Children's Hospital Snowflakes

They mark the start of Christmas in Sheffield, there are more than 300 of them and they raise more than £350,000 for the Children's Hospital Charity. What am I talking about? It's the snowflake lights that decorate the outside of this building of course! I've been to film a story on how they go about making it happen.

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Sheffield 1,000

The Sheffield 1,000 is a charity set up by TV presenter Dan Walker. It's all about getting people to donate one pound a week. That money then goes to smaller charities in the city. It's already given away twenty thousand pounds but they're looking to fundraise and give away much more money. I thoroughly enjoyed filming with the inspiring charity Under The Stars - they show how powerful performing arts can be used as a way of inspiring people.

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No Post

You're supposed to have your post delivered six days a week but for half a year now, residents in the S8 postcode in south Sheffield say they're still waiting several days or even weeks before receiving mail. A demo has been taking place outside the Woodseats sorting office in support of postal workers but against senior management. Royal Mail is blaming higher than usual levels of sickness absence and the number of vacancies.

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Home Alone Xmas house

I had a great time reporting at a house at Holymoorside near Chesterfield which has been transformed into a scene from my favourite Christmas film, 'Home Alone'! 

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Chris Wilder SUFC live

I reported live on Chris Wilder's return as manager of Sheffield United.

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Presenting late Look North

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Dangerous Dogs

Are bad owners or breeds to blame when it comes to dog attacks? Don Valley MP Nick Fletcher has opened a debate in Parliament on the issue. It follows the government's decision to ban the XL Bully breed following a rise in fatal attacks.

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Presenting late Look North

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Presenting Breakfast Bulletins

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Mould Flat

I've never seen living conditions in the UK worse than in a damp and mouldy house in Sheffield that I reported from. There's more on this story on the BBC News website.

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Ice Hockey Neck Guards

I filmed with junior ice hockey players in Leeds who told me they welcome new rules which mean they'll have to keep wearing neck protection when they become aged 18. The new rule was introduced following the death of Nottingham Panthers player Adam Johnson whose neck was cut during a match against Sheffield Steelers. But players in the top division, the Elite League, will not be forced to wear neck guards.

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Doom Metal

I had a lot of fun filming this one! There's a new surprise musical pairing which started in Yorkshire and lets an ancient instrument reach new audiences. Heavy rock music known as Doom Metal has been played alongside a pipe organ at Huddersfield Town Hall in a gig in the Summer and it was a big hit!

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Gracie Spinks Inquest

I reported from the inquest into the death of Chesterfield woman Gracie Spinks. The inquest heard that a police officer did not have "serious concerns" about a bag of weapons linked to her killer which was found six weeks before she was murdered.

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Ice Hockey Vigil

Hundreds of ice hockey fans gathered for a candlelit vigil to pay tribute to Nottingham Panthers player Adam Johnson who died in a match versus the Sheffield Steelers. It was an amazing turnout in awful weather and there was a very moving atmosphere.

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Cancer Fit

Just one in twenty people living with cancer in Yorkshire has taken part in a specialised exercise programme, according to a new survey by Yorkshire Cancer Research. That's despite evidence showing that being active before, during and after treatment can help improve survival rates and reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. The charity will be funding fitness programmes in Dewsbury, Pontefract, Wakefield and Harrogate which are due to start at the end of the year. But the one in Sheffield is well underway and cancer patients are already seeing the benefits.

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FedEx Murder Trial

I covered the disturbing trial of a FedEx driver in Rotherham who's accused of killing his manager.

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Hospital Bomber Trial

I went to Sheffield Crown Court to cover the trial of a man who's admitted planning to detonate a bomb at a hospital in Leeds but claims it wasn't a terrorist attack. 28-year-old Mohammed Farooq worked at St James's Hospital and was found outside with the bomb in January. His defence team told Sheffield Crown Court his actions were motivated by "anger and grievance towards his colleagues". He's admitted some charges but denies preparing acts of terrorism.

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Ughill Farm

Cameraman colleague Mark Graham and I had a fab day learning about nature-friendly farming on a story with Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust. They need to raise more than a million pounds to buy farmland on the edge of Sheffield and make it haven for biodiversity. The Wildlife Trust needs to raise the money by the end of next month to secure the land at Ughill Farm. The plan is to encourage even more wildlife to make their home there and to test and learn nature-friendly farming practices.

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Presenting Late Bulletin

Recycling Doncaster

There's a growing problem of residents putting the wrong things in their recycling bins. In Doncaster contamination of recycling in bins has gone from 10% in 2020 to 16% now. I've been to look into the problem.

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Presenting Late Look North

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Presenting Late Look North

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Page Hall Clean Up

I went back to Page Hall this week to film with school pupils, teachers, doctors and the council who are working together in a month-long effort to clean up the area. Page Hall is blighted with littering and fly-tipping. The area is one of the most deprived in Yorkshire but the community is rallying round to try to fix the problem. I filmed all of this in 45 minutes and at one point my mobile journalism kit failed me so I filmed one of the interviews (the first in my report) on my work phone.

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Yusuf

The family of a five-year-old boy from Rotherham who died after being sent home from hospital have rejected a report which found his care was appropriate. Yusuf Mahmud Nazir died in November last year, eight days after he was seen at Rotherham General Hospital and sent home with antibiotics. A report into his care was commissioned after his family claimed he should have been admitted to hospital.

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Josh Warrington

I've been to interview Josh Warrington who takes on World Champion Leigh Wood in Sheffield on Saturday night knowing that the future of his career rests on whether he can win or not. The Leeds fighter lost his last bout and his world title in December last year and is desperate to win this weekend.

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Bradley Lowery court case

A Sheffield Wednesday fan who used a photo of Bradley Lowery to taunt opposition supporters has admitted a public order offence. Dale Houghton was pictured laughing as he brandished the image of the six-year-old during a match against Sunderland - the team Bradley supported before he died of cancer in 2017.

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Hit and Run Update

I've been to Dronfield to film an update to a story I first covered in February this year. A criminal investigation has reopened after the death of a Derbyshire mum in a hit-and-run in Tenerife. Michelle Exton, from Dronfield, died when she was hit by a white van which mounted the pavement near the resort of Golf del Sur in December last year. Spanish courts have given police permission to resume their investigation after a judge had previously told officers to effectively close the case. 

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Presenting breakfast bulletin

I presented the Look North bulletins in the BBC Breakfast programme for the first time. Six bulletins in the space of fewer than 3 hours and it flew by!

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Leadmill licensing

I covered the hotly disputed issue of the future of the iconic Leadmill nightclub in Sheffield. It comes after months of a bitter dispute between the man who's run the nightclub for 28 years and the company that took ownership of the building in 2017. The landlord, Electric Group, is applying for a shadow premises licence so they can run it - having served an eviction notice on the current tenant's last year.

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Homelessness Exhibition live

I reported live from a new exhibition at Sheffield Cathedral about homelessness which is ironically titled 'Wish You Were Here!'. It involved an intense day of work. In the afternoon I filmed with former homeless woman Jo where she used to sleep rough, edited this into a report and then reported live from the exhibition. A full-on but fulfilling experience covering an important issue from a different angle.

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Presenting Saturday Look North

Presenting Late Look North

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Wilko Redundancies

I reported on the redundancies at Wilko - which is based down the road in Worksop.

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Attercliffe Fire live

I reported live from a recycling centre fire in the Attercliffe area of Sheffield.

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Amputee Personal Trainer

It was so inspiring to make this story about a former South Yorkshire lorry driver who's qualified as a personal trainer to help other people with life-changing injuries. This is after Craig Walton lost his leg in a horrific crash on the road. The fitness fanatic who's from Mapplewell in Barnsley, had his right lower leg removed after a car smashed head-on into his 14-tonne truck on the A19, near Doncaster.

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Crisis Homeless Centre Closing

The homeless charity Crisis is closing it's Skylight centre in South Yorkshire which will have a big impact on rough sleepers here.

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Sport on Look North

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Jordan Flynn-Dhanjal

I really enjoyed filming with boxer Jordan Flynn-Dhanjal who is from Oxford and has moved up to Sheffield in the hope of becoming the first world champion from Sikh heritage.

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Tramlines Mud Bath

I've been reporting on the mud bath left at Hillsborough Park following the Tramlines Music Festival.

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Post Office Scandal

I covered the latest in the Horizon Post Office Scandal and used my mobile journalism kit to interview Harjinder Butoy, the former postmaster who was thrown in jail for a crime he did not commit. I had to work quickly to film the material I needed and then edit it in time for it to be on BBC Look North that evening.

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Scarborough Immigration Demos

Far right anti-immigration protesters have been in Scarborough. At the same time, a counter protest was also taking place in the town. Heavy rain showers limited the turnout at both demos. 

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Tomato plants

Teenage sisters from the Calder Valley have been growing and now distributing 240 tomato plants to people in need. Phoebe who's 15 and Mabel who's 13 are both Girl Guides and want to help their community.

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Presenting late Look North

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Teachers' Strike

I covered the teachers' strike last week - we reported from the demo in Sheffield.

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Shootings live

I reported live on a worrying spike in shootings in South Yorkshire. The police want people to trust them with tip offs about gun crime. There’ve been what they call firearms discharges in Burngreave in Sheffield and Aston and Thrybergh in Rotherham in the space of three days.

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Presenting late Look North

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Council Tax Debt

I filmed a story about there being a 10% rise in council tax arrears in Yorkshire in the last year according to figures released by the government. Failure to pay council tax can end up with bailiffs at your door and extra charges on top of the debt.

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Presenting Late Look North

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No Post

I filmed a story about residents in the Meersbrook area of Sheffield who've been left without mail for up to two weeks. Important hospital appointments, mortgage documents and even medication is failing to arrive on the doormat on four roads in the area and it’s causing real problems. Royal Mail has apologised.

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Sheffield Clean Air Zone

I reported on the problems businesses in Sheffield are having with the Clean Air Zone which was introduced four months ago. Cameraman Brian and I put together this report for the main 6:30pm programme...

And we did this as live for our lunch bulletin...

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20mph School Roads

I covered a story on the campaign by Yorkshire charity Brake for all roads near schools to have 20 mile an hour speed limits.

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Presenting Look North Saturday bulletin

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Top Dog

A man from North Yorkshire says its thanks to his dog that he survived after being crushed by a huge branch of a tree. Malcolm Myers was walking his Yorkshire terrier Buddy last week when a horse chestnut tree came crashing down from a garden. He says he was helped free by his elderly terrier.

This story was a tight-turnaround! I started filming in Thirsk at 1pm with my mobile journalism kit then edited the story in Leeds in time for it to be on air at 6:30pm. 

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Presenting Late Look North

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Presenting Late Bulletin

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Le Mans

I've been making a feature on the Yorkshire motorsport company that is hoping to win at Le Mans 24 hour race in France this weekend. United Autosports' headquarters is in Wakefield and we filmed the team at Leeds East Airport in Church Fenton while they were making their final tweaks for the hundredth Le Mans race.

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Sheffield Wednesday Promotion

What an incredible treat to work on the League One play-off final which couldn't have ended in a more dramatic fashion with Sheffield Wednesday beating Barnsley right at the end of extra time. Here are my reports from Hillsborough, Wembley and the promotion party in the city centre.

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I covered the promotion party for the BBC News Channel...

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...and for BBC Look North in what has to be my favourite live report ever! I was buzzing for hours afterwards!

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Drowning

I reported on the very sad story of a 16-year-old drowning in the River Calder in Castleford.

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Look North presenting late bulletin

I produced and presented the Look North midweek late bulletin for the first time last week and was pleased with how it went.

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Food Thief

Earlier this week I filmed a story at a church food and clothes bank in Doncaster that's been targeted by a thief for a seventh time. That's despite the food and clothes that've been stolen - from St John The Evangelist Church in Balby - being free to anyone who needs them. After seeing the story on Look North last week a security company in Leeds has offered its services for free to act as a deterrent.

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North Yorkshire Funding Cuts

From where I'm based in the South of our patch, I travelled to the north of the area we cover, to Northallerton, to report on charities in Ryedale which fear they'll lose funding that was promised to them before a shake-up of local government in the county.  The new North Yorkshire Council is reassessing almost 3 million pounds worth of grants awarded by the former Ryedale District Council.

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School Trip

A community in Leeds has rallied round to raise thousands of pounds to enable more than fifty children in their area to go on a residential school trip to Whitby. Meadowfield Primary School in Halton Moor was forced to scrap their annual 3 day trip because they simply couldn't afford it any more. But when the owner of the local corner shop found out, he stepped in to fundraise three grand.

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Exams Resume

GCSE and A Level exams got underway in full this week for the first time in three years. Unlike last year, students have not been given advance information about the topics they're likely to be tested on. The regulator Ofqual says the disruption caused by Covid will still be taken into account in the grades that are awarded - but some students are worried that they've been unfairly affected by the virus and, more recently, strike action.

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Trees Meeting live

I reported live on a heated Sheffield City Council meeting this week in the aftermath of a damning report into the tree-felling programme. Fierce protests broke out in the city when thousands of trees were cut down. An independent inquiry found there'd been a failure of leadership and the authority had misled the public. The council apologised.

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Coronation Coach

I had a 3am start last Saturday to film a story with my mobile journalism kit on day trippers from Barnsley heading to London for the Coronation!  After filming in the coach on the way down, I walked for miles around London following Yorkshire folk as they watched proceeding in the capital. I then edited my report at New Broadcasting House before it went on Look North that evening. It was an exhausting but fulfilling experience to make this report.

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Look North presenting

It was an absolute privilege to present my first bulletins on BBC Look North this week. I really enjoyed it and am grateful to my colleagues behind-the-scenes who helped make it a pain-free experience!

And here's the late bulletin...

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Gymnastics

I reported from Leeds Gymnastics Club on the homecoming of two of their athletes who'd competed at the European Gymnastics Championships in Turkey.

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Sheffield United v West Brom Lives

I reported live at Bramall Lane ahead of their match against West Brom which they won to gain promotion to the Premier League. Here's my as live for the BBC News Channel programme Sportsday...

And this is my live on BBC Look North with the brilliant former Blades striker Carl Asaba...

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Blades at Wembley

I had a thoroughly enjoyable trip to Wembley on a coach with a bunch of Sheffield United fans. Despite losing 3-0 to Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final the Blades gave it a good crack.

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Football Couple

It was really good fun reporting on this one...A married couple flew more than 3,000 miles together to go to the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley - only to sit at opposite ends of the stadium! Sheffield United fan Shaun Littler and his wife Caroline Oatway who is a Manchester City supporter, moved from the UK to Boston, in the USA, last year. But football comes first in their marriage!

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Dickie Bird's 90th Birthday

I had the great pleasure and privilege of covering Dickie Bird's 90th birthday this week. He's a really lovely man and an entertaining interviewee.

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Sport live Elland Road

It was good to be live at Elland Road on Monday evening ahead of Leeds United's big game against Liverpool to present the sports news and interview Neil Redfearn who is always a very good interviewee.

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Twins Schooling

I covered the troubling story of four year old autistic twins in York where only one of the boys has been given a place at a special school...

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Glyn Rhodes

It's five years since I reported extensively on Sheffield boxer Scott Westgarth dying hours after winning the biggest fight of his career. Scott died from complications arising from a blood clot on the brain after brutal ten round light heavyweight bout at Doncaster Dome. With him that night was his trainer Glyn Rhodes who has spoken exclusively to BBC Look North about the terrible mental anguish Scott's death has had on him. Glyn wants to tackle the macho culture in his sport and encourage men to speak up if they're suffering.

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Laughing Gas

I've been to Bradford to report on the worrying rise in the use of the drug nitros oxide, also known as laughing gas. The authorities in West Yorkshire are worried about more young people taking the drug and then driving. It's following a number of serious crashes which are linked to laughing gas.

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Happy Valley

I headed to the lovely town of Hebden Bridge to report on Happy Valley fans turning out to see one of the hit TV show's stars back in Hebden Bridge. Rhys Connah who plays Ryan Cawood was there to officially open Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice's newest charity shop.

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Dangerous Dogs

I reported on the worrying rise of dog attacks. It's thought this is linked to many more people getting dogs as pets during lockdown. I reported live for our lunch bulletin...

...and we recorded this for our 6:30pm programme...

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School disrepair

A mother from Sheffield who was hit by a fascia board which fell from a school building is calling for more funding to be given to schools. Carla Ashman was waiting to pick up her two boys from Dore Primary School when it happened. She was left with cuts and grazes, a black eye and tinnitus.

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Hit and Run

The family of a Derbyshire woman killed in a hit-and-run in Tenerife have begun legal action over a judge's decision to close the police investigation. Michelle Exton was on holiday in the Canary Islands when she was hit by a van on 11 December. The 50-year-old, from Dronfield, died from her injuries four days later. Lawyers at Irwin Mitchell said police launched a hunt to trace the driver but the case was closed after three weeks.

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Bradford Clean Air Zone

This week I was reporting on problems some businesses in West Yorkshire have faced since Bradford Clean Air Zone was introduced last September. One scaffolding company says it fears going bust and wants help to be able to buy a low emission lorry but it is not eligible for grants. Bradford Council says the Clean Air Zone is a government directive and so they do not set the rules on who gets grants and exemptions.

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Sheffield United v Wrexham live sport

Hollywood owned Wrexham were in South Yorkshire this week for their FA Cup replay against Sheffield United. Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds co-owns the Welsh club with fellow actor Rob McElhenney. For one night only I was a Hollywood spotter! Really enjoyed interviewing Carl Asaba, the former Blades striker - a thoroughly nice bloke and excellent guest.

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Schools Strike

Thousands of teachers and other public sector workers took part in a demo in Barker’s Pool in Sheffield last week. They were on strike demanding a pay rise. The Government says an above inflation pay rise is unrealistic.

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Transfer Deadline Day in Studio

It was transfer deadline day this week and I reported from the studio on the key arrivals to our clubs in Yorkshire and the interviewed Leeds United commentator Adam Pope and Kaiser Chief Simon Rix off the back who were brilliant.

You'll notice at the start of my live report the autocue was not working - thankfully I had my script in my hand ready to refer to until it was back working! I find every time I do a live report I learn something new.

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Will Vaulks

I had a really fulfilling experience highlighting an issue I'm passionate about. I interviewed Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Will Vaulks about mental health from the home changing room at Hillsborough stadium. Will's supporting the Baton of Hope roadshow after losing both his grandads to suicide.  The roadshow is being organised by former Look North presenter Mike McCarthy whose son Ross died after a ten year battle with depression. The Baton of Hope will be carried by families and friends bereaved by suicide in stages around the country. I'm passionate about opening up discussions on mental health and have written about my experience here.

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Food Bank Warm Space

70% of people who use a food bank in Sheffield say they're struggling with the cost of living - to heat their homes and feed their families. S6 Foodbank carried out the research and the findings have made them open a 'warm space' with a cafe three days a week at thier warehouse off Penistone Road in Sheffield.

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Nile Wilson - Dancing on Ice

We filmed with Olympic bronze medallist Nile Wilson and his partner Olivia Smart in training for TV show 'Dancing on Ice'. The former Leeds gymnast admitted feeling sad and lost after retiring two years ago but doing the show has given Nile a renewed purpose in life.

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Wicker Riverside Live

I reported live on a beleaguered block of flats in Sheffield where some residents were told to move out straight away. South Yorkshire Fire Service has imposed a prohibition notice, saying remedial work being carried out was increasing the risk to residents.

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Southey Flood

Fifteen residents in Sheffield who were flooded by a burst water main have been told they will be compensated. Water gushed into people’s homes and gardens in Southey yesterday morning after a water main burst on Moonshine Lane. Yorkshire Water is repairing the water main and has told residents who were flooded that their houses will be fixed but it's likely to take many months.

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Lulu

The family of a nineteen year old Yorkshire woman who's died of a rare form of bone cancer say they're determined to raise a hundred thousand pounds for charity that has supported them. Lulu Blundell from Rotherham died on New Year's Day this year of Ewing’s sarcoma. She managed to raise a staggering eighty thousand pounds for the Teenage Cancer Trust in her lifetime.

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83 yr old gym goer

I had a lot of run reporting on an 83-year-old man from Barnsley who's become a social media sensation after posting his gym workouts online. George Sagar has had 400,000 views on one of his TikTok videos and he wants to encourage other older people to get active. It was on BBC Look North and on BBC Breakfast...

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Hillsborough 2 way

The Football Association will speak to officials from Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle and the police over reports of overcrowding during the FA Cup third-round tie at Hillsborough. I did a live 2 way on our  Look North lunch bulletin about the story.

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Dip in Scarborough Sea

What a lovely place Scarborough is and what better way to mark the new year than by going for a splash in the North Sea! 150 people bravely took a dip to raise money for charity. I couldn't resist going in myself : )

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