Up close and personal with Peter Plisner, the Business and Transport Correspondent for BBC Midlands Today

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF

I’m Peter Plisner, the business and transport correspondent for BBC Midlands Today. I live in south Birmingham with my wife, two daughters, two stepchildren and two dogs. At peak times its loud and chaotic but I like that. I’m keen on DIY, although not always that successful. As one of the children said to my wife recently: “At least he’s trying.” I love photography and listening to music. Like many I’ve recently dusted off my old albums and rediscovered the sound of vinyl.

HOW DO YOU GET INTO TOWN?

Mostly I jump in the car. Not good for a transport correspondent, I know. I need my car for work which takes me all over the West Midlands. I do live close to a station with one of the best rail services in the city so use the train for social trips and shopping. Occasionally I will cycle. Birmingham has some great cycle paths.

HOW’S THE COMMUTE?

I’ve recently moved house and now have two more traffic jams to negotiate in the morning. Congestion is certainly getting worse, although public transport is getting better. When I’m not needed on air I often work from home and then my commute is just a short walk to the study!

IS BRUM A GOOD PLACE TO WORK IN?

I just love Birmingham and working in the city centre at the Mailbox. It’s great for shopping and walking to meetings. I was raised in Cambridge and I remember my dad and I took a road trip to Birmingham city centre when I was around 10-years-old and I loved it. I never expected to end up working and living here too.

COFFEE BREAK?

Don’t really do coffee breaks and I’m too tight to pay for take-outs. It’s either cheap instant or tea for me. The trouble is, tea means biscuits and who can stop at just the one?

LUNCHTIME?

What’s that? I have a full-on job with the BBC and often I’m on the telly doing outside broadcasts at lunchtime. It’s a case of grabbing a sandwich and carrying on. If I’m in the office, it’s a cuppa-soup and maybe a bag of savoury popcorn.

POWERWALKING?

I have two dogs and a fitness watch that my wife bought me for Christmas. The two things, combined with a need to get to work as early as I can, mean that it’s more a case of ‘power walkies’ every morning. Luckily the dogs enjoy it (most of the time).

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CITY?

I love walking around the city’s canal network. They’re under-used by both boats and walkers and you can access parts of the city that you don’t normally see. They’re also great places to run because, aside from the odd lock, they’re normally flat.

HOW CAN THE CITY BE MADE BETTER?

With the regeneration that’s already going on, Birmingham’s getting better already. It’s amazing how many cranes are on the skyline and how much is being invested. In the past I’d have said that people who live here should stop talking it down, but now things have changed and everyone’s proud of the second city. Including me!