Give me more on the “Great Quake of 2008“. As an issue it doesn’t matter but it is wonderful copy and fabulous TV. I am sorry about the one casualty but I want to see endless pictures sent in by the public of slightly damaged garden walls, broken china and people standing outside their homes in their pyjamas at 1am.
I love the fact that the London Evening Standard does the classic metro-centric thing of headlining “Quake Hits London” even though its epicentre was hundreds of miles away in Lincolnshire. This is quite right, of course. The fact that I was woken up in my bed in Camden, North London means that this is now a national story worthy of the full media treatment. It is a fantastic, glorious example of what one of my old editors used to describe as ‘weather porn.”
I love the fact that although it only lasted 15 seconds, witness narratives of what happened last at least a minute. The only video I have seen of it actually shaking was deeply unimpressive as are the aftermath pictures. I have seen more destruction after a children’s birthday party.
But this is fun. Don’t even begin to compare it with the real earthquakes they get in places like Iran. This is a very British affair and I want as much of it as the papers, Internet and TV can provide.
Here are my two quake stories!
http://ourkingdom.opendemocracy.net/?s=quake