Pointless

Back in December 2010, when Lindsey was here, I had a couple of weeks off work and we ran across a rather funny quiz program on BBC 2.  Pointless. All three of us thought it was really very good and I was quite sad when I went back to work and couldn't watch it any more. Lindsey was even sadder for it hadn't made it across the world to Australia at all!  Then it moved to BBC 1 and to a time when I can, sometimes, watch it.  The hosts opened Twitter accounts. Pointless itself opened a Twitter account and a Facebook page (though it is quite difficult to work out which is the official Facebook page!)

Then one day one of the hosts put on his Twitter feed that tickets were now available for people to be in the audience to watch Pointless being filmed. I immediately sent off an application for three tickets on an afternoon when two episodes of the show were being filmed.  And much to my excitement, I got three tickets for that very afternoon!!

So, nice and early on Saturday morning, we collected Tabitha from Chesterfield and off we drove down to London Town. I had looked into going on the train, but the cheapest tickets I could find for three of us to make a day return to London were going to cost in excess of £250!!!  It seemed much, much cheaper to drive the car down and park somewhere in outer London and take the tube in.  Ruislip is on the same line as White City, which is where we were heading, so we pootled down the M1 (which, mercifully, was behaving on Saturday) and parked at the West Ruislip station.  It was something of a challenge paying for parking. It was an even bigger challenge topping up our Oyster cards (like Myki cards but much less controversial). But eventually we managed and off we went on the train to White City.

In the sunshine!  It was a beautiful day.

BBC Television Centre is pretty much across the road from the White City station. And we were there in lots and lots of time.  And there is a Westfield shopping centre just up the road. So we went up there in search of a spot of lunch. And found, to Tabitha's great delight, a Gourmet Burger Kitchen loitering amongst the restaurants on the terrace. So we went there for lunch (and I can see why Tabitha was delighted to find it there - my chicken fillet burger was delicious).  There was a big bowl of Minties on the front desk!  Always a pleasure to see a big bowl of Minties :-)

And then we went back to Television Centre to go and watch Pointless.

I have to say, it was lots and lots of fun.  I have never been in a television studio before, so it was also extremely interesting. I don't think I have ever applauded quite so much before either!!  It was very funny, so we laughed a lot. There was lots of different lighting, and we could watch the cameras doing their recording thing. I must admit that I am extremely pleased that it was not I who had to edit it though. If either Alexander Armstrong or Richard Osman got things wrong they simply said it over again, pretty much without pausing. And sometimes the equipment refused to work so we all had to wait while it was persuaded to play.  It was a great afternoon and I'm really glad I applied for the tickets. I want to watch other programs being recorded now!!

And then it was all over and it was time to hop back on the train to West Ruislip, collect the car and come home.

I wouldn't mind the chance to go and have a proper look at Westfield too.  Freyja tells me that they have opened a new one out her way which is enormous (and has a Lakeland - although not, I think, a Gourmet Burger Kitchen). Might have to take up collecting Westfields!!!

Oh - and it cost £30 for fuel, £4 for parking and £2.80 each for the train trips to and from White City. Very much cheaper than going on the train!

This is what we could see all the way home on Saturday evening