FROM ANDREW DRUMMOND,
BANGKOK, APRIL 29TH, 2011
This week there is a blackout on news back in Britain and it’s not all bad. The reason is of course because of THE WEDDING.
I’m all for a good party and why not celebrate the future marriage of the future King and Queen of England, so I have not been distracting people from the buildup for today’s event.
Well actually I have not been putting out stories this week and will not until the weekend, but I have been furiously working and sitting in on a TV edit, and other things so there IS good stuff to come.
But for journalists this is either the time to report the Royal Wedding or just sit back and enjoy.
Official picture
There are some 12,000 journalists in London to cover the event. You won’t find anywhere near that amount in Tripoli….and who is to say we have got all our priorities wrong here.
Watching the BBC World this morning was a delight. About 25 minutes of William and Kate Middleton and five minutes on Obama and tornadoes, the cost of a British aircraft carrier, and one Middle Eastern story, and I have even forgotten which one. It will be back on in a minute I guess, but who cares today.
For those who complain journalists do not ever write good news this is good news week and it’s great and I’m loving every minute of it.
I will be running the Union Jack up the flagpole along with the Scottish saltire. I have forgotten Culloden.
And this afternoon I may even join some ladies in wide-brimmed hats sipping tea, and maybe something a little bit stronger.
But if YOU are doing anything special to celebrate today….please let me know.
Well the wife will be glued to the box with a glass of white wine so guess I’d better join her. Don’t really like these do’s much as soon get bored with the droning comments on who’s wearing what by who but hey, anything that brings a ray of happiness into these dull, drab over politicised times is ok by me.
I am really looking forward to playing 'spot the despot'sitting in the posh seats at the abbey. Bahrain's ex torturer in chief will be well to the fore apparantly, along with various other dictators from vile regimes around the world. But no invite for Mr Blair. Shame, he would have enjoyed the company.
Almost anything other than news about kingdoms and queendoms would be welcome. Here we are in a bloody recession, and we still have to put up with extravagance from bankers and other tiny minorities.
Personally I have been loving the occasion. People always complain journalists never write good news but when they do they are still not happy. Beats looking at desert highways and men with kalashnikovs all week
He has a really big nose.