The Appeal of Stan the Man is spreading far beyond the circulation area of the Bristol Evening Post, where deputy editor Stan Szecowka pens his weekly column and sits by a hotline for people to ring him with their views.
According to the paper’s Latimer’s Diary, Granada TV has cast Cold Feet’s John Thomson in a new series about the criminal underworld called Stan the Man, of course.
Their lead character also works with “a collection of wonderfully comic low-lifes,” Latimer reports.

Wearside artists are getting the chance to have their work reviewed by the Queen in the Sunderland Echo royal portrait contest.
It was launched after Lucien Freud’s controversial new work was unveiled, and Echo readers were asked to do better.
The winning entry will be sent for Her Majesty’s approval at Buckingham Palace.

Despite Leicester City Football Club’s perilous plight at the foot of the Premiership, the Mercury produced a celebration supplement to mark an open day at the Foxes’ new stadium.
The club is shortly to leave Filbert Street and the New Stadium Guide gave fans the chance to review building work so far, choose their seat, check open day visiting details and join the waiting list for season tickets.

Irish rhythm and blues sensation Samantha Mumba teamed up with the Ayrshire Leader to help raise over £50,000 for needy children recently.
Pop icon Samantha headlined a charity gig organized by Ayshire radio station West FM which was sponsored by the Leader.

Recycled East Anglian Daily Times newspapers are helping to keep visitors warm when they visit a new £5m exhibition centre at an Anglo-Saxon burial site.
Recycled newspaper has been used for insulating the walls of new buildings at Sutton Hoo, in keeping with the National Trust’s policies.

Children from a primary school near Yarmouth had the experience of a lifetime when they travelled to meet Father Christmas in his wintry residence as the winners of the Eastern Daily Press’s ‘Ultimate School Trip’ to Lapland.
Thirty youngsters were joined by reporter Rachel Buller and photographer Su Holliday on their pre-Christmas trip to Santa’s home.

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