Manchester Blog

Heaton Park is hosting a real 80’s music celebration tomorrow (14th August 2010). Rick Astley will be performing in a concert with other stars from the 80’s including: – ABC – Belinda Carlisle – Go West – Mica Paris – Tony Hadley Currently the weather here at Heaton Park is looking particularly unpromising. Still we’ve [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 and Manchester Metropolitan University. And it will also teach a range of business skills Over $3bn worth of mobile phone [...]

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 said… Both councillors made the point that the development was part of the Restoration Masterplan for Heaton Park agreed by English [...]

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. This is the continuing struggle of the council in what seems to be a concerted effort to use the green [...]

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 fat lamp posts. Then overnight they were transformed into camera gantries with an arm extended over the road way with [...]

This last week has been great fun. I’ve had the privilege of building a snowman with my children and having snowball fights with them. Later in the week my eldest took my two youngest sledging. And they came back cold, damp and filled with glee. And even the fact that I’ve had to clear my [...]

Father Christmas made his grand entrance on a horse and cart waving to all and sundry at Clayton Hall last Saturday. So Christmas has arrived! My children were roped in to assist Santa Claus dole out presents to excited children. And part of the package (at an astoundingly low price) was to have your photo [...]