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I’m the Doncaster reporter, I’m basically Radio Sheffield’s man in that area. I do everything from a bit of sport to covering all the stories from Mansion House to the Keepmoat Stadium.

The best bits, well it’s all about the people I meet and speak to, one day I can be speaking to Mayor Winter and then the next I could be speaking to a local resident about what they’ve been doing. It’s a great opportunity to just go out and speak to a variety of people.

Love of the job

I get to find out what’s going on, I’m basically a big gossip in Doncaster. I’m from Doncaster and it’s important to let people know what is happening.

There are so many different parts of the job and ways of working, I really do just love it.

The top story

The best story I’ve worked on is the floods of 2007. It was such a big event and it’s never happened before. Doncaster was so badly affected so I spent a month in Doncaster, in my wellies batting off the rain. It’s the best and biggest job I had to do.

It was an emotional time because people were going through the worst of times. People were keen to use Radio Sheffield to tell everybody what was happening.

Best of the rest

Some of the best interviews I’ve done are with the people who make decisions in Doncaster, so Mayor Winter for example. He gets a lot of stick but he’s always willing to come forward and tell us what is happening. He’s not shy of the microphone.

I like having a chat with people like anybody else would. I try to ask the questions that listeners would want to ask and want answers to.

Low lights

I’ve done lots of bad interviews. I’ve asked the wrong questions, I’ve got names wrong. I speak to football managers and can ask daft questions and sometimes get details wrong. Luckily they don’t make the news though.

Honesty

To get honesty from people, you have to be honest with them. An interview is a conversation that you are recording. You don’t have to perform, you just want people to be natural.

Why the news?

I love everything to do with the news.Ìý The more current it is, the more I love it. You can find out what is going on then and there with radio. Whether it’s international or South Yorkshire, I need to know what is going on.

I love SY

South Yorkshire is a brilliant place. The best thing is that each part of South Yorkshire is different. Barnsley from Doncaster. Doncaster is different from Rotherham. The accents are amazing and so distinctive from town to town, the way you can tell the difference between somebody from Wombwell or Intake.

Some of the changes that have happened in Doncaster have made it such a better place to live, it’s received a lot of stick about being an industrial northern town but it’s actually a really nice place to live.

If you have a story for James, you can email him direct or call the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio Sheffield newsroom on 0114 2675440.