Estonian independence still matters

Today, 20 August 2014, marks the 23rd anniversary of the restoration of independence in Estonia. I use the term restoration deliberately since independence was originally declared back in 1918. History of course had other ideas. 

As many people know I have a love for Estonia and all things Estonian. It's a fascinating country with a rich and vibrant history, culture and language (not to mention difficult!) I loved living and studying in the Estonia and was fortunate to hear very personal stories from my Estonian friends who vividly remember those tense times of August 1991. On Facebook this morning I was struck by one post in particular, from Jarmo Siim, who wrote:

"23 years ago today, I was very afraid. I had seen tanks on TV, approaching Tallinn. This was following the events in Latvia and Lithuania months before where hundreds of people were injured or killed. It was a part of the Soviet coup. My family was scared as was the whole nation. 

But the decision had already been made earlier, in the heads of Estonians - there was no way back, it was either freedom or Siberia. Both would do. At 23:03 local time, the parliament re-established the independence of the Republic Of Estonia. We've never looked back. 

Now, Estonia is one of the most free and successful European countries that emerged from the Soviet Union. That is why we stand by with everyone who has not been that fortunate. And hope that one day they will also have the luck to tell a similar story.

Happy second birthday, my dear Estonia!"

My own memories are relatively vague, I remember my teacher at school telling me that the "map of the USSR is going to be out of date soon" and that's about it. Jarmo's status struck a chord with me - it must have been terrifying seeing scenes on TV of protestors being gunned down by an increasingly erratic army, desperate to maintain control. There is also a crucial point to be made - Estonia, and the other Baltic States, were occupied. They did not voluntarily join the Soviet Union. This was never forgotten and was arguably one of the main motivating factors in pushing for full independence that summer. The choice was stark - face a certain bleak future or rejoin the world of nations.

Estonia has made some truly remarkable strides over the past two decades and is evidence that small countries can flourish with independence. Something worth bearing in mind as the independence referendum gets underway in Scotland. Of course there have been tensions and difficulties along the way, and the road ahead may not be smooth, but Estonia is a peaceful European country which unlike others, respects human rights and international law. Whilst in the 1990s there were accusations that Russian speakers in Estonia were being persecuted, many of those people actually supported Estonian independence and have adapted to life after the Soviet Union.

People might laugh at Eurovision but for nations eager to be seen and heard on the world stage, such events are unique opportunities and one which Estonia used well. Estonian independence is an important event to mark, arguably more important now than ever. Estonia, and other countries, are nervously looking over their shoulders at events which are continuing to unfold in Ukraine. The context is different of course, but given the unpredictable and volatile world order of today, I'm sure many Estonians are celebrating the fact that they made a clean break from the past when they did.

In September I'm going on the so-called "Eurovision Cruise" from Helsinki to Tallinn and I'm so looking forward to returning to Estonia, a country which I have taken to my heart. Elagu Eesti - Ma armastan sind! 

 Eurovision 2009: Flying the Estonian flag in Moscow with Natalia from Russia

The circus has come to town!

Eurovision 2014 is in full swing. The first semi final took place on Tuesday night and threw up some surprises - San Marino qualified! Well done Valentina, proving that if at first you don't succeed... Montenegro also qualified for the first time. Huge cheers for Ukraine and massive boos for Russia when the results were announced. Those girls might be in for a rough ride on Saturday. BBC Three was good fun as always - more tonight!

The second semi final will be on BBC Three this evening - the UK can vote. Ones to watch out for include Israel, Malta, Ireland and Poland - shake what mama gave ya indeed. There's a real buzz about the UK this year - I really hope Molly does well. 

My book is now available for pre-order here or an open access download here

I'm heading to London tomorrow for the final. 

Ciao for now.

This is Copenhagen calling!

Yesterday I arrived in Copenhagen for the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest. I met the BBC team at Heathrow who were in good spirits. I'm delighted to be appearing on their semi final coverage again on BBC3 with Scott Mills - Tuesday and Thursday, 8pm. The UK can vote in Thursday's show.

The venue this year is, well, interesting. It's an old shipyard, renovated especially for the contest. It doesn't look great from the outside but it's what's inside which counts and it'll look great on TV I'm sure. Rehearsals are continuing today, there's the usual speculation about which countries will make it to the final and which ones will be left out in the cold. Poland is worth watching, the Slavic girls are using their charming beauty. I really like the song but not sure about the presentation - focusing on breasts - is it empowerment or misogyny?  

I've just met the lovely Tinatin Berdzenishvili from Georgian TV, one of the nicest people out of all the Eurovision delegations. Georgia will take part in the second semi final - it's a quirky song, not everyone's cup of tea but it's well performed. Thanks to Tinatin for the interview. More tomorrow!

This is Canada calling...

Last week I had the great pleasure of recording a podcast with Eurovision Canada alongside my colleague Dr Karen Fricker. We spoke about the politics of Eurovision, how I got into it and what we can expect from Eurovision this year. 

Listen here

"It's not a sprint, it's a marathon!"

Those were the wise words used by Ingvild Bryn to describe the voting at the 1996 Eurovision Song Contest. As some of you know, I ran the London Marathon last year for a small charity called Leukaemia Care. I am so grateful for all the support, encouragement and sponsorship I received - I raised nearly £4000. It was an amazing experience and I went on to complete the race in 3 hrs 38 mins, 24 seconds. I was unsuccessful in the public ballot for 2014 however last week I was offered a place running for Leukaemia Care once again. I was thrilled and gratefully accepted.

This year will be a very special race for me since I'll be running in memory of my aunt who sadly died in September last year. She was a very brave lady and faced the severity of her prognosis with such stoicism and dignity. Whilst this year I don't have any set targets for raising money, I would like to raise at least £500 for Leukaemia Care, a small charity which does a great deal of good work. Last year my aunt was there to cheer me on at the finish line, and whilst obviously things will be different this year, I'd like to think that by running again in 2014 I'd be doing her proud.

I've started my training, it's going well so far but marathons take commitment and determination. Please spare whatever you can to help me reach my target. 50p? £1? It's so true that every little really does help. I've set up a JustGiving page, it's really simple and easy to use.

Thank you for reading

Paul x

UK entry for Eurovision 2014

Last week I was invited onto BBC Breakfast to talk about Eurovision. As soon as I announced that I was going to appear I received texts and tweets asking if I knew about the UK entry. This then turned into a rumour that I was announcing Jessie J as the UK entry for 2014! Not sure how that all started but it was hugely entertaining to say the least. 

It looks like it'll be another internal selection this year. If that's the case, then at this stage it's likely that a name will have been chosen by now. When the deal is done, BBC staff, newspapers and other media will have the name well before it is announced to prep and write the story as happened with Engelbert. Of course it all depends on whether they stick to the embargo, as we saw with Bonnie last year and Blue in 2011, everyone wants a scoop! Contrary to what many think, the BBC aren't in a blind panic and struggling for people to sing for the UK. It's just that at the minute, in January, it's not at the top of the list. That doesn't mean that things aren't moving behind the scenes. Perhaps we just need to chill a little?

I can appreciate that some people miss the build up to Eurovision since we no longer have a national final. I understand why fans are eager to know who is representing the UK and it must seem frustrating when it appears that there's a wall of silence coming from the BBC. I do think they could do more with Eurovision and could use it as a great way of launching fresh new talent as they did in 2009. I'm a realist though, these are difficult economic times and the BBC, like many other organisations, are making cuts. It's unlikely that we will see a large-scale national final for some time. Eurovision is first and foremost a television show which gets large ratings for the BBC. This is the logic behind the selection of Blue, Engelbert, Bonnie. A big name will be more likely to get bigger viewing figures on the night. Simples. Whether this is right or wrong, or translates into votes, is of course, another matter...

Only The Women Know

Yesterday I gave a talk to members of the Women's Institute in Cardiff. I was slightly nervous to be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect or how they would respond to a presentation about Eurovision. It turns out that my concerns were misplaced, what a hoot! 

The WI is an interesting organisation and judging from the activities they have planned for the coming weeks, it's clear that there's a lot more to these ladies than just "Jam and Jerusalem". These women hold some serious political clout too and are regularly asked for their comments on the issues of the day. Whilst it might be argued that they represent a narrow, middle class view of the world, I think we underestimate people, in particular the older generation. I posted a photo of the group on my Facebook page and one of my friends (jokingly) commented that they would have been against the equal marriage bill which was being voted on that evening in the House of Lords. I'm sure many would have been. I'm also sure that may would not have. One thing is for sure, we are quick to judge. 

A friend of mine has a grandmother who is 91, she's quite religious and traditional. You might think she might be borderline homophobic in her views. The reality couldn't be further from the truth. Without sounding patronising, some of the women in the audience last night had a wealth of life experiences, we'd do well to learn from some of them. I thought I'd be going into a room full of jam-making, tweed-wearing housewives. Instead I met a group of empowered, political and engaging women of varying ages.

I took the ladies for a trip down memory lane through songs from yesteryear interspersed with some of the more political anecdotes from Eurovision. If they weren't interested, they didn't show it. For years I have argued that Eurovision goes hand in hand with nation building. My experiences last night shows that Eurovision has also been a part of so many peoples formative years; "I remember Pearl Carr and Teddy Johnson". When it comes to Eurovision some people love it, some hate it. Some love to hate it. It's the one event that practically everyone has an opinion on, which, nearly 60 years since the inaugural contest, is really powerful.