Rob: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Rob and Rosie joins
me today. Hello Rosie!
Rosie: Hi Rob!
Rob: Today we're talking about what can be a very stressful moment
in our lives – moving house. Packing up even a small house or
flat can be quite stressful and time-consuming but imagine the
upheaval involved in moving a big company or organisation.
Rosie: Like the BBC World Service maybe?
Rob: Exactly like that. Because I am of course talking about our home,
Bush House in London. It's where we are speaking from now.
Rosie: But not for long because the World Service is preparing to leave
the building for new purpose-built facilities in another part of
London.
Rob: It's a sad time and time to reflect on what's taken place in this
famous London landmark. More on that in a moment but first it's
time to set you a question Rosie. So are you ready?
Rosie: I guess so.
Rob: OK. Do you know when the construction of the first part of Bush
House (we call it Centre Block) was completed?
a) 1913
b) 1923
c) 1933
Rosie: I'm going to say b) 1923.
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Rob: As usual we'll find out the answer at the end of the programme.
Now, as I mentioned we're saying farewell to Bush House this
year. The building has housed the BBC World Service since 1941
– so it's been our home for seventy years. I haven't been there
that long but I still have some fond memories of the place in my
relatively short time here.
Rosie: It certainly has a special place in the hearts of people who have
worked here – the staff. This could be because of the style of
the building with its wide marble staircases and Roman columns.
Rob: Yes, it doesn't look like a normal media centre but that's because
it wasn't designed to be one. Did you know that back in 1929 it
was declared – or reported – to be the most expensive building
in the world having cost around two million pounds to build!
Rosie: Well was all that money worth it? It probably was if we listen to
what some BBC staff have been saying. This producer thinks it's
a special place. Listen to his reasons…
BBC Producer
I don't know whether it's just the physical building, the bricks and mortar of
Bush House, or the fact that we have a sort of United Nations of
broadcasting here, but I think maybe it's a bit of both. It's not a bespoke
broadcasting centre and that's part of its charm. It's a rabbit warren of
corridors and crazy modifications and things and that's part of what makes it
special I think.
Rob: So there are two things that have made Bush House special. The
physical building – that means the bricks and mortar that it has
been built with. But he also suggests something else.
Rosie: He says it could be the United Nations of broadcasting. He
means it's a very multi-cultural place. There are people of all
different nationalities broadcasting to all different parts of the
World.
Rob: He also talked about the charm of the place. This is the
character, which he says is due to not being a bespoke
broadcasting centre. As we said, it wasn't originally built for
radio.
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Rosie: But since the BBC moved in, things have been changed and
added on – these are the crazy modifications he mentioned. To
modify something is to change something. And did you hear how
he described the corridors?
Rob: Yes, like rabbit warrens! Lots of long dingy passages where you
see producers running from office to studio.
Rosie: There's one thing about Bush House that another producer has
criticised – or made negative comments about. See if you can
work out what it is…
Producer BBC
I love this building, every bit of it. I loved it from the very first moment I
entered the building. The only thing I wasn't happy about were the carpets.
They were worn out, with lots of holes, very undignified. I thought my God!
Such a beautiful building, such a fantastic organisation, such awful carpets!
Rob: Ha! He wasn't happy about the carpets. He described them as
very worn out, lots of holes and very undignified so lacking in
dignity, not really representing the BBC.
Rosie: It's not what he was expecting as the building was beautiful and
it was such a fantastic organisation.
Rob: Well they do say 'first impressions count' and his first impression
of the BBC were the awful carpets! How about you Rosie? What
impression did you get when you first entered Bush House?
Rosie: Well I was in awe when I first entered Bush House because it's
just so huge and very beautiful.
Rob: Sadly we won't be walking into Bush House for much longer as
most of us are moving to a new state-of-the-art building
somewhere else in London.
Rosie: But I guess this building will remain the spiritual home of the
World Service. Rob, what will you remember about this place?
Rob: Well as you say, it's the quirkiness, all the corridors and hidden
little rooms. And also the old-fashioned studios that seem to
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have lots of wood in them, for some reason! So that's what I
remember but do you remember the question I set you today?
Rosie: Yes I do.
Rob: Good. Earlier I asked you if you knew when the construction of
the first part of Bush House (Centre Block) was completed?
Rosie: And I said b) 1923.
Rob: And you are right. Well done! The answer is indeed 1923. That's
when the main part of Bush House was completed. And did you
also know that Bush House was named after Irving T. Bush who
was one of the designers. It was originally built to be a world
trade centre.
Rosie: I didn't know that but that's quite incredible! I wonder what will
happen to it next?
Rob: I'm not really sure actually. OK Rosie, could you please remind
us of some of the vocabulary we have heard today?
Rosie:
upheaval
reflect
staff
declared
charm
bespoke
modification
criticised
undignified
state-of-the-art
Rob: Thanks Rosie. That's all for now, but do join us again soon for
more 6 Minute English! Bye for now!
Rosie: Bye bye!
