Creative Writing & Journalism – Odds, Ends, Words and Things



Bomb scare in CanterburyPart 1:Arriving in the office at 9am on a Wednesday morning, you sit down at your desk. Checking Twitter, you see a couple of tweets mentioning a bomb scare early in the morning, with the hashtag #canterburybombscareOne of the tweets reads; “Police cordoned off the cathedral gate in canters. One said there was a bomb scare! #canterburybombscare”You decide this needs investigating. You call Kent Police and their spokesperson gives you this response: “I can confirm that we received a tip-off of a bomb along Canterbury high street at 8.30am this morning. Police have been sent to cordon the area off from the public until a bomb disposal squad can arrive on the scene to assess the situation.”You have 10 minutes to write a 50 word news story for immediate publication on kentonline.co.uk and a tweet, with hashtag, for the Kent Online twitter page. You must also provide a one-line teaser of the story for the Facebook post sharing the Kent Online article on the KentOnline News Facebook page. Tip: check Kent Online’s Twitter and Facebook to see how they write their social media content.Part 2:You arrive outside the Cathedral Gate in the Buttermarket at 9.20am, just as the bomb disposal squad arrive. A small crowd of commuters has gathered, and the police are setting up formal barricades to keep people away from the shop. You talk to some of those in the crowd:Anne Cooper, 24, from Whitstable: “I’m a grounds keeper for the Cathedral trust. I thought it was just gunna be another usual Wednesday, but I can’t believe it. Nothing like this ever happens in Canterbury. I know it’s been happening lots all over the place, but it’s really scary to think there could be a bomb in there and if it weren’t for the police being tipped off I’d have just gone in without knowing.”Bradly Hathaway, 49, from Blean: “I was just riding me bike on the way to work and found the street was all blocked off and there was a commotion with police and such. They said I can’t pass because there’s trouble at the Cathedral. At first I thought it must just be a prank call, but I overheard one of the police chaps saying the fence along Palace Street had been broken through.”You decide to walk down the road away from the crowd and main police line and find the broken fence. Down Palace street, you find a spot where there is a high wooden gate in the brick wall, and it has indeed been battered down. Police tape covers the opening, and you see half a dozen armed police guarding the area who try to shoo you away. You speak to a police officer on the scene, who tells you:“I’m afraid I cannot confirm or deny anything at this stage. The bomb disposal squad has just arrived and we are focusing on finding out if this is a hoax or a genuine threat. Our priority is keeping the public safe.”You get a call from the office, saying that Kent police have released an official statement:“At 8.30am this morning Kent Police received an anonymous tip off claiming that a bomb had been placed in Canterbury Cathedral, the headquarters of the Church of England. The site has been cordoned off and evacuated, including the King’s School, which shares the Cathedral precinct. A bomb disposal team is currently on-site to determine the seriousness and nature of the threat. We urge the public to keep away from the high street and Cathedral until the matter is resolved. No one has yet come forward claiming responsibility for the threat.”You have 20 minutes to re-write your 50 word article as a 150 word piece for immediate publication on the Kent Online website. You must also write a newsflash tweet, with hashtag, for the Kent Online Twitter page and a one-line teaser to accompany the Facebook post sharing the story online.Part 3:With tens of armed police patrolling the area, at 11am the bomb squad announce that they have indeed found a bomb in the Cathedral grounds. The amassed crowd, which includes students from Kings School in their Full Canterbury uniform of wing tip collars and tailcoats, are ordered further back and the majority of the high street is cleared. Chief Constable Brian Butterfield speaks to you and the gathered media at the scene, stating the official police position on the matter:“At 10.30am this morning our bomb disposal squad located an explosive device in the grounds of Canterbury Cathedral. I can state that we have the situation completely under control. Police have cordoned off an area of the high street such that the bomb may be safely disarmed, or failing that a controlled detonation can remotely take place. Our bomb disposal experts have sent their remote robot into the building to assess the risks. As yet we have no word on who the anonymous tip this morning was, or who placed the bomb in the Cathedral. Kent Police will launch a full investigation, along with the Metropolitan police and other relevant bodies. Our main concern at the moment is ensuring the safety of the public and getting to the root of this mystery.”One of the armed police officers on the scene is talking loudly with his colleagues, and you overhear him saying, “I reckon this is ISIS, especially after those London attacks over summer. Bet you anything. We’ll be on high alert for weeks here now.”Soon after, you walk through the crowd that has started to disperse. One of the remaining people is Ned Terry, 52 from Dover, who owns an ice cream stall in Buttermarket Square. He tells you:“This whole thing has completely ruined trade for the day. The news has spread and now no one is coming into town. The whole place is deserted. I rely on tourists and they’ve all been told not to come into down. I’ve lost a day’s trade, the council should do the honourable thing that give me the compensation of lost earnings.”You check twitter again, which is buzzing. You see the following tweets:Simon Fuller: “Got caught up in a bomb scare in Canterbury this morning! Only just got to work! #wrongplacewrongtime #canterburybomb”Malcolm Bettany: “Bomb scare in Canterbury taking kids to school this morning terrifying. Got out of there as soon as I could. Never seen anything like it in this city.”You also see a statement on Twitter by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who said: “Deeply saddened by events in Canterbury. We are praying for a peaceful resolution to this morning of fear in the heart of the CoE.”King’s School has also issued a statement, the headmaster Peter Roberts reassuring parents that “All day and boarding students have been evacuated from the main campus adjacent to the Cathedral compound, and lessons suspended until a resolution to the danger has been made. All pupils have been registered and remain on other areas of the school premises until further notice. You have 30 minutes to re-write your 150 word article as a proof-read 300 word piece for immediate publication on the Kent Online website. You must also write a breaking news tweet, with hashtag, for the Kent Online Twitter page and a one-line teaser to accompany the Facebook post sharing the story online. ................
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