Columnists: Hannah Chapman

The Northern Echo 150: Why the regional press has never been more important

5:00am Wednesday 1st January 2020

FROM my desk in The Northern Echo newsroom, now on the first floor of our historic home on Priestgate, Darlington, I can see the team are busily putting together our New Year’s Day edition.

• Comments (2)
• Have your say

Boris Johnson's backing for local media is welcome – but we need more than warm words

10:04am Friday 22nd November 2019

IT’S not every day the Prime Minister calls into your offices for a cup of tea and a chat, and we can only apologise for the rush-hour disruption his motorcade must have caused as he travelled to and from Echo Towers on Darlington’s Priestgate at tea time on Wednesday.

• Have your say

Fighting for the focus to stay northern

5:00am Saturday 9th November 2019

IT has certainly been an interesting week to work for a newspaper in the north of England, with the forthcoming General Election seeing politicians from most parties campaigning on our patch, and titles across the region coming together to demand candidates sign up to a “manifesto for the north”.

• Have your say

Hannah Chapman: Trapped in a permanent anxiety dream

5:00am Sunday 16th December 2018

EVER since I was in my teens, I’ve had recurring anxiety dreams. As far as I know, they haven’t coincided with any particularly stressful time in my life, but they strike now and again, and take two particular forms (three if you count the one about escaped livestock on the family farm).

• Have your say

Hannah Chapman: Sport solves the problem of being all Brexited out

5:00am Saturday 24th November 2018

I FIND myself in a similar state to that experienced by Chris Lloyd in Friday’s column – feeling like I should write a hard hitting piece about one of the many pressing issues of our time. But while Chris was distracted by the story of a woman killed by shampoo fumes in 1909, I am simply unable to find the energy to wade into anything too serious.

• Have your say

Hannah Chapman: Time for Donald Trump to wind his (brass) neck in

4:00am Sunday 28th October 2018

DONALD TRUMP probably attracts more column inches than he deserves, but this week, I feel compelled to throw in my two penneth on his latest behaviour. For a man who has a neck with more brass in than you would find at the average brass band convention, even he has surpassed himself.

• Comments (43)
• Have your say

Hannah Chapman: Has health and safety gone mad? Er, no

5:00am Saturday 20th October 2018

TWO big health and safety stories have made the front of The Northern Echo over the last few weeks – the complete closure of roads in Yarm for the town fair because of terrorism concerns, and potential changes to the Santa Tours in Newton Aycliffe over fears the event was in breach of traffic regulations. Both led to the usual “health and safety gone mad” accusations being thrown at organisers.

• Comments (1)
• Have your say

Hannah Chapman: Medicinal cannabis ruling will ease burden on desperate families

5:00am Saturday 13th October 2018

THE decision to allow doctors to prescribe medicinal cannabis to patients has been described as momentous by campaigners. It is also a long time overdue.

• Have your say

Hannah Chapman: What a week for women pioneers

4:57am Saturday 6th October 2018

WHAT a week it has been for us women. Not only was Zoe Ball revealed as the first female host of the Radio 2 breakfast show, but Jodie Whittaker, the cover star of today’s Weekend magazine, will take over as the 13th incarnation of Dr Who tomorrow – the first female in the role in the show’s 55-year history.

• Have your say

Hannah Chapman: A country mouse with town pride

5:00am Saturday 29th September 2018

I OFTEN get roundly mocked by my colleagues in The Northern Echo newsroom for my country mouse mentality. I live on a farm in a tiny village, and the nearest town, Northallerton, seems like a metropolis in comparison. Whenever I’m through on a market day, it’s so busy I’m soon desperate to scuttle back to the countryside, away from the hustle and bustle.

• Have your say

Hannah Chapman: Reporters run a risk on a daily basis

5:00am Saturday 22nd September 2018

THE death of Albert Dryden last Saturday at the age of 78, just over 27 years after he murdered planning officer Harry Collinson and injured two others – a police officer and a TV reporter – brought up a lot of memories for those who were there that day, and those who were back in the newsroom.

• Have your say