RIP

I am sure we’ll all have very different takes on the death of the Queen. Amazing that it’s a shock after so long but extraordinary that she was working two days ago.   

We were in the office all day and a mid afternoon call with BBC marketing on our show made it clear this was only going one way.  We now think they knew already.   The news broke when I was having a drink with Danish producer friends who were nonplussed and then my phone flooded with heartbroken messages… from American colleagues and friends! 

Went out to dinner with other friends in Soho and I can’t pretend it was a sombre atmosphere in the streets although three young women sailed past in a cycle rickshaw, bedecked in tinsel and singing ‘God Save the Queen’  

Caught a late train back from Waterloo and all the ads were turned off, the notice boards dimmed and this message ran on the main screen and between the announcements on the small ones.  Spent the journey trying to decipher and circulate protocols from the bosses. All the media companies and broadcasters  are anxious to avoid a backlash from posting something inappropriate on Social Media which, as I was caught up in a bad one pre social media days (front of the Daily Mail!) at the death of the QM, I think is sensible!