At the beginning of the week we had no hesitation in saying hats off to CITV — the Bermuda Government Community Television channel — and personnel for exceeding themselves in the production of the back-to-back events relating firstly to the Convening of Parliament by the Governor, George Fergusson; and the impressive ceremony of the Royal Bermuda Regiment being given freedom to the City of Hamilton for the day, by Mayor Charles Gosling.

Then followed the most interesting engagement of Dr Edward Harris and Al Seymour Sr relating to the 50th Anniversary of the Royal Bermuda Regiment highlighting how the shores of Bermuda had been defended over the previous centuries.

That was a lead-in to Bermuda’s involvement in the two World Wars. I thought it was most engrossing, along with all the other subjects that followed. For the next several hours CITV had me fixated to the channel. Because of fear of missing something, I just could not switch to tune in to the turbulent events that were happening on the world scene.

Particularly absorbing was the Brendan Hollis War Feature. Next was about the Setting Up of The US Base in Bermuda, first at Whites Island in Hamilton Harbour during the First World War; and negotiations in Washington and London for the Second World War bases, climaxing in the flight to Bermuda by the legendary Sir Winston Churchill and his address to the House of Assembly, as well as about the delegation of Bermudian leaders to London getting the matter into good perspective.

Upon being glued to the near midnight Thursday programmes, I was convinced the producers at CITV had not just excelled, they even exceeded themselves. It was excellent and brought back memories to this historian of how radio and television in Bermuda had been revolutionised by Montague Sheppard, when he set up his Capital Broadcasting Company’s ZFB Radio and Television stations back in the early 1960s.

My modesty had been overwhelmed in having to recognise being one of Sheppard’s key persons in that revolution. He gave me a free hand in developing ZFB News. I was the station’s news director. Maybe Monty had been impressed with the record I had gained, being known as The Bermuda Recorder reporter.

What I did not realise at the outset was Monty had beforehand secured the talents of Al Seymour, Sr, to be his on-air newscaster. Also, technician Vince Dyer to be his engineer.

Memories of those elements surfaced when Al Seymour and Dyer were guests on the CITV feature, relating how the President Kennedy episode was put together. That’s a programme that one has to see to believe. It was fantastic. The moderator was none other than Al Seymour’s son and namesake who is the CITV programme director, proving the old saying that “apples don’t fall far from the tree”.

On another matter it seems that Yours Truly nearly disrupted the Governor’s Speech opening the new Parliamentary session.

My son, a physician, was accompanying me to the nearly up front seats when I pegged out. I went into a faint. He assisted me and called the EMTs, who tried to revive me for several minutes just where I was before taking me out to an ambulance via stretcher and on to King Edward Hospital.

For the next three or more hours I was given exhaustive tests. Then I was told I could go home. The nurse ordered a wheelchair to carry me out. The doctor cancelled that, stating I could walk out. I was given a clean bill of health by the doctors. I had been dehydrated, and was told to drink more water. Thanks to the many persons who enquired about my health.