Behind the scenes of Latest TV with Tim Ridgway
Big top
Roll up roll up, the circus has come to town. Now I’m not just talking about the bunch of clowns and performers that gathered in the big top in Preston Park. I was referring to the politicians who are looking for your vote at the European elections this week.
As part of the push, the Green Party brought its eco-friendly battle bus into the heart of Brighton and Hove. I was there to quiz current MEP Keith Taylor and hopeful Alex Phillips about their chances. Despite a rocky ride in running the city council, both were understandably more upbeat than a pub landlord after seeing Nigel Farage roll into town.
On that theme, dozens of people turned out to protest outside a UK Independence Party meeting in Hove. It was a riotous affair with placards and chants aplenty. And that was before the protest even started…
Moving on, we took a long look at drugs.
No, this wasn’t what you think; it was part of a scientific look at steps city leaders could take to reduce drug use and related deaths in Brighton & Hove. Honest. After months of work and countless recommendations, the final reflections have been made. We went down to hear award-winning author Peter James, Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas and others talk about their plans.
Elsewhere, Latest Sport has only just emerged after spending a week camped out at the American Express Community Stadium. The Albion made the Championship play-offs thanks to a dramatic injury time winner from Leo Ulloa against Nottingham Forest. What followed was an intense few days of press conferences, interviews, match and post-match chats, and then the same thing repeated.
The Seagulls lost the first leg of the Championship play-off 2-1 at home to Derby County. The return leg turned out even worse as Albion lost 4-1, making it 6-2 on aggregate. But in positive news, our Jay developed a close relationship with the ploughman’s sandwich in Dick’s Bar.
They also spent one of those afternoons visiting the new Brighton and Hove Albion museum. From admiring miniature models of the Goldstone and Withdean grounds, to discovering why Albion were known as The Dolphins for a short while, it was certainly a fascinating education. We’d recommend a trip to anyone. Or you could just wait until we launch in July and see our tour on the telly.
The sports team’s only departure from Falmer in that long play-off week was to cover the Robert Eaton Memorial Foundation (REMF) match at Lewes FC’s Dripping Pan. Seagulls fan Robert Eaton was killed on September 11 2001 on the 105th floor of the World Trade Center when the devastating terrorist attack took place. Since that fateful day, support groups for Albion and close rivals Crystal Palace compete to raise money for the REMF, which supports grassroots football all over the world.
Heading into the game, Brighton had the edge overall (8-4 since the fund was established) and had enjoyed victory last year. After a closely contested 90 minutes, a 1-1 draw meant penalties would settle the matter and Palace emerged victorious.
So yes, we know, three games and three losses for the Albion. Let’s hope the boys can bring better luck to the team for next season. If not, then I personally will lead the whip-round for their taxi fare home.
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