My apologies to all those people who have been trying to contact me to see whether I survived last night's earthquake. As you can clearly see, I did. I have been a little busy today making right the earthquake damage and attempting to submit my own personal experience of the quake to the interactive news media. The damage resulting from what one newspaper described as a "super-quake" was significant. In the excitement of the event I sat on my glasses. Thus, this morning I had to take a trip to the opticians for repairs. Expecting a large queue of fellow-citizens who had equally suffered such collateral damage, I was agreeably surprised when the opthaltromologist (or whatever they are called these days) agreed to see me almost immediately and fit me with a new set of frames (wholesale price £4.99p) for just £30. It is heartening they way communities pull together at times of crisis.
Watching the news reports of the disaster - with the help of my good-as-new-glasses - I was disappointed with the low-key and unambitious nature of the viewer-feedback. Such e-mails, text messages and photos are now such a part of the news culture that one expected more. The BBC claimed that they had received a text from a man in Barnsley which said "Earthquake in Barnsley" which makes you glad you paid your license fee on time. The only footage they could manage was taken from a petrol station security camera which - according to them - showed the trees shaking. Oh come on, we can do better than this. So this morning, Amy and I went out and snapped this view of Fixby Road in the aftermath of the quake.
Equally I have texted the following message to both the BBC and ITV :
Quake thru wife + me out of bed + dmolished house. cholera outbreak in Brighouse following mass dstruction. need lp fast from red x
Not sure if they will broadcast it on the evening news. We will have to wait and see.
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