Broadcasting House: drawing the BBC

The BBC, which I love, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, which takes me back to my visit to Broadcasting House a few years ago. This drawing of a fifth-floor studio was done on Radio 4’s Saturday Live where I’d been invited to talk to Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir about the Urban Sketchers group. Fellow USker Simone Ridyard joined in from the Manchester studio and Tracey Thorn was the famous name on the other side of the table. It was thrillingly nerve-wracking, and I remember pinging out onto Upper Regent Street 90 minutes later wondering if I’d dreamed the whole thing.

After drawing Richard Coles sitting next to me, he said, in a good-humoured way, that I’d drawn him looking too porty, which I probably had. My drawing of Tracey Thorn wasn’t much better, but at least she said she wouldn’t sue.

The programme is still available via this link, and is worth it to hear the fantastic Tracey in conversation with the team.