ISSUE FOURTEEN SUMMER 2007 PUBLISHED BY THE MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN WWW.MERSEYBASIN.ORG.UK

WALKING ON WATER Celebrate summer with the region’s top waterside rambles. WESTWARD HO! Antony Wilson on Liverpool, its music and its river. THE LIFE AQUATIC All aboard our international fl oating homes.

SourceNW is the magazine of the Mersey Basin Campaign. The campaign works towards better water quality and sustainable waterside regeneration for the rivers and waterways of England’s Northwest. www.merseybasin.org.uk CONTENTS Has business Features Regulars fi nally seen the 4 REGIONAL ROUND UP green light? 12 WALKING ON WATER News on the environment, water and regeneration. It starts to Dust off your boots, grab your binoculars, look that way slap on the sunscreen and head out on 8 BAZAAR when no less our fabulous waterside walks. a retailing institution than Marks A lucky dip of people, places, facts and fi gures from around the region; plus Love and Hate. & Spencer publicly commits 16 WESTWARD HO! itself to ambitious reductions in Manchester music legend Antony Wilson 10 CASE NOTES CO2 emissions. explains why Liverpool changed the music Innovative local projects that are transforming The company is a regional as world forever, in the second instalment of the environment of the Northwest. well as a national treasure – it articles drawn from the upcoming book started trading in Manchester Mersey: the river that changed the world. 20 SPOTLIGHT in 1894. But when it comes to The Co-operative Group’s chief executive Martin Beaumont things green and ethical, another 22 THE LIFE AQUATIC talks about business, ethics and the environment. Manchester-based national retailer As the recent World Canals Conference has been doing it better for longer. 21 BUSINESS visited the Northwest for the fi rst time, In this issue of Source NW we Volunteering is good for business – and worth boating enthusiasts from around the world talk business with the impressive giving staff time off for – writes Jo Birtwistle. tell us why they love their unique lifestyle. Martin Beaumont, chief executive of the Co-operative Group. 26 ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION Meanwhile, another regional Kate Fox swoops in on Sarah Williams, one of the RSPB staff keeping an eye on Manchester’s peregrine falcons. business giant, Peel Holdings, has joined the Northwest Development 27 SHARP END Agency to back research into Want to be greener and more effi cient at work? renewable energy on the River Then stay at home, says Emma Jones. Mersey. The name behind mega- developments like the Trafford Centre, Peel is not one to throw away good money on wishful thinking. And in June, the barometer of the region’s economy, Northwest Business Insider magazine, produced its fi rst ever ‘green’ issue. Conversely, green avenger Jonathon Porritt, one-time scourge of big business, last year produced 12 16 22 a new book in which he argues that far from being the destroyer of the Subscriptions: Fouzia Bhatti, 0161 242 8200 Website: www.merseybasin.org.uk planet, business is its last, best hope. [email protected] Design: Hemisphere, Manchester Are we witnessing a historic Contributors: Edwin Colyer, Kate Fox, Mark Hillsdon, Ushma Mistry, Print: Gyroscope, Manchester convergence? I think so. Is the job Ciara Leeming, Colin Shelbourn, Louise Tickle, Antony Wilson. SourceNW is published quarterly by the Mersey Basin Campaign. done? It’s barely even started. Photography: David Oates, Mike Frisbee, Terry Mealey. The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Address: Mersey Basin Campaign, Fourways House, publishers. Comments, letters and corrections are welcomed and should be Matthew Sutcliffe, editor 57 Hilton Street, Manchester M1 2EJ addressed to the editor. SourceNW is printed on 100% post-consumer waste [email protected] recycled paper using vegetable-based inks.

SourceNW is sponsored by Mersey Basin Campaign corporate sponsors include REGIONAL ROUND-UP

Branching out Woodland scheme to transform derelict land wins major new funding.

At 8,420 hectares, the Northwest has more derelict Park Business Park and add value to the local The Newland sites are selected brownfi eld land than any other English region. That’s an Housing Marketing Renewal area. to have the maximum benefi t, not area roughly the size of Preston, or 24 per cent of all the Bidston Moss has also been transformed only providing recreational space brownfi eld land in the country. as part of the Newlands scheme. More than for local communities, but also Now a major programme to transform almost 1,500 £2.7 million has gone into the revamp of the enhancing the appearance of hectares of the region’s most scarred landscapes into Wirral site, with the pathways, boardwalks and the main transport corridors into community woodlands has won additional funding of even the soil which covers the site all coming the region, with woodlands used £36 million from the Northwest Regional Development from recycled materials. to screen off eyesores and Agency, bringing the total to £59 million. The new money will Long term maintenance of the Newlands industrial plants. allow the programme to expand across the entire region. sites will be taken on by the Forestry As Newlands expands to Commission. As well as more brownfi eld land cover the whole Northwest, one The Northwest also has than anywhere else in England, the Northwest site already set to benefi t is the also has one of the lowest rates of woodland Brockholes Wetland Nature Reserve one of the lowest rates of cover in country. in Lancashire. Located next to the Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the M6, Brockholes was created when woodland cover in country. Northwest Regional Development Agency, said: gravel was extracted to make “When Newlands was launched we envisaged the motorway. The 172 hectare Newlands (New Economic Environments through that it would become one of the top land site includes ancient woodland, Woodlands) was launched with £23 million by John regeneration schemes, using rejuvenated ponds, lakes, reed beds and fl ower- Prescott in 2003 and has focused on fi ve brownfi eld woodland as a basis for change where rich grasslands. sites in the Mersey belt area between Manchester and previously sites had become neglected. A series of guided walks this Liverpool. Work on two sites is already complete. “Four years on and the programme has summer will let local people get Moston Vale in Harpurhey, Manchester (an drawn praise from central government for a fi rst look at the site, which is area in the top fi ve per cent of the Index of Multiple the way that new opportunities have been owned and run by the Lancashire Deprivation), received £1.7 million in 2005. The former presented, how new uses have endured over Wildlife Trust. landfi ll site now boasts woodland areas, sports facilities time and the quality of the landscape that has and extensive pathways illuminated by solar powered been created. MORE INFORMATION fl oodlights. The goal is to help attract signifi cant new “We are providing a benchmark for carefully www.englishpartnerships.co.uk investment to the area, enhance the adjacent Central planned, intelligence-led land regeneration.” www.lancswt.org.uk

SOUND BITES Royal Institute of British Architects awards. Its fl ats. At its heart, an eco-park will provide a penthouses are expected to be the most expensive substantial wildlife habitat, increasing the properties in the city. Now the building stands a chance number of species in the area. Pedestrian High energy. The decommissioning of Sellafi eld nuclear power of competing for the highly prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize. and cycle routes will connect the development plant has prompted an energetic response from the West Cumbria to Manchester city centre. The scheme was Strategic Partnership, which has come up with proposals to create Click for a car share. New social networking websites announced by New East Manchester, developers Britain’s fi rst ‘energy coast’. Around 8,000 of the 12,000 jobs at are springing up everywhere, but here’s one with an New City Vision and architects MBLA. Sellafi eld are expected to be lost by 2015. In July the partnership environmental twist. www.isanyonegoingto.com puts presented its master plan to then prime minister Tony Blair and other travellers in touch with one another, facilitating car Goyt bridge a go-er. Plans for a new top government ministers. Included in the plan to transform west sharing and reducing the number of single occupancy car bridge across the Goyt Valley in Stockport Cumbria into a world class centre for excellence in energy and journeys we take. The site is already motoring ahead, with have been short listed in a national environmental technologies is a national academy for nuclear skills. 6,000 travellers signed up and an average of 20 matches competition for Big Lottery funding, and will made every day in its fi rst three months. face a public vote on a live ITV1 show later A sense of Unity. A revolutionary new building in Liverpool has this year. The bridge would create a traffi c won a top award for its consideration towards the environment, just Eco East Manchester. More than 400 new eco-homes free route between Romiley, Offerton and months after being opened. The £80 million Unity building, situated are to be built beside the Ashton Canal in Clayton, East Stockport town centre, and link into existing in Princes Dock, combines high environmental standards with unique Manchester. The development will include two, three and foot and cycle routes in the area. The bid architecture and was named one of three Northwest winners in the four-bedroomed houses as well as two and three-bed joins a collective of 79 community-based

4 REGIONAL ROUND-UP

Electric current Mersey could supply power to a quarter of a million homes.

The River Mersey could be a tidal barrage across the river, would generate Guthrie, Professor of Engineering for Sustainable harnessed to generate enough 700 MW of electricity, enough to save 516,000 Development at Cambridge University, an internationally renewable electricity to satisfy tonnes of CO2 per year. recognised expert in green technologies. Professor 260,000 homes – more than every However, researchers are keen to Guthrie said: “The whole principle of the study is that household in Liverpool – according emphasis that a full barrage is just one of the technologies under consideration must be proven, to a recently released study. Experts the innovative options being looked at. Much but they would be used in innovative new ways. say the Mersey estuary’s large tidal more likely options are huge waterwheels, tidal range of 8-10 metres and unusual turbines and open stream energy converters. We must also respect the geography create powerful currents These could be used in different ways and at that make it one of the top sites for different places along the river. Mersey estuary’s international tidal renewable energy in the UK. An artifi cial tidal lagoon could be created According to the government’s in the open sea beyond the mouth of the importance for wildlife. recent White Paper on the country’s river, with the fl ow of water in and out used future energy needs, Meeting the to generate power. Alternatively a tidal fence “We have been searching for a way to generate Energy Challenge: “Tidal power could would comprise vertical turbines housed in renewable energy on the river that would bring jobs make a signifi cant contribution submerged cells built across the estuary. and investment but we must also respect the Mersey towards meeting the twin challenges The restriction to the fl ow created by the estuary’s international importance for wildlife such as of climate change and security fence would accelerate water through the wading birds.” of supply.” turbines to create power. The study was co-sponsored by Peel Holdings, Any project to generate power A tidal gate could also be specifi cally owner of Peel Ports, and the Northwest Regional on the Mersey would also be a designed for the shallow waters of the Development Agency. major boost to the UK’s position Mersey. The bottom part of the sluice would Many of the technologies it evaluates are so new as the world leader in marine be fi tted with a matrix of compact turbines. that they are still under development, so experts are renewable energy. Finally, a central reservation in the river could likely to recommend a pilot project that would allow The study analysed in detail be created to hold a series of open stream testing before full implementation. a range of electricity-generating turbines, converting natural tidal fl ows technologies, and where they could into energy. More information be sited along the estuary. The The study team was led by consultants www.merseytidalpower.co.uk largest of the projects evaluated, Buro Happold and included Professor Peter

projects competing under the banner of seven brand-new concerns by 2012, with hundreds more pleasure. Here’s our current favourite Northwest-focused web offering Connect2. If the Sustrans-run scheme benefi ting from collaboration and training. The centre’s work – twin sites offering a comprehensive guide to the fl ora and fungi of wins ‘The People’s Millions’, the Goyt bridge will also create learning opportunities for Lancaster students. the Irwell Valley...www.brent-d-pearson.fsnet.co.uk. The sites boast would receive £250,000. illustrations of over 300 plant species as well as links to every fungi- Visit www.sustransconnect2.org.uk Fish get chips. Six thousand young salmon are due to related website you can imagine. We’re always looking for interesting to pledge your support. be ‘coloured, chipped and clipped’ before being released online destinations – if you know of a site that could feature in a into Cumbria’s River Hodder as experts struggle to reverse future issue of Source NW, let us know at [email protected] Reach for the stars. The third phase of a worrying decline in numbers. The fi sh can be identifi ed Lancaster University’s Environmental Centre using ‘fi n clipping’, tracked using microchips, and their And fi nally…it’s already proved more popular than Big Brother. has been opened by Astronomer Royal, Lord survival rates monitored using spots of blue dye on their Now the appeal of nature is being promoted as a huge fi llip for the Rees. It provides offi ce space for local undersides. They start life in a specially constructed region’s tourism industry. Three times more people tuned in to businesses and is home to the centre’s ‘smolt’ pond near Stocks reservoir, the fi rst in the UK to follow the animals and plants in the BBC’s recent Springwatch economic and business partnerships team, be built in a wastewater treatment works. The project is series than watched the antics (however wild) of the humans which works to stimulate local economic a collaboration between United Utilities, the Hodder caged in the Big Brother house. Stars of Springwatch were the regeneration and deliver economic benefi t to Consultative and the Environment Agency. golden eagles of Islay in the Hebrides. But the only place in England the region. Forty-fi ve businesses will eventually to see golden eagles is in Cumbria, here in the Northwest. Bosses be based in the centre, with fi fteen scheduled Web search. Source NW has been out and about on at Natural England Northwest say that kind of star quality could to move in by March 2009. The aim is create t’internet looking for little gems to enhance your surfi ng be used to attract more tourists.

5 REGIONAL ROUND-UP

Sammy’s In 2001, salmon returned to the River Mersey Liverpool. Sammy was helped along the way by for the fi rst time in living memory. In June 2007, cyclists, canoeists, rowers, sailors, ramblers and river relay Sammy the salmon (pictured) became the fi rst ferry passengers. His epic adventure marked World of his breed to complete the inaugural River Mersey Environment Day, and celebrated the equally epic Relay – a weeklong journey from the source of clean up that has taken place on the Mersey in the river in Stockport town centre to the sea at the past twenty years.

Parks’ progress

A new network has been set up to coordinate work incorporating £10.9 million from the Northwest on regional parks in the Northwest. The parks aim to Regional Development Agency and £6.9 million strengthen the region’s economy by enhancing some from the ERDF, bringing the total funding of its fi nest natural assets. managed by the project to £91 million. Nine regional parks are now either in place or The money will be spent between planned, with at least one in every county of the 2007–2010, and will allow Mersey Waterfront Northwest. The fi rst of the regional parks, Mersey to support a wide variety of fl agship projects Waterfront, is now well established and plans are and local improvements along 135 km of advanced for parks in the River Weaver Valley in Merseyside and Cheshire coastline. Cheshire, the Ribble Estuary in Lancashire, and Developments will include that of Sefton in East Lancashire. WATER Centre, a water-based recreation centre The new network, Regional Parks Exchange, at Crosby Marina; a new urban park – Liverpool aims to build the capacity of the various partnerships Riverlands – on the former International Garden backing each of the regional parks. Festival site; as well as laser lighting displays, The news comes as the Mersey Waterfront regional public art and improved access to promenades park unveils details of its second phase funding, such as Otterspool, right.

Wrong connections, Gromit!

Are you well connected? According to a recent report buildings, and it’s the owner’s responsibility The report, The Unseen Threat published by the Environment Agency, as many as one to right the wrong connection. to Our Water Quality, looks at how in fi ve homes and businesses could be contributing to But the Environment Agency points out diffuse pollution is affecting rivers, pollution in our rivers, lakes and groundwater. that it’s also down to builders and plumbers to lakes, groundwater, estuaries and If your property has wastewater pipes illegally take more care, and that building regulations coastal waters in England and Wales. connected to clean water drainage systems, your dirty must be enforced. Diffuse pollution occurs when water could be fl owing straight into local watercourses. Tricia Henton, director of environment chemicals or other contaminates The problem occurs when appliances such as protection at the agency, says: “We want disperse onto land or into water. dishwashers, washing machines and toilets have been to see simple checks for wrong drainage It can take hours, days or years to moved or installed and incorrectly plumbed into the connections in the new house seller’s pack. manifest itself. rainwater pipe, which is meant to allow clean rainwater This would raise awareness of the problem If you’re worried about a wrong to fl ow to a local river. It particularly affects post-1960 and reduce its impact.” connection, contact the Environment Agency on 08708 506506.

6 AGENDA

Northwest cleans up

The man who “used to be the next September 28 – October 7 Mersey Basin Week president of the United States” but Annual weeklong celebration of the Northwest’s environment, is now the world’s foremost climate rivers and waterways. Now in its fi fteenth year, thousands of change campaigner, former US vice- volunteers will take part in hundreds of events and activities, president Al Gore, stopped off in the from guided walks to bird watching to habitat restoration and UK recently to present the Ashden maintenance. There are opportunities for individuals, groups awards for sustainable energy. and businesses to get involved. Funding is available to help Three of the prestigious prizes went pay for your events organised as part of the week. to Northwest organisations. Venue: Various around Northwest Winner in the energy effi ciency insulation for over 9,000 homes More information: Bev Mitchell 0161 242 8212 category was business support and loft insulation for over 5,000 more, [email protected] programme ENWORKS, which is saving 12,500 tonnes of CO2 a year and funded by the Northwest Regional reducing fuel bills by over £1.6 million a year. October 16-24 IEMA foundation certifi cate in environmental Development Agency. The judges “No one can attend an event like the management for the construction industry said they were impressed at Ashden Awards and fail to be inspired,” The foundation certifi cate course provides delegates with an ENWORKS’ achievement in helping said Mr Gore. introduction to the key concepts associated with the environment small businesses make major “We must fi nd a path from a present and its relationship with business and construction. The programme energy savings. that still falls short of what’s needed, includes discussion of key environmental management issues, Almost 1,000 businesses are to a sustainable future. What impresses full course notes, practical group work sessions and an IEMA participating in the programme, me most about these projects is they truly certifi ed examination. saving them over £12 million a year are becoming the change that’s needed Venue: Cube, Portland Street, Manchester from a total capital investment of in the world.” More information: Roy Stewart 0870 7771130 only £5.5 million, and reducing Rounding out the trio of Northwest

CO2 emissions by an impressive winners was Woodheys primary school in October 29-30 Northern Regeneration Summit 18,500 tonnes a year. Cheshire, which has reduced its energy use Join over 40 speakers covering key topics including the future Joint winner in the category by over 30 per cent and also created a high of the North under Gordon Brown. The programme promises with ENWORKS was Cumbria Energy quality curriculum that has been widely to assess the achievements of the past year and consider future Effi ciency Advice Centre. In just two praised and replicated. strategies for increasing productivity in the North with high-profi le years it has provided cavity wall www.ashdenawards.org speakers sharing their experiences. Building on the success of 2006’s event, this year’s agenda is currently being researched with those in the regeneration fi eld. Venue: Central Manchester War chest to fi ght climate change More information: www.regeneratingthenorth.com September 18 – December 6 Common Purpose Leaders Programme Funding of £23.5 million has been temperatures by four degrees, equivalent Opportunity to undertake a fi ve day leadership development earmarked to fi ght climate change to the average predicted rise by the 2080s, programme with the theme of developing sustainable communities in the Northwest over the next three concludes the study. in England’s Northwest, run by RENEW Northwest and Common years. The money has been granted “Opportunities need to be taken to increase Purpose. The aim is to bring together managers and regeneration in principle by the Northwest Regional green space cover wherever structural changes practitioners from across sectors to educate them about Development Agency (NWDA) to are occurring within urban areas, as well as regeneration and developing sustainable communities. support the implementation of its planting street trees or developing green Venue: Various climate change action plan, Rising roofs,” says Roland Ennos of the faculty of More information: 0151 703 0135 [email protected] to the Challenge. life sciences, who worked on the project with The money has been ring-fenced Professor John Handley and Dr Susannah Gill in November 1 Ribble Waters Forum and specifi c projects within the action the school of environment and development. The annual look at the issues affecting Lancashire’s River Ribble. plan will now go through the NWDA’s The team also looked at whether city green Featuring presentations, soapbox sessions and video appraisal system to secure funding. spaces can help prevent fl ooding by soaking presentations. Open to the public, private and voluntary sectors. Don’t be surprised if some of the up rainfall – highly appropriate, given this Venue: Woodlands Centre, Chorley money ends up spent on planting summer’s devastating fl oods and the fact that More Information: Bev Mitchell 0161 242 8212 street trees and creating urban by the 2080s experts predict more frequent [email protected] parks. According to a new study storms of greater intensity, delivering up to from the University of Manchester 50 per cent more rain than at present. even a modest increase in city Sadly, the answer appears to be no. greenery could help offset decades Instead, new techniques known as sustainable of temperature rises due to urban drainage will be needed. climate change. The University of Manchester, along with the A ten per cent increase in the city’s Tyndall Centre, is fast becoming a leading amount of green space in built-up light in studying the impacts of climate change. areas would reduce urban surface www.manchester.ac.uk

7 BAZAAR

Why I love… my sandyacht Why I hate… mink By Derek Nixon, treasurer By Paul Corner, of Wirral Sandyacht Club Action Wirral Rivers.

I was just driving down the prom at Hoylake Well, I should say straight off, it’s not the 20 years ago and glanced across when I saw minks’ fault. They’re highly effective predators these strange things going fast over the sand. and are just doing what comes naturally. It sparked my interest straightaway. I made The problems started when humans brought my fi rst sand yacht myself. If I’d gone and them to the UK from America in Victorian bought one of the top-of-the-range yachts times because we liked their fur. right at the beginning, I’d have saved Initially they were kept in mink farms but after myself a lot of money! There were only six of us doing it here several escapes, they began to establish a small population in the back then, so it wasn’t really a club at fi rst. But slowly we wild. Major disaster really struck when animal rights campaigners started getting bigger, going to other club’s competitions began to release them from captivity. and holding regional regattas. They’re now running rampant along many rivers and unlike the Who’s involved in sand yaching? Mainly geriatrics like me. very secretive otters, they can easily be seen in daylight. Mink The average age is 45-50, but in France interestingly, it’s much are ferocious predators and our native water voles have suffered younger, more like 30. You need similar skills to water sailing dreadfully. In the last 20 years numbers have crashed, and current in some respects, but in a boat you’ll never go faster than the trends suggest that they will eventually disappear from 94 percent speed of the wind. We can go three times faster. Sailing a sand of their former breeding sites, which is incredibly sad. yacht is the nearest you’d get to being on a go-kart, except you’re A mink can devastate a small water vole colony scarily fast, speeding along at 50mph. It makes you very religious when the with the female small enough to enter their burrows on a riverbank, wind’s going strong. You can go faster, but the front wheel is a just taking away any protection the have. Entire family groups can be a wheelbarrow wheel, so you don’t really want to be doing 70mph. wiped out in a single attack. In my area on the Wirral peninsular we My best moment was winning the international sandyacht have very small water vole populations and any mink entering these championships in Lytham St Anne’s 12 years ago. I had an older sites will completely annihilate them. At important sites such as yacht then and I’d made my own mast. It was just one of those Dibbinsdale Local Nature Reserve we monitor for the mink. If any days, I thrashed everyone. sightings are made the mink are trapped and humanely destroyed. It’s not the most convenient sport in the world. We only sail Mink don’t belong here and have pushed one of our most when the tide doesn’t cover the sandbank, so we’re a good mile loved mammals to the point of extinction. The fact we got into this out. That’s every two weeks, and there’s only a fi ve-day window. position is a combination of vanity, and a radical viewpoint put You can go out and the sand is in perfect condition, but then into action with willful carelessness. there’ll be no wind, so you wait two weeks. Then it’ll be raining. Now they’re here to stay. To get rid of them would cost So you wait again. The good days are precious. too much in time and money, so we have to put our efforts into We’re hosting the European Sandyacht Championships conserving the water vole sites – habitat loss is another big reason at Hoylake from 5-21 September this year. The council have for the drop in numbers – and helping them re-colonise areas been brilliant and have secured ERDF money to help us run where they once thrived. Otters will have an important role to play, them. We’re expecting 150 yachts. It’ll be quite a sight. and as their numbers increase they will push the mink out of some www.wsyc.org.uk areas, hopefully creating a more natural balance.

9,040 £2.6 billion 10 tonnes the distance in miles of Britain’s coastline, the amount that the environmental sector the amount of CO2 emissions the to which the government, Natural England is worth to the Northwest economy every average Brit is responsible for each and walkers’ groups want to open up an year – not to mention 109,000 jobs. year, according to Defra research. unbroken ‘access corridor’, extending the That’s enough to fi ll 24 million balloons. right to roam. £115 million the amount of extra money that could Two thirds 50% be attracted into the Northwest economy the proportion of people in the UK the amount of people in the Northwest who if its environmental assets were better who believe climate change is entirely have never visited the region’s coastline, marketed, according to a new campaign or mainly a result of human activity. despite it having the longest stretch of launched by Natural Economy Northwest. unspoilt seafront in England. WORDS + NUMBERS

8 BAZAAR

Postcard from...Ulan Bator

Wish you were where: Colleagues and 10,000 gruelling miles of open Graeme Mullin and Mark Whitworth from road. The organisers expect around Envirolink Northwest in Warrington have half the 200 teams to reach the fi nish. taken up the challenge of the 2007 Green credentials: Just to raise Mongol Rally – a journey one-third of the the stakes even higher, Graeme and way around the earth from Hyde Park, Mark have decided to complete the London to the Mongolian capital, Ulan rally as sustainably as possible. Their Bator – in a 2cv. customised 2cv will use a solar panel, A grand tour: Green Team 2cv, and Lofrix grease to increase effi ciency. as they’re known, have chosen the The car has been subjected to thermal Southern route to Ulaan Bator, taking imaging, and Green Team 2cv will be in Germany, Serbia, Greece, Georgia, offsetting their carbon emissions for the Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Russia, entire trip, including their fl ights home. among other holiday hotspots on the Happy campers: Despite the road to Mongolia. risks, Graeme and Mark are looking Holiday of a lifetime: Maybe not. forward to getting on the road. The rally rules state that your vehicle Follow their progress online at must have a maximum one-litre engine, www.greenteam2cv.com throughout so it’s just two lads, two horse power, the summer.

How to...train a river rescue dog

have a remarkable propensity for rescuing awarded bronze, silver or gold medals people from drowning, and were commonly according to how well they complete used as ships’ dogs during the nineteenth a set of exercises. century – a Newfi e on board Napoleon “Newfoundland dogs in this country Bonaparte’s ship is said to have saved him are not used as a safety dog. It’s purely for when he fell overboard one night. exercise and keeping the dog trained to its Alan Price of Newfi e training group Canis origins,” says Alan. “But in France and Italy Major regularly brings his three dogs to train they are used as a rescue dog.” at Sale Water Park near Manchester. “From There’s also a great social side to the twelve weeks onwards we allow the dogs training, he says. “There are approximately to go near water,” he explains. “It’s very 20 people who come regularly, and around Rarely has the phrase gentle giant been rare they don’t start swimming instantly. about 30 dogs. Ours is just one of about six more apt. Newfoundland dogs, or ‘Newfi es’, We don’t use any force, but use a lot of or seven groups in the North of England that combine the size of a grizzly bear with the encouragement. It’s a natural instinct train together. The group has been around temperament of teddy bear. and the fi rst time they do it they seem for about 20 years – I’ve been with them The dogs have a natural affi nity for to just love it.” for six or seven.” water – the fi shermen who fi rst bred them in As the dogs mature, they’re trained Canada’s Newfoundland province used them to do specifi c tasks, such as towing boats. More information: for towing lines between boats. They also Competitions are held with the dogs www.northernnewfoundlandclub.org.uk

Coming...and Going

United Utilities has appointed John Barnes The Mersey Basin Campaign’s former After less than a year at the helm, the into a new senior role – environment and development manager, Iain Taylor, has regional director of Natural England - the sustainability director. Previously John was moved to Peel Holdings to take up the aptly named Richard Leafe - has left to take responsible for United Utilities’ clean water position of funding manager. Iain spent fi ve up the post of chief executive at the Lake operations. He joined North West Water as a years leading the Campaign’s involvement in District National Park. Leafe was interviewed graduate and has worked in various roles for local and European projects, most notably in the last issue of Source NW – we wish the last 12 years, including tackling leakage the creation of the new Speke and Garston him every success in his new role. reduction after the 1995-96 drought. Coastal Reserve in Liverpool, funded by the NWDA and EU.

9 CASE NOTES Words Ciara Leeming Photographs David Oates

Caught in a trap In the fi rst of a regular new series, Ciara Leeming talks to local campaigners about their BRUCE BENDELL, SARAH WHITMAN, RT. HON. JACK STRAW, MP, PROFESSOR PETER BATEY project in Witton Country Park, Blackburn.

IT was 20 years ago that the River Darwen’s litter debris of all sizes into a large metal problem began to bother Sir Bernard de Hoghton. basket, specially imported from America. BEST & WORST Growing up near Chorley during the 1950s, the The litter can then be removed and, where landowner knew the river was polluted. possible, recycled. BEST But it was on inheriting the ancestral Hoghton As the river rises and falls – the Darwen “We chose the right people to Tower estate that the scale of the crisis became clear. is prone to fl ash fl oods – so too does the work with,” says Sarah Whitman, By then, endless rubbish and fl y-tipped material were basket, which even at its lowest remains coordinator of Action Darwen choking the river and its wildlife, and something raised slightly off the riverbed to allow fi sh Valley. “There was a lot of desperately needed to be done. to pass underneath. goodwill and passion involved in the project. If OPEC and our He says: “The Darwen’s a beautiful river but the The trap can remove up to 100 transit vans environmental consultants, APEM, waste that comes down it is horrendous. I’ve seen worth of rubbish from the Darwen each year. had worked to rule when it came eight shopping trolleys in one day, and we get syringes, But the ultimate aim is to draw attention to charging for their time, we nappies and all kinds of other nasties. to – and eliminate – the litter problem in wouldn’t have had enough money “I came up with the idea of a litter trap and did the fi rst place, so the system can one day to make the trap a reality.” some drawings.” be removed. But it wasn’t until 2004 that Sir Bernard’s inspiration “The main message we want to get across WORST moved off the drawing board and into reality, when is that litter belongs in the bin, not in the “We underestimated the Sarah Whitman and chairman Bruce Bendell of Action river,” says Sarah. The trap’s position, close weather,” says Sarah. “Funding Darwen Valley took up the cause and began to gather to the park entrance, was deliberately chosen restrictions meant we had to start the installation process in support around the idea. so that visitors would see the scale of the November but we didn’t get the litter problem. trap operational until April. “We’ve already had interest OPEC managing director James Ilsey We didn’t anticipate the impact believes the concept could be adapted to of bad weather, and weren’t from Edinburgh, the suit other UK waterways: “It can’t be done prepared for such long delays.” on rivers where there is traffi c, but litter is Manchester Ship Canal a problem everywhere, so other areas are watching closely. We’ve already had interest and Thames Water.” from Edinburgh, the Manchester Ship Canal and Thames Water.” THE DARWEN LITTER TRAP Sarah says: “When I started to talk to people The project continues to evolve as time about the idea of a litter trap, I was inundated with goes on. A lockable skip will be put on site, letters of support. People from all over the area who and waste stored – both to let it dry and to love the river wrote to say what a good idea it was. cut down on transport. The overwhelming response we had helped us to Blackburn MP Jack Straw, who offi cially secure funding for the project.” opened the project in June, is impressed. The necessary funding – some £114,000 – was “Our rivers are a vitally important feature granted by the Peter Moores Foundation, Biffaward, the of the landscape and dealing with litter and Healthy Waterways Trust and the Environment Agency, fl y-tipping is vital to both the habitat for allowing detailed plans to be put into operation. wildlife and the public amenity,” he says. The trap, at Witton Country Park, Blackburn, was “The location of this litter trap is also completed in April, and is the fi rst of its kind in Britain. particularly helpful as the river fl ows through Other authorities are now considering following suit. a country park, which is visited by thousands Created by Leeds fi rm OPEC, the design draws on the of local residents every year. company’s expertise in oil pollution control. Two moving “I am sure that it will help to make the booms, stretched across the river channel, defl ect River Darwen an asset to the area.”

10 Help us reward the Northwest’s The awards recognise the outstanding voluntary efforts of individuals, young people and organisations unsung environmental heroes with towards improving the region’s waters and watersides. They are sponsored by Unilever and run by the Mersey the Unilever Dragonfl y Awards 2007 Basin Campaign. Every year prizes worth over £6,000 are handed The overall winner receives a cheque for £2,500 while out to the region’s top environmental volunteers each of the other winners receives a cheque for £1,000. to help fund new and continuing projects. Each winner also receives a handsome trophy made using recycled glass.

11 With summer here at last, Source NW presents fi ve great waterside walks from around the region.

12 Words & photographs by Mark Hillsdon & Colin Shelbourn WALKING ON WATER

01: Merseyside: Wigg Island

It wasn’t long before I came to the fi rst of several viewing screens looking out across the Astmoor Saltmarsh, with the Fiddlers Ferry Power Station lurking in the background. Looking back the other way, the majestic sweep of the Jubilee Bridge glistened in the sun. With a gentle breeze coming in off the Mersey, it’s great to just sit and scan the reed beds waiting for something to pop over and perch on one of the poles or twisted tree stumps that jut up from the marshes. A broad tarmac path runs around the edge of the Hemmed in by the Manchester Ship Canal park, while much of the centre remains closed to on one side and the River Mersey on the the public, although guided tours can be arranged other, not that long ago Wigg Island was just to see how the wildlife is thriving in these more another brownfi eld site, a strip of derelict, protected areas. contaminated land left over from the heyday Crossing rough grassland carpeted with buttercups, of Halton’s chemical industry. a fl ight of steps takes you down to an intriguing disused Now a 25 hectare community park, this stretch of the Latchford canal. The path now sweeps is the perfect place if you fancy something round past the saltmarsh and doubles back through easy-going and not too strenuous on the legs, more woodland and wildfl ower meadows. where the only sound you’ll hear is birdsong Wigg Island is well signposted from Runcorn town and the most pressing decision you’ll need to centre but it is slightly off the beaten track and there’s make is whether to turn right or left. nowhere close for refreshments, so best to bring your I chose left, and was soon in the shade own food and drink. There are regular events all year of a rich tapestry of broadleaved trees and round, from butterfl y weeks to bat walks, and a new thick hawthorn hedges. Rambling dog roses award winning visitor centre opens later this summer. scrambled up into the higher branches, while Find out further details by calling 0151 907 8300. deep purple foxgloves nosed their way up Or call Cathy Elwin at Mersey Waterfront for more against the foliage. waterside walks in Merseyside on 0151 237 3947. In the tree canopy I caught the odd glimpse of a chirping fl ock of goldfi nches, while [CONTINUED OVER] swallows skirted over the grassland hunting for fl ies. Ospreys have been sighted and marsh harriers are also occasional summer visitors.

13 03: Cheshire: Anderton Nature Park

Anderton Nature Park, where walk, including a couple of this ramble begins, is just one bold and beautiful bullfi nches part of the fabulous Northwich that teased me as they darted Community Woodlands. among the silver birches, I say ramble rather than posing for the camera one walk because that’s the best minute than taking off just way to explore this diverse as the shutter clicked. corner of Cheshire countryside, After walking for a couple which links the majestic Marbury of kilometres an unusual site Country Park with various greeted me at Neumann’s 02: Manchester: Chorlton reclaimed sites that have Flash. The fl ash is a large and the River Mersey become a haven for wildlife. stretch of water, once used The whole area is criss- to store lime waste from the If the mood takes you this Works. Take the steps down crossed by the River Weaver chemical industry. Again this is one of those walks where to explore the shady footpaths and the Trent & Mersey has changed the make up you can just go on and on. and ponds, and you’ll soon Canals, and dotted with meres, of the soil, allowing orchids In fact, not only is this stretch discover evidence of the vast ponds and fl ashes, which and other plants not native to of the Mersey part of the Victorian enterprise, such as means in the heat of summer Cheshire to take over, as well Trans-Pennine Trail, but it’s the waist high walls of blue you’re never far away from a as providing habitat for the also a section of the European engineering bricks that were cooling expanse of water. And scarce Dingy skipper butterfl y. Long Distance Path that starts used to separate the old of course, it’s also home to As I approached, fi ve large in Cork and will eventually take settling tanks. the famous Anderton Boatlift. birds were standing on a spit the intrepid walker all the way Back by the river, after The fi rst part of my route, of sand, their heads tucked to Istanbul. roughly 3 km cross over to which started from the car under their wings as they Starting in the car park at the south bank using a bridge park next to the boatlift, took took a snooze. I presumed Chorlton Water Park head left shared with the metro system. in the park’s wildfl ower trail they were common-or-garden around the lake. It’s hard to Here you can continue along (leafl ets are available from the Canada geese until I got believe now, with its mature the Mersey or skirt round boatlift visitor centre nearby). closer and one raised its trees and reed beds, that the the edge of Sale Water Park, The unique conditions in head, revealing a bright red lake’s actually man-made and another legacy of the M60’s this part of Cheshire, where bill. They were in fact black was created by the extraction construction. The lake is salt, lime, ash and clinker have swans which, a group of local of gravel in the 1970s, which now a popular watersports been dumped and extracted birders informed me, had been was used to build the nearby centre complete with its own for years, has allowed an alien there for a few months now, M60 motorway. The park restaurant, Deckers (0161 962 ecosystem to develop, where although they had them down opened in 1978 and is now 0118), on the far shore. plants which thrive in diffi cult as escapees on the run rather a popular oasis in south This is also a great place conditions have taken hold. than migrants blown Manchester that’s home to to see Chorlton’s resident Excellent markers along the off course. an ever increasing list of birds, cormorants, which are often trail tell you what to look out Heading back I stopped off including kingfi shers, kestrels perched high up on the for and the best times to see at Haydn’s Pool where a heron and a whole host of wildfowl electricity pylons when they’re it, from fragrant orchids to the was prowling the shallows, that over-winter on the lake. not out on the water fi shing. strange, slightly prehistoric while overhead a buzzard rode After a couple of hundred Passing Jackson’s Bridge looking Butterbur, and the the thermals and a curlew yards leave the water park and once again, Sale Golf Club pungent ramson, or wild garlic. fl ew past, squawking its join up with the path along the stretches out to your right and Strolling along the Weaver, unmistakable call. This really river, but staying on this side there’s the option to take a dragonfl ies fl it between the was bird watching paradise. reeds and rushes, but it’s the of the Mersey as it meanders detour into Kenworthy Woods www.andertonboatlift.co.uk birdlife that really stands out. along. The river’s broken up in where over 30,000 trees Visitors centre 01606 786 777 places by strategically placed have been planted in recent In fact I counted close on 30 rapids which help to aerate years, along with a community different species during my the water as well as slowing orchard which, at the right time its passage when storms of years, offers up a feast of over the Pennines add to its berries, plums and cob nuts. considerable swell. Crossing over Bailey’s Once you’ve past Jackson’s Bridge, you’re back at Chorlton Bridge, with the Jackson’s Water Park where, if you’re Boat pub on the other side, lucky, an ice cream van may the path starts to follow the well have pitched up in the edge of Chorlton Ees Nature car park. Reserve. The Ees are a natural Mersey Valley Rangers/ fl ood plain to the Mersey and Chorlton Water Park the reserve was, until the 0161 881 5639 early 1970s, the site of the sprawling Withington Sewage

14 05: Lancs: Glasson Dock Walk

A circular, 5.5 km walk along left. Look for the public part of Lancashire’s Coastal footpath sign in the hedge on Path, returning via the Glasson your right, just on the corner, branch of the Lancaster Canal. and go through the wooden Park at Glasson Basin car farm gate. park (follow the signs for East Keep to the hedge on your Quay). Recommended map left (around the stock pen) – OS Landranger series 102. until you come to the stile in the far left corner of the fi eld. THE WALK Cross the footbridge and 04: Cumbria: Leave the car park via the the right of way goes straight Buttermere main entrance and cross the across the fi eld to a pair of road to join the wide, gravel gates in the far left corner. track (signed CONDER GREEN, This is an easy, 6.4 km walk After a few minutes walking, (If feeling benevolent, walk ALDCLIFFE & LANCASTER). around one of the prettiest cross the road bridge over along the fi eld boundary.) Go Turn right and stroll along Cumbrian lakes. There is a bus Gatesgarth Beck and turn through the right gate and then service linking Keswick and right, along the permissive the embankment. This gives diagonally across the next Buttermere. If arriving by car, path between Gatesgarth Farm a splendid view of the estuary fi eld to the far right corner (or park at the pay and display car and the beck. This takes you and, in the distance, the around the boundary). Look park, behind the Bridge Hotel around the farm to a cluster Lakeland fells. The track is part for the solitary tree and you’ll (GR 173169). Recommended of gates. Go through the small of the Lancashire Cycle Way fi nd a footbridge beside it. map - OS Outdoor Leisure 4, gate signed LAKE SHORE PATH and, if you want to avoid bikes, This takes you over the River English Lakes NW Area. and across the fi elds. On the there is a footpath on the Conder and into a narrow fi eld. left, there is a tremendous other side of the concrete wall Go straight across to the THE WALK view of Fleetwith Pike, Hay (but don’t let dogs and children gate opposite and you are on From the Bridge Hotel, return Stacks and Warnscale Beck. roam onto the marsh). the towpath beside the canal. to the road and turn right. At the far side, the path After fi fteen minutes easy (The actual right of way stops After a few metres, bear right, forks. Turn right (signed PUBLIC walking, cross the River Conder at the gate, goes right and through Syke Farm (signed BRIDLEWAY: BUTTERMERE). You via the old railway bridge climbs to a bridge. However, PUBLIC BRIDLEWAY, LAKE cross a vigorous stream, then and come to a sign post. the stile down to the towpath SHORE PATH). Once past the leave the bridleway to go right, Turn sharp right, onto a is a concrete mess, almost farm buildings, there is a view along the lake shore and into tarmac lane, and follow this impossible to negotiate if you of Buttermere, High Stile and Burtness Wood. Like most to the main road, beside The are over size 0 or have a dog). Sourmilk Gill. of this area, the wood is Stork Hotel. Turn right and follow the At the next farm gate, go owned and managed by the Cross the road and turn canal back towards Glasson right, following a permissive National Trust. left. After 50m, turn sharp Dock. There is a variety of path between the fi eld A short distance into the right, down a narrow lane. Take wildlife along here, from swans boundaries, down a short woods, the path forks. Go care as there is no pavement. and coots, to narrowboats and fl ight of stone steps to a path right and keep to the shore After 100m or so, another their owners. You also pass through Pike Rigg woods to for a view of the woods at road comes in from the right. The Mill pub and restaurant, the lakeshore. Hassness, on the far side. Continue straight on, leaving a good spot for a drink on a After the third kissing gate, Continue through the wood to the meandering River Conder hot summer afternoon. look out for Hay Stacks and arrive at a pair of gates. The behind and heading into open Eventually, the towpath Warnscale Beck at the far end path left climbs to Red Pike countryside. arrives back at Glasson Basin. of the lake. The path goes and Ennerdale. Keep right, You pass a number of Make sure you explore the through park land (look out for across the pair of wooden cottages and a couple of dock and sample the excellent sycamore, oak, lime and the bridges, over Sourmilk Gill and footpath signs on your left. tea and chips at the Lock occasional sweet chestnut) Buttermere Dubs. About 150m after Conder Keeper’s Rest. and, after the next gate, Now you have a choice. House, the road goes sharp through a rock tunnel. Watch Straight ahead joins a farm out for the low roof! Back in lane leading back the village. daylight, you drop to a tree- The more attractive alternative lined, shingle beach. goes right, along the edge of Leaving the trees behind, the lake for a classic view of you go through another kissing the lake and mountains. This gate, past a fi r plantation and is the route we take, but bear ahead of you is a dramatic in mind that it may be closed view of Fleetwith Pike. during lambing time. Keep to the shore and The path hugs the shore eventually the path climbs before crossing a beck and to join the road. Keep close veering left to join the outgoing to the wall and watch out path. Turn left and back into for traffi c. the village.

15 WEST– WARD HO!

Every phase of my life has been touched, sprinkled religiously In the second instalment perhaps, by the waters of the River Mersey. No surprise since I think of myself as a Lancashire lad, spurning the linguistic of articles drawn from aberrations of some early seventies Whitehall civil servant, and as a Lancashire lad, it is this river which rises in the the upcoming book Mersey: black-brown moors to the east and kisses the Irish sea in the west that fl ows right through my homeland. the river that changed the world, I was born and spent my fi rst fi ve years above my Mum and Dad’s tobacconist’s shop on Salford’s Regent Road. I look Manchester music legend back to a fi fties heyday when Regent Road was one of the great shopping streets of the North. And why? It could hardly be Antony Wilson immerses unconnected with the fact that less than half a mile away, just down Trafford Road, were the magnifi cent gates of the docks of himself in the musical history the Port of Manchester, the designated terminus for the equally magnifi cent Manchester Ship Canal, built by Manchester men of Liverpool. to combat the hegemony and high taxes enjoyed by the Port of Liverpool at the far end of that River Mersey. Without the Mersey, there would, of course, have been no logical entrance for the great ships that went on to cross the fi elds around Warrington. Eastham, on the south side of the estuary, was indeed the entrance to Manchester, our Ostia. Salford, and in particular Cross Lane Corner where I was brought up, were the intentional and alternate universe to the great port of Liverpool. Those tall stately African seamen I sold snuff and cigarettes to; I was told they were “Lascars”. Knowing now that real Lascars were in fact men of smaller stature recruited from East India, although the word had come to be used to describe any foreign or African seaman serving on British ships under “lascar” agreements.

16 Age fi ve it was off to the country and him kindly: “He was the zealous promoter And grist to the Victorian marketing boom, which a pleasant new detached house on of every useful and benevolent measure renamed the biggest of the millponds as the an estate perched on the side of calculated to aid the progress of general “Roman Lakes” and later went from tourist attraction Strines Road in Marple. It was the civilisation and local improvement.” to fi shing mecca. simplest thing for us kids on the I did my fi rst piece of ‘adult’ work in my My next step towards the sea, took me as surely to estate to climb over a low wooden last year at primary school, doing a project the port at the end of the line, as the Goyt, would rush fence and head off down the steep on Oldknow and illustrating it with blurry black on, merging with the Etherow just beyond Marple and sided, fern layered hillside, crossing and white photos taken on my new Kodak then deep in the belly of Stockport, the Tame, going on a stone and iron railway bridge Brownie 127. to fl ow all the way to the sea. But it was only a short over the Hayfi eld railway line and Those ruins were our Chitchen Itza; just walk from the ruins of Samuel Oldknow’s empire, to a then down an even steeper slope, like the Mayan remains on the Yucatan, these friend’s house on the banks of the Peak Forest Canal encouraged by the sound of fast cracked towers seemed to grow out of the (of which, incidentally, our old boy Samuel was principal running water below, down, down jungle and at the same time seemed to be at promoter and chairman of the committee which fi nanced to the Goyt. the very point of being sucked back into it. and directed its construction). There, just across a mossy stone Maybe it’s the natural origins of the locally bridge over the Goyt, was a muddy quarried stone from which these temples – Liverpool at the dawn of the forest full of wonders. Beneath the to industry – were built but they seemed then ferns and trees, the remnants of as much part of nature as part of man. 60’s – a fresh, vibrant youth old stone buildings would lie, wet, And of course these discoveries on the lichen covered, mossy and inviting banks of the Goyt were my fi rst real encounter culture based on the music to a curious bunch of pre-teens; and with the Industrial Revolution. Dampness is all. then great tunnels and unfathomable But for Samuel Oldknow it was more than the of black America. constructions of the same millstone dampness that helped the weaving; it was grit. By the age of ten I had the power of that water coming down off the It was December 1963, and I can clearly remember discovered that these were the ruins Pennines. He re-routed the Goyt to feed the the Hayes family front room and that twelve inch black left behind by Samuel Oldknow, a ‘Wellington Wheel’, which drove his spindles and white object/trophy that seemed more important gentleman who had founded his mill through an underground shaft. The than that coming Christmas, more important than the and even an orphanage on the banks underground stone-lined tunnels, from death a few months back of the American President, of the Goyt; kindness or exploitation? millponds to drive wheels, were the stuff of more important than anything. And maybe it was. Who knows; though history treats adventure and dreams for young kids like us. With its knowingly “art” sleeve, with its four moody head shots, it was, arguably, the fi rst album.

[CONTINUED OVER]

17 Yes there had been long playing records around for I asked my friend Mike McCartney about planning a mini-documentary on two several years, there had been collections of singles the role of the port in the late 50’s, when groups, a brass band and a beat-bunch and cover versions, but there hadn’t been a thing called passenger liners still made regular crossings called the Beatles, had taken Gordon “an album”; the world, my world had changed, and it was to New York. He described this culture of R&B to the Cavern with a tape machine. this black and white thing that had come down the East afi cionados, a British working class version of The piece never happened and it was Lancs Road via the road called Abbey, that embodied Normal Mailer’s White Hipster, clutching their in a studio session six months later, everything that was new and exciting in our lives. rare imported R&B recordings. He told me how festooned with Liverpool Echo headline Give Andrew Loog Oldham the credit for knowing Long John Baldry, a London blues singer, would cuttings, that the fab four made their the world had changed; he burst into the kitchen of the make regular trips to see him and his brother debuts. But Gordon told me he still Chelsea fl at where the Rolling Stones lived, waving this and their mates and they’d all show had the tape and would I like to hear it. two tone icon in his hand; “Start writing songs lads.” off the latest sounds from the US, brought in Would I? “But we’ve just got these great new Chuck Berry tracks, for Baldry through the docks in the East End, Next day we go to the music Andrew.” “Screw that, start writing.” He knew history while his new Liverpool chums would share library and Gordon puts on the tape. when he saw it. And this album, with most of the songs their trophies acquired through those great Cacophonous, messy, unbelievably self-penned by Lennon and McCartney, was going to docks on the banks of the Mersey. loud and violent, well, noise. change everything. When he explained this phenomena to Unbearably exciting. And it reminded me, a loud bell of memory went off in my me of only one thing. The sound head; “they were young sailors who knew of the Sex Pistols that fi rst night in exactly what the demand was back home Manchester on June 4th 1976. Yes, for these rare pieces of plastic.” it was that fucking amazing. Liverpool at the dawn of the 60’s, a fresh I was shocked to the core. And vibrant youth culture based on the music of delighted. As Mike said to me, black America; and the chance to be top dog “After Hamburg, they had really when you walk down the home gangplank. changed.” Robert Johnston went to the As Michael described these junior sea crossroads; the Beatles had been to dogs, full of themselves ‘cause “they’d Germany. Maybe both had sold their heard these things before everybody else” souls to be able to play the blues. I immediately thought of my fi rst year at Whatever, it was a good deal. university and the Easter term of 1969. Old men and women, don’t think I knew people who knew people who were that the Beatles and the Sex Pistols in the Oxford and Cambridge Drama Group, are the last time this happens; I saw an occasional touring amalgam of the two a trance-emo group from St Albans, universities’ aspiring theatricals. called Enter Shikari, on the 26th of With The Beatles, their second long playing record, That Christmas they had taken Twelfth October 2006 and they sounded their – and the world’s – fi rst album, was history. The Night or some other Bill Shakespeare classic exactly as exciting as Gordon’s tape previous spring, in the school playground, we’d heard to New York. And there they had seen the and Malcolm’s band – which shows rumours that one of the sixth formers had a mate in movie, “Easy Rider”. My God, they were the the true power of the culture of the Liverpool who was going to bring this new band over kings of the King’s Parade. The hottest folk in plantations that found its way who’d just had a minor hit with a single called Love Me East Anglia. They had seen the fi lm of fi lms. to Liverpool. Do. Excitement rose as Please Please Me smashed into They could say things like “far out” and “do And therein lies the sweet and Number One. A visit from the Beatles. Too good to be your own thing in your own time” and they bitter irony of cultural history, that true. It was. It never happened. But we were all in knew how it should sound. For three months again, without this great river and its on the ground fl oor, poring over our transistors on a they were princes amongst men. great port, none of this happens. For Sunday afternoon, so proud when She Loves You stayed Just like those sailors returning to the without the 18th century’s noxious at number one for a record number of weeks. As if it was Mersey Estuary, laden with priceless gifts, trade in brutalised humanity, there us. But it was us. It was youth. It was our youth. It was not of frankincense and myrrh but of shellac would never have been the blues and the revolution. And it came out of the mouths and minds and vinyl. And Paul and John ate them up, without those fl attened seventh notes, of these four young heroes from the other end of the digested them and regurgitated a music no rock and roll. No life. No Beatles. A580. No longer was Liverpool the place to board the that would change the world. To quote the Fugs “Nothing, nihil, nada.” ferry to Douglas and the Isle of Man. It had become the And yes, the Beatles were never centre of the world. This album was going as bluesy as their contemporaries, And the role of the port on the Mersey is mythically the Stones or the Animals or Georgie acknowledged as central to this great spark of creativity. to change everything. Fame from Leigh; but it was still the Rock and roll was, is and always will be about infl uences heartbeat of the revolution which they fl owing over and around each other and the constant and If you think of those fi rst singles, they were led from the front. most vital infl uences are always Africa and Europe. By centred on pop, with the R&B infl uence lurking Ah yes, Liverpool and the slave 1962, the epiphany kicked off in Memphis by Elvis Presley only in the inspirational background. In fact trade. Or rather Liverpools. By the had waxed old and cold. Rock and roll had become East it wasn’t until the fourth or fi fth release, the 1750s, after Liverpool had seen off the Coast high school pop; saccharine and empty. In Britain Twist and Shout EP, that one got a real feel of ports of Bristol and London and began to all you had was the low-cal Presley copies like Tommy the vibrant, shouty, blues background to this dominate the Atlantic triangular slave Steele. But the undercurrent which inspired Elvis and his teen combo. But that must have been George trade, there were two more Liverpools, confreres, rhythm and blues, race music, was feeding Martin and EMI smoothing out the early one on the River St Paul in what is now the hearts and souls of a new British underground. And records because many years later in the late Liberia and another to the north on Rio the steady drip of this raw, emotional, “new” music was 80’s, a lovely old sound man at Granada called Pongas in modern Guinea. Both were travelling with the Gulf Stream, across the Atlantic. Gordon told me a story of how Johnny Hamp, slaving centres.

18 But it’s somebody else’s job litanies in those American fi elds. His sons and rasp of the early Dylan) and fi nally add in emancipation. to talk about these failures of daughters and their children began to use As Jones points out; slavery didn’t create the blues, humanity. Mine to recount the America as a reference.” emancipation did. For it was only when this culture came one truly remarkable by-product At the heart of this new American music out of the fi eld, when there was no point in singing about of those miserable journeys for so was what was long misunderstood as primitive bales of cotton or catching fi sh in a long forgotten Africa. many of the people of West Africa. or the unskilled nature of the primitive (when The slave diaspora spread to the cities and instead of The creation of the music that has will we ever learn?) seen as the strangeness writing songs for a work team to sing, it became songs covered the globe for the last and out of tune quality emanating from their for an individual to sing. It became personal. For all the fi fty years. “crude” instruments. Classical musicologists incredible gifts of African tonality that changed popular At fi rst it was a bit of shock spoke of the “aberration” of the diatonic scale culture in the West, the personal theme of the blues for we civilised westerners; “Why in African music. That geezer Kriebel quite also lingers on monumentally. savages who have never developed beautifully describes the “tones which seem a musical or other art should be rebellious to the Negro’s sense of intervallic Oh, Lawd, I’m tired, uuh supposed to have more refi ned propriety are the fourth and seventh of the Oh, Lawd, I’m tired, uuh aesthetic sensibilities than the peoples diatonic major series.” Ah, the fl attened Oh, Lawd, I’m tired, uuh who have cultivated music for seventh, the augmented fourth. You naughty Oh, Lawd, I’m tired a dis mess centuries passes my poor powers boys. It just didn’t occur to these white of understanding.” H.E. Kriebel supremacists, as we should justly call these “So tired, tired of waiting, tired of waiting for you”, in 1914 used the word “poor” blinkered art critics, that perhaps the Africans wouldn’t you say, Mr. Davies? But enough of plagiarising rhetorically. In fact he was entirely were not using a diatonic scale but an African the Mr Jones who did “know what was happening” accurate – his understanding was scale, a scale that would seem ludicrous when and let me refer to my beloved guitarist Vini Reilly, the worse than poor – and entirely analysed by standard western musicology. renowned instrumentalist of the Manchester band, misguided, as the civilised western The fl attened seventh, like the E-A-B7 chord the Durutti Column, but also, to me, the source of folk who six years later were dancing sequence, are not the blues; they are just profound mathematical insight into music (and music is to the West African Ashanti dance, faltering efforts of one music culture to maths and vice versa). He explained to me that “in our or Charleston, could have told him. defi ne the other in its own terms. classical world, in a Perry Como song, the intervals are mathematically correct, they are logical and expected. Just like those sailors returning to the Mersey, But when you hear the blues notes, the augmented fourth, the fl attened seventh, they are not logical, they laden with priceless gifts of shellac and vinyl. are a shock. In simple terms they are wildness. You expect, deep down in your psyche, a note to go some The blues is only as old as slavery, For example, it leaves out rhythm, place, but it goes somewhere else. You are surprised, or more particularly the end of and though the Negro slave had to pretty you are shocked, and you are excited.” slavery, for its profound development soon leave out rhythm himself – drums were Vini went on to talk about Gershwin’s desire to comes only with abolition and the forbidden as seen as provoking passion and feed these different intervals into his work only to movement of the American Negro revolt – quite rightly – the syncopated patterns be frustrated by the solidity of a concert orchestra. into the world beyond the plantation. that had been used for communication, so Vini points out the role of the guitar where notes can But it begins with the American much more complex than the primitive Morse be bent, and highlights the role of the bottleneck so work songs, which of course have code we westerners had once imagined as beloved of BB King and all the white blues players; their origins in West Africa. L. Jones, the use of drums, were actually the phonetic whether or not this was used because of fi ngers whose book “Blues People” I will reproduction of words themselves. damaged by intense manual labour, certainly it makes now shamelessly steal from (well Add to this the counter calling of the the notes as fl uid as the tonalities of their West African isn’t that what Eric Clapton and Pete work song and its development into the origins. He also told me about that other blues standard instrument, the harmonica, how the tines wear down quickly and notes begin to wander, again allowing this all-vital blending and distorting of melody. And then there’s the chord structures that grow out of this non-diatonic system and inform the entire world of rock and roll. And again Vini defi nes the unexpected nature of this non-European mathematics; “a sound, a feeling that is shocking, that is extreme, that is at heart rebellious.” How appropriate, how inevitable, that the sound of an oedipal culture is defi ned by the rebellious mathematical progressions of the blues from Western Africa via the slave ships of the Mersey and the plantations of the Southern states. And how strange that my story begins in the hills below the moors, on the banks of the Goyt, with my fi rst taste of an Industrial Revolution, and Townsend did for heaven’s sake from repetition of the fi rst three lines of the takes me downstream to the Irish Sea and to the the great blues guitarists) points to classic blues; add to this the rejection two great progenitors of the Industry of Revolution the music – songs – of the second of “beautiful singing” and the preference that has shaped my life and, thank God, continues generation of slaves: “The African for raucous, husky, natural tones (and here to do so. slave had sung African chants and all I can think of is the almost unbearable

19 SPOTLIGHT Words Matthew Sutcliffe

Martin Beaumont Chief executive of the Co-operative Group, whose leadership on green issues recently won him a Northwest Business Environment Award.

These days everyone from politicians to pop stars “We are looking to generate about 15 per No surprise then that the claims to be at the forefront of the fi ght against climate cent of our own energy. We built our fi rst wind Co-op’s environmental leadership change. It is, they say, a question of leadership. farm on our land in Cambridgeshire, with eight was recently recognised with the So it’s instructive that the fi rst thing you notice turbines. We want to increase that to 14, and Queen’s Award for Enterprise. But when visiting the Manchester head offi ce of Martin we have three other wind farms in the planning how does Beaumont see his own Beaumont, chief executive of the Co-operative Group, stages,” adds Beaumont. leadership role within the company? is where it is. Or, more pertinently, where it isn’t. The group has also increased its energy “Leadership on a matter as Where it isn’t, is at the top of the CIS tower, reduction target to an impressive 25 percent important as this has to come commanding majestic views over the rolling Pennines, by 2012. from the top. And I believe that we the Cheshire plain and the bustling Manchester “We are spending £7 million in our stores will only meet our goal if our staff skyline, as might befi t the captain of the Northwest’s to reduce the amount of electricity they use, are completely aligned to it and biggest company. but the payback is massive. You are talking committed to it and support it and about a 12 month payback time, so there’s extol it to our customers.” “98 percent of the group’s a very, very strong business case.” It’s to demonstrate to staff the The company also runs the country’s commitment of senior management electricity comes from largest recycling centre for offi ce waste that Beaumont is happy to be paper, collecting 5,000 tonnes every year photographed opening wind renewable sources.” (by electrical powered lorry) and turning it farms or unfurling the fl ag of the into Co-op loo rolls and kitchen tissue. Queen’s Award for Enterprise. Instead, Beaumont’s seat of power is next door Beaumont is as brand conscious and Looking to the future, Beaumont in a rather humbler block, in the shadow of the CIS media savvy as any chief executive you could says: “Our major competitors are tower. Perhaps though, this suits him better, for it allows wish to meet. But that’s not what drives the clamouring to get on board with views not from the tower, but of it. And what a view, for company’s commitment to the environment. many of the things that we at the the tower is now clad in the UK’s largest array of solar It is, he says, at the heart of the company Co-op have been doing for years. panels. It is his company’s ability to ally business with and what it stands for. I think we are at a real turning point.” the environment that Beaumont has agreed to talk about. “Our brand is essentially the fact that “Companies today with any medium to long term we are consumer owned. We were originally perspective can see that their business will be damaged established by customers to supply reliable, unless, a) we successfully start tackling the impact of safe food, and 160 years later we are still at TURNING POINTS climate change, and b) they are seen by consumers as the forefront. 1971 Graduates from Cambridge a brand that can be trusted with the environment.” University with a degree in Fine words, but any forward thinking chief executive “I think we are at a real Economics and Land Economy. worth his salt these days needs to be able to speak Starts work as a trainee the language of climate change. Think of Jeff Immelt turning point.” accountant with KPMG. at General Electric, Wal-Mart’s Lee Scott or Stuart Rose 1990 Joins United Co-operatives at M&S. Question is, what is the Co-op doing to prove “We are there to provide the services as chief fi nancial offi cer. its environmental credentials? and products that our customers want but to 1992 Becomes chief executive The answer is quite a lot. do it in a way that addresses their concerns of United Co-operatives. “We’ve undertaken a whole series of initiatives – about how business operates, and climate almost all the electricity we use is now green,” change is now almost certainly their number 2002 Becomes chief executive says Beaumont. In fact, 98 per cent of the group’s one concern. of the Co-operative Group. electricity comes from good quality renewable sources “Failing to respond to that challenge would 2007 Announces his retirement – including, of course, those solar panels on the CIS be hugely damaging to our brand and to our to spend more time following his tower, which generate enough electricity to make ownership structure and everything else beloved Everton FC and looking nine million cups of tea a year. because that is what we are there to do.” after his fl ock of Soay sheep.

20 BUSINESS Words Jo Birtwistle Photographs Courtesy BUPA and United Utilities Great Britain Days Why are businesses giving their money and employees’ valuable time to help the communities in which they work?

In June this year government Woodhouse arranges community events for their water bill – but says benefi ts are still tangible, such ministers proposed creating Britain employees in the area. She says the package as giving staff a chance to gain a better understanding Day, an extra bank holiday on which is worth the cost: “Having someone else of the communities they work in. “A lot of the challenges people would be encouraged to source the challenges is worth paying for. are in the less affl uent areas of Liverpool. People go give time to their communities, “Somebody else has gone out, they’ve over there and see things they wouldn’t normally see,” recognising the “local focus” of carried out a recce of these community she says. people’s contribution to society. organisations and they know what needs doing Awareness that companies encourage such active But many Northwest businesses and how many people are needed. That would engagement is also helpful when it comes to attracting are already giving their staff time be a lot of work for me.” new staff. “It just gives that wow factor,” says Hanlon. off to volunteer for charitable and Louise Hanlon, human resources “There is a lot of discussion in the company about community causes. community connections consultant for Bupa, getting more out of corporate social responsibility than agrees: “Initially you need that support and just good will in the bank. Yes, there is a PR element “You’ve got to get guidance. You can’t just jump out, attract but that’s secondary.” community partners and get it right. You’ve the experts in and got to get the experts in and you’ve got to Joanne Birtwistle is a journalist for North West build on that process.” Business Insider magazine. you’ve got to build BITC is just one of many organisations that on that process.” deliver business volunteer programs. Here are some more to consider: Bupa and United Utilities are two such companies. They work with Charity BTCV has a successful history of environmental conservation volunteering throughout Business in the Community (BITC), the UK. Employee volunteering with BTCV can be a charitable organisation celebrating arranged in several ways, depending on what you its 25th anniversary this year, which want to achieve, and it offers team challenges, arranges community events for secondments and individual volunteer days too. companies to get involved in. Visit www.btcv.org.uk or ring 01302 388 888 ‘Cares’ is the BITC vehicle for CSV (community service volunteers) is the UK’s employers to support their staff to Both Woodhouse and Hanlon tailor the largest volunteering and training organisation. get involved in the communities in challenges to benefi t volunteers on The charity was founded in 1962 by Mora and which they operate – addressing a personal level. Both say they are a good Alec Dickson, who also founded Voluntary Service local needs and strategic tool for assisting career development. Team Overseas (VSO), with the philosophy that everyone business issues at the same challenges are appointed a team leader, who should be able to take part in the life of their time. Membership packages are is trained by BITC, and who is expected to community. Visit www.csv.org.uk or call Lesley based upon a set number of team take on responsibilities such as sourcing Nicholls, employee volunteering development challenges a year for each company. the materials needed for a project, which manager on 020 7643 1427 In 2006/07 a gold package, offering in turn develops negotiation and The Mersey Basin Campaign’s own Mersey Basin up to 88 employee volunteer places, communication skills. Week is taking place between 28 September costs £5,000 plus VAT; silver (up Team projects are also great for morale and 7 October 2007. This annual event aims to to 55 employees) costs £3,000 and team building, while the opportunity encourage people and businesses to get involved plus VAT and bronze (up to 22 staff) to work on projects with other businesses with practical activities on and around the watercourses of the Mersey and Ribble basins. costs £1,500 plus VAT. Individual gives a benchmark to compare how they go Last year over 5,000 people took part in more volunteer packages and one-off about things and an opportunity to share than 280 events and conservation activities team challenges can also best practice. such as clean-ups, habitat creation and be arranged. Woodhouse admits that there is no footpath maintenance. Contact Bev Mitchell on As United Utilities’ Liverpool commercial gain to community engagement for [email protected] or 0161 242 8212. 2008 sponsorship manager, Sue United Utilities – people won’t spend more on

21 Edwin Colyer is a Manchester based freelance journalist who has written for the Financial Times and New Scientist. He is a regular contributor to Source NW magazine. THE LIFE AQUATIC

22 This summer Liverpool played host to the World Canals Conference, the annual international gathering of canal and boating enthusiasts, as it came to the Northwest for the fi rst time. Source NW took the opportunity to ask people who enjoy the life aquatic around the world why they love their unique lifestyle.

France Bill & Nancy Koenig Barge Eclaircie

“The idea of barging in France came to us out We love everything about boating, the peaceful country of the blue while we were deciding what to do in moorings, the excitement of cruising somewhere new retirement. We had been planning to do a road and the pleasure of returning to favourite and familiar trip around the States with friends, but when this moorings, but the best part of boating is the people. boating idea hit, we knew it was a better choice From the moment we bought our barge, we were for us. We had rented boats a couple of times on welcomed into the boating community by new friends the Burgundy Canal, and been to France several who were Australians, New Zealanders, Swiss, Dutch, times on vacation, and we knew right away that British and Americans. In our last homeport of Roanne barging in France was the right idea for us. most of our neighbours were foreign like us; now in Paris This is our very fi rst boat, so we had no idea all of our barge neighbours are French, many of them how nice this life would be. The warmth of the young families, like the French doctor, his wife and two boating community was a wonderful surprise small children who are our next door neighbours. for us. This is the fi rst place we have lived where it doesn’t matter what you do or used to do in life. There is that common bond of boating − “We were welcomed by new that’s all you need. There are not many communities that are as diverse, as interesting, or as welcoming friends – Australians, New as the barging community. We feel very lucky to live in this ‘moving village’. Zealanders, Swiss, Dutch, For the last six years, we have wintered in Roanne from October to April, and cruised peacefully along France’s 8,000 km of waterways British and Americans.” from spring to fall. Last September we came to Paris, and now we plan to stay here for at least It is not necessarily an easy life – there’s constant a couple of years to experience city life. There boat maintenance – but never once has this life is no other way of life where you can moor in fallen under our expectations. We had no idea that a beautiful French village, and stay there for a living on a barge could be so much fun.” week or two if you like, then move on and live in the heart of a city.

23 Belgium Canada Frederic Logghe Barrie & Carole Grant Barge Watergeus Narrowboat Mañana

“I’ve really got into boats over 20,000 euros; they don’t go “We are used to watery living. You get used to the small the past seven years, since I’ve for less than 60,000 now. It is In 1990 we sold our house in space, although our new barge been working with friends and getting hard to fi nd a mooring Canada and moved onto a 45ft will feel huge in comparison to helped them restore old boats too. In Belgium it is still OK, sailboat in Vancouver, then the narrowboat. The narrowboat and refi t barges. But living in a but in places like London it is moved just over the border to has all the normal mod cons boat has always been a bit of a practically impossible – and can Seattle. But the winters were boy’s dream for me, though my be expensive too if they charge too cold so we sailed south to “We sailed south parents never liked the idea and by the length of the boat San Diego and stayed there for I thought I’d never have enough Fortunately in Belgium a year or two. money. I was lucky and bought there’s a fi xed price for mooring Then we headed even to San Diego and an old barge cheap off a friend so I have plenty of space in my further south and set up a so I have been living my dream 38m boat at no extra cost! marina service business in stayed there for for a year now. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We It is particularly the stayed there for ten years, a year or two.” boat itself that attracts me “ Living in a boat but during that time bought to the lifestyle. I don’t like a narrowboat in England. To – a double bed, fridge, shower, seeing boats scrapped, has always been escape the deadly hot humid electricity and butane stove. especially historical boats. Mexican summers and our The toilet is a portaloo type I’m trying to renovate and a bit of a boy’s work we would fl y over to which you have to dump every fi t this boat in a historically England and drift down the four or fi ve days and you have accurate way. dream for me.” ‘cut’ for 3-4 months every to keep on top of the laundry, Most of the people I summer until we had been although it dries wonderfully know here in Belgium don’t Maintenance on an old boat on almost every canal in the engine room. But the move around with their boats. like mine can get expensive too. in England. inconveniences are small. When barges like this become I have hatches that are leaking We always said that once houseboats they are usually and it is going to cost me 3,000 we were no longer having fun not fi t for sailing – that’s why euros to get them fi xed. Plus, where we were, we would move they’ve been converted in the all the time your boat is rusting on. Doing business in Mexico fi rst place. And houseboat away. You need to constantly got really frustrating, so 18 people often don’t have maintain it and every fi ve years months ago we left and took experience of piloting one. take it to the boat yard for an up residence in our English There are 14 house barges in inspection and the possibility canalboat, but that’s not the Bruges. Only one is owned by that plates need doubling or end of the story. We’ve just an ex-skipper and he only takes replacing. advertised our 45 ft sailboat If the weather is bad and you the boat out occasionally. Some people think you and our narrowboat for sale can’t get out, you just pull up on Houseboats used to be a are freer living on a boat. I just and bought a Dutch barge – or the side of the canal and read a cheaper living option, but now think it is something you have the shell of one – in Sandwich, book. Living afl oat is just about it is hyped so it has become to choose because you really Kent, which we will fi t out making a few lifestyle choices. very expensive. There was want to do it, and I’m proud before going off to explore the That’s what we’ve done and a time when you could get that I did.” 10,000km of European waterways. we thoroughly enjoy it.” an ex-commercial barge for

24 Ireland England – Oxford Canal Colin Becker Mike Ballinger Gentlemans Steam Yacht Narrowboat Branwell Chang Sha

“I just love messing about in There’s been a real change It can be quite cramped, boats. I love the water and here in Ireland. When we but the boys love it. Joe has watersports and it’s only started boating it was kind of only fallen in once! We’ve taken since I’ve spent a long time on amateurish with people buying them swimming since they were boats that I’ve got interested old boats and converting them three months old. Joe is now in industrial archaeology, But the Celtic Tiger a strong swimmer and he just particularly old boats. We don’t economic boom has brought swam to the bank. live on our boat, but we do use in a huge amount of money. We love the freedom to go it all year round. During the out on the boat. We do two or winter it is a like a weekend “People have three trips during the year (we cottage in the water, on are less fl exible now Joe is at Lough Derg at the bottom the local school) and a long of the Shannon. bought boats cruise each summer. You see Once summer comes we things you just don’t by car. It might take a weeklong trip up that wouldn’t be is a very different journey to go the Shannon and then across “A long time ago my wife into Birmingham or Manchester to Lough Erne, or just mooch out of place on and I didn’t know where we by boat. You have no inkling you around locally and visit some wanted to live - we thought if are in a big city until you step of the other harbours. the Med.” we had a boat we could move off the boat and wham – you The inland waterways around. If we got a job up are in the metropolis! network in Ireland is much less Large numbers of people have north we could just go there extensive than in England. The gone out and bought a luxury on the boat. “ Joe has only main haunting ground is the boat that wouldn’t be out of The fi rst time we got into Shannon-Erne system, which is place on the Med. They’ve our boat we’d never been on fallen in once!” mainly river and lake navigation. come onto the system with no one before. There’s also the Grand Canal previous experience and aren’t That was 15 years ago Modern society is stressful and Barrow Navigation and the afraid to spend money on and now we have our two boys. for a lot of people – they are Royal Canal which is due to their hobby. Joe is fi ve years and Isaac is living for their mortgage, their re-open next year. The growing number of 22 months. Four people on car, their holidays. Boating We tend to make our boaters is putting pressure a narrowboat can get quite is very relaxed – you can tell longer trips in a series of long on the system, especially interesting, though we are whether people are at the weekends. The car shuffl ing the waterside amenities and lucky because we’ve bought beginning or the end of their can be a real pain in the neck, sanitary services. The Shannon a fi eld next to our mooring boating holidays. When you live driving to where you start out is heavily used in a few critical so there’s room for the boys on a boat the slower pace of and having to drop off a car places, but there are still to run around outside. Our life slowly gets instilled in you. where you expect to fi nish, plenty of places you can boat is also well designed, People don’t seem to be quite but it is still worth it. It’s hide and no-one will fi nd you so the boys can have a as stressed. A boat is a good the relaxation. for days.” bedroom each. stress reliever.”

25 ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION

High-rise heroes Source talks to Sarah Williams, information assistant on the RSPB’s Manchester Peregrines – Aren’t Birds Brilliant project. Sarah has spent the summer watching the nesting falcons in Manchester city centre, and encouraging the passing public to get to know their feathered neighbours via a camera linked to the BBC’s nearby Big Screen.

What’s been your role in the Manchester RSPB an ideal opportunity to reach people What’s the commonest question you’ve Peregrines project? I’m one of three paid staff who wouldn’t usually visit our reserves or be been asked? Why have they chosen to nest who manage the project day-to-day. That means aware of birds at all. The organisation was actually in Manchester? The answer is that peregrine standing out in Exchange Square in all weathers founded in Manchester, in Didsbury, so it’s great numbers are increasing, and they’re searching – often with a big plastic sheet over our table that this project has been able to show Mancunians for new territories. For them, the tall buildings to stop everything getting soaked! We keep the such an amazing bird on their own doorstep. of Manchester are very similar to the cliffs public informed about the falcons’ activities, they’d nest on in the countryside. They can sit as well as raising awareness of the RSPB and What kind of reaction have you had up there safely and observe their territory. And its work. We’re helped by a team of RSPB from people in Manchester? People have the food supply is great, as they catch small volunteers, aged 18–70. been overwhelmed and excited – often they birds like pigeons and lapwings on the wing. haven’t believed us at fi rst. We’ve had to really It’s important to note, though, that they’d How did you get involved? I actually studied encourage them to come over to the telescope never dent those populations in the city. languages at university, but afterwards I went and see for themselves that there’s a real travelling to South America. I fi rst got involved peregrine up there. A lot of people have come What does the future hold for the falcons? with conservation work on a project in Ecuador. back for a second or third time, and some visit The chicks will learn to fl y, then stay for another I’d seen lots of amazing places, like the on a weekly basis to check the chicks’ progress. six to eight weeks until they’ve got their adult Galapagos Islands and the rainforest, which Most people don’t expect to see any nature in feathers and their wings are strong enough to really opened my eyes to our environment and the city centre, but there’s so much if you look fl y away and hunt for themselves. They’ll be told the way it’s under threat. Before this project, far enough. I think this has opened people’s when to leave the nest – their parents won’t I worked on promoting recycling, so I’m trying eyes to notice birds and insects and so on tolerate them staying longer, because they do to gain as much experience as possible. in the future. like their own space.

Why did the RSPB decide to focus on the Has the media picked up the story Will you miss them? I will. We’ve become Manchester peregrine falcons? They knew the too? Yes, the falcons have featured in the very attached to the chicks, having watched peregrines had been here for about four years. Manchester Evening News and they’ve been them grow. We’ve worried when we couldn’t Last year they had four chicks, thanks to the on BBC Northwest Tonight – the chicks were see them, as if they were our babies too. But Manchester Birding Club putting up a nesting even named by viewers. Lots of people came I think there’s a good chance that the project box, and now they’ve returned to the same site. specifi cally because they’d seen them on TV. will return next year, if the falcons come back. Also, the peregrine falcon is a popular bird – it’s It’s like a soap opera, because the chicks the fastest in the world, travelling at up to 220 change every day. We think we’re watching For more information, visit www.rspb.org.uk miles per hour when it swoops – and the fact them, but I think the male is really watching us that they’re now coming into our cities gave the – his eyesight is 300 times stronger than ours.

26 THE SHARP END

Emma Jones is managing director of Redbrick Enterprises, a consultancy that specialises in encouraging and supporting home enterprise. She also edits the homeworking website www.enterprisenation.com. Emma’s company is currently managing a project called Homeworking in England’s Northwest that aims to increase the number of home-based businesses and homeworkers across the region. DO YOUR GREEN HOMEWORK Want to be greener and more effi cient at work? Then stay at home, says Emma Jones.

Earlier this year I experienced a Ah. All fi ne suggestions, but where is the in commuting time are also eliminating 47,400 tonnes momentary surge of emotion, albeit mention of homeworking? Rather than changes of travel-related CO2 emissions. mixed, on reading the news that to one’s diet, how about changes to one’s BT is not the only company to have seen the the government is to issue ‘green working practices? Changes that mean staying economic and environmental benefi ts of homeworking. pledge cards’. at home and working in a home offi ce for the German electronics and engineering giant Siemens This is how David Cracknell, day rather than clogging up the roads and is also at it. A report in 2004 by James Goodman, a political editor of The Sunday motorways by commuting to an offi ce where, sustainable development expert at the respected Forum Times (surprisingly balanced in its frankly, you will get less work done anyway. for the Future, showed Siemens saving up to 12 miles environmental reporting), covered per day, per employee, by introducing homeworking. the story: Why clog up the The same report calculated that homeworking “Households across the country reduces private car traffi c by three percent, with are to receive a “green pledge card” roads and motorways a potential for this to rise to a saving of ten percent and leafl et from the government by 2010. about how they can help to combat commuting to an The RAC Foundation agrees. Its report Motors or climate change and do more for offi ce where, frankly, Modems predicts that fl exible working could cut the the environment.” worst peak traffi c by up to ten per cent within fi ve So far, so good. (I was ignoring you will get less work years. Achieving a reduction of this size in commuting, my concerns about the government’s business travel, shopping and personal trips would save wisdom in sending out pledge cards done anyway? 14.5 billion miles a year. This equates to 17 million cars in the fi rst place, which smacks of foregoing a trip from Land’s End to John O’Groats, the nanny state, in deference to The evidence that homeworking is good or about three years’ growth in car and taxi traffi c supporting any effort to encourage for the environment is overwhelming. The case at today’s rates. environmental responsibility). is particularly well made by BT. The company As well as reducing peak traffi c congestion, The article continued: says that, over a 12 month period, its fl exible homeworkers make effi cient use of buildings, as proven “Families will be encouraged to working scheme, which includes homeworking by a study of home-based civil servants in Sheffi eld. buy energy-effi cient light bulbs, drive as a key component, has saved employees the The study found that homeworkers use half the energy their cars less, cut down on short- equivalent of 1,800 years of commuting time. of offi ce-based colleagues during working hours. haul fl ights, recycle their household This not only makes for a happier These are just the kind of savings that the waste, properly turn off televisions workforce – BT home-based employees are government is looking to achieve and so should surely and computers, buy more seasonal seven per cent more content than offi ce be encouraged on that little green card. and locally produced food – and based peers – it also makes for a signifi cant even consider adopting changes contribution to the environment. The same BT to their diet.” employees that are saving thousands of hours

27 With increasing pressure on That’s why we’re proud to have sponsored the Unilever Dragonfl y Awards for the last 15 the world’s natural resources, years, recognising the volunteers whose efforts we believe that promoting have revitalised the rivers and watersides of the Northwest. sustainable water use is more Over the years the awards have honoured important than ever. some outstanding and inspirational volunteers, and the search is now on to fi nd this year’s winners. To enter or make a nomination, contact Bev Mitchell on 0161 242 8208 or [email protected] Our concern for water quality is also why Unilever continues to support the Mersey The Water Adventure Centre, Basin Campaign, which for 20 years has winner of a Unilever Dragonfl y Award 2006. played a crucial role in the transformation of the region’s watercourses.