Royal Wedding Banned!

I've been at The Alexandra pub in Derby this morning doing a live report from the radio car. The royal wedding will not be shown tomorrow and any talk about it is banned. Here's my tease (a short piece tempting you to stay tuned) and my live...

Pub Ban Royal Wedding by markansell

Reporting on Oxford United

I never thought I'd have the chance to report on Oxford United but on Easter Saturday I covered the Chesterfield match at the Kassam Stadium for BBC Radio Derby - albeit from the opposition's perspective. My pre match, half time and full time reports had to be brief. I wonder what you think about me singing during my half time report? Too much? Perhaps, but I think it's important to inject personality into reporting and I feel it fitted the mood of a club celebrating promotion. Here's my pre match, half time and full time reports...
Oxford v Chesterfield by markansell

After the game I went pitch-side tointerview Oxford United's defender Damian Batt on my iPhone. He was voted by the Professional Football's Association as the best right back in League 2. I forgot to stop the recording at the end of the interview so you can hear a bit of small talk afterwards...
Damien Batt interview by markansell
I also interviewed Chesterfield Manager John Sheridan...
John Sheridan interview by markansell

It's been about 4 years since I last reported on football but I really enjoyed it. When I was a student I used to go to a lot of Sheffield United matches at Bramall Lane with my friend Paul and I'd write half and full time reports and read them to my audience - him! Very sad I know but I love the challenge of summing up the action. The aim is to try to capture the essence of the game in an engaging way.

Sylwia Murder

I've been in Birmingham this week covering my first murder trial. Sylwia Ciapinska was a 24 year old Polish teacher who came to live in Burton to earn money to buy a house in Poland. Just two weeks after she moved to England, she was murdered by her Polish housemate Tomasz Sobczak.

The Crown Court in Birmingham is a long way from the BBC building called The Mailbox, so I decided to use my iPhone to record my report for the news bulletins, interview with the police and statement of the victims parents (left) and then email them back from the phone to the newsroom in Derby. The app, VR+, worked a treat. The sound quality is really impressive and it took just a couple of minutes to email back the 3 bits of audio. I'd recommend it to any radio journalist. Here's my bulletin piece, recorded on the steps of the court, minutes after the guilty verdict... Sylwia Court VP 19 April by markansell

As soon as I'd sent the bulletin report, I hot footed it to The Mailbox to do a live illustrated 2 way, or in non-journalism speak, interview with a presenter, for the BBC Radio Derby drivetime show from one of the studios. I used the audio I recorded on my phone as part of the 2 way...
Sylwia Court Drive 2 way 19 April by markansell

Before and after the days' events in court, I went to Burton to record a backgrounder (a report telling the story of what happened to Sylwia). It was broadcast on the Breakfast Show, the morning after the verdict and sentencing... Sylwia Backgrounder 20 April by markansell

It was a disturbing story to cover but nonetheless fulfilling - there is no more gripping a drama than in court.

Young and Unemployed

I've been looking into the stats on the number of young people in Derby who are are claiming job seeker's allowance. I found out that over the last 3 years it was up 77% to over 2,000 18 to 24 year olds. I went out in to Derby to ask random young people the daunting question, "why aren't you working?" And this is what they told me for this morning's breakfast show on BBC Radio Derby...

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Everybody I spoke to was frustrated but nonetheless friendly and not in the least bit threatening. It just shows that with a mic in your hand you have the unspoken permission to ask people almost anything and that most people don't mind being asked questions. I remember when I was a teenager on work experience at an Oxford commercial radio station I was asked to go out and vox people on their sexual health, and people answered!

Birds of Prey in Risley

I recently had the great pleasure of going back to Risley, the Derbyshire village where I spent many a happy weekend in my younger years. My Bonnemaman (Belgian Grandma) and Grandad lived in a lovely big, old house (left) with outhouse after outhouse next to garden after garden.

As part of a nature series for the afternoon programme I went to a bird of prey centre in the village. The lives I do in the afternoon last

longer than for the breakfast show where we cover many more stories - so I had plenty of time to get my hands on a very dangerous animal...

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Fish Feet!

Today I was reporting live at a new 'fish therapy' shop in Burton after stories in the press claiming that it could be dangerous to have fish nibbling on your feet...

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Afterwards, I recorded a video on my phone...