It's Top-Hat-And-Sparkly-Tights Time Again
The "My Kind of Town" circus is back tomorrow for its twentieth location, and this time we're shining our spotlight on Alloa in Clackmannanshire.
picture of Ian dressed in medieval clothes for reinactment in Hawick
No doubt Producer Annie has organised a cracking line-up in Alloa for us to film. Her tightrope trick is filling half an hour of telly without dropping people in the final edit. We cover so many angles and do so many handbrake turns that the final programme needs to flow, or the doors and wheels will fly off.
I know very little about Alloa. We popped in a fortnight ago for a quick nose round, but my understanding of the place is still quite limited. That's actually how I like it. It's not about being lazy; I prefer arriving with an open mind and being genuinely surprised by what I find. I want my reactions to be honest, not arriving weighed down with preconceptions.
The locals always make the programme. They are the star performers in our big top, and their graft and pride in their community give the whole spectacle its magic. So, tomorrow morning Major and I will pile into Paul the driver's wagon and join our traveling troupe of media performers into the shiny new stripy tent. We'll meet the crew, juggle our usual roles, and argue over who's ringmaster, who's acrobat, and who's brave—or daft—enough to tame the lion.
So far over the life of ‘My Kind of Town’ I have been asked to squeeze in to a wet suit, a 19th century golfer clothes, swimming trunks, wear numerous types of overalls (from chocolatier to shell fish gutting!) I cant wait to findout what is waiting for me in Alloa
Picture of Major and Ian behind the scenes. James is sitting on the grass to get a good camera shot of Major