November 30, 2006
Local heroes
I have just returned from an enjoyable lunch with Rachel Davies, principal of Uxbridge College and their PR guru Liz Bellchambers.
We slipped across the border to the Swan in Denham Village to meet up and I can thoroughly recommend this excellent hostelry for a spot of lunch.
Main topic of conversation was our Local Heroes Awards, of which the College have been generous supporters since we launched the awards four years ago. They are one of the highlights of the year for the Gazette and they are now reaching an exciting stage.
Entries for this year have closed and we are busy coming up with a shortlist in the six categories for final judging next month. Once again we have been overwhelmed with the response we have received and there are many inspirational and heart touching stories - some of which we have been featuring weekly in the Gazette.
We are now busy planning the awards gala evening on January 18 at Hayes Campus when the winners will be announced and once again it promises to be a spectacular night for all concerned.
The lunch also provided a welcome relief from a day of catching up on paperwork and email overload - it's amazing how after just one day out of the office your inbox is at breaking point!.
It was also good to see Liz again who before 'defecting' to the College earlier this year was my Content Editor at the Gazette and a staunch supporter of the Local Heroes awards.
Posted by aseal at 2:28 PM | Comments (0)
November 29, 2006
Spectacular view
Just time for a couple of quick cups of strong coffee to wake me up and check through my emails before I head off for Canary Wharf today.
Editors from across the Trinity Mirror Regional newspapers are gathering in Canary Wharf for our quarterly meeting. I have arranged to meet my colleague Ian Carter from the Croydon Advertiser for a quick coffee before the meeting to get us in the mood for a long day ahead. By the way Ian also produces a daily blog which is well worth reading http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk - that's another fiver you owe me mate!.
One thing that always impresses me about having a meeting on the 21st floor of Canary Wharf is the spectacular view across London - I am not sure the view from Gazette House and the Uxbridge skyline can quite compete with it.
However, I will be glad to get back to Uxbridge tomorrow to catch up on how the news list is shaping up for next week's papers. I hope that content editor David Tilley has some cracking stories to share with me - I will let you know tomorrow.
Posted by aseal at 7:33 AM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2006
Race against time
After my rant last week about the state of Uxbridge town centre during the current improvements I have been reliably informed they will be completed by the end of the month.
Well that gives them three days in my book to finish to work and rid the town centre of a building site. It's going to a close call as having just returned from my 'High Street patrol' there is still plenty of rubble to be navigated, dust to be inhaled and noise to be endured.
There does, however, seem to be a new urgency amongst the army of workmen on the project - perhaps they read my blog last week and decided they better get a move on!.
I also note with interest that the giant stone balls by the entrance to the Mall Pavilions now have 'soft' blue lights placed around them. I wonder how long it will be before after a few drinks someone calls the newsdesk to tells us aliens have landed in Uxbridge town centre!.
Anyway, I will be watching with interest on Friday to check the work has been completed and that the town centre is restored to its natural beauty.
PS: I am not against the improvements in the town centre and I actually believe they will make it more attractive - I just can't understand why it has taken so long.......
Posted by aseal at 3:44 PM | Comments (0)
Super sub beats deadline
It's been the usual frantic Tuesday morning at Gazette House as we put the finishing touches to this week's papers.
After a slightly slow start on the news front and more staff shortages I am pleased with how this week's editions have finally turned out. We again have a number of really strong stories including some festive cheer for the victims of the Fairpak collapse and how a mum saved her young son from nearly drowning when he fell down an uncovered manhole.
For the second week running Hillingdon Hospital has come under fire and we are splashing with this story in the Uxbridge edition while we have introduced a new feature which will highlight how traders across the borough are faring in the run up to Christmas.
With our sports editor Scott still on holiday I have again come off the subs' bench to help finish off the sports pages. I will be glad when he returns next week and I can revert to being a 'non-playing' substitute again. Still at least they beaten the deadline for the last two weeks - with a few hours to spare!.
We are now just sending the final news pages to our pre-press department so hopefully there will be no last minute disasters and you can look forward to seeing your Gazette on the streets tomorrow morning.
Posted by aseal at 12:54 PM | Comments (0)
November 27, 2006
Back to work for a rest
Where has the weekend gone .... it seems only five minutes ago I was rushing off on Friday afternoon for a meeting at our training centre in Egham and here I am again back at my computer.
It promises to be another busy Monday at Gazette House although I am not sure it can beat the hustle and bustle I encountered at Ikea in Croydon yesterday.
I rather hastily promised to accompany my daughter to the store on a mission to get some furniture for the new house she is shortly due to move into. I rather foolishly thought people would be too busy worrying about Christmas shopping in the town centres than flocking to Ikea -how wrong I was.
The place was packed and five hours later and loaded up with everything but the kitchen sink we finally escaped - I have come back to work for a rest!
Back to the serious business of this week's papers and after a slow start the news agenda is now looking extremely busy and it's going to be a juggling act trying to get everything in. I will be catching up with content editor David Tilley shortly as we start to plan the major news pages and work on the front page splashes for our four editions.
Posted by aseal at 7:43 AM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2006
Breaking news from China
Yesterday Thailand today China.
Just received this important email: BEIJING, Nov. 24 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Hurray! Holding Co., Ltd.
(Nasdaq: HRAY), a leader in wireless music distribution and other wireless value-added services, artist development and music production, and wireless value-added services management software in China, today announced it has been named 2006 Technology Fast 50 Companies in China by Deloitte, with revenue growth of 169.75% over the past three years.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050314/CNM005LOGO )
I really can't work out for the life of me why readers of the Gazette would be the least bit interested in this news - unless I am completely failing in my duties of knowing what our readers want!
Probably, like me, when it comes to the Chinese your main interest extends to a takeaway menue and what you are going to order tonight - but then I could always be wrong!.
Posted by aseal at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)
A long hard week is coming to an end but there's still plenty to do today as we start cranking up the news agenda for next week's papers.
It's been a bit of a slow start on the news front but we are working on several strong stories - one including a particularly nasty attack on a local councillor while he was out in London. The news list for the Hayes edition also has some good looking stories at this stage and it looks like our reporter for that area John Hughill is in for a busy few days.
I am also looking forward to reading Chene's Koscielny's hard-hitting Working Mum's Diary for this week's paper. She is nothing but controversial in her views and her column has been a great addition to the paper.
Finally, it was a depressing drive into work this morning through the gloom on the M25 as the England wickets started to tumble. I promised you I would remain optimistic over our chances but that optimism rapidly fading - and Ashes fever at Gazette House is sinking fast.
Posted by aseal at 8:07 AM | Comments (0)
November 23, 2006
This is Thailand calling
It's good to know that there is someone out their reading my blog - even if perhaps they are the only one!
An old colleague from my days when I was editor of the Bracknell News saw the blog in Thailand of all places and has been in touch (see comments below).
It's always good to find out what former colleagues you have lost touch with over the years are now doing and it often brings memories flooding back of the times you spent working with them.
Only last weekend the football club I spent more than 20 years playing for held a reunion to celebrate its 50th anniversary - no I did not play in the first match.
Again it was great to meet up with old friends who I had not seen for many years and within minutes we were recalling the many memorable matches we played in and recalling some of the more hilarious moments we encountered. I will not embarrass anyone in case they read this but suffice to say there are some truly wonderful tales I could recount .....
Posted by aseal at 4:02 PM | Comments (0)
What a load of rubbish!
It's the twilight zone and parts of Uxbridge town centre glisten and glitter as the festive season approaches - but have you noticed that the hub of the town still resembles a building site.
Shoppers are greeted by rubble, dirt, dust, noise and unsightly barricades as they start the month long Christmas present hunt.
The improvements to the town centre are all well and good but the timing is quite frankly awful.
It seems to me a massive own goal has been scored in that the work around the centre of the town is still not finished at this vital time of the year for traders. The current unsightly mess hardly encourages shoppers or puts them in a festive mood as they trudge around the High Street looking for Auntie Mabel and Uncle Tom's presents.
The sparkling town centre Christmas tree looks a forlorn sight clouded by a haze of dust and surrounded by piles of bricks - which shoppers have to navigate as they go about their daily present hunting.
I am sure it will all look wonderful WHEN it's completed but surely the summer was the time to get this work done and dusted and not during cold, wet blustery days in the run up to Christmas.
PS: It's only day one but already my fears for England in the Ashes battle are starting to ring true. As I look at my computer Australia are 317 for 3 and Pietersen is bowling! - not the start we were hoping for. I will continue to remain optimistic for the time being but I am not sure there will be a great deal of Ashes fever in Gazette House this morning. Bring back Monty!.
Posted by aseal at 7:33 AM | Comments (2)
November 22, 2006
Ashes fever grips newsroom
I expect there will be some bleary eyed shaggy haired staff - nothing new there - over the coming days as Ashes fever grips the newsroom in Gazette House.
Apart from this week's excellent papers - now safely on the streets - it is now the main topic of conversation with expectations high for our boys.
I am not sure how our Australian sub editor Steph is going to cope over the coming days as we whip her boys!. If only I was that confident this will be the case - I have this nagging doubt that it is all going to go horribly wrong 'Down Under' this time.
But for the next 24 hours I will remain optimistic. Come on England you can do it!
And if you are reading this Duncan be bold and pick Monty...
Posted by aseal at 8:49 AM | Comments (0)
November 21, 2006
Phew what a day - so far.....
The final pages have now been sent to our pre-press department and we hit deadline - but it was a close call.
Yesterday I told you about the walking wounded in the newsroom well today it is the sleeping wounded. Content editor David has taken to his sick bed and reporter Tom was clearly not able to come in with his broken elbow - after struggling through yesterday to write up his cracking front page exclusive.
With another reporter on holiday we were a depleted team and a couple of late breaking stories which needed covering really stretched resources.
However, the team did a fantastic job and this week's papers are some of the best we have produced for several weeks - well at least I think so.
It seems depleted newsrooms are a common theme this week as my colleagues in Reading and Croydon, who also produce daily blogs, have suffered the same fate for a variety of reasons.
You can also catch up on their daily blogs by going onto http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk and http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk. Hopefully this bit of publicity will gain them a few more daily readers - only joking boys!
Posted by aseal at 2:33 PM | Comments (0)
No more own goals!
I am helping out on finishing off this week's Gazette sports pages as our sports editor Scott is taking a well deserved holiday - at least that's what he tells me!.
However, I am not too sure that Scott is totally relaxed about me touching his precious pages. Last time he went on holiday and I took control of the sports desk I dropped a bit of a clanger by getting the date of an important football match wrong!
As the Editor the buck stops with me - so I could only tell myself off for the error. I blamed pressure of work on the day but the truth is there was no defence for the mistake - I should have checked like we tell our reporters to do time and time again.
Hopefully all will go smoothly this week and when Scott returns in two weeks time I will avoid being in his bad books again!.
The rest of the paper is shaping up nicely and as I said yesterday we have some cracking front pages for the four editions. The splash we have for the Uxbridge edition is one of the most dramatic stories we have reported on all year.You will not want to miss reading it I can promise.
As I write this Alan Hayes - another early bird like me - the main sub for the Gazette pages is beavering away on the final news pages and eagerly awaiting subbing reinforcements to arrive. A cup of strong black coffee will keep him going for what promises to be a frantic morning at Gazette House.
Anyway back to the sports pages and no more own goals this week ......
Posted by aseal at 7:52 AM | Comments (0)
November 20, 2006
Walking wounded!
Things are now starting to come together for this week's papers - but there have been a few Monday mishaps along the way.
The newsroom resembled something like a casualty ward earlier with content editor David Tilley not feeling his best and then reporter Tom Parnell arriving with his arm in a sling after a mishap on his bike over the weekend.
On top of that two of the major stories we had planned suddenly started to collapse - not helping David on his road to recovery.
Thankfully things are now starting to fall into place and we look to have a cracking exclusive story for the front page of the Uxbridge edition.
There are also some strong stories for our other three editions - Hayes, Harefield and Ruislip and Northwood - all of them likely to be strong talking points in those areas.
By tonight we will have completed the back end pages of the paper and then tomorrow morning will be working on the major news pages with the usual race against the clock to ensure they hit their deadlines to the pre-press department.
Posted by aseal at 3:44 PM | Comments (0)
Mine's a pint - or two!
Radio Five Live has become a 'close' friend of mine during the daily commute I make around the M25 - it is without doubt my number one radio station.
I was interested to hear a debate the other day on the price of drinks in various establishments across the world ranging from the blind to the ridiculous - £127 for a brandy seems a touch extravagant!
However, it appears when it come to value for money you will struggle to beat the Officers' Mess at RAF Uxbridge. One caller informed us that you can get a pint for 78p - now that's what a call value for money.
This led to some lively debate and ultimately an invitation to Five Live presenter Peter Allen to sample the delights of the bar at RAF Uxbridge. It will be interesting to see if he takes up the offer - with beer at that price perhaps we would be wise to book the next day off!.
Anyway, if you know of anywhere locally that can beat 78p for a pint then I would be interested to hear from you.
On a more sobering note today will be hetic at Gazette House as this week's issues really starts to come together - I will shortly be catching up with the news team to see what's on the agenda and will keep you updated as the day progresses.
Posted by aseal at 7:52 AM | Comments (0)
November 16, 2006
A day off from the M25 'car park'
I am off to the Reigate office tomorrow for a meeting with my fellow senior editors from across the region.
It is always good to meet up and share the same 'moans and groans' and also to catch up on any new ideas they have recently introduced into their newspapers. Having previously worked at the Reigate office it is also good to have a chat with some of my former colleagues.
For some of the editors Reigate is not always a popular venue as it means battling through the M25 rush hour traffic for an early morning start. In my case it is one of my favourite venues as I live close by in Surrey and it means a day off from the M25 'car park' and my usual crack of dawn journey to Uxbridge. I shall enjoy my extra cup of tea while some of my colleagues battle through the traffic!.
It looks like we will have some cracking stories for next week's papers - and we will be looking at the worst crime spots across the borough as highlighted by a new report. This is sure to draw reaction from our readers - something I am always particuarly keen to encourage and print.
I am hoping that when I return to the office on Monday content editor David Tilley will have an update on a story that at this stage has all the making of being a great splash for all four of our editions - watch this space for more on that as it breaks.
PS: What do you think of the Christmas decorations in Uxbridge M&S?. Looks like some giant glittery marshmallows from outer space have landed!
Posted by aseal at 3:31 PM | Comments (0)
All creatures great and small
Sometimes you tend to forget that it is not only what we might consider the major stories that are important to people.
This week I took a call from the local RSPCA centre who were extremely concerned that we had stopped running their weekly column in our free Leader newspaper. This article highlights the many animals at the centre who are looking for new homes and over the years has received a tremendous response from readers - and no doubt found many caring homes for a variety of pets.
I was happy to re-assure the centre that we had not dropped the article and that its recent omission from the pages of the Leader was not intentional. Happily we have restored the weekly column in this week's paper and the picture of the cute guinea pigs looking for a home certainly made me smile.
But what it does go to show is that all types of news - no matter how large or small - are important to a wide range of people who read the Gazette and Leader.
Anyway, back to planning next week's papers which are shaping up quite nicely looking at the first news list from content editor David Tilley.
Posted by aseal at 7:53 AM | Comments (0)
November 15, 2006
Don't forget to set your alarm clock!
It's always a relief on a Wednesday when you know the papers are out on the streets and there are no major problems.
This week has gone extremely smoothly at Gazette House - for a change. Perhaps that has something to do with Content Editor David Tilley being on holiday for a couple of days!. After the nightmares of last week when major problems with our system threatened getting any papers out all this week has been a bit of a breeze so far.
We are already planning next week's paper and have some interesting stories in the melting pot - hopefully they will come together as the week moves on - I will keep you updated on the progress of some of them.
One of the most interesting stories this week is about the meteor shower that will flash above the borough for the last time until 2039!. So keep your eyes peeled on November 19 at 4.45am - if you can be bothered to get up at that time. I know that I will not be setting my alarm for an early call but we will be interested to hear from anyone who does witness this spectacular aerial show.
Posted by aseal at 4:04 PM | Comments (2)
November 13, 2006
Welcome to my blog
Welcome to the first entry in my new blog, which I hope will give you a real insight into what goes on behind the scenes at the Uxbridge Gazette.
There is a lot more to the Gazette than our small entrance in Bakers Road in Uxbridge Town Centre might lead you to believe. Behind the doors is a bustling newspaper office producing not just your Gazette but newspapers across the south of England. Over the coming weeks I will try and involve you in the real life behind producing a weekly local newspaper.
I want this blog to be as interactive as possible - but that can only happen with your help. I want to hear what you think about the Gazette, both in its print and online form.
It will also give me the opportunity to talk about the decisions we make at the Gazette every week to ensure that we bring you the best possible paper - and also some of the daily headaches we face in producing the papers.
And don't be afraid to voice your views on the decisions we make over stories in the Gazette. Have your say and see who agrees. I can promise that all messages I receive - positive or negative - will be put up (unless they are particularly libellous/offensive.
I hope to update the blog several times a day depending on how busy I am.
I will try to make it as interesting as possible so you get a real insight into life on a local newspaper, and avoid sounding off on some of the things that might irritate me.
However, I might occasionally just have the odd rant. What really annoys me is: 1. People using their mobile phones while driving and 2. Being accosted by those 'smiling' charity people in Uxbridge town centre when all I want is a quick sandwich from M&S. If I want to give money to charity - and I do - I will decide when and where to do it....
Posted by aseal at 8:35 AM | Comments (1)