died, but the radio kept going. ..for as long as Felix did.

While everyone else on the Island battened down the hatches and lit up the candles, DeFontes Broadcasting senior reporter Mr. Chris Lodge, deejay Mr. Lee Harvey, and reporter Miss Angie Gonsalves manned the company's two radio stations -- VSB 1450 and MIX 106.

What started as a regular day at work turned into a all-night affair for the three radio personalities, who were widely praised yesterday for their broadcast-turned-talk show.

The three fielded hundreds of calls from bored, frustrated, and often lonely callers wishing to express their feelings about Hurricane Felix and literally being left in the dark.

"It was all a mistake,'' VSB's Miss Cathy Stovell told The Royal Gazette yesterday. "Chris asked for listeners to call in and Angie was planning on taping them, but something happened and we broadcast them live.'' Miss Stovell said VSB was inundated with complimentary phone calls following the all-night broadcast.

"Everybody is saying that we kept people entertained and informed. Besides the EMO (Emergency Measures Organisation), we were the only station on air,'' she added.

Bermuda Broadcasting Company was unable to broadcast due to power outages.

Mr. Harvey began work at 1.30 p.m. on Monday and finally went home at 9 a.m.

yesterday.

Mr. Lodge did two shifts on Monday, one from 6.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. and an all-night shift beginning at 6 p.m. and ending at 10.30 a.m.

And Mrs. Gonsalves began at 2.30 p.m. on Monday and finished at 10.30 a.m yesterday morning.

Needless to say, the graveyard shift trio retreated to their beds yesterday -- and were not taking any phone calls.

*** It has often been said that a catastrophe brings out the best in people. But a BBC television crew which covers natural and manmade disasters all over the world claims Bermuda is the friendliest place it has ever visited.

The team of four which arrived last week for the Independence referendum and found itself facing a hurricane instead, yesterday gave Bermudians the thumbs-up for friendliness.

Yesterday, the three-man, one-woman team recorded its fourth news piece, scheduled for broadcast in London and throughout the world. Over the weekend, regular news bulletins on BBC radio, BBC World Service and television have kept Bermuda in the international eye.

"Bermuda is one of the nicest places we have ever been,'' the BBC reporter made a special point of saying. "The people here have been really nice.'' Too bad that in light of the cancelled cruise ships and empty airplanes, she couldn't have slipped that in on the air someplace! *** Reporters at The Royal Gazette reporters work rain, blow or shine.

And in yesterday's weather it was blowing...hard.

Senior reporter Libby Francis could not let photographer David Skinner get the best look at the destruction on the Causeway despite the fact that it was 7.30 a.m. and the winds were blowing, the rain was pouring, and the sea was spraying on to the road, due to several feet of missing wall.

Clad in her yellow rain coat, clutching her now very soaked notebook and pen, Libby followed the photographer and several Works and Engineering workers for the walk along the Causeway.

Walking was not the bad part as the wind literally carried her along but the raincoat did not do her any good as the ocean seemed to wait for her as she walked past the collapsed wall and sprayed her uncontrollably, leaving nothing dry, not even her fresh hairdo. And that was just at the first gap.

David Skinner didn't do any better as he was soaked from head to toe, but he thought it was fun.