Where were you when President John F Kennedy was shot?

My TV schedule sixty years ago simpler than it is today. I was fifteen, a bit of a lad, and with various little sidelines, so had a few bob in my pocket. One Friday night in November 1963, I watched the pop programme ‘Ready Steady Go’, subtitled ‘the weekend starts here’, revelled in my adolescent crush on Kathy Kirby as she sang ‘Secret Love’ and that was TV almost done for the weekend. So, on with the Hush Puppies, a splash of Brylcreem, and we were off for an evening on the razzle!

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As we passed Shoreditch Church someone shouted “Kennedy’s been shot”. By the time we got to Tooley Street, someone else shouted “Kennedy’s dead”. When we got to the Bermondsey, all eyes were on the television as we saw and heard live coverage from the United States, itself a novelty made possible by the newly launched Telstar satellite. The only humour came when the Shadow Foreign Secretary, George Brown, was asked to give a tribute, but was clearly drunk.

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JFK: 24 Hours That Changed the World? (Channel 4) painstakingly pieces together the story of the twenty-four hours each side of President John Kennedy being pronounced dead at 13.00 local time. Here again we see the initial optimism of the 60s: Kennedy had been in office for just under three years, he was young, charismatic and had a clear view of the US as a positive force for good and his very last speeches reflected that.

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Kennedy’s death was played out in real time to a stunned world. We saw it all: the hurried swearing in of Lyndon Johnson as President, the body being transported back to Washington, the arrest of the alleged murderer, the pain in the face of the newly-widowed Jackie Kennedy. It was a shock, and if you wonder why people of my generation still ask “where were you when you heard Kennedy had been shot?”, it’s because for two or three days, time stood still. This programme will explain more.

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Every Saturday in 1963 we looked forward to ‘That Was The Week That Was’. TV satire was very new and we had great fun as they lampooned the establishment of the day. None of us knew how they would respond to Kennedy’s assassination. Most assumed the edition was to be pulled; not at all. Within twenty-four hours they had assembled a programme that paid tribute to Kennedy and helped us understand our grief. Have I Got News for You (BBC 1) has struggled in recent weeks, given the horrifying Hamas attack on Israel and the inevitable reaction. A couple of Friday’s ago, comedian Feargal Sharkey, spoke from the heart, based on his experience in Ireland and made an impassioned plea for peace and reconciliation. It can happen. Catch it if you can.

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Just weeks before his assassination President Kennedy had stood before the wall that had split Berlin and declared “Ich bin ein Berlinner”. It wasn’t until twenty-six years later that the “people power” of ordinary East Germans saw the wall breached in November 1989. Turning Point: The Fall (Radio 1) traces those dramatic days in East Germany and explains how a poorly organised press conference forced the communist government to open the border crossings. A great script from Clara Glynn and some wonderful acting, all with Scottish accents, makes this an afternoon treat.

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Morning Worship (Radio 1) recently came from Methodist Central Hall Westminster. The music was led by the Parliament Choir and the worship introduced by the Hall’s super, Tony Miles. ?The opening song was that awful ‘I vow to thee my country’, probably the most meaningless six verses in the English language. It’s not even in our own denominational hymn-book which should have given someone a clue.? This was almost surpassed in blandness by a ‘Methodist Confession’, probably written by a committee who didn’t want to understand sin and redemption.

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There were two messages, one of which tried to explain the Christian symbolism of the role of the crown in our constitution, but not very convincingly. Leslie Griffith followed by pointing out that the early church had much to teach us in how to resolve disputes, though he didn’t explore the supernatural which enables Christians to seek the mind of Christ. It was a relief at the end of the service to hear a Covenant prayer. This was a great opportunity to proclaim the Gospel, but it slipped through our fingers.

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?Scotland’s Sacred Islands with Ben Fogle (BBC 1) normally goes out on a Sunday morning when many readers will be at church. Fogle clearly loves the Scottish islands and in this series, he explores their spiritual heritage. There is some fantastic photography and interesting interviews. One lesson learnt is that whilst people still seek a spiritual experience, they don’t default to seeking it through the Christian faith. I did wonder if Ben Fogle only speaks to the exceptional and eccentric, a risk for many of these ‘down your way’ programmes. ?But I will watch again.

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Have you ever peeked over the privet hedge and wondered how your neighbours are getting on in their gardens? Well a recent edition of Gardeners’ Question Time (Radio 1) certainly opened my eyes. It was literally an outside broadcast from Warley Woods in Smethwick, which is almost in our front garden. Thank goodness we just have a bit of grass and a few trees.