Since then, a certain amount of detective work has gone on, and the (probably) definitive answer comes from top man Tim Marshall -
"I believe the date is 23rd July 1986 - Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson. The reason I think that is if you look behind the trees on the right mid-distance you can just see a scaffold tower and across the road towards Parliament Square a dark green box girder section to carry cables. The reason for this was that we wanted to put Dimbleby in an in vision position opposite the Abbey and in the time available this was the only way to safely do it. The Palace were very iffy about this whole idea but I persuaded them that you wouldn't see Wimbledon Green, it looks as though I was right.
Subsequently a duct was put in to cross the road although it's surprising how shallow the road is before you hit the Circle Line.
It was on this occasion where the Fire Officer came around the night before and said the scanners where too close to the Abbey.
"You're gonna have to move them." he said rather abruptly.
"Impossible" I replied pointing at the tailboard -"we can't just unplug all those wires"
"Well it's a fire hazard and we've got royalty in the Abbey"
After a few seconds I responded "Who's going to tell her it's off, I'm certainly not going to."
The somewhat stressed Fire Officer saw it was impossible "OK mate, but don't push you luck again"
I think most of us pushed our luck on occasions but it was such pragmatism that made OB events both interesting and rewarding to produce."
Personally, I (Bernie), being a much lesser being, was in charge of a two camera scanner outside Buckingham Palace sending material to the Japanese.
I was nominally director, but the Japanese had sent their own man too. Unfortunately he could speak as much English as I can speak Japanese, so there was much gesticulation and laughter in the scanner, which tended to result in me saying things like "I think he wants you to zoom in to the palace now, Wayne"
