Article ideas

I am attempting to create a range of stories which can be used on my website and newspaper. They need to be believable to an extent, and therefore realistic. They also need to be easy to create, for example if I needed to take photos which relate to the story, I would need to be able to do so easily. I need to research into each idea properly and decide if any will be too difficult to create. Here are some ideas.

1. Laura Jolley, a local Wickham resident, qualifies for the Olympics 
For this article I would easily be able to obtain photos as I know Laura firsthand, and I already have some photos of her on her horse, which is what relates to the story. I have shots of her riding her pony which clearly show what sport she is competing in, and I also have head shots of her which I may use to show her face in order for readers to recognise her.


2. Terence Bone, another Wickham resident, opens a Bed and Breakfast in the village
For this article I would need photos of Terence, who happens to be my Dad so that wouldn't be a problem. The alleged B&B could be our house as it is a 17th century four bedroom detached house.


3. Theft of strawberries from the farm shop in the village
The farm shop is in the village and therefore easy to get to, however I am unsure of what to take a picture of as currently there are no strawberries. Also how would a photograph prove that they had been stolen? I might consider changing this story somewhat.


4. Plans to improve the village hall
This is actually a real story, as my Mum who is the chairman of the Village Hall is planning to improve it, therefore I have access to the blueprints, plans and designs, and of course the current structure if I need photos.


5. The Summer Fete volunteers needed
I have pictures of previous fetes which I could use to promote this story. Also it would be easy to create as it is fairly simple.


6. The Village Committee needs more members
This would be difficult to convey through images as there isn't actually a 'Village Committee'. There are different committees in the village but they meet every so often and therefore if I wanted a picture of them together I would have to wait for them to unite. Also this story is fairly boring.


7. Halstead (nearest town) charges for parking at Sainsburys
This is a larger scale story and would entice readers from all over, not just Wickham. This would be easy to get pictures of, as all I'd need to show would be the parking meter which already exists and Sainsbury's the shop.


8. Glenda Jarvis, a Wickham resident, wins £10,000 on the lottery
Glenda Jarvis is my Mum's maiden name. I can easily get pictures of her, perhaps posing with a cheque or some money in her hand.


9. Campsite opens in Wickham
There is already a campsite in Wickham, albeit a small one. I can easily get pictures and there is always usually a tent or caravan there. However if there wasn't one it may complicate things as I have no way of proving that it is actually a camping site without showing the campers.


10. Littering on the green
To show this I could litter the green with rubbish and take a picture of it, however this would be more time consuming and is not a particularly interesting story.


11. Cuts to the bus service
This would affect a lot of people in the village as I know the majority are older and rely on the bus service. It would be of interest to the younger people as well who also use the buses. It would be easy to get a picture of the local bus.


12. Vote for your local paper
 This would be an article about a competition in which the Wickham Gazette would be competing in.
13. Car crash in Sudbury (second nearest local town)
This would be fairly difficult to do as unless there is a car crash in Sudbury - which I pray there isn't - I cannot get a picture, and even if I could, I doubt I would be allowed/want to take a photo of a crash that was fatal. I would only include a minor one, but of course I can't choose crashes, therefore this story is slightly difficult.