What was your first job as a journalist?
My first proper job in the industry was as a reporter with Mercury Press Agency in Liverpool. It was the perfect apprenticeship.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yep, we had one kicking about in the house where I grew up.
How is social media changing news?
I think the trend to video has been seismic while news consumption habits are changing all the time.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Clark Kent
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It can be hard work, but seeing your by-line never fails to be rewarding.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
LizVsLettuce
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email please.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Almost too many to list. Staying on top of SEO requires all the tricks at your disposal.
What's your favorite social network?
Instagram. You can't see enough videos of dogs being daft.
Who do you wish followed you?
Keanu Reeves. I'd ask if I could borrow the Ford Mustang he drove in John Wick.
Why did you become a journalist?
I never wanted to do anything else.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
We didn't have a high school newspaper, sadly, but I wrote movie reviews for the student mag while at the University of Liverpool.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
Chatting to professional rock climber Steve McClure for the Daily Telegraph was a personal highlight.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Hang in there. The first few years can represent a steep learning curve.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Any time.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
All are treated with respect.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
None that comes to mind.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Either driving and testing the latest vehicles or up a mountain somewhere, usually in the wilds of North Wales.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Fortean Times. It's a journal of the strange and bizarre and it's read from cover to cover each month.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That motoring writers are obsessed with performance stats and supercars. We're not.
