The Wales Thread

Well yes, you know how I get anxious -- especially on this high holiday.

Rumour has it, Arfon Haines-Davies also covers over the bottom right hand corner of his tv screen with those free BT post-it notes he got through his door the other week, and talks loudly over the announcer any time ITV1 Wales is about to be mentioned.

Perhaps we could get it added it to the swear word filter?

It's no rumour. He's even got those "I'm Not Listening La La La" headphones as seen on TV.

Did anyone watch that Wawffactor programme on S4C that Chris Moyles was banging on about on his show today (cos his BA, Aled, was one of the judges in it?)

I caught some of Wales Today at lunchtime and John Hammond did the weather for WT, but he also did the weather on the One as well, so it was just a tape which was from London. I feel sorry for Helen Willetts, she did the Six, she was did it live on LDN, but obviously it was recorded for WT. I mentioned this in another thread and someone said that the presenter is off because of illness.

Different case for NWT at lunchtime, we only had one slide and we were told the computer wasn't working but we still got the weather from the studio. Plus doesn't WT have another weather presenter anyway?

(BTW My knowledge of WT is poor)

East Midlands Today's breakfast forecasts are always from whoever did the News 24 forecasts over the previous night, recorded and sent up from London. Look North seem to be able to drag someone out of bed to do theirs.

The trail for it looks execrable, and people should never *ever* try to sing modern songs in Welsh, it sounds awful. Aled Jones seems like the type to do anything he's offered to be honest. He's on Popcorn most weeks too.

Re: Wales Today. There isn't a secondary weather forecaster like in some regions -- I know Scotland have at least two, and I saw someone else on lunchtime NWT on Monday, didn't catch her name though, now that Heather Stott has emigrated. I think they ought to invest in one, Derek spends a lot of time off.

If they can't get weather whore Tom Schafernaker in [he did BBC West last week], then they usually go down the line to the national forecaster via the dragon screen. And today it was old WT favourite, Helen, of Colwyn Bay fame.

The trouble at the moment is that all the weather presenters keep getting married and having very loooooooooooooooooong honeymoons.

That Hudson fellow, from up North started it, earlier in the summer; then David Braine, down in Plymouth was off for quite a while; now Richard Angwin from Bristol's away with the same lame excuse.

It means that "spares" like Tommy Shaffenpuffer have to dart round the country like demented rabbits to cover for all the absences.

So, any bets on when Derek's joining in with the nuptials, then?

Erm.... "Pass" is the answer I think I'm looking for.

Derek was again off today ill, or "shoe shopping" as it is widely known in the media. I knew Thursday was the new Friday, but perhaps now Wednesday is? In fairness, I believe Lucy has done the last couple of Fridays on HTV -- but then I daresay this Friday is pay day.

Wales Today enjoyed Michael Fish this evening, of <no hurricane today, Mrs> fame, who isn't Welsh to the best of my knowledge. Once again London had him live, Wales had a tape.

And a nice anno by Sue there into Coronation St, good to see her joining in.

Why what did she say?

PS Jonathan Hill has been doing some odd news bulletins lately.

He has presented a lot of the late bulletins and even the 10:30 bulletin this morning? I wonder why? What happened to the GMTV newsreader earlier?

Sue mentioned about the big announcement in tonights Corrie - it was nice to have some decent announcements for once!

I wonder why Jon presented the 10.30am bulletin? Did he do lunchtime too - I think it was Andrew Jones on GMTV this morning (he does Mon-Wed doesnt he?) but I cant be sure as I missed it, oh well we have Sally tommorow as its Thursday! Sally is so much better, we should have more of her less of Andrew IMO

Lucy did the late bulletin last night!

Why do we have this new view of the Bay as the WT backdrop now? Is the work site in front of the church just *too* much of an obstructing eyesore at the moment?

http://members.lycos.co.uk/tindragon/WT301003.jpg http://members.lycos.co.uk/tindragon/WT301003a.jpg

It looked different on Monday's lunchtime programme but I thought it was just the way Jayne was sitting, cos it was back to normal by evening WT. Then it looked different with Sara yesterday, but it was too dark to be sure.

But *now* it's a bit lighter behind Rebecca John [it was Nick Palit on the weekend, even more obscure for newsreading] and it is quite a different view.

Still quite pretty though, and Wales seems to have the best quality 'window' of all the regions, and certainly one of the largest too for the main programmes [these caps are from the small studio].

Also, this last fortnight, BBC Wales seem to be staying out of the network feed for Breakfast for longer than the rest of the UK -- sometimes going right up to the opt back, instead of showing the trail network puts in. Or like today, they ran their own Wales-branded Big Read trail. How contrary!

It was Tara on the late bulletin last night!

Great to see Sally back on GMTV bulletins this morning