A tale of three cities

16 Mar 2010, 10:33 2 Comments View Comments | Add Comment

Don't look back in anger. Downtown launched in Manchester last week with an event at Cloud 23, and it was a super night full of energy, optimism for the future, and a glance to the past. The Downtown brand, in part, was inspired by the 'McEnroe Group' created as a 'You Cannot Be Serious' commentary on a rather uninspiring campaign presented by Marketing Manchester in 1996. Tony Wilson and other creative types, including Tom Bloxham, Peter Saville and Colin Sinclair, who all went on to become part of the Manchester 'establishment', were the principle agitators.

This led to talk in the room of an online movement that has been established complaining about Manchester being caught in a Hacienda timewarp. Parallels have been drawn with Liverpool's apparent obsession with the Beatles. Though it is certainly fair to ensure that Manchester does not become all consumed by Factory Records and the Hacienda, surely its influence on music and popular culture should rightly be recognised and celebrated. It's not as if any of the nostalgia surrounding the whole Madchester phenomena is standing in the way of the city's progress. In the last week alone, we have had plans unveiled for a multi million pound improvement to the Oxford Road corridor and for the regeneration of East Manchester. I think celebrating the past is fine. Just don't live in it.

City thinking

Preston's continued failure to do anything with the city status badge it won to become England's newest city in 2002 has led DPIB to establish a 'City Thinking' campaign that will encourage some new ideas about how the Lancashire 'hub' can be regenerated and promoted more effectively in the future. We are dedicating our Business Week in May to explore the anticipated proposals in more detail, with a plan to write them up for the consideration of the Preston Vision Board. Preston's future can no longer be wholly reliant on the long awaited £700m Tithebarn scheme that now faces a public inquiry.

Two tribes

Despite their current difficulties on and off the pitch, it seems that the latest attempts to get Everton and Liverpool Football Clubs to consider alternative proposals other than building a new stadium apiece have fallen on deaf ears. An initiative that would see the development of a 'Football Quarter' in Walton and the re-development of existing stadia, Goodison Park and Anfield, have been dismissed, as has the possibility of a shared stadium. How long this stubbornness can last remains to be seen. If Liverpool fail to qualify for the European Champions League will that see a shift in attitude?

Your Comments

2 Comments Add Comment

Great signing. Looking forward to the fruits of Frank's wisdom...…

comment by Cloud 24 | 16/03/2010 13:54:43

Preston needs to get hold of the Liverpool Vision launch plan from 1999 and copy it. Couple of office wins. Waterfront. Station.…

comment by Viz | 17/03/2010 08:19:52