Manchester Blog

I’ve noticed that contrary to what many say Manchester does attract a fair bit of sunshine. However, I’ve also noticed that it tends to be in May rather than in the more “normal” months of June, July and August.

I remember coming to Manchester for a University entrance interview and seeing a completely cloudless blue sky. When I took up the offer to study in Manchester I was very lucky to be here during the heat waves of 1975 and 1976. And in fact even the following years were agreeable.

When I got married (in May, quite a few years ago) the weather was very breezy,  but a lovely sunny day with an amazing blue sky. Remember last year? Lovely blue skies in May. In fact maybe those skies prompted the forecasts of barbie weather all summer from the unfortunate forecasters!

Speaking of forecasts…

I was listening to the weather report from the BBC today and it mentioned that the north  and north midlands would be overcast. I can report the weather has been superb, proper lovely sunny, great to be alive weather.

Now, here’s something I’d like an answer to…

Why does Manchester always seem to be missing from the weather maps? And yet plenty of other smaller places are shown. Is it a conspiracy or maybe the weather people can’t bring themselves to put down a name with the politically incorrect word “man” it it? Which do you think it is? Or maybe there’s a really good reason that I don’t know.

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The Pirates of Penzance is probably the most famous operetta written by the Victorian equivalent of Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice. They are of course, WS Gilbert And Sir Arthur Sullivan.

Even if you don’t know any Gilbert & Sullivan I’m pretty sure you’ve heard people say “a policeman’s lot is not a happy one.” That’s a song in the show.

The Pirates of Penzance we’re producing has a bevy of beautiful maidens, a gang of bloodthirsty, but as the same time rather nice, pirates and a rabble of comic policemen. Sprinkled in amongst this comic collection of characters is the Sergeant of Police, a Major General, The Pirate King and assorted hangers on.

The plot is typically G&S and there are some great songs in it. Wait for the beautiful rendition of “Hail Poetry” or even better “Poor Wandering One”, or maybe the very fast “I am the very model of a modern major general” or the swashbuckling “For I am a Pirate King.”

The song that all the Pirate gang loves is “With Cat Like Tread.” And if you come along to the show you’ll see why. It’s absolutely brilliant to sing and act in. I can’t wait for the performances to begin! We want everyone to enjoy it as much as we enjoy performing it.

And yes, the months of rehearsal are finally paying off. Because the production which is being put on at the Royal Northern college of Music starts on May 5th at 7:30 and goes straight through to May 8th.

Come along and see us because I can promise you that you’ll see a cast who love doing this show and have all the joie de vivre of a bunch of students. Mainly because most of them are students, from the University of Manchester.

Invest in a good time by getting your tickets from the RNCM box office either though the RNCM Web site or their Box Office Phone Line on 0161 907 5555.

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Well actually they’re not ace at all, they’re a severe irritant. I say this because I’ve been clocked by one doing 39 in a 30mph zone. The thing about this road (Blackley New Road) is that it doesn’t have permanent speed cameras on. But it does, every now and then, have a camera in a van.

So why do they have a van on a quiet road mid morning on a Monday?

Because the people who are running the cameras know that Blackley New Road goes downhill, it’s a nice wide road and it’s incredibly difficult to keep the speed at 30 without dropping into 3rd and wasting petrol and destroying the ozone layer more rapidly.

So it becomes a trade-off between being green or going green in the face because you’ve got a speeding fine.

And just when you thought that was it on the speed camera front, I noticed that the M60 (junction 19) near the Three Arrows pub and the Middleton turn-off has average speed cameras installed (not in use this morning).

I’m hopeful that they’re only there for the roadworks that seem to afflict the M60 and will be removed when they’re finished. I’ll let you know. If anyone else had any news about it let us know too.

And lastly the average speed cameras placed strategically along Victoria Avenue appear to have been playing up and not coining the revenue in for the “Greater Manchester Casualty Reduction Partnership.” I noticed the workmen digging bits of pavement up around the camera gantry near St. Clare’s church earlier in the week. Although it looks as though work is finished and money can start spilling into council coffers.

Interestingly Swindon took all their cameras out and found there was no change in the number of accidents.

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Get your water wings on because the annual Clayton Vale duck race is almost on us.
Proper water racing ducks (who’d have thought it?) are being readied for the Clayton Vale Quacky duck race on Saturday 10th [...] Continue Reading…

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Traditionally Manchester has always sat slightly behind London as the capital of cool in Britain. Sure we’ve consistently produced some of the countries most popular and exciting bands and musicians that will forever be etched in [...] Continue Reading…

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The White Room in Manchester has launched a free course aimed at helping 18-24 year olds start in the media sector by designing original iPhone applications. The course is backed by Manchester Council, The Cornerhouse [...] Continue Reading…

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This is an interesting concept, and they’re looking for people from Manchester too. Dinner Date producers are asking us Mancunions some key questions: Are you single? Are you looking for love? Do [...] Continue Reading…

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Well, it’s a done deal. Heaton Park will have a new sports development. Of the 3 councillors I contacted 1 replied immediately and one after they’d attended the planning meeting. As to what they [...] Continue Reading…

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Heaton park is still under threat as the Manchester Town Hall planning committee meet to rubber stamp the recommendation by the town planners to allow the go ahead of a sports complex at Heaton Park. [...] Continue Reading…

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Speed cameras for a road that sees very little traffic seems very strange. For some months we’ve been driving up Victoria avenue, from the Heaton Park end, and seen the huge poles that look like [...] Continue Reading…

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