Answer machine

Misremembering is a dangerous thing for journalists, as NBC news anchor Brian Williams found out to his cost earlier this year.

Old BBC hands are puzzled by Alan Yentob's recent recall of phone calls to and from Idi Amin. Alan applied to the BBC in February 1968 for a general trainee position. We're not sure when he started, but, by September 1969 he was getting Radio Times credits for his work in the Television Arts department.

So his spell at Bush House - apparently lasting nine months - fell between those dates. In those days, Idi was based at the former King's African Rifles barracks in Jinja, as Major General. His military coup came on 25th January 1971, followed a week later by his assumption of the title President.