Cruise Line Guest Speaker

Discover  the excitement of what’s going on behind the scenes when a TV bulletin is live on air.   You’ll sense the adrenaline as headlines are rehearsed with less than a minute to go — and discover what happens when a live camera link goes down in the last few seconds!   This talk can also include an optional fun ‘Name That Tune!’ headline music quiz.

Our resident TV News presenter reveals how dramatic newsroom life can be.  You’ll discover what it was like to be in a newsroom the week Diana died, how the fall of the Berlin Wall moulded his career overnight, and why he believes so passionately in the power of local journalism.   This talk can also include an optional fun ‘Name That Newsreader’ photo quiz.

Discover what it’s like to work as a journalist in a busy TV newsroom!   Just come along to watch, or get together with family or friends to experience a fun 45 minutes of snap decisions, surprises and laughter … as your team creates the running order for your TV News bulletin.   Nobody needs to leave their seat — but everyone will come away knowing they’ll never watch a TV news bulletin in quite the same way again. 

You don’t have to be a fan of royalty to find this a fascinating insight into how news reporting and TV production has changed over the years.  Our resident TV reporter John Young looks back at the wedding of Charles & Diana in 1981 — and compares it with that of William & Kate, thirty years later.   There’s pageantry, music, gossip, a fly-past — and plenty more to surprise you —  in this thought-provoking trip down Memory Lane. 

Our resident BBC TV journalist John Young reveals what it’s like to be an “on-the-road” news reporter — and gives you the chance, from the comfort of your own seat, to have a go yourself.  Minute by minute, he creates the day he interviewed a celebrated war veteran — and invites you to suggest the questions, with the deadline fast approaching.  Sit back and watch — or have a go yourself — in John’s latest fun-filled event. 

What must it be like to live your life under the public gaze?  Using fly-on-the-wall video clips of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and news coverage of the fall of the former Prince Andrew, you’ll observe how the the pressure  of royal life has remained, as public scrutiny has intensified.  Whether you’re a fan of the Royal Family or have your doubts, this talk will get you thinking.

Our resident BBC  TV reporter compares news coverage of the Coronations of 1953 and 2023 — and the public’s response to them.   It’s a chance to sit back and enjoy the pageantry and colour again — while considering how different the next Coronation may be.  John will reveal some details that may surprise you!

You’ve heard him share his stories of news reporting for the BBC over thirty years — but what does the future hold for newsgathering  in the late 2020s, an era of social media, short attention spans, and AI?   John looks froward to your questions … and suggestions!