Freelance Stories
Seven-year abuse investigation concludes
When Ronald Neal was placed in a hostel in Rochdale in the 1960s aged 11 he was beaten up by a 'big fat man' and he reported it several times, but no action was ever taken. The '30-stone 6ft man' was disgraced politician Cyril Smith and the historic abuse in homes in...
Looking after the woodlands – all in a day’s work
When I was contacted by Danny Entwistle AKA Doc Wildcraft and asked to write about the voluntary work he carries out in the woods above Marl Pits in Rawtenstall, I was keen to do so - especially as it is an area I also love and have walked through often. I wrote a...
The hidden Covid patients
When a good friend was interviewed on the radio about creating a film to raise awareness of Long Covid I was shocked to hear her voice. It was weak, fragile, she was struggling to talk and to string her words together. This was not the person I knew. Caroline is an...
Turbine blades spin off in Storm Barbara
When a wind turbine shed its blades in Weir and a dog walker recounted hearing and seeing the incident as he was nearby, my story was used by the Daily Mail. The turbine, which is in a field above a remote village in Weir, embedded itself in a nearby field and...
12-hours on the front line
I was very fortunate to be offered the chance to join a paramedic on a 12-hour ambulance shift to discover just what pressures staff are working under. Although it got off to a slow start, things quickly picked up and it ended up with a non-stop day after 11am. At one...
Eco Home Built By Pensioners
Artist Chris Worswick and her husband Paul decided five years ago to build their own home and now, aged 70 and 71 they are settling in nicely. This rather unusual story was commissioned by Lancashire Life and provided another opportunity for me to work with Liz Henson...
Andy Succeeds In Unfair Dismissal Claim
When businessman Andy Davies was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, his working life was obviously affected, but he didn't expect his career to be over. He took his former bosses to a tribunal and won, although he is still awaiting payment from the company's insurers...