It’s the calm before the storm…you can follow all the goings on from across the North East from me and my colleagues at
@ChronicleLive
in our live blog here:
The new Duolingo update is so bad, I can only assume they're going to do a Coca-Cola and start charging for 'Duolingo Classic' in about six months time
Personal news klaxon - as of today, I've taken on the role as Northumberland Local Democracy Reporter based at
@ChronicleLive
and covering
@N_landCouncil
- can't wait to get started.
Some personal news - as of this week, I'll be covering the best place in the world - Northumberland - for
@ChronicleLive
and
@NlandLive
. It's great to be back and you can all look forward to more stories like this
#Northumberland
Some personal news to bring you...on January 28th, I will be leaving the Hexham Courant after more than three years and heading over to the
@newsandstar
. Thanks to everyone at the Courant for three great years - it's been a privilege to write for my hometown paper.
We're delighted to unveil the shortlist for this year's Awards for Excellence, following a record-breaking number of entries 🌟
Congratulations to the 54 students, trainees, apprentices, journalists and training providers on the shortlist!
Read more:
The Stack development at St James’ Park has been unanimously approved at a Newcastle City Council meeting this morning.
#NUFC
(Via
@JWCRobinsonNews
)
Gives me an opportunity to use this incredible image again.
RESULT
North Northumberland:
Katherine Hayley (REF) - 7,688
Georgina Hill (IND) - 3,220
Michael Joyce (IND) - 288
Andrew Martin (SDP) - 92
Jan Rosen (GRN) - 1,743
David Smith (LAB) - 17,855
Anne Marie Trevelyan (CON) - 12,788
Natalie Younes (LDEM) - 5,169
LABOUR GAIN
Delighted to get the news that I passed my NQJ exams this morning and am now a senior reporter! May treat myself to a cheeky whisky in celebration later today.
One thing about being a local democracy reporter for the county you grew up in is sometimes your old headteacher sits on the same committees you’re reporting on!
When I first started in journalism, I was handed a sheet of basic guidelines for copy from my then editor. The one that always sticks in my head was: "A person didn't 'pass away', sadly or otherwise. They died."
Nice to come back from a few days away to see the news I’ve won the Media law and ethics in practice award from the
@NCTJ_news
- very humbled. Thank you to everyone involved and to all those who sent kind words
Congratulations to Abby Phillips, pictured here with Hannah Dunnett at
@AAASixthForm
in
#Sunderland
and who is off to Cambridge to study veterinary medicine!
#alevels2021
This seems like something of an overreaction to a virus that can survive on a surface for about three days. Can't they just lock the door until it's gone?
Currently at the heart of political drama in the country - North Northumberland Local Area Council, where a planning application has been deferred because the committee don’t have enough information about some badger setts
This morning I went to get my tyre repaired and the fitter, stood right in front of my car asked me which one it was. I said 'the blue one' and he gently explained he meant which tyre. I'm never leaving the house again.
It’s been three weeks, and the rabbits are finally accepting Bonnie. It might have been quicker but she keeps stealing their lettuce
#cavapoo
#rabbits
#puppy
This is Liam Cato and his son Alfie, whose going to his very first game - they’ve come all the way from Gloucestershire! Liam gave up his season ticket after Rafa left, and says the takeover is ‘unbelievable.’ Alfie adds he’s very excited and thinks
#nufc
will win 2-0
If this is true - and other MRPs released tonight seem to paint a similar picture - it's absolutely seismic. As a Tyne Valley lad, I can tell you Hexham going Labour is every bit as crazy as Blyth going Tory in 2019.
Monkseaton South result:
Sean Brockbank (CON) 1,412
Martin Murphy (LAB) 1,798
Neil Percival (GRN) 345
Labour GAIN from Conservative
#LocalElections22
#northtyneside
Stocked up on coffee for the long night ahead - a big fan of my partners novelty penguin flask I’ve commandeered for the evening
#LocalElections2022
#NorthTyneside
The A69 needs to be dual carriageway - when you drive on it, you realise just how crazy it is that nobody's done it yet.
#A69
#Haltwhistle
#Northumberland
In case you’ve missed it, head over to
@ChronicleLive
’s Facebook page to see my live video walking from Hagg Bank Bridge to George Stephenson’s cottage in sunny Northumberland
The OUTRAGE we're getting from some readers on this is really surprising - people asking whether readers "need to know this?" Erm, yes, they do. Everyone should.
#BlackLivesMatter
Hexham RESULT
William Clouston (SDP) - 1,211
Nick Cott (LDEMS) - 2,376
Nick Morphet (GRN) - 2,467
Joe Morris (LAB) - 22,988
Guy Opperman (CON) - 20,275
Chris Whaley (IND) - 1,511
LABOUR GAIN
An early start in Wylam this morning to hear
@Feargal_Sharkey
talk about water pollution in the Tyne - and back Labour’s
@Joe_Morris91
in the Hexham constituency. A slightly surreal start to the day!
#GeneralElection
Some wonderful news to bring you this morning - the first patients in Tynedale have received the coronavirus vaccine. Pictured is Archie Tait, who got the jab from nurse Joanne Hall this morning - on his 88th birthday!
#Coronavirus
#Vaccine
A year ago today, my Grandad lost his battle with cancer. His stiff upper lip - refusing to panic as scud missles fell around him in Iran during the gulf war and continuing to play chess - would serve us well in these strange times.
My brother and his girlfriend are currently driving from Hexham to Kendal to get a coronavirus test - it’s a 160 mile round-trip. This is a shambles.
#testing
#coronavirus
Shorthand is obviously vital if you want to do court reporting etc, but I also get a special thrill from all my interviewees who are very impressed that I can decipher anything from the squiggles on my notepad
It's a subject that has been hotly debated for years, but just how relevant is shorthand to journalism and media employers?
Our report found that 82 per cent of employers consider shorthand to be vital, desirable or essential for some roles.
Read more:
It's been a long six months since March - I never thought I'd still be writing
#coronavirus
updates in November - but putting together a front page for the paper talking about a possible vaccine is filling me with hope - something that's been in rather short supply
#vaccine
For anyone having a bad day, I've just realised I went into Greggs wearing a pair of shorts that have a large split right down the back. Apologies to the staff who kindly didn't mention anything.
The Prime Minister accusing Labour of spreading confusion about Covid restrictions - the same man who didn't wear a mask during a visit to Hexham Hospital just a few weeks ago
#PMQs
I can't stand 'passed away' and 'laid to rest': twee tosh.
People die, and are buried or cremated.
Honest language shows more respect to the dead than silly, soft baby-talk.
Forgot to post, I got my first jab on Saturday. Thank you to the staff at Hexham Mart who were brilliant - in and out in a flash. Didn’t even feel ill after!
#vaccine
I have to say, when I got a job at my hometown, weekly newspaper two and a half years ago, I never thought we'd have a front page like this.
#coronavirus
Can honestly say I've never seen a planning decision receive a round of applause before - and I was there when the Allendalek was saved!
#Northumberland
#Choppington
Councillor Hardy's speech on Defra's proposed fishing ban at Holy Island has to go down as one of the best I've seen at County Hall (and I've seen a lot!). Properly barnstorming
#Northumberland
#HolyIsland
#Defra
After the election excitement last week, it’s back to earth with a bump - covering a planning meeting where councillors are debating plans for a new Co-op in Bellingham
All independently owned businesses are being offered the opportunity to have a FREE ADVERT in the Hexham Courant next week to help them spread their ‘shop local’ message to as many customers as possible.
#Tynedale
#covid19UK
#Coronavirus
A couple of stories in this week's Courant about residents concerned over planning applications - a welcome return to normality for me, I'm sick of writing the words "coronavirus crisis."
Three more Wainwrights ticked off this weekend - Glenridding Dodd, Sheffield Pike and Hartside (biggest one so far). Also caught a lovely sunset over Ullswater
#LakeDistrict
#Wainwrights
#Cumbria
It's believed they've both quit in response to the treatment of CEO Daljit Lally, who was suspended on Sunday after whistle-blowing. You can read that story in the
@hexhamcourant
today.
#buyapaper
Shadow Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology
@peterkyle
was in Hexham earlier launching Labour’s ‘first steps for change’ alongside
@KiMcGuinness
and
@Joe_Morris91
. Story to follow