Hathersage Flood Pub live

I reported live from a lovely, historic pub in the Peak District which has re-opened, eight months after being flooded during Storm Babet. The George in Hathersage is 500 years old and was visited by Charlotte Brontë!

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Walk 4 Health

I had the great pleasure of filming with Walk 4 Health, a walking group in South Yorkshire for people from minority backgrounds which is aiming to widen access to the great outdoors. Walk 4 Health was created in Sheffield in 2004 initially for black men but now welcomes people from all minorities. Every month they head out into the countryside. The 7 kilometres I walked while filming the story was so much easier with my small, mobile journalism kit (which is made up of an iPhone and a rig) rather than my old, heavy filming equipment.

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Brexit Music

There are concerns that professional musicians in our area, who regularly perform abroad, are going to struggle to be able to make a living. It’s because the EU and Britain have not agreed to continue to have visa-free access for musicians to tour in the European Union following Brexit. It means artists have to have multiple visas or work permits if they’re performing in different EU countries which is bureaucratic and expensive.

You can learn more about the brilliant violinist Lizzie Ball on her website here.

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Hospitality in Tier 3

I did the top story this week about the impact of Tier 3 restrictions on the hospitality sector. Restaurants, pubs and hotels have been among the hardest hit by covid. We filmed in South Yorkshire and in the Peak District before doing a quick edit and then a short live 'top and tail'. It was a busy and intense day but it felt important to air the views of business owners who're really struggling at the moment.

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80 year old Postman

I had a very enjoyable day filming a story in the Peak District with Mick Gibson, Royal Mail's oldest postman. He's still working full-time and has no plans to retire. The residents love him. My story was for BBC Look North but it was also used on BBC Breakfast...

...and on BBC Radio 5 Live...

markansell · Postman 5 Live

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I was chuffed to see a story that I'd filmed and edited on my own used on the national news. It took a lot of planning as I contacted the school and several residents in Baslow so I had plenty to film on the day I was with Mick.