CIWF, Joanna Lumley and Gwyn Prosser MP handed in a giant Mayday postcard to Ben Bradshaw on the eve of the ban on live cattle exports being lifted.

Entry by Rowen West-Henzell, CIWF Communications Officer responsible for the campaign against calf exports:

The day began with a phone call from Sky News at 9am just as I was arriving at Waterloo station. From that point on my phone didn’t stop ringing with calls from the BBC and loads of other major news providers, all interested in the issue and the photo call with Joanna. By 10am we had a string of interviews booked, including Sky News, BBC News 24 and Radio Five Live. Staff from CIWF head quarters were all in place outside DEFRA wearing Mayday t-shirts and holding placards, ready for any photos.

Then Joanna Lumley arrived looking amazing and all the press photographers sprang into action. They took plenty of shots of Joanna with the Mayday banner, CIWF staff, the giant postcard and our life-size model calf.

Although Ben Bradshaw (DEFRA Animal Welfare Minister) would not come outside, he did let Joanna, Joyce D’Silva (CIWF Ambassador) and Gwyn Prosser MP go up to his office to give him the giant postcard. Joanna, Joyce and Gwyn were up there for about 20 mins before coming out to do interviews for Sky, the Times, Channel Five News, the BBC and others. After more photos I had to whisk Joanna, Gwyn and Joyce off to the Millbank studios where they did interviews for BBC News 24, Sky and others. A lot of the interviews were sent out to networks which reached lots of different regional news providers and radio stations.

By midday the photo call was all over, but the media calls kept coming in. Joyce and I went to the Charing Cross Hotel for a breather and to escape the London streets so Joyce could do some radio interviews in peace. Once they were over and done with, I had Sky News on the phone and before I knew it we were both booked in for two live TV interview slots the following day.

All in all it was an incredibly successful day in terms of getting the message about live calf exports on the map.