91Èȱ¬

If you remember we are in the middle of the project called Bush House Anecdotes. I thought it would appropriate on this, .

Dozens of people who have worked at Bush House have sent me their stories about our headquarters and the tales are still coming in.

Just to give you a taster, here's some of them on the theme of dignitaries visiting Bush House.
The first one is from Karen Fotheringham:

'Members of minor royalty from around the world coming to Bush House is nothing new.
I am sure they were happy to come to see us and have the opportunity to meet the many creatives here.

'In the spring of 2007 we were expecting a visit from HRH The Duke of York. As a son of the current Queen extra security measures are taken, in advance of the official visit itself.

'Quite early one morning (as is usual with me) I was in the office (a very, very quiet corridor off of the third floor centre block, which goes nowhere) ... preparing some breakfast for myself, when a Springer Spaniel dog came hurtling into the office, at speed. It wasn't expecting to see me and I definitely wasn't expecting to see it...

'Needless to say I parted company with a whole bowl of crunchy nut cornflakes and a nearly full box of the same - the dog and I had a tussle... until the handler arrived and I explained I worked for the Director who the Duke was coming to see and that it wasn't my intention to try and poison their dog with my breakfast... '

Another one is also to do with the dignitaries visiting Bush House and sent by David Morton.

'World Service started radio services for Central Asia and the Caucasus in the summer of 1994.
In the run-up to the Azeri launch, a lot of effort went into securing FM rebroadcasting in Azerbaijan, and a state visit to Britain by the President, Heidar Aliyev, looked as if it might be helpful for our negotiations on the ground.

'The mood at the time, as Azerbaijan and the other former Soviet republics were establishing themselves as independent states, was friendly, positive and open - despite dramatic and tragic problems.

'Azerbaijan had just fought and lost a war (and quite a lot of territory) with Armenia over the enclave of Nagornyi Karabakh.

'The Azeris had a tendency to see Armenian foul play in any obstacle or setback.

'President Aliyev was invited to Bush House and he was met by the Chairman of the 91Èȱ¬ Governors, Marmaduke Hussey.

'I was there as head of the Russian and Ukrainian Service and I had to translate the Russian small talk until we got to the Managing Director's office on 3rd floor Centre Block for more serious discussions.

'The Chairman greeted the President in the car park and immediately impressed him. Duke Hussey was a big man. He walked with a stick, and painfully, after leaving one leg in Italy during the war while fighting as a guard officer.

'We moved towards the Centre Block lifts which the uniformed commissionaires had put specially into manual operation for the President's ride. Hussey, Aliyev and I got into the lift with half a dozen heavily-built Azeri security men.

'The commissionaire shut the doors and the lift started to rise. It came to a halt between the 2nd and 3rd floors and there we stuck. The commissionaire, deeply embarrassed, contacted all of the right people. House services did everything they could to rectify the situation.

'Hussey kept enviably cool and treated everyone to British humour. But, as the delay went on, the security men became more agitated. Aliyev himself was becoming worried. Was it possible that they could have walked into an Armenian plot in Bush House?

'Still the lift refused to move. The security men's hands were beginning to move to the bulges under their shoulders. Eventually we were wound up to the 3rd floor by hand - a more energetically manual operation than the commissionaires had envisaged.

'The doors were cranked open and we were released onto the marble landing. The bodyguards eased up and the mood began to lighten as the Chairman led the President down the corridor past the black and white photos of former World Service Directors, or MDXBs as they were known acronymically for generations.

'Once in the World Service Director's office, Hussey broke the tension with an extraordinary gesture. He presented Aliyev with one of his favourite VIP gifts - a heavy 91Èȱ¬-branded paperweight. And, as he did so, he explained that this very solid gift could be used by the President, if the need arose, to crush his enemies.

'Aliyev, a former head of the KGB in Azerbaijan, warmed to this politically-incorrect remark. Pleasant and productive discussions ensued and for several years 91Èȱ¬ Azeri was broadcast by the state radio of Azerbaijan on its national network.'

And to finish off with dignitaries coming to Bush House here's a bit of a naughty last one from Gordon House.

'In the early 1980s Princess Margaret came on a Royal visit to Bush House.

'At one point one of our secretaries was deputed to take her to the ladies lavatory, and was intrigued to see her turn on all the taps before disappearing into the cubicle to perform her ablutions.

'Plucking up her courage, she asked her on the way out, why she had turned on all the taps.
"Well this is a Broadcasting emporium is it not? " she replied in her cut-glass accent "and we wouldn't want anyone broadcasting the Royal Wee..."'