Looking For Rabbie Burns In London
Now here's a question for my fellow Scots. Are there times when you feel like being a bit more Scottish than usual? Like, when you're not actually in Scotland?
I had that experience today when I found myself walking the length of Regent Street in London, prior to a meeting at Broadcasting House. I was searching - in vain - for any token acknowledgment that today was Burns Day. I thought I'd find at least one department store window festooned in tartan and with mannequins fondling haggis in a suggestive manner.
Well, you know how they like to sex things up down there.
But no, not one single finger of shortbread could I spy, let alone any image of Burns himself. So off I went into the bowels of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã, determined to do my bit for our bard. I'd been invited to the Radio 4 Forum chaired by the station's Controller, Mark Damazer. It's held in the radio theatre rehearsal rooms on the lower ground floor of B.H. The venue adds an air of intrigue to the meeting and it's more than my career is worth to tell you about anything that was discussed. Nor can I describe the secret rituals involving the big urns of tea and coffee. There was supping from cups, but more than that I dare not say.
But I can tell you about the moment when I flapped my hand in the air and Mark asked me if I wanted to make a point.
"Och Aye, " I said, adopting a thick brogue (and worrying about what kind of father I could be to footwear with learning difficulties) "I just wanted to wish everyone a happy Burns day."
In case you're wondering, I did go on to make some blindingly obvious point about the importance of live programming over the festive season, but that was just a cover for by Burns infliltration. I fooled no one.
And it turns out I wasn't alone. In the departure lounge at Gatwick Airport I ran into an old chum from my Moray Firth Radio days. Rory Stone was the breakfast show DJ when I was on the MFR news team way back in 1989. Now he runs and had been in London promoting the firm's famous cheeses at Selfridges.
Because it's Burns day, of course. Rabbie loved a bit of Brie.
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