THE HULME TUNE

Some how I think these blogs are going to be my notes on tomorrows radio show on ALL FM.

The great university challenge, for me that is. Are there opportunities for people like me to go and take a degree course? What put me off in the past was the time it would take, the expense, the massive debt and the lack of qualifications. How do I do it?

Was the Government going to help or would I struggle financially and have to give up the course?

I found out that I could get a grant to cover costs like books, travel and other expenses without it touching my entitlement to benefits. I was very surprised and humbled. The best thing is.. I don’t have to pay it back, not a sausage.  My train fare, materials and sustenance is covered and no loan shark in sight. It’s not a great lot of money. It couldn’t cover a night out at the student union, but at least it’s something that helps. The Government only gives me enough to live on and with the rising costs of food & utilities, it would have be a massive obstacle not having that extra financial help. I wish it was enough for a laptop, as well, with some fancy gadgets like memory sticks, external drives and a decent digital camera.

The sad thing is, I would still have to pay back the loan for the course fees and there are conditions to paying it back. Doesn’t mention Lottery wins though. They start to take back a percentage like 9%pa for over £15,000 earned (£15 p/m). The Government does add interest at the rate of inflation only and will write the loan off if you become dead. They’ll write it off if you cannot work as a result of a disability or after 25 years of getting a low income.

There are individual circumstances, which are not covered in this blog. Full detail are in the booklet “A Guide To Financial Support For Higher Education Students” or visit the link Student Finance.

It is very important to choose the right course at the right university.

So, I’m pretty excited that there is help for those who want to go into higher education. Student Finance have an office in Manchester at Overseas House on Quay Street. You can grab all the info you want from the website and apply via their Manchester office.

It’s well worth investigating, as it could mean a chance of a lifetime to gain that important degree and aim for a better future for yourself. I would encourage anyone from Manchester to try to better themselves. This would make Manchester a better choice for industry, like the MediaCityUK project at Salford Quays. Do we really want the BBC to import talent and workers from London and the rest of the UK?

Instead of watching me on TV, you could be the one on camera or employing me.

Caribbean colour came to Hulme this afternoon. The Caribbean Carnival of Manchester 2008 graced the roads of Hulme, as the rain stayed off, to the delight of local residents, who viewed the parade from both sides and their balconies.

The Lord Mayor of Manchester, councillor Mavis Smitheman, started more than 20 troupes of costumed dancers and carnival queens, who danced and shook their booty to six steel bands and calypso music from the floats.

The carnival left Alexandra Park in Moss Side at around 1.00pm today, coming through Hulme around 2.10pm and then returned to the park via Aquarius Estate.

This gave our young people from Zion Arts Centre a chance to show off their costumes and their style of dancing.

The theme of this year’s carnival is ‘One World, One Carnival’.

The organisers of the carnival are also one of the winners of this years Nationwide Community and Heritage Awards run by the Nationwide Building Society in partnership with the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Winston Lemington - Hulme & Moss Side Filmmaker
captures mother and baby enjoying the costumes and music.

Every one of these pictures you can download and keep if you are featured in them, but only for private use or social networking sites. Any other use is subject to copyright law.

For more info visit

www.caribbeancarnivalofmanchester.com

Why are we the last ones to know about events in Hulme? There seems to be a famine of publicity when organisers stage events in the area. Last year it was the same. What’s wrong with using community websites, A4 posters and other means to tell local residents of the activities that go on in Hulme Park?

For the few that did see it though, MAGGs, Xcalibre and Manchester City Council blew up a row of bouncy castles type inflatables, had a fair-ground ride, music and a few portaloos. It was the first of 3 Family Fun Days with:

• Food and refreshments (missing today)
• Sport Activities (missing today)
• Face Painting (missing today)
• Martial Arts Workshop (missing today)
• Inflatables
• Music
• Children’s DJ & entertainer (goes with the music, still it makes it look like there’s a lot)
• Assault Course (the above inflatables)
• Raffles & Prizes (didn’t notice it)

5 out of 9 ain’t bad. However, it did have a rodeo rotating bull, exactly like the one at Manchester Mela in Platt Fields this weekend, not advertised on the flyer that I got to see.

I talked to a few of the parents who did enjoy it. One mum thought it was great, but wondered why there was no publicity. Another wanted more stalls offering information.

A few minutes later there came a gang of around 7-8 youths riding bicycles, the PCSO’s soon got to intercept them as I was leaving the park. Even as a reporter sometimes it’s best to stay out of the way and let the police get on with their job.

Manchester City Council really do reach out to communities and offer help and by putting on events like these they can reach people more effectively. But, I can’t help thinking that estates like Aquarius will miss out if the word doesn’t get around.

 The other 2 ‘Family Fun Days’

Wednesday 6 August from 12pm-5pm

The Manchester Academy School

Moss Lane East

Moss Side

Wednesday 13 August from 12pm-5pm

Richmond Park School

Cochrane Avenue

Longsight

There you go, the secret’s out.. now others can go and enjoy this free offering of entertainment for the kids! And.. it’s FREE - except the ice-cream.

‘Paulasville’ is not about a house on a hill, but a city gone down it. This is Zion Young Actors Company’s debut performance and I think they’re gonna grow us.

This atmospheric gritty production starts off well, with good audience interaction and the visual effects from 3 projectors and smoke machine all adding to the effect. There’s an excellent performance from the Sanitary Department of the company that runs the city. Which makes you think that these guys are putting heart and soul into their parts and having fun.

Then it seemed to lose its momentum, towards the end, that captured me from scene 1. It looked as though the beginning was well worked on, with the end looking rushed. Some of the actors were quieter and, with people eating crisps, made me wonder what was going on. I would have liked to have seen total blackout in 1 or 2 scene changes and a rat in the rubbish. If the stage would have been larger then some of the props could have been left on stage in the shadows, so the pace could have kept increasing without interruption. Which, I think, was the idea behind Act II.

They need to work with masks more effectively to bring them alive. For the body language and head movements were more reminiscent of crash-test dummies. Instead of looking like police, I thought they were bank robbers.

Still, it was enjoyable to watch and I didn’t look at my watch once. The fact that I don’t wear one, has nothing to do with it. I wasn’t even yawning or scratching, which showed, that for a couch potato like me, it must have caught my interest throughout.

‘Paulasville’ is running every night at the Zion Arts Centre, Stretford Rd, Hulme, until Saturday night.

Royce Road, Hulme, was blocked off today for at least one hour between 5-6pm. Traffic was diverted by police as a few local Hulme residents demonstrated peacefully how they want to see Manchester City Council make the two halves of Hulme Park into one continuous stretch. Their argument is that children going from one side to the other could be in danger of traffic moving quickly along that part of Royce Road.

Parents are concerned about fast moving vehicles even though there are speed bumps and that these ramps won’t slow down boy racers. Yet, children should be accompanied by an adult if they are too young.

None of the demonstrators, however, was admitting as to who was in charge or who exactly organised the event.

Vanessa Hall, mother of a young son, tree surgeon and was elected Hulme Councillor 2003 -2008 for the Green Party, told The Hulme Tune, “As a parent myself, I don’t think its appropriate to have this road going through the park.” Vanessa, Chair of Manchester Green Party and their national spokesperson on women issues, went on to say that most parents think the road doesn’t need to be here.

Other Hulme residents, who live further along Royce Road towards City Road, argued that OAP’s who live local want the 263 bus to come back through St Wilfred’s estate. Last year, after money was spent on new bus shelters and raising kerb heights, the 263 was re-routed to go along Stretford Rd. This means that pensioners on the estate have to walk further while carrying heavy shopping across Stretford Rd at busy times.

Even though the Community Transport bus is available, local residents aren’t happy with the service. One woman, who doesn’t want to be named, told me, “People have to book the Community Transport bus the day before and not on demand as they wanted, then return at an exact time. Bringing back the 263 along Royce Road would benefit many. If Royce Road is blocked off then any hope of its return would be squashed.”

This is what Councillor Nigel Murphy had to say:

Royce Road Blockage - Cllr Nigel Murphy

You can listen to more of the interviews from this demonstration by listening to The Hulme Tune this Thursday 10-11am on ALL FM 96.9

Man Jumps off Double Decker Bus

A man jumped off a double decker bus in Manchester city centre in front of crowds today. The man in his 20’s wasn’t injured. The incident left him a little shaken, though. He said he was doing it for Jesus.

I was able to capture his stunt on my mobile phone and now you can see it for yourselves. I decided to investigate further for mywebconnect.info.

It was all part of an array of performances put on by The Message Trust called the Eden Project, which uses 2 double decker buses to tour the North West with a message to transform young people’s lives.

The Eden Buses are two high-tech mobile youth centres wrapped in funky youth-themed vinyl graphics and armed with the latest in sound and visual technology. These amazing buses are designed to meet young people from all backgrounds who need someone to talk to.

This is an exciting way for both primary and secondary schools to deliver parts of their curriculum. The buses have excellent on-board presentation facilities, and are often called in when RE lessons need to have that extra dimension!

www.themessage.org.uk

 

The organisation started out in 1988 as Message to Schools then became the The World Wide Message Tribe, fronted by Andy Hawthorne, to impact young people with the Christian message of God’s love and forgiveness. This then went on to now what is called The Message and grew further to include the Eden Project.

We have been working in the city for 15 years and have developed a ‘knack’ for being able to get through to the hardest to reach young people. To enable this we operate a range of projects on the streets, in the community, in schools and in prisons, all with the aim of bringing hope, providing opportunities and releasing potential.

In brief, The Message…

• Runs 9 ‘Eden’ youth projects where over 100 volunteers live and work in tough urban contexts
• Delivers around 2000 hours of youth work every month through over 300 separate activities
• Is in contact with an average of 5,000 young people every month all over the city
• Provides a safe ‘off the street’ environment for 500 young people every week using 2 high-tech mobile youth centres
• Visits 20 high schools every year with inspirational pop group ‘Blush’
• Helps break the cycle of youth crime through innovative work in the region’s Young Offenders Institutions
• Operates a top-spec arts and music training centre in South Manchester

I am waiting to hear if they will come on my radio show.

The crowd were entertained by 4 gorgeous girls known as BLUSH, with more stunts from 3 guys known as Airborne.

Also, in the crowd, was a tea-time God TV youth presenter - but the God TV website doesn’t have the list of youth presenters or its programme. I said hello. Then she suddenly ran off chasing her son, before I could get her name, and disappeared in to the mixing tent.

Man Jumps off Stage

In March 2008 Moss Side’s Peace FM was granted a 5 year license from Ofcom. This means that there will be a full time radio station serving Moss Side, Hulme and South Manchester, even though ALL FM are still broadcasting shows from the Zion Arts Centre.

Peace FM have transmitted from the Zion Arts Centre in the past when they had a limited 1-month RSL license. This time its for 5 years. I believe that ZAC is still the place where they will transmit and thus serve Hulme.

Broadcasting can start within 2 years, but Peace FM might even be on air towards the end of the year.

MEN Article

Ofcom Website

This means that the show I do for ALL FM - The Hulme Tune - will be axed!

I am an individual and am, in no way, funded by anyone to do my show. All my shows’ expenses have come from my own pocket. I won’t be joining Peace FM as I’ve enjoyed my time at ALL FM.

It’s up to Peace FM to run with their vision for Hulme when they start broadcasting. I don’t believe that gangs go around listening to community radio. Not the ones I’ve seen.

Community radio should be for the whole community and not one select group of people. Erinma Bell has said in the press that they want other genres of music to be played, a powerful signal and quality professional productions. Com radio relies on voluntary staff, many of whom want to break into the industry. Any one with professional skills would want to be paid. Unless they are really dedicated to the vision and want to stay for free until advertising revenue is built up to pay them.

There again, should the BBC or Independent Local Radio snap up the talent, then Carisma’s Peace FM may struggle quality wise, until it can break free of reliance on funding and into being an independent local radio station capable of attracting advertising from businesses willing to pay for exposure on yet another new radio station. With so much competition from other ILR stations (Galaxy 102, X-FM, Smooth FM, Rock FM, Big 1458am, Century 105, Imagine FM and Key 103), news papers, websites, billboards and other advertising platforms in Manchester, it has to be competitive to survive. They may have people willing to listen regularly, but will it be enough?

It has taken years for ALL FM to reach the level they have, having a wide variety of shows and opening studios in East Manchester and Hulme. It could mean that ALL FM may close their Hulme studio, as this would compete with Peace FM and its not about competition - it’s about the people we serve.

I will still do a show, but not from Hulme. I will chat to ALL FM staff to see what their schedule is like in the future. In the meantime, enjoy the last of the shows… and thanks for listening!

- Paul

If you receive a phone call on your mobile from any person, saying that he or she is a company engineer, or telling that they’re checking your mobile line, and you have to press #90 or #09 or any other number, end this call immediately without pressing any numbers.

There is a fraud company using a device that once you press #90 or #09 they can access your ‘SIM’ card and make calls at your expense. Forward this message to as many colleagues, relatives and friends as you can, to stop it.

Many thanks for your time regarding this matter, take care and regards.

Phil Corris
Police Constable/Crime Prevention Officer
Ext 496696 (Internal)
01524 596696 (External)
Email PhilCorris@lancashire.pnn www.police.uk

NEIGHBOURS DAY

24TH MAY 2008 10 am - 4 pm

Bronte Street, Hulme

Some friendly folk from the Aquarius estate in Hulme are organising an event for locals to come along and meet their neighbours, have something to eat and have fun.

Things to do on the day include:

cake competition
(I’ll volunteer to taste)

family sports day
(darts for me hopefully)

create your own hanging basket
(weaving, ducking and diving)

learn how to fix a leaky sink
(by not asking fashion models or me)

bounce on a bouncy castle
(volunteers needed to keep it blown up)

face painting
(no graffiti artists, please)

hand art & meet our local fireman
(only one.. where’s Pew, Barney, McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub?)

You can taste food from different cultures
(yum, yum, in the presenter’s tum!)

And meet me in person!
(well worth coming out!)

This event will be broadcasted live on Allfm 96.9

The Generate Generations Project tell me that they are having an African Liberation Day event at the Afewe Community Pub on Royce Road, Hulme, Sunday 25th May from 2 pm until late. There will be activities indoors and outdoors…

During the day: 2pm to 8pm FREE (soft drinks only until 7pm), then for over 18s a night of reggae, roots, funk - live and djs, and much more will continue until late (approx 1pm).

The event is organised by the Generate Generations Project, which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

For more information on Generation Generations

www.generateproject.org

Also:

It was reported to me that 3 women, celebrating a birthday, were drunk and singing and shouting at the top of their voices, as they walked down Royce Road in the early hours of Saturday morning. A man shouted from a house on the road and began threats of violence towards them. He then came out of his house and a heated argument ensued. Fortunately for all of them, other members of the house came out and dragged him back in before the police arrived.

It’s quieter on weekend nights in Hulme when it rains! If you do attend remember to respect the community and keep noise down to a minimum when leaving late. Many thanks!