Mancunian Matters - e-edition June 2018

WORLD CUP PREVIEW: Which Mancunians are heading to Russia? @MM_newsonline www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

No drug test progess at Parklife festival

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Review: Unknown Mortal Orchestra

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FREE

‘Aggressive’ abortion clinic vigils must stop

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END OF THE LINE Rush-hour railway chaos continues despite new timetable

By Emilia Bruce-Watt

MORE than 100 trains were cancelled or severely delayed yesterday, causing further chaos on day one of Northern Rail’s emergency train timetable.

The timetable sees 165 of the 2,800 daily services cancelled until the end of July.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham set out his conditions for the emergency timetable this morning, saying Northern are in “the last chance saloon”.

Mr Burnham said that if Northern are unwilling to offer compensation or a reduction in fares, Transport for the North should impose fines on them .

The mayor also called for a ticket acceptance scheme so Northern tickets are accepted by other train operators and on other modes of transport.

In a letter to the Chair of Transport for the North, John

Cridland, Mr Burnham said: “Now that Northern are unilaterally cancelling thousands of services – that many season ticket holders have already paid for – passengers must be properly and fully compensated.

“Northern are set to benefit financially from this emergency timetable. It is the company who should pay the price for their mismanagement.”

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said today: “We have tremendous sympathy with everyone who has had their rail journey delayed or disrupted.

“What we have seen has been unacceptable.”

Wigan MP Lisa Nandy said Mr Grayling needs to understand the seriousness of the situation that is ruining people’s lives.

In response to the timetable which removes 6% of the total services, Ms Nandy tweeted: “Finally, an answer to the rail chaos from Northern - an emergency timetable that cancels even more of our trains.

“I’ll be raising this with the Transport Secretary on Monday. This is complete chaos.”

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling is will make a statement after meeting with MPs today whose constituents have been affected by the chaos caused by Northern Rail’s “unacceptably poor” service.

Mr Burnham continued to say the introduction of an emergency timetable is "unacceptable".

He said: "The travelling public are having their lives turned upside down."

Hundreds of commuters and passengers have faced delays and mass cancellations since the introduction of the new timetable on May 20th.

One frustrated commuter, who was ignored by Northern and blocked on Twitter, created an app to document the delays and cancellations.

Software developer, Nicholas Mitchell, designed Northern Fail as a historical database to track the oper-

ator’s performance.

The app received positive feedback from passengers as well as from Mr Burnham.

Mr Mitchell told Manchester Evenings News: “I’ve had really good feedback from people saying technology is political. The Northern website only records live cancellations, so it’s really useful.”

Mr Mitchell wanted to raise awareness of issues passengers are facing and called for the government to find a solution to the problem.

He said: “The only person who can sort this is Chris Grayling, he needs to do his job properly.

“Massive fines need to be properly imposed on them, if they can’t sort the problem, re-nationalise it.”

Managing Director of Northern, David Brown, said this morning that all their effort is going into fixing the problem.

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June 2018

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M an che st er w a its an oth er y ear f or d ru g s af e ty tes tin g ‘FRONT of house’ drug testing will not take place at Parklife this weekend despite organisers working closely with Manchester-based charity The Loop, who introduced the service elsewhere two years ago, writes Joseph Timan.

Since 2016, The Loop has provided ‘front of house’ Multi Agency Safety Testing (MAST), a free and confidential drug testing service whereby individuals can submit samples for analysis, to help reduce drug-related harm on site.

Speaking to MM, The Loop’s founder Fiona Measham said that the drugs charity’s sole purpose is to reduce harm for festival-goers.

“It’s a big festival of 80,000 people which is predominately young people so we have to accept that, yes, there is a substantial amount of drinking and drug use.”

The charity has worked closely with Parklife for six years, conducting ‘back of house’ drug testing at the festival since 2014; but testing samples directly for festival-goers requires council permission.

‘Back of house’ testing involves testing drugs that have been confiscated on site as well as helping first aiders by identifying substances that have caused medical problems at the festival.

According to Measham, the organisation tested up to 500 samples per day at Boomtown last year following the successful introduction of MAST at Kendal Calling and Secret Garden Party the previous year.

Speaking about the successful roll out of the service in the UK so far, she said: “We have queues for several hours of people coming to see us, in rain, midday sun and all sorts.”

Thousands spared chemo across UK

By Helen Parkinson

MANY women diagnosed with earlystage breast cancer who would normally undergo chemotherapy may be able to beat the disease without it, a revolutionary new study has revealed.

The TAILORx study, thought to be the largest breast cancer treatment trial ever, analysed how well a widely used genetic test assessed cancer risk.

The test looks at 21 different genes to see how likely it is that the cancer will recur, ultimately giving a score out of 100.

Previously, women with scores between 0 and 10 were able to skip chemotherapy and those with scores over 25 benefitted from undergoing it.

However, there was doubt over how to treat those in the middle zone of 1125. The research found that only 30% of women with this particular form of the disease benefitted from chemotherapy.

The research is being heralded as a significant development in cancer treatment and is estimated to change the lives of many thousands of women around the world.

It means that an estimated 3,000 to 5,000 British women may be able to avoid the gruelling treatment every year.

The findings were presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in Chicago.

Chemotherapy is a common means of fighting cancer through the use of

anti-cancer drugs that destroy cancer cells.

It works to kill cancer cells by circulating throughout the body in the bloodstream, so it can kill the disease anywhere in the body.

While it may save lives, there are many side-effects of chemotherapy.

The most famous is probably hair loss, because the treatment harms cells in the hair follicles, but other sideeffects can include nausea, fatigue and fertility problems.

Mancunian Matters spoke to doctors at the Christie, located in the Manchester suburb of Withington, about the news. The Christie is the largest cancer centre in Europe, treating 40,000 patients a year and housing the largest single-site early phase clinical trials centre in the world.

Mr Gerard Lambe, Consultant Plastic and Reconstructive Breast Surgeon at the hospital, said: “This is very good news.

This test will spare many women the rigours of chemotherapy and its side effects.

“It will give assurance to clinicians that they will only be prescribing chemotherapy for patients who truly need it and will benefit from it.

“Also importantly, it will allow women to consider reconstruction of their breast at a much earlier stage so that they can rebuild their life.”

Measham explained that this type of testing can legally take place with approval from local authorities because samples are never given back and are destroyed immediately after testing.

She praised Greater Manchester Police for their support, saying that the charity couldn’t do their job without support from the police, but hoped that the council, who have remained neutral so far, would be more supportive.

David Regan, Director of Population Health, Manchester Health and Care Commissioning told MM: “In Manchester we are having discussions with key agencies about this particular model of drug safety testing taking place.

“We have been supportive with GMP and other partners for the work undertaken on "back of house"

testing at both Parklife and at Pride in recent years."

This year the charity will have a team of nearly 100 people at Parklife including 20 chemists working in their onsite lab, but the organisation will only be allowed to conduct ‘back of house’ testing.

Measham says that the festival, run by the team behind Warehouse Project, has always been ‘very supportive’ and that managing director John Drape, who is a patron of the charity, is ‘one of the best in the country’.

She said: “Five years ago we were a little fledgling charity in Manchester and now I see the headlines all over the national press.

“We’re the only testing organisation in the UK which does safety testing and it all started with the help and support of the Warehouse Project.

Juliet was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016.

Her treatment followed a mixture of surgery and chemotherapy. She has spoken of the and emotional strains of having chemotherapy and thinks this new research is amazing.

She said: “I started to feel depressed. I was withdrawn and miserable and I didn’t want to see anyone.”

Image: Sue Lacey photography

Hey big spender: Mancs flash the cash

MANCUNIANS are the UK’s biggest spenders on a night-out, according to a new survey by the company Sell My Mobile, writes Oliver Dawnay.

There was no doubt Manchester would be in contention due its historic music culture and prominent nightlife scene, but few would have expected the average person to spend more in Manchester than in London.

Music lovers from all over the world travel to Manchester for events such as the Warehouse Project, which plays host to some of the globe’s most popular DJs. The Hacienda nightclub, which was knocked down almost 21 years ago, was

arguably the UK’s most famous club, and was the catalyst of the musical revolution that took place at the heart of the North West in the late 1980’s.

The new survey has reaffirmed Manchester as the party capital of the UK. An average Manchester resident spends £114.14 every week on nights-out, totalling approximately £5,935 a year, whereas the average person in London spends £111.64 per week – totalling around £5,805 a year.

Other notable cities are Liverpool, whose inhabitants spend the fifth most, and Edinburgh, where locals spend the ninth most each week.

Vix Leyton, the PR manager of Sell My Mobile, said: “It’s great to see Mancunians living up to their ‘mad for it’ reputation but those impulse rounds of shots and tipsy generosity can cause problems with your bank balance.”

On spending in the UK in general, Leyton said: “It’s not a shock that Brits make some questionable decisions when a drink has been taken, but those impulse rounds of shots and tipsy generosity, coupled with carelessness such as losing handbags and smashing phones can soon add up.”

June 2018

eSports strives for gold

By Cameron Sinclair

eSports: Exploding in popularity as a spectator sport

eSports are now the second most watched sport among boys according to a new study of 5,000 under 18s carried out

by Manchester-based market research firm Kids Insights.

The study found that eSports, the competitive side of electronic gaming, are now more popular for boys to watch on screen than boxing, rugby and tennis, beaten only by football.

This follows the International Olympic Committee (IOC)

acknowledgment that competitive gaming could soon be considered as a medalling event at a future Olympic Games.

“Competitive eSports could be considered as a sporting activity, and the players involved prepare and train with an intensity which may be comparable to athletes in traditional sports,” the IOC said in a statement.

The IOC announced this month their intention to hold a summit with key players from the competitive gaming indus-

try in Switzerland at the end of July, seeking more information about eSports ahead of the discipline possibly being included in a future edition of the Olympic Games.

In an interview with Sport Intern IOC president Thomas Bach, although reiterating that any games featured would have to be strictly non-violent, said: “eSports is clearly an exciting and growing sector in which millions of young people worldwide regularly engage in.”

“The Olympic movement

wwww.mancunianmatters.co.uk

cannot ignore such a phenomenon by any means,” he said. eSports has quickly amassed an estimated 250 million players, more than several of the traditional Olympic sports federations combined.

The top eSport players worldwide have career winnings registered in the millions, and some tournaments now pay out more than a million dollars to the winner.

The study found that one in five males now watch eSports.

Key 103 renamed

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IN BRIEF:

THE radio station formerly known as Key 103 is ringing in the start of a new era today, following a multi-million pound rebrand.

After almost 30 years with the name, the station will now be called Hits Radio.

The owner, Bauer Media, has also launched the channel nationally for the first time, where it was previously only broadcast in Manchester from its Castlefield studios.

Hits Radio will be the first national commercial radio to be broadcast from the city.

Many listeners welcomed the alterations, voting in an audience poll for ‘Greatest Day’

by Take That to be the first song played after the change.

The Manc question

Scientology centre plans for listed Trafford brewery

By Helen Parkinson

THE Church of Scientology has submitted a planning application to restore the former Duckworth’s Essence Distillery in Trafford.

The plans come over a decade after the Church originally purchased the property.

The striking Grade II-listed building has laid empty since 2006, when it was bought for a reported £3.6m.

In 2007, a change of use application was submitted to Trafford council to transform the Church Road landmark into an Ideal Org: a super-church described by the organisation as providing “the full services of Scientology religion to its parishioners, while also serving the community with social betterment and outreach programs.”

But these were later withdrawn, and no further plans were put forward until this year.

Minor renovation work began in

February, when workers were spotted repairing the boundary fence.

The new plans include extensive exterior work such as re-roofing and the replacement of brickwork and windows.

The opening of the new church may result in the closure of Scientology’s current Mancunian base on Deansgate, according to Rod Keller, a senior reporter at Scientology blog The Underground Bunker.

He told Mancunian Matters: “If they follow the pattern, they will vacate the old Org location.

“

What you’ve got is a very rich organisation which can afford buildings but has very few parishioners.

”

“[The reason] many Orgs are moved from central locations to the outskirts is because an Ideal Org has to be 50,000 square feet of space – that is expensive in city centres, but more affordable further out.”

Trafford council are currently revewing the Church’s application.

Scientology has come under fire in the UK for its property purchasing habits in recent years.

In 2016, the International Business Times (IBT) published a report highlighting how the Church had bought four listed buildings across the country which were now all languishing.

As well as the Trafford Essence Distillery, the IBT pointed out that the organisation had also snapped up: Plymouth’s Royal Fleet Club, bought for £1m; Windmill Hills Nursing Home in Gateshead, costing a tasty £1.5m; and Birmingham’s Pitmaston House, purchased for an unknown sum.

Since then, only the Birmingham site has opened as a functioning centre, but work has started on the Gateshead site earlier this year.

Although there are no official statistics on the number of Scientologists worldwide, it is often dismissed as a uniquely American fad.

Obviously for many people, the infamous image of Tom Cruise jumping up and down on a sofa is what springs to mind when they hear of the religion.

But few know that the United Kingdom was once the organisation’s world headquarters for around seven years while Scientology’s founder, author L. Ron Hubbard, lived in West Sussex.

His former home, Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead, remains the British headquarters and the majority of British followers live in the area.

Estimating how many Scientologists there are in the UK is tricky

business but journalist and BBC Panorama reporter John Sweeney told Mancunian Matters his estimates based on extensive research.

He said: “The church has an estimated 30,000 members worldwide then of those I would say it’s got 20,000 in the States.

“There are a good number of people in East Grinstead, a small number at the Queen Victoria Street church in London, and hardly anyone elsewhere.

“What you’ve got is a very rich organisation which can afford buildings but has very few parishioners.

You’ll hardly see anyone in them.

“There’s normally a tiny handful of staff, maybe two or three people, who are there every day, and that’s it, and that situation replicates itself across Britain.”

MM contacted the Church of Scientology for a comment but are yet to receive a response.

MANCUNIANS are more optimistic that their local area is getting better than the average Englishman, with 18% of Mancunians saying there’s an improvement compared with the national of a dismal 11%.

The results came to light as part of YouGov’s landmark study into national identity, ‘The English Question’.

The study, which surveyed a total of 20,081 people, also found that 54% of people living in Manchester consider themselves ‘proud to be English’, compared with the national average of 57%.

Mancunians also bucked the national trend as more people here feel that the best years are in the future.

Big tunes this June

A MANIC month of music awaits Manchester as The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry all head to the North West capital this month.

The Stones started their UK tour ‘No Filter’ in Dublin on May 17 and make their way round to Manchester on June 5 where they will perform at Old Trafford.

Before the tour started, Mick Jagger said: "It’s always exhilarating going to cities we haven’t played for quite a while and also some new venues for us like Old Trafford and The London Stadium."

Soon after American megastar Taylor Swift will be performing at the Etihad Stadium on June 7 and 8.

To top it off, Katy Perry is the final star to join Mancheter’’s stellar line-up, taking the stage at Manchester Arena on June 22.

Metrolink: Next stop Stockport?

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June 2018

By Oscar Lynch

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

STOCKPORT Council has revealed plans for a revamp of the town centre that include an “iconic” transport interchange that would form part of the potential extension of the Metrolink network.

Detailed plans and CGI images visualise the redevelopment scheme, which includes a green space on the roof of the interchange which will stand on the site of the current Stockport bus station.

Tram lines in this scheme would run alongside the town’s viaduct, linking Stockport with Manchester city centre.

Also included in the proposals is a 196-home apartment block and proposals for extending of public space along the banks of the River Mersey.

The council secured £42m from the government’s Regional Growth Fund to help pay for the project.

The cost of the residential development - which is expected to be around £39m - will be met by debt financing.

Though no formal planning application has yet been submitted, this could happen by August this year.

Architecture firm BDP and consultant WSP will helm the masterplan.

A public consultation is set to begin this month, with the council inviting feedback in a series of sessions between June 8 and July 11.

Approval would also need to be granted by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Works would begin in late 2019, with the transport interchange completed by the end of 2021.

The residential phase would be finished by summer 2022.

The project would be the latest in a series of developments that have transformed Stockport’s town centre.

Regeneration in the form of the £145m Stockport Exchange development has helped attract a number of new investments.

A Holiday Inn Express hotel, a new multi-storey car park and a huge new cinema have already given the area a facelift.

There are no current plans to extend the Metrolink network into Stock-

port, but both Stockport Council and Transport for Greater Manchester are hopeful this will happen in the near future.

The Stockport Rail Strategy, published in 2015, with the objective of defining an overall strategic direction that the Council should be working towards with regards to rail and tram-train services.

In it, Stockport Council outlines a “long held ambition and vision to bring Metrolink/tram-train to Stockport”.

Linking Stockport to the Metrolink network is also a part of the recommendations made in the South East Manchester Multi-Modal Strategy (SEMMS), which is now in the process of being updated to identify transport priorities until 2040.

Stockport Council has invited stakeholders and members of the public to provide input on the plans for the future of the wider transport infrastructure in South East Manchester at a series of consultations.

These are ongoing, with the next sessions taking place in Reddish on Monday June 11, Bramhall on Thursday June 14, and Hazel Grove on Wednesday June 20.

Bus-ted: Manchester’s worst services and routes revealed

By Charlie Smith

MANCUNIAN Matters has exclusive access to new bus complaint figures for Greater Manchester.

The figures show that 12,546 complaints were made about buses in GM over the last 5 years, with 2016 being the worst year for bus dissatisfaction, as 3,090 complaints were lodged.

In 2017, there were 2,628 complaints recorded about buses in GM. This is less than in 2015 where 2,765 complaints were made and less than in 2016 where complaints about buses rose to a staggering 3,090 for the year.

First was the top transport company for bus complaints in GM in four out of the last five years. In 2017, they received 918 complaints in total, 35% of the total for that year.

First had six buses in the top ten of those most complained about in Greater Manchester last year.

First spokeswoman Fiona Yeadon said First aim to “provide a

reliable and affordable bus service for our customers.”

One crucial question put to First is just why their 409 service from Ashton to Rochdale in 2016 received an eye watering 839 complaints – the highest total of any service in any year in the last half a decade of bus use in GM. The most complained about bus in GM last year was the V1. This service, which travels from Leigh, Andy Burnham’s old constituency, to Manchester Royal Infirmary received a staggering 575 complaints last year.

One young V1 user complained that the internet always went off on the bus and that drivers bashed into the fence at the edge of the road. She didn’t wish to be identified, but told MM that she relied on the bus so she can pick up her friend’s baby.

She said: “It’s always overcrowded, people stand on the stairs making you feel intimidated. I think it’s the drivers’ fault.”

Train chaos has dominated headlines in and around Manchester in recent times, however the problems with some of the city’s buses have been far more slow burning, and often get swept under the carpet.

The North of Manchester, in particular Bury, Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton have seen particularly high numbers of complaints.

In 2017, the 163 and 471 services, which are both operated by First, were the second and third most complained about bus services in GM, receiving a total of 512 and 86 complaints respectively.

The 163 which goes from Bury, through Heywood and Middleton to Manchester has been a serial reoffender, getting a place in the top 10 of Manchester’s worst buses for 4 out of the last 5 years.

There is a worrying trend for the North Manchester

area, as the 471 also joins its neighbour in the top 10.

The 471 service is essential for people to get into Bury and onto Bolton from Rochdale.

The bus stops along Bolton Road and Manchester Road, near Tesco Rochdale have become breeding grounds for passenger fury, especially First Bus customers.

Joining the 163 and 471 were other re-offending bus services, including the 135, 17 and the 33.

Stagecoach and First were the worst bus companies

for complaints in the city last year, each receiving 512 and 918 respectively in 2017.

One passenger MM spoke to said “Sometimes the buses don’t stop. A lot of time First buses are late on the way to and from Queen’s Road. First is worst than Stagecoach.”

Speaking directly to the bus companies, one user said: “Put the price of tickets down, it just doesn’t work out economically.”

Off-the-rails: Northern’s fails leave commuters fuming

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June 2018

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(Continued from Page 1).

Following the introduction of the emergency timetable last week, Mr Burnham accused Mr Grayling of discriminating against the North and called for renationalisation of the UK’s railways.

He said: “This fragmented, privatised rail system simply isn’t capable of providing a decent service to the public.

“The case for renationalisation in my view has been well and truly made.”

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s The World At One last week, Mr Burnham said: “I am left with the clear impression that nobody, least of all the Transport Secretary, has got a grip on this situation. He’s been asleep at the wheel.

“People are on warnings from work for being constantly late. We cannot have the rail industry damaging people’s lives like this.

“Northern commuters and their pain is not of equal worth as southern commuters. If it was the case I think the transport secretary would have stepped forward much sooner.”

Mr Burnham, along with the Mayor of Liverpool City, Steve Rotheram, said Northern Rail should lose its franchise if improvements are not made to the service.

Last week, Mr Grayling wrote to MPs over the "wholly unsatisfactory" service on Govia Thameslink Railway in the south of England and Northern. He deemed Network Rail’s performance as "simply unacceptable".

The mayors believe there to be “considerable distance” between their own views and the views of the government.

Government ministers’ talk of teething problems suggests that these are recent issues linked to the new timetable rather than problems that have plagued the network for many years.

In particular, ministers said the "endemic" staffing shortage is an issue that needs to be addressed.

All parties do agree, however, that for now, the priority is getting services back on track.

Mr Grayling told the House of Commons last week that the problem was a "Network Rail failure."

He said: "This problem has arisen for two prime reasons: the problems with electrification Network Rail is carrying out on the line through Bolton and the failure of Network Rail to deliver a finalised timetable in time.”

Mick Cash, general secretary of RMT, said the minister should "get out", describing the situation as "carnage".

Mr Cash said his members do not have a “shred of support" from Mr Grayling or Northern's management.

He said: "Not only is Chris Grayling incompetent and not fit to run a railway but he is a coward as well, leaving RMT members to take the flak for failed policies that are his responsibility.”

In response, the transport secretary issued a statement which said: "I am in regular discussions with Network Rail, Northern and Govia Thameslink Railway, and have reiterated that disruption suffered by passengers is wholly unacceptable.

"I have been very clear with Network Rail that it was far too late in finalising planned timetable changes and this must not happen again.

"Train companies are working to keep passengers moving and disruption minimised.

"While this is currently a huge inconvenience to passengers as the changes bed in, we are investing in the biggest modernisation of the railway since Victorian times and this new timetable will deliver hundreds more services up and down the country."

Northern insisted it will still run more trains than it did before the timetable changed last month, and expects to "get back to a full timetable service" by the end of July.

David Brown, Northern’s Managing Director, said: "We are absolutely committed to resolving the service issues and the interim plan will help ensure we start to get back on track and start to give customers more certainty around the services we operate."

With over 2,000 Northern cancellations in the past week, hundreds of commuters and passengers have been affected by the disruptions.

Although Northern have offered to pay compensation for the mass cancellations, it was reported that one season-ticket holder was offered just 1p in compensation after asking for a refund 13 times in the past few weeks.

Bosses have promised passengers that a full timetable will be reinstated by the end of July.

The emergency timetable follows several months of complaints from passengers over delays and cancellations and life for commuters on this network has only been made worse.

1555 FULLY CANCELLED*

841 PART CANCELLED*

394 STOPS CANCELLED*

*in the past week

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Manchester ‘wakes up’ to Palestinians

June 2018

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

By Joseph Timan

‘A sea of change’: Activists gather Piccadilly Gardens to commemorate Palestinian Nakba Day

Jewish taxis offer security amid fears of antisemitism

MANCHESTER Palestine Action (MPA) are witnessing a “sea of change” as people are “waking up” to the plight of Palestinians.

The group erected a mock refugee camp in Piccadilly Gardens last month for Nakba day, the commemoration of Palestinian displacement.

In the build-up to Nakba this year, thousands of Gazans took part in a six-week long “Great March of Return” where protesters camped near the Israeli border as some attempted to penetrate the fence, leaving dozens dead and thousands injured.

MPA member Adie Mormech criticised media who described it as a “clash”, deeming it “high-level racism”.

He said: “They are cheapening the lives of Palestinians and that’s what I see day in, day out.”

Mormech said solidarity for Palestinians has grown as people learn more about what is happening there and following the recent “massacre” of protestors.

He said: “You can’t justify ending the lives of people who don’t have freedom, are subjugated, have lost loved ones from the bombing.

“They had dreams, history and community and they’re not allowed to go there.”

Mormech lived in Gaza for two years, teaching at a university caught up in bombing.

You can’t justify ending the lives of people who don’t have freedom.

He said due to tight restrictions on entry and exit, he was the only English teacher at the university who was a native speaker.

Mormech said: “It is like oxygen when they get someone from outside to interact with.”

The Leicester-born activist attemptSAFETY FIRST: Taxi boss David Semp

By Nathan Jacobs

A JEWISH taxi firm are putting their customers’ safety first following a continued rise in anti-Semitic incidents in Manchester.

The Community Security Trust (CST), a charity that monitors anti-Semitism and provides security for the Jewish community, recorded 1,382 incidents nationwide in 2017, a record high for a calendar year.

Although DS, the Prestwich-based taxi firm set up in 2009, was not established to counter anti-Semitism, it has taken on the responsibility of offering customers a more secure service.

DS owner David Semp said: “I set this up because I wanted to look after people in the community that I knew.

“I had had enough of the bigger taxi firms looking after themselves and not thinking about the drivers and I thought there was a niche here for the community, too.

“Normally we wouldn’t want children going [to school] on their own but parents are obviously fine with letting their children come with DS with drivers that they know.”

Regular customer Robert Barrie said that he chooses DS because it’s safer.

He said: “I shouldn’t have to say that because a lot of other taxi firms employ good people, but I have less chance of being attacked [using DS].

“And I have less chance of being asked questions I simply don’t want to answer.”

Accoring to CST, three quarters of antiSemitic incidents were recorded in Greater London and Greater Manchester, but it was Manchester where they increased by 27%.

There was also an upsurge in physical violence, with anti-Semitic assaults rising from by 34% to 145 in 2017.

The total number of incidents exceeded 100 for 19 consecutive months, comapred with only six months in which the total exceeded 100 in the decade before.

Despite the rise, a CST spokesman confirmed that there had not actually been any taxi-related incidents reported in the country this calendar year.

Semp said: “It’s less of a service just for Jewish people but rather, more simply, because the area we work in is mainly Jewish, a high profile of our customers happen to be so – we do take people who are not Jewish of course.

“And, one of the drivers on our roster is not Jewish and that’s no problem at all.

“There’s absolutely no Jewish criteria for our drivers – we don’t work on [Jewish holidays] and that’s all they need to know.”

Barrie agreed: “I don’t mind if they employ non-Jewish drivers because quite frankly, I respect the owner would have done due diligence and that the driver

would fit in with the community.

“The main thing is to get us safely from A to B.” Head of the CST’s Government Relations and External Affairs department, Johnny Newton, said: “It isn’t for CST to judge or comment on whether companies that primarily cater to one community are inadvertently isolating that community or not.”

ed to enter Gaza several years earlier on a ‘Free Gaza’ boat, but ended up in an Israeli prison before being deported.

Despite living there for years, he has been confronted by people who don’t believe him, crying “fake news”.

MPA are involved in campaigns aimed at stopping arms sales to Israel and stage weekly protests at the HSBC’s St Ann’s Square branch.

Mormech said that members of the group have been accused of antiSemitism in the past but says that this is a “misappropriation” of the term which cheapens it.

In fact, the group’s logo reads “No Anti-Semitism” and Mormech explained that the group comes from an anti-racist standpoint.

He said: “It is a statement to remind everybody that it is about the Israeli state. It’s not about a religious group.”

He said: “If we are saying that antiZionism is a form of anti-Semitism or racism then we are basically being utterly racist towards the Palestinians because you are dismissing entirely what happened to them.”

Highest child poverty rates in Greater Manchester

A MILLION more British children are living in poverty than in 2010, with Greater Manchester the worst affected, according to a study by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

The research reveals an estimated 3.1m children with working parents will be below the official breadline this year up from 2.1m in 2010.

The TUC blame poor wage increases, a growing population and the spread of insecure work.

Gorton has the country’s fifth highest rate.

Manchester Gorton MP Afzal Khan told MM: “I don’t believe the Government are doing enough to tackle child poverty and are in fact exacerbating the problem by pushing ahead with deeply problematic welfare reforms which hit the most vulnerable hardest.”

According to figures released by the End Child Poverty Coalition earlier this year, almost half (47.97%) of children in Gorton live in poverty, compared to a UK average of 27%.

Mr Khan is concerned about the effect of Universal Credit pushing working families into precarious financial situations.

He said: “Changes to Universal Credit are already projected to push a million more children into poverty by 2022.”

The Wood Street Mission, established in 1869, helps provide children and families in need with practical help such as clothing, books and life skills.

The charity’s manager, Des Lynch, told MM: “The working poor are the ones we need to try and target and help because generally those are the families that may not receive statutory support.”

June 2018

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Calls for abortion clinic buffer zones louder than ever

By Laura FitzPatrick

“AGGRESSIVE” and “upsetting” vigils outside an abortion clinic in Manchester must be stopped by buffer zones, say pro-choice campaigners.

The regular pro-life presence outside the Marie Stopes clinic in Fallowfield is a cause for concern for campaigners who feel women are vulnerable and exposed to aggression entering clinics.

Currently, the only effort to stop protestors comes in the form of loosely organised groups who also hold a quiet presence outside the clinics, wearing high-vis jackets embroiled with “PRO-CHOICE” holding placards reading: “You don’t have to take their leaflets”.

Beth Redmond is a member of the National Abortion Rights Campaign and Sister Supporter in Manchester, she regularly contributes to the pro-choice presence.

Her group play a supportive role for women who she said are exposed to pressure and aggression walking into the clinic.

She said: “We saw a woman throwing Holy Water over the clinic and they hand out leaflets to women going into the clinic.

“They generally try to make a nuisance of themselves and they can get quite aggressive.

“They’re not nice to have around when you’re in a vulnerable situation - you’ve already made the decision get an abortion and someone is there trying to convince you not to do that.”

Olivia* and Tom* are part of the pro-life campaigning group and have links to the 40 Days for Life campaign who held vigils every day of lent.

They stand across from the clinic with prayer cards and flyers detailing information about abortions that they claim is neglected by clinic staff.

They also used to distribute literature saying: “Ask to see the scan”, but claim Marie Stopes staff rips these up and so have stopped giving these out.

With the legalisation of abortion in Ireland, they felt their presence was more important than ever.

Olivia has been coming to the clinic for 15 years

since it opened. She said: “We just want to stop women from doing such a terrible thing – ending a life.

“That’s what they are doing and we want to let them know other options.

“We’re not aggressive, we give women the information they deserve on these leaflets and we have saved a few lives.”

Tom added: “We want to save the babies.

“People don’t see them as babies, but that’s what they are.”

However, the most recent CQC report of the Marie Stopes clinic in Fallowfield accounts quite the opposite.

backed a motion in January which seeks to ban individuals from standing outside clinics.

Inspired by a ban on protestors in Ealing, London, the proposal is the second of its kind in the country and would stop anyone talking to women entering abortion clinics.

Its key aim is to prevent harassment and disturbing imagery promoted by pro-life groups directly outside Marie Stopes.

The proposal reads: “Significant numbers of women report feeling intimidated and distressed by this activity as they try to access a lawful healthcare service in

It says that women are in fact provided with sufficient post-operative information in the form of leaflets provided by the clinic, as well as being offered access to counselling services 24 hours a day.

It also reported that prior to administering terminations, women are consulted in full and in private to understand how they have come to their decision and to ensure they have reached that decision alone.

The overwhelming presence of groups outside Marie Stopes is also a cause for concern for the council, who

confidence.

“The right to protest needs to be balanced with the right of pregnant women to choose and to obtain advice and treatment in confidence and free from intimidation.

“Those who wish to campaign to restrict women’s reproductive choices have plenty of opportunities and locations in which to do so.

“The area outside a clinic need not and should not be one of them. Equally, local residents who live nearby

7

clinics should not have to be exposed to constant nuisance, disruption and anxiety caused by such protests on a daily basis.”

Councillor Sarah Judge is Manchester’s lead member for women, she first put forward the idea of buffer zones to the rest of council. She said: “There have been a number of police reports from the local clinics here in Manchester.

"The nature of protests over the last 12 months has become much more aggressive and militant.”

As with the regulation in Ealing, this ban would extend to pro-choice protestors too, as the proposals’ key signatories claim they are not “for or against abortion”, rather they are wanting to allow women to access health services free from harassment.

Naturally, pro-life campaigners feel their freedom is being squashed and they don’t see the benefit of implementing buffer zones.

Alithia Williams from the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children told MM: “People have a right to free speech and free religion, this is censoring a particular opinion.

“The most important thing is that it’s stopping women getting the help they need.”

However pro-choice groups feel differently and admit that their presence may not be necessary with buffer zones in place.

Molly is a second-year English student and regularly volunteers outside the Fallowfield clinic. She said: “If we had a buffer zone, even to the end of the road, it would stop [protestors] from standing directly outside the clinic which is where their presence is most damaging.

“We’re here to remind women that there’s not just people who don’t agree with what they are doing - we want to support them with their choice.”

A spokesperson for Marie Stopes told MM: "Ultimately, we believe every woman in the UK should be able to access abortion services without harassment and we hope this decision marks the beginning of the end of the harassment these groups undertake nationwide.

Beth added: “In general, the feeling is very much that nobody wants them there.”

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June 2018

No goal for Neville in Chorlton fields

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

VICTORY: Members of Save Turn Moss campaign

By Helen Parkinson

Thornham all-out for big birthday

THORNHAM Cricket Club are celebrating their 150th birthday with the opening of their new pavilion.

250 people threw a party on a quintessentially British day at the club in Slattocks, Rochdale.

Revellers were treated to an obstacle course, arts stalls, hotdogs and ice cream.

The organiser, Marie Micklethwaite, worked very hard to put everything together, she is grateful for the new pavilio and is proud of Thornham’s individuality too.

She said: “We’re not looking to be the next Rochdale, Milnrow, Littleborough or anything like that.”

Local firm Harrison Construction built the new pavilion, which contains a bar and clubhouse.

The company’s manager, Robert said: “As a young businessman it’s been an honour, as our family has lived here for generations.

“My great great grandfather and great grandfather played there and the family have always taken a keen interest in the club.”

Thornham was conceived in 1868, when a small group of villagers got together and made history by founding their local club.

They began playing in 1869 and have since had many successes, recently winning the XI Championship Cup in the Greater Manchester League last year.

Dr Tony Crook and Kevin McMahon’s book Thornham C. C. 1868 – 2018, chronicles Thornham’s rich history. Copies are £7 or £15 with a tie and keyring.

PLANS to redevelop green belt land at Turn Moss spearheaded by footballerturned-businessman Gary Neville have been scrapped.

It follows the Conservatives’ loss of their stronghold over Trafford Council meaning Labour is the largest party in the local authority.

The council’s new leader, Andrew Western, announced the decision on his first day of office.

He said: “I have advised the head of planning that, as the applicant, the council withdraws the application at Turn Moss.

“We will work with the community to improve Turn Moss for future generations.”

The development would have included new football pitches for Neville and his Class of ’92 colleagues’ new university, University Academy 92 (UA92).

However the plans were strongly opposed by residents, who worried about wildlife being harmed as well as extra noise and traffic congestion.

Another concern was the drainage situation - the land is a floodplain for the River Mersey and is often waterlogged.

They were able to tell the council and Neville their worries during a heated public meeting at Old Trafford in February, which led to heckles at the former United player.

Following the council’s withdrawal of

Those kids of Stretford: I’m sorry Gary Neville

plans this month, Neville took to Twitter to air his views.

He said: “I’m on top of the world. It isn’t my loss. We will have what we want.

“I’m going to locations elsewhere who are opening their arms to us for the investment and usage.

The DFLA: Who are they and what do they stand for?

By Dan Ladden-Hall

THE Democratic Football Lads Alliance (DFLA) took to the streets of Manchester to demonstrate on Saturday, triggering a Stand Up to Racism counter-demonstration and an intense police presence in the city centre.

The little-known group, formed around a year ago, pulled in a large crowd undoubtedly bolstered by recent events.

The march took place two weeks after the closely linked Football Lads Association (FLA) gathered in Manchester and a week after EDL founder Tommy Robinson was jailed for contempt of court. The event listing on the DFLA’s Facebook page said that the march was about paying respects to the victims of the arena bombing and “the victims and survivors of child sexual abuse from grooming gangs.”

Mancunian Matters got in touch with a member of the DFLA’s organising committee who wanted to be known only as ‘JJ’ to speak about the march and the history of the group.

JJ, who said cryptically that he worked in “child support”, told me that

the DFLA was set up in response to what was perceived as “government inaction against returning jihadis and the growth of radical Islam”, but that the group also wanted to speak up for the victims of child exploitation: an issue which he says has been buried under an avalanche of political correctness.

Of grooming gangs, JJ said: “It is a horrific, horrific industrial-scale nationwide cancer that’s taken hold over the country.

“Every single day there [are] tens of thousands of kids who are actually abused and raped and sodomised and slapped and spat on and pissed on because they are white. Because they are underage. Because they fit the menu for what these evil people want.”

Whilst the figures concerning child sexual exploitation are difficult to accurately estimate, JJ insists that the problem is not being sensationalised for political ends and that the DFLA is being unfairly stigmatised by the political far left.

He said: “They are like our shadow. They follow us all around.

They are sheep being led by [George] Soros-funded political no-

brains, really... Anti-fascists who are actually fascists.

“They just class us all as racists without actually checking that up or getting to know any of us. If you knew what our organising committee was like you would be surprised at just how open-minded and non-racist we are.”

In addition to trying to distance the DFLA from the EDL and Britain First, JJ said of Tommy Robinson’s recent actions: “I am quite sympathetic with that view that that he might have potentially caused problems for the victims.”

Attending the event itself, though, the overwhelming sentiment from the DFLA rank and file was one which valorised Tommy Robinson with endless chants and placards.

Rabnawaz Akbar, Co-Chair of Stand Up to Racism Manchester, was deeply concerned about the group.

He said: “This is a far-right extremist group, and they are using football stadiums and fans to promote their anti-Islamic agenda, but their prejudice doesn’t stop at that. Basically, they’re fascists.”

“I just wish it wasn’t happening.”

“It doesn’t affect us one bit! However, those kids of Stretford!! I’m sorry.”

Labour councillor John Hacking, for Chorlton Ward, told MM: “"I think [the withdrawal] was the right thing to do in the circumstances.

“My councillor colleagues and I are working with the Friends of Turn Moss to bring forward a scheme which will see improvements to Turn Moss which will benefit the many not the few.

“We are keen to support the efforts of local people to make Turn Moss an area which can be enjoyed and used by a wide section of recreational and sports users."

UA92 was launched by the Class of ’92, Trafford Council and Lancaster University in September 2017, with plans approved by the council in January 2018.

As well as Neville, the university has been masterminded by former Reds stars Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Phil Neville.

The Talbot Road establishment is due to open in 2019 and will offer courses in media, business sport and psychology.

MARCHING ON: Members of the DFLA outside Wetherspoons on Oxford Road at the weekend

9

June 2018

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

Just who was Mr Big, Paul Massey?

By Cameron Sinclair

A SALFORD-BASED businessman involved in the security and property industries?

An aspiring politician who ran for Mayoral office?

A gangster who, among other things, controlled the drug market at several clubs throughout Greater Manchester and served 14 years in prison for stabbing a man in the groin?

Paul Massey was born on January 7, 1960 in the then notorious Ordsall estate in Salford. In trouble with the authorities from an early age, he was arrested at 12 for criminal damage to an empty house and sent to approved school, which he later said did the opposite of rehabilitate him – instead coming out with an attitude of antisocial, anti-government and anti-police.

Making his name in the rave scene of the 80s and 90s, Massey and his cohort would run security for venues throughout Greater Manchester – including the infamous Hacienda nightclub – which enabled them to sell drugs they bought from the source: ecstasy smuggled in from Holland, and cocaine from South America via Spain.

Through the 90s he was one of the most targeted criminals in Salford by Greater Manchester Police, even attracting the attention of D7, the branch of MI5 that works with police and customs to monitor organised crime.

So extensive was Massey’s influence that he was often rumoured to act as a mediator between feuding rival gangs, and was associated with a whole host of Britain’s underworld fig-

ures – from locals such as Bobby Spiers and Damien Noonan, to Glasgow’s Paul Ferris, former debt collector for the late Arthur Thompson, known as Scotland’s “Godfather”.

In 1992, he was dubbed “Mr Big” by Salford councillor Joe Burrows at a town hall meeting to discuss ongoing civil disturbances in the area.

Massey denied having anything to do with the unrest and repudiated the nickname but it stuck.

In 1999, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for stabbing a man in the groin outside a nightclub, severing an artery and apparently leaving him for dead.

Previous arrests for violence and disrupting the peace had resulted in swift release for Massey as a result of everyone around him pleading ignorance.

The difference with the stabbing outside the Beat ‘n’ Track club in Manchester was that it was witnessed by a police officer.

Massey fled to Amsterdam following the attack but was extradited back.

After being released from Frankland Prison in County Durham, he was again arrested on suspicion of money laundering but was released without charge, claiming to be the victim of a police “witch-hunt”.

A year later, in 2012, he stood in Salford’s first mayoral elections saying that if elected he would take the job unpaid, promising to be “the voice of the people.”

Urging voters to forget his “Mr Big” reputation, Massey said he would encourage stability in the home, improve rehabilitation programmes for

the young and keep hard drugs off the streets of Salford, with leaflets posted through letterboxes and stickers appearing on lamp-posts warning: “Don’t deal smack or you’ll get a crack.”

He came seventh out of ten candidates, gathering around 2000 votes.

On July 26 2015, Massey was shot dead at the age of 55 in the driveway of his home in Clifton by a lone gunman.

His funeral procession saw hundreds line the streets of Salford to pay their respects, with a band marching alongside mourners and floral arrangements reading “Salford Legend” and “Grandad R.I.P.” among other tributes.

With a persona somewhere between Don Corleone and Robin Hood to those around him, the father of five and granddad of eight maintained a fierce level of loyalty from those within his circle, and the image of him as a reformed former criminal and Salford community leader was one many bought into.

His mayoral bid gathering 2000 votes despite serious criminal convictions in his past demonstrates this, as does the hundreds who turned out to pay their respects on the day of his funeral.

And a quick search of social media websites like YouTube will return several homemade tributes to Massey, some uploaded years after his death with views registering in the tens of thousands, again demonstrating his lasting influence.

Police say the investigation into his death is ongoing.

Male health in spotlight MURDER: The 55-year-old was gunned down outside his Manchester home in July 2015

By Charlie Smith

THE nation’s best-loved soap is dealing with some hard-hitting men’s mental health issues at the moment.

Coronation Street has run storylines set around the rape and suicide of male characters.

David Platt was raped by another man after he was drugged on a drunken night out. Aidan Connor killed himself after several tough moments for him, including letting people know they’d lost their jobs at the factory.

Men getting raped and men killing themselves both have their own set of taboos, but Corrie’s producer, Kate Oates, has allowed the storylines to intersect.

Speaking on Lorraine she said: “Once you’ve started that conversation the change can be astronomical.”

Oates makes the point because of the taboos around men sharing their feelings because of worries they will look weak or be ridiculed if they do.

Every week 84 men kill themselves. Male suicide rates in the UK are at least three times higher than those for women.

In the soap, David says that he understood how Aidan felt before he killed himself and that he realised he wanted to live his life.

Samaritans, the charity who aim to reduce suicide in the UK, worked on the Aidan storyline with those at Coronation Street. With the storyline, they aimed to bring the danger of not speaking to anyone about suicidal feelings into the public consciousness.

Samaritans’ Media Adviser, Lorna Fraser said: “We were pleased that Coronation Street invited us to work with them on Aidan’s storyline. Suicide is a sensitive topic and one that presents some distinct challenges for producers of soaps. This is why Samaritans publish media guidance and works with programme makers.”

Lorna also says: “Soaps can play an incredibly powerful role in increasing people’s awareness

and understanding of difficult issues. Viewers saw the devastating impact of suicide and the effect that it has on families – it’s never the case that others would be better off without you.”

12,000 men are raped each year and 70,000 are sexually assaulted or abused. There are parallels to be drawn between male suicide and male rape, especially with men being unwilling to speak out for fear that they will appear weak.

In Corrie, this notion of men keeping quiet if they are raped is something recognised by both David and his attacker in the show Josh Tucker. After Josh finds out David has begun revealing the secret, he tells David that no one will believe him.

Survivors Manchester CEO, Duncan Craig says "We are so proud of Jack, Ryan, Kate and the team at Coronation Street for the commitment they have made to telling a story with so much conviction and enthusiasm. We know the impact this story has hard on viewers, with many men coming forward, speaking for

the first time.”

Survivors Manchester are a charity who help men like David that have been the victim of rape, sexual assault or abuse. They deal with the stigma around men being raped which can include men feeling dirty, weak, or the simple attitude of ‘oh a man can’t be raped’.

Duncan also says: "Coronation Street has helped break the stigma of how we as a society view male victims and made a survivor visible, something that’s so important as abuse and rape happens so often in isolation and behind closed doors."

Coronation Street won Best British Soap at this year’s British Soap Awards and Jack P Shepherd, who plays David, won Best Actor.

The soap, which has been on our screens for more 58 years, has dealt with some challenging issues.

What is so powerful about Corrie is that amid the warmth and humour of northern life the show also reflects that we do experience life changing and difficult social situations.

Corrie has dealt with everything from the drug ‘spice’ that has ‘plagued’ Manchester’s streets, to a tram crash – one of the more Hollywood moments.

The recent storylines that explore men’s mental health accurately reflect issues that any man can experience and many do.

Samaritans’ Lorna Fraser says “By illustrating the dangers of staying silent when it feels like life’s challenges are overwhelming, we hope others who are struggling will be encouraged to reach out for support.

“If viewers are worried about someone else, we hope it has inspired them to be brave and open up a conversation. You won’t make things worse, but you could start that person on the road to recovery.”

The messages Coronation Street aims to promote, about men talking and sharing their feelings, are echoed by the charities that can help men with suicide, depression and rape and sexual attacks.

The Samaritans helpline is 116 123 and the Survivors Manchester helpline is 0808 800 5005.

10

June 2018

Sky’s (not) the limit for Jodrell Bank

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

By Helena Vesty

The Clink open city centre cafe

SPACE INVADERS: Visitor numbers at Jodrell Bank expected to soar to 180,000 this year

By Laura FitzPatrick

EX-OFFENDERS and the homeless are serving up lattes and salads in a new city centre café.

The Clink charity also has a set up in Styal Prison and has been operating restaurants in prisons for nine years – resulting in an estimated 41% reduction in offending rates.

Now they are embracing another community, outside the prison, and have set up a café which aims to break the re-offending cycle by training up ex-offenders and homeless people.

“Think of us as a catering college,” explained Jenny Thomas, the café’s General Manager.

“Our aim is to ensure the ladies become competent in their skills, whether that’s barista skills or food and beverage service, before they leave us.”

Situated off the Oxford Road beaten track in an old cotton mill, the cafe’s ethos is nothing short of innovative.

Their menu spans from gluten-free to vegan and covers everything in between all served in compostable tableware.

Even their coffee is roasted by inmates at a young offenders’ prison in Hertfordshire.

But it’s not just about what they dish up, there’s a real focus on inclusivity and challenging stereotypes at The Clink.

For this new venture, they’ve partnered with homelessness charity Centrepoint to work with young homeless adults, to give them the skills needed to keep them off the streets.

Jenny said: “There’s such a lovely community here, whether that’s with the learners or customers – even everyone else in the building.

“In any environment you need to feel part of a team, you need to do things together that is community spirit.”

JODRELL Bank may be surrounded by sleepy green fields, but the historic science centre’s reputation extends far beyond its home in the heart of Cheshire.

Now the storied past of the internationally-renowned observatory in the North West is being celebrated with a massive injection of funding, to the tune of £20.5m.

The money is dedicated to the First Light project, which involves the design and construction of a completely new building to showcase of Jodrell Bank’s revolutionary role in the arena of modern astronomy.

Dr Teresa Anderson, the Director of Jodrell Bank, has led the campaign for the investment. Starting with a team of just five people in 2010, the group has this year reached the fifties in order to handle the scale of the undertaking.

She explained that the gallery will focus on the discoveries of radio astronomy in the 1950s, which she believes was the next great “leap for-

ward” in the field following the work of the early star-gazers.

Radio astronomy was pioneered by the observatory at the dawn of the Space Age, paving the way for our understanding of the universe today. In fact, the theme is so deeply embedded into history of the centre that Dr Anderson noted how visitors can find memories from the era across the site: “It’s sort of like we’re crowd-funded, it keeps you real.”

Dr Teresa Anderson –

Jodrell Bank Director

“It still has all the traces of that new science.”

Responding to concerns that young visitors may not gravitate towards the subject matter, Dr Anderson said the exhibition will touch on the technology of today which would not exist without the advances of radio astronomy,

such as mobile phones and the move towards space tourism.

The financial support of the exhibition and learning space comes from a patchwork of sponsors including the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Government and National Lottery Players themselves.

Dr Anderson shared that she initially felt a little frustrated that Jodrell Bank didn’t receive immediate support from the state based on its record of research and leadership in the UK’s space industry.

Yet, the National Lottery backing has now changed her mind, as it makes the destination more accountable to its visitors: “It’s sort of like we’re crowd-funded, it keeps you real.”

And the number of visitors are only set to increase. Dr Anderson expects that the development will more add to the centre’s figures substantially, from 140,000 in 2014 to 180,000 after First Light opens.

Next month the centre will welcome back its very own festival for the third time.

TV’s FINCA to open for summer

MANCHESTER is getting a new Cuban restaurant that promises a street-food twist with a DJ soundtrack – they even think they can entertain your nan.

Following their appearance on BBC show Million Pound Menu, a Liverpool-based Cuban street food pop-up are launching in Manchester this week – think of it as a Cuban-inspired Wahaca.

Founded by four friends, FINCA is taking on its biggest set-up to date as it embarks on a summer residency in Spinningfields’ Artisan.

Co-founder Joe Earnshaw said: “We love Liverpool but it’s time to take Finca to a different city.

“We’ve always had Manchester in mind” The aim for the team is to become one of Manchester’s staple restaurants with the help of their investment from Living Ventures.

Joe added: “We want to become the place everyone wants to come to every night of week, for lunch, for drinks – even for their nan’s 80th.

“We want to become the first choice for everyone and I think there’s space for us in every city around the country.”

FINCA officially opens on Thursday 7th June in the café bar downstairs at Artisan and they’re sticking around for the whole summer.

Joe said: “If you’re down you need to try the Cubano – it’s the Cuban-American dish that we’re known for.

11

June 2018

www.mancunianmatters.co.uk

REVIEWS

“M ore tha n j ust a rock ba n d”

U n k n o w n M o r t a l O r c h e s tr a | A l b e r t H a l l , M a n c h e s t e r | 2 6 th M a y WATCHING interviews with Ruban Nielson, you’d be forgiven for expecting a chilled and pleasant live performance from a somewhat withdrawn artist that would simply be enjoyable to listen to.

But Unknown Mortal Orchestra are unashamedly a rock band who put on a concert with striking showmanship that is genuinely enthralling throughout.

The band headlined Strange Waves III at Manchester’s Albert Hall on Saturday following a string of run-of-the-mill rock bands who got the crowd going, but were distinctively plainer than the headliner.

Before hearing Unknown Mortal Orchestra live, you might be hesitant to call them a rock band thanks to their R&B-esque vocals, radio-friend-

ly songs and synth-heavy sound which peaked on their last album, Multi Love.

But Nielson is an incredibly skilled and mesmerising guitarist that would have put the world at a great loss had he not picked up the instrument at the relatively ripe age of 19 and followed his dreams of drawing comics instead.

He showed off this skill right from the start by immersing himself into the audience during an early extended guitar solo, wandering around the entire upper tier of the Albert Hall to the crowd’s excitement.

The Portland-based New Zealander’s musical talent is abundantly obvious from the first listen of his band’s most recent album, Sex & Food,

Happy Days for Peake in stage return

IN Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days, a woman is buried up to her waist in a hole and then later up to her neck.

It sounds absurd –and it is – but the play is touching because of the surprising intimacy between the character who can’t find her answer, and the audience who can do nothing to help her.

The plot explores the human experience and that which is hidden or unseen, a recurring theme in Beckett’s work.

Maxine Peake plays Winnie and David Crellin is her husband Willie in this outing. The pair rotate slowly on a mound of dirt, with Peake constantly at the very centre of the Royal Exchange’s in-the-round theatre.

Happy Days does not tell the story of a woman stuck in a hole. Instead the woman recalls what she can remember from times before she was stranded there.

Peake captures the predicament Winnie finds herself in brilliantly. She portrays Winnie with fantastic energy and vulnerability. Beckett wrote the play with strong hand gestures in mind and Peake lives up to this expectation with authenticity.

Crellin has few lines as Willie and is asleep for most of the play. His performance, however, is enigmatic and the play relies on his inaction to explore Winnie’s character, who rejoices when he dignifies her with any kind of response.

Although physically static, Peake’s Winnie is actively engaged in all kinds of thoughts. She babbles on, trying to remember quotes that sum up her situation and express her feelings.

Winnie does have her handbag though, which creates some sense of normality amid the bizarre overall scene.

Winnie, who is in her 50s, is well put together and speaks elegantly. She methodically produces items from her bag, which tell her past story and help her get by in this present situation.

Sarah Frankcom’s direction is simple, yet bold. Combined with the jarring lighting and alarm bells that periodically ring, the effect is one of starkness and helps focus the attention on the fragile human experience of Winnie.

There are also some well-placed pyrotechnics and in the second act TV screens transmit Peake’s head to the audience – a clever way to display Winnie’s emotions in-the-round.

What Peake brings to the role is nervous movement, much like Beckett intended with the original. The character’s entrapment allows Peake to be very expressive both in her face and upper body. Her sense of enjoyment of the role is palpable.

She really is a seasoned pro. Even when buried in a mound of dirt Peake knows how to knock on the fourth wall and work the room.

Towards the end of Act 1, it becomes slightly taxing to concentrate on the content of the dialogue, but Peake is energetic and moved the show forward skilfully.

The Royal Exchange can be a tough place for actors, but Peake takes control of the space expertly. The actress’ screams, as Winnie gets more desperate, resonate beyond the theatre and through the building.

Peake is, of course, a household name, having appeared on screen in Black Mirror and Dinner Ladies. She carries the Royal Exchange with her every breath in an incredibly physically and mentally challenging role for her.

which he wrote, recorded and produced himself.

Nielson’s delicate vocals combined with his often abrasive guitar style comes out more than ever on the new record which manages to retain the same commercial appeal held by previous albums.

Swigging shots of tequila halfway through the set might give the foursome a rock n’ roll image, but Unknown Mortal Orchestra are more than just a rock band.

Ruban Nielson is an undeniably talented musician who creates and produces remarkable records, but his apparent passion for performing really brings those records to life in a way that makes Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s live shows a memorable and worthwhile experience.

Spontaneous Potter enchant Harry’s fans with spellbinding improv show

THE Northern Quarter’s Frog and Bucket comedy club was transformed into Hogwarts as improv troupe The Spontaneous Players apparated into town.

Following on from their successful Sherlock Holmes improv show, the Edinburgh-based performers’ latest foray into live-action fanfiction is Spontaneous Potter, “an entirely new Potter adventure magically improvised on the spot”.

Before the show began, audience members were encouraged to write down their own ideas for scenes. For those who’d ever wondered what a Ron versus Hermione rap battle would sound like or how a wedding between Kreacher and Dobby would pan out, it was perfect.

The first part of the evening involved the four actors, donning Hogwarts robes, taking part in a Mock The Weekesque ‘Scenes we’d like to see’ segment. The jokes flew faster than a Firebolt as they acted out audience suggestions including Ron doing a striptease for Hagrid, and a carpool karaoke with Peter Kay and every single Harry Potter character.

Then it was time for the magical main course: a full Harry Potter fanfiction, whose title was again suggested by an audience member. Over the course of an hour, Harry Potter and the Story of What Really Happened in the Prefect’s Bathroom enchanted the crowd with scenes such as Hermione getting the Dark Mark tattooed on her backside and the introduction of a new Hogwarts ghost called Nearly Dickless Ted. You had to admire not just the cast’s quick wit, but their encyclopaedic knowledge of the Potter universe. Every actor brought something unique to the stage, but Sam Irving’s pop culture references and owl anatomy knowledge made him a particular favourite.

The occasional scene fell flat, partly due to an over-reliance on dick jokes when nobody knew what to say. But if you’ve been suffering from Harry Potter withdrawal symptoms since 2011, Spontaneous Potter is still must-see viewing. Accio tickets!

April 2016

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Carrasco to Represent: suffragettes Angelica join likes of Big Narstie infamous pic recreated at Dice Recordings

By Joseph Timan

Feel uncomfortable, empowered and inspired

THE People’s History Museum’s new exhibition, Represent! Voices 100 Years On, launched on Friday 1st June as activists gathered on stage to recreate an infamous photo taken of suffragettes gathering before the Black Friday protest in 1910.

Programme Officer Helen Antrobus who curated the new exhibition told MM that she wants people to feel uncomfortable, inspired and, above all else, empowered when they visit Represent.

“Even though perhaps you’re a bit sad that there still is change to be made,” she said. “I want people to realise that they’re the person who can make that.”

The exhibition tells the stories of those who campaigned for better representation and asks how far we have come since 1918 when all men and some women in Britain got the vote.

Antrobus said: “We wanted to have suffrage running through the exhibition,” she said. “We really wanted it to be the thread that held the whole thing together.

“But we really wanted to marry the two timelines and show what’s happening today and what was happening then and how they differ, but also how they’re very similar.”

Antrobus welcomed guests at the launch with a rousing speech about the importance of many voices standing together behind one cause, to which she received a standing ovation from those on stage.

Among those taking part in the photo on

stage were Dr. Helen Pankhurst, MP Rebecca Long-Bailey and Manchester Lord Mayor June Hitchen who joined a number of women who continue fighting for equality and representation from groups like Sisters Uncut, Safety4Sisters and Girl Gang Manchester.

Speaking to MM, Dr. Helen Pankhurst, whose great grandmother Emmeline and grandmother Sylvia were both suffragette leaders, said that they would have been happy to see so many dynamic people involved in the movement today, but would be frustrated with the rate of change.

“I think that they’d be saying: ‘Come on, it’s been 100 years!” she said.

Pankhurst, an international development and women's rights activist, also said that her ancestors might have recognised the spirit of the Me Too and Time’s Up campaigns and urge the women’s movement to use that opportunity.

“It is the conversation piece at the moment,” she said. “Everyone’s talking about gender relations. There’s a reconfiguration of what it is to be a woman, what it is to be a man.

“Now is a moment to really grasp hold of that and not let it slip again.”

Also joining those on stage was Sally Lindsay, former Coronation Street actress and presenter of ‘Emmeline Pankhurst: The Making of a Militant’, a new documentary due to be aired on BBC North West this Friday at 7:30pm.

Asked how far we’ve come in the last century, the TV star shared her annoyance at interviewers always asking her how she juggles having children with her acting career, a question that her husband Steve White, a well-established drummer, has never been asked.

Lord Mayor of Manchester June Hitchen, a microelectronic control engineer by trade, told MM that she finds such questions very insulting.

“It’s about who we are as a person that defines us,” Hitchen said.

Rebecca Long-Bailey, MP for Salford and Eccles told MM that if she was born 100 years earlier, she would never have become an MP or a solicitor and would have probably been working at a mill in Salford.

She pointed to the fact that recent years of austerity have disproportionately affected women, with one report claiming that as much as 86% of government cuts have fallen on the shoulders of women.

The Salford MP and Manchester City Councillor said “Salford, and Manchester to some extent, were the birthplace of socialism and radicalism and that’s not going to change,” Long-Bailey said. “And I think a lot of that is intrinsically within us as communities and our culture.”

Represent! Voices 100 Years On is now open at the People’s History Museum until 3 February 2019.

MANCHESTER’S very own Angelica Carrasco has just bagged herself a record deal whilst studying at BIMM, writes Charlie Smith.

The 20-year-old singer-songwriter makes RnB oozing with soul and its put her on a label roster alongside the likes of London grime artist, Big Narstie.

We caught up for an iced coffee and a chat, and quick-fire lesson in song writing.

Dealing with the label was unchartered territory for her. “They offered me a contract and I don’t know anything about labels and stuff so I had it looked at by a person at BIMM.” Recently she had a breakthrough.

“The other night it just hit me, ‘Why do I keep trying to find producers to work with me when I already know my sound?”

“My sound is slow vibes. I can’t rap, if someone asks me rap I just look corny.”

For someone just beginning she’s got wisdom and knows what she needs to make it in the music business.

“Balls, big balls. Just be shameless. If you’re so concerned about what people think then you shouldn’t be in the music business.” She admires the strong attitudes of Cardi B, Lana Del Rey and Kehlani.

“If you’re not confident about your big balls then they are just big balls that are insecure too. You need to swing them around like they’re yours and you’re happy about it. If you’re going to be a pussy in this industry you’re not going to make it.”

She is a fan of Sabrina Claudio who she describes as sultry and ethereal, as well as Jhené Aiko. “If you combine those,” she says, “and take elements of Toni Braxton, Michael Jackson, put it into one and I feel like that’s me.

“I like 80s music, I like 90s.” She then breaks into Never Too Much by Luther Vandross and says, “of that era.

“When I write songs I’m at my best between 11pm and 3am. That’s when magic happens. I’ll rummage through some beats on YouTube and then I hear it.”

She tells me to give her a melody, so I awkwardly hum. She goes on: “I just

TALENT: Angelica is seen as a rising star

make a melody up like…” She sings. “I keep looping it, then words. Get the outline and fill it in in the colour you want.”

“Sometimes I can be a bit abrasive to people that aren’t used to me. My intention is pure but my projection is aggressive.”

She says “don’t give me a maybe, give me a yes or no.” Then she says, “that’s a lyric!”

Feeling whatever she’s doing is important to Angelica and she trusts herself to be a boss.

“It’s Gemini season,” she says, “my vibrations are crazy right now because I’m very spiritual. I don’t believe in horoscopes but I believe in energy, I believe in certain vibes. From the vibes I’m getting now, because it’s Gemini season, it’s arghhh.”

Her song ‘Motion’ produced by J Vest Da Plug is on Spotify and will soon have a video done by Asssthetic – who she also lives with.

April 2016

S m i t h s s n a p p er sp ills t he beans

THE photographer who snapped some of The Smiths’ most iconic shots said that the night before the infamous photoshoot outside Salford Lads Club was one of the most sleepless nights of his life.

“The night before that and the night before I got married... and I married a French girl and that was in French,” he said. “Those are the most sleepless nights of ‘Oh my god, what’s happening there?’”

Stephen Wright first photographed The Smiths during a live performance at Free Trade Hall in 1984, metres away from Manchester Central Library where a number of his photos are now being exhibited.

Wright entered the venue, now a Radisson hotel, as a novice photographer aged 24 armed with one film reel holding just 36 shots and left with the immortalised images of Smiths’ frontman Morrissey and his bouquet of flowers.

“I was doing pictures for various music papers and bits for record companies,” he explained. “I think I just rang Rough Trade and said, ‘Can I take some pictures?’ I might have just bought a ticket and blagged it. I honestly don’t remember” Looking back on the night, the 58-yearold described the crowd as a 2,000strong ‘rugby scrum’ which prevented him from getting anywhere near the stage leading him to climbing onto the lighting rig to take the infamous photos.

“It was fairly grim at the time,” he said.

“Manchester was particularly hit by the recession, but when you’re 24, 25, you get on with what’s happening. Your ex-

pectations are different.”

During that period, Wright shot a number of Manchester bands at their live shows including New Order and Happy Mondays, but rarely shot artists outside of concert halls.

Wright was living in a shared student house in Longsight with five friends in 1985 when, ‘out of the blue’, he received a call from The Smiths’ record label, Rough Trade, asking him to take some photos of the band in Salford.

After a sleepless night, Wright turned up with a friend who he had convinced to provide moral support on what he described as a ‘dark, grimy’ day, leading him to take mostly black and white photos.

“If they hadn’t come up from London,

then we’d probably have cancelled the whole thing,” he said.

Wright described The Smiths as ‘very unassuming’, noting that they did not have an entourage of hair stylists and makeup artists as the biggest pop stars of that time would have had.

The film was then processed in Wright’s bedroom which doubled up as a darkroom using chemicals which were kept in old fizzy-drinks bottles.

Later that year, Morrissey thanked Wright in a note displayed at the exhibition which says, “A sweeter set of pictures were never taken. I smiled for a full minute.”

The photo, and the relationship that the photographer developed with Salford Lads’ Club following its fame, led the club to make Wright an honorary member.

“I’m allowed to make my own tea,” he said. “It’s not a big fuss thing.”

Since then, Wright has photographed live performances by Madonna, Prince, Miles Davis, Nina Simone and James Brown, but says that The Smiths’ presented a significant challenge because their gigs were always dimly lit with pastel shades.

Modestly, Wright says that he doesn’t pretend to be a great artist and is amused when his photos are referred to as ‘work’.

“Museum cabinets make me feel awfully old,” he said. “I’ve never pretended that these pictures are art, but people enjoy them.”

The images and the stories behind them can be viewed at www.smithsphotos.com where official prints of Wright’s work can also be ordered.

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MM chats to Stockport lad-turned-playwrite Simon Stephens

ADULATION from critics is something Stockport-born playwright Simon Stephens is having to get used to.

Simon has just teamed up with Karl Hyde and Scott Graham of Frantic Assembly for Fatherland at the Lyric, Hammersmith, the play which premiered at last year’s Manchester International Festival, and is already receiving rave reviews.

Although it should be noted that theatre wasn’t his initial plan - he’d originally wanted to be a singer.

He said: “I just can’t sing. There’s a lot of really great singers who can’t sing but what they have is the self-confidence and the capacity to really understand yourself and to know exactly what you look like.

“It’s more than just singing. You look at Mark E. Smith, or Joey Ramone, or Karl Hyde. It’s the self-confidence to really know how you present yourself. I think a lot of playwrights don’t have that, which is why they’re not actors.”

Several of Simon’s plays are written about his hometown Stockport.

He talks about the process of writing about the place you come from.

“We’re not making documentaries, we’re telling stories. The stories come not necessarily from an accurate portrayal of the world, but from something we imagine in ourselves.

“I’ve not lived in Stockport for 27 years. I don’t know what it’s like. To pretend I did would be dishonest.”

He is away from home about 50 days a year. “Often my family are quite glad when I’m not there. I try and only go to the theatre once a week.

“I loved Ella Hickson’s play, The Writer at the Almeida Theatre, which I thought was genuinely astonishing.

“Living in London I could go to the theatre every night of the week, but I try and prioritise staying at home and looking after the kids. I kind of enjoy it as well.”

The Royal Court Theatre is Simon’s favourite in London. “It’s a beautiful size of theatre, it’s a beautiful proscenium arch and it has an extraordinary history of new writing and work that is challenging. I feel very excited to be associated with that theatre.”

Despite his experience Simon still gets nervous. “The terror comes out of the same place as the love does and I think if we’ve stopped being terrified it’s because we’ve stopped loving it.

“There are other jobs that you’re going to make more money and get less stressed doing, so you may as well do them. I do it because I absolutely adore it, and so feel terrified and proud at the same time.

“I’ve been alive 47 years and I’ve been politically conscious about 35 years. By distance this is the least competent and meanest government I’ve ever lived under. They’re a government of managers, rather than ideas. They’re managing it very badly. Their incompetence only exposes the profound absence of any idea and the arts is symptomatic of that.

“The consequences will manifest themselves. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s more riots. I think it’s unsustainable. It can only lead to a particular type of rage.”

Currently Simon is doing an adaptation of the novel Blindness by José Saramago.

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June 2018

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Love Island returns with a bang!

As we gear up for season four of Love Island - we ask what are previous Mancunian ‘islanders’ up to now?

By OIiver Dawnay

In summer our screens are typically dominated by Wimbledon or the background commentary of a World Cup or Euro’s match as we prepare to light our BBQs in the long summer evenings.

But in recent years another spectacle has headed our summer time TV schedule: Love Island.

The ITV show thrusts a group of men and women into a Majorcan villa on a 6-week quest for ‘love’ - and proved so popular last summer that Liam Gallagher ended up missing some of Glastonbury. “I’ve gone to the dark side,” he announced. "Love Island it is.”

Even the Lions rugby team found themselves snuggled under their duvet down-under catching up with the latest goings-on in the villa as they recovered from their clashes with New Zealand.

But who are the new Manchester ‘islanders’? And how have the previous Manchester contestants fared since their reality journey?

John and Tony Alberti Season one saw the twins placed into the mix to cause a stir, and since their appearance, the Manc pair have used their fame to enjoy pretty successful careers.

Once property developers, the John and Tony have been pursuing food under the minker “Twin Cooks” since being in the Love Island villa. They’ve even popped by ITV’s ‘This Morning’ studio to show off their new recipes.

It doesn’t stop at recipes though - the twins also have a blog that discusses fashion and travel.

Despite their new-found flair, there has been nothing love worthy to report on from these brothers.

Scott Thomas Scott Thomas was the most prominent Manchester contestant from Season Two - best known for making it to the final and saying he found “his type on paper” in Kady McDermott. The Sun reported Thomas spent a night behind bars for assaulting Kady McDermott after a drunken row - and in the run-up to Christmas in 2017 the pair broke off their relationship.

Since their split the pair haven’t stayed out the tabloids. There was a rumoured fling between Amber Davies - one of the winning couple of last year’s show and Thomas - and rumours filled the papers of a bust-up between the two women.

Dom Lever Dom Lever is the one Manchester lad who has proved that the show really can produce love.

Three-months after their stint in Spain, Dom popped the question to fellow contestant Jessica Shears following their whirlwind fling.

Good Morning Britain even staged a wedding for them in February 2017, pronouncing them man and wife live on air but the couple are set to have their ‘real’ wedding at some point in 2018.

In a recent Instagram post, Jessica even said: “I thank the universe every day that I’ve met the man of my dreams and the love of my life. It’s been a crazy journey but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Love Island returns at 9pm on Monday on ITV2.

‘9/11 was a boon to my career’ - comic Doug Stanhope back in Manchester

By Dan Hall

Doug Stanhope is a fraud.

Yes, he really is a revered stand-up comedian, alcoholic,provocateur, and he really was the cantankerous ‘Voice of America’ on Charlie Brooker’sWeekly Wipe. A decade ago he really did serve White Russians to his mother who, sufferingfrom emphysema, used them to wash down a suicidal dose of 90 morphine pills in his livingroom in the secluded town of Bisbee, Arizona. He really did make an attempt to run forpresident. And he really is currently on the UK leg of an international tour. So it’s not thathe’s a fraudulent individual. It’s rather that, as he explains to me, comedy itself is, “Afraudulent business, almost as bad as magic.”

Although he’s best known here for explaining his drinking with the line, “I’m Doug Stanhope,and that’s why I drink,” he tells me drinking is a necessary part of overcoming the falsityingrained in stand-up. He tells me he doesn’t like reflecting on his style, but his processworks like this: “I drink.

I get up on stage. I yell shit that I fucking wrote down in thenotebooks that I’ve said too many times. I drink so it feels refreshed. Because to have to saythe same shit every night and act like it’s fucking new, or that you’re just thinking of it…” Histrailing off is followed by a sigh.

It’s not necessarily what you might expect a comic who’s been cloyed with critical acclaimfor over 20 years to say of his medium. Back in 2002, he won the Edinburgh Fringe Festival’sStrathmore Press Award for Best of the Festival – a press critic’s alternative to the PerrierAward and accolade which was only ever awarded to Stanhope. Since then, his reputation inthe UK has ascended in almost direct correspondence with how the UK’s reputation hasdescended for him. I ask him if he’s dreading being here.

“I don’t have any problem with the UK people,” he tells me, “It’s just the aesthetics of beingthere. It’s cramped, I’m claustrophobic anyway, and you have tiny fucking roads.” Of hiscatalogue of UK criticisms, he says: “I think a lot of it is cocktail related. After 30 years of daily drinking, I’m very particular about certain things which I think tellad nauseam in that book.”

That book, This is Not Fame: A ‘From What I Re-Memoir’, really has to be read to bebelieved. It does indeed include a cavalcade of complaints about being a scrupulous boozehound in UK bars (“They almost never have cocktail straws. I like cocktail straws. I have bigugly teeth and I don’t like ice cubes bashing against ’em when I drink.”). It’s ostensibly astring of stories from his career, all told under the titular claim that Stanhope can’t really bethought of as a famous comedian because if he were, he would surely have been crucifiedby now for his work and behaviour. “There’s whole audiences that I’ve pulled my dick out infront of,” he laughs. “I was never a rapist, but some of the other things that people arelosing jobs over, I wrote a book about.”

Stand-up comedians, perhaps to a degree unlike any other kind of artist, enjoy a certainliberty to go against the stream of public opinion, to openly offend and appall, withoutfearing that stepping outside the bounds of acceptability will destroy their careers. By andlarge, they are not beholden to corporate interests. Or, as Stanhope puts it, “They’ddemand I apologise if I was going to keep my Burger King sponsorship,” but given that he’sentirely unburdened with such contractual obligations, “The only people who can fire meare the ticket buyers, and they’re unoffendable. The only way I could lose fans is if I either,like, joined AA, quit clean and sober, or was born again. If I found Jesus or sobriety I mightlose numbers, but other than that… It’s almost like a Trump thing, where he said ‘I could goout in fuckin’ Time Square and shoot people and I would still get elected!’”

Given his transgressive character and the current social climate, I asked him if this if astrange time to be doing comedy, particularly in the wake of scandals surrounding some ofAmerica’s most vaunted comedians like Louis CK? He tells me, “It is for other people. Myaudience is fucking steel.”

He likens the current zeitgeist to one that was in the air after September 11 th 2001. He says:“9/11 was a boon to my career. It was right around then where I was starting to phase outmy dick joke era (when I started at 23, that’s all you know about - pussy and titty bars andstupid things), and then I started reading books and stuff. I started having opinions aboutshit. I was very anti-authoritarian and that’s when 9/11 happened, and everyone went verygung-ho with patriotism. And I was the only one talking about it, and that’s the first time Iplayed Edinburgh.

“I think I would be a non-event in the UK if it weren’t for 9/11. God bless those fuckingplanes crashing into the twin towers that gave me a UK career. Because I was the only onetalking shit about the overblown patriotism and fucking flag-waving nonsense and NationalDay of Prayer… I still remember that bit. If I had more ambition, I could really be doingsomething with this climate.”If it’s not abundantly clear, don’t go and see his Manchester show if you’re easily offended.What can be expected, though, for those who are taking the plunge? “I will be mocking theKing of Thailand. That’s the only guarantee. He cost me $12,000, and unless he pays mefucking $12,000 I’m going to be making fun of him.”

SPORT 15

June 2018

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B ri to n s r e tu r n s w it h re n e w e d h o p e f o r SW1 9

UK Super League set to focus its attention on male mental health issues

By Cameron Sinclair

By Helena Vesty

W I M B L E D O N 2 0 1 8 P RE V I E W

WIMBLEDON season is approaching once again and with fresh results from Roland Garros, players will be in analysis mode to anticipate the action on the grass this July. With a number of major changes at the top over the past few months, this could be the tournament where some of the younger competitors truly breakthrough.

The most noticeable difference to the ATP World Tour headlines is the absence of Andy Murray. The British men’s No.1 is getting dangerously close to a year since his last competitive match, the quarter-final of Wimbledon 2017, where trials with a difficult hip injury began.

The problem has plagued and largely derailed Murray’s training schedule, resulting in emergency surgery in January followed by a period of intense rehabilitation. Heavy doubt still looms over the prospect of his return to the Championships this time, as the date of the two-time Wimbledon victor’s next performance continues to be pushed back.

The 30-year-old Scot was scheduled to make a return to the court with 17-year-old

Aidan McHugh in Glasgow, for a Challenger event at the beginning of May. Murray withdrew from the doubles match, meaning it is quite possible that he will now also step back from his debut singles competition since the injury due to take place on 11 June in Holland.

Rumours are in full swing, but they have definitely not been addressed by the Murray camp. The Times reported that the player suffered a “setback during his rehabilitation” and has now halted training sessions completely.

Meanwhile, Murray himself has only been serving to add to concerns by comparing his hip problems with a previous back injury.

Speaking to The Washington Post about his recovery, he said: “There’s been a lot more ups and downs this time. It’s been longer and a lot more complex than the back issue.”

However, as his management team has been declining to comment on the most recent state of his fitness, any Wimbledon potential seems to be hanging in the balance.

They may be large boots to fill, but looking to follow in the footsteps of one of the sport’s most successful Britons is Stockport-born Liam Broady. The 24-year-old is currently

England Club before, progressing to the 2nd round in 2015 followed by a first round appearance in 2016. The Mancunian could use this opportunity to find his feet on the world’s stage. Having climbed 6 spots on the ATP rankings since the end of 2017 alone, there is a chance he could become a UK household name. He will be training up for his Wimbledon matches in early June at the Challenger tournament, the Nottingham Open.

Another player working their way up the rankings is Serena Williams. The 23-time major winner might be returning from a difficult birth but that certainly hasn’t swayed her success. Following her maternity leave, she has come back strong and even says she can play better than before her pregnancy.

Williams was not seeded this time at Roland Garros, provoking backlash from her competitors who appealed against the decision. After a moment of panic that the same difficulties would occur at Wimbledon, the chairman has now assured that Williams is MURRAY: Will he or won’t he compete guaranteed a place in the main draw.

During her time off, she slipped to 449th Cup debut in February this year and a round won in the Miami Open just a month later. on the WTA tables.

Broady has also had experience at the All 165th in the singles tables and 5th overall in the country.

One of the most promising young talents on the scene, the left-handed player has been making serious moves, with a Davis

World Cup: MMs tips for this year’s Golden Boot

By Oliver Dawnay

THE World Cup in Russia is just 10 days away and there has never been a more star-studded lineup of footballers set to dominate our screens every day for a month.

Barring the exceptions of Zlatan Ibrahimović and Arjen Robben, there are no world-class absentees for the finals in Russia, but who will bag the most goals in Russia?

ANTOINE GRIEZMANN - FRANCE MM’s pick for the golden boot is the silky Frenchman. He notched up 29 goals in all competitions for Atletico Madrid last season and always performs well for Les Bleus – scooping up the Golden Ball at Euro 2016. On the verge of a big-money move to Barcelona - the World Cup is the perfect audition to impress the Catalan giants; he is our choice for the Golden Boot. He is priced at 12/1 on Sky Bet.

PAULO DYBALA - ARGENTINA The obvious choice from Argentina would be their captain and the world’s best player Lionel Messi. But with the little magician played deeper in the Argentine system, an outside choice would be Paolo Dybala. The 24 year-old striker – deemed ‘Messi’s heir’ – scored 26 goals for Juventus this season even with a spell on the side-lines. At 40/1 and with a favourable group, he could be your money shot this summer.

LUIS SUAREZ - URUGUAY Many forget that Uruguay have the third joint most World Cups in history with Argentina (2) and the South American outfit never seem to perform badly on the world stage. As Uruguay’s all-time top scorer with 50 goals and Cavani on his tail – Suarez is very good value at 25/1. His group of Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt also makes them strong favourites to top the group and progress.

THOMAS MULLER - GERMANY With their international record you’d be crazy not to back the current world champions to get to the semi-final at least this summer. Thomas Muller is only the third player in history to score at least five goals in consecutive world cups, and having won the award in 2010, he is our German pick for the golden boot at 25/1.

ROBERTO FIRMINO - BRAZIL Brazil has enjoyed a renaissance under new manager Tite since he took the reins in 2016. They are playing slick football and with the likes of Neymar and Willian on the flanks and Coutinho behind the number nine – Firmino could be a good alternative to Neymar for top scorer. Having enjoyed his best ever season, the Liverpool frontman will have plenty of chances this World Cup. He is a risk though as he may not start as he is in competition with Gabriel Jesus.

His price is 66/1.

MEN’S mental health comes under the microscope next week with State of Mind set to take over the Betfred Super League for its annual round of fixtures, with this year’s taking place between June 14-17.

The round kicks off at the AJ Bell Stadium in Salford on Thursday June 14, where Salford Red Devils take on Widnes Vikings.

Dr Phil Cooper MBE, cofounder and trustee of State of Mind, is hosting an event attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Mental Health lesson as part of the build-up to the State of Mind round.

The event takes place in Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium on Wednesday June 6 (5-7pm) and fans are encouraged to come along and help break the current record of 688.

Former players Danny Sculthorpe, Phil Veivers, Paul Highton,Jimmy Gittins and former referee Ian Smith will be helping to deliver the session.

“This is a great opportunity to increase awareness of mental fitness and have a great time in a fantastic rugby stadium,” Dr Cooper said.

Rugby league is the only UK sport to theme a round of fixtures around mental fitness.

This year’s theme is Offload, which aims to challenge how the sporting world tackles issues such as depression and anxiety.

It will help men build their own mental fitness, develop coping strategies to overcome difficult situations and learn how to recognise when people close to them may need their support, with State of Mind activity at every game during the round. “’The State of Mind-Offload’ round is coming to Super League for the eighth season and this has allowed many people to improve their mental fitness and has saved numerous lives,” said Dr Cooper.

“In rugby league offloading is not an easy skill to master, but time it right and you can achieve sensational results and score some fantastic tries.

“Offloading in life is not an easy skill to master, but when under pressure, if you time it right you can achieve great results and prevent a problem building or getting worse.

“By offloading and telling others about your problem you can relieve the pressure, start solving the problem and build a winning mind-set,” he said.

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MANCS IN MOSCOW A look at w here it al l began for f our o f England’s brightest World Cup star s

By Oscar Lynch

DAVE Horrocks describes the “lovely warm feeling” he gets watching the players he coached as youngsters become professional footballers and England internationals.

As academy development officer for Fletcher Moss Rangers, Horrocks helps run the junior club that provided a platform for three of the most dynamic talents who will feature at the upcoming World Cup. Danny Welbeck, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford will aim to conquer Russia’s vast expanse this summer, but it was on the same patch of grass in Didsbury where the trio spent their formative football years.

Horrocks said: “I’m tremendously proud, all of us are.

“For a lot of people who know me it must get quite tedious to hear me gush about the guys.

“On the day Manchester United played Arsenal (in 2016) when Marcus scored two and Danny scored another one, I was bawling like a kid.

“It just makes you so, so proud.”

Fletcher Moss Rangers are fast becoming part of English football folklore, known as one of the area’s best amateur sides and as a conveyor belt of prodigious talent.

Since its formation in 1986, more than 80 former players have gone on to play professionally - including former Manchester United and England defender Wes Brown.

For those selected to represent Fletcher Moss, strong links with nearly all of the North-West’s professional clubs improve their chances of progressing to a higher level.

Bury-born Kieran Trippier - who started out at amateur side Seedfield - rounds off a strong Manchester contingent in Gareth Southgate’s 23-man squad.

He was one of about six from that team who were picked up by professional

clubs, joining Manchester City’s academy despite being from a family of Manchester United supporters.

However, no club in the region can match Fletcher Moss’ track record.

“From an early age we we’ve been producing or identifying good players that would contribute to successful teams,” Horrocks explains.

“Given where the kids were coming from, it was something for them to channel into their energy into.

“We provide football to kids whose parents don’t have a lot.”

LIONS: Lingard and Rashford are integral to both club and country

The club’s situation and reputation draws children from of some of Manchester’s most deprived areas.

About 75 per cent of the players to have become professionals are either black or from an ethnic minority; about half of the youngsters who now attend the club’s Soccer Schools are from a non-white background.

Rashford grew up in Wythenshawe and Welbeck is from nearby Longsight, while Lingard joined the team from Warrington.

Horrocks recalls: “Jesse was slightly different to Marcus in that he was always a small kid who needed to be dropped down age groups a couple of times for people to see his value.

“With Marcus, at United as an under-9, they put him in the under-10s squad, and then when he was under-17 he was playing in the under-23s.”

All of the three share drive, determination and a will to win - traits that Horrocks sees as fundamental to footballing success at any level.

He said: “If we want to make our national team successful, we need to breed success from a young age.

“It’s great to see kids who have got a little bit about them because of the way they’ve played football.

“Like Danny, he always played football against his brother Wayne, who’s a few years older, and because of the age gap he had to battle.

“Marcus would play football in his front garden against his older brothers and any of the other, bigger kids from the avenue.

“He would use his disadvantages to his advantages to get better, and that’s what’s happened later in his career.

“Since he got in as an academy player at Manchester United he has always strived to go further.”

Rashford’s boldness brought two goals on his Manchester United debut, and another within three minutes of his England bow.

Horrocks recalls an apt Howard Wilkinson quote that about luck in football: “‘Luck is where preparation meets opportunity’ - these players began that preparation from such an early age.”

Preparation that began on the Mersey Bank playing fields meets the opportunity of a lifetime for Welbeck, Lingard and Rashford this summer.

With a bit of luck, the entire nation will be sharing that lovely warm feeling that comes with watching England succeed.