Old work

Medavia

BRITAIN’S ARCTIC HARES

I produced this article on some of the fantastic shots wildlife photographer Tim Stenton took while in Scotland recently.

The Daily Mail: Britain’s only Arctic animal: Photographer captures mountain hares leaping about in the Scottish Highlands

ABANDONED JAPANESE THEME PARK

I worked with another fantastic urban explorer to produce an article on this bizarre abandoned theme park near Mount Fuji.

Daily Mail: The Lilliput that’s now just kaput: Japanese theme park based on Gulliver’s Travels that has been left to rot

Buzzfeed: This Abandoned Japanese Theme Park Is The Strangest Place You’ll See Today

YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS

I found these great pictures on Flickr of a Professor Ann Flower’s dog learning a variety of amazing tricks.

The Times: Old dog really can learn new tricks

Newsround: Meet Buzz the old dog that learnt new tricks

ABANDONED BOARDING SCHOOL

I had a good run of urbex stories recently, working with some talented photographers. This time I worked with photographer Darren Finch.

Daily Mail: Frozen in time: Dusty textbooks and unfinished homework the only signs of life left inside a boarding school abandoned after serious child abuse uncovered

Buzzfeed: This Abandoned School In Berkshire Is As Creepy As It Gets

ABANDONED ASYLUM

Another urban exploration story, this time I worked with Eleonora Castagnozzi to produce this article on her pictures inside an abandoned asylum.

Daily Mail: ‘The place of no return’: The forgotten Italian asylum that was once home to 6,000 patients sent for ‘treatment’ but were never allowed to leave

Buzzfeed: Abandoned Psychiatric Hospital In Italy Is The Most Chilling Thing You’ll See Today

SWEDENS CLASSIC CAR GRAVEYARD

I worked with photographer Svein Nordrum, of frozen frog fame, to produce this urban exploration article on a forest full of abandoned vintage cars.

The Daily Mail: Sweden’s classic car graveyard: 1,000 automobiles from a bygone era worth £100,000 found rusting in a forest

The Times: End of the road

Buzzfeed: 15 Eerie Pictures Of A Classic Car Graveyard In Sweden

NEWSPAPER PHOBIA

The story of a mother-of-three who suffers from chloephobia, an irrational fear of newspapers.

The Daily Mail: Start dreading the news! Mother-of-three suffers rare condition that means she’s terrified of newspapers

The Daily Mirror: The bad news for mum Diane Freelove is that she has a phobia of newspapers

Metro: Meet the woman who’s terrified of newspapers

YAWNING BABOON

I worked with photographer Alan Shapiro to produce this article on his amazing pictures of a yawning baboon in New York.

The Daily Mail: Late night? Amazing pictures capture human-like yawns of baboon as she settles down for her afternoon nap

Metro: Nap time at the zzzoo: Monkeying around leaves baboon pooped

The Telegraph: Animal pictures of the week

GLOBE-TROTTING RUNNER

I came across Geoff on Reddit and loved his story, he ran for at least a mile a day every single day of the year in 2013.

The Daily Mail: Globetrotter: Runner jogged a mile every day over a year across 48 towns in five countries

BUILDING PROPOSAL

I found this couple on Reddit, I loved thier quirky proposal story and produced this article on thier incredible story.

The Daily Mail: Building proposal: Man spends three-months planning engagement with romantic message in lights on side of 10-storey apartment bloc

MOTOCROSS SLIMMER

The woman who lost weight by taking up motocross racing. The features team at Medavia were able to secure an exxlusive deal for Danielle after this story appeared in the Daily Mail.

The Daily Mail: ‘I was 18st and used to sit at home eating crisps – now I’m a size 10 motocross champ!’ Daredevil sheds 7st to compete in risky races

SLEEPY OTTER

I worked with photographer Tim Stenton to produce this article on a well-fed Scottish otter taking a nap.

The Scottish Sun: That’s smashin’ crab

FROZEN FROG

I worked with Norwegian photographer Svein Nordrum to produce this article on a poor frog who froze to the surface of an icy lake.

The Daily Mail: Looking for love in ALL the wrong places: Frog freezes solid while searching for a mate on icy Norwegian lake

The Sun: Croaked

The Huffington Post: Frog freezes solid as he searches for mate on icy Oslo lake

IPAD PROPOSAL

A christmas themed story about an engineer who popped the question by hiding the ring in a custom designed iPad box.

The Daily Mail: Did she say iDo? Engineer pops question by hiding engagement ring in a converted iPad box

ABANDONED THEATRE

Another urban exploration story, this time from New York.

The Daily Mail: Inside the abandoned theater where Stallone, Streisand and ‘The Fonz’ all worked as ushers as it prepares for $100m makeover to restore it to its former glory

COUPLE TRAVEL ACROSS THE WORLD IN A VINTAGE TRIUMPH

An adventurous couple has completed the romantic adventure of a lifetime – by travelling for 127 days across 16 countries in a classic car they bought for £500 from eBay.

The Times: Couple triumph in global road trip

The Daily Mail: Couple travel 17,000 miles across 16 countries in classic Triumph they bought for £500 on eBay

ABANDONED OBSERVATORY

I love writing urban exploration stories so it was a pleasure to write about this beautiful abandoned observatory in Spain.

The Daily Mail: Left to rust for nearly 40 years: The once world renowned Spanish mountain-top observatory abandoned to the elements and vandals

OWL AND A KESTREL FIGHT

Policeman Chris Armstrong witnessed an attempted robbery while on his day off – a kestrel trying to steal a vole right out of an owls talons.

The Telegraph: Pictures of the day

The Daily Mail: F-owl play: The moment a daring kestrel tried to steal a vole right out of a barn owl’s talons is caught on camera

The Mirror: In a flap over lunch

The Times: Not so fast, I saw it first

WE LOST OUR BELLIES THANKS TO THE HAIRY BIKER’S

I originally wrote this news story as a feature which was in Best magazine in November.

The Daily Mail: We lost our bellies like the Hairy Bikers! 44 stone couple who ate 5,000 calories each a day lose 13 stone using celebrity cookbook

PRANKSTERS GROW A LAWN ON COLLEAGUES DESK

Another story I spotted on Reddit. I really enjoyed chatting to these funny guys in Texas.

The Daily Mail: What on turf is growing on my desk? Engineer returns from three-week holiday to find office pranksters have covered his entire workspace in GRASS

FRIENDLY DOG WHO KEEPS STRAY CATS WARM

I spotted these adorable photos on Reddit. I contacted Keegan and found out the story behind the pics and put the whole article together.

The Daily Mail: He’s a big softy at heart! Yankee the giant St Bernard lets stray cats snuggle up to him every night

Huffington Post: Yankee The Giant Saint Bernard Snuggles With Stray Kittens To Keep Them Warm At Night

WWII VEHICLE GRAVEYARD

Anther fantastic set of pictures from urban explorers Steve Vernon and David Morley.

The Daily Mail: Where military vehicles go to die… Inside the abandoned RAF station where trucks and boats from D-Day to the Cold War have been left to rot

THE YEAR BEARD

I found Chris and his beard on Facebook. I loved the set of pictures he took chronicling his journey from baby-faced to the full blown Brian Blessed.

The Daily Express: Man grows beard for a YEAR to raise money for homeless people

The Sun

DERELICT PAPER MILL

I love writing Urban Exploration stories – so it was a treat to showcase these amazing shots of an abandoned paper mill.

The Daily Mail: Frozen in time: Haunting pictures show derelict paper mill littered with cigars, boots and even a bottle of milk from the day it was abandoned

THE DOCTOR’S HOUSE

Mouthwash in the kitchen, old magazines on the floor and five vintage cars in the garage, inside the manor house a psychiatrist left to start a new life. I found the two photographers through an Urban Exploration forum.

The Daily Mail: Who would live in a gothic manor like this? Mysterious abandoned ‘doctor’s house’ has five vintage cars in the garage, yellowing copies of Which Car magazine littering the halls and swimming pool covered with moss

ARTIST CREATES BEAUTIFUL PAINTINGS OUT OF FLY VOMIT

John Knuth’s work featured on a science website after his process had been filmed by MOCA tv. I really like John’s work I think it is both interesting and beautiful.

The Daily Mail: Are these the most disgusting pieces of art ever made? Artist creates pictures by making flies VOMIT onto the canvas

BRITAIN’S ABANDONED POOLS

I came across Gigi Cifali’s work through a photography blog. I was immediately fascinated by his striking images and I got in touch with him.

The Daily Mail: Swimming in urban decay: Eerie images of Britain’s forgotten pools left derelict after the Victorian golden age of public bathing

The Times

Huffington Post: Britain’s Beautiful Derelict Pools Captured In Nine Stunning Images

DEATH DEFYING GOATS

I found one of these pictures on the back page of a climbing magazine. The photographer was credited so I got in touch with him and we put the story together.

The Mirror: Ram busters: Goats risk death on side of dam to lick salt on bricks

The Daily Mail: The death-defying goats that don’t give a dam! Animals scale Italian lake’s near-vertical barrier to lick stones for their minerals

Scottish Daily Record

SUICIDAL REPRODUCTION IN MARSUPIALS

I read about this story in a couple of science magazines. I then rang the scientist behind the research in Australia and contacted some local wildlife photographers, then put the story together for the British newspapers.

Metro: Doomed to die by sex: The critter that breeds itself to death

Daily Mail: What a way to go! Male marsupial found to sex itself to death after intensive 14-hour mating sessions in its final fortnight

THE BRONSON LETTERS

I read a story in a local paper about artist Lyn Hagan and an opera she had written based on prison letters between a Mexican hit-man and his lover. I phoned her up and discovered that she was also pen-pals with Charles Bronson.

Daily Mail: Art teacher names her Jack Russell PUPPY after notorious prisoner Charles Bronson after he sent her cartoon depicting Abu Ghraib and three hand-drawn Christmas cards

I GOT MY DREAM BODY – THANKS TO A HEART ATTACK

A story I wrote about Lesley Pritchard (no relation) who lost 6st after a heart attack forced her to confront her obesity and get healthy.

Daily Mail: My heart attack was the best thing that ever happened to me. Obese mother, 43, drops from 17st to 11st after nearly dying aged 37

HARIBO A DAY DIET WRECKED MY BABY DREAM

A feature which appeared in That’s Life magazine.

STOWAWAY RACCOON

This was a story I chased from a regional paper. I spoke to the owners of the ape and monkey sanctuary who gave me some extra information. including the fact that the raccoon might have been pregnant.

Metro: Raccoon survives month at sea by eating cardboard

QUADRIPLEGIC SHOOTER

I contacted Vic Morris, a disabled marksman who is paralysed from the waist down, through a disabled shooting charity. He can only move his head so he has to fire his rifle with his tongue.

The Daily Star: Shooting from the lip

WAKEBOARD PROPOSAL

I spotted the video of this wake-boarding wedding proposal on Reddit. I contacted the groom-to-be through his YouTube account and interviewed him and is girlfriend about the proposal.

Daily Mail: Lucky he didn’t drop the ring! Romantic wakeboard proposal makes a splash after video goes viral and is seen by more than a MILLION people

DISABLED DAREDEVIL

I wanted to write an inspirational story about someone triumphing in the face of adversity, so I emailed several disabled charities asking if they knew anyone who was disabled but took part in several extreme sports. This led me to Chris, a man who has lost 50% mobility in his legs, has to use a wheelchair but still kayaks, mountain bikes, ski’s and does wheelchair motocross.

Metro: Thrills? They’re my painkiller: Action man Chris is the daredevil who has to grit his teeth just to get out of bed

POCKET PALM SQUIRREL

I spotted a picture of this adorable orphaned squirrel on the front page of Reddit. I got in touch with the wildlife film-maker who was caring for the squirrel and wrote the article.

Daily Mail: Nodding off at your keyboard? This tiny palm squirrel can fall asleep ANYWHERE (but it prefers its owner’s shirt pocket)

The Telegraph: Pictures of the day: 17 September 2013

MENSWEAR DOG

I found this dapper dog on a photography blog, A couple of pics of the dog had already made in a few places, so I wrote some copy about the dog as the toast of New York Fashion Week and also talked about his new book deal. This fresh angle gave the papers an excuse to print the photos of this stylish mutt again.

The Guardian: Menswear Dog’s best looks – in pictures

The Telegraph: Pictures of the day: 13 September 2013

BRADFORD COUPLE DISCOVER THE WORLDS LARGEST CAVE

This was a story in spotted in the Vietnamese press about the world’s largest cave opening to the public. I looked up the cave and saw that it had been discovered by two British people four years ago. I had a look around and realised that nobody had really told their story. So I got in touch with one of them and found out they were a married couple from Bradford who met when they both joined a caving club at school.

The Daily Mail: Couple from Bradford discover the world’s largest cave in Vietnam, which is 5.5miles long and could fit a 40-storey skyscraper in it.

MOON PROPOSAL

A story I sourced through Reddit, we put it out on the news-wire and it was picked up by The Telegraph, Metro and the Daily Star. It then went on to be published in Italy, France, India, Hungary and Greece.

The Telegraph: Astronomer proposes with writing on the moon

Metro: Moonstruck: Astronomer writes on the moon to propose to girlfriend