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JANUARY:

"Included on the breakfast menu on Broadcasting House on Sunday at 0900, a report from Balakot - the Pakistan town almost entirely destroyed in the October 2005 south-Asia earthquake which killed at least 75,000 people.

Destroyed, but still inhabited. Balakot people tell Hugh Sykes they are not happy with government plans to create an earthquake-proof 'New Balakot' fifteen miles away. They want the town rebuilt where it is. Hear about it on BH on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Hugh sent these photos and words from Balakot:

"Prefab: Hundreds of metal, prefab houses have been put up in Balakot, thanks to the Saudi government.

Tents: The tent near the centre of the photo is a primary school.

Survivors: Between fifteen and twenty thousand children were killed by the earthquake, when school buildings collapsed on top of them.

Lucky: Zarkham (8 years old now) was thrown across his classroom and hit on theforehead by a falling brick. It's a startling scar, but Zarkham is cheerful and seems fine.

Shack: Five-year-old Qinza with her mother in the shack her family has built next to the one remaining wall of their old home. Qinza says she wants to live in a 'good house', not a prefab - and her family say they don't want to move to 'New Balakot'.

Revival: Fruit stall in the rebuilt Balakot bazaar, which mostly collapsed in the earthquake.

Memories: By the light of a storm lantern - because of a power cut - a Balakot pharmacist and his assistant look at a book of photographs of the town before and after the earthquake.""

FEBRUARY:

"Mark Mardell reports for us tonight - you can read more on Mark's Blog and enjoy these snaps that accompany his report.

Jack and Vera yesterday"

MARCH

"Our reporter Michael Buchanan will have a piece for you tonight. He sends these words and pictures:

"They don't do anything by half in Dubai. This is the world's tallest hotel, the Burj Al Arab, which bills itself as seven star accommodation. You may remember seeing pictures of Roger Federer and Andre Agassi playing tennis on its helipad a few years ago. This is as close as I got to it - ´óÏó´«Ã½ budgets don't accommodate staying at such places."

Such construction projects, and the stress they put on landfill sites, coupled with a lifestyle that's high on energy use - unbelievably they have an indoor ski slope IN THE DESERT - has given the UAE a terrible environmental reputation. People here were found to have the largest carbon footprint in the world a while back, but a project to be built here in the Abu Dhabi desert could put the UAE at the forefront of renewable energy.

Its called the Masdar initiative and by 2016 the plan is to have 90,000 living and working in the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste city. There's an of how it will look.

Fifteen billion dollars has been set aside for the development, so they're clearly serious about it, with Lord Foster leading the construction.""

APRIL

Our editor, Roger, is doing one of his stalwart "I'll struggle on at work despite being close to death" things. He's had a serious cold since early March and is in today with the reddest nose in the world.

I have taken a photo of it.

Please complete the following phrase:

"I'M NOT SAYING ROGER HAS A RED NOSE BUT...."

MAY
From Humph:
Here is my offering for the Petrol Price non-competition. I have to say that I really do not understand what all the fuss is about. 12.9 pence for a litre of unleaded? That sounds quite reasonable to me. It is a shame that diesel is twice as much but 24.9 pence a litre is still not going to break the bank. The people I feel sorry for are those who rely on Autogas. Or am I missing something?

JUNE

Stewart Mitchell says: "I know its a week late but I was on my holidays. Note how Diesel is cheaper than unleaded on the other side of the channel. Oh this is Belgium by the way."

JULY: SHATNER WEEK.

"That cut down on the dialogue between us. There are a limited number of things an actor can do when playing opposite a clown who honks."

AUGUST: OLYMPICS

He is our star of the Games. Here are some photos of Andy, the team, and the scenes. And of course the Desk of Sport....

"The Team Day 1

The desk of Sport

SEPTEMBER: Paralympics.

....Paralympic Desk of Sport....?

OCTOBER:

"Salcombe Estuary, Saturday September 13th 2008 - by Diane Millman"

From Sid Bowerman, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear.

Fred Leefarr sends "Kew gardens last weekend!"

This comes to us from the Gonellas.

"Hubbard's Hills, Louth, in Lincolnshire, this autumn. By Kate Levey, for The Louth Heritage Group."

"Autumn colours at Sheffield Park Gardens" - from John Barnes.

"This is an ancient beech, deep in Fineshade Woods in Northants. We call it the Cathedral Tree because walking underneath is like entering a cathedral - dark, peaceful, soaring arches, hundreds of years old." Barrie Galpin

From George Norris: "Taken at 7.00 this morning" (sent on Monday, if you're worried about which morning it is.

"These were taken on 19th October, at Westonbirt Arboretum. It was stunning!
Heather"

From Janet Young.

"This picture looks out from the front of our home in northern France. Somewhere in the mist are five lovely cows and two very cute miniature ponies. When the doom and gloom is on the radio, I find cow watching to be a blood-pressure-reducing activity. Melanie Hancox"

NOVEMBER: Shaun Ley at the US Elections:

Had my first proper cup of tea since Monday morning (the interviewee's other half is from the UK and always brings tea bags back from visits home).

It does feel a bit odd being at what's usually the centre of US politics when most of the politicians have gone away. All the colour of the campaign is elsewhere. Indeed the only excitement was the street theatre of Halloween; the one night of the year when stuffy, staid Washington let's its hair down (and judging by last night, paints it a different colour).

DC stands for District of Columbia, and because Washington it's not a State, the people who live here have limited political rights. Until about 40 years ago, they couldn't even vote for the President. Now they can, and they have a delegate in Congress, but she isn't allowed to vote.

The citizens of DC pay their taxes; so whatever happened to 'no taxation without representation' ?

Some gossip before I go : a Democratic congressman claims Republican politicians have been whispering in his ear that they're voting Democrat for President; one of the country's leading election experts that one Senator will face a run-off in December, which could be a nail biter for determining whether or not the Democrats end up in full control of Congress; and apparently Obama bought four new pairs of shoes from a local shop the other day; all those rallies have worn out his soles."

DECEMBER: Hugh in Afghanistan:

....where, he writes: "there are rumours today of more attempts to talk to the Taleban. But the main event in Afghanistan today is Eid - three day holiday at the beginning of winter. If you don't like bloody sacrifice, don't scroll down.

Heavy cloud over freshly snow-capped mountains near Kabul.

A cordial welcome to Afghanistan from a soldier who asked to be photographed.

Waiting for a cab on a dusty Sunday evening at dusk in Kabul airport car park.

Part of the Eid celebration is sacrifice - cows or sheep. Here, a hole's been dug so that the blood from the cow's slit neck can nourish the roses.

Swift, expert butchery - the boys watch and learn.

Farewell to a sheep."

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