Blast at aerosol factory in Fazackerley was tragic, dramatic in equal measure. Incredible picture sent in by a reader. Need more and more people to send their images. The Echo has hundreds of thousands of photo journalists across Merseyside.
Increasingly they are armed with camera phones. Newspapers? web? Phone alerts? The media landscape is changing daily. The pace is astonishing.
Chance to think about where we've been on the Echo and where we're going. Did a presentation to key execs of what had been achieved in my first six months as editor. What the readers think is what really mattered.
Great meeting on exciting new section for the Echo palnned for next year. Hard to make it happen. Fraught with difficulties.
But then, how many of the really great media successes were simple. The ideas were. The execution not so easy. The devil is always in the detail. Project Planning skills are absolutely key to success in any serious business.
Good thing was that the people involved in this idea are determined to get through the detail and make it happen.
It will be brilliant. Watch this space.
Hard slog of a day. Lots of meetings, not enough hands-on journalism.
Picked up Lynne (wife, 41) and shot off to Conwy to take an old friend to dinner.
Nice night but designated driver status meant mineral water while Lynne tore into white wine.
Conwy Bistro sensational. Fantastic locally-sourced ingredients. If you're in North Wales go.
Nice to speak Welsh again. Talked about a journalist we worked with in Llandudno. She was desperate to learn some Welsh so the guys taught her a basic conversation which she learned parrot-fashion.
They went through the ritual every morning.
She'd breeeze in and say: 'Bore Da' (good morning).
The lads would say: Bore Da, Jill. S'ut oet' ti. (morning Jill, how are you.)
'Dw'in Blywog'. She'd reply happily. (Meaning: 'I'm hairy'.)
Poor girl never cottoned on. How they kept it going I'll never know. But they did. For months.
Off on hols now. Need a break. Speak soon.
