December 22, 2006
Signing off for Christmas.
Wishing you all a very Happy Christmas and a fantastic 2007.
Will be back on Wednesday.
Posted by sazam at 12:07 PM | Comments (0)
December 21, 2006
ALL survived the Christmas meal last night - we all enjoyed it - some more than others. But I'll spare you all the gory details.
Even before I even had a chance to grab my first black coffee this morning, I had a call from a transport bod brimming with ideas for the the New Year.
Could the Gazette tackle packed trains, inaccessible stations, fare price hikes – some of these issues we’re already robustly pursuing – but I'm sure the others will also come under the Gazette microscope. So look out First Great Western.
The planning for 2007 is already underway but as always, we’re on the lookout for new ideas – so pick up the phone and tell us what you would like to read in the paper/website next year.
Today we’re all beavering away for the New Year edition - we’ll only have a day to complete it when we return from the Christmas break. So must get on… hope you all enjoyed your Christmas do!
Posted by sazam at 3:48 PM | Comments (1)
December 20, 2006
Christmas splash
Well, the Christmas edition is all wrapped up.
We have a truly heart-warming front-page about an eight-year-old boy, who‘s been given the all clear after battling against a rare form of cancer.
Louis Tavare will be enjoying this Christmas with his family, they say it will mark a new beginning for their little brave boy. Such stories really puts the whole meaning of Christmas into perspective.
Everyone in the office are cracking on with the next edition, so we don’t fall too far behind when we return from the festive break. But we’re also looking forward to the our office Christmas meal tonight, which is being held at a swanky Italian restaurant.
It’s called Paolo’s in Park Royal, north west London, so if you’re passing by or in the restaurant come and say hello!
Posted by sazam at 1:28 PM | Comments (0)
December 18, 2006
Christmas spirit and deadlines
Inspite of the early deadline pressures, the Christmas spirit has well and truly arrived at the very glittery and glistening Gazette towers.
Not only are decorations up, but also Santa was spotted strutting across the newsroom with boxes of toys donated by our kind readers.
I hasten to say, they were not for the wide-eyed Gazette staff, but were on their way to the children’s ward at Ealing Hospital.
As Santa left the building, I did hear a perturbed photographer following him yell: ‘Get that ******* reindeer off the roof’. I’ll speak to him about that later.
Anyway despite these brief moments of merriments, everyone is extremely busy as we aim to stay on course for those deadlines.
The newslist is packed with seasonal stories but the challenge is to find a really good Christmas splash. So far leading the race is our community reporter Jane Harrison.
Also well done to our Hammersmith and Fulham reporter Michael Russell, who won recognition at the London Press Awards for his fair and accurate reporting of issues involving refugees and asylum seekers. His work was put forward by the Hammersmith and Fulham Refugee Forum.
Posted by sazam at 1:38 PM | Comments (0)
December 14, 2006
The Pound Shop
Phew, what a morning! Just gone to press. Amongst all that’s been going on, I received a call from a woman worried about the arrival of a Pound Shop in Ealing Broadway shopping centre.
For her, and judging by some of the other letters, this is a real hot potato.
Many see the arrival of the Pound Shop as a sign of decline, concern being expressed about the future of our swish shopping centre. They’d prefer to see a John Lewis or a Habitat opening up.
However, just down the road in the West Ealing, there’s an array of Pound Shops which all seem to be popular. And don’t forget, how successful stores like Primark have been in the last few years.
I suppose a balance has to be struck. Let me know what you think?
Anyway back in the office, all the pages have been sent to the printers, and another lively and packed edition of the Gazette awaits you in the shops.
Posted by sazam at 1:35 PM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2006
Ealing Broadway train station
As our regular readers know, the Gazette has been campaigning to improve the scandalous facilities at Ealing Broadway train station.
Once again, we've been receiving more complaints from put-upon commuters using this busy station
The lack of lifts and escalators, makes this major station one of the most inaccessible in London. On top of that, queues for tickets regularly stretch out of the station doors. New machines were put in to alleviate the problem, but three out of four were 'out of order' the other week.
Operator First Great Western, refuse to budge saying all improvements are tied up with the Crossrail project (no one seems to be sure when that'll happen).
I say, just like those faulty ticket machines, First Great Western also continues to remain 'out of order' as they treat Ealing commuters with contempt.
Back in the office, there's been a flurry of excitement over an exclusive interview our sports editor Yann Tear has bagged, with the recently sacked Brentford boss, Leroy Rosenior
Our chief reporter Steve Still, a West Ham supporter, was assured that Leroy has ruled himself out of the Hammer's vacancy.
We're approaching deadline fast, so finalising the content for the final few pages before we go to press tomorrow morning.
Posted by sazam at 12:51 PM | Comments (8)
December 12, 2006
Stuff political correctness
I was admiring the Christmas tree at Trafalgar Square last night, sent each year by the Norwegians since 1947, to thank us for helping them out during the second world war.
Choir singers and bell ringers performed in front of the tree to an appreciative audience from all over the world. Cameras and mobile phones flashed away as the delighted crowd tried to capture the festive scene.
It made me think about the whole debate about Christmas (ooops Winter Festival) and political correctness. What a load of tosh - why can't people just enjoy each other's religious festivals without whipping it up into some sort of a political storm. It's driving me crackers (ooops must think of a politically correct word for crackers). Before you know it, we'll be telling the Norwegians what to do with their tree. What do you say?
It's been a busy morning at the Gazette - I've just appointed a new photographer. Shane Dempsey is leaving us after being promoted within the company. We're also frantically trying to find someone suitable to hand over the Christmas toys to Ealing Hospital - so all you celebrities get in touch. We've got a series of strong news stories shaping up which the reporters are thoroughly checking.
The only thing lacking is Christmas decorations in the office, which I've been assured, will be up on Thursday.
Posted by sazam at 11:57 AM | Comments (0)
December 11, 2006
The Wii factor
The Christmas rush smacked me right between the eyes as I struggled through the scores of shoppers at the weekend. It was totally manic - the shops were packed, not a parking spot to be had, queues galore and kids screaming for a Wii (latest games console that is). All that against a dreary background of wet and windy weather coupled with my football team suffering yet another defeat. Hmmm. Not good.
So I was glad to get back to work and hoped the newslist would be just as busy as those shopping centres.
Early indications are promising, with a good mixture of hard and light news. Light news being particularly apt, as we've had a good response to our appeal to find the house with best external Christmas lights. Some of them look amazing.
Also we'll be airing the latest views on the proposed West London tram before we pass them to Mayor Ken. There's a new survey out showing not too many people bother exercising in Ealing - I bet that changes after Christmas.
We'll be looking at the response to introducing the hijab (scarf worn on the head by muslim girls) into mainstream school uniforms. With the regular features, sports and other promising stories coming to the fore, it should be a cracker of an edition.
Posted by sazam at 1:14 PM | Comments (1)
December 8, 2006
Welcome to the Gazette online
Hello and welcome to Gazette online.
We want Gazette online to be the perfect companion to our newspapers offering the very latest news, sports and leisure as well as all the top jobs, property and a huge selection of advertisements.
It is also another way for you to express your opinion on the latest issues affecting life in your community - you can also tell us what you think about the Gazette. Are we meeting your needs or do we need to change/improve? Remember it's your newspaper.
In turn, we'll keep you up-to-date with what's going on at Gazette towers in West Ealing, and how the week's unfolding.
I'll also let you have my thoughts on the big topics and I'm sure I'll get plenty of feedback.
So once again welcome and make use of the new facility.
Have a good weekend
Posted by sazam at 11:12 AM | Comments (0)