Enfield Dreams

I woke up with a jolt and realised I had been dreaming of people I’ve written stories about for the paper. This struck odd and hasn’t happened all year since my newsy life began.

While here though, it’s worth mentioning that during my current term in training, Friday’s are my favourite day because I’m at workon the paper. It's a reminder of what the rest of the course is for.

I did a week’s placement at the same paper back in May and came away with a pile of bylines.
This time around, going in just the one day a week over a longer period of time gives you a real sense of the paper and the most important people that make it what it is – the people written about of course – but perhaps more importantly the readers.

Like all reporters I like going out on jobs best. If I'm with a photographer then even better. I don’t mind what for but meeting people and finding out what they’re up to is what inspires me most.

Back in September on my first day I wrote a story about a mother of a THREE-YEAR-OLD who has set up a charity after her son has been living with a pace-maker since he was born. Other favourites include: A volunteer who has raised over £800,000 for arthritis research in twenty-five years, A LOVED UP couple’s diamond wedding anniversary, A MAN with learning difficulties who thought he was “stupid” because he didn't know the alphabet who has just been short-listed for a student of the year award and an EIGHT-YEAR-OLD schoolboy who won first place in a tae kwon do championship with hopes to become the youngest to hold a black-belt in the country.

Most recently I visited a member of the Green Party at his home for a feature I was writing on 'How to reduce your carbon footprint and live lighter,' and last week a case study on a survivor of domestic violence. The interview was conducted in Urdu with me translating into English as I went along - which really put my multi-tasking skills to the test. The latter was a story my editor wasn't sure about in the first instance but open to persuasion as he is, he let me have a go and ran it. That's another reason that makes this team so good. I must sound like I want a job there. (Off the record: I do).

All news is news worth writing. But what we call human interest stories in the business are my niche and what I strive to do.