Sunday 21 March 2010

these hideous signs are not helping the people of Hulme!

Following the "Our Hulme" meeting last week, at which this issue was raised, local green activist Nigel Woodcock has formally lodged a complaint about the hideous yellow signs that have been dotted around the locality, bringing everyone down and doing NOTHING to reduce crime.

The website FixMyStreet will channel our complaint to the Council and we'll see what sort of response it gets.
http://www.fixmystreet.com/report/104594

It seems obvious that these signs have gone up just now so that the Council can claim to be DOING SOMETHING about crime. But we don't think these signs help. If you agree, please email the Council's Environment Department. I have just looked on their website and they are now operating a single email address for ALL Council services and enquiries, which seems fairly ludicrous. It's contact@manchester.gov.uk - we'll let you know how we get on.
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New FREE course in sustainable arts and technologies in the community!!!!

How much do you really know about lowering your carbon Footprint? Everyone knows that it’s important – but it can all sound a bit confusing and daunting can’t it? Well…

Arc Space Manchester are proud to announce a new course called Connect Yourself!

It’s about cutting your carbon footprint in new and funky ways that will help you to do your bit for the planet whilst meeting new people and learning about ethical arts and technologies.

We can show you how to tackle climate change in a positive ways by trying your hand at lots of cool activities, such as designing clothes and re-cycling computers! There are 12 sessions, every Wednesday afternoon from 11-2.30pm. We run an evening and weekend session too for those who can’t make it during the week. The course runs until May 24th and you can enrol at any time!

Its fun, its informal and its free to everybody. We are a community organisation so we welcome everybody. We even give you your own pen drive half-way through the course and provide free internet. Go on, become environmentally savvy. What are you waiting for?!

Contact us at arcspacemanchester@gmail.com or call in and see us at St Wilfs Church, Royce Rd, Hulme. Or you can call us on 07872 939216 and leave a message.

In partnership with Manchester City Council and The Manchester Carbon Innovation Fund.
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Friday 19 March 2010

Greenview Cornbrook Special

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Why we are campaigning for an Ian Curtis Memorial Bridge in Hulme.

Hulme has always been a unique place, one of the few places to be completely raised to the ground twice in living history: seeing the destruction of the Victorian back-to-backs, followed by the demolition of the 1960s brutal modernist architectural known as the crescents. One significant victim of the redevelopment was nightclub known as the Russell Club, host to (Manchester music promoter and Grenada Reporter) Tony Wilson’s ‘Factory’ night. This nightclub was where Joy Division regularly played during their brief existence. Indeed Joy Division recorded the version of Transmission that can be heard on the B-side of Atmosphere in Hulme (July 1979).

In the year Joy Division first played in Hulme, 1979, the upcoming Manchester rock photographer, Kevin Cummins, photographed the band in various locations around Hulme. The most iconic of these photos is probably the one of the band on Epping Walk Bridge, one of the narrow pedestrian footbridges that spanned the Princess Parkway. This photograph recently adorned Joy Division’s greatest hits album cover. This is the bridge that we want to re-name in honour and memory of Ian Curtis, who took his life exactly 30 years ago on May 18th.


Hulme locals are all too aware of how marginalized and put-upon this part of Manchester feels, which is partly why we want this campaign to succeed. The bridge itself is already known to certain locals as ‘Joy Division Bridge’. The re-naming of this bridge would allow fans and visitors to Manchester the opportunity to visit the bridge and recreate Kevin Cummins photographs and to celebrate the city’s fine musical heritage. Fans of The Smiths, regularly congregate around the entrance to Salford Lads’ Club, featured on one of their albums. Renaming the bridge gives Joy Division fans their own part of Manchester.


Since Hulme local activist Gayle O’Donovan set up the Facebook page just over a week ago, it has rapidly expanded up to nearly 700 members, including Kevin Cummins himself. We believe that if this campaign succeeded then we’d be putting Hulme back on the map, restoring some local pride, creating yet another reason for people to visit our fine city, and saluting a local legend.


Renaming the bridge would be another chapter in Manchester’s rich musical history.


For more info join our Facebook Group:http://tinyurl.com/iancurtismemorial

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The Arch to be demolited and turned in to student halls

Last Thursday, the decision was taken Manchester City Council's Planning Committee to give the go-ahead to the demolition of Arch Bar to make way for a student halls of residence. No doubt Nigel Murphy will be pleased with this decision, since he has bragged to the Applicant (Mr. Andy Whatson) that he was responsible for getting the "restrictive covenant" lifted last year.

Thanks to everyone who signed the petition, that has collected 266 signatures to date. Those who also left a comment will now find that comment pasted up on the Arch building, which has become a part of its own campaign, as you'll see if you go past on the bus.

I see it as another nail in the coffin of the Hulme community, which can now be found on its nights out huddled in the Salutation, the Junction, and perhaps Kim-by-the-Sea. Okay, there are one or two other pubs, but certainly no clubs, like what the Arch used to be, never mind anything as banging as the PSV Club (aka the Russell Club, the Factory, etc.)

I find it particularly galling that Nigel Murphy has been claiming credit (in the most recent "Hulme Rose" leaflet) for "working with residents of the Loxford Estate to oppose the building of a seven storey student block on the site of the former Arch Bar... Your Labour Team," the leaflet burbled, "will continue working with local residents to ensure that any new plans are acceptable to the community."

If you would like to tell Mr. Murphy what you think of these "new plans" - are they "acceptable" to you? - then why not drop him a line? Nigel Murphy (cllr.n.murphy@manchester.gov.uk)
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