Historic and Empirical and Cultured
It all began 92 years ago. Four people worked on their staff, and anyone who owned a receiver paid 10 shillings for the privilege of listening. In 1922 the British Empire covered one quarter of the globe, ruling one quarter of the people of the globe. There was a crashing need to tie this enormous Empire together, and the BBC was born.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyjcase/2207654349/
In that year, both Mussolini and Stalin become leaders of their governments. Egypt won its independence from Britain. And the Eskimo Pie was created - imagine that! All of this meant there was a lot to communicate to a waiting world. When World War II began, the BBC found its way to broadcast into the occupied countries, and lovers of freedom everywhere hid 'contraband' radios in order to listen. Those who can still remember will tell you that the full broadcast of the 9 o'clock News was the moment they looked forward to - and dreaded - all day long.
There are now 23,000 staff members at the BBC. And I got to meet some of them!
In October I walked my way through a rain storm down to Broadcasting House in London. I had a ticket for the BBC tour, and you might remember it mentioned on the blog post from October 13: 'From the BBC to Downton Abbey'. The walk from St. Paul's Cathedral Youth Hostel was 3 miles, and many puddles. My black boots were simply drenched when I arrived, but you couldn't really tell (as time passed, however, I noticed an ever-so-slight smell emanating..remnants, no doubt, of a Cornwall cow pasture. How embarrassing).
There were 15 or 20 of us on the tour, with terrific guides. We were told lots of great BBC stories, and saw video clips of decisive world events as portrayed by correspondents all across the globe. And then out of the blue they asked us for two volunteers to 'read' the (mock) News on camera! I was so scared to volunteer that I hesitated and shook in my wet boots, until I saw that NO ONE was volunteering. I timidly put up my hand and was given 'News' to read, along with another hapless creature whose friends urged him on.
But look! Here is the evidence that it happened! Doesn't it all look rather real? It felt real, and sort of awe inspiring. But I decided to throw myself into it with a will, and thrust my iPhone at a young girl I knew would be able to take photos. The sets there are lovely, and the producers very encouraging and kind. No one seemed self important or above the rest of us. This made the experience fun and easy and never-to-be-forgotten!
And why am I thinking about the BBC today? It is because they have calmly given out the News in the least sensational most comforting way possible, for so many years. I am assured that if any news comes through about missing Malaysian Flight 370, I will hear it first on the BBC. They won't over-describe anything. Their cultured voices will just say what happened. And as much as is known, why it happened.
I like this, in a world of drama and exclamation points. It gives you the chance to digest the information without hearing any arguments about it. It is all very satisfying.
But - my poor boots will never be the same.
See you along the way!
the SconeLady
photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyjcase/2207654349/">Great Beyond</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>
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