It’s the football again this week. To be honest, my only issue with the footie is that Holby City gets shifted around, and that’s my weekly appointment-to-view TV.

Holby City, I hear you ask? Yes, I answer. I know it’s popular and British and, yes, I know it’s not a box-set political drama from Washington or, come to think of it, set in Schleswig-Holstein or Malmö – but I love it.

Maybe it’s because I’m a Bristolian and Holby is kind of, er, Bristol.

That said, I am still getting to grips with the fact that the excellent John Michie who plays Guy Self used to be DI Robbie Ross in Taggart.

“Jean, Jean, there’s been a murder” rings uninvited in my ears.

 

Actually, thinking of Glasgow, I was up there for Radio 1’s Big Weekend a couple of weeks ago. A quick, shameless plug here for the great opportunities it brings locally, with the Radio One Academy and BBC giving local musicians the chance to showcase their talents and possibly get a break.

I am told one young lad got a manager out of it.

At a suitably modest BBC reception (there’s a cash bar) Ken MacQuarrie, Director of BBC Scotland, outlines the amazing cultural events we are holding at Pacific Quay in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games.

Ben Cooper from Radio 1 does a backstage tour for MPs and MSPs. There’s supposed to be five folk, but somehow about 20 tag along as we traipse past Pharrell’s dressing room.

No local stereotypes, but lunch is a very pleasant pizza and chips with a local MP and the great John Boothman. “Boothy”, the Head of News for BBC Scotland, is a man enjoying a quiet time at the moment, with just the small matter of a referendum to cover.

It reminds me of filming in Scotland when working in BBC News, and interviewing Alex Salmond with a reporter called Michael Gove. I do sometimes wonder what happened to him. Perhaps he went into teaching or something?

 

Coldplay closing day one of the Big Weekend and Kings of Leon opening with a guest appearance by Chris Martin were brilliant. This event is definitely a highlight every year.

I have happy memories of the Bishop of Trowbridge bopping along to Lily Allen in the Radio 1 live lounge at Swindon a few years ago.

 

Back in Surrey, having an 88-mile round commute every day has its advantages and disadvantages. I get to read the great morning email from Paul Waugh and the iconoclastic views of my old mate, Dan Hodges, at The Daily Telegraph – usually on Ed Miliband or Roy Hodgson or possibly both in the same piece.

Not this morning, as it’s bring-your-daughter-to-work day. My 14-year-old enjoys a quick tour around Broadcasting House after a packed briefing meeting in Parliament on the situation in Iraq by Mark Urban from BBC News and the BBC World Service.

 

Later in the week, a very pleasant drink at the House of Lords with former BBC Governor Barbara Young. We get a cheery wave from Lord Fowler, who is off to chair an RTS All Party Parliamentary Group event on the future funding of the BBC.

Then a breakfast event in Parliament, a gathering of ministers and others to hear Jonty Claypole and Alan Yentob outline our new BBC Arts offer, including The One Show from Hay and the Edinburgh Festival.

It all goes down well, despite calls from some MPs for us to put more emphasis on out-of-London. Jonty points out that his team is based in Glasgow.

That’s back to Glasgow again, so probably enough from me.

Andrew Scadding is Head of Corporate and Public Affairs at the BBC.