The Journal's Graeme Whitfield takes you behind the headlines in his newsroom blog »
Environment campaigner Anna Heywood writes on ethical living »
Malcolm Clarke on life as a professional pool player »
Brenda Boyd - the life and times of a morris dancer »
David Brennan from the website Enjoying Photography writes about how to take good photos »
Emily Sillar, from the Comfort Food Company on North-East food »
Write Said Fred - view from the pram with six-month-old Fred Telfer »
Rebecca Young finds fashion on a budget »
Local GP John Mackay writes about the NHS »
Mark Robertson of the Northumber-
Tom Dodds on transport matters »September 2007 Archives
Bannockburn Re-visited
Posted by on September 2, 2007 7:25 PM
Citizens,
Yesterday I took the bold step of traversing the northern frontier into Alba, to Stirling to be precise, my mission to take photographs for a forthcoming book on Robert Bruce's great victory over Edward II in 1314. The Old Town and Castle are most attractive, the rest considerably less so and the Battlefield Centre is more sixties than Braveheart
One of the most dramatic moments of the first day's combat was the Homeric encounter between Bruce, mounted on a light horse and the fully harnessed English knight Sir Henry de Bohun, wherein the king of Scots brained his opponent. The duel occured at a point known as the Entry.
It is not commemorated in any way and the likely location of the fight is presently covered by an unedifying second hand four-wheel drive showroom.
One wonders what the King of Scots would have made of it all; for a nation so in love with nationalist sentiment such an important spot surely deserves some recognition; perhaps it could be featured on the hottest deal of the week!
- Post to:
del.icio.us
Digg
Newsvine
Nowpublic
Reddit
Wildlife at the Civic Centre vs Getting asked for directions
Posted by Holly Hudson on September 3, 2007 11:26 AM
GOOD THING: Wildlife at the Civic Centre
I guess they've always been there, but it’s only since I started being able to walk to work at the beginning of this year that I noticed the abundance of wildlife thriving in the middle of the city. Well, ‘abundance’ might be going a bit far, but lots of rabbits and ducks anyway.
Continue reading "Wildlife at the Civic Centre vs Getting asked for directions" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Grass is greener by train
Posted by Anna Heywood on September 3, 2007 1:30 PM
Travellers going through Newcastle Central Train station today will notice a nice green garden bang smack in the middle of the concourse.
Continue reading "Grass is greener by train" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Where to Practise?
Posted by Malcolm Clarke on September 3, 2007 2:09 PM
Most 9-Ball Tournaments are contested further south than the North East of England. This is partly due to the organisers being based further south and logically arrange tournaments in these area, but also because there is not a suitable venue in this area, meaning 9-Ball players like myself have to do a large amount of travelling in order to compete in tournaments.
Continue reading "Where to Practise?" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
On Afghanistan's Plains
Posted by on September 3, 2007 8:06 PM
A number of newspapers have, in recent days, printed images of Pvte. Graham of the 1st Battalion, Worcestershire & Sherwood Foresters, lying injured in the field, being tended by his comrades - a graphic representation of the face of war in Helmand province.
Continue reading "On Afghanistan's Plains" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Back to school impact
Posted by Anna Heywood on September 4, 2007 11:57 AM
I tried very hard today to find out how many trees are felled to provide all those pencils and notepads that are bought in the back-to -school madness and I couldn't find a thing!
You don't need to be an Eco-guru to know that it a) must be lots and that b) that can not be a good thing for the planet.
Continue reading "Back to school impact" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Local news (from around the world)
Posted by Graeme on September 4, 2007 5:27 PM
While The Journal is a regional newspaper, we increasingly do stories from around the world as (a) people from the North-East move elsewhere and (b) lots of people from elsewhere move to the North-East.
Tomorrow's paper has stories about two Geordies trying to be understood on American television (you may know them as Ant and Dec), a bloke from County Durham trampled by an elephant in Borneo (he survived!) and a North-East university setting up a medical school in Malaysia.
Continue reading "Local news (from around the world)" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Good behaviour pays
Posted by Anna Heywood on September 4, 2007 10:06 PM
I have hit upon a great way to incentivise my children to cycle everywhere – pay them.
Continue reading "Good behaviour pays" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Brits holiday closer to home
Posted by Anna Heywood on September 5, 2007 1:26 PM
Nice to know that I am on-trend for a change. This year we holidayed in Devon and according to three recent surveys, we were not the only ones taking our break a little closer to home.
Continue reading "Brits holiday closer to home" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Phil & Kirstie vs Bare flesh in the supermarket
Posted by Holly Hudson on September 5, 2007 4:37 PM
GOOD THING: Phil & Kirstie
My husband and I are shortly to embark on trying to buy our first home, and I really want to be on Location, Location, Location. However, I’m not sure that our financial adviser would consider that to be a solid plan.
Continue reading "Phil & Kirstie vs Bare flesh in the supermarket" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Big Brother
Posted by on September 6, 2007 8:50 AM
MI5 has just released it's files on Eric Blair - better known by his pseudonym George Orwell; the author who pummelled the Stalinist state in 'Animal Farm' and '1984' was himself suspected of communist sympathies - the surveillance society is not just a feature of the insidious, creeping tyranny of New Labour.
Continue reading "Big Brother" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
E numbers
Posted by Rosie Williams on September 6, 2007 10:30 AM
Mental note number one: Add E numbers to List of Things to Worry About.
Mental note number two: Remember to take specs to supermarket. So I can read damn E numbers on damn labels.
Continue reading "E numbers" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Seasonal food for September
Posted by Anna Heywood on September 6, 2007 11:08 AM
Are you going to the Farmers' Market at Monument tomorrow (9.30-2.30)?
I have put together a comprehensive list of local seasonal produce available in September so that you can look out for it whilst shopping.
Continue reading "Seasonal food for September" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Peter Beardsley - there's nothing he can't do
Posted by Graeme on September 7, 2007 3:10 PM
Let me start by saying that I stand second to no man in my admiration for Peter Beardsley.
On the football pitch, Beardo was an absolute genius. And on the handful of occasions I've met him as a reporter, he's always seemed a thoroughly nice bloke.
But even I was slightly taken aback last night when Channel 4 News turned to the former Newcastle United striker as one of the people they interviewed about the death of Pavarotti.
Continue reading "Peter Beardsley - there's nothing he can't do" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Ethical living in the dock
Posted by Anna Heywood on September 7, 2007 9:14 PM
The children and I will be at Spiller’s Wharf on the Quayside tomorrow afternoon, learning how to live more ethically from the crew of a Finnish sailing ship that acts as a floating campaign centre for a fairer world.
Continue reading "Ethical living in the dock" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Flodden Field
Posted by on September 9, 2007 8:09 PM
Today is the anniversary of the Battle of Flodden fought in 1513, at the end of a wet summer, nothing new there, of course.
This was one of the bloodiest battles fought on English soil, certainly the most savage in the long cycle of the Scottish wars - happily for Northumbrians the greatest loss by far fell upon the impudent Scots who had far outstayed their welcome in our county.
Continue reading "Flodden Field" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Morris Woman?
Posted by Brenda Boyd on September 11, 2007 3:55 PM
Hello
Many of you looking at my picture, and name, will be thinking "There's something wrong here. She's a woman. Women don't do morris dancing."
Sorry to start with a correction but ...
Women do do morris dancing, always have and always will.
Continue reading "Morris Woman?" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
The return of Michael Palin vs Cinema disturbances
Posted by Holly Hudson on September 11, 2007 5:30 PM
GOOD THING: The return of Michael Palin
In a late-summer slump of unfunny sitcoms and dreary documentaries, my excitement about a new Michael Palin travel series seems entirely justified. I think of Michael Palin as my TV dad – no disrespect to my own dad, but he hasn’t travelled the world and written lovely books to go with it.
Continue reading "The return of Michael Palin vs Cinema disturbances" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
The Battle of Loos 1915
Posted by on September 11, 2007 8:17 PM
Called by some (most recently Maj. Gordon Corrigan in his excellent study) 'the Unwanted Battle' the offensive began in the mining district of Artois in Northern France on 25th September 1915 and cost the BEF some 16,000 fatal casualties. Overall gains were minimal.
Continue reading "The Battle of Loos 1915" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Things I Wish Had Happened in Newcastle (part one)
Posted by Graeme on September 12, 2007 2:28 PM
Every now and again, you come across a story happening somewhere in the world and the journalist in you thinks: "Damn - I wish that had happened here".
I can only imagine the excitement in the newsroom of the Ulyanosk Bugle, for example, when the governor of the Russian province gave married couples a day off work to have babies.
Conception Day has been timed so women can have their children on Russia's National Day, June 12, with prizes on offer ranging from televisions to 4x4 vehicles to couples who have babies on the right day.
Continue reading "Things I Wish Had Happened in Newcastle (part one)" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
You're the what?
Posted by Brenda Boyd on September 12, 2007 3:34 PM
Non-morris people tend to look at me sideways when I announce that I'm the Bagman of Tyne Bridge Morris.
Which is unsurprising as according to Wikipedia:-
"A bag man (or bagman) is a person designated to collect money in a protection racket. Originally the term applied on to Mafia members collecting for mob bosses, but the term later spread to use in corrupt police precincts where a foot patrolman was designated "bagman" to pick up and deliver bribes from the local mob(s) to the precinct captain."
However that is American.
Here in England (and the rest of the UK) it has an older and entirely different meaning ...
Continue reading "You're the what?" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Go green in a fortnight!
Posted by Anna Heywood on September 13, 2007 12:44 PM
Nobody expects you to change your lifestyle overnight – that just isn’t practical – but we are all going to have to make changes in the next few years.
Continue reading "Go green in a fortnight!" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
- Newsvine
- Nowpublic
- Reddit
Coat hanger amnesty
Posted by Anna Heywood on September 13, 2007 2:04 PM
The Northumberland Street M&S has been chosen as one of only 11 UK stores to take part in the retail giant’s ‘Coat hanger Amnesty’.
During the 20th-22nd September, members of the public will be invited to bring in their unwanted coat hangers, not just M&S ones, which will then go for recycling in a bid to divert an estimated 100 million hangers from going in to Landfill.
Continue reading "Coat hanger amnesty" »
- Post to:
- del.icio.us
- Digg
-