Veteran BBC war reporter Martin Bell was the guest speaker at a ‘Hazel Must Go‘ meeting held in Eccles last night.

Watch my exclusive interview in which Martin Bell reveals whether he will stand against local Member of Parliament Hazel Blears at the coming General Election. (more…)

Updated: 24 October 2009 (video added)

I see this old building has disappeared from Tariff Street (the photos are from 2004). (more…)

A neighbour bought this silly cuckoo clock.

Decorated with badly-carved animals, it chimes at five to and twenty-five past the hour, loses seven minutes a day and finishes its routine with a comic rasping sound.

I think she paid £70 for it. But you can’t put a value on this kind of comedy.

For the last three years we have filmed at the gates on the night of the Manchester Pride HIV/AIDS Candlelit Vigil. Entry to the Vigil is supposed to be free and the community was promised it would always remain so when tickets and fences were introduced (first for for Mardi Gras 1999 and then again from 2003 onwards).

However, in recent years we have gathered hard evidence on camera that sometimes people who only want to go to the Vigil are told they must buy an expensive Pride ticket or are made to queue for a prolonged period.

This year the security people tried to prevent us filming, even though we were on a public street. (more…)