Sunday 30 December 2018

Community Fund

Businesses in Leeds are being asked to donate to a fund that will help support people in the city who are lonely. Leeds Community Foundation hopes to raise more than a million pounds by bridging the gap between those in need and those with the ability to help. The foundation will distribute the money in small grants to community groups that help people ward off loneliness.  I went to film with a charity that has hugely benefited from money donated to the fund in previous years.



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Sunday 23 December 2018

This Is Me

I've been filming a story on a BBC Radio Sheffield competition called 'This Is Me' where someone will win a contract to work there for a year. A hundred and fifty hopefuls took part in auditions. They've now been whittled down to a shortlist of fifteen.



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Sunday 16 December 2018

Trees Compromise

This week I reported on the story that nearly a third of the street trees that were due to be cut down and replaced in Sheffield will not now face the chop. A compromise has been reached between the council, its contractor and protesters. It's hoped that this will end the long-running dispute about the controversial highways work. My story ran on BBC Look North and the News Channel.


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Wednesday 12 December 2018

Big Brother Burngreave

I've been filming with some really inspiring people involved in a project in the Burngreave area of Sheffield which is using sport to try and divert teenagers away from violent crime. It's just won a 'power of sport' award. Big Brother Burngreave aims to get teens from different backgrounds building friendships rather than rivalries.



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Sunday 9 December 2018

Panto live-streamed to hospital

I filmed a really uplifting story in Doncaster this week. Cast theatre is live streaming its production of Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood to the children's ward at Doncaster Royal Infirmary. I filmed at the hospital first then hot-footed it to Cast to film the end of the performance. I then edited the report in time for Look North at 6:30pm. A full-on but fulfilling day!



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Sunday 2 December 2018

Trampolinist Bounces Back

I've been to Sheffield High School for Girls where one of their students is trampolinist who's back competing two years after breaking her neck in a training accident. Lucy Horan was told by doctors she'd never be able to trampoline again but she's proved them wrong, winning bronze at the English Championships last month. I thoroughly enjoyed working on the story and had to have a go on the trampoline myself!



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Wednesday 28 November 2018

Page Hall Whip

I've been reporting on a story in the Page Hall area of Sheffield where police are investigating reports of youngsters from the Roma Slovak community wielding home-made whips and in one case attacking a resident. I interviewed Tomas Tancos from Sheffield Roma Network who's working hard to try to encourage the youngsters to behave and for the community to integrate.



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Sunday 25 November 2018

Hit and Run

I covered the very sad and troubling story of a woman who was knocked over and killed by a hit-and-run driver in Sheffield last month. This could have happened to any of us. Naomi Colcomb's Mum has appealed for the person responsible to come forward. I hope by reporting on this crime, the person responsible is brought to justice.



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Wednesday 21 November 2018

Stabbing Victim

I've been reporting on the shocking statistic in Sheffield that eight men have been stabbed to death in the city so far this year. Fahim Hersi was one of those victims. The 22-year-old was killed outside a cinema complex last month. The tragic irony is that he was a volunteer at Unity Gym in Broomhall where they try to stop teenagers carrying knives and divert them away from crime. I filmed at the gym with some of his friends who spoke for the first time about their loss. It was a very moving story to cover and I appreciated the openness and honesty of the young people I spoke to. The positive impact places like Unity Gym have on their communities cannot be overestimated.




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Wednesday 14 November 2018

Barnsley Neonatal Unit

I had the great pleasure of reporting on the opening of the new neonatal unit at Barnsley Hospital - a really heart-warming story. A million pounds has been raised to fund the project, including a big donation from a very well known Yorkshireman.



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Lionesses

More than nine and a half thousand fans turned out at the New York Stadium in Rotherham to watch England Women play Sweden. The Lionesses went down two-nil but the England manager Phil Neville has said they'll be back to play in Yorkshire soon. I was really impressed by how family-friendly the experience was - very different from some of the matches I go to normally.



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Sunday 11 November 2018

Anti-Knife Crime Club Night

Eight men have been stabbed to death in Sheffield so far this year. To try to discourage young people from carrying knives, an anti-knife crime club night has been taking place. It brought different communities together and challenged the stereotype that urban music like Grime is part of the problem. I thoroughly enjoyed filming this story and appreciated the honesty of the people I interviewed.


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Sunday 4 November 2018

Boeing Sheffield

I've been along to see the American aeroplane builder Boeing opening a state of the art factory in Sheffield. The plant, which is alongside the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Rotherham, will build components for new aircraft. I put a report together for our main programme...



...and an as live for our lunch bulletin.

Wednesday 24 October 2018

Millie Bright

Millie Bright visited her old school, Killamarsh Juniors near Sheffield, to talk to the students about what it's like to play for Chelsea and England. She also saw her mum Nicola too as she's a teaching assistant at the school. I got the chance to have a kick-about too, bringing back great memories of school break-times!



I also did a simple report for our lunch bulletin including some keep-me-ups!



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Sunday 21 October 2018

Tackling Crime

I've been filming a story with Aden Steelers, a football club for boys from ethnic minorities in Sheffield. They've been educating their squad about the dangers of being radicalised and of getting involved in other crime. I was really impressed with the positive impact the club is having on the boys.



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Sunday 14 October 2018

Perfect Neighbour!

I had a bit of fun making this story with my cameraman colleague Lee. A resident in Sheffield called has been named the neighbour of the year by Neighbourhood Watch -  because he's so good at looking out for people he lives next door to.



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Wednesday 10 October 2018

Life Saver

I've been filming a story in Mirfield about a family whose little girl nearly drowned in their garden pond are urging people to learn life-saving skills after a neighbour managed to save her life. PE teacher Frances Hammond has won a national award for carrying out first aid on three-year-old Maryam Ugradar when the toddler was pulled from the water at her home in Mirfield. There couldn't be a better example of why it's crucial for as many people as possible to learn first aid skills.



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Saturday 6 October 2018

Gavin McDonnell

I've been filming at Dave Coldwell's gym in Rotherham with Doncaster boxer Gavin McDonnell. Gavin has the chance of becoming WBA super-bantamweight champion in Chicago tomorrow night. He told me he's stopped comparing himself to his twin brother Jamie 🥊



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Wednesday 3 October 2018

Sheffield Castle Augmented Reality

I've been reporting again on the Sheffield Castle excavation, a story I'm really interested in. An interactive, augmented reality model of the castle has been created by a company in the city and researchers at the University of Sheffield...



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Sunday 23 September 2018

Jet 2

I've been in Doncaster to film a story about a family who were made to pay extra by Jet 2 for their package holiday when they let the company know one of their family members wouldn't be going because he'd died. Andrew Genery's upset was compounded by messages Jet 2 sent asking whether his dead father had enjoyed his holiday.


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Sunday 16 September 2018

Ladies Day

I've been down to Doncaster Racecourse this week for the St Leger Festival Ladies Day. Good fun had by all! This is my report for our lunch bulletin.



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Wednesday 12 September 2018

Steelkings Para Ice Hockey

I've been down to Ice Sheffield to film with Sheffield Steel Kings, the para-ice hockey club. They've been named as the UK's favourite lottery funded sports project. The club gives people with lower body disabilities the opportunity to play the fast paced-sport. They were visited by Paralympics star Jonnie Peacock. I've been wanting to film with the club for a long time and this was a good opportunity.


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The challenge of this shoot was not just the ice but working around the film crew from the BBC TV lottery programme who were also there. I'd have loved to have had a go and done a piece-to-camera playing para ice hockey but it wasn't possible with a film crew shooting on the ice.

Sunday 9 September 2018

Barnsley Stabbing

I've been in Barnsley town centre which was brought to a standstill after a man was stabbed.  A woman has been arrested and a kitchen knife recovered. Reporters and camera crew from Sky News, ITV News and Calendar were on the story but it was just me from the BBC. I tweeted updates, briefed BBC online and radio colleagues, filmed material and edited a report for Look North. Thankfully my colleague Brian arrived to help me by filming a piece-to-camera and editing the story with me. I was pleased to have been able to speak to market traders Abdul and Keeley who were directly involved.


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Friday 7 September 2018

Bradford City

This week David Hopkin was appointed as Bradford City's new head coach. He succeeds Michael Collins, who was sacked with City 17th in League One. Hopkin is the  fourth head coach of the Bantams in 2018!



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Wednesday 5 September 2018

Cyclist

We were contacted by a man from Rotherham who was told by doctors he might never walk again after being knocked off his bike. He's just cycled from one side of the country to the other to thank NHS staff who helped save his leg. I was really keen to tell his inspiring story.



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Sunday 2 September 2018

Dead Birds

I've been reporting on a sad story in Doncaster. Around thirty birds have died in a lake there over the past three weeks. An outbreak of avian botulism is thought to be responsible for the deaths.



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Sunday 26 August 2018

Fat Loss Footy

I've been filming in Rotherham, a town that has a big fat problem. Three quarters of people in the area are either overweight or obese - that's the highest level in the whole country. It's hoped football could be part of the solution. Rotherham's Man v Fat league has made a dramatic impact, helping overweight men get into shape.



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Sunday 19 August 2018

Care Home Eviction

I've been in Doncaster this week covering a disturbing story about elderly and frail residents who were given just a few hours notice to move out of their care home. The residents were told the home was unsafe and they would have half a day to find somewhere else to live. Their families say the announcement about Warneford House in Adwick-le-Street came out of blue.


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Tuesday 14 August 2018

Sheffield Castle

I had a really enjoyable afternoon filming at the archaeological dig of Sheffield Castle. Its history is fascinating - Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned there for more than a decade. The challenge for me was to work quickly, to a tight deadline. I had to film the story and edit it within four hours for it to be broadcast on that evening's Look North programme.



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Sunday 5 August 2018

Spice

I've been filming an exclusive story at one of the first spice walk-in-clinics in the UK which has opened in Sheffield. The drug leaves users in a comatose zombie like state and have become a familiar sight in the UK's towns and cities. I came across the story when I was filming a different story recently about the rise of begging in the city. I was alarmed by the number of people I saw high on spice.



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Sunday 29 July 2018

Chaplain

I've been filming a story at hospitals in Sheffield where a chaplain there has been named as the 'most outstanding Muslim woman in South Yorkshire' in recognition of her work. Sabia Rehman won the top accolade at the Al Nisa Awards, which are a celebration of the contribution and achievements of Muslim women in South Yorkshire.



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Sunday 22 July 2018

Eeh Bah Gum!

I've been to film with a racehorse from North Yorkshire who is making a big name for himself after winning four races in a row. The achievement by the three year old colt is quite incredible in the racing world - plus he has the brilliant name 'Eeh Bah Gum'! I really enjoyed filming with his owners and trainer at the stable yard in Malton. I purposely kept the GoPro camera on the jockey recording after she had ridden Eeh Bah Gum to capture a close-up view of the horse being washed down.



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Sunday 15 July 2018

Trump Demo Live

I reported live from a demonstration in Sheffield against the visit of Donald Trump to the UK. It was very loud where I was standing (hard to heard the presenter in my ear) and the live link dropped out just before coming to us but that's irrelevant to the viewer - you have to deliver regardless of any stress behind-the-scenes!



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Sunday 8 July 2018

Man Engine

I've been to Wentworth Woodhouse to report on an intriguing event where the largest mechanical puppet ever built in Britain was on display.



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Sunday 1 July 2018

Pete McKee

I've been filming a really uplifting story in Sheffield. Hundreds of people have been donating to food banks in the city at a pop-up shop. In return for their offering, they were given a limited edition piece of art by the Sheffield artist Pete McKee. The event was called 'This Class Gives' and is linked to his new exhibition which celebrates the working class.



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Thursday 28 June 2018

Triathlon Fundraiser

I've been filming a story about a group of lads taking on a triathlon for the first time to pay tribute to their good friend who died on a stag do. Sean Leonard passed away in Berlin in March last year. It's thought he had an epileptic fit. I filmed the report using my normal JVC camera and a GoPro camera which I attached to the lads as they trained to try to show their efforts from a different angle.


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Sunday 24 June 2018

Beggars

I've been filming a fascinating story in Sheffield. According to the police, if you give money to beggars, you are part of the problem. They say there's a big rise in the number of people begging in Sheffield and that a lot of the money the public hand over is being spent on drugs. Police officers say many of the beggars are not homeless and that if they are, there is support available. I filmed with the police on one day in the city. My story was on Look North...



...and a shorter version of my report was on BBC Breakfast...




...and two different pieces on 5 Live Breakfast...




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Sunday 17 June 2018

Scott Westgarth

I've been to film a follow-up story on the Sheffield boxer who died in hospital after a light-heavyweight fight in February. Scott Westgarth has helped save the lives of five people because he was on the donor register. His family and friends gathered to celebrate Scott's life close to his boxing gym in Hillsborough.


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Sunday 10 June 2018

Oliver Rowland F1

I've been down to Silverstone to film a story on a racing driver from Yorkshire who's on the verge of competing at the very highest level of motorsport. Oliver Rowland has been made the Official Young Driver for Formula 1 team Williams after earning his stripes in Formula 2. The twenty-five-year-old is hoping to make his F1 Grand Prix debut next season.



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Friday 8 June 2018

Leeds Triathlon

I've been reporting on the World Triathlon Leeds taking place this weekend. It's the third year in a row Yorkshire has been chosen to host one of the most prestigious triathlon races in the world. Here's my preview.

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Sunday 3 June 2018

Mountain Bike Film

I've been to film a story about a movie that's been shot in Sheffield on the site of the former ski village which burned down six years ago. The feature film is called 'Gamble' and showcases the talent of some of the best downhill mountain bikers in the world. I really enjoyed filming at Parkwood Springs with Joe, the filmmaker, and legendary Sheffield rider Steve Peat.



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Monday 28 May 2018

QC Gul

Congratulations to Gul Nawaz Hussain, a good friend of mine, who has become the first QC from an ethnic minority to be appointed in Sheffield. Gul is also the first person to 'take silk' in the city for fifteen years. I've been filming him at his Civic Reception at the town hall as well as at his Thai boxing gym!



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Sunday 20 May 2018

The Sanctuary

I've been to the opening of a new centre called The Sanctuary in Sheffield which helps support refugees and asylum seekers. Sheffield became the first place in the UK to be given the status of 'City of Sanctuary' for refugees. That was more than ten years ago - and there are currently around eight hundred people seeking asylum in the city.



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Sunday 13 May 2018

Holdsworth Pro Racing

My cameraman colleague Gareth and I have been out filming with the first professional cycling team from Yorkshire. Rotherham-based Holdsworth Pro Racing were invited to take part in the Tour de Yorkshire and I went to see their recce of one of the four stages.

It's a real challenge to film as you keep having to overtake the riders to get more shots - and I needed a lot of material as I wanted to use music to illustrate the story, not just my words.



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Monday 7 May 2018

Tour de Yorkshire

Yorkshire is set to host another world class bike race, following the success of the Tour de France Grand Depart four years ago and the Tour de Yorkshire. The news of the Vuelta a Espana comes a day after the end of the Tour de Yorkshire where an estimated 2.6 million people lined the route. Meanwhile cycling team Astana says they are "deeply sorry" after their team car almost hit a volunteer during the race.



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Wednesday 2 May 2018

Women's Cycling

In the build up to the Tour de Yorkshire I've been out reporting on the growing number of women cycling. The number riding at the Bradford club Queensbury Queens has more than doubled in the last year. I really enjoyed meeting the women from the club and putting this piece together.



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Sunday 29 April 2018

Chesterfield FC

I've been in Chesterfield this week doing a story on the relegation of their football team out of the football league. A very sad time for Spireites fans.



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Sunday 22 April 2018

Evita

I've been filming at village church in rural South Yorkshire which has been transformed for a production of West End smash hit musical Evita. There's a  cast of more than thirty five people and a full orchestra at St Saviour's Church in Thurlstone. It took me hours to film and included shooting Don't Cry For Me Argentina twice from different angles to allow me to edit between the shots.



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Saturday 14 April 2018

National Orchestra For All

I've been to see the National Orchestra for All rehearse for a performance in Sheffield. All the children in the orchestra are from disadvantaged backgrounds and otherwise wouldn't get the chance to make music.



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Friday 6 April 2018

Fraer Morrow Weightlifter

The Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast in Australia started this week. I've been to Loughborough to film with Doncaster's Fraer Morrow prepared for the Games. She's only 19, and under five foot - but is already a British weighlifting record holder.



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Tuesday 3 April 2018

Nick Matthew

I've been to film Sheffield's Nick Matthew in one of his final training sessions before competing at the Commonwealth Games. He's had a remarkable career and is hoping to end it on a high at the Gold Coast.



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Sunday 1 April 2018

Swimming Pool

After years of campaigning, residents in a West Yorkshire town finally have a new swimming pool. The leisure centre closed in South Elmsall in 2013 after the pool fell into a terrible state. It's now been rebuilt and reopened by a local Olympic swimmer, Max Litchfield. We made good use of the GoPro camera in the water to help tell the story.



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Sunday 11 March 2018

Prostate Cancer

This week I've been in Barnsley and Sheffield to film a story about prostate cancer. The University of Sheffield is at the forefront of attempts to reduce the number of deaths from the disease. I filmed and edited this on the same day so had to work quickly to get it done in time for the programme. When time is limited like this, having a plan of how you might tell the story before you set off to film is crucial.



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Wednesday 7 March 2018

Bradly Sinden

I've been in Doncaster to film a story about two taekwondo stars from the town. Teenager Bradly Sinden won bronze at the World Championships in South Korea last year. I arranged for him to meet up with Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Sarah Stevenson at their former training base of Doncaster Dome. I got them both to watch Bradly's bronze winning performance as a way of telling the story.



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Sunday 4 March 2018

Scott Westgarth

This week I covered the disturbing story of the death of boxer Scott Westgarth. He died after winning a light-heavyweight fight in Doncaster on Saturday. My story was on BBC Look North and on the Sportsday programme on the BBC News Channel...



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Sunday 25 February 2018

Paternoster Lift

I had a very enjoyable day back at my old university in Sheffield having a go on the paternoster lift! It's a lift which has no door and moves continually without stopping at floor levels. Sheffield is one of only two places in the country which has a paternoster - that's after Leicester University closed theirs.



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Sunday 18 February 2018

Car crashes into school

I've been covering a disturbing story in Sheffield this week where a car was driven into the front of a school. Thankfully no one was injured at Fir Vale School. We heard about the incident at about 10am and headed to the school and edited this story in time for our lunch bulletin at 1:30pm.



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Sunday 11 February 2018

Footballers Road Safety

I got exclusive access to film with young Sheffield United footballers who're being educated about the dangers of speeding or being drunk or distracted behind the wheel. The stats show that young drivers are much more likely to be involved in car crashes than older drivers.  And - with the possibility of huge earnings if they turn pro, and the chance to buy powerful sports cars - the academy players are particularly at risk.



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Sunday 4 February 2018

Firefighter Footballer

I've been filming with a footballer from Sheffield who's put plans of retirement on hold to ply her trade nearly two hundred miles down south, in London. The challenge is that Nicola Hobbs also has a full-time job in Yorkshire for the fire service. We teamed up with colleagues at BBC London who filmed the London Bees training session in the capital. We then shared the material we filmed and both did stories on Nicola.



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Wednesday 31 January 2018

Birds of Prey

I've been filming in the Peak District where National Park bosses have admitted that an scheme designed to boost the number of birds of prey is failing. Peregrines - for example - have failed to breed successfully in the Dark Peak area for the first time in more than thirty years. It's led the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds to pull out of the Peak District Bird of Prey Initiative.



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Sunday 28 January 2018

Women's Rugby

I had a great night filming one of the friendliest sports team I've ever worked with, Rotherham Ladies Rugby Club. Numbers of girls and women playing rugby union is on the rise in Yorkshire. Obviously, I had to have a go at kicking for the posts!



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Sunday 21 January 2018

Bikes Vandalised

Perhaps it was inevitable that I'd be doing a follow-up story on Sheffield's hire bikes being treated badly. Police have said they will refuse to collect any more of the city's new shared Ofo bikes which have been dumped and vandalised. Manor and Arbourthorne Neighbourhood Police Team said on Facebook: "Bike shepherding isn't in our job description." Here's my live and report on Look North.




And this is my report for our lunch bulletin.



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Wednesday 17 January 2018

Bike Sharing

I've been reporting on the new bike share scheme in Sheffield. Despite being one of the most hilly cities in the country a thousand bikes are being parked around the city for people to hire via their smartphones. I had to have a go at riding one of them up one of the steepest hills in the city!



I tweeted my attempt to cycle up the ridiculously steep Jenkin Road and it went viral!

And here's my as live for our lunch bulletin where I tried to ask challenging questions while at the same time having some fun with the story.


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Sunday 14 January 2018

Hathersage Lido

I've been to Hathersage open air swimming pool to film a story on the fact that it's opening all year round for the first time in its 82 year history. I really enjoyed filming this, meeting the swimmers who were very enthusiastic about cold water swimming. I also found looking through photos of the lido from the 1930s particularly enjoyable and decided to start my report with them. The staff their helped too - particularly with filming my piece to camera. I used a second camera - a GoPro - to film this shot from a different angle and I think it really adds to the piece. Obviously I had to have a swim in the pool, despite it being zero degrees outside!



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Wednesday 10 January 2018

Foodhall

I've been to film a story on a pay as you feel café that's been set up in Sheffield with the aim of tackling hunger, food waste and social isolation. Unsold food that local supermarkets no longer want is passed on to the team at Foodhall where volunteers prepare lunch and people dine communally.



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Sunday 7 January 2018

Crystal Bar Stabbings

I've been reporting at a bar in Sheffield city centre which has been temporarily closed by the police this week after five men suffered stab wounds following an altercation in the early hours of New Year's Day.



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Monday 1 January 2018

Latin

I've been to the only state school in Sheffield that offers the study of Latin where they've started a crowdfunding campaign to save the subject. Spending cuts and changes to the national curriculum mean that Classical Civilisation and Latin are under threat at High Storrs School. They need to raise a hundred thousand pounds to be able to keep teaching the subjects.

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