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Leslie Kerwin

[He/him/his] | English / español

Journalist at the Lancashire Evening Post. I'm originally from Manchester, and am currently learning teeline shorthand. I specialise in feature writing and news reporting, and occasionally dabble in radio.

Scott Trust Bursary finalist at The Guardian.

Lancashire Evening Post •

Folk, diversity, and radio news: Life as Preston's town crier

“Town criers became much more predominant during medieval times,” John told the Lancashire Evening Post. “We didn’t have newspapers, we didn’t have TV, we didn’t have radio, and we didn’t have the internet, so that was the way that news would be spread to the townsfolk.“I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but a society that doesn’t know where it and its traditions have come from has kind of lost itself in some respects. We need to know where we’ve come from in order to keep moving forward.”As well as...
The Northern Quota •

David Conn calls for ‘duty of candour’ on officials ahead of Hillsborough Law

Reporter of the year David Conn has called for a ‘duty of candour’ to be placed on police as campaigners call for a Hillsborough law to be introduced within the year.


Conn was joined by legal experts from Garden Court North Chambers at a memorial lecture in the University of Manchester on Thursday, honouring of Hillsborough barrister Mark George, who represented 22 families following the disaster.


The lecture discussed failures in the legal system in the years after the disaster. Named the...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Brave Liam, 9, ' just wanted to get better, and wanted to do it for everyone else'

“Liam’s treatment at the beginning was very intense, he was in and out of hospital every other week, and that was running concurrently for nine months. We’d have 12 days in, and so many days off, and then we’d go back.“He was just so grown up and mature and understanding of his illness,” Lucie said. “That was the hardest part for us as a family: to watch him be so brave when he was going through so much.“As his mum and as an adult, I couldn’t have gone through what Liam went through. It was just...
Stockport Nub News •

Stockport left ‘begging for scraps’ for government aid in New Year’s floods, council says

The leader of Stockport Council has said he thinks Stockport may have received government aid after last year's New Year's floods if it were located in the South. 
Councillor Mark Roberts made the comment in a Cabinet meeting last night (10 February), in which councillors approved an investigation into severe flooding in Stockport last January. 
The 24-hour deluge was declared a major incident, with hundreds of people evacuated from their homes as roads became submerged across the borough.
The Northern Quota •

DJ Paulette: From the living room to Europe and back

From the minute she could stand, Paulette Constable knew her place was above the crowds. As a little girl, she spent her days on her miniature typewriter writing weekly zines into the backs of cornflake boxes – and spent her evenings on the stage, performing for her seven sisters on the little step in the living room. “And I’d fall off the step and my sisters would laugh at me and I’d look at them and go, ‘you’ll pay to come and see me one day’.”


Now 58, DJ Paulette couldn’t have been truer t...
Quays Life •

Sadiq Ali on using circus to challenge outdated beliefs about HIV

When Sadiq Ali was diagnosed HIV+ during his circus training at NCCA, he witnessed the fear and ignorance that still surrounds the virus. He talks to Leslie Kerwin about his new work, ‘Tell Me’, created in consultation with HIV charities Positively UK and CHIVA (Children’s HIV Association) as an open letter response to his experiences told through Chinese Pole, aerial artistry and physical theatre.

Now wrapping up the final week of rehearsals, award-winning performer and activist, Sadiq Ali i...
The Northern Quota •

Man Met journalism student hosts BBC radio show about taking the night bus around Manchester

A Man Met journalism student is featuring on his own podcast episode on BBC Radio 4 about his journeys on Manchester’s night buses.


Speaking exclusively to NQ, student Ian Burke shared his journey to becoming the latest voice of Radio 4’s Illuminated, where he celebrates Manchester’s night buses in a trip across the city.


“It’s like an experimental documentary, there’s all sorts of weird and wonderful things on there,” he said.


For his podcast, Ian travels on Manchester’s V1 bus from Ox...
Stockport Nub News •

Stockroom unveils Christopher Isherwood exhibition as part of LGBTQ+ History Month

"Come and wallow in voluptuous sin: Christopher Isherwood's 'Berlin Stories' now read almost like vignettes of nearly forgotten history. They blaze into life only because of his enchantingly wicked heroine, Sally Bowles." 

So reads a scrap of long-forgotten news review, carefully clipped by a superfan to whom a gay immigrant who rejected his nationality was a more enchanting hero than the star of 'I Am a Camera'.
Quays Life •

REVIEW: The Battle

One side are ‘badger-stranglers’ from Gunchester. The other eat ‘rice with Bovril’. It’s summer 1995, and in the greatest battle between bands in 30 years, Oasis and Blur are in a race to the top for UK Number One Single. In a technicolour bombshell of beats, beatings, and booze, this week at the Opera House, ‘The Battle’ is on.  


What begins as a bitter Brit Awards rivalry quickly descends into all-out war when second-place Oasis announce their next single will land a week before Blur’s. Dre...

All articles


Lancashire Evening Post •

'It feels surreal someone could choose me', says Make a Difference Award hairdresser

“I started with a lot of diarrhoea, then I had blood and mucus. But it’s not the sort of thing you really want to talk about, especially when you’re young, so I just ignored it and hoped it would go away. It didn’t.“It got to the point where it was just taking over my life. I was really struggling to maintain my career because I was on the toilet all the time, and also just with the anxiety that it caused. Over the past nine years, Victoria has provided a lifeline to dozens of people across Lanc...
Lancashire Evening Post •

War exhibition will spin a yarn in Chorley

Having travelled to Ireland, the UK, France, the USA, and back, a critically-acclaimed WWII exhibition is now back with a brand-new edition - and is set to spin a yarn in Lancashire.‘Britain at War’ is a powerful 80-metre installation which explores the social history of the Second World War.The realities of ordinary people who lived, endured, and adapted through wartime hardship are reflected in a series of minifigure and life-sized displays - which just so happen to be made entirely out of woo...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Stolen jewellery returned after Leyland burglary investigation

A set of jewellery stolen from a Leyland home has been returned to their rightful owner. Earlier this week, Lancashire Constabulary issued an appeal after a jewellery collection was stolen from a family home. Sign up to our Crime News newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.Subscriptio...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Police appeal after 'young male' escapes on e-bike

Lancashire Constabulary have launched an appeal for information after a ‘young male’ escaped on an e-bike from officers in Chorley.Sign up to our Crime News newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.Subscription OffersSorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later.Submitting...
Lancashire Evening Post •

'Excessive speed' driver arrested with 5kg drugs stash

A man has been arrested on the M61 near Chorley after driving at “excessive speed” with a 5kg bag of drugs stashed in his car. Officers were on patrol on the M6 at 8pm last night (September 24) when they saw a white BMW speeding down the motorway. Sign up to our Crime News newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, lo...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Thousands of pounds seized after Rishton arrest

Lancashire police say they have seized thousands of pounds after an early morning arrest made in Rishton. Specialist operations officers and colleagues from Lancashire Constabulary’s East Intelligence Unit carried out a search warrant on an address on Allan Critchlow Way in the early hours of this morning (September 25).Sign up to our Crime News newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the websi...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Leyland students raise £7K for mental health charity

Over the course of a year, students and staff came together to host a variety of events and activities in an effort to fundraise for the cause. “He raised over £600, and he shaved it in front of all the students. We also participated in Leyland Festival and raised over £1,000 there as well. We also had a variety of enrichment activities like our Winter Wonderland and our Eid Markets. “We decide on a college charity every year, and we do that via a student and staff vote. The one for last year wa...
Lancashire Evening Post •

'I want to change how care is perceived in Preston'

“He was walking and stuff, so it was all quite sudden. The nurses were arranging for him to come home, and then a day later the doctors called me and my mum into a side room and said he’s not well enough to go home, and that he could pass away at any time.“My care knowledge at the time wasn’t great. Even basic things like shaving my dad, I’d never done that before, and it was just a bit upsetting that my dad would soil himself and I’d have no idea what to do. He got unwell quite quickly.“I’d be...
Lancashire Evening Post •

'He was a force of nature': Ajani Campbell's family pay tribute after remains found

The family of a missing Preston man whose remains have been found under a Greater Manchester bridge have described him as “a force of nature”.A skeleton found at the bottom of the concrete embankment of a railway bridge over the M67 in Hyde, Tameside, have since been identified as belonging to him. At the time of his disappearance, Ajani was described as a ‘high risk’ missing person, and was seen running across a road in Ashton-on-Ribble.Now, his family have issued a statement where they describ...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Wallace and Gromit and a bear in a bath: Inside Lancashire Conservation Studios

“When something is too far gone, you will take what you can from it. I have lots of cupboards just full of feathers and stuff, just whatever I can find. But goat skin is really good because it’s something I can readily get, and I can also dye it and stain it. “We’re not very on it in the UK, in comparison to America, who will throw money at things like this a little bit more. We have a lot of guidelines that say we’re not allowed to use a lot of [pesticides], so we just watch bad things happen i...
Lancashire Evening Post •

M6 lanes cleared after triple smash

All lanes on the M6 near Lostock Hall have been cleared following a triple crash between three lorries.Emergency services rushed to the scene at around 3pm this afternoon (September 23).Sign up to our daily newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more.Subscription OffersSorry, there seem to...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Lancashire clinicians cycle 140 miles for 'prehab' cancer treatment

“Prehabilitation is technically preventative rehabilitation, so instead of waiting until you’ve finished your chemo, you use the time beforehand or during the treatment to keep yourself in as good general health as possible.According to Susan, the idea of prehabilitation is still a relatively new concepted, and has so far only been adopted in a small number of areas in the UK.“Trying to make it standard practice across the UK is really difficult, because it’s always seen as a ‘nice to have’. Pre...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Steam Gala to arrive in Ribble Valley

Anyone train enthusiasts in the Ribble Valley are on track for an exciting weekend this week as the region prepares to welcome its annual Autumn Steam Gala. At least four restored vintage steam trains are set to be pulled back into action, with visitors welcome to enjoy a packed timetable of services running on a loop between Preston Riverside and Strand Road.Sign up to our daily newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you ca...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Wanted sex offender arrested after manhunt

The subject of a police manhunt has been arrested after breaching his sex offender notification requirements. Police yesterday issued a ‘do not approach’ warning to the public as they searched for 28-year-old Thomas Sheard for the second time this year. Sign up to our Crime News newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer a...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Fire crews rush to action over 'significant' Cabus farm fire

Fire crews have rushed to a farm in Cabus after a ‘significant’ outbuilding fire broke out.Several fire engines and specialist appliances remain on the scene at Snapewood Lane, Cabus, after a barn containing straw and hay caught fire this afternoon.Sign up to our daily newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalt...
Lancashire Evening Post •

New lease of life for Preston Cemetery

It’s not every day a graveyard gets a new lease of life - but that’s exactly what’s been happening at Preston Cemetery this week. The gates at Preston Cemetery have been in a state of disrepair for the past four years, after a BMW 1 Series overturned and crashed into the entrance in February 2021. Sign up to our daily newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium con...
Lancashire Evening Post •

'Still investigating': Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service on Penwortham house fire

The cause of a housefire in Penwortham is “still under investigation”, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has said.Three fire engines were called to an an address in Crownlee, Penwortham, at 6:40pm yesterday after reports of smoke. Sign up to our daily newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and muc...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Cricket club burglary sparks police appeal

Lancashire police are appealing for information after a burglary in Burnley. Thieves targeted the Read Cricket and Bowling Club on Whalley Road at approximately 12:30am on Saturday (September 19), where they stole an undisclosed sum of cash as well as several bottles of alcohol. Sign up to our Crime News newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Cycle Hub officially launches at Preston Station

“There’s a lot of bikes that get abandoned at train stations, and a lot of them are locked down in the tunnels beneath Preston Station. Avanti have been very helpful, and they’ve also been very supportive today.”According to charity Cycling UK, women are significantly less likely to cycle due to safety concerns: there are not enough well-lit cycle routes; not enough segregated cycle lanes; and over the past seven years, the charity has seen no reduction in the number of women being abused by dri...
Lancashire Evening Post •

A rare look into the depths of the Lancashire Archives

“We have a really good system where we’re able to to find an individual item within a box on a shelf within a certain stack, and we’re able to locate every single sheet within every single box within every single strongroom.”“The temperature also changes when you’re in here. We have to keep our rooms not just at a controlled temperature, but at controlled humidity levels as well, just to keep each item protected.”“The letter states that a vault was found filled with 36 full barrels, two firkins,...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Appeal for information after Burnley firearms arrest

A man in Burnley has been arrested on suspicion of affray and possessing a firearm - with police now appealing for information.The 21-year-old was arrested on Saturday (September 19), after police were called to a disturbance on Devonshire road at 9:50pm.Sign up to our Crime News newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Arrest after man seen 'shooting at birds' in River Ribble

A man in his 70s has been arrested on suspicion of shooting birds in the River Ribble. Police were called to Walton-le-Dale at 10:08am this morning (September 21) after local residents described a man shooting at local wildlife.Sign up to our Crime News newsletterSign upThank you for signing up!Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Lancashire Evening Post, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and mu...
Lancashire Evening Post •

Historic 300 year anniversary for Preston Church

Previously living in Oxford, he moved to Preston to study under current vicar Fr David Craven, and will next year depart from Preston to become vicar of his very own church. “Once upon a time, the church was built upon the canal, so there would have been fields and we would have been on the edge of town.“Even the beautiful murals are very unusual in an English church. The person who painted them had links to the Romanian Orthodox Church, so they’ve got a slightly Eastern Orthodox style to them....
Lancashire Evening Post •

Preston roads ranked among 'most dangerous' in Lancashire

The data covered all 14 districts of Lancashire between 2021 and 2025. During that time, 189 people were killed, and a further 5,034 were seriously injured in road accidents. However, as figures are only recorded when police attend the scene of an accident, it is likely there are many more minor incidents that have never been counted. Overall, it found that Blackpool, Preston, and Blackburn with Darwen all grouped highest for the number of serious incidents, but that last year, Preston had the h...
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