Selfridge Blaze

This is an emergency services story, written for the local newspaper, the Wood & Vale. I stumbled across this story unexpectedly in central London.

Fire Brings Christmas Chaos to Central London

Fire swept through the basement of a flagship central London store at midday on Friday, bringing chaos to the capital.

Selfridge Food Hall and Selfridge Hotel, on Baker Street, were both evacuated as four fire crews fought the blaze for 30 minutes.

Police were dispatched to the scene, to assist with the crowds of Christmas shoppers on one of the capital's busiest shopping streets.

Staff were alerted to the blaze, which began in the basement of the Food Hall, by the building's smoke alarms.

The Hotel and the Food Hall were evacuated immediately.

Traffic on Baker Street was brought to a halt as fire crews arrived on the scene.

A Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "We received a call shortly after midday. Around 20 fire fighters from Shaftesbury Avenue and Paddington attended the incident. The fire was under control by 12:30 pm. Nobody was hurt."

Staff appeared unshaken. Hayden Stowe, 22, said: "It was around 12, and we just got told to leave. Everyone was pretty calm. It gives us something to talk about on our lunch break!"

Senior staff declined to comment on the incident, the cause of which is still under investigation.

The scene outside Selfridge shortly after fire fighters took control of the blaze.

Report:

This is a relatively straight forward emergency services story, which I was lucky enough to stumble across while riding through central London.

As is now my habit, I had camera and notepad on my person, and set to work.

The story was written with the Wood & Vale in mind, the incident occurring just within the boundaries of the paper's patch. (Anything north of Oxford Street.)

It has been submitted for this weeks edition, which is released on Friday 14th December, so at the time of writing, I am unsure in what form it will appear in print.

I chose the angle of Selfridge being a flagship store to increase the newsworthiness of the story.

The timing is also important, with the streets being packed with Christmas shoppers.

I made sure to include all of this in the opening four paragraphs, and to keep the opening par comfortably under 24 words.

The fire in itself was a relatively minor incident, with no one hurt and little cause for panic, which is why the alternative angles take on additional importance.

Obtaining quotes proved difficult as expected, with a fire not being the best advert for a major store at Christmas time. Senior staff refused to comment over the phone later in the day, other than to dismiss the incident.

Anticipating this I spoke in person to shop floor staff shortly after the store reopened, one of whom was happy to comment informally.

London Fire Brigade offered a brief statement over the phone later that same afternoon, which I was able to include.

It was an interesting story to cover, arising from out of the blue as it did, and underlined the importance of being ready to cover an incident as it unfolds at any time.

I captured the short video particularly with online presentation of the story in mind.

An Artistic Innovation

This story was written for the Wood & Vale, during my ongoing work experience, appearing on page 11.

Home Is Where The Art Is

Residents of the Westmead Elderly Resource Centre performed a musical extravaganza on Friday, displaying a fine ear for a tune.

Many of the residents of Westmead suffer from various forms of dementia, a particular issue which the music project aimed to tackle.

The performance, part of the Westmead Music Project, was conducted by musicians Fraser Trainer and Pete Whyman.

Pete Whyman performing alongside Westmead residents

The show was one of a number being organised by Westminster Arts, in an ongoing project to build partnerships with Westminster Adult Services, offering a growing expertise in the link between the arts and social care.

Kevin Williamson, Head of Housing and Care Services, said: “We had three or four generations of people gathered together here. Through this project, we aim to challenge people’s perceptions of the elderly.

“We hope to develop something quite innovative, to find ways of giving the staff at the home a different way to offer care. We would like to leave a certain legacy behind, to provide staff with the tools to engage the residents on a different level.”

Pete Whyman

Musician Fraser Trainer has worked with the residents and staff of Westmead, alongside his colleague Pete Whyman, for the past four weeks in preparation for the grand performance. He said:

“It was so nice to see so many smiling faces together in the room. It’s been a huge journey for us.

"The residents composed at least fifty per cent of the final piece. Through this process, we tried to work on the strengths of everyone involved, to come up with innovative ways of challenging and dealing with things that could be viewed as weaknesses.”

The final piece was inspired by the lives, personalities, experiences, and imaginations of both the residents and the care workers.

Anything Goes!

A CD of the final performance is being produced for everybody involved. A DVD documenting the journey, including the final performance, is also under production.

Resident Vera Chapra was hugely impressed by the performance. “It was really very, very nice” she exclaimed. “Absolutely marvellous!”

Report:

This story was sourced from a Westminster Arts Council press release. It concerned an extremely innovative approach by the council towards social care, particularly in the field of dementia, culminating in a diary event that I was able to cover in person.

It was written for my local newspaper, the Wood & Vale, to the appropriate length.

Access to sources was relatively straight forward at the event itself, though due to being in a social care environment, I had to cover things from a passive position, so as not to appear overtly intrusive.

The story turned out to be quite visual, with the active participation of the residents themselves adding to the visuals.

The story also raises very interesting points concerning the approach to care in the community, and as a result, is of interest to readership on a local level.

I used this innovative approach as the angle for the story, with the quotes I obtained reflecting and building on this angle.

Once again, the video I was able to gather compliments the story, bringing the subject to life on the screen, along with the sound, and the captions also add a little more relevant information.

The only troublesome issue came when attempting to source quotes from the residents themselves, though this was overcome through approaching staff carers, and asking them to approach the residents on my behalf, which, after a little gentle persuasion, they were happy to do!

The Front Page Splash!

This story was produced on my very first day of work experience with the Wood & Vale, our local newspaper in Westminster. It appeared in an updated form as the front page splash.

FLOODS DEVASTATE MAIDA VALE

Around 50 properties were damaged and 400 homes were without drinking water in the Clifton Road area of Maida Vale on Friday.

An aging water pipe burst in the early hours of the morning, spilling millions of gallons of water onto surrounding streets.

Damage to the street surface was considerable

Flood debris littered the area, and surrounding streets were cordoned off by the Fire Brigade as the road surface began to break up under the sheer volume of water.

Local businesses experienced huge damage to stock, and were forced to close their doors when power was cut to the area around 10am.

Six hours after the pipe burst, Thames Water were still seeking to pinpoint the damage. Spokesperson Nicola Savage said:

“We are having difficulty isolating the source. The Fire Brigade are diverting the flow of water away from local businesses, and we will look into whether the pipe can be fixed, or whether it needs to be replaced.

“We have had to cut off the supply to the pipe, and there is a possibility that these disturbances may continue into tomorrow.”

Warwick Avenue tube station was also forced to close following the power cut, bringing disruption to the Bakerloo Line.

Twelve elderly residents had to be evacuated from Melbourne Court, in the Little Venice area, after flood waters rose dramatically to around two metres in the building's garage space.

The garage, the lowest lying point in the area, stands directly above an electricity substation.

Fearing for the resulting mix of petrol from the parked cars, flood waters, and electricity in the substation, the Fire Brigade evacuated residents at 10am, who gathered at a nearby pub.

This is not the first time the area has experienced such problems, leaving residents less than impressed.

Melbourne Court Porter Broderick Mills said: “This is the fourth time we’ve had a pipe burst in the area. It’s no good replacing these pipes now. They should have been replaced 20 years ago.”

Residents were deeply concerned for their property in the worst affected areas. “I have two Ferraris, two BMWs, and a Ford Mustang, and they’re all under water,” one elderly lady complained.

Responding to the wave of criticism a Thames Water spokesperson said: “We are spending half a million pounds every day replacing pipes as and when required. Unfortunately, sometimes, pipes burst.”

Report:

I was thrust (excuse the pun...) in at the deep end on the morning of my first day of work experience with the Wood & Vale. We received word via early reports on a BBC local website that a pipe had burst in Maida Vale, causing major flooding.

I jumped on my bike, took a camera, and covered the story. I was able to speak with representatives from Thames Water, the Fire Brigade, and a smattering of locals, which gave a good balance to the story.

I was aware at the time of writing that there was potentialy a better angle. The fact that the same thing had happened twice before was the best angle for the story to take.

At the time, however, this was unconfirmed. It was confirmed later in the week, when the story was updated by a full time journalist at the paper. It was therefore the angle that was used.

There were also good opportunities to get some video footage, as the story was unfolding before me. I was concerned primarily with tracking down the right people however, and so neglected to get any footage at the time.

Sources were quite forthcoming, though I had to be careful when quoting from the Melbourne Court porter, who made a number of comments concerning his experience of dealing with Thames Water staff members, and his opinions of their working practices.

The comments, though, could have opened up certain legal issues if printed, in terms of defaming Thames Water.

Did Somebody Say "Amateur?!"

This article was immensely enjoyable both to research and produce! It involves a local charity known as Centre Stage, and was produced, minus the video, for the Wood & Vale newspaper. The video, however, adds that certain something.

Treading the Boards

St John's Wood charity Centre Stage performed to a sold out audience in central London on Saturday night, proving that their dramatics are anything but amateur!

Centre Stage take centre stage

Centre Stage has been giving people from all walks of life the opportunity to express themselves on stage for over 40 years.

Past performances include West Side Story and Anything Goes. The group’s current show, “I LOVE Centre Stage”, has been playing to sold out audiences of hundreds for the past two weeks at St Mary’s Church, Old Marylebone Road.

The show is a musical celebration of love in all its forms. When love is good, when love is bad, and when it’s somewhere in between.

Saturday night’s show was opened by Murray Grant, lawyer by day, solo vocalist by night, with Love Changes Everything.

Says Mr Grant: “I’m quite calm before hand. It’s only when I walk out there on stage that the nerves start to flutter a little. But it’s great to be the first out.”

23 year old Rachael Holbrook was next up, showing off her strong, touching vocals. Ms Holbrook currently harbours a desire to turn professional, and is in the process of auditioning for a number of rolls.

Rachael Holbrook performs solo

The show continued, alternating between group performances, the 30 or so voices easily filling the ample space; and individual acts, displaying the vocal talents of many of the group’s members.

David Walker-Smith gave a series of fantastic performances, rousing the audience with the breadth of his vocal range. Having become engaged the previous week, Mr Walker-Smith displayed an easy familiarity with the theme of the show.

Richard Le Coq continued to entertain the crowd with a well choreographed act, as two beautiful girls fought over the pint sized singer with the barrel sized voice.

The night, however, was stolen by Siobhan McConnan and Paul Cozens, who had the audience in stitches with a classic performance of “I Can’t Do It”, a song reflecting on a fizzled out, passionless marriage.

Vocal harmony

The passion of Centre Stage, however, was there for all to see. Thankfully, the warning of modest director Peter Mills- “the more you drink, the better we sound”, was unnecessary. The dramatics may have been amateur; but the ability and passion, were nothing but professional.

Report:

This article was produced for the Wood & Vale newspaper. I chanced upon the opportunity to cover this story through conversation with an acquaintance in the area, who is a member of Centre Stage. I arranged a visit to view the show via the group chairwoman, and gathered the vast majority of material on the night.

All interviews were conducted before and after the show, allowing for relevant quotes from those who played important roles. Cornering those I wished to speak to was a challenge with so much going on, but it paid off in the end. I also made a few calls in the days after the show itself to check on names, spelling, etc.

I figured the article was ideal 'local news' territory. It always promised to be a highly visual story, and with Centre Stage being a registered charity, there is a sense of social good. Covering the performance offered the ideal chance to promote the group, and raise awareness of their work within the community.

The original article maintained more of a feature feel throughout, and was considerably longer, including a call at the bottom for any new potential stars! I therefore tried to steer this version more towards a news angle through the introduction, so as to keep it short, and to the point.

I was particularly happy with the images, in particular the image which introduces the piece. It establishes the article nicely, (complete with a little touching up and added effects of my own!)

The videos, complete with titles and minor effects which I have experimented with for the first time here, also add a very nice touch to what is a very audio visual story in its nature.

Don't Mind Us...

The following was produced for the Nov 2nd edition of the Wood & Vale, my local rag here in north London. The hard copy is available, including a random immigration angle, inserted by the Wood & Vale subs. You live and learn...

Health Funding Cut is 'Threat to the Vulnerable'.

Westminster faces a £25.3 million cut from its social care funding if radical government reforms go ahead.

Local authorities across London are also bracing themselves against the threat of losing a total £420 million from their budget under the reforms.

The moves would slash funding for the physically and mentally disabled, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and mental health services.

The warning from London Councils, the group which represents all of London's 33 councils, comes at a time when social care funding in the capital is already overstretched. More then 80 per cent of London councils have been forced to restrict their services to those with substantial or critical needs.

Westminster is currently able to provide care to people with moderate levels of need but if reforms go ahead the future is uncertain.

Abbey Road Community Centre for mental health faces an uncertain future.

Health boss Cllr Edward Argar said: "If this new formula is introduced, we risk facing a severe shortage in our funding for social care. This would impact upon some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

"It does not take full account of people with complex needs, such as those with mental health or drug problems, many of whom are often attracted to the anonymity and bright lights of places like Westminster.

"At a time when the pressure upon adult social care is increasing for a variety of reasons, it is vital that services such as these get the resources they need to support people.

"We are determined to continue to provide the excellent services we do now. This really makes an impact on people's lives.

"To do that it is vital that the government ensures that we get the long term funding that is needed, rather than tinkering with spending."

An announcement on the proposals is expected in the coming months, when ministers will make final decisions over how funding is distributed until 2011.

Ministers are threatening to remove protection that prevents cuts to social services grants in several regions.

But critics have been quick to point out that the new formula unfairly discriminates against urban areas.

During a survey of 70 psychiatrists by the mental health charity SANE, two thirds said that "more funding, more staff and beds, and better facilities for patients are all crucial for the improvement of mental health care".

Report:

This article began life as a press release, sourced from the Westminster Council website. It was an interesting story to report on, in that it concerns a very serious social issue.

I had a little trouble contacting sources for quotes, with two separate mental health charities failing to return my calls. The quotes in the story were taken directly from the press release.

Staff members at the Abbey Road Community Centre were also reluctant to comment on the story, despite my best efforts to persuade them that the angle I was adopting was fully in support of their positions as employees.

In the absence of any fresh quotes, I was able to mention the survey conducted by SANE, one of the charities I had tried to contact, in order to add a little colour to the story.

Because the article was for the local press, I selected a local angle, concentrating on the financial loss faced by services inside Westminster. I also believed the story was worthy of a page lead, and so wrote it to the appropriate length.

There was an ethical question with regards to the relevance of the survey quoted in the final paragraph. Though the findings were extremely relevant, and were quoted exactly, the survey itself was conducted six years ago.

I chose to get around this simply by not mentioning the date on which the findings were released.

The image was taken by myself, and features one of the buildings that would be directly affected by the planned cuts.

Monkey Business

The following is the British favourite- a fluffy animal story. An alternate version, slightly subbed with a 'name the baby' competition added for good measure, appeared in the Wood & Vale on Nov 16th 2007, a local newspaper based in North London, a stone's throw from London Zoo. The article as it appeared is available in hard copy.

The Patter of Tiny Paws

Having reached the tender age of six weeks, London Zoo’s newest arrival, a tiny black tailed marmoset, is doing just fine…and has even started branching out on his own two paws.

Only problem is, the infant is yet to be christened, as zoo staff have no idea whether they are dealing with a male cheeky monkey, or a female!

Staff at the zoo were pleased to welcome the vary rare species of monkey to the world on September 30th- the first ever to be born at the zoo. There are hopes it is the first of many for mum and dad- five year old Victoria, and two year old Albert.

Native to South America, the species belongs to the New World monkey family, and is housed in the zoo’s brand new £2 million Clore Rainforest facility, where the family can’t help but feel at home, as they munch insects in the balmy 34 degree heat.

If you want to grow big and strong...eat your greens!

Keeper Maggie Lamb said: “In the last week, the baby has started to show a lot more independence, running around all alone.

"Victoria and Albert will continue breeding, hopefully until the age of 15 or 16, though they tend to slow down a little once they reach double figures.”

Zoo keepers operate a hands-off policy when it comes to raising the young, preferring to keep a watchful eye on things as mum and dad go about their duties.

As Ms Lamb explains: “As the parents go on to breed, our new arrival will have the chance to learn from the parents how to raise a child.

"This is often one of the problems with hand reared offspring. The young do not get the chance to learn first hand.”

So expect the patter of tiny paws to reverberate around the Clore Rainforest once again in the near future.

Hitchin' a ride!

Report:

This short and furry piece was produced strictly with a local newspaper audience in mind. London Zoo is an institution of which those who live nearby are rightfullyly proud, so I wanted the article to reflect the positive work done at the zoo.

I therefore selected an angle which focused on the fact that the monkey was the first of its kind to be born at the zoo, and on the care that the keepers have provided since the animals birth.

The confusion over gender, which gives a light hearted angle, has also been elevated to the second paragraph, whereas originally, this was the closing line.

The story was sourced from the zoo's homepage, which mentioned the birth of the monkey six weeks previously. I set out to produce a follow up piece, because the birth itself was by this time old news.

The press office at the zoo were very forthcoming, and were happy to arrange entry to the zoo, and for me to meet with the animal's keeper Maggie Lamb.

There were few ethical considerations, due to the light heartedness of the story. The still image, which I shot myself, illustrates the piece well, with attention on both mother and baby.

The video, though brief, contains some nice imagery as the infant struggles to focus on the camera, which I think illustrates the innocent nature of the piece suitably.

Gagging For It...

This is an abridged version of an article concerning the report from US General David H. Petraeus into the effectiveness of the US troop surge in Iraq, coupled with an appropriate story concerning news leaks from the MoD. The article was produced for the lifeatuni.com student news and current affairs site, and was published in late September. The full version can be viewed here.

A GOOD REPUTATION? WE’RE GAGGING FOR IT.

The long awaited report of General Petraeus into the current state of affairs in Iraq was delivered on September 10th.

As many predicted, it may as well have been in the hand writing of one George W. Bush.

The report is further evidence that a war weary public is tired of hearing about violence, death, and bloodshed in Iraq.

There was unprecedented public protest in the run up to the invasion of Iraq, on both sides of the Atlantic.

Only recently, as reported in the Guardian, the Ministry of defence issued a gagging order forbidding soldiers from engaging in any negative discussion of Iraq in the public sphere, for fear of influencing public opinion.

Popular public opinion across the UK has remained opposed to the war

As the Independent reported on the day following General Petraeus’ report: “Claims that the US military strategy is paving the way for a stable society bear little resemblance to the reality on the ground."

There are, however, independent groups and NGOs, to whom the truth remains more important than any political agenda.

The ‘Iraq Body Count’ (IBC), an independent analytical project, is one such source. Any information released by the IBC is based on carefully compiled facts. The purpose is to compile a record of all non-combatants killed in Iraq as a direct result of the 2003 invasion.

The IBC states that, on Sunday, 16th September, "at least 71 civilians died in ten separate incidents, including a 6 year old boy who was killed by sniper fire".

On Saturday 8th September, "59 people died. Four of these, who were found by police, had been killed returning from a funeral".

It is indicative of news values in the modern day that the death toll in Iraq, though as horrific as ever, is for the most part no longer considered worthy of main stream coverage.

The list published daily by the IBC leaves a sense of numbness. The death count, and the details, are shocking, and disturbing, though words such as these are hopelessly insufficient.

The world knows full well that, at the time of writing, post war Iraq has gone horribly wrong.

It is far too late for those who would rather the truth was kept under wraps to start searching for ways and means to convince us that everything is going just fine.


Report:

In producing an article for an international student audience, the scope available is wide ranging. The issues that concern students are the issues that concern us all. We should not feel restricted to specific 'student' issues in producing an article of interest to students.

I feel that major global issues should be of particular interest to a student audience, as it is during education, as we prepare for our tenure as global caretakers, that interests are developed that may then set an agenda for many years to come.

The lifeatuni.com site is aimed at students in the UK and the US, and is updated weekly. In producing this article, I selected a topic that had a strong news angle, due to the release that same week of the report into Iraq in the US.

The subject area is one that I have a particular passion for, and I felt that by drawing attention to the work of the IBC, in the light of the US report, a strong story could be pieced together, from a variety of very different sources, each with ready access. The piece also contains a strong comment flavour, which is very much what the lifeatuni.com editors request.

The original story was around twice the length. It delved into more detail to justify the points being made. Again, this was more in line with the style that the site adopts.

The image, I felt, summed up nicely the background to the story.