I was asked to join the diversity panel for the television programme “Granada Reports”.

Lise McNally who works on the programme sent me a message asking me if I would go the following day. So off to Media City I went.

After introductions to the other members of the panel we were taken to the studio control room to see the show go out live. I sat next to the director who had a console in front of him which was all alight with bright yellow buttons. I asked if he knew what they were all for but he said no.

Someone did a countdown and there was a reporter who did a live report from the front of Liverpool Lime Street station.

Of course there were numerous screens on which the various sections, recorded and live, were to be seen.

The two presenters, Lucy Meacock and Tony Morris were sat behind a glass wall behind us.

Behind them is a window through which the Imperial War Museum North can be seen.

After the live broadcast we went to another room where refreshments were provided and we were joined by Tony Morris and shown some films of reports already seen on the show. One was a report by Tony Morris from Preston railway station about the breakdown of the new Northern Rail timetable.

The two live presenters use an autocue. They also have foot pedals behind the desk which the viewer is unable to see. I have no idea what these pedals do and I don’t think we were told. It’s one of the mysteries of the magic of television!

Trips & Adventures – 7 June 2018

It was Norman’s birthday on 8 June. What year? Every year of course!

It has now become an annual event to celebrate Normski’s birthday at the New York, New York on Bloom Street, Manchester.

Sorry for the poor quality of the photos, but the lighting was not suitable for a camera phone. There were tons of sandwiches as usual to accompany the chicken wings and sausage rolls.

Norman certainly knows how to throw a party as we all had an enjoyable afternoon.

30 years on: warnings over homophobic legacy of Section 28

On 24 May 1988 (30 years ago) a law was introduced in England which banned “the promotion of homosexuality”.

Section 28 of the Local Government Act impacted sex education in schools, and also caused confusion over the legality of funding initiatives for lesbian, gay or transgender people.

It was greeted by huge opposition protests across the country – with Manchester seeing around 25,000 people take to the streets.

Tony Openshaw was one of those who spoke at a mass rally opposing Section 28 in Manchester in 1988.

He says the legislation felt “like a backwards step” – with the ostracism he and his partner faced being symptomatic of a homophobic turn in parts of society.

Trips & Adventures – 31 May 2018

Chris and I set off from Piccadilly and Peter joined us at Warrington heading off for Waterloo on the Wirral peninsula.

We dined at The Queen’s Picture House – a Wetherspoon’s pub located in a premises last occupied by Waterloo Furnishing Stores Ltd, the successor to Pearsons department store which opened in 1960. Until 22 August 1959, the premises had been the Queens cinema. Converted to show ‘talkies’ in 1930, the cinema was purpose built in 1913 as the Queens Picture House.

After a very nice meal it was just a short walk to the beach, where we headed towards Blundell Sands and Crosby.

“Another Place” is an art installation on Crosby beach of 100 spectacular cast-iron, life-size figures by Anthony Gormley spread across three kilometres of the foreshore and stretch almost one kilometre out to sea.

The Another Place figures – each one weighing 650 kilos – are made from casts of the artist’s own body standing on the beach, all of them looking out to sea, staring at the horizon in silent expectation.

The weather was fantastic and we had another great day out.

 

Trips & Adventures – 24 May 2018

This week the blog is a bit of a catch-up: After the Wednesday meeting a few of us went to St Ann’s Church to view the “Spirit of Manchester” Flower Festival commemorating the 12 month anniversary since our city was rocked by the tragedy of the Manchester Arena bombing.

The Flower Festival sends a message to the victims’ families and those affected by the bombing, that we are thinking of them and we still care, and says ‘Thank You’ to all Mancunians for the way we came together in a defiant show of unity, solidarity, community and hope.

The floral displays in and outside the church look amazing. and form a great tribute.

On Thursday, 24 May we travelled to Media City and had lunch in the Food Hall at the Lowry Outlet – between us we sampled Deli-Fresh, Harry Ramsden’s and Tandoori Delights!

We then made our way to the Imperial War Museum, the first building in the UK designed by the internationally acclaimed architect, Daniel Libeskind. He was the second child of Polish Jewish parents who had survived the Holocaust.

Libeskind wanted the building to be a symbol of the effects of war, so he came up with the concept of a globe shattered into three pieces – and though it’s been put back together,  it will never be the same again. That’s why IWM North is made up of the Earth Shard, Water Shard and the Air Shard – a piece of the building representing conflict on land, sea and in the air. To be truthful, the exhibitions and the building itself make you feel the unsettling nature of war and can be a bit depressing.

Later that evening members of the group appeared on television, following the filming previously by Granada Reports, tying in with the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Local Government Act 1986 which featured the controversial clause Section 28 banning local authorities from promoting homosexuality or educating people about its acceptability.

There was also an event at the Radisson Blu Hotel – Temporary Monument, Permanent Protest – the opening of an exhibition in response to the 30th anniversary of the Section 28 protests in Manchester, together with poetry performances and guest speakers.