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 Baby
Bugle
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The
Baby Bugle
issue 11 june 1999 n/4
= bright, clean & safe ...
Remember, Operational Services have also now launched a 'one-stop-shop' phone line, which you can ring to report things like: cracked paving, chaotic trees, troubled drains, broken lights, marital difficulties, etc: call them on: 954 9000. The Festival
E-mail
Newsletter
As you will now be aware, two events are planned for the first week in June to celebrate two new artworks in the (award winning, in case you need reminding) Northern Quarter Public Art Scheme: ......... Weird Sculpture Number One: A New Broom for the Northern Quarter The 'unveiling of this will take place on Monday 7 June @ 1.30 pm on the triangular piece of land on the corner of Hilton St & John St. The sculpture will be a 10ft high stainless steel dustpan and brush, created by artist George Wyllie, and will stand on the two big lumps of stone which have sat mysteriously, enigmatically (I like that word), on the site for a couple of weeks. Maybe some of you thought that was already a piece of public art - a sort of Northern Quarter marble pebble, but cheaper - before anyone complains - the stones were a tenner each. To mark the arrival of this work and to celebrate a new spirit of cooperation with the City Council Operational Services Department, local people - businesses, residents, City councillors and officers, developers and passers-by - are warmly invited to help the New Broom sweep the area clean.To assist, brooms loaned by Operational Services will be available at the launch - no running off with them - or you can bring your own! As one punter already commented, "but I don't even brush my own house!" - well, now is an opportunity to learn those skills alongside the professionals A contingent from Manchester Samba School will provide an alternative style of sweeping. And why
a broom? As Liam Curtin,
Northern Quarter Public Art Hero says,
At the end of the 'sweep in', the Broom will be officially presented to the Council's Operational Services, whose work of keeping the city's streets clean we so often take for granted. Then we can all go off and have a nice cup of tea. Weird Sculpture Number Two: An Uncertain Instrument for the Northern Quarter You will have already seen this one wrapped round the ruin opposite Afflecks Palace. We will be ceremoniously welcoming the horn/flying machine/bat on Thursday 10 June at 7.00 pm. With support from Manchester Jazz Festival, Bob Dinn, local musician, composer and medieval historian, to put together a piece of music designed for ten horns, to reflect the street life of the Northern Quarter. This will be the first performance of the work - bear in mind that, as part of the piece is improvised, anything could happen. I'll be the one playing the Tibetan horn, kindly loaned from the Buddhist Centre. Pat Karney will be 'officiating': "The Tib Street Horn will be a major crowd puller to an area that has real style and cool vibes." More buses for Church Street The Public Inquiry which has been called in response to the City Council's plans to change traffic regulations and to increase the number of buses to 100 per hour on Church Street will take place from 6 July. The Association will be in attendance to voice objections, along with other objectors. The issue may seem a technicality to most people, but the changes would have substantial impact on both the businesses on Church Street and pedestrian access to the upper reaches of the Northern Quarter. Big, new
building planned for Shudehill
How many traffic wardens does it take to ... the carparking page Now, as a committed cyclist, I must declare I have no personal interest whatsoever in the issue of carparking - in fact, I probably have more cause than most for objecting to dangerous, illegal parking - so what follows is as near objective an observation as you can get on such a rage-inducing issue as carparking. As you will, no doubt, be aware, if you have a car or a business in the City Centre, the task of controlling illegal parking has passed from the police to the City Council, via their contractor Control Plus. The law has not changed with regard to yellow lines, but enforcement is now much more vigorous. The Council hope that this new approach will reduce congestion, make the streets safer and generally improve the city environment. .... However, it is clear that there is much dissatisfaction about the new method of implementation, particularly from city centre businesses. Of course, we know that anecdotal reports prove nothing ... - A car parked on that busy epicentre of urban traffic congestion, Oak Street, was in the process of being towed away, when an astonished passer-by pointed out that there were two child seats in thback - what was the parent going to do with two tired and screaming kids and no car? - A Thomas
Street business owner consulted his local traffic warden for advice on
how to deal with the new loading/ unloading restrictions. This warden
suggested:
- A local newsagent's regular customer, who has for many years spent £20 on his weekly visit, recently got a parking ticket as he popped in for his regular order. He hasn't been back since. - Another business reports a 37% drop in takings for the last month. His accountant wanted to know what the hell was going on. - Disabled
owners of cars are not immune - officially, if they
Initially I was told "two minutes" - I said, "but I thought it was 20 minutes" - she replied, "yes, but there has to be 'evidence' of loading/unloading within 2 minutes ... oh but, it's a single yellow, yes, that means 5 minutes, I think it's 5 minutes for a single yellow, it's 2 minutes if it's a double yellow, yes, I'm sure that's right." Well, if she doesn't know ... !? "But anyway," she says, "it's usually 5 minutes by the time she gets the ticket done." Oh, well, that's alright then. The Northern Quarter Association is is not in favour of illegal parking, but it is committed to assisting local businesses to flourish, or at least to survive. I have been informed that there are several who will be out of business within six months if this continues, and I don't think anyone who has seen the new regime in action will think this is an exaggeration. One of the muddy areas is what constitutes loading/unloading. In a letter from Manchester Parking:"it should be noted that loading or unloading in a restricted street is for the collection or delivery of goods only and not for parking whilst purchases are made [...] Where a non-commercial vehicle is collecting goods the driver should place a note in the window of the vehicle to indicate that goods are being collected, if there is no evidence of loading/unloading in a five minute constant observation period a Penalty Charge Notice will be issued." If you
would like more information about parking issues, you can drop by at
Manchester
Parking have produced a Parking Guide and map (which shows all the carparks
in the city centre, prices and times of opening) and they also have a Customer
Services
Watch
Out For ...
"I'll Never Do It Again" is the first major solo exhibition in Manchester by mixed media artist Andrew Guest, and will be housed in the Newton Street Gallery, 50 Newton Street.The show will run from 3-17 July. Inspired by a recent visit to India, where chaos, confusion and eclecticism give rise to images of strange beauty and constant interest, the exhibition will reflect this vision in its wide and varied use of media and ideas, ranging from video and soundscapes, to painting and sculpture, with an emphasis on inspiration through simplicity as a central theme.The artists most recent exhibitions have included Video Positive in Liverpool, Castlefield Gallery in Manchester, House of Design, Amsterdam and a current short-listing for the Peugeot design awards, London. Other work has included visual artist for the Beta Band and freelance documentary maker. Music Roots Performance @ Band on the Wall: Sunday 27 June, 7 pm. Come and see the fruits of the classes run by Band on the Wall in Latin Percussion, Jazz Improvisation and Singing. Also at Band on the Wall, in conjunction with Manchester Jazz Festival: Saturday 12 June, Afrocentrics; Thursday 17 June, Sarah Jane Morris; Saturday 19 June, Blend 69; Thursday 24 June, Jason Rebello Trio. More information: Band on the Wall: 833 0682; Manchester Jazz Festival: 228 0662. To go
on the MJF mailing list, send details to:
If you've got an event or news item you want included, send to Lorna by the end of previous month. We can also send out leaflets (not too heavy) in our mailing to over a hundred Northern Quarter Association members. Also, contact us if you would like more copies of this bulletin. northern quarter assocation 1st & 2nd Floor, 100-102 High Street, Manchester M4 1HP; tel: 834 5143; fax: 819 1430; e-mail: Sarah.NQA@good.co.uk; www.nqn.org.uk
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