From: "David Kirby" <dkirby@nyc.rr.com>

FYI, here is a brief report on my UK trip.

On the downside, there was not a lot of media coverage: A BBC interview was cancelled and the commissioned Daily Mail has not run. There were reporters at the House of Lords briefing from Reuters, The Spectator and The Telegraph, and I did meet for an hour earlier in the day with the main health producer for all the BBC networks, which was good. She seemed respectful and open minded. But I don’t expect any coverage (except maybe the Spectator, a weekly magazine).

On the other hand, much good will come from the trip:

1)     Audio and Video – There will be both, from the Parliament briefing and the Regent Hall lecture (a documentary team from England is now editing it together with my slides and putting it on DVD). All of these materials will be used for a variety of purposes, including delivering select portions on DVD UK media and Members of Parliament and the House of Lords.

2)     You Tube - Many of these clips will also be put on You Tube.

3)     Autism One Radio – They have put together and entire packet of the trip, with speeches, Q/A’s and an interview with me. It will run next week.

4)     Polly Toomey – The Autism File – They have a video taped interview that will be distributed to their network and magazine readers.

5)     News One Click – They covered my trip from the beginning and did an in-depth personal interview, which will run soon in their newsletter.

6)     Daily Telegraph and Sunday Sun – Both ran very good articles prior to my trip.

7)     Regent Hall – Around 100 people showed up for the Regent Hall talk, including government, Pharma and medical personnel. Some had handheld video cameras, so I hope they report back to their HQs.

8)     Follow up in the House of Lords – Cliff Miller  and Lisa Blakemore-Brown are in close contact with Lord and Lady Hodgson, and will work with His Lordship on political measures within Parliament. Keep in mind that Lords can directly question Ministers of the Government during the weekly Question Time sessions. I am certain that Lord Hodgson will bring this matter up soon in the House of Lords. I hope that people in the media over there will take note.

I really want to thank Lisa Blakemore, who got Lord Hodgson to sponsor the briefing and who set up the reading and book signing in Kensington, and did so much else to help, and was so kind and supportive. Also Sally Beck, a freelance reporter, who worked on the media, Cliff Miller, Rosie Kessick, who found Regent Hall, a terrific venue, Jane Bryant of One Click, Polly Toomey of Autism One and The Autism File, and Gudrun Jonsson, who hosted the Kensington event.

Finally, I do hope you will take just one moment and send a brief note of thanks to Lord Robin Hodgson of Astley Abbots – He and his wife, Lady Fiona Hodgson, could not have been kinder or more gracious. They are very serious about vaccine safety issues in the UK. I think they will appreciated hearing some words of thanks and support from America.

Here is his address: hodgsonr@parliament.uk

Cheers -- DK