大象传媒

Personal stories behind the news from all over the world. With Matthew Bannister.

On today's programme: Pirate negotiator; top restaurant in a prison; moon memories; eye to eye with sperm whale.

Hans Slaman - pirate negotiator

Pirate hijackings have become an occupational hazard for ships' crews navigating the busy waters off the coast of Somalia. At the moment, officials in Somalia believe as many as 12 ships are being held for ransom. So how do the owners get their ships back - and how do they make sure that their crews are returned unharmed? Outlook spoke to Dutch negotiator Hans Slaman. He was retained to secure the release of the Belgian ship Pompeii which had been seized by Somali pirates in April. In a negotiation which lasted for 71 days, Hans spent 31 hours in a 171 telephone conversations with the hijackers. The ship was finally released late last month.

The Clink - top restaurant inside a prison

The 大象传媒's Sheila Dillon visits Al Crisci's restaurant, The Clink, which is housed inside High Down Prison in Sutton. Part staff canteen for the prison employees and part four-star restaurant for the public, The Clink aims to have a standard equal to any four-star hotel or restaurant. Inmates receive training and hands-on experience of working at the top end of the hospitality sector. Potential employers are invited in to see the restaurant in action. Al Crisci's aim is to ensure that the inmates involved are fit to work in such establishments on release, that they have the ability to earn a decent salary and will keep out of crime.

Your moon memories

In our series the Moon and Me we've been asking for your memories of watching the first moon landing - 40 years ago. One Outlook listener who got in touch was Rick Barron from Boulder, Colorado. He was on leave after his first year in the US air force when he heard the news. Do get in touch with your own memories of the moon landings.

Man and whale

What's 65 feet long, has a row of 42 huge ivory teeth and can swallow a great white shark in one gulp? The answer is a sperm whale and the writer Philip Hoare had the courage to swim right up to one. Whales have been an obsession for Philip since he was a boy growing up by the sea in the south of England. He's spent four years making a film and writing a book about the magnificent giants of the ocean.

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