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March 30, 2007
Landmark lament
I have to say I feel rather sad at the moment and a touch nostalgic...
It has just come to my attention that the scale model of Concorde which has had pride of place at the entrance to Heathrow Airport has been removed.
This wonderful plane ( and no I am not a plane spotter in my spare time) has been a famous landmark at the airport for more than 16 years and during that time it's estimated that more than 400 million people have seen it.
Apparently British Airways has decided not to renew the £1.5m annual rent to advertise on the roundabout at the entrance to the airport.
So, it's out with the old and in with the new because Emirates Airways have snapped up the space and will replace the Concorde model with an Airbus A380 superjumbo.
All is not totally lost because the model of Concorde is going to transported down the M25 to the Brooklands Museum in Weybridge, Surrey.
However, somehow the entrance to Heathrow will not be the same without Concorde I don't really think the Airbus is in the same class.
We will all sadly miss the old bird!.
Posted by aseal at 3:02 PM | Comments (1)
Website launch
I promised the editor of our sister paper the Buckinghamshire Advertiser that I would give their new website a plug - so here goes...
http://www.buckinghamshireadvertiser.co.uk is now live and kicking and will be bringing you all the news from across the South Bucks area on a daily basis.
The site also features an interesting section on the Tesco at Gerrards Cross saga which has been in the news spotlight for well over a year now since work was suspended when a tunnel collapsed during work on the new store.
The Tesco site at Gerrards Cross
I can also report that the Advertiser editor Julie Voyce will soon be joining the world of blogging. She is due to go 'live' early next week so I will be interested to read her daily views on life in the South Bucks area.
Back at Gazette House the news week has got off to a sluggish start. There is certainly no shortage of stories around but nothing that is really jumping out as a contender to be a front page splash.
I am sure things will pick up as the day progresses otherwise our news editor Chene might have a bit of a shock when she comes in on Monday morning, especially as content editor David Tilley is off on holiday next week.
Posted by aseal at 8:01 AM | Comments (0)
March 29, 2007
Easter headache
While most people will be looking forward to the Easter break it can pose something of a headache for us at Gazette House.
A large part of my meeting yesterday with content editor David Tilley and news editor Chene Koscienly was spent planning ahead for the next week and the impending Easter holiday.
We have to get next's week Gazette finished as usual by Tuesday lunchtime and then need to have almost completed the following week's paper two days later on Thursday.
Unlike Christmas when again you have several tight deadlines but small papers the paginations for the Easter editions are pretty much as normal so it will be a tough week ahead for the newsdesk and subs.
To compound matters David is on holiday next week as he heads for Spain and some tapas and Rioja so I am sure that Chene is really looking forward to the task ahead.
I have just received an interesting email from Rachel, a pupil at Swakeleys School, telling me that she has started a petition along with fellow pupils to try and save the outdoor centre used by school across the borough in Cwen Pennant from closure.
We have received a tremendous response since we first broke this story several weeks ago and rest assured Rachel we will certainly be covering your campaign to try and save the centre in next week's Gazette.
PS: If any of our eagle-eyed readers of the Harefield edition are wondering we have not taken a step back in time at the Gazette. The dateline on the front page should have read 2007 and not 2006 as printed. Heads will roll!
Posted by aseal at 8:00 AM | Comments (1)
March 28, 2007
Chopping and changing
This week's paper is now out on the streets but behind the scenes it was a fairly frantic deadline day at Gazette House yesterday.
We had finally settled on a story about Ken Livingstone's plans to introduce a congestion charge around Heathrow Airport unless control of the Heathrow Express rail link is given over to him as our splash for the Uxbridge and Hayes editions.
The page was designed and subbed and just about to be checked over when news broke that Tesco had failed in their bid to build a superstore in Yiewsley.
This story has been big news in the area with a long running campaign by residents to halt Tesco's bid and, in the past we have increased sale on the back of this story.
The decision was made to lead the Uxbridge edition with the Tesco story and relegate Ken's latest bid to expand his congestion charge monopoly to page two.
With time against us the newsdesk did a sterling job in turning the Tesco story around - but that wasn't the end of the chopping and changing.
We also had a strong news background feature to the Tesco decision almost ready in anticipation of the outcome of the planning appeal.
This was rapidly pulled together as the Gazette's final deadline fast approached and page five of the paper was cleared to get it in.
However, there was one more issue. Having seen the completed page I was not happy with the overall appearance of the feature which, in my opinion, did not really jump out of the page and do itself justice.
The end result was that the page went back to the production unit and was re-designed before finally everyone, including me, was happy with the finished look.
As they say it's all in a day's work and some weeks run smoother than others....
Posted by aseal at 8:39 AM | Comments (0)
March 27, 2007
Pothole danger
I have just discovered a website which is fast becoming a hit with motorists and cyclists.
One of the most infuriating things for drivers and cyclists is the amount of potholes that they have to encounter on a daily basis as they go about their travels. I have to say that the roads around where I live in Surrey are real suspension shakers with potholes appearing at alarmingly regular intervals - and often nothing being done about them.
Not that some of the roads around Hillingdon are much better and for several weeks there was a particularly dangerous pothole on the roundabout as you go from the Harefield Road in to Uxbridge High Street.
It was eventually filled in but I have noticed that in the last couple of days it is starting to again shake the suspension of my car each morning.
The website http://www.potholes.co.uk has been set up for people to relate their pothole horror stories - and there are plenty of them from all parts of the country on the site.
It also tells people how they can claim against local councils for damage caused by potholes to
their vehicles, how to report potholes in roads and there is also an interesting news section.
A recent survey asked highway engineers how many potholes they had filled in their area over the past year. The tally across England and Wales was alarmingly close to one million (944,000). Taking average estimated costs for filling a pothole, the impact of this work on already stretched maintenance budgets is calculated at £56 million.
If you have any pothole horror stories then we would be interested to hear about them at the Gazette. You can either contact me through the blog or go to the have your say section on the website and post your comments.
Away from potholes this week's Gazette is now down to the main front end news pages and it looks like being another lively edition.
One of our potential lead stories for the Uxbridge edition spectacularly collapsed yesterday but like any good newsdesk the alternative they have come up with is likely to cause plenty of debate and could become a real hot transport issue for many people.
I have also just finished checking off the pages in the first part of our Top Toddler competition. I have to say there are some really chute pictures this year and I can now appreciate how difficult it was for the judges to pick the winners in the various categories.
Posted by aseal at 8:07 AM | Comments (2)
March 26, 2007
Hidden gems
This week's Gazette is starting to take shape as we head into another busy day.
At the moment we have no obvious splash for the main Uxbridge edition but there are several irons in the fire which hopefully will develop as the day moves on. There is one story in particular which could be a real cracker if we can pull it off (I will keep you updated).
As expected we have received plenty of feedback from last week's story on the massive pay increases for senior Hillingdon councillors and the letters continue to flood in on the decision to close the outdoor activity centre used by local school children.
I am not sure we can top last week's story on the club which places bets on which member is going to die next but, we do have a fascinating feature on the borough's hidden historical gems which have been discovered by archivists.
This week we annouce the judges' verdict in our Top Toddler Competition and you can also find out how you can vote for your own favourite child.
I went to a friend's 50th birthday bash yesterday which was hugely enjoyable.
As the wine started to flow over the roast beef the main topic of conversation was another miserable performance by the England football team the previous night.
Everybody had their own opinion on who should be playing and the best formation but, the simple facts are that despite the millions of pounds of talent on display once again the team is proving a huge letdown.
It appears I had a lucky escape by not watching the match - at least that way you don't end up being disappointed if you are an England fan!
Posted by aseal at 10:07 AM | Comments (2)
March 23, 2007
Top of the hit parade
Hot on the heels of the Gazette's best sales week of the year we have recorded a bumper day for the website this week.
On Wednesday the site had the highest number of hits so far this year for an individual day. It's always interesting to track the web statistics on a daily basis so I was particularly keen to see what had attracted so many users to the site.
The news headlines gained the most hits with the three most popular stories viewed:
1. Police car involved in accident
2. Stadium sold to mystery buyer
3. Thieves abuse wheelchair user
Also proving popular was the jobs section while without wishing to blow my own trumpet that day's blog (A-mazing twist) registered a highly encouraging number of hits.
The great thing with the website is that you can get almost instant feedback on what are the most popular stories with users while with our newspapers we have to wait two weeks to get a true picture of how sales have performed - which can often be quite frustrating.
Meanwhile, as I expected our page three lead in this week's Gazette about the Last Super Club - whose members place bets on which of them is going to die next - has generated a great deal of interest. You can also read the story on the website today.
It is without doubt one of the most bizarre stories we have had this year and has already found its way into at least one national newspaper.
There has also been some interesting comments posted on the local Hillingdon Chat forum http://www.hillingdonchat.com.
I must admit the comments about the uncanny resembalance between one of the club's members and council leader Ray Puddifoot made me smile...
Posted by aseal at 8:44 AM | Comments (0)
March 22, 2007
Super sales
I have just received the latest weekly sales figures for the Gazette and they have certainly put a smile on my face on a cold wintry morning in Uxbridge.
The figures for the March 7 edition of the Gazette show our highest sale of the year and a large increase from the previous week.
It was a particularly strong paper and the sale of the Hayes edition rocketed by almost 1,000 copies from the previous week, giving us an increase of more than eight per cent on the corresponding period last year.
I have to say it's not too difficult to understand the reason for such a strong sales week for the Hayes edition the headline says it all: 'Two murders in one week.'
Newspaper sales are always difficult to predict on a weekly basis and a whole host of factors, apart from the strength of your stories, like big sporting events, school holidays and even the weather can affect them.
However, not matter what the circumstances it's always likely that really big stories can increase your sale and that was certainly the case for the March 7 edition.
On the previous occasion of our best sales figures of the year our newspaper sales manager treated us to some posh chocolate biscuits - this time I am looking forward to a selection of the finest cream cakes available in Uxbridge.
The real trick now is to maintain the increase in sale ...
Posted by aseal at 7:40 AM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2007
A-mazing twist
There has been an amazing twist to the council's decision to start charging traders across the borough to place boards advertising their businesses outside their shops.
I have mentioned this new legislation in previous blogs and made my own views well known. We have also covered the story in depth in the pages of the Gazette, especially the horror and outrage from traders to charge them nearly £400 to place the boards outside their shops.
The council originally claimed that their decision to start charging came after they had received complaints from residents about the safety of pavements for blind and partially sighted people, the elderly and parents with pushchairs.
I have to say this all sounded rather suspicious at the time and it was difficult to understand how making traders cough up the cash to display the boards was going to make our pavements any safer.
However, it has now come to light this week that the council only ever received ONE formal complaint about the advertising boards being a safety hazard.
It appears on this basis they have gone ahead to start charging traders nearly £400 to obtain a licence to have A-boards outside their premises.
Quite rightly traders across the borough are up in arms following this latest revelation and it makes me believe that it is no more than a gravy train for the council rather than a genuine piece of common sense legislation.
We have covered the story in this week's Gazette, which is out today, and are awaiting a formal response from the council to the latest twist to this story.
I will be extremely interested to hear what they have got to say ...
Posted by aseal at 8:17 AM | Comments (1)
March 20, 2007
Pay rise horror
It's been an extremely hectic morning at Gazette House and for all the right reasons.
I described last week's paper in my blog as another 'strong edition' and was taken to task for being 'so modest' and told that I should let the readers be the judge of that.
Well I have no hesitation in saying that this week's Gazette is a really strong edition with several stories that are going to be real talking points across the whole borough. It's been one of the best overall news weeks for a while and we had a great selection of stories for the early news pages.
We received a healthy response to last week's splash about plans to close the outdoor activity centre used by school children across the borough.
However, I expect a bulging postbag in response to this week's lead story about the massive pay increases being proposed for senior councillors in the borough.
These include a whopping 56.1 per cent for council leader Ray Puddifoot and 71 per cent for deputy leader David Simmonds. The increases come at the same time that a number of community groups and voluntary organisations in the borough have seen their funding slashed by the council and now face a very uncertain future as they scrabble around to keep going.
All I can say is watch next week's Gazette for what I expect to be a general outcry of horror and amazement from many of our readers to this news.
I am also sure there will be some interesting debate at the council meeting on Thursday when the proposed increases will be discussed.
Another story you will be absorbed by is our page three lead about local club which places bets on which of them is going to die next. It makes fascinating reading especially as the no-smoking ban which comes into force in July means that this particular club's days could be numbered in more ways than one.
Anyway, as usual to catch up with all the week's local news make sure you pick up a copy of the Gazette when it hits the streets tomorrow morning.
PS: Team Gazette asked me not to mention how they got on in the Hasbro charity football tournament last Friday. However, I feel it only fair to report that they finished bottom but one of their group with one solitary victory. I think it's back to the training ground lads ...
Posted by aseal at 2:23 PM | Comments (2)
March 19, 2007
Time for Tea legend
I bumped into a Surrey legend while out and about on Saturday.
No it was not a famous pop icon or sporting superstar but none other than Mark Davison, a reporter on the Surrey Mirror Series.
So why is a reporter on a local newspaper a legend in his own right in the foothills of Surrey. Well Mark is the author of a weekly column in the Surrey Mirror Series called Time for Tea which, has attracted something of a folklore following not only locally but all over the country.
His weekly reviews of tea shops, cafes and the like make complelling reading and even led to a full page feature in a national newspaper last year.
It was while I was editor of the Surrey Mirror Series that I launched Mark's weekly column never believing the success it would generate over the ensuing years.
Mark was in his usual bouyant mood when I bumped into him in Reigate high street on Saturday lunchtime and sure enough he had just emerged from a tea shop which, he was quick to recommend was well worth a visit.
With the spring sunshine beating down I decided to stop off at another establishment where I could sit outside and watch the world go by for a while.
However, I duly noted Mark's recommendation for my next visit to Reigate and as usual will look forward to his latest review in the Leatherhead Advertiser, which is my local paper and also part of the Surrey Mirror Series.
I can thoroughly recommend you read Mark's highly entertaining Time for Tea reviews which can also be found at http://icsurreyonline.icnetwork.co.uk/surreymirror/timefortea/
Posted by aseal at 7:43 AM | Comments (0)
March 16, 2007
What tactics?
In a few hours time Team Gazette will take to the field in the Hasbro charity football tournament at Brunel University - and I am not too confident of their chances of bringing home any silverware to Gazette House.
Firstly they don't appear to have any great tactical awareness of how they are going to line-up later today and even more worringly they are still trying to decide who is playing in goal.
If that's not enough to give me grave concerns they have been compounded by the fact that chief reporter and midfield dynamo Chris Longhurst was at the doctor's last night having a fitness test and nippy winger David, from our advertising department, is hobbling around after sustaining a midweek injury.
It looks as though a lot will rest on the silky skills of Hayes reporter John Hughill, who has been learning the tricks of the trade by training with former Ipswich Town and Bulgarian international Bontcho Guentchev.
I was asked if I could go along and manage the team but, I politely declined. Not because I fear getting the sack after just one game in charge but because I have several important paper review meetings already planned for today.
Anyway, today's tournament is all in the name of charity and I am sure the team will do the Gazette proud on the pitch.
I will update you on Monday on how they performed - I just hope that the newsroom is not decimated due to football injuries!
Posted by aseal at 7:33 AM | Comments (0)
March 15, 2007
Splashes, stumpings and Sibera
I have just been having a quick trawl of my fellow editors' blogs and noticed the following:
Amusingly Simon Jones at the Reading Chronicle http://blog.readingchronicle.co.uk made a great song and dance a few months ago about how an Austrialian reporter had ellegedly chosen to move to his paper rather than the award winning Croydon Advertiser.
He's now been forced to post a follow-up admitting his highly prized recruit is leaving already - to experience the bright lights of Siberia. My heart goes out to him.
This has certainly brought a smile to the face of Croydon editor Ian Carter http://blog.croydonadvertiser.co.uk who once again is facing his weekly dilemma of what to splash with on his front page. I bet his production editor loves him on deadline day!
Lindsay Coulson http://blog.harrowobserver.co.uk is gleefully ignoring the unwritten rule that exists between most local newspapers by routingly rubbishing her rival's front pages and sticking the boot into all and sundry.
And finally, Shujaul Azam http://blog.ealinggazette.co.uk is dreaming of a return to his former days as a budding cricketer. It appears that injuries and a weight problem have halted a highly promising career but, I have heard on the grapevine that he is threatening a comeback this summer.
It appears that my boasts about the quality of the stories in this week's Gazette have not been met with universal agreement by A.Reader (see comment to previous blog). I always welcome the views of readers as without them we would not have a paper - even if I don't always agree with them.
Posted by aseal at 8:17 AM | Comments (7)
March 14, 2007
Romantic readers
Gazette readers appear to be a romantic lot when it comes to taking spring breaks and holidays.
Later today I am off to Worcester Park, home of Newmarket Holidays who we run our highly popular readers holidays with.
We have a monthly meeting to review progress and discuss ideas and I am always interested to discover what are the most popular destinations for our readers.
And this month it is trips to Paris and Disney Paris that top the list so it looks as though there are plenty of readers escaping for a romantic spring break in the French capital.
It is also interesting to note that the Eden Project in Cornwall is also proving a popular destination. This is a place I have been meaning to visit ever since it opened a few years back and I am definitely going to make sure that I check it out later in the year.
You can find out more about the reader holidays on offer each week in the Gazette and its sister paper the Leader and you can also visit the website http://www.travel-tms.co.uk. Happy holiday hunting.
Posted by aseal at 10:38 AM | Comments (0)
March 13, 2007
Basking in the sun
If you had failed to look at the calendar you could be mistaken for thinking it is the middle of summer rather than early March.
Spring has well and truly sprung and people are walking around Uxbridge town centre in shorts and t-shirts and the pavement cafes and bars are packed with people basking in the warm sunshine.
It certainly puts a spring in your step after a number of weeks of dreary weather and the whole town centre seems to be bustling with smiling faces.
After a fairly hectic morning at Gazette House it was certainly nice to get out for a few minutes and take a quick stroll around the town.
This week's paper is now finished and should be safely on its way to the printers. Once again it is another strong edition with a good mix of stories and some really fascinating human interest tales about real people's lives.
These are the kind of stories which I feel our readers can really connect with and this week the newsteam have produced a number of really strong tales which make compelling reading.
Posted by aseal at 3:59 PM | Comments (1)
Fever pitch
Tension is mounting at Gazette House - and it is not just because it's deadline day.
Infact, it reached fever pitch late yesterday afternoon as Team Gazette received the draw for the big local charity football tournament they are playing in on Friday.
More than 20 local teams will be battling it out at the tournament which is being staged by Hasbro at Brunel University in aid of the charity Shelter.
I have to say it looks like a tough group draw for the Gazette team with the London Ambulance Service likely to provide stiff opposition while the Tumblin Monkeys look like a tricky proposition
However, at least they have avoided Queens Pork (correct) Rangers who are sure to start out as one of the tournament favourites.
There will be considerable pressure on chief reporter Chris Longhurst to perform his midfield maestro role on the day while the silky skills of our Hayes reporter John Hughill will need to be finely tuned if Team Gazette are to progress to the knockout stages.
I am not sure there is a great deal of confidence at Gazette House surrounding the team's hopes of success. One wag was heard to remark that at least they would be knocked out by lunchtime so they could get to the pub in time to watch England's opening World Cup cricket match on television ...
Posted by aseal at 8:35 AM | Comments (0)
March 12, 2007
Day out with the animals
This week's Gazette is shaping up nicely - so content editor David Tilley who has taken a few days off need not worry.
I thought David might be heading off to some exotic location for a few days break so I was somewhat shocked when he told me he was going to Colchester Zoo for a day out during his break.
I have to admit I did not even know that Colchester had a zoo but having looked at its website David assured me it had some interesting attractions and looked well worth a visit.
I will be interested to find out how how he enjoyed his day out with the animals when he returns to Gazette House tomorrow morning.
Once again there is no shortage of news around this week and it will be another juggling act trying to fit everything in, especially as we are working on a number of stories that still need developing, so it promises to be a busy day for the newsdesk.
We will also be running a special feature this week on the growing number of cases of obesity in the borough, especially amongst children. This is an issue which has been in the news a lot lately and this area is no exception as poor diet seems to be leading to an explosion of 'fat kids.'
Posted by aseal at 11:23 AM | Comments (1)
March 9, 2007
Garden menaces
An interesting book has just dropped on to my desk entitled The Pest & Weed Expert by Dr D G Hessayon.
According the the press release that came with the book garden pests are changing and a number of new menaces are now putting our plants and shrubs at even greater risk.
There is a particularly nasty rosemary beetle now at large and this has been joined by the vine weevil on the top five RHS Garden Menace List.
As a reasonably keen gardener myself the book makes fascinating reading, along with many of his others, and Dr Hessayon is certainly an expert when it comes to the subject.
His first book was published in 1956 and with a staggering 49 million copies in print, Experts are the world's number one top selling gardening books.
One thing I have noticed is that everything in the garden seems to be at least a month ahead of itself. Shrubs which normally come to life in mid April are already starting to flower and the lawn is growing rapidly by the day.
And, yesterday had the calendar not being showing March you could have thought it was almost mid-summer as the temperature got up to a staggering 16 degrees plus as I journeyed on the M25 to Essex.
The Pest & Weed Expert is now available, priced at £7.99
Posted by aseal at 7:42 AM | Comments (0)
March 8, 2007
Tasty treats
Another new recruit has joined our production unit today which means for the first time in many months we are now fully staffed in Gazette House.
Apart from producing the Gazette the production unit also subs and designs pages for a numner of other titles across West London, Bucks, North London and Essex.
Each week the unit is responsible for producing more than 500 pages and it is a hectic operation with a number of daily deadlines to meet throughout the week. Even being just one member of staff down can impact on the unit so it's a relief that we are now back to full strength.
As well as being editor of the Gazette the production unit also falls under my responsibility and later today I am off to our Basildon office in Essex, which is the home of the Yellow Advertiser titles.
We produce 10 editions of the YA titles from Uxbridge, although all the editorial content and pictures are locally sourced by the reporters and photographers based in Basildon.
I will be attending a management meeting in Basildon where any production issues and new ideas will be discussed. With the sun beating down hopefully my journey on the M25 to Essex will not be too arduous and there is usually an excellent selection of biscuits on offer when I arrive in Basildon.
This morning is being spent catching up on some paperwork and looking at the first take of the newslist for next week's Gazette which hopefully will have some tasty treats on offer to rival the Basildon biscuits.
Posted by aseal at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)
Tasty treats
Another new recruit has joined our production unit today which means for the first time in many months we are now fully staffed in Gazette House.
Apart from producing the Gazette the production unit also subs and designs pages for a numner of other titles across West London, Bucks, North London and Essex.
Each week the unit is responsible for more than 500 pages and it is a hectic operation with a number of daily deadlines to meet throughout the week. Even being just one member of staff can impact on the unit so it's a relief that we are now back to full strength.
As well as being editor of the Gazette the production unit also falls under my responsibility and later today I am off to our Basildon office in Essex, which is the home of the Yellow Advertiser titles.
We produce 10 editions of the YA titles from Uxbridge, although all the editorial content and pictures are locally sourced by the reporters and photographers based in Basildon.
I will be attending a management meeting in Basildon where any production issues and new ideas will be discussed. With the sun beating down hopefully my journey on the M25 to Essex will not be too arduous and there is usually an excellent selection of biscuits on offer when I arrive in Basildon.
This morning is being spent catching up on some paperwork and looking at the first take of the newslist for next week's Gazette which hopefully will have some tasty treats on offer to rival the Basildon biscuits.
Posted by aseal at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)
March 7, 2007
To tie or not to tie!
It seems one of the great institutions of British fashion could be on its way out ....
The tie, for so long a vital part of most men's daily getting dressed routine is coming under threat.
This week a fully fledged anti-tie movement has been launched under the banner of the Mandarin Collar Society. It aims to replace the necktie with the open collar look and says that ties are now 'historical relics.'
However, there are those who still see the tie as a vital fashion accessory and apparently sales are on the increase, especially in Chine of all places, so expect a fightback from the necktie supporters club.
I have to say that the open collar look is now quite acceptable in a number of businesses and, I have long rid myself of the daily routine of struggling to get the perfect knot in my tie. Infact, I have a large collection of ties which now sit mainly redundant in my wardrobe.
But, there are still occasions when I feel it's appropriate to wear a necktie so I will not be taking my collection to the charirty shop just yet.
I would be interested to hear your views on this subject - it might be just a bit of light hearted fun but it does make for an interesting debate!
PS: Update on the Chris Longhurst injury front is that the Gazette football team's secret weapon is making a rapid recovery and expects to be fully fit for next week's tournament. I will be bringing you a full preview on the Gazette team's hopes in the next few days.
Posted by aseal at 8:01 AM | Comments (1)
March 6, 2007
Health issues need tackling
It's been an extremely busy morning at Gazette House with the newsdesk at full stretch coping with several breaking stories.
The biggest of these was the second murder in a week in Hayes last night and this meant getting out to the scene as quickly as possible as the paper's final deadline fast approached.
It also meant making some late changes to the Hayes edition with the planned front page lead moving inside the paper and several other stories being held over until next week as we obviously splashed on the two murders.
All in all this week's Gazette is another strong edition with a good mix of news and issue related stories.
We have splashed the Uxbridge edition with the massive response to a new on-line petition created to stop the the expansion of Heathrow Airport while we have reported in depth on the current plight of the Hillingdon Primary Care Trust, which is £54m in debt.
I am glad to see that the borough's three MPs have formed a united front to put pressure on the Government to provide extra funding to help the HCPT clear itself of debt.
We all need answers to what is being done to get the trust's finances back on track and the current situation and constant threat of cuts to services has gone on for far too long.
You can read all the latest on this major issue including how the Trust's chief executive failed to attend a public meeting to discuss health services in the borough in the Gazette from tomorrow morning.
Posted by aseal at 2:09 PM | Comments (3)
Scott's red card
A sports editor's lot is not always a happy one as the Gazette's Scott Newman found out on Saturday.
Out in all weathers covering the fortunes of our local football teams the one 'bonus' is that unlike the fans he does not have to pay to watch the matches.
So, he duly arrived at Havant & Waterlooville's ground on Satruday afternoon to cover the Nationwide Conference South match with Hayes and produced his press pass which gains him free admission to matches at this level.
However, on this occasion that was not good enough for the officials of the Hampshire club who insisted that he had not contacted them in advance to warn them he was attending the match. Unlike most clubs in the Nationwide Conference South Havant insist that newspapers wanting to cover their matches apply in writing ahead of the game.
A slightly bemused Scott was then told he would have to pay like any other fan wanting to watch the match.
He duly paid the £9 admission fee and then had to watch Hayes suffer their worst defeat for more than a decade as they were hammered 6-0.
I suppose some could say he got value for his money with the six goals but, from a local point of view it was another depressing defeat as Hayes struggle to maintain their Nationwide Conference status.
However, I don't think Scott will be totally out of pocket for his Saturday in Hampshire as I am sure the £9 will turn up on his expenses claim this week.
Posted by aseal at 7:35 AM | Comments (0)
March 5, 2007
Injury scare
The newsroom is in a joyous mood today - certainly no Monday morning blues at Gazette House.
And, it's not just because we have some good stories shaping up for this week's Gazette. The real reason is that our new reporter Libby has started and for the first time in many weeks the newsroom is almost at full strength.
Libby has just completed a journalism course and there was little time for her to get used to her new surroundings as she was quickly thrown in to the deep end and is working on several stories for this week's paper.
One slight area for concern is that our chief reporter Chris Longhurst is on the injured list ahead of the Gazette football team's appearance in a local tournament.
The 'gangly striker' somehow managed to trip over a hoover - I never knew he was that domesticated - at the weekend and is now nursing a badly bruised toe. It could be a worrying few days for the Gazette team as to whether he will be fit enough to fill a starting role in the team. I will keep you updated on his injury progress as the big game approaches.
Posted by aseal at 1:47 PM | Comments (0)
March 2, 2007
Chuggers curbed
Some good news has just hit my desk in the form of a press release from Hillingdon Borough Council.
New measures have been introduced to tackle 'my friends' the charity chuggers in Uxbridge town centre. This has really made my day as regular readers of this blog will know that they have been the subject of several recent rants from me.
The new measures follow on from a 6,000 signature petition to the council complaining about the charity chuggers along with market researchers and people trying to solicit custom in Uxbridge.
I just hope that the charity chuggers in particular adhere to the new measures and I will certainly be naming and shaming them if they fail to comply with the 'crackdown.'
For the time being it looks like I can venture into the town centre without the threat of being accosted by the collectors.
You can read the full story on the new measures on our website and we will also be covering it in more detail in next week's Gazette.
Posted by aseal at 12:56 PM | Comments (0)
Boyhood idol
I had an enjoyable lunch yesterday with Cathy Ranson, who writes her weekly rants and raves column in the Gazette.
This is an excellent feature which appears in the guide section of the paper and if you have not read it already I would thoroughly reccommment that you do so.
We discussed some exciting new ideas for Cathy's coumn which we will be looking to introduce over the coming months, with a particular emphasis on families with children.
The topic of conversation also got on to Cathy's job with Hasbro, who are based on Stockley Business Park and are the second largest toy manufacturer in the UK and Europe.
Hasbro do some tremendous work in the community and Cathy is heavily involved in organising Party in the Park in the borough, which this year will be held on June 30 and I am looking forward to the Gazette getting involved in the event.
We also somehow got on to the subject of Action Man, one of the many toys produced by Hasbro. It brought back many childhood memories as I was an avid fan of Action Man and, I was interested to hear that this boyhood idol has had a complete makeover and is once again popular after a few years in the doldrums.
Apart from working for Hasbro, Cathy is also editor of Sunshine magazine, the free local community magazine for families living in Hillingdon cathy@sunshinemagazine.co.uk
Just to add that next week's Gazette is already shaping up nicely and we have a number of strong stories and features already lined up and, for the first time in many months look like having almost a full compliment of staff.
Posted by aseal at 7:50 AM | Comments (0)
March 1, 2007
Tesco addict
My weekly meeting with content editor David Tilley and news editor Chene Koscielny got slightly side-tracked yesterday as we got on to the subject of food shopping.
We are talking about the possible new Tesco development in Yiewsley when we got on to the subject of where we do our weekly shopping.
Chene, also the author of the Gazette's excellent Working Mum's Diary coulmn, is a self confessed Tesco addict. I think she actually spends most of her weekends at the place or if she is too busy using their online shopping service.
I have to admit that I am also a Tesco shopping man with a penchant for Waitrose, particularly their own brands and the cheese counter. However, I also support my local shops in the village where I live and regularly use these for fresh local produce.
As for David, he claimed to have no great alliegance towards any of the major supermarkets and basically shops at what ever happens to be the most convenient store at the time.
However, I know he is a secret admirer of the M&S food store in Uxbridge and can be spotted in their most days with a few treats in his shopping basket.
It proved for an interesting topic of conversation and out of it came several ideas for possible future features in the Gazette - so we were not completely wasting our time!
Still on the subject of shopping one popular article in the Gazette is our weekly supermarket best buys which forms part of our seven days feature. This also looks at the cheapest petrol prices, current house price trends, latest travel news and of course the all important weather for the borough.
Posted by aseal at 7:39 AM | Comments (0)