Appearing on Czech TV again!

Being interviewed on Czech Television by Daniela Písarovicová

For the second time in just over a year, last Friday 25th May, I was invited to appear on Czech Television. Whilst my previous appearance was as part of their coverage of last year’s Royal Wedding, this time it was to talk about my home city of Coventry and the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the new Cathedral being marked that day.

Like last year, I appeared on CT24, the rolling new and current affairs channel of Czech Television’. I was part of their morning magazine programme simply entitled ‘Studio CT24’. Last Friday they were covering a number of issues in relation to World War Two, not least because Sunday 27th May marked the 70th anniversary of the assassination in Prague by Czech parachutists trained by Britain’s Special Operations Executive, of Reinhard Heydrich, the acting Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia,.

The bookmark given to me 50 years ago to mark the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral

The reason I got the invitation to appear was entirely due to Jana Michálková, who teaches at the Janácek Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno. I met her earlier this year when one of her students kindly played the keyboard for our January service in Brno. Jana had studied at Royal Holloway College in London where her College Chaplain had been Christopher Cocksworth who she proudly told me, was now the Bishop of Coventry. I in turn told her, that I was born in Coventry and had spent the first eighteen years of my life living in the city.

Jana had encouraged one of her contacts in Czech Radio, to broadcast some of the musical events surrounding the Golden Jubilee of Coventry Cathedral, not least a new performance of Benjamin Britten’s ‘War Requiem’. And it was her suggestion to another friend working in Czech Television that led to the feature about Coventry Cathedral on ‘Studio CT24’ last Friday and the invitation for me to appear as a guest on the programme.

Having been picked up by taxi from the Chaplaincy flat and driven to the studio, the procedures that followed were very similar to those I had experienced in 2011 for the Royal Wedding. First there was a quick bit of make-up to ensure I looked my best under the glare of the TV lights! Then there was a cup of coffee to lubricate the throat whilst I chatted with my interpreter Martin, fortunately the same translator as for the Royal Wedding. He remembered me as I remembered him!

Whilst talking with Martin, particularly about any unusual ecclesiological or theological terms I might use, a technician ‘wired me for sound’ with a clip-on microphone on my lapel and the battery pack clipped to my back trouser pocket. I was also fitted with an ear piece through which I would hear what I was being asked in Czech, being translated by Martin into English.

I reminded Martin of the technical problems I had for the Royal Wedding with a loose connection somewhere, which led to me to having a rather intermittent English translation coming into my ear. He too, remembered the problem and insisted we had a thorough technical test of the system before going live on TV.

I have to admit that I still found it quite disconcerting, being spoken to in Czech by the presenter Daniela Písarovicová and hearing a slightly delayed English translation coming into one ear, all at the same time. I roughly knew what I was going to be asked and could also understand some of the Czech being used. But I had to both look intelligently at Daniela, whilst simultaneously concentrating on every word of English entering my left ear. Not easy – I assure you!

I was asked about the bombing raid on Coventry by the Luftwaffe on the night of 14th November 1940. What did I know about it? What parts of the old Cathedral had been destroyed? I explained that whilst I am now sixty years old, I wasn’t alive at the time to remember the events, but rather knew about them from my parents. But I was able to explain that the bombs had been incendiary devices which had destroyed the roof of the mediaeval Cathedral but had left most of the external walls intact and, most surprisingly, also the Cathedral spire.

Answering questions on Czech Television

I was particularly pleased to be able to explain that, not long after the bombing raid that destroyed so much of the mediaeval Cathedral, the Provost had made a cross from two of the charred roof beams and erected it behind the altar and had the words. ‘Father forgive’ carved on the east wall of the old sanctuary. For me, this is such a powerful symbol of the Christian message of reconciliation. Reconciliation between God and humankind – but also, reconciliation between nations and peoples who have previously been at war with each other.

I was also asked about the events of fifty years ago. Had I been at the Consecration Service? Of course, as a ten year-old school boy I wasn’t invited! But as I explained, about three weeks after the Consecration Service, I did attend a service in the new Coventry Cathedral, for schoolchildren from the Diocese of Coventry and was able to show the bookmark given to each of us to mark the occasion. As you will see, it has suffered a little from regular use in one of my Bibles.

After I was interviewed, the presenter Daniela Písarovicová, conducted a telephone interview with Czech Television’s London correspondent. He was asked how the Golden Jubilee of the consecration of the new Cathedral was being celebrated and he explained that there was a special service being held, attended by Princess Anne on behalf of the Queen. But when asked what Coventry was like, he had the audacity to compare it to Kladno, a small industrial town a short distance north-west of Prague.

With sincere apologies to all the residents of Kladno, Coventry is four times bigger by population and I thought his comparison to be both somewhat inaccurate and rather rude. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the right of reply!

The interview with me is currently still accessible online though I do not know for how much longer this will be the case. Click on this link and then scroll forwards to 84 minutes.

Celebrating the Royal Wedding in the Czech Republic

Being interviewed on Czech TV ©
Being interviewed on Czech TV © - with my correct title on the screen in Czech

One of the things I have begun to learn as part of being the Anglican Chaplain in Prague is to expect the unexpected. So when on the afternoon of the Wednesday of Holy Week, whilst walking along Jugoslávských partyzánu, my mobile phone rang with a call from a number unknown to me, I answered it with my friendly “Ricky Yates speaking”, unsure what the response would be.

“This is Czech TV”, said a female voice in English. “We would like you to take part in our special programme next Friday covering the Royal Wedding”. Therefore, following an email exchange with Veronika Linková of channel ct24, yesterday morning at 08.30, a taxi arrived outside the Chaplaincy flat, to whisk me away to the studios of Czech TV in the southern suburbs of Prague.

Upon arrival, it was first into the ‘make-up room’ to make sure my face looked its best under the glare of the lights. Then it was downstairs to the lounge where I was able to avail myself of several glasses of water to lubricate an increasingly dry throat. Here I met Martin who was to translate for me. I was also able to see and hear the live broadcast coming from the neighbouring studio.

Next it was the technician who ‘wired me for sound’ with a clip on microphone on my lapel and the battery pack clipped to my back trouser pocket. I was also fitted with an ear piece through which I would hear what I was being asked in Czech, translated into English. Then finally came the call to go into the studio to be interviewed live on Czech TV.

The balustrade overlooking the British Embassy garden suitably decorated for the Royal Wedding © Ricky Yates

I had been told in advance that I would be asked about the Anglican Church and the Marriage Service but I had no forewarning as to what the exact questions would be. Some were what I expected such as the relationship between the Royal Family and the Church of England and what impact I thought the televised wedding would have on people’s attitude to the Church.

As the Roman Catholic Church is the majority Church in the Czech Republic, I was also expecting a question regarding differences between an Anglican and a Roman Catholic ceremony. But what I wasn’t expecting was the surprise expressed by one of the two joint presenters Hana Scharffová, that a wedding should take place on a Friday because she claimed, that would never be allowed in the Roman Catholic Church as Fridays are meant to be days of abstinence.

The tower of the British Embassy with the Union Flag flying © Ricky Yates

The question I certainly wasn’t expecting came from the other joint presenter Tomáš Šponar. He asked me about the level of support for the Royal Family within the Anglican Church in view of the outburst by Bishop Pete Broadbent on Facebook at the time of the announcement of the Royal engagement in November 2010. This was one piece of news that I didn’t realise had trickled down to the studios of Czech TV!

Unfortunately during the first part of my interview, the English translation into my ear piece was intermittent due to a loose connection somewhere. Fortunately, a combination of my limited understanding of Czech and both presenters occasionally re-phrasing their questions in English, allowed me to answer reasonably successfully. During a brief break, the technician who had wired me up, came back into the studio and sorted out the problem.

My questioning over, courtesy of Czech TV, I travelled back once more by taxi, but only as far as Mala Strana. There I was meeting up with Sybille as we had previously accepted an invitation to an event to celebrate the Royal Wedding that was not being televised! We were formally invited by the British Ambassador and her husband, to a Champagne Lunch at the British Embassy and more informally invited by ‘Sian and Richard’, to watch the Royal Wedding on TV beforehand. As we do not have a television ourselves, we were very pleased to have opportunity of watching it at the embassy.

The Embassy was suitably decorated to mark this special occasion as can be seen in the two accompanying photographs. As a memento of the day’s events, each guest was presented with a beautifully decorated gingerbread heart which can be seen below, laid out on a table, along with the visitors’ book.

Decorated gingerbread hearts to celebrate the Royal Wedding © Ricky Yates