BBC

It was pretty pointless getting Nicholas Witchell to stand outside the gates of Balmoral Castle tonight to deliver the Queen's statement.
He wandered off camera then when they got back to him the link was so bad they had to abandon it.

I won't die of suspense wondering what the Queen thinks but wouldn't it have been easier to get somebody in the studio to read it out?

I love, Earl Grey, Lady Grey, ginger beer, lavender biscuits and a fabulous white wine called Gerwertztraminer. Anything perfumed is for me. Over and out.

To stand anywhere with their back to somewhere that "news" is said to have happened and tell us something we could have heard from the studio. No sign of anything interesting going on at all, but they have to be "our man/woman on the spot"

What really annoys me is sending a reporter and crew to stand outside buck house if there a royal story

grumpa and feetle I'm not a fan of Earl Grey either but have recently discovered Lady Grey, with lemon. It's very refreshing. (Sorry everyone, getting a bit off thread now.)

At last, feetle, someone who shares my opinion of Earl Grey tea.

Nice to see a bit of London.

It would be a bit dull if it was all in the studio. I think.

Yes, we do have perfectly good reporters in Scotland, and it is annoying when they are not trusted to appear on the UK News. Channel 4 sent some of their best people here, which is fair enough as they don't have a base here. They did some very good reports.

The one which always annoys me is when they have to send political reporters to Downing Street or Westminster. Couldn't they just report from the studio, or are we too stupid to realise that they are talking about politics? (Even more annoying and pointless when it's raining.)

Salford is actually part of Greater Manchester, feetle.

Isn't it actually Salford where the BBC has opened a big new facility, rather than Manchester?

I suppose with all the 'reality' (ha!) shows featuring members of the public, they can afford to move sway from where the talented are available, as they are not needed... Cardiff seems to be the place now for drama - they all dash back to London at the weekends, of course - the M4 is knee-deep in hurtling thespians on a Friday night.

@hildajenniJ - It's almost like drinking tea from a cup that still has washing up liquid on it - the charm of Earl Grey eludes me!

Oh bu***** the spelling Elegran thanks for getting me back on track.

I will write elegy 20 times before tea.

Earl Grey invented the tea with bergamot oil infused to mask the taste of the water in his house. All of his wife's friends were so taken with it that they introduced it to London society when they went there for the season. This is not about the BBC but I thought I'd throw it in anyway.

What always amuses me is when there is an event say in an African country, and although they can't get a reporter in there [for various reasons] they go to an adjoining African country where it's safe, and report from there! I mean.... why??

That's the kind of thing I was thinking about. Same as the reporting of the storms - do we really need to see some poor reporter clinging desperately on to some railing in the midst of high wind and towering waves, shouting for the mic to pick up his voice, to let us know that the weather's quite bad at that moment!

Wasn't he the feller who invented the scenty tea-bags? Grey?

No,*nankate*, you spelt Gray perfectly. It was elegy you got wrong.

What always amuses me is when there is an event say in an African country, and although they can't get a reporter in there [for various reasons] they go to an adjoining African country where it's safe, and report from there! I mean.... why??

Sorry Gracesgran for calling you by you DGD's name. I suppose the clue was in the name and a lovely name it is too.

It takes me back to the 1950s when in a school exam this question appeared. 'Who wrote Gray's Elergy' and the plonker I am wrote Keats ! . I bet I have spelt Gray wrong now.

I don't mind where it is situated just the millions of the Licence Payers' money being spent like that.

The beeb sent it's main reporters there, as it's the British broadcasting Cooperation and the referendum affects the whole country why should coverage be left to regional reporters ?

Let's use the whole country not just one small part of it.

Absolutely.

I often wonder at the logic of a lot of reporting (not just the BBC) and the unnecessary expense.

I'm generally a big fan of the BBC, but they never miss a chance to overdo things, do they. Overdo, overkill, overspend.... etc.... yawn......
But I still love them, sort of.

Large parts of the BBC have gone to Manchester. The House of Commons to Birmingham next? Let's use the whole country not just one small part of it.

(Grace is my granddaughter BTW. Hence Grace's Gran - I knew I should have written it out properly )

Really Grace how so ?