Gary's Blog

Happy New Year for 2012 - but not if you believe the papers!

2011-12-31T14:54:00.004Z

AS we prepare to celebrate the start of a New Year - 2012 is already being heralded as a year of double dip recession and misery for many - if you believe what you read in the newspapers.
In reality the past decade has been pretty tough and for many of us the year ahead will only be as bad as we allow it to be.
Yes it is tough out there - believe me as someone who works closely with many small businesses - I know exactly how tough the economy is.
But nothing is to be gained by sitting back and thinking - it is tough out there so I may as well just give up the ghost now.
Reading today's newspapers one could be forgiven for giving up now - putting the champagne/sparkling wines back in the cupboard and saving the fireworks til next November!
Instead I intend to look forward to 2012 with renewed optimism, a health campaign to get my mind and body back into shape and work twice as hard to try and make a success of everything I get involved with.
If we all try and do the same we have a chance of making 2012 a year to remember as the year when the good times started to roll again - but then again good news doesn't make headlines! Oh the cynic in me.
Here is to a happy, healthy and prosperous new year to everyone - lets make the most of it and not wallow in self pity - or believe what we read in the papers - otherwise there will be rioting in the streets, banks collapsing all around us and global poverty on a scale never seen before!
Whatever happens lets hope for some responsible reporting rather than scaremongering to sell a few more newspapers - stick to reporting on the weather - hang on they always get that wrong as well!
What happened to the coldest winter on record for decades and the white Christmas we were promised!

Foul mouthed Yankees - not funny!

2011-12-15T08:58:00.005Z

AMERICAN rockers Steel Panthers may think they are funny with their foul mouthed abusive comments about women.
Well I can assure you that when you attend a rock concert with your teenage daughter - it is not funny - in fact the language they used was too obscene to publish on her.
Having attended rock concerts for more than 30 words I am no prude and expect plenty of F'in and jeffin - even sexist jokes - it all goes with the territory.
But Steel Panthers crossed the line as support act to Motley Crue and Def Leppard at the MEN Arena last weekend.
God knows why they thought they had to be obscene - because musically they were OK - but due tot heir extremely abusive comments about women I certainly would never consider seeing them again live in concert or indeed purchasing anything associated with them.
The fact they made Motley Crue seem like pure gentleman - and they are not backwards in coming forward with sexist overtones and starting every sentence with the F word - they are seasoned professionals and produced a very entertaining show - especially the drum solo on the roller coaster - probably one of the best stage effects I have seen after AC/DC's Rock n Roll train and Kiss's firework show.
Last up on the night were British rockers Def Leppard who produced a very polished performance and most definetly were the gentleman of rock on the night.

Money saving tip of the day!

2011-12-14T18:39:00.003Z

Are you one of those many people out there who let your home insurance renew every year - well I was!
But with the annual bill from Barclays approaching £1,000 to insure my property I decided it was time to shop around - and guess what I have saved over £300 a year, been given added benefits and the promise of £100 worth of M&S vouchers - and I am still with Barclays!
I shopped around for a better quote, which I achieved with my first call and as soon as I phoned Barclays to cancel my existing deal - the offers flowed - first the reduction, then the offer of an extended service and finally after I was still showing reluctance to stay with them - the £100 sweetner.
At one time the "big boys" seemed almost happy to let you go - well it would seem event he giants of the financial world like Barclays Bank are now more than happy to be accommodating to ensure they keep your business.
So if you are one of those lazy people out there who just let the direct debits roll over - make sure you pick up the phone when your next renewal is due - and you are guaranteed on making a saving - probably withou the hassle of even having to move.

National Strike Day

2011-11-28T17:08:00.002Z

Many public workers will be staging a national strike Day on Wednesday - mainly due to the fact that their pensions are not going to deliver what they have previously been promised.
I am in exactly the same situation after paying into a private pension fund with my own money for the past 25 years - but no one is going to come out on strike for me.
What will I be doing - working harder than ever to try and continue to be competitive during these tough economic times.
We all need to work a little harder for a little less to ensure we can all survive and come back stronger once the global economy starts to recover.
I fear it will get tougher during the next 12 months before we can even start to think of a recovery.
All strike action will do is cost the country millions of pounds in lost revenue - and many workers who strike will have it deducted form their wages- so have less money in their own pockets as we approach the most expensive time of the year for many of us.
Vicious circle.
Everyone is having to cut back and make savings and if the funds are not there to provide good pension pay offs further down the road striking will not boost the economy - it will damage it.

An example for us all!

2011-09-15T07:33:00.003Z

CONGRATULATIONS to Warrington Disability Partnership on reaching their 20th anniversary milestone!
I feel honoured to be a trustee of this ground breaking organisation which is setting examples others should follow during these tough economic times.
Realising revenue funds are drying up from various funding bodies WDP has now set up its own trading company, The Disability Trading Company, offering the sale of disability equipment as well
as a repair service to ensure its future survival.
On top of this Golden Square has generously offered a retail unit in the town centre to help further promote the good work of the organisation.
I knew WDP's Chairman Dave Thompson prior to his life changing accident when he broke his neck playing American Football.
Not content with spending the rest of his life sitting in a wheelchair doing flower arranging and painting classes, Dave not only helped launch a charity from scratch
but also got himself back into employment as a senior manager in the health service.
Yet again another fine example of how to deal with adversity in life.
For any organisation or business struggling during the current economic down turn can I suggest you look closely at the example being set by Warrington Disability
Partnership and Dave Thompson.
The key to their success is partnership - by working in partnership we can hopefully ride the tough econimic storm together and come out the other side
stronger for it.
Keep up the good work Dave and the Team - You are a shining example for us all to follow.

Sentence to fit the crime!

2011-08-17T10:48:00.001Z

FORTUNATELY my home town of Warrington escaped the riots which took place across the country including nearby Manchester and Liverpool and the 22-year-old local man
who thought it would be a good idea to try and incite rioting on facebook has been jailed for FOUR years!
I would like to congratulate Cheshire police on the way they reacted to this potentially explosive situation - and the Judge who handed out a sentence to fit the crime.
Too often we hear about the police being criticised for failing to respond quickly or courts being too soft on offenders.
But now it is important that they continue as they mean to go on to ensure we can all live in a safe environment.
Even more importantly we need to be educating young people to learn about respect and discipline.
The sights we saw during the rioting which destroyed peoples lives and livelihoods, showed a complete disrespect for law and order and civilised society in general.
Shops being looted and set on fire, injured people being helped to their feet and then being robbed, were some of the most shocking scenes we have seen on the streets on Britain for a long time and while they were not all young people, there was certainly a large number of children involved - children who have grown up in a nanny state society where discipline can not be enforced in schools due to the human rights of people.
As a society we need to accept that if people are to have human rights - they need to behave like civilised human beings and know the basics of right and wrong.
When I was at primary school if you stepped out of line you ended up outside the head teacher's room, waiting in fear of the cane. Fortunately I never over stepped the boundaries were it was required - but some of my classmates did - and they soon got back in line and behaved.
Until we get discipline right in the schools - supported by parents in the home - we will always be fighting an uphill battle to have discipline and respect back on the streets.

The old ones are still the best!

2011-06-27T17:58:00.004Z

I recently had the pleasure of seeing David Coverdale in concert at Manchester Apollo with his Whitesnake line up - and it was like stepping back in time to the early 1980s when I first saw the band live.
Major line up changes have taken place over the years (RIP Cozy Powell) - but Mr Coverdale, who celebrates his 60th birthday in September, was in fine form.
I have heard plenty of people say his voice isn't quite what it used to be - but my 16-year-old daughter's comments were along the lines of "Isn't his voice fantastic - it sounds just like the CD!"
Well hopefully he wasn't miming!!!!
Coverdale now has a brand new young line up supporting him on stage but still belts out the classics and is still releasing new material.
Long may it continue as I enjoyed my trip down memory lane - or as my wife keeps telling me - enjoying my mid-life crisis.
If one is still wondering why these old rock dinosaurs are still packing them in, the answer is quite simple - supply and demand - there isn't much better new stuff coming out these days - so roll on Iron Maiden next month and long may my mid-life crists continue :)

Spend, spend, spend!!!!

2011-06-14T09:27:00.002Z

WHILE the Government and local councils are cutting back on their spending due to the recession many marketing experts believe you should spend money to make money!
At Warrington Town Football Club, where I have the honour of being Chairman, we are certainly tackling the recession head on - investing in new 3G pitches, employing our first full-time member of staff and embarking on the biggest ever marketing campaign in the 61-year history of the club.
We also sponsored our friends at Warrington Wolves for the first time to help increase the profile of the football club.
While it is still early days, indications are showing that our investment will pay off in the long term - and ensure the future vitality of the club.
Sponsors are signing up in record numbers and the future is certainly very bright for the Yellows.
But what we will not do is spend money we haven't got - and that is where a lot of football clubs go wrong, spending VAT and PAYE money on players wages instead of to the tax man - a sure recipe for disaster.
I suppose my over riding message to those stil trying to do business in the recession is spend money - but spend it wisely!

Picture shows the new Warrington Toewn advertising billboard which has taken centre stage at Warrington's Golden Square Shopping Centre where it will have a footfall of around 200,000 people every week!

Roger Waters - Pure Genius!

2011-05-21T08:31:00.005Z

AFTER more than three decades of attending rock giggs I am no longer easily impressed - but I have to admit to being blown away by Roger Waters and his classic show The Wall.
Priced at £75 plus booking fees it was a costly night out at the MEN Arena last night when you add a tour t-shirt at £30 and programme at £20 plus a couple of pints at £4 a go - but I have to say it was worth every penny!
Although my album collection includes The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon, I have never been one of the biggest fans of Pink Floyd - but wow I have woken up to them now.
The Wall is pure musical theatre at the highest level and a roller coaster emotional experience which touches every emotion at some stage of the show.
I would certainly recommend to any true rock fan to make sure you see this show if you ever get the chance - even if it is a once in a lifetime experience - it is worth it.
All in all - I am just another brick in the wall!

Time for change?

2011-04-15T16:56:00.002Z

ELECTION time is fast approaching in my home town of Warrington and with the controlling Lib-Dem/Tory coalition having a majority of just one, it would be
no great surprise if Labour are not back in control at Warrington Town Hall after the May 5 elections.
With a Conservative/Lib Dem coalition running the country and various cut-backs and job losses in the public sector, the current administration at the town hall must be fearing the worst.
As always, working in the media I remain fiercely politically independent, with the philosphy of always supporting those, from whichever political party, who I believe are doing their best for the people of Warrington.
There are good people in all the mainstream political parties, who work hard for their local communities.
I have worked with some of them for ther best part of 30 years and seen the town hall run by the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib-Dem/Tory coalition.
They have all done good and sometimes not so good things and at the end of the day you are never going to please all of the people all of the time.
So when it comes to putting your x on your ballot paper think long and hard about the best person to serve your local community.
Try to put party politics into the back ground and vote for the best person to serve your needs in your local community.
If we end up with town halls up and down the country full of hard working community minded people, hopefully they will be able to remove their political blinkers and work for the good of their town - and most importantly use your vote.
It is no good moaning after May 5 if you don't like the local decisions being made by your elected representatives.
This year you will also get a chance to vote Yes or No on the controversial AV (Alternative Vote) voting system whereby you can, if you so choose, vote in order of preference for everyone on the ballot paper - so make sure you don't waste your vote!

Silence is Golden!

2011-03-11T17:26:00.004Z

I am sure Sir Alex Ferguson's self imposed media silence came just at the right time as he witnessed his title chasing team put to the sword by arch rivals Liverpool.
We were all probably spared the whinges and moans from many of the top flight managers who certainly don't take much notice of the F.A's respect campaign.
What baffles me is how Sir Alex has managed to get away with giving interviews to the BBC, every since he refused to talk to to them following an investigation into one of his son's activities.
It seems at times that Sir Alex is above the law, with his latest media black out a clear breach of the Premier League's contractural agreement with Sky which includes access to managers for after match interviews.
While I have total respect for what Sir Alex has achieved as a manager I don't believe any one should be above the law - and the ruling bodies should make an example of him!

Going the Extra Mile!

2011-02-14T10:44:00.003Z

MY good friend Dave Thompson has set himself the challenge of raising £5,000 by doing a sponsored scuba dive - a feat made even more remarkable when you consider he only has the use of one arm after breaking his neck during a sporting accident two decades ago.
Dave put himself forward for the challenge due to a funding shortfall for the 20th anniversary of Warrington Disability Awareness Day which takes at Walton Gardens on July 10.
The demise of the North West Development Agency has resulted in a massive funding shortfall for the annual event.
Dave and his hard working team are determined to ensure the event takes place and despite the funding problems I know he will succeed.
Dave and his team at Warrington Disability Partnership are a fine example of the "Big Society" we keep hearing about from central government.
They will find a way around the funding shortfalls for the event, roll up their sleeves and find other ways to keep the show on the road.
Dave and Warrington Disability Partnership launched "Go the extra mile" to tackle the funding shortfall head on - and Dave decided to start the ball rolling
with his scuba dive challenge.
I knew Dave before his accident and have seen him overcome adversity on more than one occasion.
He is truly inspirational and a shining beacon of how we should all try to deal with adversity, whether it be in our personal or business lives.
Keep up the good work Dave!
If you would like to sponsor Dave CLICK HERE

Torres feeling the blues!

2011-02-07T15:51:00.004Z

I have to say being a Liverpool fan it gave me great pleasure to see Fernando Torres fall flat on his face making his debut for Chelsea in the 0-1 home defeat to his former club.
I have nothing against players moving on to further their careers, or even to make more money - even if the amounts involved are obscene.
What does annoy me and any half decent football fan is seeing two faced self obsessed players misleading those who pay their hard earned cash to support them.
Torres pledged himself to the Liverpool cause pre-Christmas - resulting in an influx of Torres shirt sales for many youngsters, by many who will be struggling to juggle their finances.
He then comes out saying he has not been happy at Liverpool for 18 months and has been eager to get away to a "big club!"
You couldn't be more insulting if you tried - no wonder the 3,000 travelling Liverpool fans vented their feelings on their former hero, with many throwing their Torres shirts on to the pitch.
This guy was treated like a God by many Liverpool fans - lets hope his trophy cabinet remains empty at Chelsea and he lives to regret treating those who bank roll him with total contempt!

Feeling the blues

2011-02-07T15:36:00.004Z

The sudden death of rock legend Gary Moore at the age of just 58 is a huge loss to the rock world.
I had the honour of seeing him live on stage with Thin Lizzy on their Black Rose tour in 1979 alongside the legendary Phil Lynott - another rock star who went before his time way back in 1984!
being my first ever rock experience it will live with me for all time.
While Lynott succumbed to the evils of drugs, Moore was apparently a healthy cleaning living rock star, which makes his loss even more tragic.
RIP Gary and thanks for the memories - your music will live on forever.

So is it a Happy New Year for you?

2011-01-31T18:55:00.001Z

With all the media talk about the recession and massive impending job losses in the public sector following government cutbacks one can't help fear a year of doom and gloom.
The fact it has taken me more than a month to update my blog though is a pretty good sign that there is still plenty of work out there.
Working in the media environment we are often one of the first to feel the impact of any cutbacks - as rightly or wrongly some businesses feel that during quiet times they should spend less on advertising and marketing.
Personally I think this is potential suicide for any business which relies on getting its name out there - because once you cutback on your advertising you are basically cutting back on your potential business.
I realise if you have less money to spend, the last thing you want to do is speculate with money you can ill afford to lose - but what you need to do is spend your money more wisely and effectively and make sure you get a return on every pound you spend.
There are plenty of cost-effective and even FREE ways to advertise your business and if you haven't yet joined the viral marketing revolution with facebook, twitter and linkedon to name but a few it is about time you did!
Any one requring any free help or advice - just ask.

Did you have a grumpy christmas?

2010-12-28T13:08:00.002Z

Well its official - Christmas time is the season of being grumpy!!
Saw an interesting TV programme interviewing celebrities and they all hate Christmas!!
They don't write Christmas card and they hate spending time with family and friends they don't want to be with - and there was me thinking it was the season of goodwill.
It certainly has become clear that a lot of people have lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas - celebrating the birth of Christ.
For many it has now become a time to eat, drink and spend too much - as the human race steadily becomes greedier and greedier with each passing generation.
For those with young children Christmas can certainly still be a magical time - but for the rest of us it is becoming more and more inconvenient, with a near two week shut down enforced in many places.
I certainly ate, drank and spent too much, so my new year's resolution is going to be to try and lead a more healthy lifestyle!
How many of us say that each year and then fall back into our bad habits?

Status Quo keep on rockin'

2010-11-24T17:30:00.003Z

NEARLY 30 years on from my first Status Quo concert and at long last they arrived in my home town!
Seeing Quo in a 1,100 capacity theatre is almost like seeing the band in your front living room on a wide screen TV - only a lot louder!
It was certainly a memorable occasion seeing the grand daddies of rock performing at Warrington Parr Hall.
Hopefully more big name bands will now consider including the refurbished Parr Hall on their tour dates in the future.
Status Quo continue to improve with age and I look forward to seeing them again in the not too distant future.
Now in their 43rd year can they make the magic 50?!!!

Time to impose a salary cap!

2010-11-07T13:53:00.004Z

A salary cap for those over paid so called stars in England's Premier League is long over due!
With some players now commanding £250,000 a week it has become obscene - and judging by the way many of the players like Wayne Rooney are making a complete mess of their lives, such highly inflated salaries, which lead to over inflated egos, is not doing the players any favours.
I am still struggling to believe how Rooney got a way with holding a gun to Sir Alex fergusons head by demanding a huge pay rise before signing a contract extension - at a time he was out of the team due to injury and poor form. The mind boggles!
In the real business world no one who was under performing could ever dream of demanding a huge pay rise.
With many families struggling during the current economic climate, it makes these grossly inflated salaries even more obscene.
£1million a year, let alone a month, is more than enough for anyone to survive on with an extremely good life style.
If they can add to their income away from the football field through sponsorship and other business interests all well and good.
But lets see some common sense in the Premier League before our footballers all become burnt out depressed alcoholics with more money than sense!
We have seen far too many of our footballing heroes end up on the scrap heap later in life due to their extravagant lifestyles - George Best and Paul Gascoigne to name but two.
Those who run the Premier League have a responsibility to look after those who compete in the world's most prestigious footballing competition.

Double dip recession!

2010-10-14T12:30:00.002Z

The demise of the North West Development Agency which has its HQ in my home town of Warrington is just one example of how the savage cuts by the coalition government are going to lead to the threat of a double dip recession in the New Year.
This will leave a huge hole in the local economy and on top of local council cut backs there are going to be a lot of jobs disappearing out of the local economy.
While I understand the need to cut back on spending during difficult economic times after years of too much spending, such savage cut backs can only have a negative impact.
I really do fear for the future of our economy if the government and councils continue to make cut back after cut back.
There has to come a point when it will also lead to a reduction in service.
It is all well and good looking at spending money more wisely and even less of it - but to completely wipe out an organisation which generated hundreds of jobs and invested millions of pounds in the region's economy is only going to add to the threat of a double dip recession - and then the need to look at even more spending cut backs creating a downward spiral of decline for the nation.

Football is alive and well!

2010-09-29T14:18:00.005Z

DESPITE all the doom and gloom about the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool being in financial crisis - grassroots (proper) football is still alive and kicking in the lower reaches of our football pyramid.
For most of my life I lived and died on the results of Liverpool FC - fortunate enough to see them during their glory days in the 70s and 80s and less fortunate during the past two decades, with the spirit of Istandbul being one ray of sunshine through all the gloom.
But since my involvement with my home town club, Warrington Town FC, where I have the honour of being Chairman/Chief Executive, I have soon come to realise this is the proper world of football, full of passion and no over paid prima donnas earning upwards of £200k a week for kicking a ball!
Due to the current economic climate many local football clubs are facing extinction, but with hard work, dedication and a good team round you, you can still make a good go of it in the non league - where of course many of us aspire to move our clubs up the Pyramid.
It is certainly a roller coaster experience and one I would urge all football fans to join in with - so get out of your arm chairs, save your money watching over paid egos running around a pitch - and get out and show your support for your non-league team - where you will see characters like Mike Duffy, running around and giving 110 per cent for their cause!

Warrington Wolves historic double!

2010-08-29T21:14:00.003Z

CONGRATULATIONS to Warrington Wolves on their historic victory at Wembley - the first time the club has won back to back Challenge Cup finals in its long and illustrious history.
Head Coach Tony Smith certainly masterminded a famous victory against his former club Leeds, ensuring the Wolves retained the famous silverware with a 30-6 victory.
The transformation he has brought to the club in the space of just 18 months, is little short of a miracle.
Success breeds success - so long may it continue!

Royal Mail is a joke!

2010-06-11T21:55:00.001Z

For about the 4th time in less than two weeks we have received no mail at our offices, close to Warrington Town centre.
Other days it doesn't arrive until 2 or 3pm!
No wonder more and more people are turning to alternatives.
As a business which relies on small and medium sized business sending us cheques in the post to pay for their advertising this has become a nightmare.
I have complained previously via our former MP and got nowhere - I wonder if Warrington South's new MP David Mowat can give them a kick up the backside!
Any one else having similar problems?
The only time I see a postie is in the local bookies office! No doubt some will have their feet up watching the world cup while some of us are still working hard!
RIP Royal Mail!

Common sense - not politics!

2010-05-21T13:33:00.000Z

THE elections have been and gone and we have a new coalition Government nationally with the Tories and Lib Dems in power, while locally Labour made some surprise gains, making them the largest political party at the town hall.
These are certainly interesting times, especially at the town hall, where I expect some ongoing power struggles over the coming months and years, with the electorate keen to keep all political parties on their toes.
While the existing Lib dem Conservative alliance has held on to power, their majority is vastly reduced and they will find it harder to make unpopular decisions.
Unfortunately I witnessed some ugly scenes at the electoral count with rival politicians almost coming to blows while arguing over their respective electoral campaigns.
I think it is time for all our local political parties to take a long hard look at themselves.
We don't want politics running our local town hall - we want committed individuals to serve the local community and their electorate.
Misleading election campaigns and name calling do no one any favours as the truth will always come out in the end.
I urge all politicians from all parties at the town hall to put their political differences to one side and work together as one team for the good of our town.
We are going through unprecedented times and it needs everyone pulling in the same direction to ensure our town prospers.
So now the election campaigns are over for another year put away your rosettes and sit down together and make decisions based on common sense - not political beliefs

The greatest show on earth?

2010-05-12T11:10:00.006Z

I have been to many rock concerts over the years and thought I had seen everything rock bands had to offer!
Well after seeing Kiss at the MEN Arena in Manchester I am now left wondering whether I have witnessed the greatest rock show on the planet.
These monsters of rock are certainly one of the greatest live acts I have ever seen and when you consider that includes Ac/dc (Bon Scott and Brian Johnson era) Thin Lizzy, Deep Purple, Status Quo, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Meat Loaf, REO Speedwagon, The Scorpions, Rainbow, Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Ufo, Van Halen and many more, it is some statement to say Kiss could be the greatest rock show on the planet.
From start to finish these four guys entertained with great music, stunning special effects and pure theatre.
The show lasted over two hours and I just didn't want it to end.
It appealed to all age groups and despite being an expensive night our for a family of four, was worth every single penny.
I was never really a Kiss fan during my youth and only decided to go and see them out of curiosity!
Now they have a very special place in my heart and I wouldn't hesitate to see them again.
It has been over 10 years since they last toured the UK - I hope it isn't that long again!

Hung Parliament

2010-05-12T11:03:00.002Z

Well election fever is now over (thank god) and we have ended up with a hung parliament and a coalition government with the Lib Dems and Tories becoming bed mates after years of slagging each other off.
On the face of it David Cameron and Nick Clegg could almost pass as brothers, in fact I have heard it said that Clegg is a clone of Cameron.
They are a similar age and have similar backgrounds.
After years of differing views it seems strange that they can agree on so much, so soon.
Cameron has made Clegg his right hand man which will undoubtedly put a few noses out of joint in the Tory heirarchy.
It will be interesting to see how the back benchers on both sides knuckle down to doing as they are told when there are clearly some wide ranging differences of opinion in areas such as Trident and voting reform.
Only time will tell but hopefully at long last the political parties will listen to the people and realise that they have to work together for the good of the country during these very difficult economic times.
We are told it will be FIVE years before another General Election - that is a long time in politics!!!

General election fever!!

2010-04-07T14:23:00.004Z

Well the big day has been announced at long last for May 6th and all the political bandwagons are now rolling out across the country.
I suspect we will all be sick to our back teeth of elections by the time the big day arrives - and once again apathy will be a big winner.
Being a newspaper Editor I ensure I try and give a political balance on anything I report - and yet most newspapers take sides - most notably Murdoch's Sun newspaper which has ditched Labour in favour of the Conservatives.
Not too sure if that is good or bad - because if the day has come when we have to follow the voice of a red top tabloid, which specialises in portraying page three beauties, no wonder the country is in the mess it is!
I mean how can you come up with policies to run the country with distractions like that!
Whoever wins we will remain in a mess for a long time to come due to the huge national debt and a society which lacks respect.
Clear the debt and bring back respect and we won't go far wrong.

Celebrating 10 years of Warrington Peace Centre

2010-03-26T15:36:00.001Z

IT is now 10 years since Warrington's pioneering peace centre opened its doors and 17years since that tragic day when terrorists targeted our town, killing two young boys and injurying more than 50 other shoppers.
As one of the founding Patrons of the Peace Centre it fills me with great pride to witness the fantastic work being done which has helped literally thousands of people over the years.
Having witnessed the attrocity of the bombing as a relatively young reporter all those years ago it is amazing to see how something so evil could result in something so positive.
Being the father of two teenage daughters who weren't even born when the bombs went off, I can not even bare to think what it must feel like to lose a child in such tragic and chilling circumstances.
To bounce back from something like that shows an enormous amount of courage - to go on and help create something as ground-breaking as the peace centre is an
outstanding achievement.
I applaud Colin and Wendy Parry and their dedicated team at the peace centre for their achievements and dealing with their grief with such dignity, which has helped put Warrington on the world map as a place we can all be truly proud of through their ambassadorial work.
That fateful day on March 20 1993 took two precious lives and scarred many others - but the outcome of that day is a living memorial we should all be proud of.
Congratulations on your 10th anniversary and keep up the good work!

Have politicians lost our trust?

2010-03-15T11:55:00.003Z

With a General Election looming most politicians are now rolling out the publicity band wagon in a bid to win our votes.
Our news organisation is now receiving information on a near daily basis from all the main political parties - but I fear the latest expenses scandals and seeing politicans being hauled into the dock for fiddling their expenses has turned many people off politics all together.
My main fear now is that apathy will be the main winner at the next General Election.

Human beings and new technolgy - a recipe for disaster?

2010-02-12T13:24:00.000Z

A word of warning - don't become too over reliant on new technology - while humans are far from perfect new technology can be even less reliant!
I recently had to go through the best part of two days of no internet service because a server upgrade by BT - aimed at improving my service resulted in us being cut off from the outside world!
Lengthy investigations eventually led to the discovery that an engineer had connected our new improved service to the wrong wire!
Any way once the issue was resolved we ended up back online with no significant improvement in service - a classic example if it isn't broke, why fix it?
So there you go - a warning for human beings and new technology a recipe for disaster!

End of the recession!!

2010-01-28T17:32:00.002Z

ACCORDING to the Government figures we are now officially out of recession following a growth in productivity of 0.01 per cent!!
Who do they think they are kidding?!!!
I suspect the people responsible for compiling the figures have been told to massage the figures with some creative accounting to create some positive spin.
Working in the media and dealing with hundreds of small to medium size businesses I can assure you the recession is not over - far from it.
Many businesses are struggling, cash flow is a mjaor problem and administrations are growing, while redundancies are still happening across the country.
Considerable belt tightening will still be required throughout 2010 and only those who are careful, with good business models will survive.
Its just a shame that the big city bankers and their fat cat profits weren't the ones left struggling - these are the people who got us in this mess, lending money out to people who simply had no ability to pay it back.
Its time these banks were made to pay for their mistakes!

The joys of snow!

2010-01-12T13:43:00.004Z

A few inches of snow (well up to eight inches in some areas) and the whole of Warrington grinds to a standstill and suddenly the vast majority of people have an excuse for extended holidays.
Local schools closed for the best part of a week - much to the delight of just about every child in Warrington.
To be honest I have found the snow scenes most helpful as they make everywhere look beautiful and the scenes are uplifting at what is traditionally a depressing time of the year for many - myself included.
But the snow scenes, the fresh crisp air and the general feel good factor seem to have put an extra spring in my step.
It is a shame the same can't be said of the local council - with the gritting of roads totally deplorable.
The council was obviously totally unprepared for this kind of situation and I am told they will have better contingency plans in place should we experience such conditions again in the future.
With it being 30-40 years since we last had snowfall like this - we may be waiting for a long time to see how well the new contingency plans work!
In fact I am pretty sure those who have drawn them up will not be around to see them put into place - but of course with global warming we may get even more snowfall next year!!!

Pictures show two contrasting scenes in Warrington!

Christmas cheer - you must be joking!

2009-12-21T11:28:00.003Z

Well Christmas time is nearly upon us and I've had my annual dose of the classic movie "It's a Wonderful Life" to get me in the festive mood.
I then come into work and read about arsonists destroying a local church - one of the largest churches in Warrington in fact!
CLICK HERE
Another sad indictement of the society we are living in.
I feeling pretty glum any way with man flu (really bad cold)and reading stuff like this doesn't help raise the spirits.
So I think I will lock myself away over the festive period and watch the classics like "White Christmas," "The Great Escape" and the "Wizard of Oz" and have a break from this sad world we live in.
After the break I will come back hopefully refreshed and continue to work with those community spirited people I know so well, as we continue to battle against the tide of morons who are over populating our planet in growing numbers.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! (Well we can hope can't we as without hope we have nothing!)

Status Quo - Elder statesmen of rock!

2009-12-10T15:39:00.006Z

The first time I saw Status Quo was at Manchester Apollo in 1980 when I had the honour of being on the front row - I was very popular with my school mates as I had acquired four tickets!
At the time Quo were considered to be the old timers and indeed four years later I was following them around the country on their farewell tour, queuing up overnight in the cold to get tickets to see my denim clad heroes.
Now 30 years on they are still rockin' all over the world and they are now the elder statesmen of rock.
They certainly know how to span the generation gap and my 15-year-old daughter was enjoying the show just as much as I was, 30 years ago!
The set list changes a bit but you still get all your old favourites, many churned out in a medley.
Only half the crowd are bouncing up and down now unlike 30 years ago when the whole venue rocked - but that is nothing to do with the Quo - it is just some of their 60 and 70 year-old fans haven't got the legs or lungs to bounce any more.
Overall it was a fantastic gig made even more enjoyable by having a dad's night out with my daughter.
Sadly I don't think she will be seeing them again in another 30 years but hopefully they have got a few more tours left in them before father time eventually catches them up.
Well done Quo - keep on rocking all over the world and don't let anyone hold you back and do whatever you want!

End of the Christmas card!

2009-12-04T17:44:00.005Z

December 4th 2009 --- Number of Christmas cards arrived at home (zero)
Number of Chistmas cards arrived at office - two!!!!
Number of Christmas cards sent - zero!
Number of electronic Christmas cards saying - Dear Gary, to save the environment (and money) we are sending you an email Christmas card this year!
The money we save we will be donating to a local charity - of course!(Lost count!!)
Are we coming to the end of Christmas cards - it is clearly a dying tradition.
I can remember my grand parent's home used to have well into three figures of cards displayed around the room - many becoming a fire hazard over the open coal fire, especially with all the tinsel!!!
I fear (do I really fear or am I totally relieved that I never have to write another Christmas card to someone I see once every blue moon!)that the end of the traditional Christmas card is looming - not just to save the environment, money or time - but why bother when you can wish most of your family and friends Merry Christmas on facebook, Twitter or on your blog!
Seasons greeting to one and all!

Deep Purple - God Fathers or Grandads of rock?

2009-11-11T13:31:00.002Z

This was my second helping of Deep Purple, the last time being at the much larger MEN Arena, so I was looking forward to seeing Purple in a small venue.
After the opening blasts of Highway Star, which was excellent, Purple lost my full attention over the next few songs as they churned out some of their later stuff, which just isn't in the same league as the classics from the 70's.

While Gillan still has fine voice for a man approaching bus pass age, I felt the amount of tamborine playing, lack of chanting with the crowd and an instrumental in the play list, including guitar, keyboard and bass solos (no drum solo from Mr Paice!!!) he is taking it a little easy with his vocal chords.
Half way through the show Gillan was at last interacting with the audience and by the time Space Truckin' blasted through the speakers I was back on board.
Great end to the show with Strange Kind of Woman, Smoke on the Water and old favourites like Black Night in the encores.
All in all it was great to see Purple still performing well close up in a small venue - but I left wondering whether I had witnessed the God Fathers or Grandads of rock.
That is no criticism of their performance and due credit to mixing in the new stuff with the old.
Gillan said it was about time they got back in the studio - agreed - but lets see no nonsense rock n roll instead of the bluesy blues.
Raptures of the Deep was not a classic and we need something more like Perfect Strangers please - the title track of that excellent album being a sad omission from the play list.

First time in Tenerife!

2009-11-06T12:48:00.005Z

AFTER more than 20 years of visiting Lanzarote a visit to neighbouring Tenerife was well over due!
Despite only having six days on the island I managed an Island tour and a visit to the new Siam Water Park - and I must say my first impressions are good - and I hope to return again in the not too distant future.

We had the added bonus of a mini heatwave at the end of October, with the evening temperatures around 27 degrees and very pleasant.
While our accommodation was a fairly basic all inclusive deal it was more than adequate and I would consider returning to the same venue, which was pretty central on the outskirts of Playa de la Americas.
Having said that I don't think I will be rushing to return to the central areas of the resort, which is like Blackpool with good weather!
The national park and Volcanic scenes were pretty impressive and all in all I would highly recommend a trip to Tenerife, expecially during the autumn/winter months.
Pictures show the national park, which is pretty similar to Arizona (we were told) and the scene of the original film 10,000 years BC with Raquel Welch and me and my daughter Amy at the Siam Water Park.

Rewarding our unsung heroes

2009-10-14T16:28:00.002Z

I was honoured to be a guest at the Cheshire Police Northern Awards evening held in Warrington when veteran comedian
Ken Dodd was on hand to present various commendations to deserving officers and members of the public.
Too often we read about those who commit terrible crimes in our community but little about those who help make our town a better place to live.
It was particularly rewarding to see honours being presented to members of the public who helped police tackle serious crimes.
One involved a 16-year-old girl who saved a friend from almost certainly becoming the victim of a rapist, by intervening and then later providing investigating officers with vital information which eventually led to the arrest of the sex attacker.
Following his arrest he was convicted of another rape.
Another incident involved a man and a woman who helped police apprehend two youngsters who would have almost certainly murdered their young victim had they not been caught.
It is certainly refreshing to see the unsung heroes being recognised for their achievements, especially those civilians who helped police solve terrible crimes.
These public spirited citizens are a credit to the area and fully deserving of their commendations.
It was also pleasing to see the business community involved for the first time. sponsoring some of the key awards during the event at Winmarleigh House - well done to all those involved.
Finally a word about comedian Ken Dodd, who provided the light entertainment following the presentations - he is certainly still one of the great entertainers at 82-years young!

Check your change!

2009-10-07T13:17:00.004Z

Times are tough out there for many businesses.
I have noticed in recent weeks I have been short changed several times at various retailers.
Now this may just be a coincidence or it may be some staff are topping up their basic pay with a few tips. Who knows, we can all be absent minded.
But it has happened to me now three times in two weeks in three different shops from a local convenience store to a take away food shop.
After recently having the embarrassment of opening my wallet (yes I do occasionally) and finding no money in it I now always check what notes I have before I buy anything - so I know it isn't me making the mistakes when I hand over a tenner and only get change for a fiver!
One incident involved a sweet little old lady.
I handed her £10 she gave me change for a fiver. She insisted it was a fiver I told her I knew it was a tenner.
She said she would have to cash up the till and ring me later.
When she phoned she said the till was only 1p over. I told her I knew it was a tenner and that I would have to be put through to the manager.
She later phoned back to say the manager had said I could have my £5 back because the till has a way of righting itself by the end of the day!
I got my fiver back!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Are you Linkedin?

2009-09-23T12:55:00.004Z

I recently signed up for Linkedin another networking facility which is specifically for business people.
Now on top of my blog, facebook and twitter I have another page to keep up to date and interesting!!!
Are these social/business network sites going to continue to take over our daily lives and will we eventually lose the ability to talk to real people?
I am now finding more and more people who would rather, email, text or use social network sites to communicate instead of picking up the phone or arranging a meeting.
Ok it is great we can keep in touch with so many people in a short space of time but are we not in danger of losing our own communication skills?
Fortunately I still attend regular networking events and am also involved in running Warrington Town FC, so I still meet real people on an ongoing basis - but there must be someone people out there who are becoming extremely isolated!
Any way if you want to get linkedin with http://www.linkedin.com/in/garyskentelbery

Proud to be a Warringtonian!

2009-09-03T16:17:00.003Z

AFTER travelling down to Wembley with the primrose and blue barmy army and seeing my home town club win the Challenge Cup for the first time in 35 years it made me very proud to be a Warringtonian.
An estimated 30,000 Wire fans made the journey down south and created a sea of primrose and blue at the fantastic new Wembley stadium.
They sung from start to finish and then partied away for the rest of the weekend, with thousands more joining them to welcome the team back home.
It ended more than 30 years of pain for me personally and the feelgood factor it has brought to Warrington in these difficult economic times is amazing.
Well done to all involved at Warrington RLFC on a great achievement.
Now you have tasted success lets have some more soon!

Football - tribal ware fare

2009-08-19T12:22:00.006Z

It's amazing how a game of football can cause such tribal war fare!
I had a very pleasant trip to Halifax to watch my home town club Warrington Town FC and although we lost 4-1, I enjoyed the experience of visiting a "bigger" club and the warm hospitality of their directors.
However the same can not be said of their fans who, not content with throwing objects at the Warrington directors during the game, are not even content with their teams victory and being top of the league, resorting to personal attacks on public websites.
Such is life - I suppose if you put yourself in the public spotlight you have to endure a bit of grief from time to time.
If you can be beothered to read the comments of "Chadders receding hairline," I think that name just about sums up the IQ of the said individual feel free
www.warrington-worldwide.co.uk/articles/6096/1/Town-run-out-of-steam/Page1.html
Meanwhile I will continue to report on how I see things!
I wonder how Piers Morgan feels, as he is an obnoxious toad!

Wembley at last!

2009-08-08T17:26:00.002Z

Congratulations to Warrington Wolves on reaching Wembley at long last following their semi-final victory over Wigan Warriors.
My last visit to the Challenge Cup Final was in 1990 (I was a regular at the cup final until then) when after seeing my beloved Warrington well beaten 36-14 by Wigan, I pledged never to attend another Wembley Cup final, until it was to watch Warrington again.
Well now 19 years later they have at long last made it - and I am sure Warrington will be a near ghost town as thousands of Wolves fans embark on the trip down south.
This cup final appearance will give a much needed lift to everyone connected with Warrington Wolves - and a boost to the local economy in these difficult times.
The cash registers will be ringing at the Halliwell Jones, the pubs and bars will be packed with celebrating fans who will be snapping up tickets in their thousands. Local transport companies will also get a big financial lift - and allt he petrol stations filling up the various modes of transport.
Lets hope this is now the turning point for the Wolves who can build on this and become a top flight team again!

swine flu - the facts!!!

2009-07-15T15:09:00.002Z

WELL it would appear that Swine Flu is here and it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
Some of us will be very ill, tragically some of us will die, others won't even know they have had it!!!
The advice out there seems to be changing on a daily basis but it couldn't have come at a worse time for the economy - just in time for the school holidays when most small businesses (the backbone of the country) traditionally struggle.
Add to that people being off sick, not going out spending any money and the economy looks likely to plunge to an all time low!!!
I'm even having second thoughts about booking a summer holiday and travelling by plane - as one sure way of picking up a bug is sitting in a confined space next to people coughing spluttering breathing in the same recycled air!
Imagine being in a hot sunny country with a fever!!!
On a brighter note you can't catch swine flu from eating a bacon butty!

Farewell Jacko!

2009-07-06T07:38:00.003Z

MILLIONS of music fans will this week bid a fond farewell to pop icon Michael Jackson who tragically died last week from heart failure at the age of just 50.
Although not a huge Michael Jackson fan, I did appreciate his music, especially the Thriller album, released in November 1982 which went on to become the biggest selling album of all time.
This album proved hugely popular with music fans across the divides of pop, dance and rock, with stunning videos to boost its popularity.
The video for the title track must go down in history as one of the greatest ever pop videos.
Michael had a unique talent and personality and his career was undoubtedly blighted by child abuse allegations.
We will never know the truth behind the allegations.
Personally I think Jacko was a child trapped in a man's body.
He never had a proper childhood, driven by his family to become a pop star.
When he had the power to finance his own lifestyle I believe Michael decided he was going to have the childhood he missed out on.
He will be undoubtedly missed by his many millions of fans around the world - and the fact that he could bounce back from the stigma of child abuse allegations, one of the worst accusations any human being could face, is testament to the power of his music, which is what he will hopefully be remembered for.

The art of communication!!

2009-06-24T14:36:00.002Z

First there was email, then texts, then blogs, facebook and now twitter - where will it end?
Many of us are now starting to rely on the electronic art of communication.
The problem is so many of us are now communicating with each other, including many people we hardly know, or indeed in my own case people who are complete strangers, we are in danger of suffering information over load.
With 300-400 emails a day pouring into my inbox it is a never ending battle keeping up with emails.
The danger is so many are coming in important ones can be easily missed - and I am getting the impression this is happening with more and more organisations including, schools, colleges, councils, the police - the list is endless.
While all these communication tools are quick and cost effective - sooner or later I fear the wheels are going to come off!
Perhaps we should start to take a bit more notice of those wonderful old machines, the telephone and start talking a bit more!

Saying goodbye to an old friend

2009-06-11T11:01:00.002Z

TODAY was a very sad day as I said goodbye to a very old friend - Sooty the family mogey.
A rescue cat from the Cats Protection League more than 18 years ago Sooty was on the scene before my daughters, who have known her all their lives.
You don't realise how attached you become to a pet until it is time to say goodbye.
Sooty was a very vocal cat and always used to be the first to welcome you home after work or after a holiday.
She loved human attention and has been a constant on my knee for many years, more so in recent weeks while feeling under the weather.
As common with many domestic cats it was her kidneys which gave in but now she is at peace.
Although upsetting she went to sleep peacefully and at ease with me at her side.
I have many happy memories from the day I brought her home when she rolled out of a cardboard box with her sister - and promptly hid under the kitchen table.
It was only when her sister went AWOL after a couple of years that she became a friendly cat.
She certainly became a unique character and will be sadly missed by all those who knew her.
RIP Sooty.

A picture is worth a thousand words!

2009-05-28T16:47:00.002Z

Well I can't say my heart bleeds for the over paid sulkers from the Theatre of Clowns.
Completely outclassed by Barcelona and failed in their bid to win back to back Champions Leagues.
Never mind lads you can always reflect on the 4-1 thumping at Old Trafford by your friends from down the East Lancs Road :)

Another year gone!!

2009-05-14T09:11:00.003Z

Well I've made it to the ripe old age of 46 - and regular readers will see I am still enjoying my "youth" as a frequent visitor to rock shows.
I developed my taste for rock music in my formative years at high school, with Status Quo setting the tone.
Now more than 30 years on a lot of the old favourites are still on the road, quo, ac/dc. deep purple and many more - the reason - they can't make much money from selling albums anymore - because most people download them online for free.
Trawling through my favourite CD's in HMV as a birthday treat I was pleasantly surprised to find you could buy most of what you wanted for £5 or £6 which is about half the price I was paying when CD's first came out!!!
So now I have stocked up my music collection and will continiue rocking all over the world!
Three more concerts lined up - Nickelback, Deep Purple, Quo - I can't wait.

The greatest rock show ever!!!

2009-04-24T11:58:00.004Z

Well what can I say - I have been attending rock concerts since 1979, seeing AC/DC on their Highway to Hell tour with the late great Bon Scott and I have now just been blown away by their Black Ice tour - 30 years on!
Having seen many bands over the years it now takes something pretty special to impress me - but this latest tour by the boys from down under (well not that they are that well connected with Australia these days!!) was awesome!!!
From the opening scenes of the Rock n Roll train cartoon, to the riffs from Angus Young's guitar, to the life-like train bursting through the centre of the stage, this was not just a rock n roll show - it was pure theatre.
Two hours of total over load - and something which will live long in my memory.
As well as the Highway to Hell tour I also saw DC on their Back in Black Tour in 1980 and the For Those about to Rock tour in 1982 - but this topped the lot!
In fact I don't think this show will ever be bettered by any rock band ever again - yes it was that good.
Despite nearing their pensions the band, with their near original line up are still going strong after 36 years - and hope they will continue for a few more years yet.
I now know why the tickets sold out in less than three minutes!!!
If you want to see this band live you are going to have to be quick off the mark in the future!
I have to smile to myself when I recall being told by my father as a youngster that I was wasting my pocket money on these rock records and concerts, as it would be a passing phase!
FOR THOSE ABOUT TO ROCK WE SALUTE YOU!

Gerrards new £28 m deal

2009-04-04T10:17:00.002Z

STEVEN Gerrard appears to have committed himself to Liverpool Football Club "for life" after signing a new contract extension believed to be worth £125,000 a week - which will yield him around £28m over the next few years!
While I admire Gerrard as a footballer and as a Liverpool fan, appreciate he is probably the club's top player - no footballer can be worth this kind of money.
Considering there is meant to be a global credit crunch and many football clubs (including Liverpool) are struggling to balance their books, I find it bizarre that clubs can still offer such astronomical deals.
When you consider a lot of the Liverpool fans around the world will be worrying about their own financial futures, it seems surreal that their heroes can command such crazy salaries.
I truly fear for the future of the game and society in general with a widening divide between the haves and the have nots!
We are heading for very difficult times and the high profile Premier League should be setting some kind of example, like in the game of Rugby league, where salary caps are imposed to help create a level playing field and to keep in touch with reality.
Premier League Footbal is in fantasy land - and sooner or later the bubble will burst!

A club in crisis!

2009-03-18T17:37:00.003Z

It is sad to see my beloved Warrington Wolves rock bottom in Super League - five games without a win - and yet one of the most expensive teams in the competition.
Year on year for two decades the club has failed to deliver for its long suffering fans.
Too often I hear of off field antics and sometimes with the performances I see you wonder if any of the rumours regarding a drinking culture are true.
Millions of pounds have been invested into the club over the years - and while the club has a stadium to be proud of they still seem no nearer landing the holy grail of a Challenge Cup or Super League title.
Hopefully the latest edition to the coaching staff Tony Smith can bring the winning culture to Warrington as it is long over due.
He is a proven winner at the highest level in the competition - here is hoping!

To twitter or to blog?

2009-03-09T17:20:00.005Z

Well I have now succumbed to Twitter on the recommendation of a few people who say it should be good for business.
So now do I blog or do I Twitter or some how try and find the time to do both?
I have found it incredibly hard to find enough hours in the day to blog on a regular basis - and then there is the small issue of facebook!!!
I could end up spending my entire life doing social networking online instead of meeting real people.
I have never got involved with msn (which my children spend most of their indoor lives on!!).
I fear society is going to suffer a cyber meltdown and we will all become attached to our computers - in fact those of you with blackberrys e.t.c are well on the way to becoming cybermen and women!
You have been warned!!!

A father at 13!!!!

2009-02-17T10:04:00.002Z

THE front page news that a 13-year-old boy has apparently fathered a child is mind boggling - one because it makes front page news and two that newspapers are prepared to pay five figure sums for these kind of stories.
Teenagers have been fathering children since the human race arrived on the planet - so why does it make front page news now???
It would also appear that the young lad's "lady" (aged 15)has been sleeping around with several other older boys who are all claiming to be the dad.
We now have families who should have their children in care and social services looking after their welfare, becoming national and international celebrities.
What is the world coming to?
It makes me ashamed to be part of the media responsible for glorifying everything that is wrong with our world.
It is about time our press took a morale stance and refused to pay huge sums of money for shameless stories.
With the media available 24/7 in various formats many children could now be influenced into thinking getting pregnant at 13 is a good way to make money and achieve fame and fortune!
The world and society is in a bloody mess!

Quo still rocking all over the world!

2009-01-27T10:50:00.003Z

I am pleased to announce that Status Quo are still rocking all over the world after 40 years - and last night I celebrated my 30th anniversary of following the band.
I took a trip down memory lane to the Manchester Apollo where I first saw Quo as a fresh faced 15-year-old - the 30th anniversary of my first quo gig - and I was not disappointed.
A 90 minute set consisting of 26 tracks, followed by an encore of three, proved to be excellent value for money from the masters of pop/rock entertainment.
If you've never been to a Quo concert I can highly recommend it - especially now that they are back in the small concert venues where they belong.
Long may it continue and hopefully they will be back before too long.
Now where did I put my imaginary guitar!

First blog of 2009!!!

2009-01-26T16:16:00.003Z

Well the month of January is nearing an end and I have just managed to muster up the enthusiasm of penning my first blog of 2009!!
Since my last entry Liverpool and England star Gerrard has now appeared in court and pleaded not guilty - so no chance of a fair trial there then!!!
The economy (thanks to the incompetance of politicans and banks) continues in a downward spiral with institutions like the Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays Bank taking a hammering on their share values to name but a few.
Be interesting to see if Barclays continue with their multi-million £ sponsorship of the Premier League when it is up!! Would seem a little strange shredding thousands of jobs yet still spending vast sums on luxury advertising.
Mind you I am still convinced most of the doom and gloom has been added to be the media as you can not pick up a newspaper, switch on a TV channel or listen to a radio without the words credit crunch being mentioned.
So after all the doom and gloom - happy new year to everyone!!!
*Since my blog the share price at Barclays has risen signigficantly after they reported a £5 billion plus profit!!! I wonder how many of the shares were bought by people connected to Barclays - another nice profit!

Gerrard's trail by TV and newspapers

2008-12-31T14:00:00.003Z

While not condoning Liverpool and England star Steven Gerrard for his involvement in an alleged nightclub fracas I now wonder how there will ever be a fair trial.
He has been charged with assault and affray and faces up to five years in prison yet all the so called "facts" have been widely reported by the world's media before the guy has even had chance to plead guilty or not guilty.
When I trained to be be a journalist the law was very clear - once a person is charged a newspaper can not report any information about the case prior or during court hearing, other than the defendants name, age, address and details relating to the charge and bail conditions, as any information read by a juror could influence their opinion.
Since Gerrard has been charged we have read that he is believed to have thrown a glass/bottle and his "victim" supports arch rivals Manchester United!!!
Mr Gerrard was indeed foolish for being out drinking in a night club with his mates during the early hours. But whatever happens now he can not face a fair trial.
The very fact his club have issued a statement saying they will stand by him tends to suggest that he may not be as guilty as he has been portrayed.
While they clearly want to protect their investment I wouldn't have thought they would have tolerated a drunken lout throwing a glass weapon across a crowded nightclub!
Time will tell - I have admired Gerrard as an inspirational sportsman and I just hope he has not blotted his character during a red mist!

The Year ahead!!!

2008-12-24T09:57:00.003Z

AS we come to the close of 2008 one wonders what lies ahead in 2009.
My opposite number on the local paper got made redundant a couple of weeks back as her company got rid of a whole management tier as a cost cutting measure.
We here that up to 30 high street brands will disappear in the New Year, all victims of the credit crunch - yet at the same tim e three million families are going abroad for Christmas!
Will we ever learn? I wonder how many of those families have used credit cards and are spending money they haven't got?
It is a time for everyone to tighten their belts and roll up their sleeves - including those in the corridors of power who seem to believe that they can borrow their way out of debt!!!
I wonder just how much longer the one who preached prudence to us can stay in control of the nation's purse strings - he certainly doesn't practice what he preaches!
Any way I would like to take this opportunity of wishing all bloggers the world over a happy Christmas and a peaceful and hopefully prosperous New Year.

The wonder of Woolies and the credit crunch!!

2008-12-16T10:40:00.003Z

A well known brand I have grown up with will soon be with us no more!
It is still hard to believe that an organisation which has become a national institution is going to disappear during the biggest credit crunch in my living memory.
With MFI also closing down I wonder how many more national brands are set to disappear?
Things just don't show any signs of getting any better and there certainly has been a massive mis-management of money over recent years - and the chickens are now coming home to roost.
Sadly it is the ordinary person on the street who is going to suffer, with many people who thought they had jobs for life, suddenly now set to become unemployment statistics, with more than two million people set to face life on the dole in 2009.
I can remember when a family friend's son had been appointed manager of the local Woolies - it was certainly a major talking point at the time - and we all thought how lucky he was.
I do hope he moved on or he will be one of the 30,000 employees looking for a new job in the New Year - but what employer would look to expand their business and take on new staff in the current climate - either a very brave one or a very foolish one.
I hope I can be inspired to write another blog before the New Year because I don't want to sign off in 2008 as a doom and gloom merchant!
Hang on a minute - what's that breaking news - the banks are in further turmoil because on a multi billion pound scam spearhead by a top investment banker which many of them invested in!! Hand me the pain killers!

George Sampson - a great ambassador

2008-11-14T16:57:00.004Z

I had the pleasure of meeting Britain's Got Talent winner George Sampson when he switched on the Christmas lights in Warrington.
He certainly attracted a large crowd and my initial first impressions are this young man is not just a great ambassador for Warrington but for teenagers in general.
He was certainly not phased by his new found stardom and I am pleased to say proud of his Warrington roots.
It was certainly refreshing to be able to report on a teenager for positive reasons instead of the usual doom and gloom which attracts headlines in the press on a near daily basis.

Lewis Hamilton - world champion!!!!

2008-11-04T11:37:00.002Z

Lewis Hamilton won the world championship on the final lap of the Formula One season, by just one point - big deal!

He moved into fifth place with just seconds remaining of the Brazilian Grand Prix, to pip rival Felipe Massa to the title.

Bit of a hollow victory when you win by finishing 5th to a guy who has won more races than you!

"Hamilton roared past the driver in fifth place, Timo Glock, to become the youngest world champion in the history of Formula One."

Don't make me laugh - the guy let him over take so he could win.

I can't understand why people tolerate such a corrupt sport!
Nearly as bad as Italian football!

Mind you young Hamilton is now a multi millionaire - shame he can't tolerate being adored by his fans so he has to live a life in exile - or is that tax exile???

Sorry can't get enthusiastic about this - and to think grown people were in tears when they thought he was going to lose!!!

I think there is more important things in the world to worry about - like what colour should I paint the bathroom?

Sack them both!!!

2008-10-29T08:52:00.002Z

Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand have certainly over stepped the mark after an audience of two million Radio 2 listeners heard them leave a series of answerphone messages for actor Andrew Sachs, 78, in which they joked that Brand had slept with the actor's granddaughter.
The former Manuel character off Fawlty Towers was certainly not amused and neither are the 10,000 plus listeners who have already complained to the BBC.
Personally I think Ross, or should I say Woss, is an over rated, over paid pompus idiot, while Brand seems to think it is funny to boast about how many women conquests he has had - playground stuff really - yet the BBC seem to think he is worth £200k a year for a weekly radio show!
God knows why the BBC think Ross is worth a multi million pound contract!
The calls, made for a BBC radio show, involved a claim that Brand had slept with the Fawlty Towers actor's granddaughter Georgina Baillie, 23, who has called for the pair to be sacked!
The presenters also joked that the actor might kill himself as a result.
Ross. 47, and Brand,33, have both apologised - well that is really big of you boys - now do the honourable thing and step down and launch your own media broadcasting company (anyone can do it now with the internet) and just see how much funding you can generate.
I am sure it will be nowhere near what the British licence fee payer has to cough up every year to fill up your fat wallets!

It's official - we are in recession!!!

2008-10-22T10:14:00.002Z

When you hear the Bank of England Governor Mervyn King telling the world we are in recession - we really must be in recession - not that our Mervyn will feel much difference!
If people hadn't been greedy and borrowed money they couldn't afford to pay back and if the banks had been foolish enough to lend money to those who could't afford their 110 per cent mortgage offers, we wouldn't be in this financial mess.
Banks are now being bailed out by the tax payers, without the tax payers having much say in the matter - well until the next election.
But then again what choice do we have for change - with the only real contenders are a party which allows its big wigs to go on jollies with dodgy Russian billionaires!
I am sure the hard working small business people of Britain - the back bone of the country, will continue working around the clock, depriving themselves of their annual holidays and precious family time to help bail out the spongers in society.
It has happend before and it will happen again - so it is time to roll up the sleeves and get on with the job in hand.
If only the Government could reward those hard working small business people - instead of clobbering them with taxes and red tape - well we can live in hope!

A night with true legends

2008-10-09T09:40:00.002Z

I had the honour of being a guest at the National Football Museum's Hall of fame in Liverpool last night - when they honoured the Liverpool dream team that lifted the European Cup so many times!!!
It was a fantastic experince meeting so many of my boyhood heroes like King Kenny Dalgleish, Ian Rush, John Barnes, Alan Kennedy, Phil Thompson, Phil Neal and super sub David Fairclough.
Their European cup winning team was entered into the National Museum's Hall of Fame, along with Evertonian Nev Southall, who was voted for by the people as the greatest ever Evertonian - some honour!
Also in attendance was former FA Chief Executive Brian Barwick (who makes no secret of being a big Liverpool fan) and Michel Platini, who has been expressing his concerns about clubs going into foreign ownership, with foreign managers and foreign players - and lets face it foreign fans.
Football has certainly become a global business where money talks.
If the likes of Stevie Gerrard and Wayne Rooney are are £180,000 a week - it makes me wonder what King Kenny and Ian Rush would be on in today's money!!!
The current banking crisis should be a warning to all that greed eventually results in downfall - so watch out football!

Banks going bust!!!!

2008-10-01T08:23:00.002Z

Yes - they really are and there is near panic on the streets!
The current media hype really has many people running scared and reading the newspapers and watching/listening to the news you really would think we are all doomed.
Suddenly global warming and the end of the planet is not top of the agenda!!
The panic has really got through to the people and I had to smile to myself when my 12-year-old daughter came out with the classic line "Why don't they just print more money!"
Well we really would be in a mess then wouldn't we.
If everyone had enough money to spend on whatever they liked on whatever they wanted the world would end up in complete anarchy!!
So what have the banks and building societies been doing for the past 30 years - lending money to people who can't afford to pay it back - and then lending more and more and putting millions of people into debt - the end result near anarchy in the banking world.
What is the saying - you reap what you sow!
Just to cheer me up the news today reported that the next World War would be a battle for resources - didn't we just have that in Iraq???!!!

A chance to smile for a change!!!!

2008-09-15T13:39:00.003Z

LIVERPOOL'S rare victory over Manchester United gave me a chance to smile for a change - after years of torment from my many Manchester United friends.
I just hope its not another false dawn and Liverpool can maintain their rightful place back at the top of the British game.
Nineteen years without a league title is far too long for some who can remember the glory days of Toshack, Keegan, Highway and Clemence.
Not wanting to be negative about a great victory it was extremely disappointing to see only one Englishman in the starting 11 - I feel Liverpool need another six or seven players with the passion of Carragher and Gerrard to really compete at the top.

The school run!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-04T12:24:00.002Z

THE dreaded school runs have strated again after the long summer break - and what a difference it makes to road congestion, pollution e.t.c.
Due to an early engagement (at a school) I ended up spending half an hour in a traffic jam - thanks to all the mums and dads taking their children to school.
I can gurantee that most lived within walking distance (less than a mile) of the said school!
Do these numpty's not realise just how costly it is to drive the mile, not just to their own pocket but the planet!
Do they also not realise that a child walking to school and back home again is very good exercise and will actually end up probably giving the child a few extra years of precious life.
I think the government should impose an extra tax on those who drive their kids to school if they live within less than a one mile radius!
It makes me sooooooooo ANGRY!

People read my blogs ....

2008-08-20T10:15:00.002Z

and take my advice - quite scary really the power of the internet!!!!
Just found out one of my "friends" on facebook signed up for it after taking my advice in a previous blog!!!
He has now also discovered it is very addictive.
So perhaps I should start attaching public health warnings on any advice I give on here?
Delighted to say my face book is continuing to go from strength to strength - you can find me on a search for warrington or Gary Skentelbery.
Just got back in touch with an old primary school friend who left town 20 years ago and is now living in Cornwall - from where my famly roots are!!!
How spooky is that!!

Silly season!!!

2008-08-13T16:10:00.002Z

Why is it that everything comes to a standstill in August known in the publishing trade as "silly season!"
All of those busy bodies who are on the phone or emailing you nearly every day just suddenly disappear.
No doubt the long school holidays play a major part in this but surely it must be bad for the business economy - certainly in a time of recession.
Some people just jump on a plane and leave their businesses to run themselves!!
Then they are left wondering why their business is under performing!
No wonder it is known as silly season!

Is Facebook addictive

2008-08-05T18:17:00.002Z

It was hard enough updating a blog on a regular basis at the best of times - but now with Facebook on the go it is proving even more difficult.
The big difference is that Facebook gets you very quick feedback from old friends and new and is very, very interactive.
I just enjoyed seeing an old pop video of one of my favourite bands Ac/dc on my own facebook and it really turned back the clock - to 1979 and my school days.
So I must confess Facebook is somewhat becoming a little more interesting than a blog.
To make a blog interesting takes a lot of time and effort - Facebook it can be instant!
So I am now beginning to wonder if a blog was a good idea?
As far as networking goes - Facebook wins hands down!

Have you got a Facebook?

2008-07-28T08:37:00.004Z

Last week I signed up for Facebook - and I was amazed to find out how many people I know already have their own Facebooks.
What is even more amazing in these days of internet fraud is how we are all willing to put our personal information on the worldwide web, giving people an insight into our near every move.
It is quite scary really - I now have people I have never met requesting to be my friends - do you accept anyone who asks or limit it to those you know?
I've already discovered long lost cousins I never knew so it certainly has it plus points - I just hope it doesn't become too addictive - like most message board facilities do!
Any way if you want to check out my profile and sign up as a friend here is the link!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1351819201

Time to bring back Corporal punishment

2008-07-21T15:16:00.003Z

Working in the media for many years now and coming into contact with lots of young people, it is now very clear that respect has gone out of the window - when I say respect I mean respect for authority.
Many young people now believe they can get a way with murder - quite literally - without any real punishment.
School children know teachers can not cane them and I've even heard of cases where youngsters theraten their parents with Childline!
The only way we will get any respect back is by the re-introduction of Corporal Punishment.
I can remember quaking outside the headmaster's office fearing the cane - it certainly ensured I didn't mis-behave again!!!
So lets give the authorities some chance of bringing back respect by allowing them to have some control over those who believe they are above the law.

Meltdown!!!!

2008-07-09T18:19:00.002Z

IT has been looming for a while but now the economy is really in a meltdown.
Everone who has been living on credit and borrowed time is now coming to the end of the road.
I have never known it so bad - three letters in the last week from local companies going into administration, several local estate agents going out of business and others closing branches, property developers across the country laying off thousands of workers!
It has been looming for a long time and looks like getting a lot worse before it gets better.
Yet the Prime Minister insists that the economy is still good and the media have been talking everyone into a recession.
While many businesses are on borrowed time I suspect the Prime Minister (and former Chancellor) is also on borrowed time.
Main problem though - is there any body out there who can turn around a global recession created by cheap goods being created in Africa, India and China and esclating oil prices?
I don't think so!

Rock of Ages

2008-06-24T07:54:00.008Z

Many of the bands from my youth are experiencing a massive rock revival at the moment and it is certainly proving to be a very enjoyable experience.
In the past week I have seen The Police, Whitesnake and Def Leppard, all at the MEN Arena in Manchester.
Although the Police are certainly not members of the heavy rock brigade they certainly have churned out plenty of classics over the past 30 years and it was a fantastic experience to see them in action on their final world tour.
But they certainly know how to chare with tickets coming in at £75 each when taking into account the booking fee!
Meanwhile the double headder by Whitesnake, also celebrating 30 years, and Def Leppard, mear youngsters at 29 years, was far better value at £37.50 for the two!
Whitesnake's David Coverdale is now pushing 60 but still has a vocal range which would put most modern day vocalists to shame.
With a young line up behind him he will hopefully keep on rocking for a few more years yet and it would be good to see the band in a smaller venue.
Finally Def Leppard, the band I first saw when they supported AC/DC on their Highway to Hell tour in 1979 at Manchester Apollo.
I can remember the music critics saying that the band were OK but they needed to find a newe vocalist as Jo Elliot was the weakest link. While nearly three decades on his is still fronting the band and their stage presence was awesome.
Musically I have always preferred Whitesnake but on performance alone Def Leppard stole the show.
Both bands certainly helped me rediscover my youth and long may it continue!
I can't wait to see the oldest rockers in town - Status Quo at The Palace Theatre in Manchester in October!
Pictures from the top show Def Leppard reaching dizzy heights, David Coverdale belting out another anthem and The Police at their best.

Congratulations George Sampson

2008-06-03T16:35:00.002Z

Congratulations to Britain's Got Talent winner George Sampson from my home town of Warrington.
In times when young people get such a bad press it is refreshing to see such positive publicity about a teenager - particularly one who has spent much of his time "hanging out" in the town centre.
It just shows that the "hoodies" many older people think are out to cause trouble are actually doing something constructive with their time.
So next time you see someone busking in the town centre don't label them as a troublesome teenager - they could be the next talent.
George seems to be coping well with his new found fame and was given a heroes return at Birchwood High School, where he is now certainly the most popular pupil.
Let's hope the success does not go to his head and he can continue to achieve great things for himself, his family, his friends and our town.
Well done George.

End of an era

2008-05-27T13:24:00.004Z

WARRINGTON Wolves Head Coach Paul Cullen paid the ultimate price for lack of success with his six years in charge coming to an end by mutual consent.
After giving 25 years of his life to the club it must have been a very black day for Paul and all those who are close to him.
He is not alone.
He was the longest serving Coach in Super League until he fell on his sword.
He will be a hard act to follow for passion and commitment but ultimately he paid the penalty for not bringing silverware to the club.
But in a competition which is (like football) dominated by the big four, what chance do others have?
Even if you buy the best players available you can not buy success - ask the Chelsea boss!
All sports teams who want to be successful need to build from grass roots and create a winnning team.
Manchester United are the best example of this as it is no coincidence that Alex Fergusons successful years have been alongside a group of players who came through the ranks together.
These players are now reaching the end of the road and even United have slipped into the habit of buying big names - so it will be interesting to see if their success continues once Neville, Giggs, Scholes, Brown, and co are no more.

The youth of today!!!

2008-05-21T15:23:00.005Z

I have just returned from giving a talk on the media to a class of year six (10-11 year-olds) pupils at a Warrington school.
Sadly some of them had the attention span of a gold fish.
The most worrying thing for me was the way their ears pricked up when we started talking about crime in the local community.
They all to a one, suddenly tuned in, with almost total obsession as we trawled through reports on crime in the local community.
They thought it was great to read about arson attacks, muggings, robberies and other such events taking place on a near daily basis in our town.
For them to show such interest it makes one wonder what their parents are talking about or involved in on a near daily basis!
I am not for one minute suggesting they were bad kids, far from it. Some still retained their cute innocence - but not for much longer based on this experience!

Battle of Britain!!!

2008-05-20T10:23:00.003Z

Man Utd and Chelsea are set to do battle in the first "All England" Champions League Final tomorrow, Wednesday May 21st.
But in reality it is America v Russia in Moscow - let us all pray that World War III does not break out.
The Russians will not take any messing from troublesome football fans and the last thing our beautiful game needs is a bloodbath.
The scenes in Manchester following the UEFA Cup final when the so called Rangers fans went on the rampage were deplorable.
As a Liverpool fan I only know too well the fatal consequences caused by the mindless minority.
Not sure yet whether I can stomach watching the game after Liverpool's bad luck in the semi-final - but I don't need to worry about the reputation of Liverpool football club being tarnished in Europe.

Ground hog day

2008-05-12T07:23:00.004Z

Well the curtain has come down on another season in the premiership and it feels like Ground hog day.
Manchester United win their 10th Premier League Crown, Chelsea are once again the only real contenders to the crown with Arsenal and Liverpool coming third and 4th - and then the rest!
Money certainly talks and the richer the club the more successful it is.
The Premier League need to look at what is going on in the Rugby league where a salary cap now means all teams are playing on a level field - each with a maximum salary cap of just £1.7m.
This ensures the quality players, while well rewarded for their services, never get too rich too quick, and are spread across the whole league, instead of lured to the richest clubs.
It ensures a much more exciting league where any club can beat any other club.
So come on lets see a salary cap in the football to make it more interesting.
(Oh yes - and I am a bitter scouser!)

Wibbly wobbly web!!!

2008-04-30T13:52:00.002Z

Having been online now for nine years it strikes me that we are in danger of serious overload on the internet, which could bring thr worldwide web to its knees.
Witrh the web being a major part of our business I hope I am wrong - but with internet speeds coming to a near standstill at busy times of the day it can't be long before we have melt down.
When I go online at 7am it is full steam ahead, then as the day progresses it gets slower and slower.
When the kids come home from school, unless you have super fast broadband and are near to an exchange you might as well pack in.
As more and more people go on line via computers, mobile phones and a wide variety of hand held devices the situation is going to get worse before it gets better.
I don't know what the solution is - perhaps instead of making the service cheaper and cheaper, we should be making people pay more for what they use.

Panic in the streets

2008-04-27T16:28:00.002Z

An oil refinary shuts down for two days due to strike action over a staff dispute over pensions and half the country is brought to its knees with panic buying of petrol.
What a sad world we live in where people are so greedy and desperate to make sure they have got enough fuel to drive into work or take the kids to school - and we are now paying £5 a gallon for the privilidge!
But one of the other major problems we will all soon face is the actual lack of places to buy fuel.
I have always avoided buying at motorway service stations because they are even a bigger rip off when it comes to charging for fuel - but during a recent journey to Blackpool I nearly ran out of fuel, passing just one petrol station during a 94 mile journey!
There is so little profit in fuel (most of the money goes in tax!!!) people can no longer afford to run petrol stations - so be warned make sure you have a full tank before you go on your next journey - now here I am creating panic buying!
But it is a fact you could go many miles before passing a service station and I fear in the not too distant future the only places you will be able to buy will be motorway service stations or supermarkets!

Credit crunch - what credit crunch???

2008-04-12T14:25:00.002Z

All the newspaper talk and financial pages are full of talk about the credit crunch and recession - as a nation we certainly seem well capable of talking ourselves into economic doom and gloom.
Fortunately, while it is clear things have got a little tighter, due to escalating utility and food costs, I am confident that the economy is still in a relatively
good state and just wish people would stop being so negative.
Business is certainly booming here in Warrington, despite the fact our town has now been labelled as the place to come to if you want to be robbed, murdered or assaulted!!!
Apparently our track record is little different than any other town or city of comparable size.
So for any one out there wondering whether to come to Warrington or not - rest assured we have a bright future.
Watch this space!

Warrington makes the headlines

2008-03-21T11:09:00.002Z

My home town of Warrington has been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons - due to the drunken yob culture which is taking over our streets across Britain (and probably most of the world!)
Yesterday marked the 15th anniversary of the IRA bombing of Warrington which claimed the lives of two young boys - the worst atrocity in the town's recent history.
Warrington made international headlines on March 20th 1993 when two bombs went off in Bridge Street, the day before Mother's Day, claiming the lives of 12 year-old Tim Parry and three-year-old Johnathan Ball.
I remember the day well - as I got the call from the media to go into the town centre following the bombing - I was still in my football kit!
Since that awful day I have witnessed the inner strength of Warrington as the community united in grief but instead of remaining bitter, Warrington moved forward, helping play a major role in the Northern Ireland Peace process.
Colin and Wendy Parry have been an inspiration to me and I have the honour of being a patron at their unique peace centre, which works with young people showing them there is a better way than conflict.
It hurts me to see Warrington being dragged through the headlines for stabbings, murders and drunken behaviour. It is my home town and a town I am extremely proud to part of.
The likes of Colin and Wendy Parry and the many others who have been involved in the rebuilding of our community since that fateful day, will ensure Warrington will continue to move forward - and eventually those who focuse on the negative issues will hopefully one day realise the issues we have are a disease of the nation.
If we continue to promote all that is wrong it will attract more problems.
For example if an area becomes a dumping ground for rubbish, it attracts more rubbish.
If an area gets a reputation for cheap booze it will attract drunken yobs.
Let us all try and move forward and make Warrington and the country a better place.

Who will you vote for???

2008-03-18T09:27:00.002Z

The local elections are looming on May 1st and the political machines are grinding into motion - so who will get your vote?
On the national scene I believe David Cameron (Tory) and Nick Clegg (Lib Dem) have become clones of Tony Blair while Gordon Brown is well - er Gordon Brown.
I can't say any of them make me feel like running for the polling booth.
On a local level here in sunny Warrington we have a power sharing situation on the borough council with an unlikely Lim-Dem Tory alliance.
We are all told we should use or vote as our forefathers gave up their lives to ensure we had the right to vote.
Sadly more than half the population usually don't bother voting and when all three political parties continue to jump on the popularity bandwagon there will always be an element of apathy.
What we need is politicians who can make tough unpopular decisions which will benefit mankind - not ones who just want to be loved by the people.
In the perfect world I suppose a tough politican who can make unpopular decisions and still be popular with the people would be the dream ticket - but that's a place called Utopia, which of course doesn't exist!

Did the earth move for you?

2008-02-27T10:26:00.003Z

The UK suffered its biggest earthquake in quarter of a century with its epicentre based in Lincolnshire - but the shockwaves travelled as far as Warrington.
Personally I think I slept through the excitement.
Fortunately we escaped major damage in Warrington but nuildings were damaged near the epicentre.
One wonders with global warming, changing climates e.t.c is this the start of things to come?

Lanzarote Life

2008-02-22T13:08:00.005Z

A favourite destination for me in the Winter is the sunny isle of Lanzarote in the Canaries.
You can normally guarantee some sunshine all year round and the temperature is normally constant between 70-80 making it the perfect destination as it rarely gets too hot and never too cold.
As you can see from the photos of my daughters there is also plenty to do from camel rides to relaxing days on the beach.
The country has a very relaxing lifestyle and having visited around 10 times over the past 20 years, including twice for Christmas and New Year, it comes highly recommended.
It is also a relatively short flight of around four hours from the UK which makes it the perfect destination.

Another bloody cold!!!

2008-02-18T15:19:00.000Z

Just returned from a winter break in the sun and hey presto another bloody cold.
Must be my 4th this year!!!
Sitting on the plane I was aware of all the coughing and spluttering going on around me and thought - I bet I catch that - and I did!
You would have thought in this day and age the airlines could have come up with an air filter system which didn't involve us all breathing in each others bugs.
Any good I got recharging my batteries in the sun has been wiped out by a stinking cold - well in fact I'd go as far as saying it is man flu!
Cough splutter sneeze!

Ban Valentines Day! You must be joking

2008-02-05T12:08:00.000Z

I see the green lobby are now suggesting we should amost ban Valentines Day by not sending Valentines cards to help save the planet!
They claim the additional strain on the postal system will quicken the demise of our planet.
I am all for helping save the planet by recycling everything possible - but I think those in power at Friends of the Earth and the Green Party are starting to lose the plot.
Sending Valentines cards to loved ones is a fun thing to do for people of all ages and also provides a much needed boost to the card and luxury goods industries.
We all know the planet is suffering from global warming and we all know our planet will one day run out of resources - it is just a matter of time.
So what should we all do, live in a total eco friendly society and count the days down to our ultimate demise - or enjoy ourselves a little bit while we are here.
I think our green friends should lighten up a little if they want to get the public on side - and not be total killjoys.

Shameful Warrington

2008-01-29T13:08:00.000Z

My lovely home town of Warrington is currently in the national spotlight following a high profile murder trial when three teenagers were convicted of kicking a man to death after he challenged them about vandalism outside his home.
The TV camera crews visited Warrington to film a typical night out in the town centre.
The scenes are shameful!

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1302608,00.html

Personally I believe this is a national problem which needs to be addressed by
1. Punishing parents for the sins of their youngsters if they are aged under 18 and drinking alcohol.
2. Forbidding the sale of cheap booze and drinks promotions.
3. Closing down clubs and bars which allow under age drinkers or are seen to actively encourage drunken and abusive behaviour.
4. Put stringent curfews on anyone who so much as vomits in the street as a result of intoxication.

Things are likely to go from bad to worse when Mr Smiths nightclub opens later in the year - and to think the local council is attempting to attract normal law abiding citiziens into the town centre at night - no chance!

Most depressing day of the year!

2008-01-21T09:09:00.001Z

According to the media today is the most depressing day of the year here in the UK.
The reason - it is the day most people get their credit card bills after their Christmas spending.
Instead of going OTT on Christmas pressies I invested money in some winter sunshine and will be spending a week soon on the sunny island of Lanzarote in the Canaries.
From past experience I have realised that a week away from the miserable weather provides a real boost during our winter months.
So when planning your Christmas budgets next year take stock of how miserable you feel at this time of the year and treat yourself to a winter break.
I am now counting down the days to some sunshine and when I return Spring will only just be around the corner.

Man flu!

2008-01-16T12:21:00.000Z

Is it an urban myth or are men really wimps when it comes to having a bad cold?
Well I've had it for about a week now, straight after a normal cold and I can testify man flu is indeed very real and most unpleasant.
With no word of a lie I feel as though I have been beaten with a baseball bat but bravely soldier on coming into work coughing and spluttering and ensuring the rest of the world share my misery.
This is where the world is going wrong.
I should be home and in bed with a hot toddy without a care in the world.
But now like many others, we are all working under such pressure there is never time to let the body recover and heal, hence feeling run down constantly.
What I really need is a week in the sunshine - watch this space for the best place on the planet for a winter break just four hours from a miserable, cold wet and damp UK.

What a sick world we live in

2008-01-08T13:08:00.000Z

Imagine the scene - a frail elderly lady being confronted on her doorstep by three thugs at the dead of night.
Obviously fearing for her safety she refuses them entry via a chain on her door.
Undeterred they manage to smash a window gain entry to her home and demand cash with menaces.
Eager for them to leave she explains she has no cash other than that put inside Christmas cards for young relatives.
The thugs then demand she opens every Christmas card and give them the cash before fleeing the scene.
Now you can stop imagining the scene - it really happened to an elderly relative of my family here in Warrington - Stretton to be exact.
I know what I would like to do to those responsible if I ever got my hands on them - but then I would be as guilty as them - in fact while they got community service and a slap wrist I would probably be locked up for several years.
We need to review the whole justice system so the police and courts spend their time dealing with the real criminals instead of taking the easy options of persecuting those who are caught by speed cameras going about their daily business - yes me lord guilty as charged!

Not what you know but who you know...

2008-01-04T11:32:00.000Z

is a very old saying and very true.
I do a lot of networking in my working life.
Today I started at a breakfast networking event called Business Networking International (BNI).
I have been a member for many years and it proves very successful.
A 7am start puts some people off - but as they say "the early bird gets the worm."
Alongside Rotary, Chamber of Commerce and other networking events they prove to be the lifeblood of many businesses.
These organisations also provide a valuable network of support - I mean where else can you have breakfast with yoiur bank manager and solicitor every week!
Of course as you build up your network of contacts it helps open all sorts of doors - well worth the early start!

New Year New Cheer!

2008-01-02T10:19:00.001Z

AFTER coughing and spluttering my way through the festive season (like half the nation apparently) I am hoping for a little New Year Cheer on the health front.
The beginning of December started with the Noro Virus - such a pleasant illness it has its own listing on Wikipidia
CLICK HERE
I also contracted this in the Maldives at the end of August and I can assure you once is bad enough - twice in three months is a nightmare!
Well that laid me low for the first part of December and then at Christmas I got hit by the common cold - but clearly it was man flu for me!
So any way to try and ensure a healthy lifestyle in 2008 I am starting the Year with a self imposed ban on alcohol, coffee and chocolate!!!
I am giving myself until the end of the month and then I will see if I feel any better.
Watch this space!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

2007-12-20T17:18:00.000Z

I would like to tak this opportunity to wish readers and fellow bloggers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Hopefully i wont get too near a computer over the festive period (my daughters will see to that!) so this could be my last blog until the New Year.
I am sure most of us will eat and drink all the wrong things and wonder why we are lacking in energy in the New Year.
But hey ho that is what Christmas is all about.
I have rationed myself this year and have only actually had two Christmas dinners in advance of the big day.
Just one more "do" to get out of the way and then hopefully some proper relaxtion and peace and tranquility - in my dreams!
Any way less of the bah hum bug and happy holidays to one and all.
Lets hope the wheels don't come off in 2008!

Over paid prima donnas

2007-12-17T09:40:00.000Z

Having recently become a board member at Warrington Town FC it has opened may eyes to how over paid and over rated our Premiership footballers are.
I have also discovered how much more enjoyable our national sport is at grass roots level - when will all the other football fans who pay through the nose to watch their heroes actually wake up and realise how much they are being ripped off?
At the weekend I was one of around 150 hardy souls who were warmed up by a thrilling 3-3 goal fest at Cantilever Park - the home of Warrington Town.
On Sunday I almost fell asleep watching Liverpool v Man Utd and Arsenal v Chelsea - both dour 1-0 affairs.
I saw more commitment and passion in 90 minutes at Warrington Town than I have seen in a Premiership game all season.
I also enjoyed the experience of being at a live game much more than sitting in front of the TV.
So come on all you armchair fans - get off your backsides and down to Cantilever Park or your local football team and give them the support they deserve - instead of making the wealthy over paid prima donna soccer stars even richer!

Rocking all over the world!

2007-12-11T10:48:00.000Z

When it comes to pure entertainment there is no better live rock band than Status Quo.
Having just seen them for the 10th time (at least!) I can honestly say they never fail to deliver.
While they may have once been the wild men of rock with their off stage antics they have certainly stood the test of time and are still rocking after 40 years!
Their show is awesome and the number of hits they manage to churn out in 1hr 45 minutes is mind boggling.
Starting with the familiar chords of Caroline they manage to squeeze in just about everything from forty fine hundred times, paper plan, big fat mama, rain, dear john,
down the dustpipe, some stuff of their new album (which blends nicely in with the classics) the list just goes on and on and on - bit like Quo!
They have already guaranteed to be back next year - and all being well I will be there.
If you have never seen Quo I recommend you go - because no matter how down you may feel they will shake off those old rag blues and have you leaping around with your air guitar or dancing in the aisles.
Why they bother having seating on the floored area is a mystery to me!

How do you blog from your sick bed?

2007-12-10T14:36:00.000Z

Not got around to blogging much lately due to being struck down by gastric flu which left me in bed for 48 hours!
The last thing on my mind ws sitting in front of a computer.
So instead of blogging I was speaking to God down the great white telephone - not a pretty sight!
I even had three days off work ill - which is unheard of - so I must have been bad.
Problem is so far behind with work not got time to blog - but I will be back soon.

Paid for failure!

2007-11-23T14:05:00.000Z

It always amazes me how these days we live in a world where people are paid for failure.
After watching England's dismal performance in their 2-3 defeat by Crotia, which resulted in failure to qualify for the 2008 European Championships, it came as no great surprise when Head Coach Steve McClaren was sacked the morning after the game.
His reward, a £2.5 million pay off and escaping to his holiday home in Barbados!
Surely a contract can be delivered which says, failure to deliver will result in redundancy with the statutory payment - a week for each year worked.
No wonder McClaren didn't fall on his sword after one of the worst England displays of all time.
No doubt we will now have to endure another over paid flop attempting to restore some pride to the national team.
When will everyone wake up to the fact that until the Premiership teams are full of English players we will never have a team capable of competing on the European and World stage.
Rugby teams can limit overseas players, cricket teams can limit overseas players but our national game can't - why because of the European employment laws!
If anyone needed a good excuse to pull out of the European Union - this is a good enough one.

Death of my hero

2007-11-21T09:59:00.000Z

FORMER Warrington and Great Britain Rugby League Captain Mike Gregory passed away this week after a lengthy illness - he was just 43 - a year younger than me.
I had the honour of knowing Mike and worked quite closely with him during his 12 years at Warrington, even helping produce his testimonial brochure.
I attended two fund-raising dinners while he was fighting his muscle wasting illness and while his body wasn't working properly, his spirit still lived on.
I can remember going home after the dinner and breaking my heart. How can life be so cruel. How can such a decent, honest hard working guy be struck down by such a cruel, crippling disease?
This was the guy who burst his lungs running nearly the full length of the pitch to help Great Britain pull off an amazing victory against the all conquering Australians on their on pitch.
This was the guy who single handedly fought against the mighty Wigan at Wembley, scoring a memorable try against his home town club wearing his favourite colours of primrose and blue.
While Mike went on to Coach at St Helens and finally at Wigan, where he once again led his club out in the Challenge Cup Final, he told me his heart was still at Warrington, the club that helped make him the man he was.
Unlike many celebrities, Mike kept his feet on the ground and was still just a normal, honest hard working guy.
No show, no fuss, just a bloody decent guy who always found you the time of day.
I will never forget as a young reporter how my hero remembered my name and always said "Hi Gary" even if I hadn't see him for a couple of months.
I will never forget the last time I saw Mike as he was wheeled into a room full of people, but he still managed a smile and a wink in my direction.
God bless you Mike - you were and always will be "quite simply the best!"
I hardly knew you compared to your wife, kids and family, so god only knows what they must be going through!

Long Live Rock 'n' Roll

2007-11-12T11:18:00.000Z

HEAVY metal is certainly enjoying a revival and there are none better than the boys from Black Sabbath with frontman Ronnie James Dio, for keeping heavy rock anthems alive and kicking.
For the first time in many years I found myself standing up at the Heaven & Hell tour which featured Ronnie with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinnie Appice - Black Sabbath by any other name.
But this tour was all about the three albums Ronnie performed with Sabbath, in the absence of Ozzy Osbourne, who after all hasn't done a studio album with Sabbath, since 1978!!!
After briefly enduring some thrash metal idiots called Lambs of God (I retired to the bar with a headache after two tracks) Ronnie James Dio and the Sabs soon restored my faith.
Their show was pure theatre, with a great set which was tight and near note perfect!
Rolling out classics from Heaven and Hell, Mob Rules and Dehumanize the only complaint (well two if you count the choice of support band) is at 90 minutes the show was too short!!!
Tony Iommi is a genius on lead guitar, not bad for someone who lost the top off his finger during an accident at work in his youth - and di you know he has been wearing the same gold cross around his neck on stage for 37 years - it must be to keep the demons at bay.
I hope the boys decide to tour again as classics like Neon Knights and Die Young deserve to be aired on a regular basis.
He may be only small but Ronnie certainly has a great stage present and manages to communicate with the crowd without the need to resort to any use of the F word - unlike the support act who obviously thought every word had to start with an F!
I think he did let slip with one bloody during his genuine excitement!
Its just a shame we don't get to see Ronnie performing any of the classics he did with Richie Blackmore's Rainbow - Over to you Richie!