Chester hits BBC headlines

Not one but TWO stories on Chester today, on BBC News Online and, at time of blogging, were the top two news items.

The first story concerns a violent stabbing. Oddly enough, I was aware of this story before it became public news - it happened around the corner from where I live and when I went in search of my missing cat this morning, there was crime-scene tape everywhere and the road was closed. A neighbour had heard the fight and called the police - he filled me in on the news this morning. All very depressing. Chester is not immune to inner-city violence fuelled by alcohol abuse and we've had a few incidents lately, but normally they are only covered in the Chester Chronicle, which is published on Fridays. If the BBC had not featured this, I could have been unaware for a week.

I'm half wondering if the coverage is down to my regular protests to Aunty, which are perhaps bearing fruit at last, or if it's down to increased coverage of violence generally, given the huge number of stabbings around the UK in recent weeks and months.

The second news story concerns the last-ever performance at the Gateway Theatre, which has now closed. There used to be three theatres here, now there's none. Although we are supposed to be getting a new one in 4 years' time... Chester is about to lose its only city-centre cinema shortly as well, which will leave the county capital with no cultural facilities at all. The Chronicle is currently spearheading a campaign to save the cinema, and the city council is now looking seriously at options to buy the cinema off the current owner and retain it as a cinema cum arts centre. Now that's news - but only in Chester. Surely it's worthy of some wider coverage?