Four-page application form for the Financial Times. Yup! I thought I'd finish in an hour or two.
But surprisingly, It takes me hours to fill in all the blank space and I'm still working on it while grabbing time to update this post - just wanted to set my mind free for a while.
Why does a four-page application take me so long to complete? Only four pages, aren't they? Well, starting from the second page, it asks the candidate to note down each full-time schooling since age 11.
I was trying hard to remember when I started my secondary school, what grades I obtained, what results I achieved, and what else I did at that time...
Then university degrees, professtional training, undergraduate diplomas, summer school course, and loads of stuff flooded into my application form, I found.
What's next? Employment and work experience. Okay, this will include all the work placements, training scheme, and freelance work in the UK - for my journalism's sake!
On top of that, I will have to fill in the things I did in Malta and India. I didn't forget them and I shall not. Obviously, I understand FT wants to study every each one of us – this is how the big brands choose the right candidate.
Before writing this post, I read David and Denae's latest updates, and there is no doubt that their writings are always natural, vivid and engaging. I enjoy that.
I told myself why not take a shot and write likewise?
Wednesday 29 December 2010
Monday 27 December 2010
Harrow magistrates court to be axed
Harrow's Magistrates Court is to be axed in the new year, according to the borough's local papers.
The court, in Rosslyn Crescent, is one of 10 courts in London and 142 in England and Wales to be chopped off. The move aims to cut public spending.
It is also a mockery to the government's pledge of so-called localism.
Local politicians and residents were furious about the government's plan. Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East said he was angry with the whole process and was not happy, to put it mildly.
The court's Bench chairman Nigel Orton said the decision will be very disappointing news for all in Harrow.
He told the Harrow Observer: "The bench believed justice is best served by keeping open courts, so people can see their local court in operation and have confidence in the criminal justice system."
On top of that, local councillors argued the closure will not save money after they had looked into the proposal.
But the senior presiding judge for England Goldring Djanogly backed the plan by saying: "Access to justice is not just about access to buildings. It is about the type of justice delivered, decent facilities for victims and witnesses and efficient use of the system.
"We are closing the worst courts in the estate – so we can concentrate our limited resources on the best ones."
The court, in Rosslyn Crescent, is one of 10 courts in London and 142 in England and Wales to be chopped off. The move aims to cut public spending.
It is also a mockery to the government's pledge of so-called localism.
Local politicians and residents were furious about the government's plan. Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East said he was angry with the whole process and was not happy, to put it mildly.
The court's Bench chairman Nigel Orton said the decision will be very disappointing news for all in Harrow.
He told the Harrow Observer: "The bench believed justice is best served by keeping open courts, so people can see their local court in operation and have confidence in the criminal justice system."
On top of that, local councillors argued the closure will not save money after they had looked into the proposal.
But the senior presiding judge for England Goldring Djanogly backed the plan by saying: "Access to justice is not just about access to buildings. It is about the type of justice delivered, decent facilities for victims and witnesses and efficient use of the system.
"We are closing the worst courts in the estate – so we can concentrate our limited resources on the best ones."
Sunday 26 December 2010
For the new year - about writing
I've been writing on this blog for long. I mainly update news stories and some of my course work at College.
So far, it hasn't been personal or light-hearted, it has been a blog for rigid writing - formal news writing, mainly.
Having discussed this on the phone with my dad, a trusted friend with whom I can share many things freely, I've decided to have a go at writing about new stuff.
In the coming new year, I shall read more, think more, and of course, write more. I shall write about anything that interests me, and comment on issues that affect people's day-to-day life.
I should write just like friends chatting in the pub, and apparently writing should not be limited in a rigid way.
Friends have already suggested this to me. Also, I have come across many fascinating blogs, and I realise the authors have put a lot of work into it – I would like to do the same.
I think one gets a feeling of satisfaction from great blogging.
So far, it hasn't been personal or light-hearted, it has been a blog for rigid writing - formal news writing, mainly.
Having discussed this on the phone with my dad, a trusted friend with whom I can share many things freely, I've decided to have a go at writing about new stuff.
In the coming new year, I shall read more, think more, and of course, write more. I shall write about anything that interests me, and comment on issues that affect people's day-to-day life.
I should write just like friends chatting in the pub, and apparently writing should not be limited in a rigid way.
Friends have already suggested this to me. Also, I have come across many fascinating blogs, and I realise the authors have put a lot of work into it – I would like to do the same.
I think one gets a feeling of satisfaction from great blogging.
Friday 10 December 2010
Local business promotion story
By Yixiang Zeng
A business forum was bringing community together through fantatic food and cheerful music yesterday afternoon on Edgware high street.
More than one hundred local residents turned out on the Station Road to celebrate the Music and Food Festival organised by the newly-formed Edgware Business Forum, which aims to promote local businesses.
The event started with a carol concert by the Edgware School children in front of the St Margaret's Church on the Station Road, and then followed by a range of musical groups in different venues along the high street with the offer of free food and drinks provided by the local restaurants.
Forum vice-chairman Peter Dresner, of Peter Adams Furniture shop, said: “The idea is trying to really weaken the awareness of what Edgware is to offer. So during event like this, we offer different things in different places on the road, people will be aware what actually is being offered here.
“People have intended to go to the major malls while they're parking there. It's disappointing we have shops within Edgware that people don't know, and we encourage people realise these shops on the high street.
“It's really great we have children and families coming and enjoy the food and the music, and bring the community together”
Among the cheering crowd enjoyed yesterday's event was Maddy Cordell, a resident from Park Grove in Edgware.
She told The HA1: “In recent times, it seemd to be more events going on like this, it was really great to bring all of these people together and it was a shame for those who didn't join in. Event like this will improve our community spirit.”
The Edgware Safer Neighbourhoods police team also helped organise the event, with Sergeant Dan Reid dressed as Father Christmas and even handed out posters prior to the event.
He said: “We are here to support our local businesses within the community and encourage people to shopping on the station road.
“The event reduces anti-social behaviours and gives youngsters opportunity to perform. It gets people working together to make this area a better place.”
Votorantim dives in for Swiss franc first
Issue: Daily News - 10 November 2010
By Euroweek Reporter
Banco Votorantim brought its debut Swiss franc deal to market on Wednesday morning, a Sfr250m three year.
Sole bookrunner Deutsche Bank priced the deal 204bp over swaps, beating Votorantim’s dollar funding costs in the three year tenor. The issuer is the first Brazilian issuer to do a Swiss franc deal since 1995.
A syndicate banker from Deutsche said that Latin America generally, and Brazil in particular, has a great macro story.
He also highlighted Votorantim’s business model and defensive ownership — the bank is 50% owned by Banco do Brasil, a state-owned entity, and 50% owned by the Votorantim conglomerate.
The issue went almost entirely to retail investors. The bond was fully placed, but not oversubscribed, although it is already performing in the aftermarket — it has tightened around 2bp since pricing on Wednesday morning.
Because absolute yields are so low in the Swiss franc market, investors are looking further down the credit curve or at longer maturities, creating opportunities for EM issues in what some consider a conservative market.
Deutsche took Votorantim on a three day roadshow last week.
Because the deal hit Sfr250m, it is eligible for the Liquid Swiss Index, the benchmark for many asset managers in the market.
Banco Votorantim: The Votorantim Group is one of the largest privately-held industrial conglomerate groups in Latin America.
Swiss franc: The franc (German: Franken, French and Romansh: franc, Italian: franco; code: CHF) is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia.
Swaps: In finance, a swap is a derivative in which counterparties exchange certain benefits of one party's financial instrument for those of the other party's financial instrument.
The benefits in question depend on the type of financial instruments involved. For example, in the case of a swap involving two bonds, the benefits in question can be the periodic interest (or coupon) payments associated with the bonds.
Specifically, the two counterparties agree to exchange one stream of cash flows against another stream. These streams are called the legs of the swap.
The swap agreement defines the dates when the cash flows are to be paid and the way they are calculated.Usually at the time when the contract is initiated at least one of these series of cash flows is determined by a random or uncertain variable such as an interest rate, foreign exchange rate, equity price or commodity price.
The cash flows are calculated over a notional principal amount, which is usually not exchanged between counterparties. Consequently, swaps can be in cash or collateral.
Derivative: a word or thing that has been developed or produced from another word or thing.
Collateral: Property or sth valuable that you promise to gvie to sb if you cannot oay back money that you borrow.
Tenor : The length of time until the maturity date is often referred to as the term or tenor or maturity of a bond
Issuer: is the entity (company or govt.) who borrows an amount of money (issuing the bond) and pays the interest.
Syndicate： The most common process of issuing bonds is through underwriting.
In underwriting, one or more securities firms or banks, forming a syndicate, buy an entire issue of bonds from an issuer and re-sell them to investors.
Aftermarket: The period immediately after the market listing of shares issued via an Initial Public Offering (IPO), when investors can trade in the stock for the first time.
Yield: to produce or provide sth, for example, a profit, result or crop
Maturities: Maturity: (of an insurance plicy, etc.)the time when money you have invested is ready to be paid
EM: emerging market
Liquid Swiss Index: Credit Suisse is a leading global financial services company, offering clients financial advice in all aspects of private banking, investment banking and asset management.
Credit Suisse First Boston launched the Liquid Swiss Index (LSI) at the end
Benchmark: Something which can be measured and used as a standard that other things can be compared with
Asset managers: Asset management refers to the professional management of investments such as stocks and bonds, along with real estate.
Dealer: a person whose business is buying and selling a particular product
Roadshow: a travelling show arranged by a radio or television programme, or by a magazine, company or political party
Yield curve: In finance, the yield curve is the relation between the interest rate (or cost of borrowing) and the time to maturity of the debt for a given borrower in a given currency.
For example, the U.S. dollar interest rates paid on U.S. Treasury securities for various maturities are closely watched by many traders, and are commonly plotted on a graph such as the one on the right which is informally called "the yield curve." More formal mathematical descriptions of this relation are often called the term structure of interest rates.
By Euroweek Reporter
Banco Votorantim brought its debut Swiss franc deal to market on Wednesday morning, a Sfr250m three year.
Sole bookrunner Deutsche Bank priced the deal 204bp over swaps, beating Votorantim’s dollar funding costs in the three year tenor. The issuer is the first Brazilian issuer to do a Swiss franc deal since 1995.
A syndicate banker from Deutsche said that Latin America generally, and Brazil in particular, has a great macro story.
He also highlighted Votorantim’s business model and defensive ownership — the bank is 50% owned by Banco do Brasil, a state-owned entity, and 50% owned by the Votorantim conglomerate.
The issue went almost entirely to retail investors. The bond was fully placed, but not oversubscribed, although it is already performing in the aftermarket — it has tightened around 2bp since pricing on Wednesday morning.
Because absolute yields are so low in the Swiss franc market, investors are looking further down the credit curve or at longer maturities, creating opportunities for EM issues in what some consider a conservative market.
Deutsche took Votorantim on a three day roadshow last week.
Because the deal hit Sfr250m, it is eligible for the Liquid Swiss Index, the benchmark for many asset managers in the market.
Banco Votorantim: The Votorantim Group is one of the largest privately-held industrial conglomerate groups in Latin America.
Swiss franc: The franc (German: Franken, French and Romansh: franc, Italian: franco; code: CHF) is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia.
Swaps: In finance, a swap is a derivative in which counterparties exchange certain benefits of one party's financial instrument for those of the other party's financial instrument.
The benefits in question depend on the type of financial instruments involved. For example, in the case of a swap involving two bonds, the benefits in question can be the periodic interest (or coupon) payments associated with the bonds.
Specifically, the two counterparties agree to exchange one stream of cash flows against another stream. These streams are called the legs of the swap.
The swap agreement defines the dates when the cash flows are to be paid and the way they are calculated.Usually at the time when the contract is initiated at least one of these series of cash flows is determined by a random or uncertain variable such as an interest rate, foreign exchange rate, equity price or commodity price.
The cash flows are calculated over a notional principal amount, which is usually not exchanged between counterparties. Consequently, swaps can be in cash or collateral.
Derivative: a word or thing that has been developed or produced from another word or thing.
Collateral: Property or sth valuable that you promise to gvie to sb if you cannot oay back money that you borrow.
Tenor : The length of time until the maturity date is often referred to as the term or tenor or maturity of a bond
Issuer: is the entity (company or govt.) who borrows an amount of money (issuing the bond) and pays the interest.
Syndicate： The most common process of issuing bonds is through underwriting.
In underwriting, one or more securities firms or banks, forming a syndicate, buy an entire issue of bonds from an issuer and re-sell them to investors.
Aftermarket: The period immediately after the market listing of shares issued via an Initial Public Offering (IPO), when investors can trade in the stock for the first time.
Yield: to produce or provide sth, for example, a profit, result or crop
Maturities: Maturity: (of an insurance plicy, etc.)the time when money you have invested is ready to be paid
EM: emerging market
Liquid Swiss Index: Credit Suisse is a leading global financial services company, offering clients financial advice in all aspects of private banking, investment banking and asset management.
Credit Suisse First Boston launched the Liquid Swiss Index (LSI) at the end
Benchmark: Something which can be measured and used as a standard that other things can be compared with
Asset managers: Asset management refers to the professional management of investments such as stocks and bonds, along with real estate.
Dealer: a person whose business is buying and selling a particular product
Roadshow: a travelling show arranged by a radio or television programme, or by a magazine, company or political party
Yield curve: In finance, the yield curve is the relation between the interest rate (or cost of borrowing) and the time to maturity of the debt for a given borrower in a given currency.
For example, the U.S. dollar interest rates paid on U.S. Treasury securities for various maturities are closely watched by many traders, and are commonly plotted on a graph such as the one on the right which is informally called "the yield curve." More formal mathematical descriptions of this relation are often called the term structure of interest rates.
Banca Popolare di Vicenza taps MTNs for Eu155m
Issue: Daily News - 3 November 2010
By Euroweek Reporter
Italy’s Banca Popolare di Vicenza sold a Eu155m floating rate note on Tuesday — its largest private placed bond since 2005 and its first outing in the market since March.
The three year note, dealt through Royal Bank of Scotland and sold at par, pays a coupon of 200bp over six month Euribor for the first two years, stepping down to 40bp over for the remainder.
Banca Popolare di Vicenza sold a Eu500m two year floating rate note in the public market late in September. That paid 155bp over three month Euribor and was sold at par.
"The 200bp coupon would be a decent premium on the two year FRN issued in September,” said Dietmar Tzschentke, bank credit analyst at UniCredit in Munich.
“That steps down to plus 40bp in May 2013 — the investor is betting that Euribor will go up in two years time to compensate for the step down in spread."
Aside from the Eu500m public deal sold late in September, this is the bank’s first outing in the European bond markets since March, when it sold a Eu120m floating rate private placement due 2012, according to Dealogic. That deal paid a coupon of 80bp over three month Euribor and was issued at 99.8.
It is also the issuer’s largest private placement since September 2005, when it sold a Eu300m two year floating rate note via HSBC, according to Dealogic. That note paid a coupon of 10bp over three month Euribor and was issued at 99.951.
Italian banks are less affected by sovereign debt fears than those of other Southern European countries such as Spain and Portugal, which should help their ability to issue debt, said analysts.
"As with all the Italian banks — Banca Populare di Vicenza's ability to issue in the capital markets will be less impacted by sovereign headline risk and volatility than Irish, Portuguese or Spanish banks, for example," said Tzschentke.
Floating rate notes (FRNs): are bonds that have a variable coupon, equal to a money market reference rate, like LIBOR or federal funds rate, plus a spread. The spread is a rate that remains constant.
Almost all FRNs have quarterly coupons, i.e. they pay out interest every three months, though counter examples do exist.
At the beginning of each coupon period, the coupon is calculated by taking the fixing of the reference rate for that day and adding the spread. A typical coupon would look like 3 months USD LIBOR +0.20%.
Par: The value that a share in a company had originally Banca Popolare di Vicenza: Banca Popolare di Vicenza (BPVI) was established in 1866.
For more than 140 years the Bank has been offering retail and corporate banking services. Its headquarters are located in Vicenza, in Italy.
Premium: an extra payment added to the basic rate
UniCredit: UniCredit is a major international financial institution with strong roots in 22 European countries and an international network present in approximately 50 markets, with 9,578 branches and more than 162,000 employees.
In the CEE region, UniCredit operates the largest international banking network with around 4,000 branches and outlets.
The Group operates in the following countries: Austria Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine.
History
The group's origins date back over five centuries to the establishment of Rolo Banca in 1473, when Monte di Pietà, a public institute providing secured loans, was created in Bologna.
More recently, the UniCredit is the result of the merger of nine of Italy's largest banks and the subsequent combination with the German HVB Group and the Italian Capitalia Group.
Euribor: The Euro Interbank Offered Rate ‘EURIBOR®’, which is the money market reference rate for the euro.
European Bond Market: A public market (more details see another page)
Dealogic: provides a platform for investment banking and capital markets professionals globally to help improve strategy, competitiveness, and execution.
The platform incorporates technology, data, analytics and consulting to help investment banks better understand their clients and the competitive landscape so they can allocate resources and execute deals more effectively.
History
Dealogic was established in the UK in 1983 by Simon Hessel, Peter Ogden and Philip Hulme. In 1991 the Group acquired the assets of a US capital markets communications business headed up by Tom Fleming which provided the Group with an established customer base in the US securities industry.
Through carefully managed growth Dealogic now employs over 400 people and has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney.
Due: When a sum of money is due, it must be paid immediately
Sovereign debt: A sovereign bond is a bond issued by a national government.
The term usually refers to bonds issued in foreign currencies, while bonds issued by national governments in the country's own currency are referred to as government bonds.
The total amount owed to the holders of the sovereign bonds is called sovereign debt.
Medium-term notes (MTNs): are debt securities with maturities that range from 9 months to 30 years or longer.
Tap: to choose sb to do a particular job
By Euroweek Reporter
Italy’s Banca Popolare di Vicenza sold a Eu155m floating rate note on Tuesday — its largest private placed bond since 2005 and its first outing in the market since March.
The three year note, dealt through Royal Bank of Scotland and sold at par, pays a coupon of 200bp over six month Euribor for the first two years, stepping down to 40bp over for the remainder.
Banca Popolare di Vicenza sold a Eu500m two year floating rate note in the public market late in September. That paid 155bp over three month Euribor and was sold at par.
"The 200bp coupon would be a decent premium on the two year FRN issued in September,” said Dietmar Tzschentke, bank credit analyst at UniCredit in Munich.
“That steps down to plus 40bp in May 2013 — the investor is betting that Euribor will go up in two years time to compensate for the step down in spread."
Aside from the Eu500m public deal sold late in September, this is the bank’s first outing in the European bond markets since March, when it sold a Eu120m floating rate private placement due 2012, according to Dealogic. That deal paid a coupon of 80bp over three month Euribor and was issued at 99.8.
It is also the issuer’s largest private placement since September 2005, when it sold a Eu300m two year floating rate note via HSBC, according to Dealogic. That note paid a coupon of 10bp over three month Euribor and was issued at 99.951.
Italian banks are less affected by sovereign debt fears than those of other Southern European countries such as Spain and Portugal, which should help their ability to issue debt, said analysts.
"As with all the Italian banks — Banca Populare di Vicenza's ability to issue in the capital markets will be less impacted by sovereign headline risk and volatility than Irish, Portuguese or Spanish banks, for example," said Tzschentke.
Floating rate notes (FRNs): are bonds that have a variable coupon, equal to a money market reference rate, like LIBOR or federal funds rate, plus a spread. The spread is a rate that remains constant.
Almost all FRNs have quarterly coupons, i.e. they pay out interest every three months, though counter examples do exist.
At the beginning of each coupon period, the coupon is calculated by taking the fixing of the reference rate for that day and adding the spread. A typical coupon would look like 3 months USD LIBOR +0.20%.
Par: The value that a share in a company had originally Banca Popolare di Vicenza: Banca Popolare di Vicenza (BPVI) was established in 1866.
For more than 140 years the Bank has been offering retail and corporate banking services. Its headquarters are located in Vicenza, in Italy.
Premium: an extra payment added to the basic rate
UniCredit: UniCredit is a major international financial institution with strong roots in 22 European countries and an international network present in approximately 50 markets, with 9,578 branches and more than 162,000 employees.
In the CEE region, UniCredit operates the largest international banking network with around 4,000 branches and outlets.
The Group operates in the following countries: Austria Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine.
History
The group's origins date back over five centuries to the establishment of Rolo Banca in 1473, when Monte di Pietà, a public institute providing secured loans, was created in Bologna.
More recently, the UniCredit is the result of the merger of nine of Italy's largest banks and the subsequent combination with the German HVB Group and the Italian Capitalia Group.
Euribor: The Euro Interbank Offered Rate ‘EURIBOR®’, which is the money market reference rate for the euro.
European Bond Market: A public market (more details see another page)
Dealogic: provides a platform for investment banking and capital markets professionals globally to help improve strategy, competitiveness, and execution.
The platform incorporates technology, data, analytics and consulting to help investment banks better understand their clients and the competitive landscape so they can allocate resources and execute deals more effectively.
History
Dealogic was established in the UK in 1983 by Simon Hessel, Peter Ogden and Philip Hulme. In 1991 the Group acquired the assets of a US capital markets communications business headed up by Tom Fleming which provided the Group with an established customer base in the US securities industry.
Through carefully managed growth Dealogic now employs over 400 people and has offices in London, New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney.
Due: When a sum of money is due, it must be paid immediately
Sovereign debt: A sovereign bond is a bond issued by a national government.
The term usually refers to bonds issued in foreign currencies, while bonds issued by national governments in the country's own currency are referred to as government bonds.
The total amount owed to the holders of the sovereign bonds is called sovereign debt.
Medium-term notes (MTNs): are debt securities with maturities that range from 9 months to 30 years or longer.
Tap: to choose sb to do a particular job
Saturday 4 December 2010
QNB takes $1.5bn bond from $6bn book
I am trying to analyse some financial news articles here.
By Euroweek Reporter
Qatar National Bank sold its debut $1.5bn five year Reg S only deal on Tuesday, with lead managers Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas, JPMorgan, QNB Capital and Standard Chartered building a book of $6bn for the note.
“The book wasn’t just quantity, it was quality,” said one bookrunner on the deal. “Many orders came in with a note attached making it clear the investors wanted a full allocation.”
QNB, rated Aa3/A+/A+, is the largest bank in Qatar. At the end of March, it had total assets of Qr183bn ($50bn), about 46% of the country’s banking assets.
“The deal is the largest ever trade in Reg S-only format from the Ceemea region,” said the bookrunner. “There’s a lot of cash out there but investors want to put it to work in blue-chip names, and investors like the Qatar credit story in general.”
The Qatari government owns half of the bank through its investment arm, Qatar Investment Authority, giving the institution a high probability of support from the state. The remaining 50% is publicly traded.
The deal was priced at 99.017 with a 3.125% coupon, and was trading on Wednesday (midday) around re-offer.
Investors used the Qatari sovereign rather than other banks in the region as the comparable issuer. The deal was priced with around a 25bp premium to where the lead managers calculated a new Qatar sovereign deal would price.
“It’s spectacular for QNB to be able to raise this volume of interest with a spread this tight in this kind of market where investors are being shown so many new deals,” said the bookrunner.
Moody’s said that the bank has good earnings power, strong efficiency levels and solid capitalisation.
Although it has historically been heavily dependent on business related to government and semi-government agencies, management has in recent years addressed this issue by focusing on the development of its private sector business, added Moody’s. The bank is also expanding its operations geographically, although this is at an early stage.
Challenges for the institution include funding and credit concentrations, and the increased competition that is putting pressure on the interest rate margins of all Qatari banks.
Qatar National Bank: Qatar National Bank (QNB), established in 1964 as the country’s first Qatari-owned commercial bank, has an ownership structure split between the Qatar Investment Authority (50%) and the private sector (50%).
Reg S: Regulation S is a "safe harbor" that defines when an offering of securities will be deemed to come to rest abroad and therefore not be subject to the registration obligations imposed under Section 5 of the 1933 Act.
The regulation includes two safe harbor provisions: an issuer safe harbor and a resale safe harbor.
Lead manager (Reuters): The bank awarded the mandate by a borrower to arrange the raising of money via a bond, a loan or a share issue.
The lead manager negotiates with the borrower or issuer, assesses market conditions and puts together the syndicate, which lends the money or underwrites the issue.
Also called syndicate manager, managing underwriter or lead underwriter.
Underwriter (Reuter): In a general sense, an underwriter is a person or company that assumes financial risk.
In financial markets an underwriter is a financial institution closely involved in the pricing and distribution of a new issue of a security.
In exchange for a fee, the underwriter guarantees to the company issuing the securities that it will receive a set price for a set volume of securities.
If there is insufficient demand the underwriter may have to sell them at a loss or retain them.
Underwriter (FT): A financial institution that underwrites a share issue, that arranges to sell shares to investors and agrees to buy any shares that are not bought by them.
Underwrite (FT):To guarantee against financial risk by assuming that risk, as financial institutions do when they offer (underwrite) an insurance policy, or when they buy a new securities issue from the issuer for re-sale to the public.
A new securities issue is normally underwritten by a group of investment banks (called the underwriting group or syndicate).
One bank, appointed by the group as lead manager, signs the underwriting agreement that specifies all the details of the issuer-underwriter relationship (including pricing), and handles other arrangements including distribution of the issue through dealers or other investment banks (the selling group).
The fee the underwriter earns is the spread (the underwriting spread) between the price it pays the issuer for the stock, and the price at which it re-sells the stock to the public (the issue or public offering price), either directly or through dealers.
Barclays Capital: In 1986 it became the first British bank to have its shares listed on the Tokyo and New York stock exchanges.
BNP Paribas: May 2000 witnessed the birth of France's premier bank, a new European leader in financial services. The creation of the BNP Paribas Group, led by Michel Pébereau then Chairman and CEO of BNP, was at that time the largest bank merger ever implemented in France.
JPMorgan: In 1799, The Manhattan Company, the firm's earliest predecessor institution, is chartered.
QNB Capital: QNB Capital LLC is wholly owned by QNB and authorised by the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority.
Standard Chartered: Standard Chartered was formed in 1969 through a merger of two banks: The Standard Bank of British South Africa, founded in 1863, and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, founded in 1853.
Both companies were keen to capitalise on the huge expansion of trade and to earn the handsome profits to be made from financing the movement of goods between Europe, Asia and Africa.
Book: record
Note: a piece of paper money.
Bookrunner: Primary issuance is arranged by bookrunners who arrange the bond issue, have the direct contact with investors and act as advisors to the bond issuer in terms of timing and price of the bond issue.
Aa3/A+/A+: In investment, the bond credit rating assesses the credit worthiness of a corporation's debt issues.
Blue-chip: According to New York Stock Exchange, a blue-chip stock is stock in a company with a national reputation for quality, reliability and the ability to operate profitably in good times and bad.
The Qatar credit story: The story of managing its credit (assets, money in bank etc).
Coupon: The coupon or coupon rate of a bond is the amount of interest paid per year expressed as a percentage of the face value of the bond. It is the interest rate that a bond issuer will pay to a bondholder.
The Qatari sovereign: focus on "autonomous"
bp: A basis point is a unit equal to 1/100th of a percentage point. Put another way: 1 bp = 0.01%
For example, if a report says there has been a "1% increase" from a 10% interest rate, this could refer to an increase either from 10% to 10.1% (relative, 1% of 10%), or from 10% to 11% (absolute, 1% plus 10%).
If, however, the report says there has been a "10 basis point increase" from a 10% interest rate, then we know that the interest rate of 10% (the "basis", if you will) has increased by 0.10% (the absolute change) to a 10.1% rate.
Premium: An extra payment added to the basic rate.
Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) is the holding company for Moody's Investors Service, a Credit rating agency which performs international financial research and analysis on commercial and government entities.
The company also ranks the credit-worthiness of borrowers using a standardized ratings scale. The company has a 40% share in the world credit rating market, as does its main rival, Standard & Poor's.
The interest rate margins: An interest rate is the rate at which interest is paid by a borrower for the use of money that they borrow from a lender.
For example, a small company borrows capital from a bank to buy new assets for their business, and in return the lender receives interest at a predetermined interest rate for deferring the use of funds and instead lending it to the borrower.
Interests rates are fundamental to a capitalist society. Interest rates are normally expressed as a percentage rate over the period of one year.
Interest rates targets are also a vital tool of monetary policy and are taken into account when dealing with variables like investment, inflation, and unemployment.
Dealer: A person whose business is buying and selling a particular product.
By Euroweek Reporter
Qatar National Bank sold its debut $1.5bn five year Reg S only deal on Tuesday, with lead managers Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas, JPMorgan, QNB Capital and Standard Chartered building a book of $6bn for the note.
“The book wasn’t just quantity, it was quality,” said one bookrunner on the deal. “Many orders came in with a note attached making it clear the investors wanted a full allocation.”
QNB, rated Aa3/A+/A+, is the largest bank in Qatar. At the end of March, it had total assets of Qr183bn ($50bn), about 46% of the country’s banking assets.
“The deal is the largest ever trade in Reg S-only format from the Ceemea region,” said the bookrunner. “There’s a lot of cash out there but investors want to put it to work in blue-chip names, and investors like the Qatar credit story in general.”
The Qatari government owns half of the bank through its investment arm, Qatar Investment Authority, giving the institution a high probability of support from the state. The remaining 50% is publicly traded.
The deal was priced at 99.017 with a 3.125% coupon, and was trading on Wednesday (midday) around re-offer.
Investors used the Qatari sovereign rather than other banks in the region as the comparable issuer. The deal was priced with around a 25bp premium to where the lead managers calculated a new Qatar sovereign deal would price.
“It’s spectacular for QNB to be able to raise this volume of interest with a spread this tight in this kind of market where investors are being shown so many new deals,” said the bookrunner.
Moody’s said that the bank has good earnings power, strong efficiency levels and solid capitalisation.
Although it has historically been heavily dependent on business related to government and semi-government agencies, management has in recent years addressed this issue by focusing on the development of its private sector business, added Moody’s. The bank is also expanding its operations geographically, although this is at an early stage.
Challenges for the institution include funding and credit concentrations, and the increased competition that is putting pressure on the interest rate margins of all Qatari banks.
Qatar National Bank: Qatar National Bank (QNB), established in 1964 as the country’s first Qatari-owned commercial bank, has an ownership structure split between the Qatar Investment Authority (50%) and the private sector (50%).
Reg S: Regulation S is a "safe harbor" that defines when an offering of securities will be deemed to come to rest abroad and therefore not be subject to the registration obligations imposed under Section 5 of the 1933 Act.
The regulation includes two safe harbor provisions: an issuer safe harbor and a resale safe harbor.
Lead manager (Reuters): The bank awarded the mandate by a borrower to arrange the raising of money via a bond, a loan or a share issue.
The lead manager negotiates with the borrower or issuer, assesses market conditions and puts together the syndicate, which lends the money or underwrites the issue.
Also called syndicate manager, managing underwriter or lead underwriter.
Underwriter (Reuter): In a general sense, an underwriter is a person or company that assumes financial risk.
In financial markets an underwriter is a financial institution closely involved in the pricing and distribution of a new issue of a security.
In exchange for a fee, the underwriter guarantees to the company issuing the securities that it will receive a set price for a set volume of securities.
If there is insufficient demand the underwriter may have to sell them at a loss or retain them.
Underwriter (FT): A financial institution that underwrites a share issue, that arranges to sell shares to investors and agrees to buy any shares that are not bought by them.
Underwrite (FT):To guarantee against financial risk by assuming that risk, as financial institutions do when they offer (underwrite) an insurance policy, or when they buy a new securities issue from the issuer for re-sale to the public.
A new securities issue is normally underwritten by a group of investment banks (called the underwriting group or syndicate).
One bank, appointed by the group as lead manager, signs the underwriting agreement that specifies all the details of the issuer-underwriter relationship (including pricing), and handles other arrangements including distribution of the issue through dealers or other investment banks (the selling group).
The fee the underwriter earns is the spread (the underwriting spread) between the price it pays the issuer for the stock, and the price at which it re-sells the stock to the public (the issue or public offering price), either directly or through dealers.
Barclays Capital: In 1986 it became the first British bank to have its shares listed on the Tokyo and New York stock exchanges.
BNP Paribas: May 2000 witnessed the birth of France's premier bank, a new European leader in financial services. The creation of the BNP Paribas Group, led by Michel Pébereau then Chairman and CEO of BNP, was at that time the largest bank merger ever implemented in France.
JPMorgan: In 1799, The Manhattan Company, the firm's earliest predecessor institution, is chartered.
QNB Capital: QNB Capital LLC is wholly owned by QNB and authorised by the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority.
Standard Chartered: Standard Chartered was formed in 1969 through a merger of two banks: The Standard Bank of British South Africa, founded in 1863, and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China, founded in 1853.
Both companies were keen to capitalise on the huge expansion of trade and to earn the handsome profits to be made from financing the movement of goods between Europe, Asia and Africa.
Book: record
Note: a piece of paper money.
Bookrunner: Primary issuance is arranged by bookrunners who arrange the bond issue, have the direct contact with investors and act as advisors to the bond issuer in terms of timing and price of the bond issue.
Aa3/A+/A+: In investment, the bond credit rating assesses the credit worthiness of a corporation's debt issues.
Blue-chip: According to New York Stock Exchange, a blue-chip stock is stock in a company with a national reputation for quality, reliability and the ability to operate profitably in good times and bad.
The Qatar credit story: The story of managing its credit (assets, money in bank etc).
Coupon: The coupon or coupon rate of a bond is the amount of interest paid per year expressed as a percentage of the face value of the bond. It is the interest rate that a bond issuer will pay to a bondholder.
The Qatari sovereign: focus on "autonomous"
bp: A basis point is a unit equal to 1/100th of a percentage point. Put another way: 1 bp = 0.01%
For example, if a report says there has been a "1% increase" from a 10% interest rate, this could refer to an increase either from 10% to 10.1% (relative, 1% of 10%), or from 10% to 11% (absolute, 1% plus 10%).
If, however, the report says there has been a "10 basis point increase" from a 10% interest rate, then we know that the interest rate of 10% (the "basis", if you will) has increased by 0.10% (the absolute change) to a 10.1% rate.
Premium: An extra payment added to the basic rate.
Moody's Corporation (NYSE: MCO) is the holding company for Moody's Investors Service, a Credit rating agency which performs international financial research and analysis on commercial and government entities.
The company also ranks the credit-worthiness of borrowers using a standardized ratings scale. The company has a 40% share in the world credit rating market, as does its main rival, Standard & Poor's.
The interest rate margins: An interest rate is the rate at which interest is paid by a borrower for the use of money that they borrow from a lender.
For example, a small company borrows capital from a bank to buy new assets for their business, and in return the lender receives interest at a predetermined interest rate for deferring the use of funds and instead lending it to the borrower.
Interests rates are fundamental to a capitalist society. Interest rates are normally expressed as a percentage rate over the period of one year.
Interest rates targets are also a vital tool of monetary policy and are taken into account when dealing with variables like investment, inflation, and unemployment.
Dealer: A person whose business is buying and selling a particular product.
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Recent important news summaries
Ofgem investigation on gas and electricity bill
Ofgem is going to investigate recent energy price rises, according to the BBC.
The watchdog said three of the "big six" suppliers have increased its profit margin per customer by 38%, which means each person has to pay £25 more on top of former £65.
Ofgem is doubting whether "the big three are playing straight with consumers" after the sharp rise in the last three months, and therefore the watchdog decided to conduct a review to exam the issue.
The three suppliers, which have increased its price, are British Gas, Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish Power.
The review will be completed by next March, and there is nothing can be done to stop the price rising during this winter.
More details of the story, please refer to Energy firms facing gas and electricity price review
Ofgem is going to investigate recent energy price rises, according to the BBC.
The watchdog said three of the "big six" suppliers have increased its profit margin per customer by 38%, which means each person has to pay £25 more on top of former £65.
Ofgem is doubting whether "the big three are playing straight with consumers" after the sharp rise in the last three months, and therefore the watchdog decided to conduct a review to exam the issue.
The three suppliers, which have increased its price, are British Gas, Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish Power.
The review will be completed by next March, and there is nothing can be done to stop the price rising during this winter.
More details of the story, please refer to Energy firms facing gas and electricity price review
Sunday 21 November 2010
Geological report of West Cumbria story
An initial geological study for West Cumbria to deal with radioactive waste was launched today and looked at areas such as the Copeland and Allerdale.
A local partnership is talking to government about the siting process for a deep geological disposal facility for nuclear waste in the areas.
Charles Hendry, minister of state energy, said: “We must progress implementation of geological disposal, the long-term sustainable solution for dealing with radioactive waste.
The report, according to Mr Hendry, commissioned from the British Geological Survey, is a step forward.
He said:“The geological disposal facility site selection process is based on voluntarism and partnership and these results do not present any reason why West Cumbria cannot continue to consider whether or not to participate in that process.”
The screening of the study does not show where a facility would eventually be located, but is simply intended to avoid unnecessary work in areas.
If a community chooses to proceed further, increasingly detailed geological and other criteria assessment would have to be undertaken.
It is open to all the communities across the country to find out more about the siting process.
(186 words)
A local partnership is talking to government about the siting process for a deep geological disposal facility for nuclear waste in the areas.
Charles Hendry, minister of state energy, said: “We must progress implementation of geological disposal, the long-term sustainable solution for dealing with radioactive waste.
The report, according to Mr Hendry, commissioned from the British Geological Survey, is a step forward.
He said:“The geological disposal facility site selection process is based on voluntarism and partnership and these results do not present any reason why West Cumbria cannot continue to consider whether or not to participate in that process.”
The screening of the study does not show where a facility would eventually be located, but is simply intended to avoid unnecessary work in areas.
If a community chooses to proceed further, increasingly detailed geological and other criteria assessment would have to be undertaken.
It is open to all the communities across the country to find out more about the siting process.
(186 words)
A green deal story
A new energy deal is set to boost the country's employment opportunities to 100,000 by 2015 in the insulation industry, says Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne.
The Green Deal is the Government's new and radical way of making energy efficiency available to all, whether people own or rent their property.
Mr Huhne said: “It's a massive economic and job opportunit which could help Britain's economy turn the corner.
With up to 100,000 green jobs up for grabs over the next 5 year, and even more in the long term, this is about growing our economy in a way that's good for jobs, the environment and energy security.”
He then added: “The Green Deal's about making people feel as warm as toat in their homes. I want Britain to say goodbye forever to leaky lofts and chilly draughts. At a time of increasing gas prices energy efficiency is a no-brainer.”
The work to upgrade the property will be paid back from the saving on energy bills, which means landlord will face no upfront costs when improving their properties.
By 2012, British gas plans to recruit a toal of 3,700 “green collar” jobs through a £30 million investment and help install enegy efficiency in its customers' homes at no up-front cost.
Phil Bentley, Managing Director of British Gas, said: “With rising energy prices, there’s never been a better time to improve the energy efficiency of Britain’s homes.
“That’s why we’ve worked quickly to set up the British Gas Green Deal, a £30million investment in our customers’ homes. In total, we aim to have 3,700 green collar workers in place by 2012.”
The Green Deal, which involves a 3-step proces, is expected to be available from Autumn 2012 to shops and businesses.
The Deal is also part of the changes, which will help 15% of lowest income hoursehold at risk of fuel poverty.
(317 words)
The Green Deal is the Government's new and radical way of making energy efficiency available to all, whether people own or rent their property.
Mr Huhne said: “It's a massive economic and job opportunit which could help Britain's economy turn the corner.
With up to 100,000 green jobs up for grabs over the next 5 year, and even more in the long term, this is about growing our economy in a way that's good for jobs, the environment and energy security.”
He then added: “The Green Deal's about making people feel as warm as toat in their homes. I want Britain to say goodbye forever to leaky lofts and chilly draughts. At a time of increasing gas prices energy efficiency is a no-brainer.”
The work to upgrade the property will be paid back from the saving on energy bills, which means landlord will face no upfront costs when improving their properties.
By 2012, British gas plans to recruit a toal of 3,700 “green collar” jobs through a £30 million investment and help install enegy efficiency in its customers' homes at no up-front cost.
Phil Bentley, Managing Director of British Gas, said: “With rising energy prices, there’s never been a better time to improve the energy efficiency of Britain’s homes.
“That’s why we’ve worked quickly to set up the British Gas Green Deal, a £30million investment in our customers’ homes. In total, we aim to have 3,700 green collar workers in place by 2012.”
The Green Deal, which involves a 3-step proces, is expected to be available from Autumn 2012 to shops and businesses.
The Deal is also part of the changes, which will help 15% of lowest income hoursehold at risk of fuel poverty.
(317 words)
Saturday 20 November 2010
Energy security story
Two new energy projects are given consent today in a bid to boost the UK's energy security.
The investment for both of the projects is set to replace a quarter of the country's generating capacity, which is due to close by 2018.
Charlies Hendry, Minister for Energy commented on today's announcement, he said: “In securing this investment, energy security will be at the forefront of our mind, and a diverse supply is crucial to that. The consent is a double boost for our energy security”.
Mr Hendry gives permission to a 56MW onshore wind farm in Northumberland and a 900 MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station in Lincolnshire respectively.
Commenting on the wind farm on the Ray Estate near Kirkwhelpington, he said: “Wind farms have a key role to play in boosing security and cutting carbon emissions. As long as they are well designed and appropriately sites.
“Developers at Ray expect the wind farm to provide enough green electricity to power around a quarter of Northimberland's households.”
In relation to the CCGT power station at West Marsh Road, Spalding, in Lincolnshire, Mr Hendry added: “Not only will the plant in Spalding provide a significant amount of base load electricity, the waste heat could also be used locally.
“We have made it a condition of the consent that the developers must install the necessary plant and pipework to enable the station to supply waste heat to local users if the opportunity to do so materialises.”
(250 words)
The investment for both of the projects is set to replace a quarter of the country's generating capacity, which is due to close by 2018.
Charlies Hendry, Minister for Energy commented on today's announcement, he said: “In securing this investment, energy security will be at the forefront of our mind, and a diverse supply is crucial to that. The consent is a double boost for our energy security”.
Mr Hendry gives permission to a 56MW onshore wind farm in Northumberland and a 900 MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) power station in Lincolnshire respectively.
Commenting on the wind farm on the Ray Estate near Kirkwhelpington, he said: “Wind farms have a key role to play in boosing security and cutting carbon emissions. As long as they are well designed and appropriately sites.
“Developers at Ray expect the wind farm to provide enough green electricity to power around a quarter of Northimberland's households.”
In relation to the CCGT power station at West Marsh Road, Spalding, in Lincolnshire, Mr Hendry added: “Not only will the plant in Spalding provide a significant amount of base load electricity, the waste heat could also be used locally.
“We have made it a condition of the consent that the developers must install the necessary plant and pipework to enable the station to supply waste heat to local users if the opportunity to do so materialises.”
(250 words)
Carbon capture and storage story
A new technological programme will open to projects on gas-fired power plants and coal-fired power plants, the UK's energy and climate change department says.
The carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration programme is set to ensure the country continues to be at the forefront of CCS development as well as lead the world's development of CCS on gas and coal.
Chris Huhne, Enegy and Climate Change Secretary, said: “We won't be able to take carbon out of all gas plants overnight, but we hope to support the porcess by investment in new technology now.
“In the long run carbon capture will help provide us with a secure and affordable energy system and we want to encourage companies with projects on both gas and coal-fired power stations to come forward.”
Mr Huhne then pointed out that this does not mean the government is imposing the same emission constraints on gas-fired power plants as on coal in the short or medium term, and he wanted to encourage companies to come forward with potential projects.
The govenrment has recently announced that up to £1 billion is to be made available for the first commercial scale CCS demonstration project, and the government is committed to funding four such projects.
The decision to include gas-fired power stations in the programme was made after analysing the net benefits approach, including an assessment of the evidence and recommendations from the Climate Change Committee's second progress report, and information collected through the market sounding exercise.
(249 words)
The carbon capture and storage (CCS) demonstration programme is set to ensure the country continues to be at the forefront of CCS development as well as lead the world's development of CCS on gas and coal.
Chris Huhne, Enegy and Climate Change Secretary, said: “We won't be able to take carbon out of all gas plants overnight, but we hope to support the porcess by investment in new technology now.
“In the long run carbon capture will help provide us with a secure and affordable energy system and we want to encourage companies with projects on both gas and coal-fired power stations to come forward.”
Mr Huhne then pointed out that this does not mean the government is imposing the same emission constraints on gas-fired power plants as on coal in the short or medium term, and he wanted to encourage companies to come forward with potential projects.
The govenrment has recently announced that up to £1 billion is to be made available for the first commercial scale CCS demonstration project, and the government is committed to funding four such projects.
The decision to include gas-fired power stations in the programme was made after analysing the net benefits approach, including an assessment of the evidence and recommendations from the Climate Change Committee's second progress report, and information collected through the market sounding exercise.
(249 words)
Sunday 7 November 2010
Black conscious music story
By Yixiang Zeng
A talk about black conscious music encouraged young people to reach out their dreams and keep learning to discover their potential.
The talk, organised by Akoben Awards ended this year's Black History Month at Gayton Road Library in Harrow town centre last week.
Rap artist Kimba joined the discussion and talked about his newly produced educational CD 'African History: Did you know?' for the Awards.
The Akoben Awards is an organisation which aims to introduce positive and uplifting black music to the community's youngsters, rather than the stereotypical violent or sexual theme related music.
He introduced a song called Oh This Life is for You to the audience, he said: “The lyrics is about inspiring young people reach their goals.
“It is quite important for black history by encouraging young people to follow their dreams.”
He then pointed out the community's business legend Tony Wade who can act as a role model to help youngsters build up their confidence and self-esteem.
Another highlight during the event was Kimba's introduction to another song called Be a Student, he said: “It is quite important that we all want to learn.
“The more we can learn, the more we can take it better to support the black people here. If we want a better society, we all need to learn.”
Among the audience who enjoyed the talk was 10-year-old Lana Agyeman, a Year Five student from Buxlow Preparatory School in Wembley.
He said: “It is very enjoyable. It gives me more about black music and I like the singing and dance.”
A talk about black conscious music encouraged young people to reach out their dreams and keep learning to discover their potential.
The talk, organised by Akoben Awards ended this year's Black History Month at Gayton Road Library in Harrow town centre last week.
Rap artist Kimba joined the discussion and talked about his newly produced educational CD 'African History: Did you know?' for the Awards.
The Akoben Awards is an organisation which aims to introduce positive and uplifting black music to the community's youngsters, rather than the stereotypical violent or sexual theme related music.
He introduced a song called Oh This Life is for You to the audience, he said: “The lyrics is about inspiring young people reach their goals.
“It is quite important for black history by encouraging young people to follow their dreams.”
He then pointed out the community's business legend Tony Wade who can act as a role model to help youngsters build up their confidence and self-esteem.
Another highlight during the event was Kimba's introduction to another song called Be a Student, he said: “It is quite important that we all want to learn.
“The more we can learn, the more we can take it better to support the black people here. If we want a better society, we all need to learn.”
Among the audience who enjoyed the talk was 10-year-old Lana Agyeman, a Year Five student from Buxlow Preparatory School in Wembley.
He said: “It is very enjoyable. It gives me more about black music and I like the singing and dance.”
Wednesday 3 November 2010
Harrow children meet TV star Peppa Pig
By Yixiang Zeng
Children in Harrow came face-to-face with TV stars Peppa Pig and George on Saturday afternoon.
The event at St Ann’s Shopping Centre attracted hundreds of youngsters who got the chance to have their photos taken with the pair.
11-year-old Jasmine was one of the fans who queued up. She said: “I like the characters, they make me laugh, they’re not serious about what they do and they just play.”
Mum Nina Salami had also brought her child along to meet Peppa and George, who have become a smash since their show first appeared on Channel Five.
Nina said: “They like Peppa Pig because it is a very successful show, very entertaining, educational and funny.”
The characters were brought to St Ann’s as part of a series of half-term activities at the shopping centre.
St Ann’s Manager Suzy Wood said: "We’re thrilled to have Peppa Pig and her brother George come to St Ann’s.
“They are much loved TV personalities and it’s great that families are able to meet them here.”
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Mental Health Story - second version
By Yixiang Zeng
A Harrow charity has been organising a training project to get mentally ill people into work and help raise mental health awarenesses within the borough.
The project TrainAware, part of Mind in Harrow's Head for Work, has been recruiting people who suffer from mental illness to become trainers as well as helping locals understand how mental health problems can affect their work and daily life.
Training coordinator Chrystelle Heldire told The HA1 after the World Mental Health Day celebration: “Since September 2008, we were able to start paying our trainers on an hour rate and employ them on a bank basis.”
She explained that trainers' payment is generated partly from the companies who send their employees to the training sessions, and partly from the charity's reserves.
These trainers were educated through a series of methods and were accredited by Middlesex University, who are then able to give training sessions to local employees and help raise their mental health awarenesses.
Chrystelle said: “These methods include brainstorming, how to work with groups and give constructive feedback, how to share plans and goals, presentation and facilitation skills.”
According to her, so far the trainers have already delivered approximately 45 training sessions to a number of local companies and organisations, such as Jobcentre Plus and Aspire, a charity that offers support to an individual who suffers from spinal injuries.
Mark Gillham, Chief executive of Mind in Harrow, said it is important for the companies and trainers to work together, he said: “From the company side, the manager will have better understanding of employees' mental health issues, such as life stress and depression, or not be able to work to their best capacity. So it helps their businesses.
“Trainers will have real work experience, and be able to use their own experience of mental health problem to explain directly what they have been through.”
Another local charity Capable Communities, which co-ordinated this year's World Mental Health Day, also said they want to work closely with companies to get people with mental problems into work.
The president of Harrow in Business Allen Pluck said his organisation has a tradition of helping marginalised individuals.
However, he has his own concerns: “at the moment, the whole of the business support infrastructure is in complete turmoil. And we are struggling to obtain funding to support the survival of any local business or individuals wishing to become self employed.”
A Harrow charity has been organising a training project to get mentally ill people into work and help raise mental health awarenesses within the borough.
The project TrainAware, part of Mind in Harrow's Head for Work, has been recruiting people who suffer from mental illness to become trainers as well as helping locals understand how mental health problems can affect their work and daily life.
Training coordinator Chrystelle Heldire told The HA1 after the World Mental Health Day celebration: “Since September 2008, we were able to start paying our trainers on an hour rate and employ them on a bank basis.”
She explained that trainers' payment is generated partly from the companies who send their employees to the training sessions, and partly from the charity's reserves.
These trainers were educated through a series of methods and were accredited by Middlesex University, who are then able to give training sessions to local employees and help raise their mental health awarenesses.
Chrystelle said: “These methods include brainstorming, how to work with groups and give constructive feedback, how to share plans and goals, presentation and facilitation skills.”
According to her, so far the trainers have already delivered approximately 45 training sessions to a number of local companies and organisations, such as Jobcentre Plus and Aspire, a charity that offers support to an individual who suffers from spinal injuries.
Mark Gillham, Chief executive of Mind in Harrow, said it is important for the companies and trainers to work together, he said: “From the company side, the manager will have better understanding of employees' mental health issues, such as life stress and depression, or not be able to work to their best capacity. So it helps their businesses.
“Trainers will have real work experience, and be able to use their own experience of mental health problem to explain directly what they have been through.”
Another local charity Capable Communities, which co-ordinated this year's World Mental Health Day, also said they want to work closely with companies to get people with mental problems into work.
The president of Harrow in Business Allen Pluck said his organisation has a tradition of helping marginalised individuals.
However, he has his own concerns: “at the moment, the whole of the business support infrastructure is in complete turmoil. And we are struggling to obtain funding to support the survival of any local business or individuals wishing to become self employed.”
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Mental Health story - first version
By Yixiang Zeng
A local charity is calling on businesses to offer mentally ill people jobs.
Capable Communities, which co-ordinated this year's World Mental Health Day since Friday, wants to work closely with companies to get people who suffer with mental illnesses into work.
The four-day event offers an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health and provide locals with a range of suggestions on how to reduce stress and depression in order to keep healthy.
Steve Porter, director of the charity, believes people with mental problems could get jobs in box offices, he said: “At the moment many tickets are operating on the web, but people want someone to talk to when booking their shows.
“What I am saying is to get the companies involved in paying someone with mental health difficulties to sell the tickets.”
He also suggested that the box office could operate in a shift system with different people working in a different time slot.
In addition, they could do other jobs in marketing. “They could also distribute marketing materials like flyers or posters to community centre or residential addresses relating with any events,” he added.
Another local charity Mind in Harrow also participated in the event, its chief executive Mark Gillham told The HA1: “One in six of the population in Harrow will have mental health problems today, that is estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people will have such difficulties.”
The charity has been training mentally ill people to become trainers, who are then employed by local companies to help their employees overcome different symptoms of mental illnesses.
Mr Gillham explained it is very important for both the trainers and companies to get involved: “These people have been out of work for long time, because of the mental health being very disadvantageous.
“Being qualified as trainers, they will have real work experience, and be able to use their own experience of mental health problem to explain directly what they have been through.
“From the company side, the manager will have better understanding of employees' mental health issues, such as life stress and depression, or not be able to work to their best capacity. So it helps their businesses.”
However, when speaking to Allen Pluck, the president of Harrow in Business, about to what extent local businesses can give a hand to those people with mental health problems, he expressed his concern by saying:“at the moment, the whole of the business support infrastructure is in complete turmoil.
“We are even struggling to obtain funding to support the survival of any local business or individuals wishing to become self-employed.”
A local charity is calling on businesses to offer mentally ill people jobs.
Capable Communities, which co-ordinated this year's World Mental Health Day since Friday, wants to work closely with companies to get people who suffer with mental illnesses into work.
The four-day event offers an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health and provide locals with a range of suggestions on how to reduce stress and depression in order to keep healthy.
Steve Porter, director of the charity, believes people with mental problems could get jobs in box offices, he said: “At the moment many tickets are operating on the web, but people want someone to talk to when booking their shows.
“What I am saying is to get the companies involved in paying someone with mental health difficulties to sell the tickets.”
He also suggested that the box office could operate in a shift system with different people working in a different time slot.
In addition, they could do other jobs in marketing. “They could also distribute marketing materials like flyers or posters to community centre or residential addresses relating with any events,” he added.
Another local charity Mind in Harrow also participated in the event, its chief executive Mark Gillham told The HA1: “One in six of the population in Harrow will have mental health problems today, that is estimated 15,000 to 20,000 people will have such difficulties.”
The charity has been training mentally ill people to become trainers, who are then employed by local companies to help their employees overcome different symptoms of mental illnesses.
Mr Gillham explained it is very important for both the trainers and companies to get involved: “These people have been out of work for long time, because of the mental health being very disadvantageous.
“Being qualified as trainers, they will have real work experience, and be able to use their own experience of mental health problem to explain directly what they have been through.
“From the company side, the manager will have better understanding of employees' mental health issues, such as life stress and depression, or not be able to work to their best capacity. So it helps their businesses.”
However, when speaking to Allen Pluck, the president of Harrow in Business, about to what extent local businesses can give a hand to those people with mental health problems, he expressed his concern by saying:“at the moment, the whole of the business support infrastructure is in complete turmoil.
“We are even struggling to obtain funding to support the survival of any local business or individuals wishing to become self-employed.”
Tuesday 5 October 2010
Harvest Festival teaches children about plants
By Yixiang Zeng
Harrow children enjoyed a scarecrow hunt and a colouring competition at a local garden centre during the weekend.
The event, held at Harrow Garden Centre in Headstone Lane, was part of a Harvest Festival set up teach children more about plants and offer families tips on growing fruit and vegetables.
Children were encouraged to colour in pictures with a harvest-theme and find six scarecrows hiding inside and around the garden centre.
10-year-old Libby, was among the many children who enjoyed the activities, she said: “I thought it was quite a good idea, and I thought colouring and finding scarecrows are quite fun.”
Also taking part in the event was 6-year-old Laura, who added: “We decide what we’re going to do with the picture, like if we want to put stickers on it.”
Laura’s mum Maggie Sharrock told The HA1: “It’s important for children to understand the season, to understand how to grow plants.
“They prefer to enter the scarecrow hunt, if they win they can get a pack of seeds, like sunflower or daffodil, so they can understand how the plants grow.”
Mike Townend, manager of the garden centre, explained why it was important to organise activities for the children, saying: “It’s very important to connect our business with local community.
“Children are our customers’ future, so they are very important. It’s nice for children to have some activities while their parents are buying things.”
The 20 entries for the competition will be judged by the centre’s visitors this week and all three winners will be rewarded with arts and crafts products.
Monday 4 October 2010
Harvest Festival story
By Yixiang Zeng
Harrow children enjoyed a scarecrow hunt and a colouring competition at a local garden centre during the weekend.
The event, held in Headstone Lane, was part of the centre's Harvest Festival which invited families to attend and provided them suggestions of how to grow vegetables and fruits.
Children were encouraged to colour pictures of their own choice with a harvest-theme and find out six scarecrows hiding inside and around Harrow Garden Centre.
Libby Radford, 10, of West Street, Harrow-on-the-Hill, was among the many children who enjoyed the activities, she said: “I thought it was quite a good idea, and I thought colouring and finding scarecrows are quite fun.”
Along with Libby taking part in the event was 6-year-old Laura Sharrock of Nelson Road in Harrow-on-the-Hill, she added: “We decide what we're going to do with the picture, like if we want to put stickers on it.”
Laura's mum Maggie Sharrock, 40, told The HA1: “It's important for children to understand the season, to understand how to grow plants.
“Competition is always good and fun. They prefer to enter scarecrow hunt, if they win they can get a pack of seed, like sunflower or daffodil, so they can understand how the plants grow.”
Mike Townend, manager of the garden centre, explained why it was important to organise activities for the children, he said: “It's very important to connect our business with local community.
“Children are our customers' future, so they are very important. It's nice for children to have some activities while their parents are buying things.”
The 20 entries for the competition will be judged by the centre's visitors this week and all three winners will be awarded “painting by numbers” arts and crafts products.
Harrow children enjoyed a scarecrow hunt and a colouring competition at a local garden centre during the weekend.
The event, held in Headstone Lane, was part of the centre's Harvest Festival which invited families to attend and provided them suggestions of how to grow vegetables and fruits.
Children were encouraged to colour pictures of their own choice with a harvest-theme and find out six scarecrows hiding inside and around Harrow Garden Centre.
Libby Radford, 10, of West Street, Harrow-on-the-Hill, was among the many children who enjoyed the activities, she said: “I thought it was quite a good idea, and I thought colouring and finding scarecrows are quite fun.”
Along with Libby taking part in the event was 6-year-old Laura Sharrock of Nelson Road in Harrow-on-the-Hill, she added: “We decide what we're going to do with the picture, like if we want to put stickers on it.”
Laura's mum Maggie Sharrock, 40, told The HA1: “It's important for children to understand the season, to understand how to grow plants.
“Competition is always good and fun. They prefer to enter scarecrow hunt, if they win they can get a pack of seed, like sunflower or daffodil, so they can understand how the plants grow.”
Mike Townend, manager of the garden centre, explained why it was important to organise activities for the children, he said: “It's very important to connect our business with local community.
“Children are our customers' future, so they are very important. It's nice for children to have some activities while their parents are buying things.”
The 20 entries for the competition will be judged by the centre's visitors this week and all three winners will be awarded “painting by numbers” arts and crafts products.
Wednesday 29 September 2010
Orchestra celebrates 30th anniversary
By Yixiang Zeng
A music prodigy with only one hand won public acclaim on Saturday at a concert organised by Harrow’s Trinity Orchestra.
The event was a celebration to mark the Orchestra’s 30th anniversary, as well as helping to showcase some of the country’s most talented young musicians from the Royal College of Music.
21-year-old pianist Nicholas McCarthy, who plays with just his left hand, was among the many performers at the Trinity Church on Hindes Road.
He said: “It was the first time I have played this piece with an Orchestra, I was very pleased because it’s such a good Orchestra to play with. The reaction from the audience was good as well.”
Nicholas performed Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, a piece that was composed specifically for a one-hand pianist.
Another highlight was 16-year-old composer Nick White, who had been commissioned to write a piece called Bugle to mark the Orchestra’s special occasion.
The music director of the Orchestra, Michael Murray, told The HA1: “The concert is not only to celebrate the past 30 years, but also to show the talent for the next 30 years. We want to have young performers and composers who can work with us.”
A particular success on the night was a performance of Gustav Holst’s The Planets, which requires a large Orchestra.
Peter Farrell, 64, a piano teacher from Hertfordshire, said: It’s absolutely fantastic and wonderful, the standard is exceptional.
“I think the Planets is an extremely difficult Orchestra piece, the technique and the music. All the players are exceptional for a local Orchestra.”
Sunday 26 September 2010
Harrow Orchestra story
By Yixiang Zeng
A music prodigy with only one-hand won public acclaim yesterday at a concert organised by Trinity Orchestra in Harrow.
The event was a celebration of the Orchestra's 30th anniversary with the aim to showcase the country's most talented young musicians from the Royal College of Music in London.
Nicholas McCarthy, the 21-year-old pianist who only has a left-hand, is among one of many who showed their talent on Saturday night.
He said: “It was my first time to play this piece with an Orchestra, I was very pleased because it's such a good Orchestra to play with. The audience has good reaction as well.”
Nicholas performed Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, a piece composed specifically for a one-hand pianist.
Another highlight at the event was young composer Nick White, the 16-year-old from the college's junior department, who has been commissioned for the opening piece called Bugle to mark the groups' special occasion.
He said in his own note the main melody for 'Bugle' came while improvising at the piano, “I wanted to explore the more 'solo' aspect of the orchestra in this piece, so most of the melodies here are played by one instrument at a time.”
The music director of the Orchestra Michael Murray told The HA1: “The concert is not only to celebrate the past 30 years, but also to show the talent for the next 30 years. We want to have young performers and composers who can work with us.”
The best part of the concert was when the Orchestra performed Gustav Holst's The Planets, which requires a large Orchestra.
Peter Farrell, 64, a piano teacher from Hertfordshire, said: It's absolutely fantastic and wonderful, the standard is exceptional. I think the Planets is an extremely difficult Orchestra piece, the technique and the music. All the players are exceptional for the local Orchestra.”
Sunday 19 September 2010
Battle of Britain Memorial Concert story
by Yixiang Zeng
Hundreds of visitors attended Battle of Britain Memorial Concert yesterday to raise money for St Luke's Hospice and the RAF Bentley Priory Battle of Britain Trust.
The concert, held in Bentley Priory in Stanmore - the headquarters of Fighter Command during the WWII, also aimed to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and commemorate those who died in the battle against the Nazis.
Erica Ferguson, 43, executive consultant of the Trust, said the money raised from the concert is just a small part of the £2 million the organisation wants to raise in order to improve the educational facilities of the museum, a Grade II listed mansion house in Bentley Priory.
Pam Russell, 48, director of Fundraising of St Luke's Hospice, said: “Some of the proceeds go to the hospice, and we probably made about more than £10,000.”
Couple of bands who performed during the concert, such as The British Airways Brass Band, children's choir Voice in a Million, and Harrow Apollo Male Choirs, reminded around 500 guests about the old days.
Peter Schiavi, 70, of Pinner told The HA1 the concert let him remember “the metal of sheltering, and the soldiers”, he said:“It's an excellent concert, bringing back a lot of memories, things you know, should not be forgotten.”
The 94-year-old Blenheim gunner, Owen Burns, from the 235 squadron who served in the battle, said: “I've been here for many times, it's always lovely to be here, this was the heart of the people who ran the war and who followed Fighter Command.”
Tuesday 31 August 2010
Harrow in LEAF show draws crowds
by Yixiang Zeng
Thousands of people turned out once again over the bank holiday weekend for Harrow’s biggest horticultural festival.
The annual Harrow in LEAF competition brought together plants and vegetables grown by green-fingered residents, with prizes handed out for the best produce on display.
Georgia Weston, chairman of the charity, said: “We try to encourage people who grow stuff in the borough, who have bees, art work and photography, encourage them to show off their work by entering the competition.
“It’s open to everyone who wishes to enter. We try to bring a lot of people together, and it is nice to be recognised within your community.
The two-day event also offered games and live music for families, as well as stalls selling products from local businesses and charities.
It replaced the former Harrow Show five years ago and now attracts a large number of local volunteers who help out over the weekend as well.
Thousands of people turned out once again over the bank holiday weekend for Harrow’s biggest horticultural festival.
The annual Harrow in LEAF competition brought together plants and vegetables grown by green-fingered residents, with prizes handed out for the best produce on display.
Georgia Weston, chairman of the charity, said: “We try to encourage people who grow stuff in the borough, who have bees, art work and photography, encourage them to show off their work by entering the competition.
“It’s open to everyone who wishes to enter. We try to bring a lot of people together, and it is nice to be recognised within your community.
The two-day event also offered games and live music for families, as well as stalls selling products from local businesses and charities.
It replaced the former Harrow Show five years ago and now attracts a large number of local volunteers who help out over the weekend as well.
Monday 30 August 2010
Harrow in Leaf show story
By Yixiang Zeng
Thousands of visitors were attracted to the community's traditional horticultural festival at the bank holiday weekend.
The sixth annual competition, organised by Harrow in Leaf, aims to bring the whole community together and encourage the locals to show off their talent.
Nita Mcewan, 46, of King’s Road, South Harrow, explained how she was amazed after she had visited the two tents displaying vegetables, flowers, arts and crafts made by the community members, allotment and horticultural societies, and Harrow Beekeepers Association.
She said: “It's a very good event, and we never see something like this. They have got a fantastic site as well.
“This is amazing. We followed people who run the clubs, learned how they grow the vegetables, how they looked after them. I'm looking forward to join one of the societies.”
Georgia Weston, Chairman of Harrow in Leaf, said: “We try to encourage people who grow stuff in the borough, who have bees, art work and photography, encourage them to show off their work by entering the competition.
“It's open to everyone who wishes to enter. We try to bring a lot of people together, and it is nice to be recognised within your community and it's very good for the community."
Apart from the exhibition displayed at the Harrow Museum and Heritage Centre, the two-day event also offers games, fun and live music to the families, and helps promote local businesses by inviting them to set up stalls to sell their goods.
Ms Weston added: “It's also a chance for people in the borough to come and look around, buy some stuff, and have some coffee. We provide something nice that people can go locally.”
Speaking with the winner of this year's “The Best in the Show”, John William Harding told The HA1 he has always brought his garden plant dahlias to the shows, “I go to lots of shows like this, and I like to keep the standard up.
“I enjoy people to come to see my dahlias, and try to make them really nice. I spend a lot of time and a lot of input.”
The show, which replaced the former Harrow Show five years ago, has also attracted plenty of volunteers to help out during the event.
Silsila Rokai, 19, of The Bye Way in Harrow, said she and her sister are very excited to come and help out at the event: “I am interested to help people so I think it's a good idea to spend some time to see what everyone is doing, and find out what they are up to.
“I am very surprised that so many people want to volunteer, and I definitely think about volunteering again next year.”
Thousands of visitors were attracted to the community's traditional horticultural festival at the bank holiday weekend.
The sixth annual competition, organised by Harrow in Leaf, aims to bring the whole community together and encourage the locals to show off their talent.
Nita Mcewan, 46, of King’s Road, South Harrow, explained how she was amazed after she had visited the two tents displaying vegetables, flowers, arts and crafts made by the community members, allotment and horticultural societies, and Harrow Beekeepers Association.
She said: “It's a very good event, and we never see something like this. They have got a fantastic site as well.
“This is amazing. We followed people who run the clubs, learned how they grow the vegetables, how they looked after them. I'm looking forward to join one of the societies.”
Georgia Weston, Chairman of Harrow in Leaf, said: “We try to encourage people who grow stuff in the borough, who have bees, art work and photography, encourage them to show off their work by entering the competition.
“It's open to everyone who wishes to enter. We try to bring a lot of people together, and it is nice to be recognised within your community and it's very good for the community."
Apart from the exhibition displayed at the Harrow Museum and Heritage Centre, the two-day event also offers games, fun and live music to the families, and helps promote local businesses by inviting them to set up stalls to sell their goods.
Ms Weston added: “It's also a chance for people in the borough to come and look around, buy some stuff, and have some coffee. We provide something nice that people can go locally.”
Speaking with the winner of this year's “The Best in the Show”, John William Harding told The HA1 he has always brought his garden plant dahlias to the shows, “I go to lots of shows like this, and I like to keep the standard up.
“I enjoy people to come to see my dahlias, and try to make them really nice. I spend a lot of time and a lot of input.”
The show, which replaced the former Harrow Show five years ago, has also attracted plenty of volunteers to help out during the event.
Silsila Rokai, 19, of The Bye Way in Harrow, said she and her sister are very excited to come and help out at the event: “I am interested to help people so I think it's a good idea to spend some time to see what everyone is doing, and find out what they are up to.
“I am very surprised that so many people want to volunteer, and I definitely think about volunteering again next year.”
Monday 23 August 2010
Family to take on Everest challenge
An Edgware family are to climb part of Mount Everest to raise money for St Luke’s Hospice.
Five members of the Hindocha family are to take on the mountain’s Base Camp Challenge in October as part of a bid to raise £24,000.
Neha Hindocha, 25, told The HA1 they started fundraising after their grandmother got help from the Kenton hospice in 2009.
“My grandma was very ill for the past thirty years,” she said. “They way they treated her was absolutely incredible.”
The family held a Salsa and Mexican evening last week at the VIP Lounge in Edgware to help fund their trip.
They have already raised £15,000 of their target through events including a trek across the Alps in Switzerland.
Neha’s brother Vishal, 24, said: “The money will pay for nurses and doctors. They receive very little funding from the NHS and almost purely depend on donations. We wish we could give something back to them.”
The family are hoping that their Mount Everest challenge will see them reach their fundraising target.
It is set to be their toughest physical challenge so far and will involve almost two weeks of walking.
Neha said: “We’re trying to go to Box Hill in Surrey, go to the gym, cycling, swimming and walking to increase our endurance.
“We’re climbing to the peak just above the Base Camp, which is 6000 metres over 13 days of trekking.”
You can find out more about their trip and make a donation on the family’s Just Giving page
Five members of the Hindocha family are to take on the mountain’s Base Camp Challenge in October as part of a bid to raise £24,000.
Neha Hindocha, 25, told The HA1 they started fundraising after their grandmother got help from the Kenton hospice in 2009.
“My grandma was very ill for the past thirty years,” she said. “They way they treated her was absolutely incredible.”
The family held a Salsa and Mexican evening last week at the VIP Lounge in Edgware to help fund their trip.
They have already raised £15,000 of their target through events including a trek across the Alps in Switzerland.
Neha’s brother Vishal, 24, said: “The money will pay for nurses and doctors. They receive very little funding from the NHS and almost purely depend on donations. We wish we could give something back to them.”
The family are hoping that their Mount Everest challenge will see them reach their fundraising target.
It is set to be their toughest physical challenge so far and will involve almost two weeks of walking.
Neha said: “We’re trying to go to Box Hill in Surrey, go to the gym, cycling, swimming and walking to increase our endurance.
“We’re climbing to the peak just above the Base Camp, which is 6000 metres over 13 days of trekking.”
You can find out more about their trip and make a donation on the family’s Just Giving page
Saturday 21 August 2010
St Luke's Hospice story
By Yixiang Zeng
An evening of salsa moves, Mexican food and cocktails was dedicated to raise money for St Luke's Hospice.
The event, held by the Hindocha family from Wolmer Garden, Edgware, attracted hundreds of guests dressed up as Latino dancers, who enjoyed a fabulous Wednesday night.
Neha Hindocha, 25, daughter of the family explained why they wish to help raise money for the Hospice, she said: “My grandma was very ill for the past thirty years. Last year she was at St Luke's Hospice, the way they treated her was absolutely incredible.”
Vishal, 24, Neha's brother, added: “The money will pay for nurses and doctors, they receive very little funding from the NHS, and almost purely depend on donation. We wish we could give something back to them.”
Among the guests enjoyed the party was Renu Malhotra, 48, from Camrose Avenue, Edgware, who said: “I like the dance, and it's an excellent event. I feel very organised and enjoyable.
“[They've got] great support from their friends, because everyone is at the middle of the week and I don't expect so many people turn out.”
The family is aiming to raise £25, 000 and so far has already got £15,000 under their belt through a variety of events including a yoga workshop, a charity lunch, and a trek during which Neha's mom and dad participated in across the Alps in Switzerland.
Neha told The HA1 they are now gearing up to take on the Everest Base Camp Challenge in October with the hope of raising the rest of the money.
She said: “We're trying to go to Box Hill in Surrey, go to gym, cycling, swimming, and walking, and increase our endurance.
“We're climbing to the peak just above the Base Camp, which is 6,000 metres over 13 days of trekking.”
The team, including the entire Hindocha family, are also preparing their equipment for the trip, such as tents, sleeping bags and trekking boots.
If you would like to raise money for St Luke's Hospice or know more about their adventure, visit http://www.justgiving.com/Team-N-Everest/3
An evening of salsa moves, Mexican food and cocktails was dedicated to raise money for St Luke's Hospice.
The event, held by the Hindocha family from Wolmer Garden, Edgware, attracted hundreds of guests dressed up as Latino dancers, who enjoyed a fabulous Wednesday night.
Neha Hindocha, 25, daughter of the family explained why they wish to help raise money for the Hospice, she said: “My grandma was very ill for the past thirty years. Last year she was at St Luke's Hospice, the way they treated her was absolutely incredible.”
Vishal, 24, Neha's brother, added: “The money will pay for nurses and doctors, they receive very little funding from the NHS, and almost purely depend on donation. We wish we could give something back to them.”
Among the guests enjoyed the party was Renu Malhotra, 48, from Camrose Avenue, Edgware, who said: “I like the dance, and it's an excellent event. I feel very organised and enjoyable.
“[They've got] great support from their friends, because everyone is at the middle of the week and I don't expect so many people turn out.”
The family is aiming to raise £25, 000 and so far has already got £15,000 under their belt through a variety of events including a yoga workshop, a charity lunch, and a trek during which Neha's mom and dad participated in across the Alps in Switzerland.
Neha told The HA1 they are now gearing up to take on the Everest Base Camp Challenge in October with the hope of raising the rest of the money.
She said: “We're trying to go to Box Hill in Surrey, go to gym, cycling, swimming, and walking, and increase our endurance.
“We're climbing to the peak just above the Base Camp, which is 6,000 metres over 13 days of trekking.”
The team, including the entire Hindocha family, are also preparing their equipment for the trip, such as tents, sleeping bags and trekking boots.
If you would like to raise money for St Luke's Hospice or know more about their adventure, visit http://www.justgiving.com/Team-N-Everest/3
Monday 16 August 2010
Tobias Mead wows Harrow crowds
by Yixiang Zeng
One of the stars of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent competition wowed fans in Harrow on Sunday afternoon.
Tobias Mead performed some of his sleek dance moves at St Ann’s Shopping Centre yesterday, watched by around a hundred spectators and shoppers.
Among the fans queued up for his performance was 14-year-old Lisa from Harrow Weald, who said: “The performance is really good, amazing. I’m a big fan of his.”
15-year-old Debbie, from Wealdstone, had also headed into the town centre to watch Tobias in action. She said: “It’s really good. I just like his moves.”
22-year-old Tobias became a household name overnight after performing for Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan on Britain’s Got Talent.
He told The HA1 that he was now enjoying having the chance to perform for and meet some of his fans in person.
“I’m trying to interact with the audience here,” he said. “Because when you’re on TV, you cannot see the audience, and they are all at home, but here you can see the crowds and be as close as possible to them.”
Tobias became one of the stars of this year’s ITV competition despite losing out to the eventual winners Spellbound.
He has now taken his dance routines on the road with a number of performances penciled in across the country.
Tobias said: “I will do a lot of performances. From next week I will work with Disney Camp Rock 2 and do promotion (for them) all over the places.
“I will be dancing with other dancers and make the promotion more interesting.”
Fans in Harrow also got the chance to meet the talented dancer after watching him in action.
Tobias posed for photographs and signed autographs as well as performing two shows at the shopping centre.
One of the stars of this year’s Britain’s Got Talent competition wowed fans in Harrow on Sunday afternoon.
Tobias Mead performed some of his sleek dance moves at St Ann’s Shopping Centre yesterday, watched by around a hundred spectators and shoppers.
Among the fans queued up for his performance was 14-year-old Lisa from Harrow Weald, who said: “The performance is really good, amazing. I’m a big fan of his.”
15-year-old Debbie, from Wealdstone, had also headed into the town centre to watch Tobias in action. She said: “It’s really good. I just like his moves.”
22-year-old Tobias became a household name overnight after performing for Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan on Britain’s Got Talent.
He told The HA1 that he was now enjoying having the chance to perform for and meet some of his fans in person.
“I’m trying to interact with the audience here,” he said. “Because when you’re on TV, you cannot see the audience, and they are all at home, but here you can see the crowds and be as close as possible to them.”
Tobias became one of the stars of this year’s ITV competition despite losing out to the eventual winners Spellbound.
He has now taken his dance routines on the road with a number of performances penciled in across the country.
Tobias said: “I will do a lot of performances. From next week I will work with Disney Camp Rock 2 and do promotion (for them) all over the places.
“I will be dancing with other dancers and make the promotion more interesting.”
Fans in Harrow also got the chance to meet the talented dancer after watching him in action.
Tobias posed for photographs and signed autographs as well as performing two shows at the shopping centre.
TV star wows Harrow Crowds
By Yixiang Zeng
A Britain's Got Talent finalist wowed crowds at St Anns Shopping Centre when he showed off his creative dance yesterday noon.
Tobias Mead, 22, from Warminster, drove girls wild with his sleek moves attracting around a hundred shoppers.
Lisa, 14, from Harrow Weald, said: “The performance is really good and it's amazing. I'm a big fan of his.”
Another 15-year-old Debbie from Wealdstone, said: “It is really good. I just like his moves and very creative.”
The ITV show star told the HA1 he enjoyed his performance at the centre, he said: “I'm trying to interact with the audience here.
“Because when you're on TV, you cannot see the audience, and they are all at home, but here you can see the crowds and be as close as possible to them.”
When talking about his next move, Tobias added: “I will do a lot of performances. From next week I will work with Disney Camp Rock 2 and do promotion (for them) all over the places.
“I will be dancing with other dancers, and make the promotion more interesting.”
The audience showed its enthusiasm by queuing up patiently to ask him for photos and autographs during the meet-and-greet session.
Mrs Davinder Badhan, 43, from Heston, said she and her husband even brought the video camera to film the scenes when the star signing autograph for their son and daughter.
A Britain's Got Talent finalist wowed crowds at St Anns Shopping Centre when he showed off his creative dance yesterday noon.
Tobias Mead, 22, from Warminster, drove girls wild with his sleek moves attracting around a hundred shoppers.
Lisa, 14, from Harrow Weald, said: “The performance is really good and it's amazing. I'm a big fan of his.”
Another 15-year-old Debbie from Wealdstone, said: “It is really good. I just like his moves and very creative.”
The ITV show star told the HA1 he enjoyed his performance at the centre, he said: “I'm trying to interact with the audience here.
“Because when you're on TV, you cannot see the audience, and they are all at home, but here you can see the crowds and be as close as possible to them.”
When talking about his next move, Tobias added: “I will do a lot of performances. From next week I will work with Disney Camp Rock 2 and do promotion (for them) all over the places.
“I will be dancing with other dancers, and make the promotion more interesting.”
The audience showed its enthusiasm by queuing up patiently to ask him for photos and autographs during the meet-and-greet session.
Mrs Davinder Badhan, 43, from Heston, said she and her husband even brought the video camera to film the scenes when the star signing autograph for their son and daughter.
Tuesday 10 August 2010
Bond says thank you with party
by Yixiang Zeng
Residents from North Harrow came together at the weekend to celebrate James Bond’s local election win in May.
The event on Saturday, held by the Headstone North Councillor at St Alban’s Church Hall, was to thank voters for their support and trust following his decision to stand as an Independent.
One of the guests at the party, Sheila O’Brien, of Church Drive, explained why she had decided to support Mr Bond, rather than one of the candidates from a particular party.
She said: “James is the man with people. Everybody around him says he is always with other people and the community.”
That was backed up by Deirdre Deely, who said: “He could represent us without any other party influence.”
Two previous independent councillors, Neville Hughes and Derek Tyler, also showed their support by attending the celebrations.
Mr Hughes, a former Roxeth councillor, said: “An independent is someone who challenges council’s decision making, someone who thinks about people in the Harrow, not the particular political party.”
Councillor Bond’s victory was one of the shocks during dramatic local elections in May, in which he was elected at the expense of former Mayor Eric Silver.
Mr Bond said his priority since then has been the people of Headstone North, with regular residents’ surgeries being held so people can meet him.
He said: “These surgeries take place on Saturday mornings twice a month at two locations within the Headstone North ward.
“I shall serve the community by making myself available to all the residents who live here.”
Edited by Simon Fyles
Residents from North Harrow came together at the weekend to celebrate James Bond’s local election win in May.
The event on Saturday, held by the Headstone North Councillor at St Alban’s Church Hall, was to thank voters for their support and trust following his decision to stand as an Independent.
One of the guests at the party, Sheila O’Brien, of Church Drive, explained why she had decided to support Mr Bond, rather than one of the candidates from a particular party.
She said: “James is the man with people. Everybody around him says he is always with other people and the community.”
That was backed up by Deirdre Deely, who said: “He could represent us without any other party influence.”
Two previous independent councillors, Neville Hughes and Derek Tyler, also showed their support by attending the celebrations.
Mr Hughes, a former Roxeth councillor, said: “An independent is someone who challenges council’s decision making, someone who thinks about people in the Harrow, not the particular political party.”
Councillor Bond’s victory was one of the shocks during dramatic local elections in May, in which he was elected at the expense of former Mayor Eric Silver.
Mr Bond said his priority since then has been the people of Headstone North, with regular residents’ surgeries being held so people can meet him.
He said: “These surgeries take place on Saturday mornings twice a month at two locations within the Headstone North ward.
“I shall serve the community by making myself available to all the residents who live here.”
Edited by Simon Fyles
Monday 2 August 2010
Residents celebrated independent councillor's historic win
from left: Derek Tyler, James Bond, Neville Hughesby Yixiang Zeng
Residents from North Harrow celebrated James Bond's local election win in May as an independent on Saturday night.
The event, held by the Headstone North Councillor at St Alban's Church Hall, Norwood Drive, was to thank voters' support and trust.
When talking with one of the guests at the party, Sheila Obrien, of Church Drive, said: “James is the man with people. Everybody around him says he is always with other people and the community.”
Deirdre Deely, of Suffolk Road, said: “He could represent us without any other party's influence.”
Two previous independent councillors Neville Hughes and Derek Tyler also showed their support to their successor.
Mr Hughes, former Roxeth councillor, said: “To some extent, independent is someone who challenges council's decision making, someone thinks about people in the Harrow, not the particular political party.”
Mr Bond said as the new councillor for Headstone North, he has already started holding residents' surgeries so that people can come and meet him at regular intervals.
He said: “These surgeries take place on Saturday mornings twice a month at two locations within the Headstone North ward.
“I shall serve the community by making myself available to all the residents who live here.”
Saturday 31 July 2010
NCTJ News reporting paper answers:
Question One:
A type of much safer glasses is to be trialled in pubs across Oldworth in a bid to reduce injuries and suffers.
The glasses, designed by Oldworth Glass, will be trialled starting from next week in response to Home Office’s calling for a less hazardous pint glass, as a result of an estimated 87,000 injuries are caused each year by traditional pint glasses.
Jon Fetley, marketing director of the company, said: “Our aim is to use a material that will not shard on breaking. It will reduce the number of staff in pubs and clubs who suffers cuts from broken glasses while serving, clearing or washing up.”
But he also admitted that drinkers are very attached to the traditional glass and he said “this has been a key problem to overcome”.
Jan Blomfield, of the government’s Design Against Crime Unit expressed similar concern by saying “drinkers are very attached to their pint glass and we have to deal with that fact”.
He added: “People are used to drinking from plastic or paper cups in many situations but there is widespread feeling that if you go to a pub it is traditional to drink beer from a glass.”
One beer lover from the Oldworth Brewers and Public Houses Association Richard Boatman said: “It’s absolutely true that people don’t like drinking out of plastic, which is quite awful. And if they’re safe, that’s great.
“Plastic ‘glasses’ don’t last as long as the average three-month life span of an actual glass and they’re susceptible to scratching.”
A brewery and pub historian Eric Worthington, 57, of 18 Kerkham Way, Oldworth, said he tried the new glasses and “you can hardly tell them from those being used by every pub up and down the land.
“Even the shape is pretty much the same. There’s just a very slightly different feel to the glass, but it’s hardly noticeable. If they’re safe, that’s great.”
(324 words)
Question Two:
Ainsworth Road Police evacuated the 100-yeard cordon around its station, nearby homes and businesses after a suspected explosive item had been found.
The whole action lasted one hour from 8:30am to 9:30am after the public members had handed in an item likely to be of military munitions.
The Royal Ordnance Corps identified the item, green colour with yellow writing on it, as a suspended Citroen car’s compression unit.
Superintendent Alan Smyth said: “It was better to be safe than sorry.”
(80 words)
Question Three:
An event to find Oldworth city’s favourite nursery rhyme will be launched next Monday.
Voting slips will be available at libraries and readers can vote at oldworth.gov.uk/nurseryrhyme
Results will be revealed in six week’s time for the Oldworth Children’s Library Day.
Voters will have chances to win a puppet pack.
(50 words)
Question Four:
The manager of the city’s main hospital or someone in the senior position of the hospital’s management board:
* How did the hospital come up with such a decision to bar the drunken patients from pubs and clubs in the area?
* How important for a hospital like this to make such a decision to bar drunken patients?
* How did these drunken patients affect hospital’s routine work?
* What is the estimated cost of these hospital facilities damaged by drunken patients?
* When did the incident happen regarding the drunken man punching a female doctor?
* How did the above incident happen?
* What have the hospital done so far after the incident happened apart from deciding to join the local Pubwatch scheme?
* Have other hospitals in the city got similar experiences like their doctors being punched by drunken patients? What did they do to solve the problem?
* Is there any other way to solve the problem instead of preventing them from entering the pubs and clubs in the local area?
Patients from the city’s main hospital:
* Have you heard about the incident that a drunken patient had punched a female doctor at the hospital?
* What is your attitude towards the incident?
* What is your opinion about the hospital’s decision to bar patients from pubs and clubs in the area?
* How serious do you think the drinking problem in this hospital?
* Do you agree with hospital’s decision regarding drunken patients? Why?
* Have these drunken patients every created any trouble to you? What did you do if it happened?
The director of local Pubwatch scheme:
* How effective do you think the scheme can help hospital solve the drunken patients problem?
* How effective in general does the scheme help people regarding their drinking behaviour?
* How much do the participants need to pay to join the scheme?
* How does the scheme work? For example, will any guards be staying at the entrance of the pub or local pub to check people’s identity who want to enter?
* What do pub owners’ attitudes towards the scheme? How do you work with them? Does the scheme affect their business?
Online:
* A comprehensive summary of the story, regularly updated as information becomes available.
* Web links guiding readers to appropriate sources of information such as the hospital's website, the scheme.
* Cross refer to your newspaper which will carry a full story.
* Start an online reader poll and asking readers whether they agree with hospital’s decision to join in the local pubwatch scheme?
* Invite a doctor from the hospital to write up a blog of the experience which he/she may be insulted by the drunken patients or he/she saw patients are drunken.
* Create an online photo gallery to show a series of pictures of the hospital, the pub, or patients drinking beer and create troubles.
Video:
* Video interviews with key players, such as the manager of the hospital, the patient, and the local Pubwatch scheme director.
* Video a councillor or local MP commenting on the issue.
* Video patients giving sound-bite views of the hospital’s decision.
* Video reporter doing a piece of camera in front of the pubs to introduce and tell the story.
* Video the pub inside and explaining patients from the hospital are usually sitting there to drink beer.
* Video some beers on the tables, and then using figures (the figures show how many patients drinking beers across the city) together to show audience how the beer can affect patients behave oddly.
Other digital interaction:
* Use SMS text messages to break the story and guiding the recipients to your website or newspaper for more information
* Send an e-mail alert to reader subscribers with a link to your website story.
* Invite readers to send back in their text messages of their views and publish them on your website or in the paper.
* Ask your editor to comment on the story in his print and online publication.
* Set up a Facebook page to invite readers to comment.
* Set up a Twitter account to update the twit and comment on the issue.
A type of much safer glasses is to be trialled in pubs across Oldworth in a bid to reduce injuries and suffers.
The glasses, designed by Oldworth Glass, will be trialled starting from next week in response to Home Office’s calling for a less hazardous pint glass, as a result of an estimated 87,000 injuries are caused each year by traditional pint glasses.
Jon Fetley, marketing director of the company, said: “Our aim is to use a material that will not shard on breaking. It will reduce the number of staff in pubs and clubs who suffers cuts from broken glasses while serving, clearing or washing up.”
But he also admitted that drinkers are very attached to the traditional glass and he said “this has been a key problem to overcome”.
Jan Blomfield, of the government’s Design Against Crime Unit expressed similar concern by saying “drinkers are very attached to their pint glass and we have to deal with that fact”.
He added: “People are used to drinking from plastic or paper cups in many situations but there is widespread feeling that if you go to a pub it is traditional to drink beer from a glass.”
One beer lover from the Oldworth Brewers and Public Houses Association Richard Boatman said: “It’s absolutely true that people don’t like drinking out of plastic, which is quite awful. And if they’re safe, that’s great.
“Plastic ‘glasses’ don’t last as long as the average three-month life span of an actual glass and they’re susceptible to scratching.”
A brewery and pub historian Eric Worthington, 57, of 18 Kerkham Way, Oldworth, said he tried the new glasses and “you can hardly tell them from those being used by every pub up and down the land.
“Even the shape is pretty much the same. There’s just a very slightly different feel to the glass, but it’s hardly noticeable. If they’re safe, that’s great.”
(324 words)
Question Two:
Ainsworth Road Police evacuated the 100-yeard cordon around its station, nearby homes and businesses after a suspected explosive item had been found.
The whole action lasted one hour from 8:30am to 9:30am after the public members had handed in an item likely to be of military munitions.
The Royal Ordnance Corps identified the item, green colour with yellow writing on it, as a suspended Citroen car’s compression unit.
Superintendent Alan Smyth said: “It was better to be safe than sorry.”
(80 words)
Question Three:
An event to find Oldworth city’s favourite nursery rhyme will be launched next Monday.
Voting slips will be available at libraries and readers can vote at oldworth.gov.uk/nurseryrhyme
Results will be revealed in six week’s time for the Oldworth Children’s Library Day.
Voters will have chances to win a puppet pack.
(50 words)
Question Four:
The manager of the city’s main hospital or someone in the senior position of the hospital’s management board:
* How did the hospital come up with such a decision to bar the drunken patients from pubs and clubs in the area?
* How important for a hospital like this to make such a decision to bar drunken patients?
* How did these drunken patients affect hospital’s routine work?
* What is the estimated cost of these hospital facilities damaged by drunken patients?
* When did the incident happen regarding the drunken man punching a female doctor?
* How did the above incident happen?
* What have the hospital done so far after the incident happened apart from deciding to join the local Pubwatch scheme?
* Have other hospitals in the city got similar experiences like their doctors being punched by drunken patients? What did they do to solve the problem?
* Is there any other way to solve the problem instead of preventing them from entering the pubs and clubs in the local area?
Patients from the city’s main hospital:
* Have you heard about the incident that a drunken patient had punched a female doctor at the hospital?
* What is your attitude towards the incident?
* What is your opinion about the hospital’s decision to bar patients from pubs and clubs in the area?
* How serious do you think the drinking problem in this hospital?
* Do you agree with hospital’s decision regarding drunken patients? Why?
* Have these drunken patients every created any trouble to you? What did you do if it happened?
The director of local Pubwatch scheme:
* How effective do you think the scheme can help hospital solve the drunken patients problem?
* How effective in general does the scheme help people regarding their drinking behaviour?
* How much do the participants need to pay to join the scheme?
* How does the scheme work? For example, will any guards be staying at the entrance of the pub or local pub to check people’s identity who want to enter?
* What do pub owners’ attitudes towards the scheme? How do you work with them? Does the scheme affect their business?
Online:
* A comprehensive summary of the story, regularly updated as information becomes available.
* Web links guiding readers to appropriate sources of information such as the hospital's website, the scheme.
* Cross refer to your newspaper which will carry a full story.
* Start an online reader poll and asking readers whether they agree with hospital’s decision to join in the local pubwatch scheme?
* Invite a doctor from the hospital to write up a blog of the experience which he/she may be insulted by the drunken patients or he/she saw patients are drunken.
* Create an online photo gallery to show a series of pictures of the hospital, the pub, or patients drinking beer and create troubles.
Video:
* Video interviews with key players, such as the manager of the hospital, the patient, and the local Pubwatch scheme director.
* Video a councillor or local MP commenting on the issue.
* Video patients giving sound-bite views of the hospital’s decision.
* Video reporter doing a piece of camera in front of the pubs to introduce and tell the story.
* Video the pub inside and explaining patients from the hospital are usually sitting there to drink beer.
* Video some beers on the tables, and then using figures (the figures show how many patients drinking beers across the city) together to show audience how the beer can affect patients behave oddly.
Other digital interaction:
* Use SMS text messages to break the story and guiding the recipients to your website or newspaper for more information
* Send an e-mail alert to reader subscribers with a link to your website story.
* Invite readers to send back in their text messages of their views and publish them on your website or in the paper.
* Ask your editor to comment on the story in his print and online publication.
* Set up a Facebook page to invite readers to comment.
* Set up a Twitter account to update the twit and comment on the issue.
Friday 30 July 2010
Newshire Archaeology Service question three
Question Three:
Dog owners will be able to find pets if they get lost with a new service launched next week.
Beeton Council’s dog wardens will be inserting permanent microchips in the animals, which can be read by a chip scanner. The sessions will be held at Lynhope Pet Stores, Waterson Street.
(50 words)
Dog owners will be able to find pets if they get lost with a new service launched next week.
Beeton Council’s dog wardens will be inserting permanent microchips in the animals, which can be read by a chip scanner. The sessions will be held at Lynhope Pet Stores, Waterson Street.
(50 words)
News writing - West Newtown community association
Question One:
Residents are furious about Andersons' new plan which will remove the Bridge Road greenery area, and are urged to sign a petition opposing the visual distraction.
The plan, proposed two weeks ago by the supermarket, is to move the petrol station from its present position to the junction of the site's access road and Bridge Road itself, which believed will also create traffic problems, according to Colin Robertson, chairman of the West Newtown Community Association.
He said: “That greenery would be removed to the detriment of the visual amenity, and it was the general view that the changes would create an unacceptable eyesore.”
The company claimed the news plans are designed to reconfigure the car park for the customers' benefit but they have now decided to add a huge automated car wash.
Mr Robertson said the vast barn-like building would be wide enough to take two cars going through each of two washers at the same time.
The association has also won local councillors' full support who agreed to oppose the supermarket's proposals.
Councillor Norman Patricks said: “This plan would be an aesthetic disaster. To stick the filling station and a monstrosity of a car wash opposite Bridge Road Methodist Church is ridiculous.
“The church may be a relatively new building, but it won a regional architectural award for its appearance. We welcomed that structure – but not this one.”
Resident Bill Raybould, of 12 Bridge Road, West Newtown, said: “I am very suspicious that Andersons are trying to pave the way for further expansion.
“If they get permission for this, I feel sure it won't be long before the old application for a superstore resurfaces.”
However, Andersons spokesman said they dispute suggestions that their proposal would create traffic hazards, “Indeed we believe it would make the complex safer and easier for customers to use.”
The association was set up in response to Andersons' previous proposals which had been objected largely because of traffic disruption.
(325 words)
Questions Two:
A drinks distribution company will be awarded Wholesaler of the Year by Karlsbrew UK in its centenary year.
Varndell's, the family-run business, is the major distributor for Karlsbtrew throughout the region.
Richard Varnell, company secretary said the award recognised their standing in a very competitive business arena and showed they fulfilled Karlsbrew's expectations as well as it was a tribute to their hard-working employees.
The ceremony will be held at Karlsbrew's national sales conference at Birmingham next month.
(80 words)
Question Three:
A woman had her handbag stolen from her trolley yesterday at about 2:30pm in Kirkham's Supermarket on Ashforth Road, Newtown.
The bag was a distinctive one in yellow leather with red stripes, and she lost it when selecting items from a shelf.
Anyone with information should contact on Newton 331322.
(50 words)
Question Four:
Manager of the local airport:
Why does your company propose to build up a second runway?
How much does it cost to build up the second runway?
What are the profits your company will make from the new proposal?
Will there any environmental damages, such as air pollution or noisy pollution occur because of the new proposal?
If there is any adverse effects, what is your plan to solve it?
Is there any a need to build up a second runway?
Will it truly allow a 35 per cent increase in landing and take-offs?
Are there any problems in landings and take-offs in recent years in the airport?
Local councillor who has a view on the the proposal:
What is your opinion about your local airport's new proposal to build up a second runway?
Will the council's planning committee permit the airport's proposal? And what are the progress has the council made in examining the proposal?
Have the council taken air and noisy pollution into consideration when decide whether should grant the airport the permission to build up the second runway?
If there is any environmental damages because of the second run way? What should council do to help reduce the damages?
Will council conduct a questionnaire or set up a residents poll to get feedback from local people? And see what are their attitudes towards the new proposal?
How does the new proposal affect the local business?
Does the local area truly need a new second runway?
Representative from the local residents association:
What is your opinion of the airport's new proposal regarding building up a second runway?
Do you think your local airport need a second runway?
Are there any environmental problems around the area? For example, air pollution or noisy pollution?
What benefits will the new proposal bring to your town?
What disadvantages does the new proposal bring to the local area?
Are you a regular traveller on the plane? Do you find any problems of the airport runway facilities?
Online:
A comprehensive summary of the story, regularly updated as information becomes available.
Web links guiding readers to appropriate sources of information such as local airport's website, council website, residents association website.
Cross refer to your newspaper which will carry out a full story.
Set up an online reader poll to ask readers whether they agree with the proposal or not?
Invite someone who lives near the airport to write a blog talk about his experience of being living near the site, such as does air plane affects his daily life?
Video:
Video interviews of the key players – manager of the airport, local councillor, and the rep from the residents association.
Video a local MP commenting on the issue.
Video the reporter doing a piece of camera standing in front of the airport to tell audience about the story
Video local residents who live near the airport giving sound-bite views of the issue.
Video the second runway location, what are the areas the second runway will cover and explain the surrounding situation.
Upload a slide show of pictures of the airport facilities.
Other interaction:
Use sms text messages to break the story and direct recipients to your website or the paper for more information.
Ask your editor to comment on the story in his print and online editorial.
Invite readers to send messages back of their views and publish them on your website or in the paper.
Send an e-mail alert to reader subscribers with a link to your website story.
Set up a Facebook and Twitter page and ask local people to express their opinions freely.
Residents are furious about Andersons' new plan which will remove the Bridge Road greenery area, and are urged to sign a petition opposing the visual distraction.
The plan, proposed two weeks ago by the supermarket, is to move the petrol station from its present position to the junction of the site's access road and Bridge Road itself, which believed will also create traffic problems, according to Colin Robertson, chairman of the West Newtown Community Association.
He said: “That greenery would be removed to the detriment of the visual amenity, and it was the general view that the changes would create an unacceptable eyesore.”
The company claimed the news plans are designed to reconfigure the car park for the customers' benefit but they have now decided to add a huge automated car wash.
Mr Robertson said the vast barn-like building would be wide enough to take two cars going through each of two washers at the same time.
The association has also won local councillors' full support who agreed to oppose the supermarket's proposals.
Councillor Norman Patricks said: “This plan would be an aesthetic disaster. To stick the filling station and a monstrosity of a car wash opposite Bridge Road Methodist Church is ridiculous.
“The church may be a relatively new building, but it won a regional architectural award for its appearance. We welcomed that structure – but not this one.”
Resident Bill Raybould, of 12 Bridge Road, West Newtown, said: “I am very suspicious that Andersons are trying to pave the way for further expansion.
“If they get permission for this, I feel sure it won't be long before the old application for a superstore resurfaces.”
However, Andersons spokesman said they dispute suggestions that their proposal would create traffic hazards, “Indeed we believe it would make the complex safer and easier for customers to use.”
The association was set up in response to Andersons' previous proposals which had been objected largely because of traffic disruption.
(325 words)
Questions Two:
A drinks distribution company will be awarded Wholesaler of the Year by Karlsbrew UK in its centenary year.
Varndell's, the family-run business, is the major distributor for Karlsbtrew throughout the region.
Richard Varnell, company secretary said the award recognised their standing in a very competitive business arena and showed they fulfilled Karlsbrew's expectations as well as it was a tribute to their hard-working employees.
The ceremony will be held at Karlsbrew's national sales conference at Birmingham next month.
(80 words)
Question Three:
A woman had her handbag stolen from her trolley yesterday at about 2:30pm in Kirkham's Supermarket on Ashforth Road, Newtown.
The bag was a distinctive one in yellow leather with red stripes, and she lost it when selecting items from a shelf.
Anyone with information should contact on Newton 331322.
(50 words)
Question Four:
Manager of the local airport:
Why does your company propose to build up a second runway?
How much does it cost to build up the second runway?
What are the profits your company will make from the new proposal?
Will there any environmental damages, such as air pollution or noisy pollution occur because of the new proposal?
If there is any adverse effects, what is your plan to solve it?
Is there any a need to build up a second runway?
Will it truly allow a 35 per cent increase in landing and take-offs?
Are there any problems in landings and take-offs in recent years in the airport?
Local councillor who has a view on the the proposal:
What is your opinion about your local airport's new proposal to build up a second runway?
Will the council's planning committee permit the airport's proposal? And what are the progress has the council made in examining the proposal?
Have the council taken air and noisy pollution into consideration when decide whether should grant the airport the permission to build up the second runway?
If there is any environmental damages because of the second run way? What should council do to help reduce the damages?
Will council conduct a questionnaire or set up a residents poll to get feedback from local people? And see what are their attitudes towards the new proposal?
How does the new proposal affect the local business?
Does the local area truly need a new second runway?
Representative from the local residents association:
What is your opinion of the airport's new proposal regarding building up a second runway?
Do you think your local airport need a second runway?
Are there any environmental problems around the area? For example, air pollution or noisy pollution?
What benefits will the new proposal bring to your town?
What disadvantages does the new proposal bring to the local area?
Are you a regular traveller on the plane? Do you find any problems of the airport runway facilities?
Online:
A comprehensive summary of the story, regularly updated as information becomes available.
Web links guiding readers to appropriate sources of information such as local airport's website, council website, residents association website.
Cross refer to your newspaper which will carry out a full story.
Set up an online reader poll to ask readers whether they agree with the proposal or not?
Invite someone who lives near the airport to write a blog talk about his experience of being living near the site, such as does air plane affects his daily life?
Video:
Video interviews of the key players – manager of the airport, local councillor, and the rep from the residents association.
Video a local MP commenting on the issue.
Video the reporter doing a piece of camera standing in front of the airport to tell audience about the story
Video local residents who live near the airport giving sound-bite views of the issue.
Video the second runway location, what are the areas the second runway will cover and explain the surrounding situation.
Upload a slide show of pictures of the airport facilities.
Other interaction:
Use sms text messages to break the story and direct recipients to your website or the paper for more information.
Ask your editor to comment on the story in his print and online editorial.
Invite readers to send messages back of their views and publish them on your website or in the paper.
Send an e-mail alert to reader subscribers with a link to your website story.
Set up a Facebook and Twitter page and ask local people to express their opinions freely.
News writing - Duddleston ctiy council
Question 1:
St Benedict's church Rev in Duddleston supports single-sex marriage by believing there is a place for gay people.
The number of civil partnership marriage has increased by 16 per cent in Duddleston, which is one of the only two areas, including Barnsley, that reported a rise, head of registrations Mrs Julia Sutcliff at Duddleston City Council said.
Rev Andrew MacDuffie said: “On Saturday I shall perform the city's first blessing of a single-sex couple after their civil partnership ceremony. We shouldn't have had to wait this long for Duddleston's first blessing.
“What is important is the stability of a relationship, not the couple's sexuality. My personal view is that it is important to enshrine in law anything that overcomes discrimination.
However, neighbouring St Faith's Church turned down a gay couple, Sally Spencer, of Kennedy Road, said: “We would have liked a blessing afterwards at, but our vicar turned us down.
“He just didn't want anything to do with it despite the fact we often attend his services.”
Nationally, Local Government Association survey showed the number of gay weddings fell on average by 55 per cent in the past 12 months.
Adrian Martines, Chair of Duddleston Lesbian and Gay Forum, said: “There was a big pent-up at the end of 2005, which is why so many couple went for civil partnerships as soon as possible after the law changed. A tailing off has been inevitable.”
While locally, the survey reported the number was on year-on-year drops from 31 per cent to 90 per cent among the forty local authorities were surveyed.
Mrs Sutcliff said the ceremonies got off to a relatively slow start in December 2005 and in early 2006 but they believe the situation will now become better.
Mr Martines added Duddleston City Council takes a very positive view of these ceremonies and has earned a reputation of sympathetic help its staff give to same-sex couples.
(325 words)
Questions Two:
A dumped or escaped pig appeared in front of Tony Sainsford's fruit and veg stall guzzling apples
and making a grunting noise on Normanston open market today, RSPCA inspector Geoff Robertshaw said.
According to him, the animal is a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig and sometimes kept as a pet.
“Tony lassoed it, kept it tethered until we arrives and police say no reports of a missing or stolen pig.” Mr Robertshaw added.
Anyone with information should contact on 02924 367560.
(80 words)
Question Three:
Police drug raid recovered an 18-inch tall brass crucifix from a house in Ebling Street, Duddleston, initial inquiries failed to establish where it belongs.
The cross has no decoration or identifying marks, plain squared ends, mounted on a tiered oak plinth.
Anyone with information should contact on 02924 335511.
(50 words)
Question Four:
Headteahcer of the school:
Why does the school install CCTV cameras at toilet?
Have you ever worried about the consequence of the pupils' images that appear online?
Are there any other ways to solve the smoking and graffiti problems?
How serious the smoking and graffiti problems are at the school?
What is the school's plan if unfortunately the images of pupils using toilet appear online?
Is it legal to install CCTV cameras in the toilet?
The angry parent:
What is your opinion of school's CCTV cameras plan?
How do you think it will affect your children?
What is the thing that you have worried most regarding installing CCTV cameras in the toilet?
Have you talked to your local councillor, what suggestions did he provide to you? Does his granddaughter also go to the same school as your children?
Do you have any ideas of solving smoking and graffiti problems instead of installing CCTV cameras in the toilet?
The local councillor whose daughter goes to the school:
What is your opinion about the issue regarding your local school is going to install CCTV cameras in the toilet?
Are you worried about your granddaughter using school's toilet image appears online?
Did council have any plans to work with the school to help reduce smoking and graffiti? What is it?
Do you think installing CCTV cameras in the toilet in order to solve smoking and graffiti is a good way to solve the problems? Why?
Do you support parents' protest to oppose the school's CCTV cameras plan? Why?
Who should be responsible for children's smoking and making graffiti behaviour?
Online:
A comprehensive summary of the story, regularly updated as information becomes available.
Web links guiding readers to appropriate sources of information such as the school's website, parent's protest website (if there is one), CCTV camera information website.
Cross refer to your newspaper which will carry a full story.
Set up an online reader poll and ask reader whether they agree with the school's plan to install CCTV cameras in the toilet.
Invite a parent who is protesting the school's CCTV cameras plan to write up a blog discussing about the issue and updating the protest's progress.
Video:
Video the interviews of the key players – headteacher of the school, the angry parent, the local councillor, or the pupils.
Video a local MP commenting on the issue.
Video the reporter doing a piece of camera in front of the school to introduce and tell audience the story.
Video local resident giving sound-bite views of the CCTV camera installing in school toilet issue.
Video the school's toilet, and roughly show audience where the CCTV cameras will be installed.
Other interaction:
Use sms text messages to break the story and direct the recipient to your website or newspaper for more information.
Send an e-mail alert to your reader subscribers with a link to your website story.
Invite reader to send in text messages of their views and publish them on your website or in the paper.
Ask your editor to comment on the story in his print and online editorial.
Set up an Facebook and Twitter page and let readers to say their opinions freely.
St Benedict's church Rev in Duddleston supports single-sex marriage by believing there is a place for gay people.
The number of civil partnership marriage has increased by 16 per cent in Duddleston, which is one of the only two areas, including Barnsley, that reported a rise, head of registrations Mrs Julia Sutcliff at Duddleston City Council said.
Rev Andrew MacDuffie said: “On Saturday I shall perform the city's first blessing of a single-sex couple after their civil partnership ceremony. We shouldn't have had to wait this long for Duddleston's first blessing.
“What is important is the stability of a relationship, not the couple's sexuality. My personal view is that it is important to enshrine in law anything that overcomes discrimination.
However, neighbouring St Faith's Church turned down a gay couple, Sally Spencer, of Kennedy Road, said: “We would have liked a blessing afterwards at, but our vicar turned us down.
“He just didn't want anything to do with it despite the fact we often attend his services.”
Nationally, Local Government Association survey showed the number of gay weddings fell on average by 55 per cent in the past 12 months.
Adrian Martines, Chair of Duddleston Lesbian and Gay Forum, said: “There was a big pent-up at the end of 2005, which is why so many couple went for civil partnerships as soon as possible after the law changed. A tailing off has been inevitable.”
While locally, the survey reported the number was on year-on-year drops from 31 per cent to 90 per cent among the forty local authorities were surveyed.
Mrs Sutcliff said the ceremonies got off to a relatively slow start in December 2005 and in early 2006 but they believe the situation will now become better.
Mr Martines added Duddleston City Council takes a very positive view of these ceremonies and has earned a reputation of sympathetic help its staff give to same-sex couples.
(325 words)
Questions Two:
A dumped or escaped pig appeared in front of Tony Sainsford's fruit and veg stall guzzling apples
and making a grunting noise on Normanston open market today, RSPCA inspector Geoff Robertshaw said.
According to him, the animal is a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig and sometimes kept as a pet.
“Tony lassoed it, kept it tethered until we arrives and police say no reports of a missing or stolen pig.” Mr Robertshaw added.
Anyone with information should contact on 02924 367560.
(80 words)
Question Three:
Police drug raid recovered an 18-inch tall brass crucifix from a house in Ebling Street, Duddleston, initial inquiries failed to establish where it belongs.
The cross has no decoration or identifying marks, plain squared ends, mounted on a tiered oak plinth.
Anyone with information should contact on 02924 335511.
(50 words)
Question Four:
Headteahcer of the school:
Why does the school install CCTV cameras at toilet?
Have you ever worried about the consequence of the pupils' images that appear online?
Are there any other ways to solve the smoking and graffiti problems?
How serious the smoking and graffiti problems are at the school?
What is the school's plan if unfortunately the images of pupils using toilet appear online?
Is it legal to install CCTV cameras in the toilet?
The angry parent:
What is your opinion of school's CCTV cameras plan?
How do you think it will affect your children?
What is the thing that you have worried most regarding installing CCTV cameras in the toilet?
Have you talked to your local councillor, what suggestions did he provide to you? Does his granddaughter also go to the same school as your children?
Do you have any ideas of solving smoking and graffiti problems instead of installing CCTV cameras in the toilet?
The local councillor whose daughter goes to the school:
What is your opinion about the issue regarding your local school is going to install CCTV cameras in the toilet?
Are you worried about your granddaughter using school's toilet image appears online?
Did council have any plans to work with the school to help reduce smoking and graffiti? What is it?
Do you think installing CCTV cameras in the toilet in order to solve smoking and graffiti is a good way to solve the problems? Why?
Do you support parents' protest to oppose the school's CCTV cameras plan? Why?
Who should be responsible for children's smoking and making graffiti behaviour?
Online:
A comprehensive summary of the story, regularly updated as information becomes available.
Web links guiding readers to appropriate sources of information such as the school's website, parent's protest website (if there is one), CCTV camera information website.
Cross refer to your newspaper which will carry a full story.
Set up an online reader poll and ask reader whether they agree with the school's plan to install CCTV cameras in the toilet.
Invite a parent who is protesting the school's CCTV cameras plan to write up a blog discussing about the issue and updating the protest's progress.
Video:
Video the interviews of the key players – headteacher of the school, the angry parent, the local councillor, or the pupils.
Video a local MP commenting on the issue.
Video the reporter doing a piece of camera in front of the school to introduce and tell audience the story.
Video local resident giving sound-bite views of the CCTV camera installing in school toilet issue.
Video the school's toilet, and roughly show audience where the CCTV cameras will be installed.
Other interaction:
Use sms text messages to break the story and direct the recipient to your website or newspaper for more information.
Send an e-mail alert to your reader subscribers with a link to your website story.
Invite reader to send in text messages of their views and publish them on your website or in the paper.
Ask your editor to comment on the story in his print and online editorial.
Set up an Facebook and Twitter page and let readers to say their opinions freely.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)