BBC Radio TweedAt a bloggee's request I have posted the image of the Workingman's Institute in Duns, home of a BBC studio-keys obtainable from the newsagent (in case you want to seize it and announce a change of regime in Berwickshire) The studio is apparently owned by BBC Radio Tweed-programmes seen here which seems to be Radio Scotland masquerading under the Tweed logo as I could not detect a really local, local programme. "Here is the Tweed News: There isn't any. The headlines once again"According to the studio log book the previous user to me was in May last year so no wonder the room was bloody freezing, but at least the BBC headphones kept my ears warm and the whole shebang worked very well all the way to Belfast, Norn Iron.But I was spared the heart stopping moment in an empty...
It may not rank with the Queen's message but Huttonian is on the airwaves tomorrow broadcasting from Duns. Duns? Yes, the BBC studio in the Workers* Institute in the Market Square. So that will be Radio Scotland then? No, Radio Ulster's Sunday Sequence which is explained here Whenever BBC Norn Iron get heavy with the Middle East-especially Palestine/Israel they track down Huttonian as a sort of honorary Norn Iron political commentator where ever he may be : I have pontificated from the Old Manse, Duns of course, and nearer to the Six Counties, from a wave swept radio car on Newcastle Promenade, from the janitors payphone (could not open the studio) in the St Patrick's Centre in Downpatrick and from the comfort of my own stairs in our cottage in Newcastle. The BBC techies hate you using...
Swinging the lead?Huttonian plus the youngest daughter and affiliates were peacefully picking Blackberries in 'The Clouds' just outside the castle when a car drew up besides a young mother with a twin buggy who was seemingly about to join us in this late summer harvesting. The driver said something to the mother and drove on. Apparently he had warned her (but not us) about feeding blackberries to her children as they were 'covered in lead' from the passing cars. She passed on her way leaving the fruit to the incomers. We wondered why there were so few black berry pickers around (in contrast to France) so this may be the reason. I doubt if more than twenty cars a day pass along the Clouds-its not the Fishwick Bypass for goodness sakeAnd lead? Do the vehicles around here have access to...
Duns boasts a number (well two at least) of famous sons-Most notable perhaps was the late "Jim Clarke the Grand Prix racing driver (actually a Chirnside man but his 'museum is in Duns) and of course the great Duns Scotus. Wikapedia has this entry:"Though of dubious nativity (one school would have it at Duns, in the Borders; another, elsewhere: off in Ireland) in 1291 Duns Scotus was recorded duly an ordained man of God, in Northampton, England; he was a student, and subsequently a teacher, beginning in 1293 and running through 1297, at the University of Paris, later at Oxford, and likely again at Cambridge. He was expelled from the University of Paris for siding with then Pope Boniface VIII in that pontiff's feud with Philip the Fair of France. At length, Duns Scotus settled in Cologne,...
A bloggee remembering Huttonian's address to the nation on Broadcasting House from Duns has asked for an image of the studio. Well this is not actually the studio but the building in Duns in which it is situated -up the stairs to first floor and keep right. You will need the key-either from Nairns the Newsagent or from mine host at the Black Bull -it may well have been there since Burns' time although there is no record of Burns broadcasting from there. This studio, usually used by Radio Scotland is a well kept secret in Broadcasting House, Lunnon and came as a surprise to the Producer that the Beeb had a facility in such an obscure locality (Southron view) as Duns. Should he deign to visit this bustling metropolis he might well, in his amazement at so much sophistication, expect to find...
Live (or rather in the can) from Duns?Huttonian, has, out of the blue, been asked to 'appear' on Broadcasting House-the Radio 4 magazine programme. Apparently some highheidyins in the corporation intrigued by the description of the Bush/Brown talks as 'Free and Frank' want some one with dip service background to interpret the nuances of such labels which often do more to conceal than to elucidate. Watch that space.The BBC have a built in abhorrence of interviewing on the bog standard phone. Much too low tech. I resisted the time wasting effort of being driven to the BBC studio in Newcastle so they have come up with a serve- yourself -studio in Duns apparently occasionally used by Borders Radio. This involves going to the first floor of the Workers Institute having collected the key from...
