Some sheep wait for their big moment in Wintershall Nativity at Broadcasting House
What a year 2014 has been for Broadcasting House, the BBC’s redeveloped central London headquarters. All year round, Broadcasting House produces programmes for a global audience; 265 million people access BBC News, via BBC World Service radio, BBC World News TV, or bbc.com/news. And BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 1 are the UK’s most listened to domestic radio services.
Our year got off to a royal start when The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited the building as part of a day celebrating British radio. Then in March, BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Nick Grimshaw took on the tough challenge of cycling 1,000 miles over 12 hours from a Perspex box on the World piazza outside Broadcasting House, as part of BBC Radio’s Around the World for Sport Relief – which involved a team of BBC Radio presenters, including Radio 2’s Jo Whiley, attempting to run, swim and cycle 25,000 miles - the circumference of the world.
March also saw the arrival of a very special new member of staff. Ian Fletcher, former Olympic head of deliverance began a new job as the BBC’s head of values in W1A, BBC Two’s comedy follow-up to Twenty Twelve. And the cameras will soon be rolling again in Broadcasting House as Fletcher (played by Hugh Bonneville) returns for a second series of the BBC Two series following the day-to-day problem-creating and problem-solving abilities of Fletcher and his team, aided once more by Siobhan Sharpe's PR agency Perfect Curve.
James Cracknell carrying the Queen’s Baton into Broadcasting House
In June, Olympic rower and gold medalist James Cracknell (pictured above) carried the Queen’s Baton into Broadcasting House as it journeyed through London on its way to the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. And since July, visitors to the Media Café have been able to follow in the footsteps of pop royalty and sit like Will.i.am or Sir Tom Jones in a replica of one of the famous chairs from hit BBC One show The Voice UK. Next year, this will be replaced with an EastEnders photo opportunity to celebrate the BBC One soap’s 30th anniversary.
In September, BBC One’s The One Show kicked off a week-long Music Festival featuring live music from The Vamps, pianist Lang Lang, Kasabian, Sam Smith and rock legend Robert Plant.
In November, the piazza exhibited a giant digital mosaic of the face of a British Army private killed during World War One (pictured). Artist Helen Marshall was commissioned by BBC Local Radio to produce this ambitious project, which used more than 30,000 images, as a way of commemorating the First World War in a digital age. The piazza also became a super car park for the day when some of the most beautiful cars known to man parked up as part of Radio 2 Breakfast presenter Chris Evans’ Magnificent Seven auction for BBC Children in Need.
No year would be complete without a visit from the Wintershall Nativity players who will be returning to the piazza on Wednesday 17th December, along with live sheep (pictured at top) and donkeys, to perform their unique large-scale, family-friendly production of the nativity.
These are just a few of the highlights to have taken place this year from a building that never sleeps. If you would like to find out more about your BBC at Broadcasting House, then why not book on a BBC Tour to peek behind the scenes of this dynamic, state-of-the-art, multimedia broadcasting hub in the heart of London. Over 120,000 people have toured Broadcasting House since they began in March 2013; and last week, Broadcasting House Tours won the Silver Award for Best Customer Service at the British Youth Travel Awards.
There’s also the possibility of booking to see one of the many BBC shows that are recorded in the beautifully refurbished, art deco Radio Theatre; this year over 53,000 people have joined the audience for shows ranging from gigs by Take That and Coldplay, popular Radio 4 programmes such as The News Quiz and Loose Ends; and special programmes and events such as BBC Two’s The European Union: In or Out? with Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and UKIP leader Nigel Farage debating Britain’s membership of the EU and Radio 4’s Character Invasion Day which included a special live performance by the original cast of The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. For more information and to book a show or tour visit the BBC Shows and Tours website.
So that is the year at Broadcasting House pretty well wrapped up. 2015 promises to be another eventful year and we look forward to welcoming thousands more visitors to Broadcasting House, whether as a programme guest, an audience member or on a BBC Tour. To keep up-to-date with all the latest news and events, stay tuned to the Broadcasting House website.
Andy Baker is W1 Manager
