Candy for insomniacs...

As a young child I fascinated with television and how it worked. By seeing the identity and trails of each channel this gave me an insight into this, but there was one thing which almost seemed golden to me and that was 'What happens when television starts up and closes down each day?' I had heard about closedown from people and what it did. Not all true though, everyone's image and thoughts always seemed to vary. Wheither it was always to give an easy answer to stop a young child asking all the time, I might like to think so.

So it came to a time when I was allowed to record something on our old Betamax video which was on late at night. Before you ask, it was NBA basketball which BBC1 used to show late on Saturday nights after Match of the Day in the mid-80's. So I worked out that they would close down not long after the programme had finished, deliberately I added ten minutes longer then what was needed to see this magical thing.

Clocking off...

To tell the truth, the first idea of a closedown had come from a clip of Not The Nine O'Clock News sketch with Rowan Atkinson as the announcer closing down BBC2 at the end of the night. It used freak me out a bit, that Rowan would appear from behind the BBC2 clock and it felt it was my fault that I had caught him out. But without knowing it was a comedy, I thought it was real at a very young age.

So the next day, when I played the recording back of the basketball, I waited till the end and went through the weather and to the closedown itself. The announcer said that BBC1 was closing down for the night and that they would be back in the morning and I thought that would be it and they would switch off the signal for the night. The most exciting thing was that this voice gave a name check as who'd been announcing that night... That night it was David Miles, I couldn't have said his name but would have recognised his voice straight away. The national anthem played and then they closed down for the night after that.

But if it wasn't for these voices in-between the programmes, it would be moving wallpaper just looking the same and sounding the same as can be said of many of the digital channels nowadays, they make a channel sound human still in an auto playout world. So you wouldn't recognise Duncan Newmarch, Peter Offer or Dean Lydiate if they were walking down the street, but raise a glass that they can bring a smile to your face with a comment before a show. Because if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't know when to go to bed at night...

And that's all from us on Boggenstrovia's Bit for now, we hope you've enjoyed this post and don't forget to join us next time for more ramblings... From Boggenstrovia Van Borwick, I wish you a very goodnight... Goodnight....

(National anthem plays...)

And don't forget to wipe you feet on the way out.... Goodnight, wherever you are!

Sign here, here and here...

The article in question...

Back the turn of the century, I was an chap full of ideals looking to get into the media. Having stumbled into hospital radio, it was ambitious time maybe spreading my wings away from a Monday afternoon radio show. So how do you ask for advice when you don't come from a media family?

In the 80's my eldest brother brought a very early edition of Who's Who on Television and from that there was so much to learn, not only about the people inside but also contacts of who to write to. Really this was my inspiration, maybe with a touch of desperation in there too.

After searching, I bought myself a copy of said book to see what I get from it. Apart from addresses, a lot as it turned out. When just looking at this tome, a thought came into my mind. Could I wrote to all the people in this book and get an autograph from them, thus turning on the charm and praising celebrities to the hilt. From this came autographs from the likes of Rolf, Melvyn Bragg and even Lou Carpenter himself... All people I admired from the television, but my record Hale and Pace aren't on television any more and the less said about Angus Deayton the better!

So on 29th May 2000, came first my autograph... So I thought, but it was something more...

A hand signed letter from Arabella Weir, from this I was tickled pink that she would take the time to do this...

The onslaught of ink continued, which got me think who was the best person to go to for advice. The one man who had been there for me through my life...

Hello again!

John Craven was always a influence on me, watching him on Saturday morning and also on Newsround as well. The plunge taken I wrote off with in trepidation thinking he was too big for likes of me, but then this arrived with said photo.

The nicest guy in the world...

This gave me the boost to go on and start on a path towards media, I did hospital radio till 2004. Then we sort of drifted apart and from that Televisual Cabbage was born to indulge the comedy side but if it wasn't for John Craven's kind words I wouldn't have had the confidence to go further...

The new bits...

Hello people,

Yes, at last this is Boggenstrovia's Bit!

Now who is Boggenstrovia? Some might know me as Rob, others as Mr Chicken...

But I am one and the same, so I will using this to write thoughts, show stuff and also give opinions.

So what about me?

Some might call me a simpleton from Portsmouth, others may call me other things but I know what I am and that is a twit... No, hang on that's not right!

But I just love television, from the days when I used to draw the Westward logo with crayons to being able to recite the TV page from the Daily Mirror even giving advice on what to watch that night. I was brought up on Light Entertainment and those programme hold a lot for me...

Though I like sport, please don't run away! I can see you edging there!

Like I was saying thought, I like sport I won't blog all the time about it... Only if its relevant to the blog etc...

But by using this blog I will be able to show you something from my past as well, wondering how a young boy from Portsmouth grew up into a misanthrope and maybe still growing up as well...

So that's the first blog and away we go!