2007 in Pictures

Some of the images from the 90th Anniversary Year of 2007 from meetings and events. This has been one of the easiest online slide show creators to use, and can be edited and re-edited to get the effects you desire.

Quiet now until 2008

Bit of a lean spell for news to post but things are bubbling in the background....

First event booked in the diary. A showing of Black Gold film at The Blue Box Theatre in Chorlton on Wednesday 27th February as part of Fairtrade Fortnight. A proper theatre, a biggish screen and we need an audience. A co-operative effort between South Manchester Members Group, Members Relations and Withington Co-op Party. There is a short video interview with Marc and Nick Francis at BBC Film Network where they talk about the making of the film, and why it isn't a conventional campaigning movie.

Re-structuring of the Co-op Party in the North to be announced, will there still be a Withington branch? New "The Co-operative" membership cards to all former United members coming in January. Makes it easier to rack up some points to qualify for a dividend cheque every year, especially if you have some of their financial services - insurance, banking etc..

Cameron's Mutual Gloss

When David Cameron made his "Conservative Co-operative" speech last month he set the hares running in co-operative politics. There is a short article in this month's Progress magazine by Peter Hunt, General Secretary of the Co-op Party.
"Mutual gloss : Cameron's support for co-operatives is a cynical political stunt"

Mr.D.Cameron is reported to make more announcements in January. We'll see.

Salford City Radio

At a recent co-op event I was talking to Cllr. Jim King from Salford about the launch of Salford Community Radio. Jim is a well known co-operator, well i know him, and he's doing the arrangement committee bit for next year's Co-op Party Annual Conference. He's even managed to find time to have his own radio show "King's Questions" which is "interviews with CEO’s or Senior Managers who run public services for the people of Salford, together with a selection of their favourite tracks."

The station is run as a social enterprise. There is a story about it the current issue of Co-op News..."Community radio stations are springing up all over Britain and it is vital that the Co-operative Movement gets involved" says Jim. Not sure about springing up, it took six years for Salford to get it's first own radio station.

Salford City Radio on 94.4 FM or online. Jim's show is broadcast Wednesday 1700h-1800h, repeated Sundays 1100h-1200h.

Black Gold Award

Congrats to the makers of 'Black Gold', Nick and Mark Francis, co-directors and co-producers who won the award for "best achievement in production" at the British Independent Film Awards in London.

There are plans in hand to show the film, free of charge, to members and non-members as part of Fairtrade Fortnight 25th February - 9th March 2008. If you can't wait until then, the DVD is available now.

Co-op Values in Schools

The Co-operative Party set out to publish policy documents on all the major subjects at the beginning of the year- and education is in there. Always an expensive and controversial subject in politics. Should you wish to read a summary - it's here

There is also "Co-operative values make a difference: in the curriculum and governance of schools" was originally published in September by The Co-operative College. Click here to access the pdf version. Written by Mervyn Wilson and Cliff Mills, foreword by Ed Balls MP, and an introduction by Peter Marks, CEO of The Co-operative. Lots of pictures to break up the text. Co-operative trusts for schools? I think a lot of people would buy into that.

Great Figures & Events in Manchester

A topic, not quite a debate yet, has opened up on Greater Manchester Fabians blog -
a) The most important political moments in the history of Manchester (and the surrounding area) - here.
b) The top 10 most important political figures from Greater Manchester - here. I didn't know that Gerrard Winstanley, the 17th century Digger ( they took common land to grow crops) was from Wigan until I read these entries.

You are welcome to make your own suggestions - possibly a future Fabian meeting out of all this. Don't bother being silly because the comments are moderated. There is also a recent post about Withington - John Leech MP - Facebook fiasco - here called "a fine line between success and sour grapes". In all definitely a political weblog to add to your RSS feeds.

Moss Side 1950 Election History

When news is a bit short, we've plenty of history to fall back on...Poster is from the 1950 General Election, that's the disappointing one when Labour was returned with only a small majority despite getting the most votes. It was held on the 23rd February. Boundary changes which brought in the leafy districts of Whalley Range and Chorlton meant that the seat went back to the Conservatives after the 1945 landslide. It was won by Florence Horsburgh, later the first ever woman Tory cabinet minister in 1951.

The other note is the public meeting in a pre-TV age when candidates spoke in rooms to any interested electorate. The Beech Road co-op hall in Chorlton has long gone, closed 1967, but the building is still there. It's a Thai restaurant, and the upstairs rooms are flats. But back then it was a grocery store and a separate butchers next door. Both Manchester & Salford Co-op Society.

The Year Ahead

Already the 2008 year is filling up with events for members...
Co-operative History Group have a meeting in Manchester showing two films made prior to WW2..."Peace Parade" and "Advance Democracy" on Wednesday 16th January. Then there is Cllr. Sir Richard Leese making an appearance at the Co-op Rooms, Hardy Lane in the same month. Ed Balls MP is booked in for a Labour Party fund raiser in February. Before you know it there is an AGM and Fair Trade Fortnight (25th February - 9th March). It's also the year of the 150th Anniversary of the death of Robert Owen.

Webcast of thousands

After a bit of technical trouble at my end managed to watch The Co-operative Webcast. Full marks for using modern technology to communicate to members. You wouldn't have learned anymore by being in the room. Instead your at home, after work, making tea and getting ready for the football game on the telly.

Bit heavy on the business jargon, a few clips of new tv adverts and a Question & Answer section to finish. Don't know how much these webcasts cost or how many are watching but as a way of communication it's as good as watching a party conference on tv.