“The Bear of Brussels” driving in a new direction

This feature is about a professional footballer, William ‘Billy’ Ashcroft, who is now a driving instructor in the small town of Southport. He speaks about his life, experiences from when he played football and how he ended up in this profession.

REVIEW: The 1975, O2 Academy, Manchester, March 13

This is a review the performance of The 1975, an indie-rock band, when they played in Manchester at the O2 Academy in March 2016.

Does Manchester’s Northern Vegan Festival attendance indicate a rise in veganism?

This feature looks into the rise in Veganism in Manchester and how the attendance of Manchester’s Northern Vegan Festival has increased in recent years, and why this might be.

Manchester’s Alienated Life exhibit showcases Chernobyl’s soaring animal population – 30 years after nuclear disaster

An Alienated Life exhibit came to Manchester Science and Industry Museum and showcased Chernobyl’s increasing animal population via virtual reality, 30 years after the nuclear disaster took place.

“New Year, new Trinity” says Reverend Garner

This feature documents the restorations being made to Holy Trinity Church in Southport. The reverend of the church, Reverend Garner, discusses the funding process behind the maintenance work and how it affects the children in the school attached, as well as regular attendees.

Stone Roses fans to sojourn in Salford

The Stone Roses announced gigs at Etihad Stadium and leading to hotels in Manchester booking up very quickly on those dates. Therefore, Stone Roses fans turned to Salford for accommodation. This article looks at how this affected hotel prices in the area.

Coronation Street storyline boosts diet campaign views by 380%

A recent Coronation Street storyline involving fictional character Bethany Platt had a significant impact on the amount of people viewing the Fake Meds campaign ran by the Department of Health. In this story I managed to speak to actress Lucy Fallon, who plays Bethany, about this – as well as a member of the Fake Meds campaign team.

Manchester mourns over Paris terror

Manchester reacts to the terror in Paris by standing in silence in memory of the 129 victims who lost their lives.

Salford continues to send condolences to Paris

A week on from the tragedy in Paris, a message was displayed on an advertising board on the M602 motorway. This short story explains whats the message says and means, as well as how many people got to see it.

REVIEW: Simone’s: The Healthy Baker

Fat free cake came to Manchester, and this review will tell you all you need to know about the groundbreaking new venue. Simone’s: The Healthy Baker resides in Manchester Arndale market and caters for all dietary requirements.

Lowry Outlet’s Black Friday success

Salford’s Lowry Outlet saw a surge in sales when over popular high streets saw a reduction in footfall – I spoke to members of staff at the Lowry about why they think this is.

Getting the better of the bottle

This feature is about a young girl who has overcome her childhood, where she was brought up by alcoholics, and all the obstacles life has thrown at her. She is now left with anxiety and an essential tremor because of this. The subject of this feature, however, wished to remain anonymous.

REVIEW: Café Rouge, Media City UK

Salford’s Lowry Outlet is home to a variety of restaurants. I chose to review Café Rouge – here is what I thought.

Three bank closures in the past year leaves Birkdale residents concerned

The small town on Birkdale, Southport, encountered three bank closures in the past year. This led to jobs being lost and footfall for small businesses in Birkdale suffering.