BBC Manchester Blog: RIP

Some sad news: The BBC Manchester blog is no more. The experiment has run its course, and creators Richard Fair and Robin Hamman are bowing out.


You have to hand it to them - okay, I became involved with it, so I'm not totally impartial here - but they did good. In fact, I was initially very suspicious of the project. So many other instances of traditional media trying to "do" blogging result in tin-eared, unreadable sites that have all the easy authenticity of Michael Howard in a metallic hoodie. Or they expect bloggers who already have an established audience online to fall all over themselves to write for their media outlet just for the sheer privilege of it, and seem gobsmacked when they don't.

But Robin and Richard, from the first, demonstrated their willingness to engage with the existing community of Manchester bloggers on equal terms, and use the BBC's broad reach to make the medium increasingly accessible, welcoming many Mancunians new (and old) to blogging with workshops, radio spots and generous linking. They showed that blogging can be a very effective way for established media to incorporate new voices into their output - and that local people who are not necessarily members of the media elite can contribute really worthwhile and fresh content about their city (even if it isn't news-led; even if, in fact, it is totally random.)

I'm sorry to see the experiment end, but I understand it couldn't go on forever - these two guys are pretty busy. I'm frankly amazed they were able to keep the blog active and interesting for as long as they did, given the number of other things they both have to do. Still, the UK landscape has changed so drastically in since the blog started in 2006 - big newspapers and media companies seem to be getting a bit more of a handle on this blogging thing, and local microsites, citizen journalism and community-led content are the buzzwords of the day. The BBC Manchester Blog was certainly at the forefront of this trend.

New blogs: The moany edition

Oh my god. I have been feverishly ill now for two weeks, and being ill is apparently much worse than normal when you're super pregnant. For one thing, your immune system is not so effective. I have drunk gallons of vitamin C drink, inhaled more steam than a sauna attendant and ingested such radioactive levels of antibiotics that I can curdle pots of bio-live yoghurt with a single glance. And for all that I feel a little better, but not much. In fact, I have to go lie down for a bit.

That's better, not so dizzy now. Okay. (Cough.) Sigh. So I guess I have some new blogs to tell you about.

Last year Susie started a pregnancy blog called Oscar or Isabelle. And then she had her baby and it turned out to be neither an Oscar nor an Isabelle, but a Milo. So she's unveiled a new wordpressy blog in which she will record her adventures with the new man in her life: Travels with my Baby.

Lovely Gill Moore, Manchester photographer and graduate of one of our blogging workshops, has started an excellent blog that features photos she admires as well as her own work, news and thoughts about photography, exhibitions and other random things. Scatterdrum: Ramblings from inside a photographer's head.

Andy Sewina has started posting a work-in-progress-novel blog, called "Space Invaders!"

Tom writes Book of the Future, which deals in technology, society and geekery. "Been going since November 2006 and though I haven't managed to keep up my intended blogging schedule over that time I'm still approaching my 90th post," he says.

Ian Hough is the author of a book called Perry Boys about Manc football and culture in the 70s and 80s. He also writes a blog called The Nameless Thing, at which you can read about his theory of The Four Quadrants of Manchester.*

"The 4 quadrants are sectors, regions in Greater Manchester County, which possess definite identity and character, fault-lines in the ancient crust of our city. Just as Paris’ arrondissements are arrayed as a gigantic snailshell, in a tight clockwise spiral around the central core, so are Manchester’s degrees of suchness concentrically packed, like jam roly-poly about its lively heart..."

(*Unless you're from Partington, in which case you should not read it. It'll just make you angry.)

Finally, Manchester socialite Miss Coco LaVerne has arrived to pretty up our general area of the blogosphere. In her own words, Coco is "an enigma, a spectacular incarnation of beauty and grace." Welcome Coco. Now I'm going back to bed.

Shaken and stirred to do list

1. Anyone who had tickets for the Vampire Weekend gig tonight at the Academy is SOL: they've pulled a sickie. But they ask us to "please send positive health vibes our way." Consider it done.

2. The Viva film festival, featuring the freshest cinema from Spain and Latin America, hits Cornerhouse next week. Have seen some great films there over the years that I'd otherwise have been completely ignorant of. Get your tickets early as each film only screens a couple of times and it's usually quite deservedly mobbed. And don't sit in front of me and talk to your friend or check your texts.

3. Ever wondered about those shadowy figures writing for Manchester's literary journals? You know you have. You can see some of them for real at a mega reading event featuring way too many writers from Ugly Tree, Lamport Court and Parameter, and enjoy the cool malty tipples of the ever-reliable Briton's Protection at the same time. Monday night 6:30 for 7.

4. Got a bike, unicycle or frankenwheelie? Grease it up and join the hordes for Manchester Critical Mass on Friday. Meets at 6pm at the Central Library.

5. If you're the least bit obsessed with the Obama-Clinton primary (and may I say, what's wrong with you people? I at least have the excuse of being a US voter) you might get a kick out of watching this campaign commercial that's currently airing in my home state of Vermont, which votes on Tuesday. Hear that heart-stirring theme swelling up in the background? Remind you of anything? Aww. It's amazing how close you can get to the West Wing music without actually playing it.

6. The ill-advised Manchester supercasino has once-and-for-all bit the big one. But maybe we'll get some more money as a consolation prize. And did anyone read this Jonathan Jones piece in the Guardian about public art and, specifically, the B of the Bang?

"...it's bad art; in fact I think the word "art" overpraises it. It's a piece of design, like a decoration devised for a shopping centre. There's something planned and corporate about it."

I couldn't agree more. What say we keep that money in East Manc and use it to fund a groundbreaking project that would recycle B of the Bang into another totally different artwork that neither quietly crushes your soul nor threatens passersby with grievous bodily harm? Schematic proposals on a postcard please.

7. As a follow up to the bewilderingly popular post about Manchester restaurants, I ate at Isinglass in Urmston for the first time last night. Everyone says how good it is. It was good. It's also a lovely place, with very atmospheric lighting and branches on the walls for decoration. I tried rabbit pie and venison but they had a smoked eel and beetroot tart on the menu too which I faintly regret not getting. If you haven't been, maybe you should go sometime.

New blogs: the dyspeptic edition

Three days later, I am still recovering from judging the North West Fine Food awards. Judging food awards seems like a great gig until you find yourself facing 19 varieties of sausages with additives at 9 o'clock in the morning, and then realise you have to eat steadily until 4:30. Eeek.

But there's no cause for indigestion to be found in this week's heaping plate of new blogs (do you see what I did there?) Which is good, cause my hoard of imported Tums is dwindling fast. First up we got Mini Manchester, which is a blog about kids' activities in the region by Manc journo and mum Ruth Allan. She's asking for like-minded parents to share news of interesting kid-friendly outings around the city.

Another new music blog: Just Press Play has lots of samples to taste.

nine chains to the moon is the blog of Sally, a Manchester writer, who uses it as a place to post a mix of fiction, poetry and random musings. She has this to say about it:

"It is weird that someone left a comment because it made me realise people other than my friends might read this blog. I wonder how anyone would find it. I am sorry to anyone who was excited by the title and thought it might be about geodesic domes or something. I feel peculiar when I imagine strangers reading it. When I think of it I get a kind of creeping shivery excited sick feeling. But that is the point isn't it? Is it very narcissistic to want to write a blog? I feel more vulnerable than gratified at the moment. But I think it will be good to Toughen Me Up and get some bits of writing that I do out into the open, and also gathered in one place where I can keep an eye on them."

I think that's a really apt summary of how many people feel about their blogs.

Does Christopher Walken like hotdogs? You can find out at manc dj and pubquizmeister Elliot Eastwick's new World Famous Blog.

And an interesting take on a personal blog is Cotton and Coal, subtitled "The adventures of a bachelor cotton trader, his friends, lovers and carrier pigeons in a Manchester steaming towards boom or bust." Writer Batson Bargreaves adapts events from his life into the voice of the narrative, which is decidedly old-school.

Rayner: Manchester restaurants "not quite"

"What is it with Manchester? Why, when it comes to restaurants, is it always so nearly, but not quite? Why does every restaurant I visit fail to deliver? Is it me? Do they hate me so much that they decide to show me such a mediocre time I won't return? Or is it the city? It's a big buzzy place, Manchester, full of interesting-looking people, and there are lots of Mancunians with money - exactly what you need for a thriving restaurant scene. And yet almost every time I eat here, I return home wallowing in disappointment, as though a little bit of me has died."

That's the lede of Jay Rayner's review of Grado, Paul Heathcote's new Spanish place on New York Street, in yesterday's Observer.

Rayner is one of the few national restaurant critics I have much time for. He's down to earth and clearly loves food, but never takes it too seriously. He seems like the kind of guy you wouldn't mind sitting down to eat with yourself, unlike most of the pretentious, self-worshipping windbags sharpening their steak knives on restaurants these days. And most of all, he's fun to read. ("It's all very well to source Iberico ham, but to then machine-cut it is an insult to the pig. To cut it thick and serve it fridge-cold is to jump on the pig's grave while howling at the moon.") I've always wondered why he doesn't review more Mancunian eateries, and I guess now I know why.

To be fair, Rayner goes on to praise my beloved Red Chilli to the skies. But his indictment of the city's dining scene is pretty damning. And in a way, I think he's got a point. Not neccessarily about Grado (I haven't been there yet, mostly because Heathcotes places are, in my experience, kinda boring) but about the standard of eating here.

I don't have a huge eating out budget; I love food and seek out good restaurants when I can. But in the five years I've lived here, I've found that lots of places the local press made much of (The Bridge, The Ox, Yang Sing, Obsidian) didn't live up to the hype, while others (Le Mont, Establishment) never appealed enough to try. I haven't been to the Michelin-starred Juniper yet, but am dutifully trotting over there before Paul Kitching leaves. Like most people, I'm happy to stick to my less-exalted favourites in the city: This n' That, Red Chilli, or the wonderful Market if I have some extra cash. Still, for a rock-solid special occasion meal, I'll usually be heading into the surrounding bits of Lancs and Yorks, which isn't what I would have expected before moving here.

Rayner speculates that Manchester's culinary shortcomings are down to the calibre of cooks in the city's kitchens, which could well be. For my part, I think too much time and money goes into creating a restaurant that looks flash, while less attention is paid to what comes out of the kitchen - and with an increasingly savvy dining public up here this tendency is starting to seem out of place.

Northern Quarter coffee wars

What's with all the coffee? There's a new caffenero/starbucks/costa on practically every street, and we're even finally getting some more good independents. Two opened recently in the Northern Quarter, and I went and checked them out:

CUP is very nice indeed... a big, light and airy storefront cafe on Thomas Street with previous occupants Vox Pop records crammed into the back. The place reminded me a bit of the much-missed Suburb, but quirkier. Cup's menu had a small but fairly nice selection of soups and sarnies - I had scrambled eggs and fake bacon on a bagel, which hit the spot. And they sell Tunnock's teacakes there, so I was happy. Forgot to ask if they have wireless though.

This place is going to be deservedly popular, so I'd suggest swapping a few tables of merchandise for eating tables; the five they had in there the day I visited with Mancubist didn't cut it. And as much as I love designy china sets, I love smoothies named after Iggy Pop more. (photo courtesy Flickr user Marky1969.)

Interestingly, right next door is the newest incarnation of Love Saves the Day, competing for your Latte alliegance. You'll remember the original one in Tib Street became the massive one on Oldham Street which then closed. And what makes it interesting is that, for a while, LSTD was running a cafe concession in Vox Pop, which is now CUP.

Whatever. It's the same lovely people serving the same lovely drinks and snacks in a joint that's considerably more stripped-down and cosy than their last digs on Oldham Street. And unlike the one on Deansgate, you can actually sit down in there without worrying about barking your shins on a rip-roaringly expensive vat of single estate olive oil. And along with Odd and Trof there are now four or five places to caff up on Thomas Street that weren't there a year or two ago. Good stuff.

Good news on Afflecks, Queer up North

So this week two much-loved Manc institutions got a reprieve. First we learned that Queer up North would not have their funding axed by the Arts Council, which is wonderful news for a festival that has made a genuine effort to re-invigorate its programme in the past few years.

All those people who signed the petition online and wrote letters and emails should feel pleased as punch, because the public outcry really did make a difference here. Looking at the other organisations saved from a funding cut, it seems the squeaky wheels got the grease. And remember that the best way to continue to show your support is by actually buying tickets to an event at this year's festival, which I hear is going to be especially good.

Then we got the good word that Afflecks Palace is safe. Honestly, I'm a bit skeptical about whether the threat to it was quite as acute as some local media outlets would have had us believe (the headlines shrieking "Afflecks Palace to Close!", for example). But getting reassurance that it's important to the city is definitely a good thing. A Manchester without Afflecks would be a Manchester with a slightly smaller and less colourful soul.

I just hope new owners Bruntwood understand the importance of allowing the place to stay just as it is: scruffy, quirky and vaguely disreputable - a splendidly ragtag emporium of treasures and tat. No Triangulation on Tib Street, please, or we'll have to kick you with our massive boots.

Service bulletin

I got this comment today:

"Appreciating being kept up with new blogs - but what's happening to your own blog? We've not heard from you, yourself, in ages. What fun are you having without us, eh?"

Indeed. Well you might ask. I'd like to say that my social life has become so thrilling that blogging has simply fallen by the wayside, because I can't find time to log on between all the champagne brunches and late suppers and falling out of taxis and dancing on tables 'til dawn. Ha.

In actual fact, I am rather pregnant. A few blogging folks already know, having seen me in my (increasingly) fleshy incarnation, but I've not written about it here because... erm, well, I get a bit shy sometimes. But I'm having a girl sometime in early May. I'll definitely keep you posted. In the meantime, here's a picture:



And so, that's why I haven't been blogging as much lately. Because being pregnant makes you very, very tired. Most of my creative energy is apparently going into constructing a tiny person, and what's left over is spread pretty thin. Frankly, it's all I can do to keep up with the day job, and sometimes this even involves leading workshops in which I am teaching lovely people how to write blogs, and I am chagrined to note that my own blog doesn't exactly conform to the "post at least once a week" rule.

I have continued to post updates about new blogs because it's important, and because there are so many new ones being born every month in Manc that I am determined to keep up with them. But I am aware that my blog has been (whisper it) kinda boring and impersonal lately. I'm working on it. Your patience is appreciated.

Eurekak, flacks and .... Aidan.

A few new blogs for you this week: The first is Eurekak!, a themed blog that collects moments of dodgy inspiration (that's one there, that picture). It might go like this: One night, in the throes of drunkenness, you have an idea and are immediately convinced it's genius. You frantically write a few key words on your arm with a ball-point pen, chuckling at your own ineffable brilliance, before passing out. In the cold light of day, however, your idea doesn't seem so brilliant. All you can do, really, is take a photograph of your arm and send it, along with the whole sordid tale, to the shadowy Dr. Whom, who will post it on his wall of shame and you can thenceforth pretend the whole thing never happened.

HackFlack is a blog about PR and media matters, written by Chris Marritt, a former hack (journo) who is now a flack (PR professional). I've always liked the word flack, and use it whenever I can, but people over here don't seem familiar with it. Flack! It's kind of fun to say.

Thirdly, Eye on Manchester is now Aidan.co.uk, which is similar in focus but with more of a portfolio setup. Several people emailed to tell me they saw the recent Guardian Tech section article about regional blogging which mentioned this blog and Aidan's. In case anyone missed it, you can read it here.

Welcome back, number 43

In among this week's crop of new blogs, some of you might recognise an old friend. The 43 was a beautifully written blog based on writer Geoff's musings while riding on the number 43 bus. It captured our hearts and won the blog of the year award at the first Manchester Blog Awards 2 years ago. And then, Geoff stopped writing. But now he's back with 40three, a brand new wordpress blog that's subtitled "Faith, Philosophy and Life:"

"It’s been nearly a year but I have finally decided to get back into the world of blogging! Some of you may remember my previous blogging adventure, from which this blog takes its name (to give the whole thing a pleasing sense of continuity) but not its theme. I doubt this present jaunt will be as sensitive, amusing, or fortunate in stumbling across a friendly award, but it may well satisfy my current appetite to write," he says.

Then there's a new blog called How do you do? which bills itself as "Lifestyle Guides for the 21st Century of Time." Jolly Roger has helpfully given us instructions on how to be a human - and, rather enterprisingly, is already flogging t-shirts and mugs with the blog's name on. Goodness. Upcoming topics include how to be a temp and how to be a gay... Oh, I can't wait to read that one. (via Manchester is Online, Sarah from the MEN's blog formerly known as The Mancunian Way.)
UPDATE: Have now read the promised post on how to be gay, and will be removing this blog from the blogroll and any links to it, as it's unbelievably offensive.

Also in the business of helping people - at least made up ones - is Dear Kitty... It's a fictional agony aunt column, updated every Friday.

Photoblog words fail has some nice snaps up. That's one of them up there. (Thanks to northernights for the tip. He has just posted an excellent round-up of Manc musicbloggers' Best of 2007 lists, btw.)

In the sports category, United Road is "concerned, as the name suggests, with Manchester United, primarily with the political and business stuff that swirls around off the pitch, rather than doings on it." Has an interesting post on there about XFM's commentary on Man U games, and the station in general.

Manchester WordPress User Group

Loads of people have been telling me for ages how elegant and versatile WordPress is, but despite the best intentions I haven't gotten too far in exploring it - I'm one of those people stubbornly hanging on to Blogger because they know it well and have three years' worth of blog posts invested in it.

If you're one of the enlightened, you'll want to know about the brand-new Manchester WordPress User Group. Its first ever meeting is on Wednesday January 16 2008, from 5.30pm to around 7.30pm at MDDA’s offices.

They say: "Are you a blogger, designer or developer who uses the WordPress blogging platform? If so, why not come along to the first meeting of the Manchester WordPress User Group.The meeting will feature two talks – one on designing for WordPress and the other on security tips. The rest of the evening will be given over to ‘show and tell’ knowledge sharing and networking." Free, refreshments included. Full details here.

Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown!

A happy holiday to one and all. Catch you in 2008.

Queerupnorth faces Arts Council axe

A blogger involved with Manchester's gay and lesbian arts festival has written to say that queerupnorth are one of the couple hundred regularly-funded arts organisations in England who may lose a significant portion of their funding in the Arts Council's latest reorganisation. He writes:

"Arts Council England plans to end funding to queerupnorth from April 1st 2008. queerupnorth is the UK’s leading lesbian and gay arts festival, a Manchester institution, and the only organistion of its type in the UK with an local, national, and international reputation.

queerupnorth will be appealing this cancellation of funding; Arts Council’s Regional Board, chaired by Tom Bloxham, will meet on January 25th to consider the appeal.

queerupnorth is an important arts festival with a key role to play in portraying the LGBT community in a positive light and in challenging complacency, discimination and homophobia, which remain challenges to be faced in our society - all from a bona fide arts platform that enriches community life for all in the Manchester area."

Follow this link to find out more about the festival's campaign.

Ambition and distraction

Here's a whole family-size tin's worth of new Manchester blogs for our blogroll. Tasty.

Manchester Libraries have entered the blogging action with The Manchester Lit List, full of news about readings and events, book groups and mini author profiles.

Another foodie blog! This one features the culinary adventures of GastroGrrl... restaurant reviews and meditations on food, cooking and eating.

Mel's Bog Blog is the blog of Manc artist Melanie Warner of the aformentioned Bog Standard Gallery.

Still on the artistic tip, Paw Quality Comics is the blog of comic artist Jim Medway. As you'd expect, lots of great illustrations as well as news about openings and workshops and discussions of the comic art.

Manchester Photography is a blog about photography and Manchester, from Mark Page. For Frock's Sake! is a blog about fashion and styling from Zo, a stylist based in the city.

Equine Obesity is not about fat horses. It's a personal blog written by Fathorse, a student who lives in the city.

Where's Wigan? is the personal blog of Robin, a New Yorker who recently moved to deepest Lancashire. God, can you imagine how crazy a transition that must be? Ho ho ho...Who is that girl? is another personal blog. The Thirsty Gargoyle is another personal blog, and at the moment it seems to be mostly about the work of Alan Moore, the best comic book writer to ever worship a snake-headed Roman sock puppet. Also possibly the best comic book writer ever.

As we giveth, so we taketh away: I am going to be doing a clear-out of blogs that haven't been updated in the last few months or have ceased to exist. If yours is removed but your new year's resolution is to blog more in 2008, just let me know and I'll put you back on the blogroll.

RenterGirl in the Guardian

Yes, it's another "Manchester blogger makes good" post. Y'all are just so darn talented these days. Our MBA best new blog awardee RenterGirl has a nice big feature on the front page of the Guardian's Society section today. Called "Lost in Neverland," it's about the perils of living in a rented new-build apartment in the city centre - essentially a short n' sweet version of her blog. Well done!

Curiously, the article never mentions Manchester - perhaps the Guardian wanted to help it appeal to urban nomads all over the UK? Or maybe they were trying to shield the actual location of Dovecot Towers to prevent reprisals from angry landlords?

Another interesting thing is that RenterGirl has dropped her anonymity for the article and used her real name, Penny Anderson. Penny's a freelance journalist based in the city whose professional writing experience clearly shows in the polished tone of her blog. It's interesting how anonymous bloggers find they can't keep their identities a secret anymore when they cross over to print (see Single Mother on The Verge/Maria Roberts) but I guess it's not surprising. Most newspapers, mags and publishers aren't down with anonymous bylines, at least not for stuff that's based on real-life experience.

Do try this at home

Manchester is a great city for art. Yeah, we don't have a Guggenheim or a Tate, but the full spectrum of what you can see and do here as an artist or art lover is pretty amazing. I just wrote a piece for Art World Magazine about people who start galleries in their homes and in other non-traditional places, inspired by seeing a few around these parts, and in the process of reporting it I discovered a few more.

In addition to the venerable Apartment, located in a flat in what has to be one of the most culturally-leaning council tower blocks in the land, Lamport Court (also home to a literary magazine and at least a couple of musicians who record there), we've got Twenty + 3 projects, an art gallery in the front room of a terrace in Whalley Range, and Porch Gallery, the entrance vestibule of a house in Chorlton which is periodically turned into a kind of contemporary art vitrine.

And then there are totally off the wall things, like Bog Standard Gallery: Artist and recent MMU grad Melanie Warner turned a portaloo into a mobile mini artspace. It's currently at Urbis, exhibiting a series of Warner's photographs of toilet signs around the world.

Want more? Look out for exhibitions in abandoned buildings, private homes or utterly random locations around the city ( from folks like Interval, or Forbidden Arts.) Established art institutions like Castlefield Gallery are doing and supporting off-site stuff too. They recently did a show at the grand old derelict fire station near Piccadilly. Someone had to clean up A LOT of pigeon shit.

Blogging workshop in January

Chris of Mancubist and I are going to be holding another blogging workshop in the New Year, thanks to the lovely folks at MDDA and the Manchester Literature Festival. The workshops booked up in October super fast, so if you want in don't delay.

Details:

So You Wanna be a Blogstar?
With Kate Feld of The Manchizzle and the Manchester Blog Awards, and Chis Horkan of Mancubist

1 – 3 pm Saturday, January 19 2008
MDDA, Portland Street.

After a huge demand for our blogging workshops during last year’s Literature Festival, we’ve decided to hold another one for those who might have missed out in October.

In this hands-on workshop, we’ll look at the elements that go into successful blogs, and discuss the finer points of style, design, focus, and attracting readers. We’ll also take you though the applications and add-ons that can make your blog function more professionally. This workshop will suit someone who’s familiar with the basics of blogging but wants to progress to the next level.

Wireless available on site for laptops, or workstations provided – please specify your needs when booking. Limited to ten places. Book by calling the Manchester Literature Festival office on 0161 236 5725, or by emailing admin@manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Another Manchester blogger lands book deal

And we're back. I went by the ice rink in Piccadilly yesterday afternoon, which wasn't so festive. A few people were skating (and falling) through puddles in the rain, but the big screen made it all look very Blade Runner.

Some exciting news to report: Manchester freelance writer Maria Roberts, who (until now) has been anonymously writing Single Mother on the Verge, has just landed a deal with Penguin for a book based on her wry and funny semi-confessional blog. Maria has published several short stories and is a former City Life hack who has recently been working with Literature North West, and it's nice to see her hard work paying off.

And you may note that Maria is the second of this year's crop of Manchester Blog Award winners to get a book deal.(Not that the award had anything to do with Chris Killen's, but still.) Maria credits the award with raising her blog's profile and boosting her own confidence in her writing, both of which helped her land the publishing deal. And I've heard something about a third blog award winner being commissioned to write a blog-inspired column in one of the nationals... sheesh. Do we know how to pick 'em?

Santa's sack is bulging with new blogs for me to add to the blogroll, so stay tuned.

Two things

Those folks at the Guardian just love Manchester blogs: MBA best new blog winner Renter Girl is the latest to be featured in its hallowed pages. An excerpt from her blog appears on Page 2 of today's Society section - a really nicely-written bit about the cleaner at her infamous abode, Dovecot Towers. Well done!

Another Blog Awards winner, Chris Killen of Day of Moustaches, has embarked on a very interesting project: The Cat Boat.

There are some cats on a boat. The boat is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There are some cats on it. The cats are in charge of the boat. There are one hundred and fourteen cats on the boat. The cats have given the boat a name. They have called the boat ‘The Cat Boat’. The boat is like a pirate ship, but with cats on it instead of pirates.

The cats take it in turn to ‘man the rigging’ and ‘carry the Christmas pudding’ and ‘play the record album’. The cats are listening to Tunnel of Love by Bruce Springsteen on repeat. This is their favourite album. It is somehow easier to take songs about low-down American drifters and transmute that experience into the experience of some cats on a boat, than it is, for instance, to take some songs about gangs or about love and transmute those.


Here is the list of 114 cats on the boat. Killen is inviting writers to send in each cat's story, which he will then post on his blog. Lots of good stories there already, but lots of good cats left. There is also a "Tunnel of Love" drawing competition (see the example above.) Go write about cats! My favourite cat is whatthehellamidoingwhyaminotworkingonmynovel?, which really sums up this whole post perfectly.

Scary new blogs

Boo! We have spine-tingling music blogs, a ghoulish food blog, and even a blood-curdling new home for Cheshire blogs. Yes, I know. I'm about to carve up a pumpkin with a big sharp knife, and am very excited about Halloween. Always loved Halloween. Dressing up and looking scary! Black nail polish! Bela Lugosi's Dead! It's the favorite holiday of lapsed goths the world over.

First up is Northernights, which is the blog that goes along with the Manchester-oriented clubbing and music site run by Manc journalist and diamond geezer Danny McFadden. Recent posts include a recap of the Ting Tings' recent single launch gig at Islington Mill, something I meant to get to but was overcome with inertia and lassitude. Now it's like I was there!

Danny was kind enough to send another music blog my way: Well plastic yeah?


I love it when people get organised. Liverpool Blogs is going strong, and now we have inspired another regional bloghub neighbour: The Deva Station is "A roll call of Cheshire blogs" started by Chester-based journalist Louise Bolotin. And now I'm curious: what is the Deva Station? Is it a secret place only people in Cheshire know about?

A new (mainly) political blog: The Obscurer, which is written by Quinn, who also sent word of Occupied Country, a photo blog by Steve from Oldham. Some really lovely shots of Manc on there.

And we have a new food blog again this week. Around the world in 80 dinners is Robert Hamilton eating in different city restaurants, complete with pictures - recent forays include Luso, Fatoosh and the excellent-sounding Jati. I'm always happy to find another independent restaurant blogger, since many of the local sites out there that cover Manc restaurants are also selling websites or ads, and it's hard to trust them not to be influenced by that. And anyone interested in food and restaurants should check out the UK messageboard on Chowhound - lots of good Manchester reccs on there if you search.