Y Factor this week

This Thursday September 20, I will be joining a few other good old boys and girls from around town in potentially making a complete fool of myself. I will be the last of eight acts performing on stage with a proper backing band in a (lack of) talent competition we’ve cunningly called Y FACTOR. It's being held at Studio 28, which is on Peter Street in Manchester.

I've never done anything like this before but was persuaded to do so in the cause of MENCAP. All money raised will go towards helping the 200,000 children and adults with a learning disability in the North West.

Please sponsor me. I'd ask you (again) to come and support me on the night, but I think the event has pretty much sold out. Marie at Mencap - marie.arnold@mencap.org.uk may have some more tickets.

The easiest way is to make a pledge on a special website I’ve set up here.

Or you can just send me an email telling me what you are willing to pledge.

To read how we all did, there will be coverage in the October issue of North West Business Insider and here on my this blog.

Ten thoughts on business speakers

Ten thoughts late on a Friday afternoon about speakers at business events. I've seen all sorts, I can tell you. Here are ten.

Best speaker at any event I have ever been involved with: Kevin Roberts (2005, Lowry Hotel), link to his blog is here, but he blew our audience away with his force of ego, power of his message and his adrenline shot of inspiration. Awesome.

Worst speaker at any event I have ever been involved with: Wayne Hemingway telling an audience of Liverpool property developers Scouse jokes, then running a slide show of bad buildings in Liverpool all built by his audience.

Best comic at a business event: Sean Styles.

Business speaker I've seen the most: Alastair Campbell (five, best was at Hyde Town Hall)

Best politician at an after dinner event: David Cameron, CBI in Liverpool 2007.

Worst politician: Charles Kennedy, Pro Manchester 2002.

Best rescue of a night by a regular fellah after the speaker was too pissed to speak: Ken Russell, Pro Manchester 2002.

Best business speaker: I can't think of a better one than Michelle Mone last night. Very good indeed.

Best feeling at a business event: seeing Lisa Miles and Neil Tague light up a room as they both did at different events in the last couple of weeks.

Worst feeling: when a speaker you've booked rambles on and on and on. Or is rubbish. Nighat Awan was rubbish and rambled on and on and on.

Boom and Busts

I take back what I said about Scottish speakers. Michelle Mone, the inventor of the Ultimo bra, spoke at the Manchester dinner of the British Venture Capital Association last night. She was funny, passionate and had a very optimistic view of human nature, in stark contrast to Andrew Neil the previous day (who was good, just gloomy). It also helped that if she ever sensed the audience (95 per cent blokes) were getting restless then she'd use the phrase "great pair of tits".

Great do, I really like the good old boys from private equity and corporate finance. Nice buzz of anticipation around the room for Insider's Dealmakers Awards this year.

Marple business event

I'm very proud to live in a town like Marple where businesses with character compete effectively against out of town superstores, malls, and seem to do well in attracting shoppers back into the town.

There's an event soon where local business people are looking to pool resources and share knowledge and information. I hope it's a great success. It's being held on Wednesday, October 17 from 6 pm to 9 pm at Marple Golf Club, where 16 business suppliers will be on hand to give business improvement advice to members. Exhibitors will be from the fields of marketing, professional services, IT and business services.

There's a link to their website here.

Book review in a lift - The Fallout

OK, so the idea that I could describe a book in the time it took our lift to get the 8th floor is somewhat tested this month. Let's pretend I'm either in the lift of our Yorkshire office, or at the Beetham Tower in Manchester (where I'm going tonight). Here's a longer review than normal of Andrew Anthony The Fallout: How a Guilty Liberal Lost His Innocence. This review will be published in the next issue of Success magazine, which we produce for Manchester Metropolitan University.

It used to be fairly clear what it meant to be on the left of the political spectrum. You were against poverty, sexism, racism and injustice. You supported free speech, gay rights and a redistribution of wealth to make society fairer. You were viscerally suspicious of anyone in business. However, a number of epoch defining historical events have thrown that left label into complete flux. First, the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the death of Soviet era socialism, effectively slayed socialism as a touchstone, or ideology. Then when identity (race, sex, sexuality) replaced class, along came 911 and the war on terror that followed which confused everyone again. Andrew Anthony’s personal journey from London council estate, to Nicaraguan coffee fields through to a career as a writer for liberal newspapers such as The Guardian and The Observer has led him to question the basis of what it means to be a liberal in 2007. He questions the moral climate that sees so many people march in such numbers on London streets against the prospect of regime change in Saddam’s Iraq, or when prominent writers like John Pilger explain the 7/7 bombers as part of a movement against American imperialism. He also poses some uncomfortable questions. If the 7/7 bombers were disaffected and society was to blame for their actions for alienating them as Muslims, then why was the same excuse not brought out for nazi nail bomber David Copeland? Sounds ridiculous when you put it like that, doesn’t it?

One of the most powerful chapters in the book takes in Holland, where film maker Theo van Gogh was butchered in the street by an Islamist for insulting the prophet.

Taking in difficult subjects like race, crime, freedom of speech and the rule of law, it is at times an exhausting read, but still has funny bits, which draw a smile rather than the frowned not which seemed to grip me all the way through.

Lunatic fringes

I've not had time to review everything I've read lately. On holiday I finally managed to finish the Islamist, the very personal account of a young Asian lad who joined the ranks of Islamic militants. It wasn't a particularly enjoyable read, but certainly gave some glimmer of hope that nutters can be seen for what they are eventually, though they amy cause havoc on the way. It's always amused me that the extreme left (SWP, WRP, CP, Respect Party), Islamic loons and the extreme right (BNP, NF, Respect Party, etc) seem to fall out with one another very quickly. The kind of unstable personality that is attracted to them also seems to be incapable of compromise, reason and "agreeing to differ" that they split frequently as a result.

Doom and gloom

If you want an upbeat speech don't invite a Scotsman.

We've just had our excellent Leaders Lunch at the Lowry Hotel, Manchester. Andrew Neil was the guest speaker, who was very good. He was a bit gloomy though. The end of cheap money, the broken society, a hung parliament, the break up of Britain. Thank goodness we're all chippy northerners.

The fellowship of rugby

A pal of mine, John Fowler, asked me why I persist in getting our boys "into soccer". I should, he suggested, induct them into the fellowship of rugby. Rather than be unkind and point to John's various bodily disfigurements acquired during a career playing for Sale, England and various teams in New Zealand, I preferred, or should I say, deferred, to John's size: he's about 7 foot tall, see pic here. I would not like to face him on a rugby pitch, or whoever inflicted a nasty scar down his right cheek. So, no, whatever bonds are formed on the playing fields of rugby I won't be taking the boys down the rugby club.

As a spectator sport however, I do enjoy it. I've been to Sale Sharks a few times since Insider got involved, and though I don't follow the game that neatly I do appreciate it's skill and physical power.

Rod Liddle in The Spectator this week - link here - describes it as "a useless game" and "a sport for gay, middle-class cavemen." He goes on: "it is just one step ahead of that most ludicrous of all sports, basketball...the only sport improved as a spectacle when played by paraplegics."

This Rugby World Cup don't have go on though, eh? It started this weekend and ends on the 20th of October. Ridiculous. The only reason I can possibly fathom for such an epic tournament is for so much rugby to be played that the risks by injury could even the teams out a bit. Frankly, that it's the only way New Zealand could be beaten.

Clear and present danger

The DVD boxed set of Series 5 of Spooks has just arrived. Good job there's nothing on telly this week. Awesome.

Watched a very lame drama last night called The Dinner Party. It was supposed to be a modern version of Abigail's Party but despite a strong cast it lacked the subtlety and cutting writing the original. Utterly predictable. Also, it seems to have rattled the cage of a neighbour of mine, here.

Rocking all over the world

Ten thoughts for this today have stretched to 11 and are on the 11 Rovers players on international duty. Please don't pick up any injuries. With thanks to Lee Grooby at the Rovers website.

Here's how they'd line up as a starting eleven...

In goal would be summer signing Gunnar Nielsen, playing for the Faroe Islands under 21 side, away in Italy on Friday 7th September before a home match against Greece on Wednesday 12th.

At right back is Tony Kane, the Belfast-born defender has been called up for the Northern Ireland senior squad for their Euro 2008 qualifiers away in Latvia on September 8th and Iceland on the 12th.

The centre halves would be Eddie Nolan and Andre Ooijer. Irishman Nolan is in the under 21 squad for their championship qualifying match against Portugal in Cork, whilst Dutchman Ooijer is back in the Holland squad for their home match against Bulgaria followed by an away trip to face Albania.

Completing the back four would be left back Martin Olsson, the young Swede made his senior bow for Rovers in their UEFA Cup win over MyPa last Thursday, his reward is a call up to the Swedish under 21 squad for their games against Latvia (away) and Germany (home).

Holding the fort in midfield has to be Aaron Mokoena, the defensive midfielder has an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Zambia on Sunday, before a home friendly against Uruguay.

Attacking from the right side of midfield would be David Bentley. He of course has been called up by England for their Wembley qualifiers against Israel and Russia on Saturday 8th and Wednesday 12th respectively.

Surging forward from the left is Morten Gamst Pedersen. The Rovers winger is off to Moldova representing Norway on Saturday, before a second qualifier against Greece in Oslo the following Wednesday.

Back in the international fold, and dropping just off the front two would be fans favourite Benni McCarthy. The Rovers striker, who bagged his first Premier League goal of the season in the 1-0 win over Manchester City, travels to Johannesburg for South Africa's qualifier against Zambia followed by the friendly against Uruguay.

Leading the line up front and with possibly the furthest to travel would be summer signing Roque Santa Cruz. His Paraguay team have two international friendlies away from home, the first against Venezuela on September 8th, the second El Salvador on Wednesday 12th.

Last, but by no means least is local hero Matt Derbyshire. Fresh from scoring on his first start for England's under 21s last month, the Rovers striker will be hoping to maintain his excellent goals to games ratio when the under 21s have two away qualifying matches, Montenegro on Friday September 7th before a trip to Bulgaria for the game on Tuesday.

Not a bad eleven I'm sure you'd agree. Just don't injured.

Why England will fail

Quality piece in the excellent Lost In Showbiz column in today's Guardian. I know the motto of this site contains the phrase "be kind" but I think we are being cruel to be kind to WAGs. Not that they could possibly care.

The evil witch of the WAGs - Stevie Gerrard's Alex Curran - writes a column on her vapid life.

A catty dissection is here:

"Steven's away with England," she informs any readers unaware that her husband will be wheeled on in a bath chair and required to bring in the harvest himself during England's forthcoming 0-0 draw with Israel. "So on Saturday I'm having a few of the girls round for an Ann Summers party."

Well, these scheduling clashes can't be helped, I suppose. So while Steven is hopped-up on cortisone and trying not to get in the way of Emile Heskey's turning circle, Alex will be deliberating between sundry Rabbits and 12in dildos.

It would take a special sort of jaded fool to use this knowledge to make some point about England's current impotence or emasculation, which leaves Lost in Showbiz eminently qualified to oblige.

A link to it is here.

Get up stand up

I did my business magazines presentation to the CBI's PR forum this morning. There's no point publishing it as it's the same one I did for the Meet The Editor's event in June. Still, I don't think there was any crossover in the audience.

The other presenters were quite brilliant. I was sandwiched between Phil Jones from Brother (far left) and John Clayton from BBC Radio Lancashire (second left).

Phil was a tough act to follow. He was funny, warm, intelligent and got across a very powerful message about how he works. He talked people through his recent re-pitch process and how he came to appoint Manchester agency City Press.

After me was John. I love BBC Radio Lancashire. I think it's a station with a very clear sense of its audience and what the listeners want. John has an instinctive grasp of what will work on radio and brings a great verve to the art of radio. It's all about people and their stories.

Hi Honey I'm Home!

Back home now after a wonderful week in Italy. So good we're going back next year. Certainly feel good for the break. Here are some random thoughts on being back. Not ten though, too busy.

Rovers are playing well. Took in the Man City game. I kept my counsel on their good start to the season, but I knew it couldn't last.

It was good to see the papers and TV giving Rovers some credit as a footballing side. Warnock and Dunn were both superb on Saturday, I wonder how long it's going to be before they get drafted into the fringes of the England team.

Returning to the real world has been exhausting but fun. Plans are well underway for our new South West Business Insider magazine. The latest North West mag is a cracker. It's our Leaders Lunch next week with Andrew Neil and everyone seems well.

I was dreading the pile of stuff to deal with on my return. According to Lucy Kellaway in yesterday's FT the average person has 600 emails waiting after a two-week break. Management expert Kevan Hall advises you to delete the lot. Anything important will be sent again, everything else wasn't important.

I had a manageable pile of dross to delete in about ten minutes, sorted by sender. The important stuff was then filed into different project folders, where some of it still sits. The to-do list is getting smaller. The diary is getting fuller. The work goes on.

One message I got from an old pal made the ludicrous suggestion that Roger Cashman, the mouthy Insider columnist, is in fact me. Do you honestly think I could write anything as offensive as this.

This blog is now on holiday

Back in September. Lots of love. Michael

Why can't the North be more like the South?

Next Monday on Radio 4 the World Tonight at 10pm will feature a special programme on the North /South divide in the UK. It features a personal piece by the effusive Walter Menzies, the chief executive of the Mersey Basin Campaign. A scot by birth, wandering Walter interviews people around the city of Manchester, in Liverpool, in Salford Quays and up in Rossendale. He asks the question: Why can't the North be more like the South?

I was interviewed, I don't know what will make the cut and what won't, but it's a worthwhile endeavour. For the record I don't go in for this "It's grim down South" stuff. There's a lot to do in the North West, people I speak to every day tread a thin line between believing their own hype and wishing a bright new shiny future into existence. Trust in the entrepreneurs, the adventurists and the risk takers, I say.

Mugged by reality

Observer journalist Andrew Anthony has followed his colleague Nick Cohen in writing a book about the moral drift of what passes for the liberal left in the west. There was a powerful extract in the paper at the weekend. Top Manchester blogger Norman Geras has an early copy and makes some observations about reactions to 9/11 here.

I concur with a great deal of what Andrew Anthony says in the Observer. His account of a vicious assault he witnessed in London, here, is one I've experienced too.

Violent Blackburn

Thanks to Steven Lindsay for passing on this latest news item following our "roughing up" of Arsenal last Sunday.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger today issued a further attack on Blackburn Rovers by hitting out at the "violent" shot from David Dunn which gave Blackburn an equaliser in the second half. Wenger said: "It was a disgraceful act of violence which could have damaged Jens Lehmann's fingernails."The Arsenal manager said: "Instead of Dunn passing the ball gently to Lehmann, he chose to hit a long-range violent shot which upset my goalkeeper for the rest of the match. I think Blackburn's violence is totally inexcusable. David Dunn didn't care about Lehmann's feelings when he struck the ball violently. It could have hit Lehmann on the face. It could have wounded him. Blackburn are a disgraceful violent team."The Arsenal manager was also unhappy with the handshake from Mark Hughes at the end of the match. Wenger said: "Hughes gripped my hand a little bit too tightly at the end. I thought it was another act of violence," said the limp-wristed Frenchman.

Funeral

I've had a lot of people asking me if I went to Anthony Wilson's funeral yesterday. I did, but it was a private solemn occasion. So I don't intend to write about it here.

Swift shandy

Saw A Cock and Bull Story last night, the film based on the book the life and opnions of Tristram Shandy. Great film. Really funny. It was clearly a massive 24 Hour Party People reunion with virtually all the same cast and crew. And good to see Anthony Wilson playing himself - intelligent, witty, well informed and very very kind.

They don't like it up 'em

This blog's flag and the family had a very enjoyable day out at the Rovers yesterday. I love it that none of the so-called Big Four won yesterday. The way Arsenal played really betrayed the arrogant belief that they simply deserve to win. They can't comprehend another team beating them, or preventing them winning, by fair means. It has to be "violent Blackburn" or "goalkeeper error". Do me a favour? Every time an Arsenal player was tackled he goes down like he's been shot by a sniper from the roof the Jack Walker stand (was it you Jack?). Did we not gift them a soft goal too?

Fouls were about even. We had more possession and more shots. Make no mistake, they can play some lovely football, but so can Rovers. David Dunn and Chris Samba were immense yesterday. Not for lumping or hoofing, but for their quick feet and some intelligent passing moves.

It's been 7 years since Jack Walker died. I never thought we'd still be in such good shape without him, but we are. RIP.

Careless Santana - UPDATED

Have you seen the shiny new adverts for Setanta Sports? We were seduced anyway. We've had such a bad experience with the evil Sky and the witless cable that this seemed a good alternative. And the kids seemed keen on getting this new "Santana Sports". Oh dear. We are now trapped in a Kafka-esque customer services nightmare.

I ordered the service two weeks ago. The card arrived but the box didn't. When I rang they said my payment had been declined. On further explanation it was because the nice Scottish lad who took my payment had entered the wrong issue number. When were they thinking of telling me this? Anyway, it still hasn't arrived so I went to Comet, which is always good. I used to get Currys and Comet mixed up. Not now. Comet = yellow and black = good. Currys = red = rubbish.

So, in order that I waste a chunk of Saturday when I'm relatively chilled and keen on sitting on the sofa (and sore from golf) I bought a Thomson recorder today, which means I've got Sky Plus without the Sky. Cool.

But though digital TV is working fine, I can't get Setanta to work and I can't speak to a human being. I have a contradictory set of instructions on two pieces of paper. I am confused. They are taking my money but not my call. The phone number on the information instructions with the viewing card was wrong. They then tell me to register on-line. This fails.

Do you know what I think? They can't cope. They have hired young inexperienced people on low wages to answer the calls and they've given up. Their systems aren't robust enough to cope. It is such a missed opportunity and such a damn shame. Meanwhile, I have decided to put my feet up and wait and to get my frustration down on the blog to stop me sniping at the kids.

Update: 15:00 hours. Finally spoke to a human being (God bless her, she was lovely) who explained that I was entirely correct about the failure to cope. It's in meltdown. She talked me through the activation process and hopefully it will work.

Update: Sunday. The signal came on, as the lass explained, but froze just as Newcastle and Aston Villa was due to kick off. The signal then just died. Could I get through to customer services? Could I heck. Still can't. An absolute shower of shite. It might work now, haveing reset everything and started from scratch, but as they're off air I won't know. I notice that Martin Lewis - Money Saving Expert has a page on these clowns. I will not let this one go, I am appalled.

Update: Monday. I've been contacted by someone at Setanta. Just as well. They've taken loads of money off me and it still doesn't work. I'll take this offline for a while and see what happens. They've acknowledged they are swamped and are working hard at sorting it out.

Ten thoughts on Anthony Wilson

Ten thoughts this Friday are about Anthony Wilson, as my thoughts have been all week. Some are personal memories, and there are so many more too.

* The Bruges rosette. Apparently he was still chided in the street by Scousers who remembered that he wore a rosette on Granada Reports, supporting Bruges in the run up to the 1978 European Cup Final, after being warned by his producer: "not to say a word". Genius.

* The Sid Vicious story. What's our tone of voice? asks Steve Connor. The voice of Tone intervened, and this is accurate: "When Sid Vicious was asked if his music was for the man in the street, he said "I've met the man in the street and he's a cunt." Write for who you want."

* The North West Flag, link here. Designed by Peter Saville, it was such a laugh celebrating the launch of such a doomed enterprise as regional government for the North West. Loved it.

* Memories of the Hacienda. It was jaw droppingly impressive. There's a wonderful personal account here from, of all places, an Everton fanzine - When Skies Are Grey.

* His wonderful outfits. Apparently, back in 1984, Richard Creme, giant fashion retailer of this parish told him he "dressed like Oldham's left back". Creme got him into Yohji Yammamoto and Comme De Garcons. He wore one outfit to our Leaders Lunch in 2004 - I told him what he told me outside the Hacienda in 1985- "You're not coming in here dressed like that." Story is in the Stockport Express, here.

* He was always very nice to people he worked with. This is what Phil Griffin said: "Ask any spark, make-up artist or stagehand and they’ll all testify to his peerless skills, generosity and good nature. He’s amongst the greatest television presenters on the planet, ever.”

* He was always very kind to people who stopped him in the street, or in a club, even though people were rude to him. I saw this so often. As my pal Andrew Page said: "He had every right to be up his own arse, but he just wasn't." So many tributes here, from people who were touched by him. As Alex Ogg, an understated and annoyingly modest chronicler of music, said: "You know if you can bond with traffic wardens you have the human touch."

* He always called me a "fucking Tory", which is why my birthday present was a book by Terry Eagleton. I'm not, never have been, never will be. We debated this live on air in June 2007.

* Phil Griffin described him wonderfully as incorrigbly interesting. I always found him incorrigibly interested as well. He always had so much to say about things you never expected, but he also listened and learned too.

* He was a cradle Catholic. I came to it later, we talked it through and he was sure it was a force for the good. God bless you my friend. There will be some party in heaven. Amen.

The tail that WAGs the dog

I am a huge supporter of the backlash against the WAGs, which started after the World Cup, but has gathered some slow momentum. So, fair play to Roy Keane for his contribution reported in full here:

Sunderland manager Roy Keane attacked “weak” footballers whose sporting lives are dictated by their girlfriend’s uncompromising quest for designer labels, reports the Guardian. Keane attempted to sign a series of players who turned him down because their WAGs were apparently unimpressed by the shopping opportunities in the northeast. “It tells me the player is weak and his wife runs his life,” said Keane. “The idea of women running the show concerns and worries me.”

I wouldn't go so far as to recommend a website such as this, here. Or even a t-shirt such as this, here, but thought you should at least be aware of it. God Hates WAGs? If they repent they may be forgiven their sins of avarice, lust, greed, vanity and stupidity.

An old acquintance has become a WAG, and is with a once portly Premiership journeyman. They moved North and I made an effort to be friendly. Her reply to my invitation to my birthday party last year was:

"K is at training camp in Germany and I have better things to do than hang around hotels in Salford on my own."

It's not like the party was at the Dock and Duck in Little Hulton, it was at the Lowry. Which is where the England team stay; so my invite was actually the nearest they'd ever get. Miaow.

It's a wide open road

I've had a right palaver getting my new car. I enjoyed driving this German tank for a while, but am glad to have gone for something not so brutish.

I organised it through Ling's Cars, after a personal recommendation from my pal Ruth Shearn. Viewers of Dragon's Den may recall Ling's slightly chaotic but lovable pitch, which saw her turn down investment from Duncan Bannantyne. A link is here.

Anyway, we were on, then we were off, then we were back on again. The correspondence has been amusing, if a little bizarre. When it all went wrong, I thought she might be the flaky side of unconventional, but to be fair she sourced a new car as she said she would.

Here is her response to my sober thank you email once it was delivered yesterday:

That is great!! I'm so happy you have the car at last. Hope it's lovely.

Well, this took some doing, as well as giving you my build/delivery slot :) I am still waiting for MY car, ordered March :) Can you get me a little write up anywhere? I do my best to please and I have just gone past 600 customer letters on my website!

Let me know if you need anything. I'll send you a small survey letter soon. Go and drive it, hehehe! Where is the sunshine?????

So, yes, do check out Ling's cars. Here.

The incorrigibly interesting

The best Anthony Wilson tribute yet. Phil Griffin writes here.

Having a go

Outside the shops, drunk on cider and pumped up with bravado the young skinhead (14, but looked older) asked the woman for a fag, not without charm. She smiled, it'll stunt your growth, she said. One of his five mates, a punk, even drunker (maybe on glue) and with greater delusions of his own charm and bravado told the woman to fuck off. You slag.
The woman's husband, inside the house, putting the kids to bed, heard this. He wasn't happy. He went outside. The gobby one ran off with the others shouting back. The skinhead laughed. Wallop. He hit the ground. He was threatened with a good kicking.
The kids inside cowered, partly with embarrassment. It's us who'll get bullied now.
They didn't though, and they never gave that woman any more abuse.

The woman? My Mum. The man? My Dad.

I tell you what, I wouldn't fancy doing that now.

Book review in a lift - GB84 by David Peace

Stayed up late to finish this one. Brilliant. It's a novel set during the 1984-1985 Miners strike. Like his more recent book on Brian Clough - The Damned United, Peace tells the story through a series of monologues interspered with staccato stories of some key characters in the strike. Dirty Tories. Bastards. And the scabs. Dirty bastards. Secret state. Stop at nothing to crush our class. Based on real characters like David Hart (the Jew), Roger Windsor (Terry Winters). Scargill and Thatcher are viewed from a distance.

Don't walk away, in silence

The tributes to Tony Wilson have been amazing. I think the depth of love for one of the true legends of the modern Manchester has been really moving. As for the earthquake, well, that was you wasn't it Tone?

There's a great pic of Ant and Vet on the front page of the MEN tonight and a lovely story, here.


Here's the Manchester Confidential story, followed by a wonderful tribute board, here.


Rachel spotted someone washing spray painted slogans away from the wall of the Hacienda. I hope it was suitably rebellious and respectful of his memory. "The Hacienda must be rebuilt", or "Don't Walk Away, in Silence".


Already there are loads of ideas knocking around for a suitable tribute. I had coffee with Steve Connor to see how the Pennine Lancashire project can keep its momentum.

We will also be flying the North West flag at half mast.

Season starts

I can't be bothered with Fantasy League, but we are running a prediction league in the office.

Also, for the record is my forecast for the season, before I heard a single score today.

Man U
Liverpool
Chelsea
Spurs
Arse
Villa
Rovers
Everton
Sunderland
Newcastle
Reading
West Ham
Portsmouth
Birmingham
Man City
Bolton
Middlesbrough
And for the drop...
Derby
Fulham
Wigan

Other tips:
West Brom to win the Championship, Burnley and Preston mid table, Blackpool stay up.
Forest to win League One in some style, Dirty Leeds to go down again.

Rangers to win the Scottish prem, Hibs to get third spot.
Spurs to do well in Europe, maybe even get to the final.
Rovers to do OK, but to parade the Intertoto Cup around in an open top bus

Anthony Wilson 1950-2007

Well, he never made it. I rang Anthony Wilson this afternoon to say hello, because I was going on HIS radio programme this evening, he didn't pick up the phone. But the show went on. HIS programme. It always will be, with all respect to Andy Buckley, who was standing in so well tonight.

A sports programme on BBC Radio Manchester has to be opinionated, to have attitude, to slag off London and its Olympics, to get that spark going between City and United. And the reason it is so is because that is what the media in Manchester should be. And the reason the media in Manchester has to have that edge over anywhere else is because of great journalists like Tony Wilson who died today.

When I got to the studio at 6.30 I heard he'd been read the last rites earlier today. But be bold and do the show. Everyone has been expecting the call all day, but it's HIS show. And Tony, I hope we did you proud. We probably didn't. Had he been listening he'd have called me later and said - you wanker!

The facts can be read here, but they don't tell you what a warm and affectionate friend he was. What a supportive and passionate journalist he was. He always teased me about living in Marple, where he grew up, happily, living on Strines Road, so he wouldn't fall in with bad guys in Salford. Now, there's an irony.

Every meeting with him was a joy. A flurry of inspiration and ideas and wonderful stories. I'll never forget an otherwise workaday meeting at the offices of the Mersey Basin Campaign where we were co-authors of a forthcoming book about the River Mersey. Some of the other writers were asking about "tone of voice". The voice of Tone intervened, and this is accurate: "When Sid Vicious was asked if he wrote for the man in the street, he said "I've met the man in the street and he's a cunt." Write for who the fuck you want."

He did, and you will be able to read it later this year. His mark is on my bit too, but I pushed myself knowing a fine writer like Anthony Wilson was also contributing and I couldn't let the side down.

He always pushed me to think differently about things: Lancashire, Marxism, Catholicism, Islam, and music (where he utterly failed to get me to like some of his awful hip hop and rap).

Whenever we did shows together he always dragged up things to get the conversation going. He was a broadcasting genius. There will be a great deal written and spoken about Tony Wilson over the next few days and all of it will be true, because it was what people wanted to think about him. But he always maintained, even when there were film posters for 24 Hour Party People, bearing the legend Poet - Genius - Twat, he said his public persona had nothing to do with him. But it did. Even in the last sick few months he used his position as the faintly ridiculous "Mr Manchester" to rail at the injustice of the postcode lottery over his medication. Not for him, who had pals who funded his relief, but for those in Manchester who could not.

He was wonderfully close to Yvette, who I feel so bad for tonight.

He was a truly special person who I was honoured to count of as a friend. I will miss him, but his spirit will never be forgotten. All of us in media, and I dare say music, will feel the same.

Paul Weller in Uncut (and a Ray Winstone tale)

Thoroughly enjoyed the Paul Weller retrospective in this month's Uncut magazine. They ask 30 people (celebs) for their fave tune penned by the Modfather.

Predictably the top 3 songs were from The Jam: Going Underground, Town Called Malice and That's Entertainment.

Best comment on Weller was from cockernee actor Ray Winstone, who chose Little Boy Soldiers, a great track from Setting Sons:

I sometimes think he should make movies, because he's got that great aspect to his work. He paints a picture. Paul's a lovely geezer too. No airs and graces. Most pop stars these days sell five records and think they're Jack the Biscuit. Paul's the opposite of that.

I've never met Paul Weller, but I met Ray Winstone once. I was getting into some grief at the Groucho Club (I know, I know) and some poncey drugged up Nathan Barley was calling me a northern scummer. I can't fight, I'm not hard at all but I tried my best stare. Mysteriously, it worked and he backed off but stumbled over a carelessly placed foot. Next thing Barley's on the floor and his glasses are across his face and someone's pint is all over him. The owner of the misplaced foot removed his shoe from the sprawling Barley, winking at me as he did so. Dusting himself down, Ray Winstone, for it was he, promptly ordered a fresh round for all concerned while Barley left to annoy someone else. We had a nice natter after that.

Ground Rules

Last week a few of the team had some media training on how to sound intelligent on the radio and TV.

I've got a chance to put it into action tonight at 7pm on BBC Radio Manchester on Ground Rules, a sports programme. It should be presented by my pal Anthony Wilson, but he's still not well.

If you miss it live, it's on the interweb here.

I'll be talking about the new football season with some other guests.

Did the earth move for you?

Manchester city centre has been hit by an earthquake. I didn't feel it. We had them around the time of the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and they were real rumbles.

Ten thoughts on the Rovers this coming season

I went for a cup of tea and a chat with John Williams yesterday. He's the executive chairman of Blackburn Rovers Football Club, and therefore has quite an important role as a trustee over a very important part of my life.

Here are ten thoughts for a Friday on the coming season, partly based on our two hour chat (which was off the record), partly on what I think anyway.

* There is quality cover in all positions this season. We've got a decent squad.

* We let in too many goals last season. With Nelsen and Samba fit, we should be more solid. Who do you start with at full back? Warnock on one side, Oojer or Emerton on the other.

* Is centre midfield a weak spot? Tugay is still class, but one of Dunn, Savage and Reid isn't a bad midfield by any measure. Dunny has never looked fitter in all the years I've watched him.

* Outside of the big red teams and Chelsea you won't find a better wide pair than Gamst and Bentley. And isn't Gamst good in the air for a little fellah with a funny haircut.

* The transfer window closure can't come quick enough. Players could be sold for big money, but we're not selling. However, Chelsea's injury crisis makes the chance of a big money offer for Benni a danger. The chairman's phone didn't ring too often in the meeting. A good sign.

* It's a good selection headache to have five quality strikers. First choice on Saturday will probably be McCarthy and Roberts.

* We make hardly anything from the UEFA Cup. But it's about the glory, and hopefully this year, the trips away.

* The cut price season ticket deal has worked. We're up on last year, but crowds could still be better. We're certainly getting 7 for our tribe.

* The club shop is rubbish. I wanted to buy loads of stuff for the boys but couldn't even get this season's new kit, or last season's DVD in the shop, I had to buy it in the ticket office (???). I might start an unofficial merchandise business seeing as Rovers have given up. Simon Garner t-shirts, anyone?

* There is no progress on the sale of the club. There are various interested parties, but there is no active due diligence process underway.

Frankly speaking - book review of Blood and Sand by Frank Gardner

Brave bloke, came to journalism late, gave up banking, grafted to become BBC Security Correspondent after various stints in the Middle East. Eventually paid a high price by getting shot in Saudi Arabia and left for dead. Comes across as a hard working and honest journalist with a genuine love of the Arab world. Knows his stuff too. Heard him on the radio tonight talking about the latest threat from Bin Laden's Barmy Army and I had a tear in my eye, thinking of him in his wheelchair.

Subscribes to the "central command" analysis of Al Qaeda, as opposed to the "like minded ragbag" which Jason Burke has expounded.

Comeback kid

I'm not a massive rugby fan, but I was really pleased to hear that Bob Skinstad has made a comeback and has made the Springbok's squad for the World Cup in France. I met him at a dinner in Lancaster a couple of years ago and he went out of his way to do kind things.

Kevin Roberts takes up the story on his blog, here.

Don't Look Back in Anger

There was a good piece by Jenny Turner in the paper yesterday about the current wave of nostalgia books - you know, The Dangerous Book for Boys, and now the Great Big Glorious Book for Girls and various others. She thinks it's all part of a "bizarre artefact of middle class nostalgia" but aimed at concerns and dreams for our children's future. She is also quite disparaging about the aspirations of such tomes to be "old-school posh". Anyway, a link is here.

Also, according to Jenny Turner:

Such books are not meant to be really meant to be read at all. They are what the publishing trade calls "gift books" for people who don't much enjoy reading to present to people they don't really know or like.

As I've spent a good portion of my spare time this year hacking away at producing a tome called The Dangerous Book for Blokes, my own take on middle-class nostalgia, then I hope you will also buy this for people who you don't like too. I also hope it's worth reading and not just filing. I'm not counting my chickens though, there's a long way to go yet.

Send the Spice Girls to Baghdad

Very generously, the Spice Girls have offered fans the chance to put their city on the map, and on the list of places Spice Girls will be visiting on their upcoming world tour, all through the power of internet voting. Wouldn't it be great to send them off to entertain the beleaguered citizens of Baghdad?

God knows, the people of Iraq have had a bloody awful time of things lately. Okay, so they won the Asian football cup, but that would just pale into insignificance compared with a visit from the pop behemoth that is the Spice Girls, their live show and their 'crazy' antics.

So be nice to the Iraqis: vote by clicking here.

Just imagine how much fun Mel C, Geri, Emma, Mel B and especially Victoria would have playing in that historic city. When you vote for Baghdad, make sure the B is uppercase and, while you do have to input an email address, you can put in any old one (even, dare I suggest, a fake one) as you don't need to confirm it.

(From Holy Moly)

Bridge of death

Remember the footbridge over London Road in Manchester? The one that links Canal Street to Piccadilly Station. Apparently the bloke in the bright coat standing guard is on suicide patrol. His job is to stop people chucking themselves over the edge.

Hat tip to Stephanie Sloan, Insider's employee of the month, for pointing that out.

Can't stop the music

The Liverpool Daily Post is in a rage today over the cancellation of the Mathew St music festival.

A link to the full fury is here.

Larry Nield says it is right up there with the death of John Lennon as a body blow to the city.

Top blogger Nigel Hughes has an altogether different take on it, here. It is actually a weekend of bevvying that is no-one's to cancel. The show can go on. Other Liverpool club and pub owners agree.

Liverpool festival cancelled

Disappointing news that the Mathew Street music festival in Liverpool is to be cancelled just a few months before the city is the European City of Culture. The reason: Health and Safety. What a shambles.

A link to good coverage on new site Liverpool Confidential is here.

As my old pal Ian Hamilton Fazey says: "So how much were these London-based health & safety consultants paid to tell the council this? Did they consult the Director of Public Health of the political and economic consequences of shooting yourself in the foot? (No point in shooting yourself in the head of course it has no effect on the gormless). "

Thai takeaway

Reports that assets from Man City could be frozen add a new dimension to the rolling story.

A link is here. Thaksin has also been dabbling in Burma, so he's going to have John Pilger on his case as well.

Another angle is this: what do the landlords of the City stadium think. For the purposes of clarity the owners are Manchester City Council, a Labour controlled authority with strong policies on human rights. Indeed the constitution of the city enshrines it. You can read it in full, here.

Here's an amusing spoof story, here, claiming that any human rights abuses "weren't that bad".

Court out

I don't usually run stories about football hooligans from Preston, though I have encountered a few over the years. But check out the link to this story, here

Don't you love pics in regional papers?

The mail

We get plenty of junkmail. We get our bills. We wish we didn't, but we do. We get our many magazine subscriptions. Mysteriously, every time one of us has a birthday a card will go missing with money in it. We try and complain about this and we get the bums rush. The person sending it has to complain instead at the point where they posted it, yet the problem is obviously at the Marple end. It stinks.

Curtis Warren to buy Everton

Here's a question for any football fans out there, that I bottled out of posing in Insider magazine's latest issue on football finance.

Everton are looking for a new rich backer. What if Curtis Warren offered to buy the club.

What would the reaction be?

a) Would he be opposed tooth and nail as an unfit custodian of the People's Club?

Or, b), would he be welcomed with open arms, including words like, "at least he's a local lad, not like them Yanks that have bought the red shite"?

Or, possibly, c), grilled at length to see whether he actually had enough money, whaever the source, to buy Leighton Baines and Alan Smith.

I don't pick on Everton for any other reason than they are desperate for a buyer. See Dougal Paver's blog for good comments on this, here.

But also see the craven acceptance of Thaksin's purchase of Manchester City from their supporters. I had a look on the 606 message board and just found the most moronic abuse heaped on the BBC for daring to have a go at "Frank" Shinawatra (Sinatra, geddit?). Have a look for yourself, I couldn't find anything I could even stomach putting on here. Link is here.

The congestion charging thing

So, the councils of Manchester decided to bid for the Transport Innovation Fund afterall, which will necessitate the introduction of congestion charging. They did so despite the outright opposition of Trafford and Stockport councils and without winning the hearts of minds of the public, or of the business community.

If there is a need for better public transport in Manchester, then there is a case for it to be funded. Indeed, there is a commitment to do just that. It is deplorable that Manchester's councils should have been blackmailed in this way, worse still that they were complicit in it, unforgivable that the public debate on the subject was conducted with such bad grace and included such muddy promises and luke warm assurances of future transport plans.

Central government does not have the will or the stomach to introduce road charging. Instead, they are sneaking it through the back door by allowing local politicians to sell it on a false premise. The really depressing thing about this is the only other council group bidding is Cambridgeshire.

I've read the bid guidance. A link is here. But I'll point you towards one crucial, though vaguely worded line in the bid guidance.

“A first small scheme might be implemented around 2010/11 and a larger scheme following a couple of years later.”

Who do you think will win the bid? And who do you think will be left high and dry wondering what all that aggro was for, when a rerun of the sorry saga is started all over again?

Fopp to be saved

I was surprised and pleased to see that Fopp will reopen in Manchester. The owners will be HMV. I hope they keep the ethos and stock that made shopping there such a pleasure.

A link to the full news story on the BBC is here.

The other Mayor of London

Went to a very pleasant dinner at Manchester Town Hall last night. The speaker and guest of honour was Alderman John Stuttard, the Lord Mayor of the City of London. He roves around the world promoting the City as the world's leading financial centre. There is some evidence that it has genuinely overtaken New York, partly because of the heavy handed regulation introduced into US corporate governance following the dramatic collapses of both Enron and WorldCom.

"We intend to erect statues of Mr Sarbanes and Mr Oxley as a mark of respect for their contribution to the British financial services industry," he said.

He also said he'd been to Burnley, where he was born, and had begun to explore ways in which the financial world can start talking to school kids earlier. To make people more financially savvy, but also to ensure the education system is preparing people with skills for life.

I resisted all temptation to say to him, or his wife, that I only came to the dinner because I thought it was going to be Ken Livingstone. I think he may have heard that before.

Happy Birthday Elliot!

It's Elliot's third birthday today. Our youngest boy had a lovely party on Sunday with various family popping in. He had some great Thomas presents as well. Grandma got him a new bike, which he's going to practice riding tonight. And hopefully we can stretch out all the fun to the weekend and have more fun with Grandads, grandmas and brothers.

For now, here's a picture of him at Etherow Country Park riding his trike last week.

Shopping in Manchester on Saturday

Been a bit slack on the idea that the old blog should have a "ten thoughts" thing at the end of the week. So, as me Rachel and Elliot have just been into Manchester on a Saturday to wander, shop and eat here are ten things worthy of a comment.

Monkey business - it was brilliant seeing all the Arctic Monkeys fans. There were kids on the train, all over the station, at all points in the city centre, piling out of the cafes and pubs all dressed up and off to Old Trafford to see the hottest band of the moment.

Chav alert - There should be some kind of security at Piccadilly station specifically on duty to chase chavs and assorted scrotes away. It was unsettling to have three drunk scumbags screaming at people outside Greggs. Such an appalling impression of the city.

Garden city - Piccadilly Gardens is much much better now the turf has taken.

Market trader - The farmers market at the far end of the gardens is brilliant, but left me lighter in the pocket and hungry for cheese, sausages and fruit.

Smoking - I can't tell you how much I hate smoking. Now it's been driven onto the streets you have to keep an eye on the kids walking into a fag in hand.

Shite shops doing well - The Next sale - what a pile of shite. We're after wedding outfits for the kids for Sean (Rachel's brother) and Reena's wedding do next month. Like a jumble sale.

Great shops close - Stanford's has closed. Dreadful, awful news. I loved this shop and bought a few old maps, books and stocked up on Moleskine notebooks. Another example of Manchester having the ambition to host great stores that the city isn't able to support. I don't hate HMV, and the bargains are eye wateringly cheap, but I wish I had the choice to browse at Fopp for books, films and music. It was really good, and the fact it closed shows how tough retail is.

Great shops doing well - I do like Run in the Barton Arcade. Couldn't persuade Elliot to spend his birthday money (he'll be 3 on Tuesday) on an old school Adidas bag, but I paused over the Lyle and Scott revival jumpers.

Kids and food - kids will try new and ethnic food (we went to Lotus for dim sum) but only if you tell them it's sausage and pie (steamed dumpling). Ribs were very spicy, mind.

Shoe shuffle - I wanted to buy some Churches brogues from Russell and Bromley but they have to order them in. Eh? You still have to pay, but they'll give it back if you don't like them. I like to try on what I'm buying, especially shoes and I like to walk out with what I've just bought. I bought two pairs of Loakes from Slaters instead. Got a thing about shoes, if you pay less, you often end up paying twice.

Santa Cruz is coming to town

The Fiver this afternoon looks at the latest purchase for the Rovers.

Dun-ner-ner!Dun-ner-ner!Dun-ner-ner-ner-ner-ner-ner-ner-nerrrrr!"
[Cue triumphant scenes of a hooded figure jogging past burning oilcans in Blackburn town centre, throwing punches at a huge slab of black pudding, and then sprinting up Ewood Park's famous steps].
Yes, coming soon to a Premiership football club near you: the incredible story of Roque, the Paraguay striker who looks like a Chippendale but scores far less frequently. During eight years at Bayern Munich, Roque Santa Cruz has played just 136 games, scoring 27 goals, a miserable statistic usually blamed on three serious knee operations and a gammy ankle. But last season a fully-fit Roque managed just three in 35 and was considered by some to be the worst player in the German league quite some accolade when Timothee Atouba is around.
Still, while Roque is considered washed up in the land of lederhosen, Mark Hughes reckons he can make him a contender. "The good thing from our point of view is that his fitness levels are fine as he has been playing in the Copa América," growled the Blackburn boss before suddenly morphing into Leslie Crowther. "Maybe in the next 24 hours a deal could be concluded if the price is right!"
The more important thing for Blackburn, of course, is whether Roque still packs a punch. At the 2002 Japan Korea Hyundai etc etc World Cup, he was a minor sensation as Paraguay reached the last 16. Back then he looked a striker of rare quality - able to play as a target man or operate in the hole; 6ft 3in tall but quick. If he could recapture that form he could form a lethal partnership with Benni McCarthy. If not, Hughes can always turn to Jason Roberts...

My generation

You know when a trend is more than a fad, and is actually a phenomena, when it becomes known as the "xxxxx" generation. iPod has done it. Now Facebook. A link to a good summing up of the yoof market and its effects on business is here:

I had to laugh at the comment from Rupert Murdoch, reflecting on his $500m purchase of MySpace:

Asked in June if readers of his print titles were joining MySpace, he answered, albeit tongue in cheek: "I wish they were. They’re all going to Facebook."

Personally, I'm still not convinced about Facebook. My mate Andy Coyne reckons it's clearly run by the CIA and steering well clear.

Sing for your supper

A new event I've been involved in setting up plans to test the musical talents of Manchester’s corporate finance community and to raise £20,000 for learning disability charity Mencap. Ten budding contestants, including me, in the Y-Factor event to be held at Studio 23 in Manchester on 20 September 2007 will be judged by Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce chief executive Angie Robinson, Jo Price, head of the Manchester-based Vocal Academy, plus BBC Radio Manchester’s Terry Christian.

The event is being organised by Mike Reeves of Clearwater Corporate Finance, former pop star Jeremy Smith of Barclays Commercial Finance and Mencap, who will also star in the backing band. If you fancy some tickets, £30 a pop, send me an email.

Floods - the North South divide

Martin Wainwright writes with his usual good humour on the Guardian North email today:

The north has been impressively good-humoured over the yawning imbalance in media coverage of our floods compared with those down south (and west). I've had my say on Comment is Free. Link is here. and I urge you to have yours, specially if you agree with me. But we are clinging to our tradition of messing these things up. Hull's plaintive claim to be the "forgotten city" now shows signs of shifting towards "the city that can't add up". Estimates two weeks ago that 16,000 houses had been flooded have been cut to nearer 6,000, according to the Hull Daily Mail, which explans that the first guess was based only on a sample of streets. I urge you, however, to read the furious "Your Say" email responses from victims. Someone called Madeline, for example, says in capital letters that it is all because WE ARE TURNING AWAY FROM GOD, while a Mr Wheel of Filey respondes: "Madeline is from Planet Zog."

Burst water main

I didn't sleep well last night. Might have been the rose wine. Might have been the crackers and cheese. I heard a commotion at about 5am, which followed a large rumble from an enormous vehicle rumbling along Hibbert Lane. Woke this morning to find there was no water. A main had burst outside our house and had flooded our next door neighbour's drive and garden. Luckily Andy's shed was alright, but his drive is a mess, hence the commotion.

When I left to take Joe and Matt to school at 8.15 there was a torrent down Hibbert Lane and the road seemed to have ruptured in a few places. United Utilities recorded a message at 6.15 that they were going to restore supply today. A very cheerful fellow on the helpline has just given me an update that people are using water tankers for supply today, but all being well it should be back on by this evening.

Did I imagine what sounded like a convoy of tanks, or was that what caused the burst?

He's in the best selling show

Finally watched both series of Life on Mars on DVD. When it first appeared Steve Brauner, erstwhile Insider columnist, said it was the best thing that he'd ever seen on telly. He wasn't far off. Very clever and very funny. Loved the Camberwick Green opening in series 2, episode 6. Looking forward to the new series of Spooks and the imminent release of series 5 on DVD boxed set.

The slow death of Liquorice toffee

Me and my occasional lunch buddy Jason Southern have noticed a slow decline in the amounts of liquorice toffee available. We searched in vain for a tube of Liquorice Toffos, but they appear to have vanished.

The greatest sweet shop in the world, Humbugs in Lancaster has a section on their website, here, devoted to the delights of this very tasty treat, but even they have expunged chewy toffee, such as the creamy Walkers Nonsuch and Bluebird from their inventory.

There's a website, Liquorice Heaven (link is here), that sells the salty Dutch stuff.

There's a website called Bah Humbug that sells the liqourice midget gems and sports mixtures that the merger between Lion and Maynards appear to have killed off. Get them while you can from here.

And there's a website called A Quarter Of... (link is here) which has a better range of toffee, including the creamy Walkers Nonsuch, for which the official but basic website is here. I met Ian Walker, the owner of the business in Chubby Chandler's tent at the Open last year. He is a master of his craft and a true gent.

But why is this purge on liquorice happening? Are tastes changing to such an extent that kids will only eat fruity and sweet confectionary? I hope not.

Harry Potter - any good?

Various people in my life, including my oldest son, my wife and my deputy editor are galloping through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The verdicts so far are extremely positive.

There's a glowing review of the genius of JK Rowling, from the Australian, here.

A flavour:

Rather than appealing to "the lowest common denominator", the Harry Potter books, like the great fantasy novels, fairytales and myths, appeal to the deepest common denominator. Yet Rowling also allows for a good deal of ambiguity and contradiction in her characters, even in what I call the Dark Lord test.
We get a real sense of the pitifulness as well as the evil of Voldemort, something that isn't true of Tolkien's Sauron or Lewis's White Witch, while in Pullman's trilogy those associated with the tyrannical church are often caricatures of evil.
And so it is Rowling who emerges, in the end, as the most sophisticated of them all, her magpie mix of gifts at the very heart of her genius.

There's a digested read from the Guardian here.

Facecrack

I've been inundated with requests to be friends with people on Facebook, or Facecrack as Rachel Machin describes it. Get back to your new born baby, or social services will be round, I say.

I've found a network about Marple where someone has this to say:

Hey guys. Went through a long phase of hating marple when I was in my mid teens. I've done some travelling in the years since and i've really started to appreciate how good Marple really is. I've travelled Switzerland and the US looking for hills like Marple's and i've never quite found em. We could do with a chav culling but they'll never take our hills away. The hills are ours!

There's even a Marple Athletic Football Club section, populated by lads who used to play for the teenage teams, but as we're currently looking at doing up the website maybe they could help us out.

The truth, Ruth

Can't tell you all how pleased I was to hear that my friend Ruth Turner will not face any charges over the wasteful cash for honours enquiry.

I first scribbled about it here.

An analysis piece on the BBC site is here.

There's some news in the Telegraph about her new job setting up Tony Blair's foundation, link here.

Go West!

Insider is rolling out around the country. We had a superb Dealmakers Awards event at the Passenger Shed next to Bristol Temple Meads station on Wednesday - which is where I've been and why I ain't blogged. Here's the report from Wyn Jenkins from Wednesday:

Some 250 members of the corporate finance community packed into the Passenger Shed in Bristol for Insider's inaugural Dealmakers Awards for the South West of England. It was a triumphant night for Martyn Gregory, corporate finance partner at Deloitte, who scooped the coveted Dealmaker of the Year award. The acquisition of Foster Yeoman by Aggregate Industries was awarded Deal of the Year at the event. Other winners included HSBC, Lloyds TSB, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Bond Pearce, KPMG, Soloman Hare, Osborne Clarke, Grant Thornton and Close Brothers.

We're also doing events in the Thames Valley, London and Newcastle this year.

We're launching South West Business Insider magazine in September.

I'm looking for an editor in the South West. Know anyone? Email me at michael.taylor@newsco.com

Marmots

This is quite funny, from Popbitch, a scurrilous email I get every week. It follows up a few themes I've been banging on about lately, though makes a good link to a feature in the Economit on adultery in squirrel like creatures:

What a time we're living in. The BBC stitches up the Queen and commercial TV networks rip the piss out of the viewers who pay for their expense accounts. Everyone has more fake than real friends these days, thanks to Fakebook, sorry Facebook, and we're even embroiled in a disastrous war thanks to a fake dossier, copied from students on the net. And now we find even marmot relationships aren't real. A compelling scientific study has revealed that young marmots tend to grow up stronger or more successful if they're fathered by their mother's bit-on-the side, rather than the poor, unaware mate with whom they play happy families. So what are we worried about? Surely if cheating is best for the marmots, it's best for us. Even the Queen.

The link to the Economist feature on cheating marmots is here.

An economist goes to the movies

I get a marvellous daily email newsletter called Investment and Business News, which usually has something wise and wonderful to say about economics and business trends.

I'm very critical of economists, I think they often fail to see the creativity in business and the skill of the entrepreneur in marketing and selling. But these guys are quite shrewd. They realise that people do well because they get better at sales, processes and products, not just because the economy is kind to them.

Take this:

Talking of cycles, Hollywood seems to follow a similar pattern, although the cycles seem a lot shorter.
2005 was the year of the big blockbuster, 2006 was quiet.
But 2007 has seen one hit after another. In the US, two of the top three opening weekends ever seen were for films released this year: Spider Man 3 and Shrek the Third.
And now it’s Harry's turn. What with the last book in the series coming out soon, there seems to be more interest than normal in the latest Harry Potter film.
And sure enough, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix enjoyed the best ever box office receipts ever seen in the US on Wednesday. It knocked Spider Man 2 off the top spot.
But while the last few years have seen a rush of record breaking opening weekends and first days, the all time most successful films are a little older.
The all-time record for box office receipts worldwide belongs to Titanic. As for the top ten, it contains the three Lord of The Rings films, three Harry Potter movies, Shrek 2, Jurassic Park, and Star Wars Phantom Menace.

Joanna Rowling isn't a multi-millionaire because the book trade is doing well, it's because people like her books. And films.

Anyway, the link for you to subscribe to it is here.

Why TV is rubbish (again)

Apart from the news we don't really watch TV any more. As a kid I used to watch loads of telly. I wallow on great TV nostalgia. I used to write about the TV industry for the best part of ten years. I've even made some programmes, admittedly on daytime cable. But apart from the news and signature documentaries by ink blooded print journalists like Andrew Marr, real quality dramas like Life on Mars and Spooks, which we watch on DVD, then trade with other boxed sets, we just can't be bothered to follow a series. Reality TV, forget it.

Part of the problem is a lack of trust, which Janine Gibson and Steve Armstrong write about very well in the paper today.

A flavour is here: "If they [TV channels] don't maintain some of the distance between them and the charlatans elsewhere on the programme guide - playing bingo and trying to flog you fake jewellery - then no one will trust them any more. Then - well, the game really will be up."

A link to the full article is here.

Rumble in the jungle

There's a bit of row going on about our favourite boy reporter. Tintin in the Congo, Herge's worst book by a mile has been attacked by the Commission for Racial Equality, who have said it should not be sold as children's book. To be fair, Herge would agree were he still alive today. The English edition wasn't released until many years after Herge's death. Even now it comes with a health warning attached clarifying it was a product of its time. It has some appalling racist stereotypes, it has little merit as a story and has few examples of the heroism and anti-bullying themes that make the rest of Tintin's stories so popular with all of the boys in this house, including me.


Ban it? Don't be stupid. But would I want my kids to read it? No, there are far better stories to read and learn from.

Scotland on Sunday reports that sales have soared, here.

Some sensible comment in the Times is here.


I've also got a Railway Series complete set from the 1970s. In Henry the Green engine, he blows soot at a gang of naughty boys who run away as black as coal. Except it only says "coal" in the new version. It says the "N" word in my original. It isn't political correctness gone mad to keep this outdated, silly, old language from children. It's common sense.

Let's (not) go out tonight

Sadly, I didn't get to see The Blue Nile at the Manchester International Festival last night. We had run out of options for babysitting, so we didn't get to the Bridgewater Hall. Steven Lindsay reports all was well and I look forward to a first hand account of a rare live performance by Paul Buchanan's magical ensemble.

Still, it was probably as much excitement as one day can handle. We went to a special 3D screening of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the Printworks in Manchester, courtesy of KPMG. A great film, by any measure.

Boys and toys

Blogging today from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire at the Royal International Air Tattoo. The defence industry is very important to the North West - indeed the whole of the UK - and we follow very closely what BAE Systems do. They employ a lot of people and sit at the top end of a very large supply chain. So, it most definitely is not a jolly.

One of the fascinating things is meeting other "industry" journalists and observing their hierarchies. At the press conference this morning we heard about a whole new contract with the Indian Air Force and a new project with the RAF - it creates a slight problem for Lancashire as there is a huge need for engineers that is hard to meet.

The first question came from the old hack from Janes Defence Weekly. Very technical. Then the lads I've been with - Peter Magill from the Lancashire Telegraph and Nick Hyde from the Blackpool Gazette - asked about job prospects in their area. You then get industry veterans chiding the officials from the MoD about pet subjects that have clearly been simmering for some time. You get a question that seems obvious and seems to have missed the point. But then that is the point. You get the officials, or BAE execs to repeat it all back but in a slightly less clipped and polished way. Thus getting a better quote.

There is a story to be got here, whoever you are, whoever your readers are. Proper journalists are never off duty. Even me, and I've got a blog to do as well.

You've got friends

When the hardest man I know asks me if I want to be his friend, I say yes. This is the phenomena of Facebook, the social networking website that I don't really understand, but have had a dabble at today. I set up a page a few months ago and had about 20 people wanting to be my friends. Some were people I work with, some were people I have never heard of, some were people I know vaguely.

What we do now is a mystery to me.

I certainly have no desire to "poke" any of my friends.

I can't link to profiles, you have to log in to Facebook to see, you can do that by clicking here.

Castlefield

A wonderful piece on Manchester Confidential by Phil Griffin about the decline of Castlefield.
The link is here.

Casino chaos

Two lessons from the U turn by Gordon Brown on a casino for Manchester, or anywhere, and his plans to "reflect" on whether it's the best way to regenerate.

First, he was clearly never a fan of the idea, it will be killed off.

Two, however transparent a process, however much you play by the rules of engagement, the government record on delivery of policy goals in the regions is to constantly renege on promises.

Blackpool should get on with it and build smaller casinos - like Manchester 235 - and some proper leisure centres.

The mass debate on road charging

Key 103 have posted a recording of yesterday's debate on road charging at the IoD. I've also had feedback from my friend Peter Mount on a detail I may have missed when I pressed Andrew Simpson of Peel on his point that Manchester Airport should be sold. Two missing words there, I suggested: "to you?".

David Cain our Director of Regeneration told me that when you issued the immortal words “to you” the Peel guy looked daggers!

Oh dear. I've upset Andrew Simpson. Not hard, to be honest.

Road charging - a dead end ahead

Proponents of Manchester’s congestion charge still have much to do to convince business that the planned improvements to public transport will be in place by 2012. After a debate organised by the Institute of Directors this morning the audience was split 50/50 on whether a peak time road charging scheme to fund £3bn of improvements was justified.

The debate, chaired by me, featured some tetchy exchanges between Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese, who advocates the scheme, and Peel Holdings boss Andrew Simpson, who opposes it. Simpson said the transport improvements should be paid for by selling Manchester Airport.

At the start of the debate we managed to look at 4 real life examples of business people and how they would be affected by the introduction of a congestion charge. We had Laura from Chorlton who takes her son to nursery before hiking into the city centre; John from Worsley who runs a construction business; the owner of a chauffer service, David from Clitheroe, and Anna from Alderley Edge, who works in property PR in Manchester. Not that hard, was it?

The two questions that were asked were as follows: Would you agree to a congestion charge being introduced in Greater Manchester by 2012 on the basis that £3 billion had been spent to transform the transport in Greater Manchester prior to the introduction of charge?
24 said yes, 23 said no, 9 were undecided.

Would you oppose the introduction of a congestion charge if only part of the £3bn had been spent by 2012.
40 said yes, 12 said no, 4 were undecided.

Business support is one of the five key tests of any bid for a pilot Transport Improvement Fund, without it, the bid will not go ahead. On this evidence, I think it looks doomed.

Dandy Highwayman

Went for a magnificent birthday lunch yesterday at the Highwayman, at the top end of the Lune Valley. I've waxed lyrical before about the Three Fishes, Lancashire's finest pub in the heart of the Ribble Valley. Well, it looks like Nigel Haworth and Craig Bancroft and their backers - the Walker family - have done it again. A truly great spread of food and drink. Between us we had chicken, fish, steak, pate, soup, salads, melon, bread, sausages and cheese. Not a duff dish in sight. The staff were friendly, the service was quick - which is more important than you think with five boys. The crayons and colouring sheets with puzzles kept the boys amused too.

Thanks Dad, a great birthday. Put a shine on the otherwise depressing onset of middle age.

Go and see for yourself. Link is here.

Spin City

I don't like the way in which the "debate" about road charging for Manchester city centre is going. I think Manchester City Council are taking the public for fools. Their propaganda is based on a supposed consultation, but is just a flimsy exercise in packaging something as a done deal, as if it were bidding for the Commonwealth Games of something. This latest twist today, kind of shows how poor the case is being made. The four examples used in the leaflet Terry from Rochdale, etc, are actually models from the USA.

I'm not surprised, but how hard would it have been to find four real people?

Strangely, there is a case to be made for road charging. Neil Tague went to a debate this morning where Sir Howard Bernstein, the chief executive of Manchester city council, presented a very well put together plan which people supported. I've also heard SHB and the council leader Sir Richard Leese make a cogent argument.

A link to the made up "testimonials" is here

A full link to the story on the BBC website is here.

Born on the seventh of July

The 7th of July has always been a special day in the year for me, as it's my sister's birthday. She had the honour of being born in 1970, so was 7 on 7/7/77. The local paper did a splash on it.

Now, sadly, it's day that will be remembered for when a bunch of nutters blew up themselves, and 50 or more other people, in London. Pause to think about the victims today and all of those who are caught up in this horrific conflict between Islamism and the modern world.

And also take a look at this website, here, dedicated to John Smeaton, the bloke from Glasgow airport who had a pop at the would be bombers. Picked on the wrong airport, didn't they?

Cameron comes to Liverpool

To Liverpool for the CBI dinner as a guest of Andrew Budenburg of Barclays Bank. The main attraction was David Cameron, leader of the Conservative Party. I spoke to a lot of people afterwards and asked them what they thought.

This, therefore covers this blog’s ten thoughts for Friday.

• Cameron was on the stage for an hour. He’s a very good performer, not quite in the Blair class. But he spoke, then took questions, and didn’t duck the difficult issues.
• He is right about the skill of charity workers, the voluntary sector and business to tackle social problems more effectively than the state. This could well be his big defining idea. “Gordon Brown’s answer to problems is a top down solution. My answer to problems is to ask what business, the voluntary sector can do." I'm sure Dougal Paver will have something to say about this later.
• He had good examples of business initiatives by big retailers on carbon neutral practice and good examples of how businesses like Tomorrow’s People can get people into work and help them stay in work.
• He is also determined to abolish regional assemblies (hooray!) and give more decision making and finance raising powers to local authorities which should be led by a powerful city mayor. This is what he calls “a transfer of trust”. He wants to encourage “a new generation of civic leader and city fathers”. My question: where are they coming from?
• He wants the Conservatives to be recognised as the party of business, but will not commit to tax cuts. In time, as the economy prospers, it is right that business should reap the rewards and not be taxed.
• Economic breakdown is not the problem that causes poverty and drug addiction and decay, but social breakdown. The broken society is the biggest challenge we face and that business can be the solution, it is not the problem.
• He made a strange policy pledge on the need to introduce incentives for marriage. I don’t quite know what to make of this one. Neither did anyone else I spoke to.
• Two different people him, and him, mentioned to me afterwards that Gordon Brown is messianic when you meet him and a more awesome and inspirational character. My thought is, you can’t convince everyone by meeting them one by one.
• A lot of people said he reminded them of Blair fifteen years ago. I know what they mean, the country is definitely ready for change. But if Gordon Brown positions himself as different from Blair and IS that change, then Cameron could be stuffed.
• Cameron has lots of intriguing ideas that sound good and make sense. Whether people trust the Conservatives is another thing entirely. Like Blair he is trapped in his own party. And like Blair it was his party’s unwillingness to go with him on the difficult decisions that held him back.
  
  

The Flashing Blade

I've just been reminded of one of the most magnificent kids TV series from the 60s and 70s called The Flashing Blade. The theme tune was played on the Chris Evans programme on Radio 2 on Monday and I can't get it out of my head.

It reminded me of watching TV at Andrew Blacktop's house on Saturday morning. This dubbed French epic drama had action aplenty and the Spanish were baddies.

Here are the titles from You Tube: Flashing Blade titles

Here's a link to some background on the programme, here.

Great lyrics too:

You've got to fight for what you want
For all that you believe
It's right to fight for what we want
To live the way we please
------------
As long as we have done our best
Then no one can do more
And life and love and happiness
Are well worth fighting for
------------
And we should never count the cost
Or worry that we'll fall
It's better to have fought and lost
Than not have fought at all
------------
Let's always take whatever comes
And never try to hide
Face everything and anyone
Together side by side

Some very big questions for Manchester

These are very important days for the future of Manchester.

There's a raging debate about road charging, which is not a debate at all. The local council chiefs say they want a discussion, but they slam anyone who raises sensible questions as naive, or prepostorous or unhelpful.

This comes on top of lots of hyperbole about the city being a world class urban centre. Martyn Markland from Atis Real did a superb presentation today on the subject.

Here's a flavour:

In an increasingly competitive global marketplace, Manchester needs to drastically improve itself and set ever more ambitious targets; otherwise it will simply lag behind. Worse still, if it doesn’t solve fundamental issues such as public transport, it could even hit reverse gear. Indeed, I would argue that as time goes by, the task of realising a long term vision becomes increasingly difficult as new resources are wasted on short term fixes.

A link to Martyn's blog with the full speech is here.

Meanwhile, I've written a lead column on the current stories in the Manchester Evening News about the poor quality debate around the transport proposals. The link to the MEN stuff is here.
This is what will be in Insider when it comes out next week:

When a ruthless property development company, Peel Holdings, run by a secretive tycoon from his offshore tax haven calls for the councils of Manchester to sell their interests in regional airports, the words of Mandy Rice-Davies, a prostitute, spring to mind: “Well, he would say that, wouldn’t he?”

At long last there is an opportunity to have a mature debate about public transport and the public funding of it. But it is also the time for all of the parties in this debate to declare their interest. Otherwise the whole discussion will descend into farce. Manchester, and here is the irony, will end up sounding like Liverpool.

It is right that the subject that no one wants to talk about should be aired. It has become like the elephant in the living room, or the fact that the Emperor is not wearing any clothes. The North West has this unique critical asset - Manchester International Airport - that has given the region a crucial advantage. It is anachronistic that it remains in public hands, but its sale has just not ever been considered. When Insider raised the issue in 2006, we were told, quietly, that we were being “unhelpful”.

Equally, the property industry supporters of Manchester City Council have been forthright in their applause for the “courage” of the council in starting a debate. But what exactly are we supposed to be debating? That public transport needs improving? Well, yes, it does. That road charging at peak times will suppress demand, maybe it will. But that Manchester’s businesses will be more competitive because they are taxed in a way that other cities are not? I doubt it.

Other cities, like Birmingham and Leeds, may well be bidding for this transport fund. They could possibly be considering a road charging scheme. That is their choice. Manchester’s choice is different, and it is this: should the airport be sold to the private sector in order to fund transport projects; or should all attempts to sell the family silver be resisted because there are real benefits to owning such an asset. That is a debate. What we have been asked to consider so far, is not.

Manchester the uppity city

Thanks to Manchester Confidential for posting up pictures of the launch party at Spinningfields. I'm incredibly relieved I didn't go now.

Manchester Confidential Property - Smile you’re on camera

Welsh hilarity

Thanks to Baldrick from work for sending this from the Western Mail.

A cheeky Welshman thought he’d had the last laugh when he painted a London pub sign with the words: “All English are a**eholes!”
And for a while, it looked like he’d got away with penning ‘Twll din pob sais’ on the front of The Feathers in Westminster.

Full link is here. Hilarious, eh?

Time to close Kelly's Night Club

The Hawk Green Residents Association meeting this evening was a lively affair. Item 6 on the agenda was a discussion about disturbances most weekends caused by drunken scrotes spilling out of Kelly's Night Club in Goyt Mill. There were about 50 people present. A licensing officer gave some guidelines on how to apply for a review. A copper reported that there had only been 6 complaints. The mood in the room changed when people realised the system was hopeless. What followed was an overwhelming sense of anger that this situation had been allowed to continue for so long.

Also present at the meeting was the owner of Kelly's - Mr Terry Kelly. He was offered the opportunity to say: a) how many people he had refused service to, because they were drunk; b) how many underage kids he had turned away; and c) if he had anything to say to residents who had been caused so much trouble. He said he had only come to observe.

I've never been to this place. But I'm more convinced than ever that it should not be allowed a licence in a leafy suburb like this.

However, in the words of this bloke, "fair play to Kelly, he had a go."

Book review - Piers Morgan's Don't You Know Who I Am

Annoying ex-Mirror editor Piers Morgan is actually quite an entertaining author. His diary The Insider was a rip roaring tale of the Mirror years. This is what happened next. It includes an unbelievable amount of blatant name dropping as well as at least two things I didn't know about him. 1. He's going with Celia Walden of the Daily Telegraph, and 2) He's a star in America as a result of some dreadful talent show. I met him during the timeframe of the book and he signed an Insider magazine front cover that was, er, derived from his book. Strangely, he doesn't mention it.