Hot from an election ‘warm-up gig’ in the States, the world’s journalists, TV crews and truck loads of outside broadcasting equipment arrived at an airfield in the Midlands fog today, eager for the ‘real thing’, the Corby and East Northamptonshire by-election.
TV newsreaders have already set up their studios inside the Lodge Park Sports Centre where the count will take place on 16 November. The over-60s gym club has been temporarily relocated after one reporter described the pre-election atmosphere in there as ‘palpable’.
American reporters in particular are delighted to escape the confines of the two-horse race in US elections. ‘This is a great list of candidates and parties,’ said an enthusiastic NBC reporter, ‘it’s sure to be a knife-edge cliff-hanger-to-the-finish battle between Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem, UKIP, BNP, Greens, Cannabis Law Reform, Elvis Loves Pets, and Mr Mozzarella. Hey, guys, is this for real?’
Film crews were also out on the town, collecting ‘filler footage’for use in news reports. Reporter Chuck Berger was filming on the B6461 near the railway station, a relatively unknown spot brought to his attention by a group of street helpers. ‘Thanks to this man Youf Innit, I am now reporting from the very spot where, in 1957, the Corby trouser press was invented... ooh... cut! Sorry guys, I got so excited I wet myself.’
‘Sure great place,’ said Berger, ‘and a bit spooky, too,’ adding that when they got back to their truck, they found its satellite dish had mysteriously disappeared.
