What do you call a bunch of Derby editors?

Editors of the Derby (Evening) Telegraph gathered at the paper’s Meadow Road office this week to mark a move to new premises. The paper has been in Meadow Road since 1980 and the editors' memories covering 34 years are definitely worth a read. One story that is missing, often recounted when old hacks get together for a beer or two, is told by ex-editor Mike Lowe. “My office backed on to the MDs. I knew that the then Bishop of Derby was coming to visit him so I waited until he’d gone out to reception to welcome his guest and then sneaked into his office and left an opened copy of Razzle on his coffee table. He was normally unflappable, but the shout of 'You bastard, Lowey’ could be heard at the other end of the building. The Bishop seemed a little nonplussed.” Ha ... the days when newspapers allowed a little high jinx without fear of the sack! 

The paper (not Razzle) also published this picture of seven of the men who edited the Telegraph during those 34 years. They are, from the left, Steve Hall (now Derby MD), Mike Wood, Mike Lowe, Mike Norton, Keith Perch, Neil White (current editor) and Neil Fowler.
The only two missing are the late Bob Randall and Alex Leys, who now lives in the far North of Scotland. The picture prompted me to ask Twitter what the collective noun for Derby Telegraph editors should be. The actual collective noun for editors is an erudition. A quick search on the internet, though, came up with some innovative ideas. Seven years ago Adam Tinworth asked a similar question on his blog. The answers included a decline (ouch). Someone at least had the courtesy to suggest it should be a managed decline. Others were a twaddle, a whinge and an opinion. The All Sorts website suggested a scowl, a correction and a lynch posse among many others.  
In response to my Tweet, Lowey suggested an arrogance (quite apt for those  who remember the Northcliffe football team) and current editor Neil White came up with an ego. Other editors joined in. Chris Lennon suggested a confusion, David Rowell came up with a bruising, Simon O’Neill (who was also at Derby) a snarl and Dominique Searle, editor of the Gibraltar Chronicle, came up with a barrel. Bev Thomas, editor of the Cambrian News was more gracious. 'I'd like to think that it's an eloquence of editors,' she wrote. Ex-editor Matt Cornish's perspective has changed over the years. 'As a cub reporter it would've been 'a beasting of editors,' he tweeted. 'Nowadays a 'prozac of editors'. The Mirror Style Guide didn't like the idea of more than one editor so suggested a dither. MailOnline journalist Paul Hutchinson thought a hyperbole was the most appropriate and Neil Gibson liked a pedant. The Evening Standard's Simon Neville said "I'm guessing there's a PowerPoint presentation with a synergy of editors in it. The Mirror's Greg Livsey suggested a bollocking of editors - although admitted that probably said more about him than the editors. The most heartfelt came from Australian editor Paul Wiggins who replied: 'A sigh of editors. Trust me on this.'
All of these are suitable for editors in general of course but this collective noun was meant to be specific to Derby. Last word to current editor Neil White: ‘On reflection, it should be a pride. Works on a few levels.’ I’ll buy that. Good luck to him and all the Derby staff on the move. 

Mail looking for trainee journalists

The Daily Mail group is once again recruiting trainee journalists. Since 2003 I have been training sub-editors for the paper and since 2007 I have been training reporters. Two years ago we started a course for online journalists. This year’s intake included five trainees from America. They are now on regional placements and will return to Kensington after Christmas. Eventually they will head back to the Mail’s New York office. 

Many graduates of the courses are now seniors at the Mail. These include deputy sports editor Alex Kay, assistant news-editor Katherine Faulkner, assistant night editor Lara King, commissioning editor Ailsa Leslie, sports chief sub Phil Gradwell, assistant editor of Good Health Jennie Agg, defence reporter Larisa Brown, political reporter John Stevens and financial journalist Peter Campbell. Some ex-trainees are now working for MailOnline in New York. A few who finished their training and moved on have done well elsewhere. Fay Schlesinger is home editor of The Times and Peter Dominiczak is political editor of the Telegraph. The trainees are also regularly shortlisted in the Press Awards.They include Simon Murphy, Katherine Faulkner, George Arbuthnott and Matt Sandy, who won the young journalist award outright. The Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline are, as you would expect, littered with the bylines of former trainees. 

This year's reporting and online trainees at Derry Street

The training is a real investment by DMGT. The successful applicants spend weeks training in the Mail’s London offices or PA's Yorkshire HQ in Howden. The reporting trainees have two weeks in London, the subs four weeks in Howden and the online trainees, who have to report and edit, do the full six weeks. They are then placed at regional newspapers and agencies before returning to the Mail in London the following year. 

This year's subbing trainees, with me, at PA's Manor in Howden

The training will begin in September 2015 so is suitable for those graduating this academic year. The absolute deadline for applications is January 30 - but we would appreciate it if you could apply well before then. If you are interested, send a covering letter, your CV and six examples of your work to Sue Ryan at sue.ryan@dailymail.co.uk. Details are also on Hold The Front Page. If you are applying you might want to take a look at my advice on how to prepare for an interview. Good luck.

Echo remembers with a touch of brilliance

In the world of 'digital first’ what is the role of print? I regularly talk about keeping a differential, being innovative and making the newspaper special. Well this morning’s Northern Echo ticks all of those boxes. The Echo, which never publishes on a Sunday, has put together a Remembrance Sunday edition. The cover and the back page are exclusive pieces of art by Middlesbrough artist Mackenzie Thorpe. The front page poppy has a dew drop, which symbolises a tear. Inside the tear is a silhouette of soldiers at war. 

The back page

The special edition features wartime front pages from the archives, a roll of honour of the region’s soldiers who lost their lives and covers how the North-East is marking the centenary.
It costs £1 – 100 pence for 100 years - and 10p for each copy goes to the Echo’s “£100,000 for 100 Years” appeal in aid of Phoenix House, a rehabilitation centre established by Help For Heroes at Catterick.

You can watch a video of how the paper came together here and read the comment by editor Peter Barron here. In it, he says 'we really should love newspapers, protect them, and never under estimate the work and care that goes into producing them - especially on days like this.'

I certainly go along with that. 

This is a very special edition of the paper. My copy is ordered. If you live outside the North-East and want one ring 01274 705248.

Test yourself with this week's newsquiz

The Mail and Telegraph trainees that I have been with since early September have now all gone off on placement. So this week I was back on another beat, working in Dublin with The Irish Times. Traditionally the weekly news quiz has finished once the training diplomas end but a number of people (including those in my local pub, the Plough) have asked if I will continue it. So, here goes. There is no high score to beat this week but if you get 16 out of 25, I reckon you will be doing pretty well. 

The Ripper is back in the headlines: Question 11

1. Will Cornick was sentenced to life with a minimum of 20 years for killing teacher Ann Maguire ... by which court?

Bonus: Which subject did Mrs Maguire teach?

2. Russell Brand joined which anti-capitalist group in a Guy Fawkes night demonstration?

3. Fijian born Semesa Rokoduguni will make his debut for which rugby team tomorrow (Sat Nov 8)?

4. Who said: 'I had five months where I didn’t work and I found it really unrewarding. Because all the things you do at home are just taken for granted’?

5. Why was Rob O’Neill in the headlines?

6. Who tweeted: 'Closing down on Twitter while filming. In a place whence I've  been advised it is safest not to tweet. See you December. Here goes…'?

7. Norman Baker, who resigned as Home Office Minister, said working with Theresa May was like walking through what?

Bonus: Who took over from Mr Baker?

8. Whose effigy was saved from being burned on Lewes bonfire after the council received complaints? 

9. Sonya Loretta Dyer was dating Rurik Jutting for four years before his arrest  for the murder of two sex workers in Hong Kong. What was her pseudonym?

Bonus: On the night the first girl was killed Jutting went to the Old China Hand pub in Hong Kong's red light district and ordered a pint of what?

10. Claudia Winkleman will be taking time off while her daughter Matilda recovers from a Halloween accident. Who will replace her on Strictly Come Dancing?

11. Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe is said to be on the brink of death in Broadmoor Hospital after a heart attack. How many women was Sutcliffe convicted of murdering? 
Bonus: How old is Sutcliffe?

12. Why was Katie Mulrennan rejected from a teaching job in South Korea?

13. Boris Johnson and David Cameron have joined calls for the ceramic poppies to stay at the Tower of London for an extra week. When are the poppies scheduled to be removed?

14. The seventh Star Wars film was announced this week. What is its name?

15. On what date are the toll booths being removed from the Dartford Crossing?

Bonus: On the same day, the toll for a car will rise to how much?

16. What are Simon Danczuk and Ian Austin calling for?

17. Who sings the song, Real Love, being used in the new John Lewis advert?

18. The Republicans won control of the Senate in the mid-term Elections? How many seats does a party need to have control?

19. Why was Sophie Hunter in the headlines?

20. In an outbreak of headline abbreviations, the ECB was said to be planning a programme of QE. What do ECB and QE stand for? (half point for each)

Answers here

Want to be Telegraph a digital storyteller?

This year's trainees at the Telegraph office on Thursday

I said goodbye to the Telegraph Media Group trainees on Thursday and almost immediately the advert for the next intake was posted. So if you think you have what it takes to be a digital storyteller with the Telegraph, this is your chance. You will need a good degree, a deep interest in current affairs, original and unconventional ideas and data, video and other digital skills. The training starts with an eight-week course at PA’s training headquarters in Howden which is scheduled to start next September. This is followed by placement at PA and regional newspapers and then on-the-job training with TMG at its Victoria offices. Many of the Telegraph’s senior editorial staff have been through the scheme. If you are interested you will need to submit an application form and a short video by December 14. The full details are here.

Final news quiz: Olivia wins the Champagne

The trainees at the Telegraph: James Rothwell, Rozina Sabur, Sophie Jamieson, Olivia Rudgard, Ellie Steafel and Izzy Fraser

The Daily Telegraph trainees said goobye to Howden this week after more than seven weeks training with the Press Association. They spent the first part of their last week preparing a presentation which they delivered to Telegraph executives in London yesterday. It was an opportunity to show off their digital and innovative skills … and was very impressive. 

The trainees present their project to Telegraph executives

On Monday they begin their placements. Some are off to regional newspapers, others to PA. They are destined for great things and I wish them well. They finished with farewell drinks in the Brass Monkey in Victoria last night - but only after the final newsquiz. Going into the final week, the scores were very tight, with Sophie Jamieson and James Rothwell on equal points and Olivia Rudgard only half a point behind. In the tightest of finishes Olivia scored 14 and Sophie 13, meaning Olivia collected the Champagne by half a point. Well done Olivia … but hard luck Sophie. Never have we had such a tight finish. 

To be fair the trainees were preoccupied with their projects so probably weren’t monitoring the news as closely as usual. Still, 14 out of 25 isn’t a bad score. See if you can do any better.

The trainees at the PA offices after Olivia, second from left, pipped Sophie, second from right to the Champagne

1. British troops withdrew from Afghanistan after 13 years this week as the last British base was handed over to local control. Name the base.
Bonus: How many British soldiers lost their lives in those 13 years?
Bonus: By November 11, 888,246 ceramic poppies will have been laid at the Tower of London. Each poppy has been sold online to raise money for the armed forces charities. How much did it cost to buy a ceramic poppy?
2. A jogger ran into David Cameron in which city?
3. Former Labour grandee Lord Falconer lost five stone by cutting out coffee and tea and eating only apples during the day … but he says he also became addicted to what?
4. It is being speculated that which Downton Abbey character may be killed off after being described as ‘terribly listless’ in Sunday’s episode?
5. Why was Stuart Calder in the headlines?
6. Who said: “I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me.”
7. Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has been dropped from this weekend’s game after breaking protocol on Saturday. Give one of the two rules that he broke.
Bonus: Clattenburg went to an Ed Sheeran concert after Saturday’s game … in which city?
8. Name the unmanned US rocket which exploded on take off.
9. Robbie Williams sang songs and posted videos to his YouTube page while his wife Ayda gave birth to a boy. What is the baby called?
Bonus: According to a BBC local radio poll listening to music makes people with problems feel perkier. Which song was the most popular?
10. Which supermarket chain has apologised to a 89-year-old poppy seller for making him stand outside and telling him to wrap up warmer if he was cold.
11. Who described the Conservative Party’s attitude towards drugs as a “totally misplaced, outdated, backwards-looking view”?
12. Two RAF Typhoons caused a sonic boom as they rushed to Stansted airport to escort a foreign aircraft that was “causing concern”. In which country was the plane registered?
13. What British produce will be available in supermarkets in December for the first time ever?
Bonus: Supermarkets reported that, because of rain in the North and an increase in demand, there was a seasonal scarcity of what?
14. Which tourist attraction introduced a new LED lighting system and is considering capping visitors to 20,000 a day?
15. According to research by Australian academic Dianna Kenny, people from which job have a life expectancy 20-25 years lower than average?
16. Who is ending a five decades' association with Labour over its position on Palestine?
17. According to the Office for National Statistics, which disease is now the biggest cause of death among British women?
18. How much has Barclays Bank set aside to cover an expected fine for rigging foreign exchange rates?
19. Who sent their first ever tweet while visiting the Information Age Exhibition at the Science Museum?

20. What will Cadbury’s no longer make?

Answers here

Just what readers need ... more tripe!

The problem with today's newspapers is they just don't have quality competitions like they did in back the fifties.

Ginger Rogers played the drums? Who knew?

One of my boyhood heroes, Jack Bruce, died yesterday. He was the bass guitarist, singer and song-writer with Cream, the band that made me really appreciate music. I never knew, though, that Ginger Rogers was not only a brilliant dancer ... but also played drums alongside Bruce and Eric Clapton. Thanks to The Independent for enlightening me on that and to @eshelm for flagging it up.