A Media Frenzy And The Nation Watched

Image: Metro

A day of two fascinating halves. On the one one hand I had the day job, which was busy and thick with challenge, and on the other was the live coverage of the stand-off between the police and the killer gunman running loose around Northumbria.

I won’t go into the day job much; lots to get through, plenty of meetings, a few decisions—all good clean fun. The manager of yesterday’s implementation brought down some chocolates, which brightened up the afternoon despite the drizzle outside.

On my way home I bought a fish supper—my prize after a tough week—and was contemplating what to do with my evening when I noticed a remark on Twitter that the armed fugitive, Raoul Moat, had been caught. I switched onto BBC News 24 and saw that the police had indeed surrounded him with snipers, the media was going into a frenzy and the locals of Rothbury were flooding to the scene.

It was fascinating to watch. Disturbing, too, some of the journalistic tactics of the on-the-scene BBC reporter, and almost like a soap opera when Paul Gascoigne showed up to try and help, claiming to be a friend of the crazed gunman.

As the tale unfolded over the next six hours I found myself writing the events and my thoughts on it into one of my longest ever poems. I didn’t watch it all as I got too tired and I’ve a lot to get through this weekend, but I scribbled over 3 pages into my notebook, a final two stanzas this morning when I woke up to the news that Moat had finally ended the stand-off by shooting himself dead.

Not since the 70s has Britain seen such an intense stand-off following a 7-day man hunt. It all started on Facebook when Moat revealed he felt his life was over and he’d lost everything after being released from prison. We were all to “watch what happens next.” Well, we did, and through just about every single news agency and 24-hour broadcaster the country has. At least the people of Rothbury are safe now.

To the weekend and it’s my last before I go away so I’ve a lot to do. I need to get some clothes (anyone who knows me will know I HATE clothes shopping) and so am heading up town shortly before the place gets busy to raid a couple of shops. There’s also a lot to get done on my GDR before next week. Gotta keep moving.

Peace and out!