The Return of Blogger Boy ...Part II

The Return of blogger-boy continues …

Enemy Three
When I arrived at work the morning after the night from hell, I felt absolutely pants.  During that night and in a state of complete despair, I'd sent texts to both my girlfriend and my faithful old Mum.  I knew something wasn't quite right, and as I supped my first few coffees of the day, their replies confirmed what I’d already concluded:  "Get yourself booked in at the doctors Jason ...and do it now!"

Once again, I found I was explaining my weary state of lethargy to the boss, who by now, was surely beginning to think she'd employed some kind of sickly-child-drama-queen?  She too agreed though that an appointment with the doc would be the best course of action, and so, I promptly picked-up the phone with high hopes of finally bringing the curtain down on this zombie-like plague.

Unfortunately, I would be home too late to make it in time for surgery and without taking unnecessary leave, there’d be no chance to get in and actually see the quack at all.  So I enquired about a call-back from the doctor instead and with a brief description of my symptoms, the receptionist helpfully obliged.  Within a couple of hours, I received a call back from her and was relieved to find out that I'd been prescribed some sleeping tablets.  Embarrassingly, the conversations with the doctor’s receptionist took place right beside my boss and with that, my indignity was now fully complete.

The rest of the day really was a blur to be honest, but towards the end of it, I received a significant phone call from my Mum…

My Uncle Terry had collapsed earlier in the day and having been ambulanced-in to the hospital, a blood clot had been discovered on his brain.  He was on life support and in a grave condition.

I literally burst out of the office doors at 4:30 and with a mixture of exhaustion, anxiousness and anger, I felt as though I would burst into tears as the fresh air hit me.

As I was about to board the train, I received a friendly text from my good friend Natalie, who simply wrote to ask how I’d been getting on in my new job.  (I'm not sure she was quite expecting the response that followed!).

It was only my fifth day then, but a huge storm of self-doubt had already gathered and a dark raincloud of negativity had taken over.  Why was I finding it so difficult to take on board all these new processes?  Why was I having such conflict with the database that was supposed to be my ‘new best friend’, and why the hell was every single IT tool I'd been given either faulty or completely broken?  Even my goddamn selltotape dispenser was totally knackered!

The more pressing question of why I was having so much trouble getting to sleep was the issue concerning me the most.  Maybe this was my sub-conscious hammering home the fact that I was walking in the wrong man's shoes?  Quite simply, I concluded that I wasn't sleeping, because I had simply found myself in the wrong job.

My new ID Badge ...but how long would I be using it for?

The third enemy of ‘self-doubt, worry and anxiety’ had joined forces with the common cold and the lack of sleep, and it seemed to be that this three-pronged attack on me had been victorious.  Already, I was starting to get ‘scared’ of going to sleep, and with only five days of my new job on the clock, I’d already begun to ‘dread’ going in to work the following morning.

…Surely all this was a crystal clear sign that it was meant to be JD  ... and not the BBC for JT?

During the longest journey home yet, I thought about the last conversation I’d had with Richard.  I was aware that a meeting was scheduled at JD Williams later in the week to discuss this potential new department, and of course my ‘phantom’ job, which would be a part of this new department.  Desperately (and perhaps fairly unprofessionally of me) I wrote out an e-mail to Richard to find out what his ‘gut feeling’ was about the forthcoming meeting ...and I hit send.

Typically of Richard, the reply arrived almost immediately…

“Hi Jay,

Thanks for the e-mail.  Difficult to guess which way the meeting on Wednesday afternoon will go?

Director wants to progress, because he needs to save money by bringing the design work in.

Marketing managers want to progress as one of their main agency has just been released.

Simon is keen that I keep you on the radar - he and Alison have been impressed with your work.

My management team are happy to progress, as long as we are given the right people to make a success of it.......and here comes the BUT

The Director is reluctant to recruit at the level I have suggested for the creative designers and this may/may not kill the whole deal on Wednesday.

So, I don't know really what to advise other than sit still with your fingers crossed - rather like supporting the Albion really!

Will let you know how it goes as soon as I can.

Richard”

Encouraging news then, with the only negative being that the salary wouldn’t be quite as attractive, as perhaps Richard had proposed?  At this stage though, money really didn’t matter to me one jot, and it was really good to know that if things carried on being as difficult as they had been so far at the BBC, there might be a very decent escape route.

Tomorrow though, was to be a brand new day.

Uncle Terry
With my first sleeping tablet, a dash of lavender spray, a mug of Horlicks AND a Nytol all consumed, I slept reasonably well that night.  (Although, I'm sure the fact that it was the first time I’d slept in two whole days, might have had something to do with this!)

After the difficulty of my first five days, I'd already stopped looking forward to my day at work ...But despite the sad news that I was about to receive, this was actually going to be the day that everything got better.

But first of all…

I knew Uncle Terry had been on a ventilator throughout the night, but I received a text not long after I arrived in the office from my Mum.  She was texting to let me know that the doctors had discovered an inoperable tumour on Terry’s brain. 

Terry was the husband of my Nanna's sister, and although actually my Mum's Uncle, he was always known as 'Uncle Terry' to me.  Now, not a lot of people know this - but as a youngster, Terry and Joyce used to take me down to the match every other week … … … …to watch Blackburn Rovers!!!

The trouble was, although I was being plied with a quarter of Midget-Gems and a Howard Gayle programme for my troubles, Terry and Joyce were taking me in to the Nutall Street stand, which as far as I was concerned, was where all the ‘old fogeys’ sat.  As an impressionable 8 year old just discovering football, I found it all a little bit 'boring'.  (But I did enjoy the Midget Gems!).  Meanwhile, on the alternate weekends, (and much to the 'other' half of my family's displeasure!) my Dad would be taking me into the thriving hustle and bustle of The Longside at Burnley FC.

In no time at all, my Rovers-watching days were over and in effect, perhaps anyone who’s ever argued with me about football, should blame my Uncle Terry for turning my allegiance to all things Claret and Blue!

Later that night, we learned that the doctor’s had decided to take Terry off his ventilator, and let nature take his true course.  He passed away shortly afterwards.

God bless Terry Newby.

Turning the corner
On a slightly more positive note, my work earlier that day went really well and with the benefit of perspective, (and a much, much clearer mind), the complex processes and technicalities I'd been struggling to grasp so far, all-of-a sudden started to become clearer.

One thing I must put on record at this point is just how friendly and helpful everyone at the BBC is.  From the cleaner and the brew-lady, to the security guys and the people I've bumped into on the corridor.   …All of them: Brilliant!

And as far as my colleagues in the office - and across the country in the BBC Children in Need team - are concerned, I really couldn't wish for any more support.

Everybody REALLY has been absolutely lovely, extremely pleasant and genuinely helpful.  (…Maybe it's the influence of Pudsey and the fact that they're 'doing it for the kids'?)Whatever it is, these guys really are something else!

The day also had some lovely icing on the cake too! ...As this was the evening I arrived home to find that Dr. Mike Brescia's CD had arrived, "Think Right Now: Tranquil Sleep now"! And oh-my-word word ...how it has helped!!!

Tranquil Sleep now! My brilliant new 'weapon'.

I was still slurping on my Horlicks and I was still popping in a sleeping pill and a herbal Nytol each night.  I was still 'doing my stretches' and wearing my in-flight sleep mask! But now I had another brilliant weapon in my arsenal too!

This brilliant CD lasts for 61 minutes and is split into four 'tracks' ...but I really couldn't tell you too much more about it! For, even at the time of writing (a full week in retrospect of this part of the story), I am yet to even make it to the third track!

It's so, so very soothing, so, so calming and a brilliant way to help you breathe your way into a very relaxed state.  Utter bliss!  It may well be a sack of psychological spiel, but in the end, I guess that's the whole point?

From this night forward, my sleep-pattern improved ten-fold and in turn, so did everything else. My cold finally departed, I was feeling back-on-track physiologically and psychologically, I was ready to take on everything my new job threw at me!


Onwards
The next couple of days seemed to improve as every hour passed by.

As I elaborated upon earlier, all the people I've come into contact with had been real beacons of positivity and this encouragement continued.  But on a broader spectrum, I was now starting to realise how wonderful this organisation was, and how lucky I'd been to have actually been employed by them.

Alright, I was still having IT problems and still working with a very dodgy monitor.  But knowing I’d be getting a brand spanking new set of absolutely everything when we move over to MediaCityUK in May, kind of compensates for all that.  But in all other areas, the technology and the ‘toys’ are amazingly cool.  There’s WiFi everywhere, and every meeting is presented with a 'proper' TV-quality video! …I suppose there’s no need for OHP’s or Powerpoint presentations here when they're professional television-show makers!

I also thought is was really cool when I purchased some train tickets online, and was able to collect the tickets myself by printing them off at our very own self-serve national rail ticket machine ...just down the lobby!


We're also encouraged to keep in touch with our colleagues around the country via Instant Messenger and they've even got 'YAMMER' - a kind of internal BBC Facebook, where we can network with everyone from the Commisioner General to the photocopier guy!

There are TV and radio-types milling about everywhere and in general, just as I imagined, there really is a very cool vibe about the place.

The infamous ‘BBC Canteen’ is actually a very pleasant restaurant, attached to ‘BBC Club’ - a proper bar, where I’ve already seen North West Tonight’s Tony Livesey, Gordon Burns and his co-presenter Ranvir Singh.

The plush surroundings of the bar at 'BBC Club',
...with Ranvir Singh from NWT supping her coffee on the left.

Then there are the work-hours, which are just 35 per week.  Holiday-entitlement is a generous 25 days per year, plus all the bank holidays.  And then, there's the annual 'Corporation Day' - an additional bank holiday between Christmas and New Year especially for BBC employyes!  AND ...On top of all this, Children in Need staff also get a FURTHER two days holiday at Christmas, (for all the extra hard work and effort put in around the televised Appeal Night!).

Oh, and did I mention there are also some very hot chicks to look at? ...and there are LOTS of them!

Looking up
The week had improved so much so, that the significant Wednesday had passed me by without me even checking my e-mails for the latest update from JD Williams.  My goodness ...even my football team was winning back-to-back away games for the first time in years!  Things really were looking up!

Another good night of sleep ensued and it was during my journey on the Thursday morning that I discovered the following e-mail from Richard:

“Hi mate,

Met up with the boss man et al today.

Agreed we should recruit a copywriter, although the rest of the team will follow in June, due to some business changes that need to happen first.

Simon & myself are to pull together a role/job description for the director to agree and sign-off.

Fingers crossed, will be in touch sometime next week.

Rich”

Wow!!! After a couple of really great days at work, I received the very news I'd been desperate for just a few short days later.  But things had improved significantly since then and if my understanding and enjoyment of the job continued to advance at a similar rate over the next few days, what on earth would I do if I was offered a job?! 

The Here And Now

It’s now just over a week since that e-mail from Richard, and I’m expecting to hear the outcome of that job description, (and possibly even a job offer) …any day around now!

During that time though, I’ve finally begun to settle in to my new role and although there isn’t quite the freedom to be as ‘creative’ as I'd like to be, the positives of this wonderful organisation that we all know and love are far outweighing the negatives.  this is the bloody BBC after all!


Whilst it’s true that my first week-or-so was a complete disaster, the tragedies in Japan certainly put sleepless nights, Man-Flu, a difficult introduction to a new job and a family bereavement into perspective somewhat.

The question is …what happens next?

Feet under the table ...and name on the door!

Until next time, thanks for your patience, thanks for reading, and many blessings!

Jason x