It doesn't add up!

9 March 2012 - letters page.

In a letter from M G Freeman about the proposed Mansions Tax the figures he suggests are the same are, in fact, £99,000 apart.

Is this another case of  "The Mercury" simply cutting and pasting text, not proof reading anything or simply not being capable of primary school mathematics? There could be another answer that in transcription they simply left out "00" from each set of savings which would have made the comparisons correct.

Answers on a postcard to the editor.

Where is Mott ?

Monday 27 February 2012 - page 27

In an attempt to relocate local rivals Nottingham F****t the Mercury produced a league table featuring a team called Mott Forest. Assuming the same shortening of names has been applied then it must refer to Mottingham in Greater London.

Thanks to George for spotting this error.

Jack!... Jack!..... Why doesn't he answer?

Friday 27 January 2012 - backpage "City News" by Rob Tanner.

Apparently City have been linked to "Hull City's Jack Chester" . This is interesting - he must be the unknown brother of Hull City's James Chester who was signed by Nigel Pearson for Hull City in January 2011.

See Hull City website for further details of James...
http://www.hullcityafc.net/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10338~46270,00.html

Electric trains and mothballs

In the Mercury's "Business Monthly" supplement on 23 January, there was an article relating to the electrification of the Midland Mainline and the perceived benefits of bringing Leicester within an hour of London by train.

Inset within the article was a piece about the testing of Virgin's Pendolino tilting trains in the county. However, in true Mercury research style, this states that the last time electric trains were seen in Leicestershire was in 2005 and that the track was mothballed once the testing was completed.

Clearly, this is not true as the new London Underground stock being built by Bombardier in Derby is currently being tested on the test track. If I am not mistaken these are "electric trains" and a section of track has been electrified to replicate the London Underground system.

One of the new London Underground trains returning from the test track is seen above at Bagworth, Leicestershire on 11 January 2012. The train has two locomotives and a barrier wagon at each end.

Spellchecker out of order?

Wednesday 14 December 2011 - Mailbox, page 15

When publishing a letter about the musical Grease, the Mercury's caption to the accompanying photograph described it as a msuical.

Clearly, the reliance on spellcheckers does not extend to captions.

Use a spellchecker? - Get a Brain!

21 November - page 19. In an article, by David Sharman,  about a girl being left penniless by a bus driver, the Mercury reported: " Her father, Brain Sansom, said..." .



Now, he might be called Brain or, more likely, Brian - you decide!

Badges ?

On 18 November 2011, p.19 under the headline "Long-serving police officers recognised" the Mercury reported that the officers received special badges from the Lord Lieutenant. Surely they did not receive a mere badge but the Police Exemplary Service Medal, awarded to full time police officers for 20 years service.

In the photograph accompanying the article there is no sign of a "badge" only the above medal so presumably that is what they were awarded.