Natalie Tipping

Kent Messenger w/c February 26

This week was definitely a busy one, with plenty of stories to write and my NQJ exams on Friday. The main story of the week was the front page of the Sittingbourne News Extra, about a vicar who had been refused permission to remove the pews from his church to make the building more accessible…

Kent Messenger w/c February 19

It’s good to be back into the swing of things at the KM, and this week I’ve managed to get my teeth into some really interesting stories. For the front page of the Sittingbourne News Extra, I wrote a piece about a childrens’ hospice’s plans for expansion. Demelza Hospice Care for Children is looking to…

Recipe: Chicken and chorizo paella

I absolutely love the idea of paella, but unfortunately until recently I didn’t eat seafood, so I had to come up with a recipe for it which didn’t include the classic prawns or mussels! You can of course add them in, and I may well do that myself the next time I make it, but…

Wardrobe Wish List: Stripes

Oh I do love a pattern or a print in my wardrobe, and is there any better pattern for adding a smart point of interest to an outfit than stripes? I don’t think so. Here are some striped pieces which I’d love to add to my wardrobe… New Look Red Stripe Jumper – £17.99 This piece…

Review: How to Find Love in a Bookshop | Veronica Henry

After a couple of heavier reads in the first couple of weeks of this year – one being heavy in terms of it being a classical novel, Jane Eyre, and the other being heavy due to it being 880 pages long, A Clash of Kings – I was keen for something a bit lighter when…

Recipe: Pea and Mushroom Risotto

This is a simple but delicious dinner to have during the week, and is a great option for a meat-free meal as well. I’m not a vegetarian (I’ve tried to be, but have never lasted very long), but I am a firm believer that the majority of carnivores eat far too much meat, and needn’t…

Wardrobe Wish List: Mustard

Anyone who knows me knows I love a bit of mustard in my wardrobe – but don’t much care for the condiment! Having moved across country I had a massive clear out of my wardrobe just before Christmas, and am now looking to revitalise it and add some new items, and everywhere I look I’m…

Recipe: Pork Fried Rice

This is the perfect recipe for those nights where you desperately want a takeaway but either don’t have the money or can’t let the diet slip. Next time you’re having that most annoying of internal conflicts, try this recipe for a great fake-away – pork fried rice. I use brown rice in this because I…

Review: I’ll Give You the Sun | Jandy Nelson

Having previously read Nelson’s The Sky is Everywhere a couple of years back now, I’ll Give You the Sun had unfortunately been left on the shelf at my parent’s house while I was down South. I say ‘unfortunately’ because I’m so gutted I didn’t read this sooner, it’s a true masterpiece. Following twins Noah and…

Day Out: Liverpool

I’m not going to lie to you and say I’m writing this blog post because I’ve been to somewhere I’d never been before, because I’ve been to Liverpool many many times, but I finally got to show Rob around the city today and we had such a lovely time. When we first arrived we walked…

Review: Jane Eyre | Charlotte Bronte

I don’t know how I managed to avoid having to read this literary classic through all those years of GCSE, A-level, and degree level English Literature classes, but somehow I did. And now I’ve read it, I’m a little disappointed in myself that it took me so long.

Recipe: Mincemeat

When it comes to Christmas cooking, I love making everything I can from scratch – and am always keen to learn a new recipe every year. For the past couple of years I’ve been working on my mincemeat recipe, and am now confident that it’s fruity, rich, and, let’s face it, boozy enough to share…

My fitbit obsession

So, I’m definitely one of those people that gets a bit addicted to seeing progress. Over the years I have tried time and time again to lose weight, tone up, get fitter and more active, and although I wouldn’t say I’d completely failed, I’ve never been the epitome of success either. But recently I’ve been…

Day one of juice cleanse

Last night I made some yummy apple and orange juice to try to get me through this week, and it really was lovely when I had some for my lunch today, but I’m not sure fasting is for me…

The Lady of the Rivers

This was my first go at reading a book based on historical events – not that all books aren’t inspired in some way by history – and I must say I was really impressed.

Juice it up

So I’m not sure when I became one of those people, but apparently somewhere along the line it happened, and I’m now embarking on a juice cleanse.

Kent Messenger w/c June 6

I’ve recently been employed as a reporter at the Kent Messenger, based in Maidstone. I started at the office on 6 June, looking after reporting for the Maidstone, Malling, and Weald titles. Here’s what I got up to on week one: I was thrilled to be given the front page splash of the Malling edition: Natalie…

Amber Rudd MP visits University of Kent to campaign for Britain Stronger In

Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, came to the University of Kent’s Canterbury campus on 13 April to campaign for Britain Stronger In Europe. Rudd was greeted by students representing the University’s branch of Stronger In, who asked her questions about the upcoming referendum on 23 June. The MP for Hastings…

Canterbury Streetlights Radio Package

This is a radio news package I put together as part of my MA Multimedia Journalism, edited using Adobe Audition. The package is about the savings made by Kent County Council from fifteen months of having streetlights in Canterbury turned off after midnight. This council decision had caused much controversy amongst people living in those…

Canterbury Buskers TV News Package

This is a TV package I put together as part of my MA Multimedia Journalism course, about looking back on Canterbury City Council’s CPN legislation one year on. The legislation would have meant that buskers needed a licence in order to perform in the city centre, and sparked many protests in early 2015 when it…