Evening Herald columnist Martin Freeman suffers a story drought in Plymouth…

When looking for a story can be a bit like searching for an oasis in a sandy desert

Buddy, can you spare a news story?

Anything will do, although preferably something quirky. But it mustn't be a one-off.

Crash, bang, wallop crime stories aren't much good to down-at-heel columnists looking to string together a few cliches as they trot out their prejudices – sorry, I mean offer insightful, thought-provoking analysis and comment – especially when the incident happens on a Thursday and so is nearly a week old and has been chewed over by the world, his wife, their next-door neighbours and in-laws by the time my turn comes on a Wednesday.

So no one-offs please.

I need something with legs, as we old-fashioned hacks like to say (every few minutes we also like to shout 'What a story!', 'Hold the front Page!', 'Stop the Presses', 'Gimme as much as you've got!' and 'Sue me if you like – because I've got it all on tape').

The story has to have a shelf-life of at least a few days.

I'd like some human interest, too. (Dog or ape interest is useless because they don't buy papers.)

I'll happily take 'Plymouth mum's Sahara trek on skateboard', for example.

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