The BBC's Cheshire Political Reporter. Find me on North West Tonight, Politics North West & your local radio station. Sandgrounder, cat lady, fan of loud tights
Yesterday was a hard day. As a journalist, I have worked on difficult things but covering such an horrendous incident in your hometown is tough. The house I grew up in is down the road from where it happened and we lived on Hart St for a short time too so it was so close to home.
Yesterday was my lovely friend
@OwainWynEvans
' last day
@BBCNWT
. We'll all miss you so much, hope you have a brilliant time at Radio 2!
And here's the little montage from the programme, made by yours truly. You can tell I made it because it's full of animals!!
NEWS!
So, recently I spent six months standing in as the BBC's Cheshire Political Reporter - and I'm super excited to say that I'll shortly be taking up the role permanently!
This is the moment family and friends of Tom Parker started their 5km walk in his memory. It’s taking place in his hometown of Bolton and they started at Tom’s old school. More on
@BBCNWT
later.
"Back in the day the prevailing view was that, to be a good journalist, you always needed to remain detached from what you were reporting on. According to that standard, I’m not a good journalist" - thoughtful words on this week from
@RogerJ_01
It was nice to be at
@CreweHC
for the BBC News at Six yesterday. Before I went on the director in the gallery asked if that was an Intercity APT behind me - and indeed it was!
Do you know your pale ales from your porters? Congleton is looking for an ale taster and, as a beer lover, I thought it was my duty to go and find out more.
You can see what I discovered on
@BBCNWT
at 6:30pm.
A poignant day in Southport today. This bracelet was made by 11-year-old Autumn. She's making bracelets to give out to people in the town with a local charity and other volunteers. Hear more on
@BBCNWT
shortly.
Producer: "You like dogs, don't you? Can you go to DogFest on Saturday?"
Me: "YES PLEASEEEEEE!"
Find out all about it (it's dubbed the Glastonbury for dogs) on
@BBCNWT
with
@KellyForan
tonight - we're on at 6:55pm.
Hello from the Macclesfield and Tatton counts. Verification has recently finished so counting has started. Labour sources say they're confident they'll win Macclesfield - a seat that's been Conservative since 1918.
Starting a new job is always a bit of an odd time - but what if that new job is as an MP? I took a trip down to Westminster to chat with some of the North West's newly elected MPs - watch on
@BBCNWT
tonight and Politics North West
#bbcpnw
on Sunday
Metro mayors
@MayorofGM
&
@LCRMayor
were in
#Crewe
this morning speaking at an event for biz leaders with
@CheshireEast
.
Andy Burnham told me afterwards Crewe had been "let down" over HS2 & a new rail line is needed with the town "at its heart".
More ⬇️
For anyone interested in the upcoming City of
#Chester
by-election - today my excellent colleague
@chamiltonbbc
will be hosting a debate with some of the candidates live on her programme on
@bbcmerseyside
.
Tune in on BBC Sounds or catch up afterwards here:
And he’s off!
@jordannorth1
is on the final stretch of his Comic Relief challenging
#RowingHome
to Burnley! Good luck!!
Watch
@BBCNWT
this evening to find out how he gets on.
Chester's recently elected MP
@SamanthaDixonMP
calls for
#Cheshire
to be able to take control of its buses, like Greater Manchester & the Liverpool City Region.
More on this on
#bbcpnw
tomorrow at 10.
Good morning from the newsroom! I'm producing today's
@BBCNWT
bulletins.
@StevenSaul
will be on the red sofa with all the news from the North West on BBC One at 6:50pm and 10:20pm - hope you can join us!
Tune in to a special Politics North West on Sunday morning with a debate with all 3 candidates standing to be Cheshire’s next Police & Crime Commissioner.
Police officer numbers, shoplifting & violence against women & girls were among the topics discussed.
#bbcpnw
#Cheshire
Happy Sunday from MediaCity! I'm producing
@BBCNWT
today with
@anna_jameson_
out reporting,
@EmmanuelleLhoni
working on our social media and
@phi1mccann
will be your presenter today. Join us on BBC One at 6:50pm and 10:25pm.
I did
@BBCNWT
's social media for the Drumathon. Some great moments in a highlight on Instagram:
It was truly amazing & Owain was just brilliant.
I was also lucky enough to be in the room for the rehearsal for this performance & it was just WOW!
I’ve already cried twice this morning 😂 Exactly one year ago at 08:35 I started playing the drums and would continue doing so for the next 24hrs! The
@BBCBreakfast
Drumathon has now raised over £3.8 MILLION! And that’s thanks to YOU… more info on my IG:
I did get upset yesterday while out in Southport speaking to people and hearing some of the terrible things they'd witnessed, and also in the press conference in the evening. My thoughts remain with the loved ones of those impacted by yesterday's awful, awful events.
A lifetime of letters and photos.
This suitcase contains documents owned by teacher Ellen Retallack and was bought by historian
@DrMichalaHulme
at an auction - it’s now inspired a new exhibition at Manchester’s Central Library. Find out about it on
@BBCNWT
shortly
Busy week! Live for the BBC News at Six in Crewe, a BBC Radio Stoke outside broadcast in Crewe, filming a piece for Politics North West in Knutsford, a BBC Radio Manchester outside broadcast...and a little turn on BBC Radio Manchester talking about my love of Taylor Swift. Phew!
She was a campaigner & activist, but do you know the story of Ada Nield Chew? She wrote to her local paper under the name Crewe Factory Girl about the issues she faced at work. There's a campaign for a statue of her in
#Crewe
Listen on
@BBCRadioStoke
here:
A quick vid from this evening - producing a weather OB with
@OwainWynEvans
and
@alexmccartneytv
You can see more behind the scenes stuff from me over on Tiktok
This is the moment the statue of women’s rights campaigner Elizabeth Wolstenholme Elmy was unveiled in Congleton - more on
@BBCNWT
at 6:30 this evening
We've heard a lot about airport queues over the last few weeks so today I've been to
@LPL_Airport
to find out what's been happening there as families jet away for the Easter hols. Watch on
@BBCNWT
with
@StevenSaul
just after 6:30pm.
#Liverpool
#HandforthParishCouncil
news!
Reports into what went on have now been published. And they say that Jackie Weaver...did not have the authority.
I've been reading the 145 pages of the six reports. Three relate to more long-standing issues and three relate to that viral meeting.
💥 SOME NEWS 💥
I’m joining BBC Radio 2! From January I’ll be presenting the new Early Breakfast Show live from gorgeous Cardiff, making it the first daily Radio 2 show to be broadcast from Wales 🏴 I can’t wait to get started 🧡
@BBCRadio2
I had a lovely time at the
#RTSNW
awards on Saturday night - and it was great fun dressing up which is not usually like me! Well done to all the winners!
I’ve had my wellies on today to go to this site near
#Macclesfield
. It’s near to Danes Moss Nature Reserve and could soon house 950 homes and a new road. But local campaigners are concerned because the site is mostly peatland.
Find out more on
@BBCNWT
this evening.
Good morning from the golden gates of Warrington. I've been here asking people their thoughts on the PM's apology yesterday - you'll be able to hear it on
@bbcmerseyside
later. You'll also hear from
@chamiltonbbc
who is speaking to people in Southport.
The Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner count is taking place tomorrow. I've had turnout figures from three of the four areas that voted in yesterday's PCC election. They are:
Cheshire East 19.3%
Cheshire West and Chester 19.5%
Halton 21.4%
Good evening (or is it morning yet??) from the Northgate Arena in Chester!
Labour have held this seat since 2015 - will that change?
We're expecting a result about 3am. I'll keep you updated.
Thanks to
@chamiltonbbc
for having me on her show how this evening talking about youth services - my first time ever in the BBC Radio Merseyside studio, you could tell I was very pleased about it!
You can listen on BBC Sounds
Councillors in Warrington have this evening unanimously backed proposals this evening to formally object to Peel’s plans to increase the cost of using the Warburton toll bridge - Peel wants it to go from 12p to £1 each way. More on
@bbcmerseyside
@BBCRadioManc
tomorrow
A big talking point at the moment is Cheshire East Council's parking review - which includes plans to charge in places that have historically been free. I've asked businesses in
#Alsager
for their thoughts, read their views below ⬇️
#Cheshire
BRIDGE NEWS.
So, in case you didn't know, there's a toll bridge linking Cheshire to Greater Manchester. It costs 12p to use - as it has done since 1890.
But now owner Peel Ports want to increase that toll to £1 to pay for improvement works. [1/7]
Me and
@kaleighnews
met with
@BBCBreakfast
social media team to organise digital coverage. Everything you see under
@BBCNWT
social media has been done by her. The footage she posted of the Big Bang moment has been viewed 3 million times.
The City of Chester's new MP Samantha Dixon
@CllrSDixon
has been sworn in today - all new MPs have swear in before they can take their seat, join in with a debate or vote.
Read more on the by-election result:
#Chester
#CityofChester
#ByElection
It was great to take part in Radio 4's PM broadcast in Warrington this afternoon.
You'll be able to listen again or catch up on BBC Sounds shortly.
(I do mention ice cream, it was warm in that room so it was on my mind!)
Some non-political Warrington news for my fellow emos out there: My Chemical Romance have just announced a show in the town next May. And if you have a WA1, WA2, WA3, WA4 or WA5 postcode you can buy tickets a day before they go on general sale.
After covering the overnight & morning reaction to the Chester by-election (inc 3 appearances on 5live, radios Merseyside & Scotland & a 2am stint on the News Channel) the legend that is
@phi1mccann
has taken over by-election duties & will have the latest
@BBCNWT
at 6:30.
The contract to build the HS2 trains has been now been awarded. Crewe - very well known for its railway links and heritage - will be a key location for building the new trains. [1/6]
Good morning from the Royal Cheshire Show! A bit soggy this morning but it’s due to clear up. I’ll have coverage on
@BBCRadioStoke
&
@BBCNWT
today!
(And if you missed me just then on Radio Stoke Breakfast, I did enjoy that they played Why Does It Always Rain On Me afterwards 😂)
The chief exec of Chester Zoo has written to Welsh Water over sewage in the Dee. He says it's "totally unacceptable" and says it puts wildlife at risk.
This must stop now❌
@DwrCymru
recently discharged RAW SEWAGE into Chester’s River Dee – causing a huge risk to the wildlife that our conservationists are working to protect.
We need answers, so here’s an open letter from our CEO, Jamie Christon, to the bosses at Welsh Water.
I was in
#Crewe
last wk, looking at what's next for the town after the northern leg of HS2 was scrapped, & spoke to
@CreweHC
@candwep
& local biz Qualkem. Cheshire East leader
@CllrSam
says Crewe needs compensation.
Watch
@BBCNWT
tonight & read more here:
Excuse me for the fangirl moment but I went to NBH for the first time today and I've been absolutely giddy with excitement about it. It's somewhere I've always wanted to visit (nerdy, I know!) And I get to come back tomorrow too!!
Good morning from the village of Woore, which is in Shropshire very close to the border with Cheshire. I’m speaking to people here on their thoughts on the North Shropshire by-election. I’ll be on
@BBCRadioStoke
just after 8.
What a time to be a political reporter. So many twists and turns...and I only officially started the job on 5 September, the same day it was announced Liz Truss had won the leadership contest. That seems like a very long time ago now!
Towns & cities can now apply to become the HQ of the new national body for the country's railways. The gov says it's looking for places with strong rail links. Crewe is planning a bid - with its railway heritage & arrival of HS2, it'll have a strong case
Today marks 30 years since the Warrington bomb. Three-year-old Johnathan Ball and 12-year-old Tim Parry were killed & more than 50 others were hurt. Tim’s dad Colin and former Prime Minister Sir John Major spoke at a commemoration today, see the story on
@BBCNWT
at 6:30pm
First day back in the office after two weeks in Germany. Staying by the beautiful lake Tegernsee was definitely one of my highlights, such a gorgeous place.
And now back to lots of emails!
Ellesmere Port & Neston MP
@justinmadders
asked about fracking at today’s
#PMQs
- he asked about comments the Chancellor made about fracking earlier this year. PM says the gov is “pulling every lever” to improve energy supply.
More on PMQs on BBC website:
RUBBISH NEWS.
Chester West & Chester Council have paused plans to charge residents to dispose of construction and DIY waste. A scheme charging people £3.70 per bag (for four+ bags) at household waste recycling centres was due to come in tomorrow.
Big news for Crewe this morning. The company's chairman said: "Securing production of our first BEV (battery-powered electric vehicle) in Crewe is a milestone moment for Bentley, and the UK, as we plan for a long-term sustainable future in Crewe.”
BREAKING:
@BentleyMotors
have announced they're going to build their first ever electric car in
#Crewe
– part of a £2.5 billion pound investment at the site.
Hello from Alsager Market. I’m talking about parking today. This is a place that could see parking fees come in and some biz say they’re concerned but Cheshire East say the current arrangements are not fair or sustainable. A consultation ends today. Hear more on
@BBCRadioStoke
I was in a slightly damp Congleton earlier for
@BBCRadioStoke
asking people their reaction to a general election being called & their predictions. You can listen back on BBC Sounds - I was on just after 12.
(Hoping weather picks up for the rest of the election period!)
Good morning from Macclesfield Town Hall where Cheshire East will be discussing their budget today. There’s 18 items on the agenda so could be a long meeting - I have a bag full of snacks in preparation!
The leader of Cheshire East Council told
#bbcpnw
he was doing "everything" he could to avoid the council issuing a section 114 - that's when an authority is effectively 'bankrupt'.
Read more:
Latest winning levelling up bids out, Eden Project in Morecambe is the biggie for the NW.
But what about
#Cheshire
? Cheshire West & Chester gets £13m for Ellesmere Port but misses out on £46m it asked for a new bridge over the River Weaver in Winnington.
The Chester Mystery plays (
@2023MysteryPlay
) are back this year. I've been along to see their first rehearsal and you can find out a bit more about it and meet the two actors sharing one very big role in this evening's
@BBCNWT
.
See it on iPlayer now:
I’ve been in my hometown of Southport today talking about the Pier. It’s now been closed for six months and the council next an extra £10m to repair it. So what now? Watch on
@BBCNWT
at 6:30pm.
1 hour and 55 minutes into the meeting about Poynton Pool and the debate has just started. We’ve heard from visiting councillors, members of the public and the agent on behalf of the scheme. Plenty of questions from the committee to the speakers - lots of v technical info.
The 2nd phase of the Royal Arcade scheme in
#Crewe
is at risk - the council says it's after construction cost increases and uncertainty after the scrapping of HS2. I'll have the story on
@BBCRadioStoke
after 7:30am tomorrow & read more on the BBC website:
BREAKING: Together Energy - the company part-owned by Warrington Borough Council - has ceased to trade.
The company's 176,000 customers will be moved to a new supplier.