Calm weather aids BBC Children in Need

A well-timed window of calm weather arrived yesterday as the BBC Children in Need appeal got underway.

And here across the West Country, things were decidedly hectic for all my BBC colleagues during the evening - as is always the case on this annual event!

In Bridgwater, BBC Somerset hosted a well-attended outside broadcast - as well as procuring a special bow tie for me to don on TV weather through the evening. Generous staff (led by charming Morning Show presenter Emma Britton) and listeners agreed to double their donations to Children in Need if I'd wear the garment on-air. And indeed I did....

Meanwhile, here at BBC Bristol, we opened our doors to hundreds of public visitors, providing guided tours around the historic base on Whiteladies Road - home to the BBC's Natural History Unit; factual programme strands including Antiques Roadshow and DIY-SOS; and our newsroom and studios for regional television (Points West) and BBC Radio Bristol.

We were fortunate to secure the services of popular local actor Anthony Head, who presented (with typical dashing aplomb) our regional Children in Need coverage with Alex Lovell. Anthony has provided willing support and patronage to many charities over the years - including for animal welfare - and his help for Children in Need this year was a major boost in our region.

Once I'd finished fronting our weather on Points West yesterday evening, I spent the next 3 hours showing visitors of all ages the workings of our TV news studio and the weather sets.

It's always interesting to see how willing volunteers (and believe me, there are many) cope when standing in front of the camera, the countdown clock ticking, presenting to the very same weather graphics I'd used a short time earlier on BBC ONE.

The most common surprises expressed to me are how we never use any autocue to present TV weather and just how tricky it is pointing purposefully at maps, without having to second-guess where an area of low pressure is; or a specific town or other point of interest.

Well, huge thanks to all of you who contributed this year to Children in Need. And thanks also to the weather... for a temporary interlude of calm, dry conditions last night, before the return of often wet, windy but mild conditions through this weekend and indeed through the working week ahead.

I'm returning to presenting our BBC Breakfast TV and local radio weather output on Monday, so will familiarise myself again with the 0300hrs setting on the alarm clock. It's been three weeks since I last awoke at that time, so a shock to the system awaits!