Adebayor's started so well for Man City
Archives for September 2008
When a radio show comes to town...
"If you see me holding my index finger and thumb a couple of inches apart, I am not making a comment about the size of a part of your anatomy, I am asking, could you keep your point concise please?". One of the instructions I had to give an audience of more than 200 people before they took part in my programme live from Birmingham yesterday. Our guests inluded David Davies, Iain Duncan Smith, Lord Heseltine, Teresa May etc; last week in Manchester it was Cabinet Office Minister Ed Miliband, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and two of her predecessors, Messrs Clarke and Blunkett.
You see when you're live on the radio I think it a bit rude to say "keep it brief will you?". But a small visual instruction and the millions listening around the country will never know.
Live at the Conservative party conference
Yes - we're in Birmingham for the Conservative party conference. We're asking the audience and you: "Are you ready for a Conservative government?"
Our audience include voters of every political persuasion.
Here's what's been happening so far:
It's getting busy
Journalist Owen working hard
Asking the questions
On Monday, we're in Birmingham
We're in Birmingham for the Conservative party conference. On Monday, we're broadcasting from the Holiday Inn in the centre of the city, where we're hoping the audience will be as chatty and entertaining as the one we had for Labour last week.
From 9, we'll be asking "Are you ready for a Conservative government?" and talking to senior figures in the party about how they would run the country.
The team here with me is Lou, the editor, Owen, Imogen, Jane and Louisa. Here's a picture of them in the studio.
Does community service work?
If you have a look at this link, you'll see as part of his community service.
But does this kind of punishment work?
We're gearing up for Monday's programme on the Conservatives from Birmingham. If you've got specific questions you want answering, just post them on the blog.
Off to do the show!
Vic
Want to spend more time with the family?
Today we talked about Ruth Kelly's announcement that she was leaving her cabinet position for the good of her children asking the question: Have you given up you job for the sake of your children?
It sparked a big response, you can listen to some of your calls below.
You can hear more of the discussion from this morning in the 5 live News Phone In podcast.
Back from Manchester...
We had a really great time yesterday in Manchester. An amazing audience and ministers really being pushed about what the government's up to.
We went for a pizza after the programme and there were loads of politicians in there - including Harriet Harman - talking about the conference, so we were trying not to earwig!
We're doing it all again next week in Birmingham for the Conservative party conference. If you live nearby and fancy coming, there are a handful of tickets left. Drop me an email at victoria@bbc.co.uk.
If you missed it here's some of the best bits from the programme.
Listen to some of the teenagers in the audience talking politics
Listen to my discussion with Cabinet minister Ed Miliband about Gordon Brown and the economy
Listen to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith speaking to 5 live listener Tony Winter about apprentices and gangs
We're in Manchester...
Victoria's in Manchester for the Labour party conference from 9 this morning. She'll be joined by an audience of 5live listeners as well as cabinet ministers and backbenchers. And she'll be asking: Is Labour bust under Gordon Brown?
UPDATE 23/09/08: If you missed the programme you can either listen again on iPlayer or catch up with some of the highlights on my more recent blog post, Back from Manchester...
On Monday we're in Manchester
Hi. We're in Manchester for the Labour party conference and I thought I'd show you where we're broadcasting from on Monday morning.
This is the Quaker meeting house where we'll be hearing from politicians and have an audience of around 200 people to talk about Gordon Brown's future, the economy, crime - and anything else people fancy.
The team here are Carly, Gabriela, Katie and my Editor Lou. I'm going to try and get them to blog too while we're there.
Left to right - Lou, Gabriela, Carly, Katie
We'll put some more pictures up soon.
PS: Please don't turn up here! All the tickets have gone and you won't get in.
When Phil met Roy Jones Jr
Phil Williams spoke to boxing legend Roy Jones Junior on the programme this morning. He's won World titles at four weights from middleweight to heavyweight and faces Joe Calzaghe at Madison Square Garden on 8th November.
Phil had the courage to ask the boxer to "stop fiddling with his wires" while he was on the air - as it was interfering with his microphone. Roy seemed to take it quite well. you can hear the full interview below
When to introduce your child to football?
Hi there,
Thought you might like to see an article Victoria's written for The Times about introducing her son to the world of Premier League football.
I'm away this week...
I'm away this week so my editor Lou will be posting on the blog while I'm off. See you next week, when we're at the Labour Party conference...
Another holiday firm goes bust
Britain's third largest tour operator XL has collapsed, leaving 85,000 customers stranded abroad and another 200,000 facing losing their holidays. Hundreds of people have been arriving at airports across the country ready to go on holiday - only to find out they can't get on a plane. Some customers might not even know they've booked with XL - because it trades under eight other names. This morning: Are you affected? Are you at an airport now, or facing losing your holiday altogether? Or are you one of the thousands who worked for the company? When did you find out there was a problem?
5 Live listeners force Setanta to change
The power of Five Live listeners: yesterday loads of you complained that cancelling your Setanta subscription was a bit of a nightmare. Today the company announced it was changing its policy because of the public reaction.
Richard Brooke, Corporate Development Director, Setanta Sports, said:
"We have listened to the views of customers and have decided to respond with immediate effect by reducing our cancellation notice from 60 to 30 days."
Plus you can now drop them an email if you want to cancel, rather than only being able to write a formal letter to a PO Box address (Setanta Sports, PO BOX 182, The Quays,
Newry, Co. Down BT35 5AT)
. Below is the website address for Setanta..
Worried about fuel bills? Here are some useful numbers..
Today we heard Grodon Brown announce measures he says will help reduce your fuel bills long term. If you're worried or want to know whether you qualify, here are some useful telephone numbers and websites:
Warm Front
Warmfront is a government-funded initiative for vulnerable people, for example those on benefits and pensioners.
Website:
Telephone: 0800 316 2805
Energy Saving Trust
The Energy saving trust is for everyone else and provides free, independent and local energy saving advice.
Website:
Telephone: 0800 512 012
I've fallen out of love with the England team, you've fallen out of love with Setanta
Sorry but I have. I almost can't be bothered with them anymore. Partly because of failing to qualify for Euro 2008, partly because I couldn't watch the game on TV on Saturday while listening to the Five Live commentary like I usually do. And rightly or wrongly I do compare their performances with the achievements of Team GB in Beijing. Judging from conversations with you this morning I'm not the only one.
My word we were overwhelmed with messages from you about how difficult it is to cancel your Setanta subscription.
UPDATE
Towards the end of the programme we spoke to Richard Brooke, Setanta's director of corporate development, who told us they'd review their current policy on cancellations. And Trevor East, their Director of Sport, who told us they're still negotiating with ITV to show highlights. You can listen to what they had to say below.
Do you want to see older women reading the news?
Do you want to see older women reading the news? The film producer Michael Winner's criticised Selina Scott's attempt to sue channel 5 on the grounds of ageism after she was passed over to fill in for Natasha Kaplinsky while she's on maternity leave.
Writing in the Mail today he says .
UPDATE
We were meant to talk to Michael Winner today, but he changed his mind about speaking to us. Tomorrow we'll hear from the 75-year-old presenter Joan Bakewell who says the industry is dominated by the "hideously young".
Flooding across the UK - your pictures
You've been sending in your pictures of the destruction that the floods are causing across the UK. Here's a selection of what you've sent us - text your pics to 85058 (network rates apply).
Floods washed away a bridge in Brecon.
Teddy Sheringham's honest answers
How refreshing to talk to a sportsman who's competed at the highest level and who doesn't respond to questions with banal platitudes. Okay, Teddy Sheringham was promoting Socceraid - that's the only reason we got access to him - but there were no restrictions on what questions we could ask him (and had there been we would have declined the opportunity).
He appeared on the programme this morning and going with the "speak as you find" principle I felt he was honest, refreshing and friendly. Have a listen.
We're a nation of passive bystanders
...according to a new report, and certainly compared to people in the rest of Europe. We'd be more likely to walk on by if we saw a gang of youths vandalising a bus stop The report says 6 out of ten people in Britain would be unlikely to challenge the group of 14 yr olds whereas in Germany six out of ten WOULD challenge them. So why are we in Britain less likely to intervene when a crime is taking place? Why are the Italians, the French, the Spanish more likely to have a go?
