edinburgh to Fife constantly checking the vehicles behind to make sure that I was not being followed.

The rendezvous was an anonymous looking building on an industrial estate not far from the Police HQ.

It was surrounded by an effective iron fence.

I drove my car to the double gates. I had to get out and go an intercom. I pushed the button on it.

I told the answering voice who I was.

On being told that I was expected the gates were opened and I eased the car through them.

I was escorted up stairs by a colonel and another officer where we discussed the secret nature of the mission and how it would best be acheved.

The building itself was like any building on any industrial estate but it did a big sign on it and signs to it announcing it as the home of the Army Cadets.

The reason for all the cloak and dagger stuff, a surprise programme for Lorraine Kelly’s 50th birthday.

Lorriane is the Army Cadet’s Honourary Colonel.

I was there for them to record some birthday wishes which would go out on a special programme to celebrate the land mark birthday of one of television’s most endearing icons.

There were lots of things planned that she was totally unaware of.

I filmed with some of the cadets seening them doing some first aid, map reading and learning how to play the pipes.

A Map Reading Class.

Some hand picked boys and girls gave little birthday greetings. The CO Colonel Passmore did a short piece to camera.

The big finle was a 50 made out of cadets.

The Grand Finale. (I'm glad the TV Camera has a bit of a wider lens)

I was made very welcome by all the guys who were very patient when I got them to do things s few times over just to make sure it was as good as it could be.

Once I had it all in the can it needed to get to GMTV in London as soon as possible to get edited for tomorrow’s programme.

That meant a drive to Glasgow to STV.

In the late afternoon the material was safely at GMTV.

In the morning when I watched the programme I was quite proud that the only item out of all the items the one from the cadets was the only one that moved Lorraine to tears.