Kristina wins the newsquiz champagne

Trainee subs Erin Waks, Tara Anson-Walsh, Kristina Wemyss 

(with the champagne), Josh Thory-Rao and Rachel Petticrew

I said goodbye to the Daily Mail’s five sub-editing trainees … and hello to 11 from MailOnline this week. The print subs spent a day on long-form subbing with Fiona Webster and three days designing and laying out pages using InDesign and Photoshop with Mike Brough. 

The subs and a selection of their pages

The online trainees had sessions with editor Danny Groom, editorial director Ben Bailey, deputy managing editor Paul Hutchinson, SEO manager Tahar Rajab, Femail’s Bridie Pearson-Jones, travel editor Ted Thornhill and Mary Omogbehin from the managing editor’s office. They wrote stories, intros and headlines in Mail style. The intro of the week was written by Cameron Roy and the best headline by Pieter Snepvangers. Last night they enjoyed a 'meet the staff' event with drinks and mini-golf. We finished the week, as always, with the newsquiz. The top scorer was Pieter with 21, ahead of Luke Power on 19 and Sam Lawley, Olivia Christie and Ed Holt who all scored 18. The top scoring sub-editor over the four weeks was Kristina Wemyss who won a bottle of champagne. The top online scorer in last week’s quiz was George Mann with 20.5, ahead of Janet Boyle on 19.5, Jayme Bryla on 19, Marion Fountayne on 18, Rachel Petticrew and Lucy Evans on 16.5 and Robert Rea on 16. The top team was Neil and Jo Benson with 20, ahead of Maura and Phil Parsons on 18. Here is this week’s quiz. Give it a go and see if you can beat Pieter’s score.

Thursday's front pages

1. Home Secretary Suella Braverman said in a speech in Washington that uncontrolled and illegal migration was an '__ challenge for the political and cultural institutions of the West'. What is the missing word?

2. The Institute for Fiscal Studies reported that British households face paying how much a year more in taxes, than they did in 2019, by the next election?

3. A world famous sycamore, once voted English tree of the year and featured in the film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, was chopped down at which historical site? 

4. Elianne Andam, 15, was stabbed to death on her way to school outside the Whitgift Centre in which town?

5. According to a report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development what went up to an average of 7.8 days over the past year? 

6. A major incident was declared after a school bus overturned on which motorway in North West England?

7. Joe Biden became the first sitting US president to do what when he visited Michigan this week?

8. A 32-year-old gunman killed three people in which European city?

9. Who was suspended by GB News after he denigrated journalist Ava Evans and asked what 'self-respecting man' would 'climb into bed’ with her?

10. At least 100 people died and 150 others were injured after a fire broke out during a wedding in which country?

11. Actor David McCallum, who died aged 90, rose to fame by playing agent Illya Kuryakin in which 1960s TV Series?

12. What did builder Michael Thomas make to protest about an enforcement notice which had stopped him converting an old pizza shop in Trowbridge?

13. British crocodile expert and academic Adam Britton pleaded guilty to 56 charges of what when he appeared at the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory in Australia?

14. The first named storm of the new season swept across Scotland this week. What was it called?

15. A 35-year-old British man was stabbed to death in Portugal with speculation he was playing a ’suicide game’ called what?

16. Who walked away unhurt after crashing his £700,000 Rolls Royce?

17. How did Newcastle United make Premier League history with their 8-0 win against Sheffield United?

18. Netflix launched a three-part series called Who Killed __ __? What is the missing name?

19. Chess player Hans Niemann, 19, is suing Chess.com and Norwegian grandmaster Magnus Carlsen for defaming him by saying he used what to cheat?

20. Michael Gambon, who died aged 82, played who in the Harry Potter movies?

21. David Walliams filed a High Court case against which production company that makes the ITV show Britain’s Got Talent?

22. Wales went top of their Rugby World Cup group table by beating which country 40-6 on Sunday?

23. Golf’s Ryder Cup started today (Friday) making its first ever appearance in which European city?

24. The Great British Bake Off returned to the screens with who replacing Matt Lucas as a presenter?

25. A so-called 'frenzy of excitement’ broke out online over the romance between Kansas City Chiefs footballer Travis Kelce and who?

Answers here

Meike wins newsquiz champagne

Trainees (from left) Ayan Oman, Josh Thory-Rao, Erin Waks, Kristina Wemyss, Katharine Spurrier, Meike Leonard (with the champagne), Lucy Evans, Tash Mosheim, Rachel Petticrew and Tara Anson-Walsh. Inset Tum Balogun

I said goodbye to the Daily Mail and Evening Standard reporting trainees today. After three weeks they now head off on placement or back to the newsroom. The trainee subs stay for another week to learn layout and design. The week started with a live breaking news story which they then built for MailPlus using Glide software. Production editor Chris Dean judged the best page which was won by Lucy Evans. They also had a Q&A with last year’s trainees including Aadam Patel, Issy Stanley, Daisy Graham Brown, Sabrina Miller, Will Holmes and Dominic Lee. The subs had sessions with associate chief sub Rich Hall and copytaster Lottie Young. The reporters presented a newslist of ideas for their return to the office. Last night we went to the Greyhound for farewell drinks. We finished as always with the newsquiz. The top scorers this week were Lucy Evans and Rachel Petticrew with 16.5, just ahead of Kristina Wemyss on 15.5 and Erin Waks on 15.  The highest scoring reporter over the three weeks was Meike Leonard who collected a bottle of champagne. Well done Meike.
The top solo scorer in last week’s quiz was Chay Quinn with 21.5, just ahead of Meike and Toby Brown on 21, George Mann on 20.5, Kristina on 20, Lucy on 19.5, Robert Rea and Sylvia Warne on 19, Katharine Spurrier on 16.5 and Erin and Gavin Devine on 16.
The top team was Bruce and Sarah Hayward with 21.5, just ahead of Peter and Stacey and Neil and Jo Benson on 20 and Maura and Phil Parsons on 19. Here is this week's quiz. Give it a go and see if you can beat Lucy and Rachel's score.

Today's front pages

1. The allegations about comedian Russell Brand were aired on a Channel 4 Dispatches programme on Saturday night that was called Russell Brand: In __ __. What are the two missing words?
2. Journalist Piers Morgan revealed what nickname that Katy Perry allegedly used for ex-husband Russell Brand, adding that the comedian was 'thrilled' by it?
3. What is the name of the video-sharing platform, where Russell Brand has 1.4 million followers, which rejected parliament’s advice on trying to control 'who is allowed to speak’?

4. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said at a Downing Street press conference that the ban on new petrol and diesel car sales in the UK would be put back from 2030 to what year? 

5. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak backtracked on householders needing seven bins - which were for glass, paper and cardboard, garden waste, food waste, general rubbish and which two other things. Half a point for each.

6. A petition calling on the Welsh government to rescind what law reached more than 300,000 signatures?

7. Inflation was revealed to have fallen, despite increasing petrol and diesel prices, to what per cent in the year to August?

8. Education Secretary Gillian Keegan told the Commons that when she visited a school ‘the children were all petitioning me to stay in the ___ because they actually preferred it’. What is the missing word?
9. Mick Jagger, Arsene Wenger and Hugh Grant were among the guests at which palace where King Charles gave a speech during a state visit on Wednesday evening?
10. The Queen challenged the French president’s wife Brigitte Macron to a game of what during the visit to Paris?
11. Media mogul Rupert Murdoch announced he was stepping down as chairman of which two companies, with his son Lachlan taking over? Half a point for each.
12. What was the name of the former Crewe Alexandra coach and Manchester City scout who died in prison in Cambridgeshire, where he was serving a 34-year sentence for child sex offences?
13. Why was a group of men escorted from an event in Sheringham, Norfolk, 'for their own safety'? 
14. Singer Roger Whittaker, who died aged 87, spent 18 weeks in the UK charts in 1969 singing about which town?
15. The royal family's social media accounts were quiet on Prince Harry's birthday, which he celebrated at the Invictus Games. How old was he? 
16. The Government said that Post Office workers, who had wrongful convictions for theft and false accounting overturned, were to be offered how much each in compensation?
17. What is the name of the killer of toddler James Bulger who was granted a parole hearing in November?
18. The BBC denied that the future of which programme, which has been on air since 1974, was is in doubt after a huge drop in viewing figures?
19. Why was Joe Marler’s forward pass, that led to a try for England against Japan in the Rugby World Cup, allowed?
20. Who said 'it was because of me we didn't win this game' after Manchester United lost to Bayern Munich 4-3 in the Champions League?
21. Which country's government regained control of a 'gang-ruled’ prison after sending in 11,000 police and soldiers?
22. Which world leader said there were 'credible reasons' to believe that Indian agents may have been behind the murder of a Sikh separatist in his country?
23. Miami-based company 777 Partners is in negotiations to take over which English football club?
24. Why did the entrance to a new London exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts receive mixed reviews?
25. Strictly Come Dancing launch show featured a dance for who, sending love and adding: 'We know she'll be back soon’?

Answers here

Jon Smith: A subbing genius

It was the funeral of Jon Smith yesterday. Jon died this month at the age of 77. When I turned up at The Northern Echo, as a wet-behind-the ears sub-editor in 1979, Jon was my boss. To say I learned a lot in a short time would be a massive understatement. He put together news pages with ease, would give sound guidance on what to do with copy, taught me how to ‘cast-off’, rewrote headlines when they weren’t up to scratch and showed me how to draw broadsheet pages.

Jon in the chief sub's chair 

If I dropped a clanger he would let me know in no uncertain terms - but always had my back if the editor or newsdesk came at me. He chain-smoked in the office, insisted we had a pint in the Red Lion at break and gave us belief that we belonged to his subbing gang. He had so many other strings to his bow too. He wrote and starred in the office pantos (performed upstairs at the Red Lion). I was once the dame in Little Red Writing Hood.

 

Jon, far right, in Little Red Writing Hood

He was the architect of Echo Quest, the treasure hunt that saw people queuing to buy the paper and then follow clues all over the North-East. Unlike most journalists, he was also a practical man. He would regularly turn up for the night subbing shift smeared in cement and brick dust from rebuilding his Teesdale home.

The young Jon interviewing Martin Luther King

Jon left to work for The Times in the 80s but returned to become a journalism lecturer at Darlington college. I guess the draw of his beloved Teesdale, and Barningham and the Milbank Arms in particular, were too strong. In later years he wrote books, carried out parish duties and was a fundraiser for Darlington Football Club. Smithy certainly shaped my formative years - and those of many of my colleagues. Goodbye Jon, it was an honour and a pleasure.

Meike wins the newsquiz

The Daily Mail and Evening Standard trainees had another fascinating week in London. They had sessions with managing editor Alex Bannister, associate editor Andrew Pierce, investigations editor Tom Kelly and assistant editor Fiona Hardman talked to them about how Femail works. They learnt about the IPSO code from editor emeritus Peter Wright and spent half a day with three of the Mail’s lawyers. Former trainee Dolly Busby explained the showbiz desk and they had talks from head of money Sarah Hartley, crime correspondent George Odling and women’s football correspondent Kathryn Batte. They pitched story ideas to chief reporter Sam Greenhill, wrote animal picture stories and took a story from the Press Association wires and turned it into a Mail page lead. The best picture headline of the week was by Rachel Petticrew who won a scratch card. Last night Tash Mosheim had tickets for London’s answer to the Met Gala and her story gained a byline on Page 2 of today’s paper. 

Tash's page 2 and 3 spread

As always we finished with the newsquiz. This week’s winner was Meike Leonard  with 21, just ahead of Kristina Wemyss on 20 and Lucy Evans on 19.5.

The top solo scorer in last week’s quiz was George Mann with a score of 21.5, ahead of Marion Fountayne on 20.5, Janet Boyle on 19.5, Marguerite Turner on 18, Jayme Bryla and Meike Leonard on 17.5, Robert Rea on 17 and trainees Tum Balogun and Kristina Wemyss on 16.5. The top team was the Tibbs Farm supper crew with 23, Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe on 18.5, Neil and Jo Benson on 18 and Bruce and Sarah Hayward on 17.5. Here is this week’s newsquiz. Give it a go and see if you can beat Meike's score. 

Today's front pages

1. What is the name of the Work and Pensions Secretary who said the state pensions triple lock was unsustainable in the long-term?
2. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said which breed of dog would be banned after a man was killed in Walsall and an 11-year-old girl was attacked in Birmingham?
3. Health Secretary Steve Barclay said he was committed to introducing whose rule to give patients the right to a second opinion?
4. Who resigned as chairman of the Commons defence committee after saying Afghanistan had been ‘transformed' under the Taliban's rule?
5. Bernard Looney resigned as chief executive of which company after failing to reveal relationships with colleagues?
6. A survey found the 30 per cent of women working as what had been sexually assaulted and more than 40 per cent had received uninvited comments about their appearance?
7. A researcher in his 20s, who was accused of what, issued a statement saying: 'To do what has been claimed against me in extravagant news reporting would be against everything I stand for’?
8. Nearly 3,000 people were killed, and 5,000 are still missing, after an earthquake devastated villages in which mountain range?
9. Two major dams collapsed in Libya causing a torrent of water to burst into which city, killing between 18,000 and 20,000 people?
10. What was terror suspect Daniel Khalife doing when he was arrested on a canal towpath in London four days after his escape from Wandsworth?
11. Police arrested a man after schools in which two English cities put lockdown measures in place after an email threatened violence to children and staff? Half a point each.
12. Why were Patsy Stevenson and Dania Al-Obeid in the headlines?
13. Britain’s largest pub group, the Stonegate Group, which owns chains including the Slug & Lettuce and Yates’s, announced 'dynamic pricing’ in which a pint of beer will go up by how much during busy periods?
14. Parents were warned that unvaccinated children may have to isolate for 21 days as a major outbreak of what disease may be imminent?
15. Pepco, the owners of Poundland, agreed to buy up to 71 stores belonging to which troubled high street chain?
16. It was revealed that, in 2022, a Russian fighter jet fired two missiles at an RAF plane carrying 30 crew in international airspace over which body of water?
17. Which comedian and impressionist, who died aged 82, holds the UK record for the largest single Christmas Day audience of 21.4 million viewers for his 1977 show?
18. The Princess of Wales visited a male prison in Surrey with her hand bandaged after being hurt doing what?
19. Who kicked all 27 points in England's Rugby World Cup victory over Argentina?
20. Ben Stokes scored how many runs against New Zealand at the Oval, giving him the record by an England batsman in a one-day international?
21. Which long-serving TV newsreader announced that he had been diagnosed with early dementia?
22. Who defended his decision to charge £2 for condiments, such as gravy, curry sauce and aioli, at his restaurants?
23. Whose mother said of her son on Instagram that the 'level of negative and abusive comments' he had received was 'disgraceful and totally unacceptable to any walk of life’?
24. An annual trends report revealed that around 30 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds did not own what, while more than 90 per cent of over 45s did?
25. What was the name of the party, held in Covent Garden and attended by celebrities, that launched London’s Fashion Week on Thursday night?

Answers here

Trainee Meike wins the newsquiz

I have just finished an interesting week with ten Daily Mail trainee journalists and one from the Evening Standard in Kensington. They wrote intros, headlines and stories and had sessions with training manager Sue Ryan, chief reporter Sam Greenhill and news-editor Sam Marsden. The best intro of the week award went to Josh Thory-Rao and the best headlines were written by Erin Waks and Meike Leonard. All won lottery scratchcards. We finished the week, as always, with the newsquiz. This week’s winner, who also won a scratchcard, was Meike with a score of 17.5. In last week’s newsquiz the top solo scorer was Janet Boyle with 20.5, ahead of Toby Brown on 19.5 and Gavin Devine and Marion Fountayne on 18. The top three teams were Neil and Jo Benson on 20, Maura and Phil Parsons on 18 and Bruce and Sarah Hayward on 17.5. Here is this week’s newsquiz. Give it a go and see if you can beat Meike’s score. 

Tuesday's front pages

1. Who railed against people who sat 'on their arses’ and urged schools ’to get off their backsides’ in the crumbling concrete crisis?
2. During PMQs Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the crumbling schools crisis was the result of 13 years of cutting corners, adding: 'It’s the sort of thing you expect from __ __, saying that everyone else is wrong...’ What are the two missing words?
3. The schools crisis is because of buildings made from RAAC. What does it stand for?
4. In the Labour Party reshuffle Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy leader, was made shadow deputy prime minister and Shadow Secretary for what?
5. Tory MP Nick Fletcher told Woman’s Hour that, after ten to 15 years of neglect, a Cabinet minister for what was needed?
6. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in which city for the G20 summit?
7. How is Daniel Abed Khalife, a former soldier suspected of terror offences, believed to have escaped from prison?
8. Which prison did Daniel Abed Khalife escape from?
9. Birmingham City Council declared itself ‘effectively bankrupt’ blaming the cost of a new IT system, years of funding cuts by Tory governments and £760million it had to pay for what?
10. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said that what could cost taxpayers £45billion a year by 2050?
11. A police investigation was launched into the failings that led to dozens of baby deaths and injuries at maternity units in which city?
12. Mohamed Al Fayed, who died aged 94, once owned which department store, bought in 1985 for £615million, and which football club bought in 1997 for £6.25million? Half a point for each.
13. Which company’s chief executive said it had offered body-worn cameras to staff after seeing physical assaults rise by a third in a year?
14. Two people died and tourists were trapped as Storm Daniel brought devastating floods to which island?
15. A 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of headbutting which ex-player and football pundit at the Emirates Stadium?
16. Police in which country raided 20 homes in the hunt for the fugitive relatives of murdered ten-year-old Sara Sharif?
17. Network Rail was fined how much after admitting failings which led to the deaths of three people in a train crash near Stonehaven in Scotland?
18. What is the name of the weight-loss drug which was made available on the NHS for the first time as part of a 'controlled and limited launch’?
19. Three different players scored Premier League hat-tricks on the same day for the first time in 28 years. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scored one but who scored the others. Half a point for each.
20. Singer Joe Fagin, who died aged 83, was best known for his hit song Breakin' Away/That's Livin’ Alright which was the theme tune for which 1980s TV series?
21. The Rugby World Cup kicks off today (Friday) with England and Scotland playing their first games at the weekend against which two countries? Half a point for each.
22. Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary was hit in the face with what by climate activists during a trip to Brussels?
23. The Rolling Stones announced details of their first album of new songs in 18 years. What is it called?
24. Which sportsman's memoir, Who Am I?, included insight into his sex life including threesomes and his relationships with actress Kelly Brook and presenter Kirsty Gallacher?
25. Who collected the best drama performance and the special recognition award at the National TV Awards?

Answers here 

Time to tackle the newsquiz

The top solo scorer in last week’s newsquiz was Marguerite Turner with 22, just ahead of Janet Boyle, George Mann and Nick Turner who all scored 21. Others on the leaderboard were Toby Brown with 20 and Gavin Devine with 17. Bruce and Sarah Hayward were the top team with a remarkable 24, ahead of Maura and Phil Parsons on 22 and Adam Batstone and Lucy Thorpe on 17. Here is this week’s newsquiz. As usual there are 25 questions about the week. Give it a go and let me know your score.

Today's front pages

1. Grant Shapps, who was appointed as Defence Secretary, has held five Cabinet positions in the last year but what was his most recent?
2. In his resignation letter as Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace wrote to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: 'I genuinely believe that over the next decade the world will get more __ and more __.' What are the two missing words? Half a point for each.
3. Why did the Government tell more than 100 schools in England to shut buildings? 
4. National Air Traffic Services blamed the system failure, which led to more than 1,600 flights being cancelled, on wrong data being input by an airline believed to be from what country?
5. James Cleverly became the first British Foreign Secretary in five years to visit where?
6. Tory MP Nadine Dorries, in her resignation letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, wrote: 'Since you took office a year ago, the country is run by a __ Parliament where nothing meaningful has happened.’ What is the missing word?
7. What name has been given to the group who have been vandalising ULEZ cameras in London and is supported by Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith?
8. According to The Times, the Home Office is considering using what to monitor asylum seekers arriving in the UK via unauthorised means?
9. House prices in the UK fell by 5.3 per cent in the year to August, according to Nationwide, meaning a typical home is worth how much less than 12 months ago? a) £,8,000, b) £10,200 c) £12,400 d) £14,600
10. Philip and Elaine Marco, aged 77 and 75, died after their car drove through a flooded road in which city?
11. Eight men were stabbed and 275 people arrested at what London event?
12. Teacher Sarah Moulds, 39, who was sacked after a video was shared on social media, was found not guilty of what by Lincoln Crown Court?
13. How was police Sergeant Graham Saville killed when trying to save a distressed man near Newark?
14. P&O cruise ship Britannia broke free from its mooring and collided with a freight vessel when heavy storms hit which European island?
15. The National Records of Scotland said the number of people who died from what rose to the highest level since 2008 with 1,276 deaths in 2022?
16. Military officers appeared on national TV in which country to say they had seized power and placed President Ali Bongo under house arrest?
17. More than 70 people died and at least 40 were injured following a fire at a building in which city?
18. Army veteran Joe Biggs, a leader of the far-right Proud Boys, was jailed for how many years - one of the longest terms handed out over the US Capitol riot?
19. Tributes were paid to 22-year-old Sam Newey from Solihull after he was killed doing what?
20. Eight people, including a four-month-old baby, were injured after a rental car, reportedly driven by a British tourist, ploughed into a bar on which island?
21. Which Premier League football team’s bus had a brick thrown at its windscreen on the M65?
22. The mother of Spain’s football president Luis Rubiales locked herself inside a church and announced what in protest at his 'inhumane treatment' following his kiss on footballer Jenni Hermoso?
23. What was being prepared for its return to Canada from the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh after almost a century?
24. Doctors in Australia revealed that, in a world’s first, they had removed a three-inch what from a woman’s brain?
25. Which singer spent a night in hospital after falling at his house in France?

Answers here