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This blog forms part of the coursework for the MA in Journalism I am undertaking at Brunel University. All the images on the site are copyright free (courtesy of http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/) or have been taken by myself.
Thursday, 13 December 2007
Wrexham Goes Croatian!
WREXHAM WENT CROATIAN for a night as groups of supporters across the town cheered along the Eastern European side as they put an end to England’s faltering campaign to reach the 2008 European Championships.
Local betting shops said a large amount of the money changed hands in support of Croatia. Robin Hutchinson of Ladbrokes said “Wrexham being a Welsh town, we did take a lot of bets against England, and there were lots of £10 and £20 bets being put on, and at 7-1 for a Croatia win a lot of people filled their boots.”
Pubs around Wrexham took on a decidedly Balkan feel as groups of Welsh supporters turned their attention from Wales’s plucky scoreless draw against Germany to England’s disastrous second half showdown. Staff at Ladbrokes in Wrexham however said they tried to drum up support for the England side by encouraging people to bet on them. Manager Cynthia Davies said, “We sold a lot of bets for England - we were relying on them and they went and let us down . There is a lot of friendly banter in here about supporting England.”
The FA revealed this morning that the England manager Steve McClaren had been sacked following the sides undignified exit from the championships.
Wales had already been eliminated from the competition and were playing for pride in their game against Germany last night, and with a solid performance they gave hope to Welsh fans for the future.
The real winners last night, however, were those who had backed the Croatian side to beat England. Robin Hutchinson, Ladbrokes spokesman said “Plenty of people will have enough money to take a holiday next year to Austria or Switzerland, it’s just a shame that none of our football teams will be there”.
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Local betting shops said a large amount of the money changed hands in support of Croatia. Robin Hutchinson of Ladbrokes said “Wrexham being a Welsh town, we did take a lot of bets against England, and there were lots of £10 and £20 bets being put on, and at 7-1 for a Croatia win a lot of people filled their boots.”
Pubs around Wrexham took on a decidedly Balkan feel as groups of Welsh supporters turned their attention from Wales’s plucky scoreless draw against Germany to England’s disastrous second half showdown. Staff at Ladbrokes in Wrexham however said they tried to drum up support for the England side by encouraging people to bet on them. Manager Cynthia Davies said, “We sold a lot of bets for England - we were relying on them and they went and let us down . There is a lot of friendly banter in here about supporting England.”
The FA revealed this morning that the England manager Steve McClaren had been sacked following the sides undignified exit from the championships.
Wales had already been eliminated from the competition and were playing for pride in their game against Germany last night, and with a solid performance they gave hope to Welsh fans for the future.
The real winners last night, however, were those who had backed the Croatian side to beat England. Robin Hutchinson, Ladbrokes spokesman said “Plenty of people will have enough money to take a holiday next year to Austria or Switzerland, it’s just a shame that none of our football teams will be there”.
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Published in the Wrexham Evening Leader
Ends
Comment – Wrexham Goes Croatian.
Following this particular football match the news editor was keen to find a local angle on the story. I initially tried to contact the bookmakers via the telephone, but there were no direct numbers for the offices in Wrexham so I ended up speaking to their head office. Whilst I was waiting for them to come back with a quote I thought I would try the local bookmakers and see if they were prepared to talk to me. Though initially a bit reluctant they soon saw the funny side of the story and gave me some entertaining quotes. The information about the pubs in Wrexham being filled with Croatian supporters was provided by them and I had no reason to doubt it. When I returned to the office the Ladbrokes spokesman called back and gave me some excellent quotes. Though the rivalry between England and Wales is fierce in Wrexham it is also quite friendly and there is a good degree of banter particularly about football. The story developed very quickly due to the sacking of the England manager so the disappointment or elation of the fans was no longer newsworthy, but through adding the betting angle it was given 'legs'. This was a very helpful exercise in how to drum up news on a slow news day. Very often the reporters on the Leader were stuck for something to write about and had to use their initiative to try and link a national story to a local angle, this was one of my attempts at doing that.
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Wrexham Boy Wins Trip To California
A TALENTED WREXHAM boy has won a trip to California as part of a competition to write an episode of the Cartoon Network show ‘Ben 10’. The team behind the show were looking for young imaginative writers to create an episode of the popular series, and found one from 10 year old James Kendrick, a pupil of Acton Park Junior School in Wrexham.
James will be whisked away on a four day trip to California, where he will visit the Burbank Studios, meet the creative team behind the animated series and get a behind the scenes look at the Cartoon Network. James is thrilled about winning the ‘Ben 10 You Write The Show Competition’ and this will be his first big trip to California. He has been a dedicated fan for four years and never misses an episode. He said “I love Ben 10, my favourite part of the show is the aliens” he enthuses “I’m really excited and can’t wait to see where Ben 10 is filmed and meet the people who make it happen”
Mrs Kendrick, Ben’s mum said, “We’re really chuffed, he’s got a very vivid imagination and has also won some design a game contests, when I found out he’d won I went to tell him in school. All his friends were asking if they could go in his suitcase to California”
In his spare time Ben enjoys writing and football as well as looking after his two chickens, Barry and Tika. His winning story involves a wide variety of characters including Big-Foot and a battle with an animal army.
The family will be taking their trip to sunny California in January, and Ben simply can’t wait to see how the programme is made. Also travelling with Ben will be his parents and his younger brother.
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James will be whisked away on a four day trip to California, where he will visit the Burbank Studios, meet the creative team behind the animated series and get a behind the scenes look at the Cartoon Network. James is thrilled about winning the ‘Ben 10 You Write The Show Competition’ and this will be his first big trip to California. He has been a dedicated fan for four years and never misses an episode. He said “I love Ben 10, my favourite part of the show is the aliens” he enthuses “I’m really excited and can’t wait to see where Ben 10 is filmed and meet the people who make it happen”
Mrs Kendrick, Ben’s mum said, “We’re really chuffed, he’s got a very vivid imagination and has also won some design a game contests, when I found out he’d won I went to tell him in school. All his friends were asking if they could go in his suitcase to California”
In his spare time Ben enjoys writing and football as well as looking after his two chickens, Barry and Tika. His winning story involves a wide variety of characters including Big-Foot and a battle with an animal army.
The family will be taking their trip to sunny California in January, and Ben simply can’t wait to see how the programme is made. Also travelling with Ben will be his parents and his younger brother.
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Published in the Wrexham Evening Leader
Ends
Comment – Talented boy in TV trip.
The press agency employed to promote the cartoon network were extremely interested in getting this article in the Evening Leader. Once I had begun writing the story I received three phone-calls asking when the article would be in and whether it would be in the large round-up free paper at the end of the week. This was difficult as I obviously was not in a position to guarantee anything. The story itself came via a press release. Over the course of my week at the Evening Leader I wrote up about twenty press releases – some of them could be developed into a story and others were merely promotional material for the local MP, councillor or business. Being naturally suspicious of promotional material I was uncomfortable with simply re-writing the press release and using the quotes provided which sounded contrived. The one concession was the quote from James saying “I’m really excited and can’t wait to see where Ben 10 is filmed and meet the people who make it happen”. Reading this back now I am uncomfortable as it doesn’t sound genuine. Though I wouldn’t dare to suggest this was a fabricated quote for the press release; - ‘meet the people who make it happen’ sounds a little more American than you would expect from a 10 year old from North Wales.
I contacted James’ mother for a quote and obviously she was delighted about the trip, though she was a little baffled about the plot of James’ winning entry.
I was pleased with this positive story about how a local boy’s imagination had won him a trip to America.
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Comment – Talented boy in TV trip.
The press agency employed to promote the cartoon network were extremely interested in getting this article in the Evening Leader. Once I had begun writing the story I received three phone-calls asking when the article would be in and whether it would be in the large round-up free paper at the end of the week. This was difficult as I obviously was not in a position to guarantee anything. The story itself came via a press release. Over the course of my week at the Evening Leader I wrote up about twenty press releases – some of them could be developed into a story and others were merely promotional material for the local MP, councillor or business. Being naturally suspicious of promotional material I was uncomfortable with simply re-writing the press release and using the quotes provided which sounded contrived. The one concession was the quote from James saying “I’m really excited and can’t wait to see where Ben 10 is filmed and meet the people who make it happen”. Reading this back now I am uncomfortable as it doesn’t sound genuine. Though I wouldn’t dare to suggest this was a fabricated quote for the press release; - ‘meet the people who make it happen’ sounds a little more American than you would expect from a 10 year old from North Wales.
I contacted James’ mother for a quote and obviously she was delighted about the trip, though she was a little baffled about the plot of James’ winning entry.
I was pleased with this positive story about how a local boy’s imagination had won him a trip to America.
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Cub-Scouts In Dramatic 'Rescue'
CUB-SCOUTS and their leaders were involved in a dramatic training exercise with the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service last Sunday.
The exercise, which took place in the 689 yard Berwyn Tunnel outside Llangollen, involved 68 passengers including the cub-scouts and their leaders being evacuated from a train.
The scenario for the exercise was that a train had derailed inside the tunnel and Fire-Fighters had to search the evacuated smoke filled carriages using flashlights and breathing apparatus.
David Mottram, County Operations Manager for Denbighshire said “The exercise was conducted to ensure North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and their partner agencies are prepared and properly trained for the possibility of a train de-railing.
“We at North Wales Fire and Rescue Service are committed to offering the best service possible to the residents of our region. By organising these role playing exercises we are training our staff to the highest possible standard and preparing them so that they have experience should a similar incident occur.”
“We would like to thank Llangollen’s scout group, their leaders and instructors and Llangollen Railway Society for helping us on the day and ensuring that the exercise was as realistic as possible.”
The exercise, which took place in the 689 yard Berwyn Tunnel outside Llangollen, involved 68 passengers including the cub-scouts and their leaders being evacuated from a train.
The scenario for the exercise was that a train had derailed inside the tunnel and Fire-Fighters had to search the evacuated smoke filled carriages using flashlights and breathing apparatus.
David Mottram, County Operations Manager for Denbighshire said “The exercise was conducted to ensure North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and their partner agencies are prepared and properly trained for the possibility of a train de-railing.
“We at North Wales Fire and Rescue Service are committed to offering the best service possible to the residents of our region. By organising these role playing exercises we are training our staff to the highest possible standard and preparing them so that they have experience should a similar incident occur.”
“We would like to thank Llangollen’s scout group, their leaders and instructors and Llangollen Railway Society for helping us on the day and ensuring that the exercise was as realistic as possible.”
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Published in the Wrexham Evening Leader
http://www.wrexhamleader.co.uk/news/999-tunnel-training-for-cub.3505578.jp
Comment – Cub Scouts Story.
This article went into the paper on the following Wednesday as page lead with two photographs of the evacuation. It was printed as it was submitted. On reflection, it requires subbing and should perhaps be shorter. For example, the quote from David Mottram is a bit too long.
The Wrexham Evening Leader has a very positive relationship with the local Fire Service. Whereas the paper’s reporters are frequently complaining about the lack of information they receive from the police, press releases and phone calls from the Fire Service are quite regular. The reporters at the Leader have such positive contacts at the Fire Service that when they hear the sirens on the street outside they call the control room and ask where the fire engine is going!
The story originated from a press release but the quotes provided were quite weak and after initially writing it I realised it was much too short. The senior reporter advised me that there were photographs to accompany the article and that it needed to be more than a ‘Brief’. The completed article finished up being just under 200 words.
Getting hold of David Mottram, proved to be difficult but I managed to obtain a mobile telephone number for him. He was clearly in the middle of something when I called him and he asked if he could email me with a comment on the training exercise. Rather than inconvenience him and keep the news editor waiting, I said that email quotes would be fine. The strength of the piece is the fact it is accompanied by photographs of the scouts being rescued from the train :- without these the article would not have worked.
Comment – Cub Scouts Story.
This article went into the paper on the following Wednesday as page lead with two photographs of the evacuation. It was printed as it was submitted. On reflection, it requires subbing and should perhaps be shorter. For example, the quote from David Mottram is a bit too long.
The Wrexham Evening Leader has a very positive relationship with the local Fire Service. Whereas the paper’s reporters are frequently complaining about the lack of information they receive from the police, press releases and phone calls from the Fire Service are quite regular. The reporters at the Leader have such positive contacts at the Fire Service that when they hear the sirens on the street outside they call the control room and ask where the fire engine is going!
The story originated from a press release but the quotes provided were quite weak and after initially writing it I realised it was much too short. The senior reporter advised me that there were photographs to accompany the article and that it needed to be more than a ‘Brief’. The completed article finished up being just under 200 words.
Getting hold of David Mottram, proved to be difficult but I managed to obtain a mobile telephone number for him. He was clearly in the middle of something when I called him and he asked if he could email me with a comment on the training exercise. Rather than inconvenience him and keep the news editor waiting, I said that email quotes would be fine. The strength of the piece is the fact it is accompanied by photographs of the scouts being rescued from the train :- without these the article would not have worked.
Wembley Art Exhibition
A DISUSED former carpet warehouse, a stones throw from Wembley Stadium became home this week to a new multi-media art installation celebrating Wembley’s prestigious football related history.
‘The Saints’ exhibition by internationally renowned New York artist Paul Pffeifer was inspired by the completion and opening of the new £352 million stadium and is a celebration and study of the mass crowds who are drawn to the stadium to watch England games.
The installation is housed in the middle of a retail park in an empty warehouse approximately the size of a football pitch throughout which crowd noises resonate; there is a split screen which shows footage of the 1966 world cup final alongside synchronised footage of a crowd in
Manila who are edited so that they appear to be watching the game in the present day.
The crowd noises from the recording of the original game intermingle with the sound of the crowd supposedly watching the game in Manila.
Vicky Childs (18) an art student from London Metropolitan University was visiting the installation as part of an organised trip, she said
‘The exhibition is a bit bizarre, but the contrast between the old recording of the football match and the modern day crowd is unusual and interesting’
Artangel the organisation which commissioned the piece of work is renowned for its groundbreaking and sometimes controversial work.
In recent years Artangel commissioned Rachel Whitereads concrete mould of the inside of an East End house along with Anthony Gormleys Waste Man and Jeremy Dellers re-enactment of the battle of Orgreave.
Patrick Waters who runs front of house for the installation said there had been a steady influx of people visiting the exhibition despite its unusual location,
‘We had about thirty people on the first day and about 21 today, I think people are initially a bit intimidated by the building and the crowd noises coming out of it - i think a lot of people are coming to see the exhibition out of a nostalgia for the old Wembley.’
Patrick is not yet committing himself to any explanation of the meaning of the installation,
‘I think you can interpret it in your own way, a lot of it is about what you bring to the art, I think it’s a fantastic exhibition in a fascinating location.’
'The Saints' installation is open every Wednesday to Sunday between 11am-7pm, is free to enter and runs until the 28th October.
http://www.wembleystadium.com/
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Ends
Comment - Wembley Art Exhibition
I had read a review of this exhibition online and realised it was not far from where I live. I am a fan of the challenging work that Artangel produce and it was a treat to find this installation virtually on my doorstep. The interesting thing that struck me about this exhibition was its bizarre location, in the middle of retail-park. Wembley is a diverse, exciting and interesting place – but in terms of cultural events it is a little limited. In neighbouring Kilburn they have the Tricycle Theatre which shows art films and has exhibitions but there is very little of that sort in Wembley. I interviewed a couple of people which proved quite difficult as I don’t yet have fast enough shorthand and the installation was in darkness, so my notes were very scrawled when I entered the daylight again.
Some of the people I interviewed were less than forthcoming when discussing the art. Indeed, the installation front of house manager was very suspicious. He may have thought I was going to do a Daily Mail style hatchet job on ‘Modern Art’ but once he was convinced I was genuine he opened up.
I didn’t actually send this article away for publication in the Wembley Observer which on reflection I should have as they didn't cover it – though the exhibition was reviewed in a couple of the national papers.
I took the pictures for the article with my camera. Though not much of a photographer, the images help to add interest to the piece, especially when the location is so strange!
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Feral-Media Meets...MP Sarah Teather
MP SARAH TEATHER is a bit of a breath of fresh air. She tends to avoid the clichés that most politicians desperately cling to.
I ask her about political heroes and inspirations; “It sounds a bit false to just pick a name. Obviously people like Gandhi and Mandela are inspirational but on a personal level it would be wrong to say they changed the direction of my life. The people who inspire me are my colleagues in the party, the people I work with.” Ask her about her political roots and why she became an MP, and she won’t drag out a long rambling monologue about how she was influenced by a family member or how she witnessed poverty or some atrocious injustice, “It wasn’t like a Eureka moment, someone just said to me – ‘so you’re a liberal democrat’ and I thought - yes I am.” Her political awakening, if it can be called that, came as she was studying Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, although she was categorically not a student activist; “I tended to think that the people who were active were weirdoes.” I avoid the temptation to ask her whether she thinks her colleagues in Parliament are any less weird.
Following boundary changes the next election Sarah will contest will be fought over a different area in Brent, something that she does seem stoically unhappy about; “Nobody relishes losing parts of their constituency. You become emotionally attached to your seat and we are losing areas of Brent where we have been working very hard.”
Lightening the conversation, I ask her about the most laughable policy suggestion she has ever heard; “New Labour often takes a good idea and pushes it to a ridiculous conclusion. Baby ASBO’S for instance. Your life opportunities are affected by what happens to you at an early age and we as a society have to help. But instead of coming at the problem with sympathy and compassion they wanted instead to bash people over the head with ASBO’s.
I suppose it is laughable really - but also disturbing” Though she cracks a smile you can tell she doesn’t really think it’s funny. Someone once said the world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel. I can’t help thinking the Brent East MP is in the latter category.
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Ends
Comment – Sarah Teather MP Interview
Interviewing politicians is clearly an important part of being a journalist. The course task we were set was to contact and interview an MP about their job. MPs, despite being publicly accountable people are remarkably difficult to pin down. I contacted four potential interviewees over the course of 48 hours and Sarah Teather’s office was the only one to grant me an interview. I prepared questions in advance for the interview, but tried to respond to her answers as the discussion went along. I enjoyed the interview and genuinely did find her approach honest, refreshing and surprisingly candid. Though the interview was scheduled for only ten minutes following her surgery in Kilburn we actually talked for 25 minutes. The difficult part of this task was actually cutting the story to size. When there is nearly 2000 words of interview it is quite a task to cut it to under 400 words, especially when it is necessary to cut content that you feel is important.
When interviewing this particular MP I felt that some of the questions I asked were predictable and unimaginative. Furthermore, I would like to have asked her to elaborate on particular answers and to have challenged her on some of the comments she made.
In the subsequent MP interviews I have carried out I think my approach has been more robust and the interviews more challenging for the MPs. Nevertheless, I like this article better as a finished product. Sarah’s responses seem personal and thoughtful, and the article therefore evolved to be more of a political/personal profile than a piece about the job of being an MP.
I realised subsequently how unusual this honesty and directness is in public officials.
I ask her about political heroes and inspirations; “It sounds a bit false to just pick a name. Obviously people like Gandhi and Mandela are inspirational but on a personal level it would be wrong to say they changed the direction of my life. The people who inspire me are my colleagues in the party, the people I work with.” Ask her about her political roots and why she became an MP, and she won’t drag out a long rambling monologue about how she was influenced by a family member or how she witnessed poverty or some atrocious injustice, “It wasn’t like a Eureka moment, someone just said to me – ‘so you’re a liberal democrat’ and I thought - yes I am.” Her political awakening, if it can be called that, came as she was studying Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, although she was categorically not a student activist; “I tended to think that the people who were active were weirdoes.” I avoid the temptation to ask her whether she thinks her colleagues in Parliament are any less weird.
Following boundary changes the next election Sarah will contest will be fought over a different area in Brent, something that she does seem stoically unhappy about; “Nobody relishes losing parts of their constituency. You become emotionally attached to your seat and we are losing areas of Brent where we have been working very hard.”
Lightening the conversation, I ask her about the most laughable policy suggestion she has ever heard; “New Labour often takes a good idea and pushes it to a ridiculous conclusion. Baby ASBO’S for instance. Your life opportunities are affected by what happens to you at an early age and we as a society have to help. But instead of coming at the problem with sympathy and compassion they wanted instead to bash people over the head with ASBO’s.
I suppose it is laughable really - but also disturbing” Though she cracks a smile you can tell she doesn’t really think it’s funny. Someone once said the world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel. I can’t help thinking the Brent East MP is in the latter category.
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Ends
Comment – Sarah Teather MP Interview
Interviewing politicians is clearly an important part of being a journalist. The course task we were set was to contact and interview an MP about their job. MPs, despite being publicly accountable people are remarkably difficult to pin down. I contacted four potential interviewees over the course of 48 hours and Sarah Teather’s office was the only one to grant me an interview. I prepared questions in advance for the interview, but tried to respond to her answers as the discussion went along. I enjoyed the interview and genuinely did find her approach honest, refreshing and surprisingly candid. Though the interview was scheduled for only ten minutes following her surgery in Kilburn we actually talked for 25 minutes. The difficult part of this task was actually cutting the story to size. When there is nearly 2000 words of interview it is quite a task to cut it to under 400 words, especially when it is necessary to cut content that you feel is important.
When interviewing this particular MP I felt that some of the questions I asked were predictable and unimaginative. Furthermore, I would like to have asked her to elaborate on particular answers and to have challenged her on some of the comments she made.
In the subsequent MP interviews I have carried out I think my approach has been more robust and the interviews more challenging for the MPs. Nevertheless, I like this article better as a finished product. Sarah’s responses seem personal and thoughtful, and the article therefore evolved to be more of a political/personal profile than a piece about the job of being an MP.
I realised subsequently how unusual this honesty and directness is in public officials.
Young Wrexham Cricket Star
A YOUNG CRICKET STAR is hoping to raise funds for the trip of a lifetime. Wrexham youngster, James Claybrook has been picked as part of the English Cricket Board's 16-man West of England squad, and will tour some of the Caribbean’s most famous cricketing hotspots – if he can drum up enough cash to make the journey.
The trip to the Caribbean is for sixteen of Britain’s finest young cricketers and will cost £32,000. Each person, therefore, needs to raise £2000 to make his dream come true, and progress to the next phase of his development as a potential first class player of the future.
Dad, Peter, himself a keen cricketer said James, who now plays for Brymbo, started playing at an early age,
“He started playing cricket when he was about 4 years old, he was picked for the Welsh under 11’s, as an all-rounder. He played in the national festival at Loughborough and was playing cricket with the fifty best boys in the country – it was his performance there that won him selection for the ECB tour”
As part of the Caribbean tour James will visit Trinidad, Guyana, and Barbados in the space of eighteen days on a trip his father describes as the ‘opportunity of a lifetime’. James was selected as opening Batsman for England but is also a skilled bowler.
Peter Claybrook said the selection by the English Cricket Board has followed years of hard work, “Obviously we’re very happy for him, it’s a great opportunity and has come out of years of hard work and effort.”
Peter also feels that North Wales is now starting to be recognised for producing talented young cricketers “It is standing out now, and people are starting to take notice of us really.”
The dream trip to the Caribbean is however, dependent upon James getting sponsorship, and his father is making an appeal for support, “The total cost of the trip is £32,000 and each individual player will need to raise £2000 of that. We have got fundraising events lined up but we would also appeal to local businesses to help with donations or sponsorship”
The trip to the Caribbean is for sixteen of Britain’s finest young cricketers and will cost £32,000. Each person, therefore, needs to raise £2000 to make his dream come true, and progress to the next phase of his development as a potential first class player of the future.
Dad, Peter, himself a keen cricketer said James, who now plays for Brymbo, started playing at an early age,
“He started playing cricket when he was about 4 years old, he was picked for the Welsh under 11’s, as an all-rounder. He played in the national festival at Loughborough and was playing cricket with the fifty best boys in the country – it was his performance there that won him selection for the ECB tour”
As part of the Caribbean tour James will visit Trinidad, Guyana, and Barbados in the space of eighteen days on a trip his father describes as the ‘opportunity of a lifetime’. James was selected as opening Batsman for England but is also a skilled bowler.
Peter Claybrook said the selection by the English Cricket Board has followed years of hard work, “Obviously we’re very happy for him, it’s a great opportunity and has come out of years of hard work and effort.”
Peter also feels that North Wales is now starting to be recognised for producing talented young cricketers “It is standing out now, and people are starting to take notice of us really.”
The dream trip to the Caribbean is however, dependent upon James getting sponsorship, and his father is making an appeal for support, “The total cost of the trip is £32,000 and each individual player will need to raise £2000 of that. We have got fundraising events lined up but we would also appeal to local businesses to help with donations or sponsorship”
A fundraising night at Brymbo Sports and Social Club has been arranged on Friday, February 8th and tickets are available from the Social Club.
Anyone wishing to sponsor James directly can contact Peter Claybrook on 0797******.
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Ends
Comment – Cricket Story
One of the Wrexham Evening Leader’s sister papers is the Flintshire Evening Leader. Its chief reporter, Steve Graves, wrote an article about a Flintshire boy who had been selected to tour the Caribbean by the English Cricket Board, and now needed to raise sponsorship money.
There was also a boy from Wrexham who had been selected – James Claybrook – and I was given the task of contacting the boy’s father and producing a similar article but with the Wrexham angle. Mr Claybrook proved initially difficult to contact and so once again I had to begin to write the story without the quotes. The Editor was keen to have this story for a page three as there was a good picture of James being awarded his first England cap. I left a number of messages on Mr Claybrook’s mobile and eventually he called the office. I wanted to differentiate the article in the Wrexham paper from the one in the Flintshire Evening Leader so I tried to ask some different questions. I focussed on the boy’s interest in cricket - when it had started and how he had got himself selected.
The angle of the story was that the boy had been chosen for this amazing trip but might miss out if he didn’t raise the money. It was basically a call for sponsorship for a local boy done good.
Though I attempted to approach the story from a different angle I found that I was limited on an item like this. I wanted to emphasise the family’s happiness at James’ success and their pride, but ultimately the purpose of the article was to help raise the profile of the fundraising campaign.
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Pigeon Causes Chaos!
A PIGEON has caused chaos at a house in Rhosddu after getting firmly stuck in a chimney.
Graham Higgins of Grange Avenue contacted the RSPCA three days ago when he noticed the pigeon was trapped. The bird has been subsequently identified as the property of one of Mr Higgins neighbours.
In an attempt to free the pigeon Graham Higgins has had his gas fire disconnected and removed. It soon became clear, however, that they would not be able to reach it without specialist equipment.
Yesterday the pigeon was still alive and trapped in the chimney and Mr Higgins is now hundreds of pounds out of pocket and without his gas fire.
The RSPCA initially responded to the call on the 17th November and animal collection officers have since visited the house with flexible rods in a desperate attempt to get the bird free. The pigeon, however, is not budging and the RSPCA state that there are only two remaining options, use a professional chimney sweep, or use the fire service to knock holes in the wall.
Mr Higgins now says he will be between £300 and £400 out of pocket and the pigeon still remains in his chimney. He is now considering taking drastic action to prevent the bird from dying.
“The bird is still in the chimney and if it doesn’t come out by itself, the RSPCA will come back with the Fire Service and demolish the chimney stack. To be honest with you I am just perplexed by the whole thing”
This dramatic final option would involve using a thermal imaging camera to locate the bird and then knocking holes in the wall of the chimney. This option is considered more humane than using a chimney sweep. An RSPCA spokesperson said,
“We have been in touch with both the owner and the caller and we will obviously monitor the situation. We have also contacted the fire service. One option remaining would involve knocking holes in the wall. The other option is to employ a chimney sweep to try and remove the bird. We have done everything we can and have just not been able to get the bird down.”
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Graham Higgins of Grange Avenue contacted the RSPCA three days ago when he noticed the pigeon was trapped. The bird has been subsequently identified as the property of one of Mr Higgins neighbours.
In an attempt to free the pigeon Graham Higgins has had his gas fire disconnected and removed. It soon became clear, however, that they would not be able to reach it without specialist equipment.
Yesterday the pigeon was still alive and trapped in the chimney and Mr Higgins is now hundreds of pounds out of pocket and without his gas fire.
The RSPCA initially responded to the call on the 17th November and animal collection officers have since visited the house with flexible rods in a desperate attempt to get the bird free. The pigeon, however, is not budging and the RSPCA state that there are only two remaining options, use a professional chimney sweep, or use the fire service to knock holes in the wall.
Mr Higgins now says he will be between £300 and £400 out of pocket and the pigeon still remains in his chimney. He is now considering taking drastic action to prevent the bird from dying.
“The bird is still in the chimney and if it doesn’t come out by itself, the RSPCA will come back with the Fire Service and demolish the chimney stack. To be honest with you I am just perplexed by the whole thing”
This dramatic final option would involve using a thermal imaging camera to locate the bird and then knocking holes in the wall of the chimney. This option is considered more humane than using a chimney sweep. An RSPCA spokesperson said,
“We have been in touch with both the owner and the caller and we will obviously monitor the situation. We have also contacted the fire service. One option remaining would involve knocking holes in the wall. The other option is to employ a chimney sweep to try and remove the bird. We have done everything we can and have just not been able to get the bird down.”
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Published in the Wrexham Evening Leader
http://www.wrexhamleader.co.uk/news/Pigeon-stuck-in-chimney-baffles.3503721.jp
Comment – Pigeon Story
This story was a lot of fun and taught me much. The senior reporter had taken a call from a man complaining that the RSPCA would not help him rescue a pigeon that had been stuck in his chimney for three days. I had a fixed idea in my head of what the story was before I spoke to him. It took a while to get through to Mr Higgins who had called about the bird so I decided to start writing the story. The angle was that this man had gone to considerable trouble to help rescue the pigeon and that the RSPCA weren’t concerned. I finally contacted Mr Higgins and did a telephone interview. He gave me some fantastic quotes including “I have been left to sort this out myself; I am trying to do my bit and the RSPCA can’t be bothered. If it was a fluffy puppy stuck in a chimney they would be out all guns blazing to rescue it”. I added the quotes to the story and then contacted the RSPCA for a response, I told them the criticisms I had received and the press officer promised to contact me back. Later in the afternoon she did and the story took an entirely different angle. The RSPCA had been out to Mr Higgins three times following my phone-call and could not get the bird down. The subsequent story had changed considerably and I had to abandon the original for fear of misrepresenting the RSPCA.
The story proved popular locally with the article online having a link so that readers could send messages of support to the ‘plucky pigeon’.
BBC Radio Wales also picked up the story and contacted me for Mr Higgins’ telephone number. They later interviewed him for an evening news programme.
(300)
Comment – Pigeon Story
This story was a lot of fun and taught me much. The senior reporter had taken a call from a man complaining that the RSPCA would not help him rescue a pigeon that had been stuck in his chimney for three days. I had a fixed idea in my head of what the story was before I spoke to him. It took a while to get through to Mr Higgins who had called about the bird so I decided to start writing the story. The angle was that this man had gone to considerable trouble to help rescue the pigeon and that the RSPCA weren’t concerned. I finally contacted Mr Higgins and did a telephone interview. He gave me some fantastic quotes including “I have been left to sort this out myself; I am trying to do my bit and the RSPCA can’t be bothered. If it was a fluffy puppy stuck in a chimney they would be out all guns blazing to rescue it”. I added the quotes to the story and then contacted the RSPCA for a response, I told them the criticisms I had received and the press officer promised to contact me back. Later in the afternoon she did and the story took an entirely different angle. The RSPCA had been out to Mr Higgins three times following my phone-call and could not get the bird down. The subsequent story had changed considerably and I had to abandon the original for fear of misrepresenting the RSPCA.
The story proved popular locally with the article online having a link so that readers could send messages of support to the ‘plucky pigeon’.
BBC Radio Wales also picked up the story and contacted me for Mr Higgins’ telephone number. They later interviewed him for an evening news programme.
(300)
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