Attending a Bookclub Recording

On Tuesday, my daughter Emmeline and I went to attend a recording of the BBC Radio 4 Bookclub programme. Having been before, I knew what to expect and thought it would be fun. The book being discussed was "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged Thirteen and Three Quarters" by Sue Townsend. Since Emmeline is almost exactly this age, it seemed appropriate.

The recording was at the BBC's Birmingham studios. We went by train [from Cheltenham], as this was low stress and a further treat for Emmeline. The place is quite challenging to find, but I had allowed plenty of time and we got there on schedule.

For me, it was good to see familiar faces: Jim Naughtie and the production team. They were all very friendly and made us feel welcome.

They always aim to have a small audience - 20 or so. But, on this occasion, there were quite a few no-shows. This meant that nobody was denied a chance to pose a question.

The producer felt that it would be good if Emmeline put the first question and she agreed [rather nervously] to do that. After Jim had done the initial introduction, he addressed Emmeline [having already established the correct pronunciation of her name - he's a true pro], prompting her to ask her question, which she did very well. I am fairly confident that they will use this in the broadcast.

In due course, I also asked two questions. Of course, I don't know whether they will use them. Despite the smaller than planned audience [or maybe because of it], there was a lot of discussion and the production team have quite an editing job ahead of them.

After it was finished, I got my book signed by the author. Emmeline is interested in the possibility of going into journalism and/or radio as a career. So she asked Jim how he got started in the field. As he is probably the most influential journalist in the country, I guess his advice was worth seeking!

All in all, we enjoyed going to the recording and I hope that I can do it again sometime. They did say that I was always welcome. But, for now, we await the broadcast on 5 June.