Street violence - who's to blame?

The distressing subject of knife crime is once again making the headlines, particularly with the tragic death of teenager Rob Knox. This is a subject which touches everyone whether you fear being a victim or are a parent of teenagers. But what can be done about this and where does the finger point?

There are many who will say that parents need to take more responsibility for their children, but teenagers are in that that place where parents face a dilemma; they have to decide how much responsibility to hand over.

So to what extent can parents reasonably take responsibility for their children while at the same time allowing them the freedom to discover the world for themselves? The natural instinct of some parents may be to try and exert control over many aspects of their children’s lives – choice of friends, places they go and when they return home at night. Is this absolutely the right thing to do or could this lead to alienation and secrecy?

The police will say (and have said), that that they need the help of parents to tackle this. So when your teenager says they don’t carry a knife do you believe them?
In one case a parent described how she would search the teenager’s bedroom while they were out.

What do you think is the cause? Is a knife amnesty the answer? What should be done? What advice would you give to parents?

Life at what cost?

The headlines ‘Designer Babies’ and ‘Saviour Siblings’ are sometimes used to draw attention to what is a complex and highly emotive set of issue. Certainly the issues are highly divisive with religious, political, legal and emotional viewpoints coming into play.

Today MPs are debating proposals to change the law on the use of human embryos, and so the media will again be focusing on stories from around the country which reflect the human angles on this controversial discussion.Tonight, Calendar on ITV 1 at 6pm will report one particular story in which a boy has been born to a couple who want to use stem cells from his umbilical cord to treat an older brother with a life threatening blood disorder.

Of course, if the outcome is life for two children who can deny this? However issues arise where one embryo has been selected for genetic compatibility at the expense of others which are discarded. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has said it is acceptable to test and select embryos to prevent the birth of a baby with a genetic disease, but not to select them in order to help another child. While those supporting the protection of unborn children say that it is unacceptable to discard unwanted embryos.

So, where does this leave a couple wanting to give birth to a “Saviour Sibling”, where the life of one child may depend on another’s? Calendar will be raising the issues and inviting your text comments at 6pm this evening, and of course you can comment here on the ITV Local blog

(Mark Waddington, Channel Manager ITV Local Yorkshire)

Breath of Fresh Air

A brand new series begins tonight on Calendar news in which Jon Mitchell joins writer Mark Reid. Together they go on some of the region's best walks. Not only can you see the film, but we're offering Mark's walk description and a map to download from the site.

A must for walkers.

Spiders in Scarborough

Andrew Davies, a Scarborough lover writes..
i really enjoy the scarborough webcam it cheers me up when we aren't in scarborough we can look at it and look forward to going again the only problem is i think that it needs a clean !!!! ive seen two spiders and some seagull poo !!! Thanks Andrew.

Don't forget you can write to us at yorkshire@itvlocal.com or leave comments about your favourite Yorkshire places here on our blog

St George and the dragon

Every kid in the country knows this particular saint I expect, mostly because the story invloves a pointy weapon, a fire breathing monster and lots of drama. Dan Brown has made a short film about the celebrations at the rugby club and cricket fields, Scatcherd Lane in Morely. And don't forget to upload your videos of the celebrations to ITV Local's Your News



Looking ahead to this weekend, Scarborough bosts one of the biggest celebrations in the county with the Redcoat soldiers and musicians with military drill, rifle firing and a pageant in his honour. More information here

Rail travel experiences

These pictures were taken in Leeds station this week; it was a fairly quiet day on this particular morning. Commuters will be aware of the large numbers of people pushing through the barriers in the rush hour and the sometimes lengthy process of checking tickets.

As a regular rail traveller it seems to me that there are huge inconsistencies in the way ticket validating is handled across the country. The biggest improvements, in my view, came in London when Oyster Cards were introduced on the underground. Effortlessly, commuters were able to pass through barriers and pre-pay for journeys. The pay as you go aspect of Oyster Cards and the automated way in which the charging is handled across peak and non-peak periods is excellent. Not only do Oyster Cards lead to easy and convenient travel, but are fair on charging.

In my local train station I often see people trying to work out whether or not it’s worth buying a travel card – miss a few journeys and the benefits drain away.

I think we need to get much more sophisticated in the way we handle the payment aspects of rail travel. Think, for example, of the confusing range of options for intercity travel. It's entirely possible to find yourself on the wrong train and forking out maby an extra £90.
(Mark Waddington, ITV Local Yorkshire Channel Manager)

Do you think rail travel can be improved? How? Use the comments tab on this posting.

Also see the ITV Local Yorkshire Travel Channel

Cattle Call - a mischievous musical

The Phoenix Dance Theatre at the West Yorkshire Playhouse last weekend.

Cattle Call, a collaboration between choreographer Javier De Frutos and composer Richard Thomas – also the writer and composer of Jerry Springer, the Opera. Described as an explosive theatrical event, Natasha Wenham went to see this mischievous musical.


Not knowing what to expect from the performance overall and speaking for myself I felt the opening scenes sparked a sense of confusion amongst the audience. A combination of loud opera style singing and active dancers swept the stage floor with each dancer chanting numbers. My first instincts were that It was unusual, musical, energetic and vibrant. At one point in the performance I thought ‘this is complete madness’ so much is going on and I couldn't keep my eyes off the show. I instantly fell in love with the cast members as they gave an excellent performance, there seem to be a strong sense of direction and choreography; not one move looked to be out of position. It was also nice to see such a broad mixture of cultural diversity amongst the cast members who all looked as though they had a good connection between one and other during the their performances. What I liked in particular was the fact that one of the main characters who was more dominantly lead ironically happened to be the most petite and smallest of the cast.

Throughout the play I found it comical, humorous and full of witty innuendos in the music lyrics which had me at the edge of my seat at most times amused. There were also occasions where I wanted to get up out of my seat and join in the dance as I really enjoyed the music. The simple use of setting with most of the performance taking place in the same space, with occasional use of bars to simulate been locked away highlighted how well structured and organised the performance actually was.

My interpretation of the play had me comparing the fact that the play seemed to based on the idea of the gruelling process of auditions, in a sense it was almost like a theatrical version of ‘Fame’ maybe even like an’ X factor’. But I couldn't help comparing the auditions process to a real Cattle Call, where you see a herd of Cattle all confined to a small space waiting for there turn to be chosen to be slaughtered. My comparison arose as I watched the talented dancers perform their crazy (as I’d put it) dance moves emphasizing their flexibility and stamina. Also the fact that they were all wearing a numbered sign just waiting for their number to be called.

Sadly the run at the WY Playhouse was only short, but I'm sure it will be back somewhere in the region before long. If you enjoy a good musical performance with much of the emphasis on dance, and not to forget the comedy, ‘Cattle Call’ is definitely a must see.