Blog
Cambs Police and my FOI request
I was stonewalled when I asked Cambridgeshire Police for migrant crime figures in Wisbech - my home town which has witnessed murders among its new Eastern European community - after submitting a Freedom of Information request for this information which I believed they...
Anglesey Abbey’s snowdrop walk
Now the weather has picked up, I recommend that all garden lovers visit Anglesey Abbey, just outside Cambridge, to enjoy the National Trust's first ever winter walk designed by their inspirational retired head gardener Richard Ayres. It now attracts thousands of...
Terence Stamp’s big regret, Vanessa Redgrave and his favourite East End mango
Perhaps it was because I had just been to a funeral that afternoon that Song for Marion was particularly poignant for me at its Cambridge preview. I was feeling the loss of a dear friend whose smile always lighted a room, she had a cheerfulness similar to Marion,...
YourEly plan for city’s businesses to unite
Ely may not have Mary Portas, but it is fortunate in having business woman Caroline Bailey in its midst to lead on the challenge of ensuring that local businesses and the city's high street remains vibrant for years to come. This is not the time for businesses to sit...
When will Sir Richard Branson and Prof Stephen Hawking head for space on Virgin Galactic?
Just over a year ago I recorded this video of Sir Richard Branson at Prof Stephen Hawkings' 70th birthday symposium in Cambridge. Branson told me he was planning to enter space on his Virgin Galactic by the end of 2012 with his children, and that Prof Hawking would...
How independent book stores can succeed
With the spotlight firmly on saving further shops in our high street from closure following the demise of HMV, Blockbuster, and, a favourite of mine, Jessop's, there is one independent store in Ely that shines like a beacon and has the support and admiration of its...
How far has cancer screening progressed in the last 60 years?
Abcodia, the award winning biomarker validation company with a focus on cancer screening, highlighted some interesting data in its latest newsletter which I thought I would share here. It published fascinating figures about research growth in cancer screening from...
Eric Schmidt on UK foreign policy, Julian Assange, and what worries him
Connecting the world may be Eric Schmidt's dream, but it is one which could dramatically change the shape of the internet today as we know it, dominated as it is, by western users from affluent countries. I had never considered this before, the impact of AI digitally...
My OXYjet experience
When I worked as a journalist and wrote a weekly health and beauty page, I used to love visiting spas to test them out. In fact, I first started writing a Woman's page when I was 16. I still avidly follow updates about what's new in the beauty industry and enjoy being...