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AlisonW

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The Rennard affair

2014-01-23 18:58:47 - by alisonw Politics-UK LibDems People News

I'm still around. mostly elsewhere though. However … being on tv last week was 'interesting' as well as being unexpected / unintentional.

For those who didn't watch Channel 4 news last Saturday it was about the Chris Rennard affair; I'd made a post on facebook and Chris had replied to me. C4News had noticed this and - more importantly - it turned out that i was the _only_ person Chris had responded to anywhere. Why me? I've absolutely no idea. But anyway, I'd gone to the BBC that morning to do a Wikipedia thing (New Broadcasting House - like the old one but with new bits added on) but when I connected to the internet I found a direct message on twitter from Cathy Newman (co-presenter) asking me if they could talk to me. Another DM led to a phone call and at 3pm I found myself getting into a car they'd sent for me and going to ITN HQ. Rushed straight through the newsroom (this one very quiet, compared to the BBC's which was quite full and busy) I was suddenly in the studio about to be on camera (to tape). Having not expected to be in such a position when I left home that morning I wasn't wearing 'nice' clothes (comfort!) or have a hair brush with me. Spent about ten minutes or so being interviewed and then left. Naturally enough, only a short section actually made it to the national news that night.

The thing is I ****HATE***** seeing photos of myself, let alone film / video. The last time I did a news piece to camera was around ten years ago and it was live to a remotely-operated camera for BBC Hull, which meant I never had to see it. This time there was no way I could miss seeing it - or my mum or others miss seeing it either. I have a face for radio, and a body for burying very deep.

The feedback (FB, twitter, irl) has mostly been good, but I hated what I saw on screen. To my mind I DON'T LOOK LIKE THAT! but yes, everyone then tells me I do, so what do I know! I mean, I know I'm fat / overweight. I can't hide that, but on screen I looked even way way way bigger than I see myself in the mirror.

But I got through it so maybe, just maybe, I might be confident enough to do it again - sometime before another ten years goes past.

UK National station, main evening news programme - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channel_4_News

The other national news in the UK after the BBC - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITN

Party President

2008-10-15 13:51:00 - by alisonw Politics-UK LibDems

I received my ballot paper for the next party President this morning and was rather surprised to find that there is a third candidate!

I've known that Ros Scott was standing for more than a year, and likewise Lembit Opik – whom I voted for last time the position was up for election – is there again, but someone I've never heard of before has also entered the fray. Given that the position is there to run the main internal committee and be the 'face' of the party then only the first two can be considered serious candidates.

I've know Lembit for ages, and likewise Ros, so I am torn between them as to which I want to see elected. Wonder if a jobshare could be possible …