I’d admired the BBC’s smart new building but always from afar... until I was called up. I found myself patriotically answering the BBC’s need, voiced by Radio Humberside’s Action Desk calling for volunteers to man (and woman) the Open Centre as story gatherers on a new national BBC project called ‘People’s War’. Being a history buff, this was something I wanted to be a part of, little did I know where it would lead! With other volunteers I was introduced to the CSV Action Desk Producer, Christine Barker who was heading up the project locally, and was secretly relieved she didn’t look a bit like Lord Kitchener. Christine described the website our contributors’ reminiscences were to be fed into and emphasized the privacy and respect to be accorded to each contribution. We gathered our contributors’ accounts from our base in the Open Centre for approximately two days per week throughout the summer, meeting ordinary people who had lived extraordinary lives. We took hundreds of stories from the dark days of the war, many were tragic but invariably tinged with the humour of the time. Like my colleagues I’m still in touch with some of the contributors who have become friends. This experience was my introduction to the Open Centre and it’s ethos of ‘open house’ where it was impossible not to become involved with the variety of visitors and activities. I recall a visit by a group of schoolchildren from the Chernobyl area of the former Soviet Union who were holidaying in East Yorkshire. They were more subdued than their British counterparts would have been but were pleased to chat and intrigued to be shown the IT facilities in the Learning Centre by Libby, the Centre manager. The open centre team entertained them generously with each child leaving with a bursting ‘goody bag’ and giving us a cheeky ‘do svedaniya’ as they left. ( No, it’s not rude) The Learning Centre area where we volunteers fed people’s reminiscences into the BBC archive is also used by Colleges of Further Education and specific interest groups. On one occasion I approached a family history expert for help in tracing my grandfather’s military record. In three minutes he produced what I’d tried three months to find. When I read it I could tell that granddad had fibbed a bit. Better to stop there I thought as others gathered around the screen, family history can be a bit too revealing in a public place and should be pursued in the privacy of your own home. So, where else did a world war lead me? After recording people’s contributions to the archive, meeting learners, IT users and even lost visitors to the city, and not forgetting exchanging broken Russian for broken English with well mannered, indulgent nine year olds, I wanted to be more involved. The opportunity came when I picked up an application form on display in the Centre. It was back to Lord Kitchener…’The BBC’s Regional Audience Council Needs You!’
It didn’t say that exactly, the RAC didn’t need me, maybe people like me but not exactly me, still it was what I wanted and it seemed the Regional Audience Council was expanding. The RAC’s role is to keep the BBC in touch with its licence fee payers. All members are volunteers and from all walks of life. Feedback from them is to help make ‘the very best radio and television programmes and websites even better’. The Council meets every three months to discuss the whole spectrum of the Region’s output where balanced comment is welcomed, so it was with some trepidation that I completed the application form with the memory of a late TV Licence payment of twenty years ago looming over me! At present the outlook seems positive, so with fingers crossed and Licence well up to date I’ll see what the future holds…and all because of a world war! | 
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