Bread Related Injuries on the Increase

A JOURNALIST reporting for a Devon paper nearly ended up in hospital after cutting his lip on a baguette.
Dave Shepherd, who writes for the Tiverton based Mid-Devon Gazette, was unaware of the danger his lunch posed.
The lethal baguette had been bought from Sara’s Dairy, a bakery which operates close to the Gazette newsroom and is popular with the staff there.
However, the dairy may soon get a reputation for selling dangerous items as Shepherd had a bleeding lip for over 15 minutes. Tissues were quickly handed to him and blood didn’t stain clothes or cause major disruption in the office.
Whilst colleagues were able to laugh at how somebody could injure theirselves with a piece of bread, Shepherd was not joking and said: “I’m glad somebody can find the funny side in it.”
The bleeding stopped shortly afterwards and the day continued as normal. Dave did not let this put him off lunch and he has been described as brave for finishing it.

Family Holiday Ends in Casualty

It was a nightmare holiday in Majorca, dad was sick and I had blood pouring from my knee!” During the summer of 1994 James Tegerdine’s family of four went to Majorca for a weeks holiday but as soon as they left the house, trouble began. “The car broke down in Dartford Tunnel so we had to get a train and we missed the flight.” It didn’t get any better when they had got to the island and were relaxing in the sun beside the pool “I was running around the pool and then I fell over gashing my knee and had to have butterfly stitches!” However that was not the end to a traumatic holiday as the family were back in hospital again when James’ dad Pete was throwing up due to food poisoning – “I think it must have been a dodgy fish because he spent five of the seven days we were there in the hospital.” The holiday to Majorca just kept on getting better for James when he was playing with a ball which bounced into the road, “I was only six so I didn’t really know about it but I was a victim of a hit and run when a scooter knocked me over,” he explained (maybe it had something to do with the Spanish driving on the opposite side of the road?). Since Majorca James has been to Cyprus, the USA and the Caribbean but says nothing has been more eventful then the Spanish island. “Since that holiday, I’ve never been on Spanish soil again!”

Mid Devon Gazette - 2006

This is an email sent to me by an 'insider' back when the days of the Mid Devon Gazette were gloomy and the quality of the paper temporarily went downhill because of the cost cutting that was taking place. The email was sent towards the end of February 2006, a lot has happened since then!

"You might know, you might not know or you might have heard a rumour, about the radical changes taking place at the Gazette. People seem to be interested in what is happening with the paper, so maybe this blog will make a few things clearer.

Newspapers across the country are cost-cutting and streamlining their operations, and this is also happening to the Gazette and the four other titles run by Cornwall and Devon Media Ltd. Under the restructure, some of the staff here in Tiverton will be or have been made redundant, with effect from March 30 orthereabouts. From that date or before, other staff will be shifted to new offices in Barnstaple, where all the page production, sport and leisure will be done for both the Gazette and our sister paper the North Devon Journal. A three-person sports team will overlook both papers. A Gazette newsroom will remain in Tiverton but with only three reporters, and none of them will be on sport. The two photographers will stay here along with a couple of advertising staff. There will be no front counter or front office in Tiverton as of Tuesday, February 28, although those staff staying here will remain upstairs in the same building at 29 Bampton Street before, in all likelihood, a smaller office is found in the town. If you have an advertising query after February 28, you are encouraged to use the internet or telephone. If you have an editorial query, e-mail is the preferred route but as far as I understand it you can ring the doorbell just down from the main reception room and somebody will come down to see you. Alternatively you can use the postbox in the same dark blue door to leave reports, stories and photographs, etc. The wholesale changes have been in the pipeline for the past three months and, on a personal level, I am concerned at the shifting of many operations an hour up the road, the threadbare staff and the removal of a front office and town-centre presence. The Gazette remains the best performing of the five Cornwall and Devon Media Ltd papers in terms of readership (they are defying national trends by rising while the others are all about five per cent down), so in that sense it is even more disappointing that they are having to undergo these changes."

Crediton Residence and their Opinions

PEOPLE in Crediton have been giving opinions on how the town can be improved.
Joyce Huxtable, 78 from Orchard Court wants seats on both sides of the High Street for those who find it difficult getting around. She also expressed concern at the cancellation Chiddenbrook Surgery bus service.
Retired Carole Pocock is hoping that Tesco will improve shopping and that pollution where she lives on the High Street can be reduced. She also thought that there needed to be more space in town for parking.
Parking problems were also a view shared by Fifty year old Elaine Page from Churchill Road. Elaine who works in Stevie B’s Bakery said the town needed a Primark and that the arrival of Tesco should make her weekly shop cheaper.
58 year old Pete Spooner from Tebensmary continued the trend of people dissatisfied with the town’s parking facilities. “Finding a place to park is especially difficult during the weekend.” He also suggested that the Square could be improved to make it more amenable; however he hoped that the character of the town wouldn’t be lost.
Retired musician, Tony Truscott, 55 from Park Street spoke highly of Crediton after moving there from St Austell. “The streets are clean, the people are friendly. I would like to see more police officers at night and more disabled parking, but other than that it’s perfect.”
However Seb Worthington, 20 disagreed. “Crediton is on its way out. You know when a town is on the way out when you’ve got charity shops and estate agents.” Seb, a jeweller from Morchard Road suggested that the town could encourage people to visit if it promoted its history as a market town. “That way people from all over would come and spend more money and with that the town could be improved.”

Blair Breaks Bone - Neighbour Annoyed

University Student Johnny Blair spent the festive season hobbling around a flat because of a broken metatarsal. Johnny (27) who had intended getting legless at Christmas party at Bournemouth’s student nightclub – The Old Firestation – ended up barely being able to use his legs by the end of the night.

Johnny said he was attempting to retrieve an elf hat when the leg broke. “I was dressed as an elf and it was an expensive costume so when my hat go nicked I had to go and get it back, and that’s what I broke my leg because I must have tripped up.”
Although the leg was broke part way through the festive party, Blair was able to stay at the club until the end. “It was a painful experience walking from the taxi back into the house and I knew it was more than a sprain.”
Housemate and friend Jason Radford said “When he came home from the doctors the next day with crutches and a plastered foot I thought it was quite funny, I shouldn’t have but I did.”

The Public Relations student however had more worries and had to get coursework extensions all at least three pieces of coursework that were due in saying “I was quite happy really because I hadn’t made much of a start to one of the pieces.”
Johnny is due to return back to university next month however housemate Jason is concerned. “Our neighbour keeps telling us to move his car as his stuck it right outside there front and they’ve got a removals van coming. He’s starting to get quite abrupt about it.”

Bill Bailey ; Tinselworm review - Bournemouth International Centre - 20th November

There aren’t many things in life which can make your face hurt without any physical contact with somebody however Bill Bailey’s latest sell out tour – Tinselworm – had me rubbing my face in an attempt to try and make it feel better after an intensive grinning session.

Unlike other comedians who waltz around on an empty set and talk, Bailey’s talents with music mean there are two organs, a guitar and a large gong present onstage. The act is made up of all new material and new songs to match including a song for emos the Friends theme tune and getting the crowd chanting; “Hey ASDA! I ain’t gonna be your bitch!” As Bill thinks that Wal-Mart are an evil American organisation.

He is often heard to remark how he over analysis’s everything in life and goes into great detail about very bizarre and different things such as “Beckham playing in America is like Einstein entering a pub quiz or Hitler turning up at the BNP in Tiverton.” He also converses into how time doesn’t exist and clearly lets his mind unfold leaving the audience to wonder what is going on but at the same time find it incredibly funny.

That point leads me onto another thing which makes him a great comedian – everything he does seems so unplanned and natural. He has done this act many times before his appearance in the BIC but it all seemed to be spontaneous banter but with a clear structure you could follow from beginning to end. It also included a video toward the end showing Bill acting out the unusual routines he mentions and how they affect him in everyday life.

Unfortunately the tour has finished in the UK but there is some good clips of it on YouTube and ultimately there will be a DVD which I would recommend – but be warned, your face will be worse off for it and be sure to have the Tena Lady handy for a two hour onslaught of laughter.

Film Premiere Highlights Teenage Pressures

Young adults who have been working hard all summer to produce short films about peer pressure were able to see them on screen as they premiered on Saturday (3rd November). Pier Pressure was created by young people in a bid to boost understanding of the problems teenagers can get into in a seaside resort. It also set out to show how teens are misrepresented and how they are stereotyped.

The themes of the pieces which were helped into production by White Lantern Films included Reality Knocks, a story about racism within a relationship and the community; Some Days are Bad, showing how peer pressure can affect an individual within a group of so called friends and finally Chips which highlighted the affects of alcohol and how we should be responsible for the safety of others in modern society.

The films also gained support from celebrities such as former Steps band member Lee Latchford Evans who made an appearance in Reality Knocks. Lee who used to talk to teens about the pressures of fame said “I didn’t realise how involved I was getting, it started off that I was presenting the premiere and soon I was asked to be in one of the films.” Lee continued to say how impressed he had been with the efforts that went in during production and told us how important these issues are, “I was bullied as a child so I know what it’s like, the films are realistic and these things do happen. I think you should be able to do what we want and be mature about it.” Lee’s current band The Latch also performed during the after show party “I’ve been in this band for three years and want it to be my life as I get to work with lots of different people.”

Other notable personal who attended the premiere included Shabnam Paryani who appeared in the latest series of Big Brother, “It is important to speak your mind” she said, “People who force you into things don’t care about you and they just want to have a good time.” Paryani continued to say how passionate she was that these issues be made public and how she had first hand experience of peer pressure at home.

The music used within the film was written by Bournemouth local, Michael Ricketts. “I took inspiration from the kids and wrote one song for each film. I feel everyone is affected by peer pressure and it is important to highlight it.”

British Touring Car racer Tom Chilton also made a guest appearance in one of the films, “I play the rapist’s mate in Chips. I got called up to take part for a good cause and am in it for five seconds.” Chilton also spoke about how he dealt with the acting, “I have never acted before. I’m the clown so I found it out of character.”

Although the night had been promoted by these familiar names it was ultimately about the young people, who had acted, directed and written the pieces. Tristram Anyian was forced out of his home by his parents after being pressured into religion and had been living in the YMCA. “I was asked to get involved with the directing and have been overwhelmed by the experience and getting to meet new people. I hope to go to Bournemouth University and maybe then work for the BBC in film production.” Anyian commented on how difficult yet rewarding the filming had been, “We were filming on set for three days between five and seven hours a day. When watching it my heart was pumping but I am proud of our film, I would really like to get involved again next year.”

The teens enjoyed an award ceremony after the films had been shown with Lee Latchford Evans accompanying the mayor of Bournemouth in handing out the prizes and the night continued with music from The Latch and then music from local radio station – Fire FM.