the old....

...and the new!

It was a very interesting trip as we learnt a lot about the BBC from our tour guides. We spent most of the tour in the old Broadcasting house which was a beautiful art deco style building opened on 14th May 1934.

But, before we went to the old building, we first were shown the Central Newsroom, where many journalists and reporters were busy on their computers and we even saw a live weather report being filmed! Not to mention seeing my favourite news lady Fiona Bruce researching for her next report! 

As we looked over the impressive Central Newsroom, our tour guide explained just how dangerous working as a news reporter can be, especially those who report abroad-we were told about a man who was shot six times when reporting in Syria. Upon research into this at home, I discovered that this was a man called Frank Gardner, who is a journalist. He was awarded an OBE for his services to journalism. On 6 June 2004, while reporting from Saudi Arabia, Gardner was shot six times and seriously injured in an attack by al-Qaeda sympathisers. His colleague, Irish cameraman Simon Cumbers, was shot dead. Of the bullets which hit Gardner in his torso (others passed through his shoulder and leg) most missed his major organs but one hit his spinal nerves and he was left partly paralysed in the legs and dependent on a wheelchair. But, he is still working as the BBC's security correspondent. I found this extremely interesting and inspirational as it shows the dedication to journalism some individuals have and really shows the danger of this field of work. 

We also went outside to see where the outside parts of 'The One Show' are filmed. They were preparing for Gabrielle Aplin to perform that night, so were doing extensive sound checks. We were told that this is because they need to ensure it sounds perfect to the audience at home and doesn't matter if it sounds good to us live in person. We were also introduced to a 'Jimmy Jib' camera crane. These are used to film those amazing sweeping shots. 

In the old Broadcasting House, we were shown the old microphones and the BBC Radio Theatre, where acts still perform today, like Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith (tickets are free!). We also got the opportunity to become news readers and weather reporters! Me and Jessie were weather reporters, which was completely unscripted, so we just read what we saw, which I struggled with-improvisation is not my forte. We also recorded a Radio Drama, I helped make the sound effects at the appropriate times. We used a cork in a bike pump to make the sound of a champagne bottle opening and shook a pair of gloves to make the sound of bats!

Overall, I had lots of fun on this trip, but at the same time I learnt a lot about what happens at the BBC! I have footage from the trip which I plan to make into a video, so stay tuned!