The Queen came to Berlin. I’m British so pass me the Pimms!

So last week was just such an exciting week. I mean, Her Majesty (The Queen) and His Royal Highness were here,

Right here.

In Berlin.

My new home.

And yours truly was part and parcel of the very honourable situation.

Swoon!

The British Berliner was called upon to do her duty and talk publicly about the monarchy. Not only that, but I was also called upon to present Britishness.

That’s right!

The British Berliner was pretty much everywhere last week.

The week that Queen Elizabeth II spent four (4) days in Germany and most of that time, in Berlin!

Yes, Berlin.

Because we’re cool.

We’re trendy.

We’re the very place to be.

We’re British.

And we’re Berlin!

I’ve said it a million times and I won’t hesitate to say it again, living in Berlin is just one of the most amazing decisions that I ever made.

Being an expat here and having this blog is just the icing on the cake!

So, back to The Queen.

As I told you last week, there was a flurry of activities in which I became fully involved on social media using my various Facebook pages and my darling Twitter, basically giving a day-to-day embrace of all that was expected to happen during the Queen’s visit.

It was crazy but it felt enormously good!

So how did it go?

As I told you previously, all the media attention literally happened just a few weeks ago!

First of all, I was contacted by a rbb – Berlin-Brandenburg TV Producer who found me via my blog and a small film interview that they saw me do with the Berlin bloggers branch of Travel Massive. They liked what they saw and wanted to meet me.

Within a week!

A week!

Then the editor of the rbb Inforadio station called me the next day and wanted to meet me too. She found me via the British Embassy in Berlin and when we met, we did an interview right there and then!

The filming of a documentary about a few expats who were not only British, but happened to live in Berlin, began on a Tuesday.

I usually go to the Boy Scouts of America Troop 46 meeting on a Tuesday as “The Tall Young Gentleman” is a Boy Scout and since there isn’t a British troop in Berlin, we happily join the American one.

Remember how I told you that filming started right away and I had to make a Facebook appeal for an assistant and a photographer.

Thankfully, my friends were up to the challenge and a Berlin girlfriend that I had known for years offered to be my PA and my official photographer was another friend – Pascale Scerbo Sarro – that I had first made contact with at the Berlin Video Music Awards in 2014!

Well, before you knew it, I was strolling down the street and the cameras were strolling with me.

I wanted to watch a cultural production at the English Theatre Berlin, and they came along and watched it with me!

I love being at the English Theatre as I am a great supporter of the Arts and write a lot about different activities. The Producing Artistic Director – Daniel Brunet – is a New Yorker and a great guy. The rbb team were as good as their word and asked permission to film on the premises and while a solo piece by the brilliant Minna Partanen was taking place. The suggestion was mine but I think he was quite happily shocked!

And so was everyone else.

It’s not everyday that you go to the theatre and a girl (me) has a camera and a huge fluffy microphone thing hanging around.

It was a little strange and sometimes the microphone appeared in different angles from below or above, and at one point I actually banged against it as I didn’t know it was there!

The rbb TV crew were great though and tried to “disappear” as much as possible, so that everyone could be a little more natural!

I soon got used to it LOL!

The following week, we continued filming the second (2nd) day of documentary shooting at the only Scottish pub in Berlin. It’s called Das Gift and Rachel – one of the owners was really warm and welcoming.

We were filmed eating Scottish stuff such as haggis and black pudding, and we chatted away about England and Scotland as of course, as readers of this blog, you know that the two (2) countries aren’t the same thing!

Don’t you?

Don’t.

You?!

Anyhoo!

This time, I wasn’t as nervous as I was in the first filming and in fact, they started shooting as soon as they saw me walking around the corner. That had me a little dazed as I still had a piece of paper with the address in my hand, my scarf and my golden Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin bag on!

The TV people must have really liked me as I received an invitation to take part in the rbb Berlin-Brandenburg evening TV show!

Now I became really nervous.

As this show wouldn’t just be seen by people who liked and admired the monarchy.

Oh no sir.

This show would be seen by millions of people.

Normal people. Ordinary people.

I would be speaking in German.

And it.

Would.

Be.

Live.

Oh jolly!!!!!

I spoke to a load of people about this and they all advised me to:

Speak slowly.

Not look at the camera.

Breath.

Relax.

Enjoy the moment.

And that is exactly what I did.

Here’s a summary of the stuff that I was in and how it went:

I was on a TV documentary called: Die rbb Reporter Berlin – very british Doku (YouTube) or Die rbb Reporter: Berlin – very british. It was a 30 minute programme about established British people in Berlin. I was featured as a British expat blogger doing lifestyle expat social things about town, and generally being my lovely self walking down the suburb of Kreuzberg. Even though I actually live in Prenzlauerberg! 

I love Kreuzberg so much.

Who doesn’t?

There was a lot of filming of my boots.

And my pop socks!

In the documentary, five (5) of us were shown:

1. Myself as The British Berliner of course
2. A Scottish bagpipe and drumming group called The Black Kilts Berlin Pipes & Drums
3. Sophie Raphaeline – the transgender owner of an English Language Second Hand Bookshop called Another Country
4. Members of the Berlin Branch of The Royal British Legion
5. Gabriela Pape the owner of der Königlichen Gartenakademie

Four (4) British people or organisations, and one (1) German one.

The documentary was reaaaaally good as I was featured about 4 to 5 times in the programme.

Yeeeeees!

Most of it is in German but you can sometimes hear the English bits and if you click on the YouTuBe link, or on the side widget, you can get the complete documentary on-line!

The next thing that I was on, was the radio interview on Inforadio. It was a radio broadcast about three (3) different types of British expats living in Berlin, of which I am one and also, the only woman! It was another rbb production called Briten in Berlin or Brits in Berlin. It was a seven (7) minute broadcast. I was featured as a British expat blogger with great emphasis on my baby.

In this case,

My blog people.

My blog!

In the broadcast, three (3) of us were interviewed:

1. Paul Robinson who’s lived in Berlin for forty (40) years!
2. Myself as the British expat blogger aka The British Berliner of course
3. Paul Gurner – the owner along with his twin brother (Daniel) who founded the Saint George’s English Bookshop in the suburb of Prenzlauerberg (my suburb!)

Most of it is in German but it’s quite funny and the complete script is on the website so you could always translate it. If you click on the link, or on the side widget, you can get the complete recording on-line!

And lastly, I was also on the rbb evening show of The Queen’s visit. It was aired at 20:15 so everyone.

EVERYONE!

Could see it.

I was asked to be the side-kick of the German moderator – Andrea Vannahme.

I googled her.

She’s a big fish in these parts, so I was absolutely honoured to be asked!

I was asked to be at the “studio” for 19:00 but I was there at about 18:30.

I won’t lie, I was pretty nervous.

I was so nervous that I had my photographer – Pascale Scerbo Sarro, my husband – Behind The Couch Studio – and my son – The Tall Young Gentleman with me too. I certainly wasn’t going to take up this opportunity without them being able to see me in action, as a lot of the social media blogging stuff I do, is on my own.

As the professional that I am.

Anyway, Andrea Vannahme had a lovely chat with me as soon as we arrived, and showed me where I would be standing.

We would start together.

Standing behind a glass table, and there was a tiny sticky piece so that I would know exactly where to stand.

We would then proceed to the sofa where a stand of High Tea nibbles, two teapots and china cups of tea were set for us to use.

I was afraid of my lipstick showing and kept turning my teacup around.

As for the nibbles?

I was too nervous and excited to breathe, never mind chew.

LOL!

After our brief introduction, my family were seated on a table with a fantastic view of everything that was going on, and I was whisked to make-up.

Remember how I told you that I would bring my own foundation and lipstick. Just in case.

Well, for the first time ever.

I didn’t need to.

The professional for-TV-make-up-artist was brilliant. She had the right tones, knew how to mix colours for my skin, and wasn’t afraid to experiment.

It wasn’t her first (1st) time either!

A real pro.

I couldn’t believe how I looked as this would be the first (1st) time that I’ve ever had real professional make up for an event.

Except for my wedding.

Of course!

I wore a black and white summer puff-like dress and a black and white polka-dotted fascinator in the shape of a tiny hat, and a pair of Union Jack pop socks!

I looked amaaaaaazing. Even if I say so myself.

LOL!

Mind you, the lipstick was my own, as hers was rather too dull…!

I had to wait for a while and I went to the bathroom at least four (4) times and then at 20:15 on the dot. The show started.

Remember, it was live.

A LIVE programme broadcasting from the Tea House at the English Garden or the TeeHaus im Englischen Garten.

A tea house that had great significance.

A tea house that was not only a cafe but actually a huge thatched cottage in Berlin’s largest park (Tiergarten) surrounded by the very essence of what an English garden should look like, and was a gift from Britain to the city of Berlin after WWII.

In fact, Queen Elizabeth even planted an oak tree here on her very first visit to West Berlin in 1965!

And I was brought on the show as the resident British expert about the monarchy, a blogger and a royalist, among a show of other British personalities.

Absolutely no pressure then!

The exclusive evening programme was called: Die Queen in Berlin. It was a 45 minute LIVE special broadcast also produced by the rbb or Berlin-Brandenburg TV Station in which we talked a little about British life in Berlin, and mainly about Queen Elizabeth II.

It’s all in German but there are many original clips of The Queen over the years and clips about her visit in Berlin. If you click on the link, or on the side widget, you can get the complete programme on-line!

It was a great opportunity and I had the greatest of times.

You know you’ve made it when Berlin locals recognise you on the street and smile. They’re Germans and much like British people, no hugging!

The recognition that affected me the most was when a local Berlin woman had the hugest grin on her face when I sat opposite her on the train. she couldn’t contain herself and was just smiling and smiling!

Thank you so much rbb for putting your faith in me and letting me be a part of the great event of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Berlin, in 2015.

Toot! Toot!

Many thanks to the rbb TV and radio crew, Svenja Weber, Ute Sturmhoebel, Sylvia Tiegs, Ralf Ayen, Andrea Vannahme, Pascale Scerbo Sarro, The English Theatre Berlin, Das Gift, The Music Producer, The Tall Young Gentleman, The Berlinerin and other Berliners. You know who you are!

Update: The actual programme is no longer available online but for future media purposes, I have a copy on DVD!

 

 

If you’re a blogger or just interested in travel then the Berlin Chapter of Travel Massive is meeting on Tuesday 30.06.15. Come & join us.

Would you go on live TV? How about the radio? What would you do if someone recognised you on the street because of your work or talent?

If you like this post or if you have any questions send me a tweet, talk to me on Facebook, find me on Linkedin, make a comment below, look for me on Google+ or send me an Email: victoria@thebritishberliner.com