Archives for May 2008
So who will YOU support?
So there won't be any home nations at the Euro 2008 finals, which kick off a week tomorrow.
But there's a way to make this tournament exciting, so we've all picked our favourites who we'll be cheering all the way to the final.
Here's who I'm rooting for:
Columbus - Verily it's Verity!
We got to talk about Christopher Columbus this morning - because of comments by Carlos Quieroz which reignited an old row between Spain and Portugal. When we looked up Columbus online we were struck by the fact he appears to be an ancestor of our own Andrew Verity.
Making tweet music
The British Library's selling a new CD of birdsongs - as well as the classic crooners like the Blackbird and the song thrush, it's also got the relatively unknown Rufous-Throated Solitaire, the white-browed robin-chat and the African Paradise Flycatcher.
There are birds which people will never hear in the wild and even a duet.
Have a look at these for names!
White-rumped Shama, Gray Catbird, Pied Butcherbird, Northern Nightingale Wren, Hwamei, Kokako, Melodious Warbler, Thrush Nightingale, Common Potoo, Crested Bellbird, Golden Oriole, Plain-backed Thrush, Albert's Lyrebird, Hermit Thrush, Grey Shrike-Thrush, Northern Cardinal and Black-throated Diver
Have a LISTEN to some of the birds
And here's a picture of a Black-Throated Laughingthrush:
Courts that attract criminals
Courts are supposed to convict criminals - not attract them. But the Chief Constable of Lancashire Police says gangs from Manchester are causing trouble in Preston, when they travel there to support other gang members on trial at Preston Crown Court.
Caroline Cheetham took a look around one of the areas affected and sent this blog entry back to us.
Preston isn't the usual place to find drug dealing gangs arming themselves with guns, but increasingly, that's what happening. Gangs of white and Asian youths are dealing drugs and using firearms to get easy cash.
The usual things are to blame: rap music, no facilities, teenagers feeling isolated from society, but curiously the blame is also being put at the door of Preston Crown Court.
Lancashire Police Chief Constable Steve Finnigan has told the BBC that serious trials which are moved to Preston from Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds are fuelling an increase in the number of gang members arming themselves with guns.
It seems that when the gang members move into Preston the stakes are raised for local gangs who decide they need to have guns to compete. Violence and crime among the different groups then spirals.
In the past two years there have been 736 incidents involving guns in Lancashire, just less than London, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and the West Midlands. Police say there are at least 100 gang members in Preston and there have been 17 shootings the past year. No-one has yet been killed but one man was blinded.
Local youth worker Faz Khan says the problem is increasing because local youths know thay can get away with it and the rewards are immense. Nicky spoke to him this morning.
listen back to the interview here.
So the police are going after the Mr Bigs. They are targetting the men and women who are responsible for importing the guns - usually from Poland. Last week 10 people were arrested and charged with the importation of guns and drugs.
The crunch bunch
After years of growth, we're now hearing that there's trouble brewing in the economy.
We're trying to go beyond the headlines: hearing how individuals are being affected. 5live Breakfast is taking a look at three areas of the economy and asking what's the impact on you? We want to hear your experience of employment, repossessions and the tourist industry.
Are you making changes because you've got less cash or are you wondering what all the fuss is about?
The reign of the mane?
Queen of the South from the Scottish first division will be hoping to cause a massive upset in the Scottish cup final this afternoon. But, off the pitch it looks like things are getting hairy. A lot of attention is being paid to the silver fox that is Doonhamers' Chairman Davie Rae.
Dubbed football's Ken Russell (by someone in the 5live Breakfast office), Rae was a successful farmer before he used the money he had made in his agricultural career to fund his dream of running Queen of the South. He has seen his team struggle at times near the bottom end of the First Division. His celebration with the fans after the quarter-final win against Dundee cemented his status as a cult hero with the Doonhamer supporters.
But, it's the hair that's caught many fans' imagination. Watch out for a few Davie Rae wigs at Hampden. What do you think of Davie Rae's locks? What are your best footballing hairstyles? And (if you fancy it) what do you think of Ken Russell?
No idea why this picture of 5live's Peter Allen is relevant...
And Jock Ewing is also confusing matters...
This is just what the doctor ordered...
The morning after the final
It's all over and Manchester United have been crowned champions of Europe after a thrilling penalty shoot-out against Chelsea in Russia's capital. We've snapped some more pics for you as we broadcast from the Hard Rock Cafe in Moscow.
Nicky broadcasting from the Hard Rock Cafe
More pictures from Moscow
The boys in Moscow have had the camera out and sent us back some more pictures from this morning where they are broadcasting ahead of the final and where they'll be with reaction tomorrow morning.
Nicky broadcasting live from our Moscow location this morning
A flavour of Moscow
Nicky, Matt and our intrepid editor Richard have landed in the Russian capital ahead of Wednesday's Champions League final.
We've given Richard a camera phone to send back some pictures (and maybe a video or two) to give you a flavour of the atmosphere out there. We'll keep adding snaps as they come in - so keep checking back here!
We're off to Moscow...!
Breakfast will be in Moscow on Wednesday and Thursday mornings for the first ever all English Champions League final. We'll be talking to Manchester United and Chelsea fans - and we'll update the blog when we can, plus send pics etc from Russia.
Hundreds of fans are on their way to join us. Here is John from Dumfries leaving Manchester airport this morning (Tuesday)
You can see Moscow live here
Nicky, Matt and our intrepid editor Richard have now landed in the Russian capital ahead of Wednesday's Champions League final.
We've given Richard a camera phone to send back some pictures to give you a flavour of the atmosphere out there. We'll keep adding snaps as they come in - so keep checking back here!
The boys in Moscow have had the camera out and sent us back some more pictures from this morning where they are broadcasting ahead of the final and where they'll be with reaction tomorrow morning.
Nicky broadcasting live from our Moscow location this morning
Stan Collymore getting into the spirit of things with the obligatory Russian hat picture.
Have a listen to Stan's preview of the final (6mins)
One of the trucks, carrying a water cannon, which looks likely to be part of the security operation
The ever-so-glamorous location of the TV crews out in Moscow
A strange cow statue which of course allows the team to attempt a pun about Mos-Cow
It's all over and Manchester United have been crowned champions of Europe after a thrilling penalty shoot-out against Chelsea in Russia's capital. We've snapped some more pics for you as we broadcast from the Hard Rock Cafe in Moscow.
Nicky broadcasting from the Hard Rock Cafe
Matt Williams is joined by GMTV's Fiona Phillips
Nicky gets out and about in Moscow's quiet streets. That mike he's using is called a "wizzicom" - fact.
Russian drummers - doing their thing.
Manchester's morning after ...
This is Manchester after the UEFA Cup Final - when up to 200,000 Rangers fans were in the city. We've been hearing about the problems they caused this morning - the council leader says some of the scenes were appalling.
Is anybody out there?
Funny looking men, odd costumes and close encounters; no it's not the Breakfast production office but a matter of interplanetary importance. The Ministry of Defence is releasing files detailing hundreds of UFO sightings. It's the most comprehensive set ever made public. Included are details of alien craft over Wallasey Town Hall and a green man called Elgar (why always green?). On 5live Breakfast, we spoke to Ruth Novelli who along with her neighbour and a number of police officers spotted a UFO in Middlesex in 1984. She says it was real and couldn't be explained away by over tiredness or over drinking.
Have you ever seen a UFO? Did it look like an egg in a tutu?
You can read more from BBC News here.
See some more pictures of what people say they saw here.
Tell us your FA Cup Final stories
You don't need me to tell you that the FA Cup final takes place on Saturday May 17th. Rachel Burden and I will be hosting Weekend Breakfast that weekend, and we'll be looking for your FA Cup final stories...Best final, your tale of a trip to Wembley/Cardiff...the most extraordinary length you went to in order to see your team in the showpiece event of the Football Calendar.
We want you to post your stories here on the blog.
Oh, in case you were wondering, mine involved my team Aston Villa in May 2000. It was the last ever Cup Final at the old Wembley and I went with my brother. We lost one nil to Chelsea and played very badly. We knew there were problems when Paul Merson didn't come out to warm up prior to kick off. Anyway, my brother and I were so fed up with it, that we left before the trophy presentation and we were drowning our sorrows in a Birmingham boozer by half six!! But like the Murphy's - We're not bitter!
This pic was sent in by Brian Gatland
facup.BMP
I thought you may be interested in this photo taken before the days of high security.
I photographed the F A Cup when Blackpool won it in 1953 and Harry Johnstone, the Blackpool captain took it home and then displayed it on the counter of his newsagents shop in Central Drive, Blackpool.!
What a difference with today`s behaviour of fans!
Post your FA Cup Final stories here on the blog.
The Premier League dilemma
The Premier League title race is going down to the wire, but will it be Man Utd or Chelsea?
It's a bit of a dilemma for folk in the neighbouring Manchester boroughs of Wigan and Bolton - as both teams could have a say in where the title goes. We sent our reporter Nick Garnett to get people's thoughts.
Watch Nick's report on the dilemma for Bolton and Wigan fans
5 live Breakfast becomes 5 live Zao Dian
On Thursday morning 5 live Breakfast became 5 live Zao Dian (which means "informal breakfast" in Mandarin). We broadcast live from the Chinese Community Centre in London's Chinatown.
I had a practice with former table tennis Olympian Tong Fei Ming, she brought in a couple of students with her who are table tennis pros. Watch the video below to see me and Chitters having a go before we are shown how it's done by the pros.
During the programme we also looked toward the Games of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing which begin in exactly three months. On the 8th of the 8th 2008 at 8.08pm (eight being a lucky number in Chinese numerology).
We explored China through the eyes of the British Chinese community here in the UK. We had a cast of thousands joining us for a traditional Chinese Breakfast and we look at everything from training techniques in sport and pollution in the capital, through to cooking and culture.
How much do you think you know about China? Take our short quiz to test your knowledge.
Why Kevin will never be King....
The Geordie Nation got a stark message from their Messiah...don't even dream about winning the Premier League.
The problem for the Toon Army is that dreaming of winning the league is pretty much all they've had to keep them going. But - after losing to Chelsea 2-0 yesterday - Kevin Keegan said he could never hope to compete with the Big Four. They are, if not literally but in every other way, in a different league.
The bosses of the Premier League like to think of it as the best championship in the world. They didn't tell us there were only four teams in it.
The day I won the Premier League
John Terry - Rio Ferdinand. Eat your hearts out!
I got my hands on the Barclays Premier League trophy this morning as the season heads for a tense finish.
Graeme Le Saux and Peter Schmeichel were its minders for the day - to make sure I didn't take it home to pop on the Campbell mantlepiece.
The search for Madeleine
The search for Madeleine McCann continues - and her parents Kate and Gerry have today told us about their renewed attempts to find her.
LISTEN: Nicky Campbell speaks to Kate and Gerry McCann 1 year on
You can find more of the details here or go to their website
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10:30 Tue, 15 Dec 09
Are British Airways cabin crew ruining your Christmas? Or are BA bosses in the wrong as they try to cut staff? Cabin crew voted nine to one in favour of strikes from the 22nd December over job cuts and staffing levels. Up to one million passengers face the prospect of having journeys cancelled during 12 days of industrial action. So- Should the crew keep working through the festive season? Or are they right to strike?
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