Back sometime in 2002 - 2003 when i was in my final years at school we had a 2 slot lesson called Asdan at this allowed us to anything that we wanted even making something from start to finish, I think these were called challenges and we had to color in the time clocks on a sheet to show how much we was progressing on each of our projects every week. I cannot remember what my first project was called and i have no knowledge of me even doing anything as sometimes i was taken out of my lesson to catch up on some work that i had missed before hand. I don't know what made me wanna do this as a project but i was so interested in the BBC and i wanted to do something about them on my Asdan project i knew that i would able to get a lot of information i started doing a lot of research on the company and i couldn't believe how much information that i did find every week it was tonnes, Once i had all the information and history on the company i started to look at there buildings and the one that i was very interested in was Television Centre in west London and i couldn't believe how big this place looked when i saw it for the first time online and i said to myself that i really wanna work there when i leave collage and hopefully work for the BBC. I had so much work to do on my Asdan project every week that sometimes i ended up taking the folder home and doing it because there was so much to do and i was also thinking was i gonna get this all done in time before my dead line, I ended up finishing my project a week for before it was due to be collected and i was so proud of my work and what i had achieved over 4 weeks of research and information that i found on this amazing company! I was awarded a top mark for my project and i was given something for my hard work (Cannot remember what it was now) all i wanted to do now that my project was finished i wanted to there main building in west London.When i started collage in September 2005 i was given the chance to go and visit the BBC in West London by one of my teachers who was taking the group to the center and i asked if was allowed to go and they were so kind about it and said that there wouldn't be enough room in the mini bus and i was quite gutted but i knew before i finished collage i would take myself there, I asked my friends what the tour was like and how big it was in real life and they said it is the most amazing place in the world and they saw into the studios as well and i was gutted that i couldn't go with them. I saw the photos from the tour and they had a photo taken outside the huge steps outside where the main news area was.
In 2009 my birthday was just around the corner and i wanted to go to London and spend it at Television center and i knew that i was letting myself into so much as i had never been to London on my own and also using the London underground all on my own, no one wouldn't come with me so i made myself go to the tour on my own and also i still can't understand how i managed to get to the center and use the underground all by myself and got back home safely 🙏. The tour was ok but it was so boring with no one there and the tour guides wasn't that nice and we was showed into TC1 (Studio 1) where Blue peter was filmed and Strictly come dancing was filmed, We did go into TC3 (Studio3) as it was empty at the time and i can remember that it smelt so bad from the lights and other technical equipment was used. We also had a look around the news center and weather center were was able to see how we look on the weather using special imaging. Also the tour guide also asked us some questions and history about the center and the BBC and i did answer some questions but sadly i got them wrong, At the end of the tour we had a play in the interactive studio and then visited the gift shop and that was the end of the tour, I left the BBC and went straight over to the new Westfield shopping center and spend loads and came back around 11pm that night was ok but i wish that someone else was with me to spend the celebrations with me.
The next visit that i made was on my 21st Birthday and this time i knew that i wanted someone to come with me because at the time i was attending collage and i was planning this trip while i was living with my dad and asking some friends that i had made, It took so long to sort everything out and in the end i agreed that i would like one of my friends to come with me and we made all the plans and it was all sorted for her to come and it took me about 7 months to arrange it all. By the March i was kicked out of my dads but i was still in contract with my friend viva Facebook, When the day came it was very stressful as i would travel down to my dads on the train witch was a 3 hour trip and then go and pick up my friend from her house and go back to my dads for the night and then travel back home the next morning, We done some shopping the day we went to London to see if i could have my hair done and i can remember having some hair extensions in and that was a very painful progress and then my friend bought a lovely dress from Jane norman and then we got home around 6pm that night and then had a takeaway and went straight to bed.
The next morning the day had arrived and we had to get the coach for 7 - 8 and we would be in London kinda early and i was so excited because i had someone with me and it was my 21st and i was hoping that this tour would be so much better then last years. The journey from the coach station to the BBC wasn't to long but the traffic lights there was to many. The tour was incredible the tour guides was amazing and wished me a Happy 21st and took me to the place where my favorite show was made Shooting Stars in TC1 (Studio 1) and i was so thrilled to be standing where my two idols was sitting to make the programme it was breathtaking to see it in real life😲 Of course the set wasn't in the studio at the time as they were getting it ready for something else to be filmed in there, We also went into TC8 (Studio 8) i also didn't know this is where Shooting stars was filmed for 2 series before moving to TC1 it was so nice of the tour guides to take me there on my special day. We also had to answer some questions like i done on my last tour about the center and the history of the center and showing us photographs and maps, At the end of the tour we went into the weather center again and my friend had a go on there special tv like you are presenting the weather and i had a go on it and the tour guides thought that i done a good job with it, At the end we went to the interactive studio and then visited the gift shop before going to Westfield shopping center and to spend my birthday money and then caught the train back to get the coach home it was a lovely day out but i was so tired by the end of the day and we arrived home very late and went straight to bed.
The next day i had to take my friend back to wales and then i spend a few days with my dad before coming back home again, The tours was amazing and it is something that i wouldn't forget in a long time to come for sure, The center is no longer in use and is now demolished into flats and buildings and i think it was a total shame that the BBC had to sell this amazing building but the center itself has been standing there since June 1960 so there is gonna be massive repairs to be carried out. I know that TC1 (Studio 1) isn't being demolished as it is a grade 2 listing and that cannot be touched and i am so glad that it is staying where it is and i cannot wait to see this place in action in 2020.
Here are my photos of the two tours from 2009 + 2010
The BBC Television Centre being Built in 1950's
R.I.P BBC Television Centre 29.06.1960 - 31.03.2013 💭
