Editor's Pick of the Week: 'Death junctions' and a big signing for Knaresborough Town

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When training to become a journalist, I was told on a number of occasions that not being able to drive would hinder my career prospects.

In fact, for the first year as a trainee, the chief photographer at the paper I worked at had to drive me around to jobs — much to his annoyance (suffice to say he was elated when he was told I had passed my driving test).

Those memories came to my mind this week when senior journalist, John Grainger, headed to a meeting about a junction in North Rigton which has been dubbed “death junction”. One resident said she had only moved to the area three weeks ago, but in that time there had already been three accidents at the junction.

It’s stories like this that make me wonder why anyone would want to drive at all — never mind the soaring costs involved to take lessons in the first place.

Elsewhere this week, Knaresborough Town pulled one out of the bag by signing former Leeds United striker Ross McCormack.

As a season ticket holder at Elland Road, I can recall Ross bagging 29 goals in his last season for United before he left for £11 million to head to the capital and ply his trade at Fulham.

So when we got the call from Rob Northfield, joint managing director at Knaresborough, to say the Scot was heading to Manse Lane, it brought back good memories — but also reminded me that we finished 15th in the Championship in the season he left.

Finally, the saga at Brierley Homes continued this week as the council’s finance chief was forced to defend a £27m loan facility to the company.

While this may sound like groundhog day for some readers, it was the first time that a member of the public had directly challenged the ruling Conservative group on the council about its financial support for the loss-making firm.

Given the company is expected to lose money again at the end of this financial year, one suspects this will not be the last time that the public intervenes on its performance.

John Plummer is away.