The Digital Planet Reunion

I have posted before about the Digital Planet radio show. It was on the BBC World Service for over 21 years and I listened to it for much of that time in the form of podcasts. It may be one of the first podcasts I listened to. The show covered technology stories from around the world. That could include use of drones for deliveries in Africa or tracking crop yields in Brazil and not just the latest press releases from the big technology companies. I enjoyed hearing those stories. Technology is touching most lives, but for some it can make a bigger difference when just getting by is tough. The show ended exactly a year ago with a live broadcast and a party at the BBC Club, which I attended. I got to know the presenter Gareth Mitchell and so could get onto the guest list.

I had my name and opinions read out on the show a few times as I was involved in the Facebook discussion group. That was mostly in the 'outro' segment of the podcast rather than on what when on the radio, but I managed to get Hive mention on the main show once.

One of the other listeners created a meetup on Eventbrite to mark a year since that last transmission and persuaded the team to come along. In the meantime they have created a new show called Somewhere On Earth that has a very similar format, so I can still get that news.

The venue was a wine bar on The Strand, just along the road from Bush House where the original show was recorded. We had our own room there. About 40 people had expressed an interest and I think around half turned up. That included some friends and colleagues of the team. When I got there Gareth was setting up his equipment. As well as a PA system he was aiming to record some segments for podcasts. He and Bill Thompson have one that they put out now and again. They do not have the resources of the BBC behind them now, so it was all fairly improvised. I noted that he was using a Zoom H6 recorder (like @nicklewis just got) and a little Behringer mixer like I have. We had a chat and I told him about how I had also worked at Bush House on a software project some years ago. I did not bump into him there.

I was wearing a couple of badges that had been given out at the old live shows. They still had some of the rectangular ones. The guys had felt hard done by when the BBC cancelled Digital Planet. Bill Thompson kept working for the BBC in other roles, but as an act of rebellion he had given these badges to various managers to put on their lanyards so that the guy who had made the decision would keep seeing them.

I had the opportunity to chat to quite a few people. I knew some of them from previous live shows. They recorded several chats that will appear somewhere. One was with Peter Cowley who has had great success investing in various companies, but has had tough times with family tragedies and in getting cancer himself. That was quite touching. He has written some books about his experiences.

I had a couple of beers and needed something to eat, so I used the bar's web site to order something. They had a loyalty scheme that gave you some points from the start, so I was able to get a discount on my delicious cauliflower 'wings'. London bars are generally pretty expensive. The place was busy as it was effectively the end of the week with the long Easter weekend.

I stayed for a little while, but needed to get the train home. It was quite convenient as there is a station just up the road where I could get a train directly home. On the way I passed the Royal Courts of Justice that was spectacularly lit.

There may be another event like this some time and I will try to be there.