Learning and Growing
Encountering God
Sharing Christ
Serving God and Neighbour
STUDIO MOSSLEY HILL
The day finally arrived, December 23rd 2010. BBC North West took over Mossley Hill Parish Church as the venue for their lunch time news and North West Tonight Christmas Special broadcast into the homes of millions across our region.
The congregation for the 6.30 evening broadcast needed to be in place by 4.00pm. It seemed a long time to rehearse three Carols. But we soon realised why.
As they rehearsed Gordon Burns and Ranvir Singh juggled with their sheets of paper, listening to the instructions of the floor manager and voices in their ear pieces. We could hardly hear them, But as Gordon explained their microphones were for the Broadcast and not the Church. With all the technology someone had to crouch in the choir stalls to pass signals to cue Colin on the organ.
Ranvir and Dianne Oxberry disappeared to the memorial Chapel to introduce a tribute to the servicemen from the North West who have given their lives this year.
The boom camera swung above the congregation, as the floor manager called Father Alan to rehearse his interview and Diane returned from the cold, having done the weather forecast outside with the Scouts and Guides around their Float.
Soon it was time for refreshments, as Gordon, Ranvir and Dianne signed autographs for all who queued up the aisle. before we returned to our pews for the live broadcast.
Only when we returned home and replayed the programme could we appreciate the power of the programme, with the moving tributes to those who had given their livers this year, and recollections from the 2nd World War, in interviews with Alan Kennedy, Dierdre Brookes, George Whitfield and Robert Barclay. The first church to be bombed, continued through the difficult times and rose again as a symbol of hope for today.
It was an experience we will not forget. The BBC team were great, putting us all at ease. Tributes for the programmed flowed onto the Northwest Tonight Facebook Page.
Father Alan (call me Alan) is still willing to sign autographs.
Click here for amazing pictures from the BBC