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Sex, lies and murder on the high seas – can you solve The Porthole Mystery?

2018-03-22T10:30:00+00:00

There are seldom times when an idea for a story and a suitable anniversary coincide, but this was one of those very rare occasions where the stars appeared to have aligned in my favour.

Last year I was starting work on a proposal for a 60th anniversary celebration of the Carry On films. I had come into possession of what I had excitedly confirmed as the last-ever interview with the much-loved star Sid James, recorded just before his sad passing on stage in 1976. The recording hasn’t been heard since then and to bolster my knowledge of James I decided to read some books on his life. I came across one publication that mentioned a fascinating story about a young actress who disappeared while travelled on a cruise ship from Capetown to Southampton. A deck steward was arrested, charged and found guilty of her murder, with the jury sending him to the gallows after only 45 minutes of deliberation. According to this sole author, James was supposedly involved in the matter as he had a romantic connection to the victim. However, I have since been able to completely debunk any involvement from James, but the story caught my imagination.

It has everything you’d expect to find in an Agatha Christie novel. A young actress, a dashing steward, romance and a suspicious death on the high seas. Also, the precise 70thanniversary of both the crime and the trial was coming up. I started some basic research and was incredibly fortunate to meet two individuals who became an integral part of what was to be a very ambitious multi-platform project.

Antony M Brown is a Hampshire author with a very unique set of books published under his ‘Cold Case Jury’ series. A chance for readers to learn about the whole case and then go online and publish their own verdict and debate it with other readers. It happened that when I called Antony he was also preparing his latest book in the series, based upon this very case. Through Antony I got to meet the very engaging and talented Paul Stickler. Paul is a former Police Chief and now publishes his own books on crime, while also giving fascinating talks and holding a key role at the Hampshire Police History Society. Paul had the remarkable fortune and foresight to be offered and therefore save the entire official police file for the whole investigation – moments before it was going to be incinerated.

This quickly became a remarkable project. It was the first time a broadcaster had access to the actual files that had never been seen publicly before, in a very famous British criminal investigation. This story was once published alongside those of Dr Crippin, Guy Fawkes and Oscar Wilde in the illustrious ‘Notable British Trials’ series, and perhaps most crucially there is still a debate on whether the defendant was indeed guilty.

So, did James Camb really murder Gay Gibson? Camb alleged in his defence that Gibson died in front of him during sexual intercourse and he then panicked and pushed her through the porthole in her room, out into the sea. The fact he disposed of Gibson’s body in such a callous manner, doesn’t mean Camb was guilty of murder if she had died as he described. In my documentary, I share material that the jury never saw in 1948. There is a personal testimony from a lady who was in court and at one point was even pushed through a mocked-up porthole, like the victim Gay Gibson, which was displayed as part of a reconstruction of the cabin room. We shed light on previously unseen evidence, handed to police after the trial ended that reinforces the defendant’s story. There is also the first broadcast interview with a key witness for the defence, who expresses her regret at not taking part in the trial, stating: “I could have saved his life”. It’s a wealth of strong material - enough to engage anyone into having a view on the outcome of the court proceedings, which saw James Camb sentenced to hang.

Through a variety of freshly gathered assets I was able to begin the journey from Duncan Dock at Capetown and track every step of the voyage to The Great Hall in Winchester, where the dramatic trial took place and gathered global attention. We have even managed to recreate specific elements of the trial using the official court transcript and professional voices.

Sometimes regional television is maligned with associations of parish-pump stories of jam festivals, UFO spotters and dancing dogs. However, with the support and backing of many talented �� South colleagues I am incredibly proud to dispel this illusion, with the depth and creative treatment of the half-hour of television we have produced. The programme has been described by one senior manager as an “intelligent, highly produced and gripping documentary”. It is occupying an impressive amount of output on national and international �� platforms across radio, television and online. If you catch it… maybe you can solve the porthole mystery?

Richard Latto is Multimedia Producer & Presenter, �� South

The Porthole Mystery is on �� News Channel at the following times:

Friday 23 March, 21.30
Saturday 24 March 13.30, 20.30
Sunday 25 March 00.30, 10.30
Friday 30 March 14.30.

Or you can watch via �� iPlayer

One 'Hull' of a year

2017-12-14T11:00:00+00:00

Two years ago we announced that the �� would partner Hull City of Culture and provide regional, national and international coverage of Hull’s year as the UK City of Culture 2017. The �� has been at the forefront of Hull’s fantastic year producing hundreds of hours of wide-ranging programming across TV, radio and online and has really put Hull in the spotlight as the city has enjoyed its year as UK City of Culture 2017. As the end of the year approaches, here’s a chance to reflect back on some of the highlights of the ��’s coverage of Hull’s special year.

January: Various network radio shows were presented from Hull throughout the year. In January, Jonathan Dimbleby presented the Radio 4 show Any Questions from Hymers College in Hull.

February: Comedian Lucy Beaumont came home to Hull for a new �� Arts documentary exploring the cultural treats that were planned for her home city during the year. Welcome to Hull – City of Culture 2017 was shown on �� Two in February.

March: March saw the first episode of Britain’s City of Culture, presented by Anne-Marie Tasker and Kofi Smiles. The final episode will be a review of the whole year which will be shown on Friday December 22nd, at 9.30pm on The �� News Channel.

April: �� Radio 3 took up residence at Hull Truck Theatre in April for a three-day festival of ground-breaking folk and roots music which was attended by over 1000 people.

May: The Radio 1 Academy held a five day residency at The Albemarle Music Centre in Hull and offered 10 young people the chance to receive individually tailored careers advice, industry training and work placements at events throughout the year. One of the sessions was a panel session about reality TV which included Charlotte Crosby (Geordie Shore), Jonathan Cheban (Keeping Up With the Kardashians) and Megan McKenna (TOWIE)

June: Adventurer Paul Rose explored the 79 miles of the Yorkshire Wolds Way in a two-part documentary series for �� Two. Episode one was watched by nearly two million people.

July: Scott Mills and Ana Matronic presented a special concert, broadcast live on �� Radio 2. I Feel Love celebrated 50 years of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK. 1200 people attended the gig at Hull City Hall to see artists including Alison Moyet, Will Young and Marc Almond.

August: Flood, a four-part experimental project by playwright James Phillips, is the story of what happens to Hull when the waters overwhelm the city. Part three, Flood: To The Sea was performed in a dock in Hull on floating platforms and broadcast on �� Two.

September/ October: At the end of September, the Contains Strong Language poetry festival took place in Hull. Eight thousand people attended at least one of the 50 events across eight venues in Hull. While over 1.5 million people watched and listened to the accompanying coverage on TV, radio and online.

September/ October: Revisit some of the Contains Strong Language highlights here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p033s8sd

November: Handmade in Hull is a one-off documentary which was inspired by the work of artist Linda Brothwell. Shown on �� Four, the programme told the story of the craft traditions that put Hull on the map in Britain’s industrial heyday.

December: �� Radio 4’s Listening Project spent 6 months in and around Hull in an ambitious project recording 250 conversations with 500 people in 30 different locations. The Listening Project booth will return to Hull on December 20th to record a special programme to be broadcast on �� Radio 4 on Christmas Day at 8am and �� Radio Humberside on December 29th at 6pm.

Happy 50th birthday �� Radio Sheffield

2017-11-15T08:00:00+00:00

Radio Sheffield began broadcasting on 15 November, 1967. To celebrate the 50 year milestone, the station produced a special music video involving ‘common people’ from the local area. Helen Bailey talks us through the process from ambitious idea to final edit:

The conversation went something like this: "let’s make a community film to mark our 50th birthday," said the boss "how about our own version of Sheffield band Pulp’s 1995 hit Common People. We can do it in around two months can’t we?"

Ok… I’ve been involved in some fairly ambitious projects at �� Radio Sheffield before but this has to be the biggest thing we’ve ever done. And bear in mind, we’re a radio station, so we’ve got absolutely no experience in making music videos!

The first task was to get the song arranged so it was suitable for a choir. I’m not sure Jarvis Cocker and the rest of the band had a four part choral harmony in mind when they wrote it in the 90s, but it worked out to sound quite amazing. Once the arrangement was done we had to get a choir to record it. We appealed on air for people who could sing and were amazed with the response. We never knew we had some many tuneful listeners!

The song was recorded here at Radio Sheffield, with a 70 strong choir, none of whom had heard the arrangement before we came to record it. Three hours of rehearsal time with an amazing musical director later, and we were ready to record it. The choir worked hard that day but no one complained and the result is brilliant thanks in no small part to our lovely engineers.

The next stage was to think about the film. We wanted to feature locations around South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire so the film had a sense of the whole of our patch. So we scouted around looking for suitable locations. Film maker Marco Van Belle came up with the concept for the film which involved a big crowd of people coming together at the end – so those scenes ended up based in the Leadmill – the Sheffield nightclub where Pulp played their first gig.

Assistant Editor Mike Woodcock directs the extras

We wanted as many of our listeners to be involved as possible so again we took to the radio to appeal for people to come and be extras in the film. Our amazing audience didn’t let us down and soon our receptionist was inundated by calls and emails from people wanting to get involved. I have a feeling most of our listeners have a secret desire to be stars.

Horace the British Bulldog, came with listeners Stephen and Rebecca Wragg to appear in the crowd scenes

A Sheffield scout group, a bull dog (and its owners) plasterers, teachers, ex-miners and bus drivers all turned up on a Sunday in October to be part of the crowd scene in the film. It was a long day as filming days can be with take after take to make sure we had the right shots, but everyone was so enthusiastic about being involved, people still had big smiles on their faces by the end of the day. As the choir and hundreds of extras sang the final chorus of the song in the Leadmill the hard work all seemed worth it.

Mayor of Barnsley, Jeff Ennis

Two more days filming around South Yorkshire saw us working with listeners on the Supertram in Sheffield, a sweet shop in Rotherham, an old cutler’s workshop, the Mayors parlour in Barnsley, and Doncaster market. My colleague Dan and I will never forget singing our hearts out to Common People on the supertram to encourage the extras to sing along in the right time to the track.

Radio Sheffield listeners film as extras on board a Sheffield Supertram

I wouldn’t be surprised to find I’m banned from Supertram for life for being a noise nuisance!

Then it was over to the film maker to edit it. The whole experience was hard work but extremely rewarding. I loved how the people of South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire got themselves behind it. A real sense of everyone coming together not just to celebrate our birthday but to celebrate the local pride we have around here as well.

Watch the full video on the �� Radio Sheffield website
Follow �� Radio Sheffield on Facebook and twitter
Read Gareth Roberts blog 'Friendly Radio: Five lesser known facts about �� Local Radio'

Friendly Radio: Five lesser known facts about �� Local Radio

2017-11-08T10:00:00+00:00

Ahead of �� Local Radio's 50th anniversary on November the 8th, I've spent quite a bit of time recently contacting editors, presenters and colleagues at all of our 39 stations to find out more about the local radio story. We’ve collected some incredible tales and also compiled a list of the very familiar radio and TV names who began their careers at local radio stations across the country from Carlisle to the Channel Islands. To spread the word we’ll be producing a couple of short films and we also commissioned a one hour radio documentary Friendly Radio which aired on �� Local Radio stations Sunday 5th November.

But as a taster - here are five things I’ve learnt about �� local radio recently.

Local radio is the place so where so many household names started.

For the 50th Anniversary we wanted to compile a list of household names who had started out on �� Local Radio. We set out thinking we had to get at least 20 to make it worthwhile but in fact very quickly we had over 80 names. The 'stars' include Jeremy Paxman, Kate Adie, Richard Bacon, Jo Whiley and Clive Myrie.

The list also highlights a really broad range of talent, from comedians Chris Morris and Victor Lewis Smith to leading journalists Laura Kuenssberg and Liz Mckean, all of them had their first on air moments at a local radio station. I am sure there are many more than 80, but we’ve got the list down to 50 for a special anniversary film 50 at 50.

'50 at 50' 50 stars who began their careers on �� Local Radio

Local radio quickly found its place in a local emergency.

These days our listeners expect our stations to be there when there’s a local crisis - when the snow falls or the roads shut, people know local radio will have the info they need. Back in the 60s this was all new. Our first station on air was Radio Leicester and early on in its history it covered the great flood of 1968 when over 500 houses in the city were left underwater, the service was a new local lifeline from the ��. Similarly a severe snowstorm in December 1967 forced the manager at Radio Brighton to put the station on air two months earlier than planned.

Local radio pioneered the open plan radio office

Coming from commercial radio where programming, sales and news all tended to work in different offices I was struck by how �� Local Radio stations are usually situated in one large office with everyone from news to programmes and often (though not always) the editor all sat together. Of course open plan offices are standard these days across the industry but I discovered local radio was an early adopter. John Musgrave who opened Radio Blackburn in 1970 housed the station in a used car showroom. This meant the production area was a vast open plan space, so all the production teams had to talk to one another, and thus the idea of sharing content was born, moving towards sequence programmes.

Local radio has always had to innovate

Our stations led the way in the use of radio cars across the ��, although they were available to network and nations it was local stations that really discovered their value in getting us out of the studio and into the communities we serve.

�� Radio Sheffield's car in 1998

The use of completely 'self-op' radio studios in the �� was also largely driven through local radio and presenters have been battling with levels ever since.

Even the early local radio jingles were ground breaking. Delia Derbyshire from the �� Radiophonic workshop, probably best known for creating the Doctor Who theme, was commissioned to create distinctively local sonic logos for our earliest stations. Steel knives and forks were used for Radio Sheffield’s music, pots and dishes for Radio Stoke and in an interesting digital reference to Robin Hood, an electronic bow and arrow featured on the station sound for Radio Nottingham. It certainly sounded different.

Local radio has always had to improvise

Local radio marketing budgets have always been tight, so editors have often found creative ways to get noticed. My favourite example is from Phil Sidey, the first station manager at Radio Leeds, he had a feud with the Yorkshire Post, who refused to write about the station. So he bought a greyhound, called it Radio Leeds, and when it won at races, the papers had to print the name.

Gareth Roberts is Editor �� Coventry and Warwickshire and Head of Local Radio Development.

Find your local station.
Listen to 'Friendly Radio', a one hour documentary about the history of �� Local Radio.
Find out more about the history of �� Local Radio.

�� Radio Lincolnshire: Reunited - A journey of Remembrance

2017-11-06T10:00:00+00:00

Charles Beechey – Killed fighting in East Africa.

The Beechey family suffered unbearable loss in the First World War with five of their eight sons being killed. One hundred years on from the death of the fifth Beechey brother, �� Radio Lincolnshire's Michael Hortin follows in their footsteps telling their story and reuniting them with an act of Remembrance.

Even amongst the carnage of the First World War the story of the Beecheys stands out. At the outbreak of WWI the family was a large one with eight sons and five daughters. All the brothers saw service, with five killed and a sixth left with life-changing injuries. The family was one of three in England to suffer such loss.

Eric Beechey – Survived the war after serving in Malta and Greece.

What marked the Beecheys out for our project, in addition to being from our area, was the archive of letters from the brothers that survives. Reading them you get a real feel for their differing personalities, they become much more than a name on a headstone.

Telling their story we had three aims: to produce as much of the content as possible using a smartphone; to reunite the brothers in some way, 100 years on and to follow in their footsteps to tell their story.

Save for some photos and an interview the first has already been achieved, with the help of a tripod, lapel mic and iphone stand.

The second objective was initially the hardest to pin down. However the answer was on our doorstep, and in the families’ strong Christian faith. I approached Lincoln Cathedral for support, the result was six crosses carved from the stone it is built from. These were to be laid at the graves of those killed in WWI, bringing them together with an act of Remembrance. A sixth was to be put on display at the church where the brothers’ father was once vicar. In addition to the religious significance, it is worth explaining the importance of the Cathedral to people in Lincoln, like the brothers. You only truly know you are home when you see it. As a result we felt that by taking crosses to the brothers, we were also bringing their home county to them.

Final letter from Leonard to his mum, was sent three weeks before he died of Tetanus. (Credit: Lincolnshire County Council)

After 10 weeks planning, in September and October I began a four-week journey through six countries in the brothers’ footsteps. The first week was spent in France and Belgium where the majority of the brothers’ saw action. The next in Greece and then Gallipoli, where two brothers served as Anzacs. The third week was in Tanzania where the second eldest brother Charles was killed and is now buried. The final few days were in Australia following the story of the Anzac brothers before and after the war.

The headstone of Frank Beechey.

By the end of the journey four of the crosses had been left at Commonwealth War Grave Cemeteries. After a short period there, the CWGC are going to remove them to them be put on permanent display at their centres. The fifth for one of the Anzac brothers, who has no known grave, is being put on permanent display from the 11 November at the military chapel in Perth, Western Australia.

The final cross will be put on permanent display at the family church, where the brothers’ father preached until his death in 1912. At that moment I will have a feeling that in some ways the brothers have been bought a little closer.

Sam Beechey – Youngest son, served for last few months of the war.

From this journey we will produce a series and documentary for radio for both Remembrance Week and Christmas, short films about each brother and a vlog of the journey and supporting article.

It goes without saying all the above would not have been possible without the support of many people and organisations inside and outside the �� and across the countries visited.

When I reflect on the family’s story my mind always returns to the mother Amy, who must have opened letters from her sons with a mixture of hope and fear. Sadly her voice, save for one letter, is largely silent. However in April 1918 we get a window to her world as she met King George and Queen Mary. When Queen Mary expressed sympathy for the families sacrifice she replied “It was no sacrifice Ma’am, I did not give them willingly”.

Michael Hortin is a producer for �� Radio Lincolnshire

�� One's Loves, Lies & Records in Leeds

2017-11-03T15:24:43+00:00

Ashley Jensen, Kenny Doughty and Rochenda Sandall (credit: credit Bob Peters)

On Wednesday night (1 November) at the Everyman cinema in Leeds, a full-house was treated to a preview of Love, Lies & Records, the new drama from BAFTA award-winning writer Kay Mellor.

Coming to �� One on Thursday 16 November at 9pm, Love, Lies & Records stars Ashley Jensen as registrar Kate Dickenson who tries to juggle her personal life with the daily dramas of births, marriages and deaths and the impact they have on her. It also stars Adrian Bower, Kenny Doughty, Rebecca Front, Mark Stanley and Rochenda Sandall.

On Wednesday (1 November), excited audience members queued outside the Everyman before settling in to enjoy a preview of episode one. The audience included a number of local registrars who helped Kay and the cast with their research for the drama, which was set and shot in and around Leeds.

Tim Smith, Acting Head of Local and Regional programming for Yorkshire introduces the screening

Following the screening, �� Radio 5 live presenter Anna Foster hosted a Q&A with Kay Mellor, Ashley Jensen, Adrian Bower, Mark Stanley, Rochenda Sandall and Kenny Doughty. During the panel session, Kay revealed her inspiration for the series, which came when she went to register the death of her mother. To research the series, Kay visited a number of register offices around the north of England, with many of the stories in the series being inspired by tales she heard during her research.

Ashley Jensen told the audience that despite her character being on screen so much, meaning she had many lines to learn, she found it quite easy because of the quality of Kay’s writing. She said: “Kay writes the way people speak, it’s so natural.”

Kay also discussed her writing methods and offered sage advice: “Never give up if you have a problem with what you’re writing, that’s how you end up with writer’s block. You must keep going.”

The audience gave Kay and the cast a rapturous applause, praising the opening episode and looking forward to seeing more.

Love, Lies & Records starts on �� One on Thursday 16 November at 9pm

Read more on the Media Centre
Catch up with Kay Mellor’s Desert Island Discs

�� One's The A Word screening in Kendal

2017-10-27T14:30:00+00:00

Last night (Thursday 27 October) �� North hosted a preview screening of the first episode of series two of The A Word at Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal. Following the preview Mike Zeller, breakfast presenter from �� Radio Cumbria hosted a Q&A with creator and writer Peter Bowker, Executive producer Marcus Wilson and actress Pooky Quesnel.

The Lake District location for the preview was chosen as the series was filmed across Cumbria. The screening played out to a full house, and excited fans of the show queued from 6pm to ensure their place in the audience.

In the first series of The A Word the Hughes family's youngest son is diagnosed with autism. They realise that if their son is ever going to communicate, they have to learn how to communicate themselves. It stars Christopher Eccleston, Mollie Wright, Morven Christie and Lee Ingleby, with Pooky Quesnel, Greg McHugh and Vinette Robinson.

At the Q and A after last night’s screening there was an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the audience who praised the show for its subject matter and portrayal of autism.

Writer/creator Peter Bowker revealed that this new series is set two years on from series one. He explained that he chose the Lakes as the setting for the drama because he wanted a beautiful landscape but also somewhere with risk. The family live in paradise but their autistic child is vulnerable. Nevertheless, Peter maintained that humour is important to the programme saying: “people are funny when their backs are against the wall”.

In writing series two, Peter said he wanted to avoid an 'autism problem of the week' format, so has expanded the story much more into the wider family.

The outside of the Brewery Arts Centre in Kendal last night, lit up with the �� blocks

Executive producer Marcus Wilson said they originally decided not to cast a child with autism because it would be unfair to ask someone on the spectrum to be in a fake world when they're so young. He went on to say “the �� were brave to put a show about disability out at 9pm”.

Actress Pooky Quesnel revealed that she and co-star Christopher Ecclestone were at sixth form college together, but that the production team didn't know this and when they were cast opposite each other, Chris thought it was a set up.

Peter also said he was pleased the show has opened up tough subjects to conversation and that he thought it was a bold decision by the �� to commission it.

Series two of The A Word starts on �� One on Thursday 7 November at 9pm.

Key milestones in the Local News Partnership project

2017-08-14T09:58:37+00:00

We’ve reached three key milestones in the Local News Partnership project, with a fourth just around the corner.

Firstly, we have started to approve news organisations across the UK as Section 1 Partners. These partners have met the first part of the Eligibility Criteria and will be able to use the material generated by the project: the ��’s local news video and audio, the content produced by the Shared Data Unit and the stories filed by the Local Democracy Reporters. We now have more than 600 organisations on board and we hope to welcome many more later this summer.

Secondly, following a tendering process we have found a technology partner to help us deliver all this content. StreamAMG currently helps the �� World Service deliver content to its network of partners and we’re confident they’ll be able to provide a simple and smart solution for domestic news providers too. There’s a lot of work going on inside the �� in parallel with this to make sure that every local television and radio clip and package finds its way into the new system, in the appropriate format and watermarked with the �� blocks.

Thirdly, we’ve appointed the first two members of the �� team which will run the Shared Data Unit and they are now focused on delivering UK-wide content in the autumn as well as welcoming secondments from partners to work alongside them in Birmingham.

Even more challenging than the technology is the network of reporters themselves. The Local Democracy Reporting Service is a virtual agency, a network of journalists funded by the Licence Fee, working not for the �� but for the whole local news sector in the UK. Despite sitting in different news rooms across the country, all the LDRs will follow a common editorial brief and a single set of standards. Local councils have a huge impact on our lives – it really matters that we all know what’s going on – and we believe that such a service will make a significant contribution to greater public understanding and engagement. Hard-pressed news teams will have access to high quality and trustworthy reporting from local authorities; the public will find out more about the decisions being made in their names; local councillors will be able to reach more constituents when they speak out.

We believe the LDRs will help drive up both the quality and quantity of local democratic reporting, and will help support local news organisations. But we are clear that they are not a solution to the financial challenges faced by some parts of the sector. The intention is to enrich local journalism for �� audiences, but in a way which taps into the sector’s expertise and shares the fruits of that partnership as widely as possible. Whatever shape local news takes in the coming years of this Charter period, we can at least be sure that there will be 150 impartial reporters out there working for the common good.

The next milestone of the project will be to award the contracts to host those reporters and to approve more partners to receive that content.

Matthew Barraclough is Editor �� Journalism Working Group

Read also Local journalism partnership: �� and local news partners move forward

Operation Sanctuary: An Inside Out North East and Cumbria special

2017-08-09T15:31:49+00:00

Spring 2016. Inside Out Producer Dan Farthing rings from Newcastle Crown Court.

“You will not believe what I have just heard…” and what he went on to describe was indeed pretty extraordinary.

Dan was following a series of interlinked trials of more than twenty Asian men, accused of grooming vulnerable young teenagers in the west end of Newcastle. Reporting restrictions banning broadcasts until the conclusion of the final trial meant we’d seen little early evidence of Dan’s regular days on the press bench.

Then, out of the blue, the prosecution revealed Northumbria Police had used a CHIS - a covert human intelligence source - to supply information on so-called “parties” where teenagers were plied with drink and drugs and sexually assaulted.

And in this case, the CHIS chosen by Northumbria Police was a man convicted as part of a group who raped a child in 2002. In an extraordinary turn of events, XY, as he was known, had fallen out with his police handler and was threatening to go to the press - alleging he’d been asked to plant drugs and even drive girls to the “parties”. His fee from the public purse? More than ten thousand pounds.

For the lone figure on the press bench it was a red flag moment.

And so began more than a year of legal wrangling to allow the public to know about the police tactic. Defence teams - even in the normally staid, bewigged world of the court - were animated. They, like us, wanted to hear from XY. Eventually the judge agreed that XY, now under police protection should be brought to court to give evidence in an Abuse of Process hearing. Potentially his evidence and claims of evidence of planting drugs could scupper the trials.

The prosecution, however, did not want the press present.

Until then, much of the information on XY had been largely Dan’s - a producer in a small, dogged current affairs team in the North East. Challenging the secrecy of the court would mean that was no longer the case. We would need to share our story - both inside and outside of the ��.

Joining forces with other news organisations, we argued for our case to be allowed to hear the evidence. Having won the right to stay in the press benches, we were able to witness XY’s extraordinary court appearance. Our programme, Operation Sanctuary: An Inside Out Special Investigation, edged closer to transmission.

The use of XY is surely a decision which merits public debate. The former head of the government body set up to tackle child sexual exploitation told us that as an ex-police officer he would not have sanctioned the use of a child rapist in this way. A grooming victim who now advises police forces across the country described it as a “kick in the teeth” for other survivors.

The police argue that to catch the kind of men who preyed on vulnerable children you need to work with difficult people. They lobbied vigorously ahead of transmission for us not to major on the employment of XY within the documentary. They had, they said, been given a clean bill of health by the IPCC - a report we have yet to see. Shortly before the final verdicts the Chief Constable, 52-year-old Steve Ashman, announced his retirement from the force.

Then as we headed back to court - this time to argue about the timing of lifting reporting restrictions - the police sent their own barrister to argue that the Judge should impose retrospective restrictions on significant sections of what we’d heard in open court last year. In effect, much of the detail of XY’s engagement would have been denied to the public - including his payment. The Judge declined and our programme will be broadcast tonight (on the day the trial has concluded). A freedom of information request about the cost to Northumbria Police of protecting XY has been turned down on national security grounds.

So we have, finally, been able to explain to viewers a key part of the controversial police tactic in tackling a criminal gang. But should it really be so difficult to report on the decision to pay a convicted child rapist from the public purse? Should it be necessary to spend even more public money to allow viewers and listeners to know as much of the whole story as possible?

And had producer Dan not been paying attention in his lone press bench vigil - perhaps none of us would have been any the wiser.

Operation Sanctuary: An Inside Out North East and Cumbria Special Investigation airs on Wednesday 9 August at 7.30pm on �� One in the North East and Cumbria and 8.30pm on the �� News Channel. The programme will also be available on �� iPlayer

How �� Local Radio provided vital coverage during the floods

2016-12-02T14:15:00+00:00

�� Radio Cumbria Managing Editor Mark Elliott remembers Storm Desmond and the lasting damage it caused, and considers the importance of local radio in times of flooding.

The images of raging rivers, broken bridges and streets underwater still send a shiver down the spine. The lives of thousands thrown into turmoil. But those situations are when �� Local Radio comes into its own – another “emergency service”, mobilising to broadcast around the clock to keep our communities informed in the most difficult of circumstances. When the flooding is so severe and so widespread, it’s tough to keep going, but when the storms and weather warnings continue for six weeks as they did in Cumbria last winter, it becomes a monumental logistical challenge. Add to the mix numerous members of staff having to deal with their own homes being flooded and you’ll understand why I have the utmost admiration for my team for showing great stamina as well as professional skill when responding to Storm Desmond and its aftermath.

But the flooding story doesn’t stop when the waters recede. There’s the clean-up, the rebuilding, the insurance, the health issues – it goes on and on. Even now, there are many hundreds of people in Cumbria who are still not back in their homes or businesses. So marking the anniversary of the floods over the coming week is a difficult thing to do.

A montage of �� local floods coverage

There are so many different angles and so many people affected that you can’t focus on them all. But, as ever, we tell the story through the people involved. We follow the struggles of four generations of a family living in one small house after being forced out of their home, the children who’ve spent a full year away from their school which will now have to be rebuilt on a new site, the staff at a Lakeland hotel which is only just receiving guests after being flooded four times last December, the helicopter crew nominated for a global award for rescuing people in what they describe as the worst conditions they’ve ever flown in.

Listening back to the archive material is a stark reminder of the heartbreak and the misery endured by thousands, but also the multiple acts of courage and kindness in the face of adversity - branded “The Spirit of Cumbria” by those communities pulling together in the darkest of times. And there’s pride – pride in my team and the way we responded when it really mattered to our audience. That’s real public service broadcasting.

Mark Elliott is Managing Editor, �� Radio Cumbria

�� Radio Sheffield: a new partnership for local audiences

2016-10-20T09:00:00+00:00

Jim Lucas, Police Federation, Stephen Watson, Chief constable, South Yorkshire Police and Dr Alan Billings, Police & Crime Commissioner, South Yorkshire (Credit: Star Newspaper, Sheffield)

Like many successful relationships – this one started with a brew and a natter. New to the Editor role at Radio Sheffield in the Spring, I was aware that The Star, the biggest local paper in our area, had also got a new boss - Nancy Fielder. We met for a coffee and found that we had a lot in common. We both felt strongly about the roles our newsrooms can play in facilitating local debate, engaging people in local democracy and highlighting local conversation.

Traditionally seen as rivals, our newsrooms will always have some different priorities but there is arguably more that unites us than divides us. Fundamentally, we both believe in championing our local communities. So we asked the question - "could we have more impact with our journalism if we worked together more often?".

Several coffees later and here we are. The �� Sheffield Open Centre - a room full of Radio Sheffield listeners, Star readers and a panel of guests debating the future of South Yorkshire Police. With the high profile cases of CSE in Rotherham, the fallout from the Hillsborough enquiry and the focus on Orgreave - it's been a turbulent time for the local force and public confidence has been at an all-time-low. With a new Chief Constable now at the helm, it's the perfect opportunity to look ahead. 'A Force for The Future?' is a public debate our two newsrooms produced together to give our audiences a say on what they want from their police in the future.

Hosted by Breakfast Presenter, Toby Foster, it's the first chance for listeners and readers to quiz the new Chief - Stephen Watson. Alongside him on the panel are the Police and Crime Commissioner, Dr Alan Billings and Jim Lucas, the secretary of the Police Federation. There are former police officers in the crowd, local councillors, community leaders and representatives of local voluntary groups. Naturally, there are lots of questions about lessons learned from recent, and not so recent, events. There is also a lot of looking ahead. How will the new Chief deal with more cuts to funding? How will he reshape the Force so it has a stronger presence in neighbourhoods? How will police work alongside community groups and how will the Force regain public confidence? The debate aired on Radio Sheffield on Wednesday, 19th October at 9am, and The Star published their coverage on the same day.

It's early days for �� Sheffield and The Star working together - but day one has gone well and our plan is to work together on 3-4 other big moments like this across a year. Co-ordinated coverage on air, online and in the paper means we'll make more of a splash with our local journalism and hopefully raise the profile of both newsrooms. And this joint approach has certainly got people talking. Should the �� and local newspapers be working together like this? Does it impact on the editorial integrity of both newsrooms? Is it just a front for stretched resources?

All comments I’ve read online in response to us working together, all interesting and all valid questions to ask. Whatever your view, it’s clear that The Star and Radio Sheffield will have to work together with ongoing care and thought for each other and our different remits. Ultimately, there will always be healthy rivalry between local newsrooms, especially when it comes to chasing a scoop – and long may that continue! But when it comes to championing communities, giving local people a voice on the major themes that unite them - we just might have a bigger, better and louder conversation if we have it together.

Listen again to A Force for the Future? on �� Radio Sheffield on iPlayer

Books That Made Britain

2016-10-13T15:26:31+00:00

Can a book help change the way we think about a place?

How have writers been influenced by the landscape around them?

Those are the questions we set out to answer by making eleven different programmes under the title Books that Made Britain.

From broadcaster Martha Kearney to Viz creator Chris Donald – Madness frontman Suggs to Radio 1’s Alice Levine – each programme is fronted by someone with a real love for a particular part of England – and for the books written about that place.

Radio 1 DJ Alice Levine goes back to her roots for Books That Made Britain - Rebel Writers of The East Midlands

Of course many great books have been dramatised for television or the big screen – but it’s not as easy to make a programme about the book itself. Talking about the printed word can make for heavy viewing. So we set out to make programmes about books that celebrate the places we know and love – and to see how novelists have been influenced by the people and locations around them.

Madness frontman Suggs explores novels written through the eyes of newcomers as they make London their home

Suggs for example looks at books that depict the early isolation and bewilderment that moving to London can bring – from Oliver Twist’s first impressions of the city to Moses description of people living in their own “little worlds” in Samuel Shelvey’s Lonely Londoners.

Dramatic pictures of the Cornish coast fill the screen in the South West’s programme. Presenter Chris Packham looks at how The Wind in the Willows – started as a series of letters from Kenneth Grahame to his son – and explores how the landscape has influenced popular historial romances like Winston Graham’s Poldark and Daphne Du Maurier’s Frenchman’s Creek.

The works of Sue Townsend, Beatrix Potter, Dorothy L Sayers, Dick Francis, Catherine Cookson, Robert Louis Stevenson, Bram Stoker and Philip Larkin are among the dozens of writers featured in the programmes.

Part of the ��’s Love To Read campaign, and made by �� English Regions working with �� Learning and �� Four, we’re really proud of these programmes – make sure you don’t miss the edition that’s about books around you.

Stuart Thomas is Head of English Regions Programmes.

Books That Made Britain is broadcast in England on Sunday 16 October at 3.45pm on �� One

Michelle Keegan comes home for new �� One drama Our Girl

2016-09-06T12:00:00+00:00

Michelle Keegan in Manchester

The red carpet was rolled out last night (Monday 5 September) at �� cinema in Manchester as Michelle Keegan was in town for a special screening of her new �� One drama Our Girl.

Other members of the Our Girl cast including Sean Ward, Angela Lonsdale and Simon Lennon were joined on the red carpet by a host of North West celebs including �� North West Tonight presenter Beccy Barr and Hannah Midgley who recently starred in the �� One drama In The Club.

The cast of Our Girl

Michelle Keegan said: “I am thrilled to be back in Manchester for the screening. I come from Manchester and obviously we filmed a lot of the series here so it’s really important to me that we can give people in Manchester an exclusive opportunity to see the first episode before the rest of the country. The reaction from fans on the red carpet was over-whelming, I hope everyone enjoys the new series when it starts on Wednesday.”

Also in attendance at the North West premiere were Chris Hawkins from �� Radio 6 Music and CBeebies presenter Ben Cajee; as well as other members of the cast of Our Girl – Michael James, Linzey Cocker and Molly Wright.

An audience of members of the public, specially invited guests and cast and crew were treated to a sneak preview of the first episode of the five-part series. The screening was hosted by Adrian Mills, General Manager at �� North and was attended by nearly 200 people.

Adrian Mills said: “We have a clear commitment to make a wide variety of programmes across the North of England and Our Girl is an excellent example of the �� delivering on that promise. We have seen some very successful dramas made in the north this year including Happy Valley, The A Word and In The Club and it’s fantastic to see such a range of powerful dramas on our screens. I’ve no doubt that Our Girl will prove to be just as popular with audiences in the north and across the country.”

Actress Angela Lonsdale

Our Girl was filmed at various locations in and around Manchester. The new series of Our Girl follows Two Section on a posting to Kenya where they are joined by new female medic Lance Corporal Georgie Lane (Michelle Keegan) a brilliant and committed soldier who loves the adrenaline and adventure of her job.

During this series, Georgie will have to earn the love and trust of her fellow soldiers, and the greater respect of her commanding officer, whilst working alongside aid workers in the biggest refugee camp in the world. Kenya is a complicated and volatile posting - one which Georgie will find full of surprises that will challenge her professionally in unexpected ways, and which will change her personal life forever.

Our Girl is written by Tony Grounds for �� One. Executive producers are Caroline Skinner and Tony Grounds, produced by Eric Coulter and the series was directed by Jan Matthys and Luke Snellin.

The first episode of the five-part series is at 9pm on 7 September, �� One.

A new �� broadcast centre in Plymouth

2016-07-20T13:30:00+00:00

HRH Duchess of Cornwall at the new �� in Plymouth

It’s not often the story comes to you, but today it has. HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is stopping by for a tour of the ��’s new multi-million pound broadcast centre here in Plymouth. Local dignitaries are camped out in our conference room, and they’re all looking through the window into the radio studios where I am about to spend 10 minutes with HRH showing her the studio. No pressure.

Our new centre has been designed as a mini New Broadcasting House (very close to the design principals used in London – but with an added view of the sea). The centre is home to �� Radio Devon, Inside Out and Politics Show South West; �� One Spotlight (the most watched regional TV news programme in England) and it’s also a regional hub which connects our sister stations �� Radio Cornwall and outlying �� Radio’s Jersey and Guernsey – in the Channel Islands.

So my part of the mission today is to tell HRH all about �� Radio Devon. We are a bit proud of our new radio studios, they’re cutting edge. And a bit of a leap of faith, because all the audio we play isn’t stored in our new building, it’s not even in Plymouth, or in fact Devon. Birmingham and London host the audio for us, and also for four other radio stations which the �� has refurbished using the latest playout technology. The aim is to ultimately refurb all 39 of the �� Local Radio stations in the network.

So - think of us as a big iPod – the technology (home grown – created by �� engineers in the finest traditions of the ��) is a system called ViLoR, it stands for ‘virtualised local radio’. When our presenters press PLAY in the studio, the audio content (all the music and interviews we record) is being played hundreds of miles away. We’ve been on-air with ViLoR for six months, and the system has been so robust it’s a rare thing for us to have an on-air technical problem. In fact, on the one occasion when we did have a technical issue in our new studios, it was such a rare occurrence; it took us ages to work out what to do. Contrast this with 12 months ago, where we were working from ageing studios with playout technology which crashed regularly and often took us off-air.

But the real reason I’m loving our new building is not the environmental award that it’s won, not the fact that we’ve got air con throughout for the first time (!) and it is not that the new headquarters is home to cutting edge news-gathering and broadcasting technology; these are all brilliant – but the reason I’m really loving the new building is because it future-proofs the ��’s commitment to the South West. A commitment that began in 1924 when the first �� offices in Plymouth were built. And that’s good for the region but also for the ��.

At the Devon County Show recently (Devon’s biggest ‘day out’ with hundreds of thousands of Devonian’s going through the gates) I lost count of the amount of listeners and viewers I chatted to. They don’t distinguish between the brands or platforms we have locally or nationally, they connect with the �� as one organisation. They expected answers from us as much about Strictly as Spotlight; because for our audience, we’re the ‘way in’ to the wider �� – because we’re the face of the �� in their city, town or village and it’s us they turn to both for praise and questions. And that’s why we’re here because we’re rooted in the community we serve. That’s not a mission on the wall or a brand statement – it’s just what we do.

HRH Duchess of Cornwall with Anne Bulford opening �� Plymouth's new building

Here are some fun facts about the new �� South West HQ:

The investment makes us the most high-tech news production operation in English Regions
70km -There’s enough cabling in the new building to go the distance between Plymouth and Exeter
17 - The total number of TV studios, radio studios, galleries, graphics suites and edit suites in the new building
I can see the sea from my office window.

Mark Grinnell is the Editor of �� Radio Devon

Better In or Out? Regional EU Referendum specials on �� Television

2016-06-10T12:32:50+00:00

Are you clear what the eventual outcome of the EU referendum might mean to you and your family and friends? Yes, it It is a pretty fundamental question, but one probably best considered carefully to avoid any regrets about where you place your cross on June 23rd.

While the trading of verbal blows by the leave and remain groups seems to have been one of the most outstanding features of the campaign so far, some observers have questioned whether the true impact of what the enthusiasts are arguing about has been sufficiently explained by them or, crucially, understood by those voting.

This Sunday evening there will be no hiding place for either side. In special �� One regional debate programmes leading supporters from both campaign groups will come face to face across England with audiences from their local areas who want straight answers about how the various claims and counter claims might actually impact in communities where they live and work.

The programmes have a very clear remit. They are there to close in and discuss the key regional referendum issues and stories that will really resonate with audiences in each particular part of the country. Their brief is to avoid covering purely national topics. These debates are there to give a truly regional perspective and to complement, and not in any way duplicate, the ��’s wider referendum coverage.

The programmes are likely to have wide appeal. Producers have invited panellists from a broad range of backgrounds – from top politicians to captains of industry, from human rights activists to an international pop star with particularly strong political leanings. And they have made sure that audiences are not only balanced in terms of those who are likely to vote remain or exit, but that they are made up of people from as many different backgrounds and walks of life as possible.

Our television debates are far from the only way in which our teams in the regions are getting under the skin of the referendum story though. All of our 39 local radio stations will be broadcasting similar debate programmes too, with most of them being recorded or broadcast live from the heart of communities in their areas. And for months now, even before the referendum date was announced, our news and specialist political reporters across England have been reflecting the twists and turns from a grassroots position on a daily basis in our bulletins and programmes and on online and social media. In fact, by being truly in touch with local communities, and through their local contacts and sources, they have often managed to get a handle on how key elements of the bigger story haves been developing well before they have reached the national headlines.

We already know that people not only turn to us to find out more when there are significant stories on the go such as this, but they often come to us first too when they have something interesting or important to say on topics that have a significant bearing on their neighbourhoods.

That is why we feel it is so important to provide opportunities for them to hold local decision makers to account and to provide a platform for lively, engaging and constructive debate and discussion. And that is why we hope that you enjoy the special programme on �� One in your area on Sunday night at 10.35pm and that it might just help you to feel just a little bit more informed when it comes to putting that cross on the paper.

Jason Dean is Politics Editor, �� English Regions

Better In or Out is on regional �� One at 10.35pm on Sunday 12 June.

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