When I worked in licenced retail, one of the best things about opening a new pub was distressing the fixtures and fittings before it opened. People don’t like a pub to be too new.

But the Beech on Chorlton Green has no need for such gimmicks.

Over recent months the Beech, perhaps Chorlton’s best traditional pub has been much neglected so that today it trades on its reputation alone. Never has a pub been in greater need of some TLC. We concluded our Sunday drinking session in the Trevor Arms.
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‘Oi! That’s not for you love!’

That’s the warning the Manchester Evening News distributor issues to any woman who attempts to pick up a copy of Short List. Short List is a magazine that’s free for men.

Despite being a men’s mag, it contains neither tits nor arse, but that Lewis Hamilton strapline is more than a little homoerotic.

I’ve never been one to read on the toilet, but Short List, with it’s bite size articles and top tens is clearly designed to be read while taking a dump.

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Stephen
I have received a reply from Steve Webb, who is responsible for the Manifesto. No commitment to support shooting is in the current draft. I imagine that the BASC is wrong in their interpretation of events at conference.
John (by email)

John Leech MP has responded to my recent exclusive, Withington MP set to defy party on blood sports, with the reassuring email above. Knowing the Lib Dems as I do, this is as I suspected. John rightly points out elsewhere that all parties have their blood sport supporters, but it’s still disappointing that senior figures are so cosy with the shooting lobby that the British Association for Shooting and Conservation could be left with the impression that the Lib Dems will include a commitment to shooting in their manifesto.

Even so, it is extremely unlikely that blood sports supporters will ever dominate the Liberal Democrats. And should the worse happen it’s good to know that we can rely on John to pay no heed to party policy in this area, manifesto commitment or not.

‘Well Mr Newton, I was there and I heard it. I’ve heard nothing since to suggest that the party has gone back on this promise.’
– Judith Howell, BASC Political & Policy Officer, responding to the above.

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‘We welcome not only immigrants themselves, but the many gifts they bring and the values they live by.’
– George W Bush

George W Bush’s attempt to ‘make America more American’ by making economic migration easier is an initiative Gordon Brown would do well to resurrect for Britain. Sadly for America, Bush was defeated by conservative Republicans and protectionist Democrats.

And those who fear immigration have gone further. More than thirty US towns have enacted laws to counter what, for them, are the unacceptable downsides of illegal immigration. Stuff like overworked police, schools et cetera: like in Cambridgeshire.

Like Minette Marrin in the Times, they thought themselves brave to speak ‘the truth about immigration’ and wore accusations of racism as badges of honour. And on their own terms they have been reasonably successful. So successful some legal immigrants want to go too: ‘They all left. I also want to leave but it’s not possible because no one wants to buy my business.’

Having given illegals the boot by criminalising those who rent property to or employ them, these towns now struggle to come to terms with crashed property markets, boarded up store fronts and, of course, the sudden loss of cheap labour.

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A very strange interview with Osama Bin Laden’s daughter-in-law, a Cheshire parish councillor, on North West Tonight. She didn’t expect marrying Osama Bin Laden’s son to raise eyebrows. Some people have on sense of news.

She’s getting a divorce following death threats, but plans to remarry the guy, which seems a rather silly thing to announce on television.

But then television is a strange place to keep a low profile.

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I rarely blog about blogging or chat directly to you, dear reader, but it would be a poor show indeed if I didn’t thank you for voting me in at number 52 in Iain Dale’s Top 100 left of centre blogs, that’s up from 74 last year when the places were decided by Iain’s judgement rather than a popular vote.

I am chuffed, particularly as I don’t blog on politics every day (or even every week) and recent weeks have been dominated by holiday snaps and the V Festival.

But if the views of Chair Newton are what you want, then I’ll step that up… starting today with a local exclusive.

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Update: John Leech MP: ‘no manifesto commitment to shooting’

‘Liberal Democrat manifesto to support shooting’
– British Association for Shooting and Conservation

In an extraordinary email exchange, John Leech MP has pledged to defy the party whip and break with any manifesto pledge in support of blood sports. The Liberal Democrat MP was responding to claims by the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) that it had secured a manifesto commitment in support of shooting from the Lib Dems.

By tradition MPs of all parties have been given a free vote on blood sports, so a manifesto commitment binding Lib Dems to support shooting would be a controversial and unusual move. BASC was led to believe that it had secured the party’s support following an announcement made by Don Foster MP, Lib Dem Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport at its well attended rural reception, a party conference fringe meeting.

While suggesting that BASC is most likely mistaken, John Leech made clear that he would derogate from the party manifesto and defy the whip if necessary without hesitation.

John’s stance is to be applauded, although his willingness to so quickly and casually abandon his party’s manifesto is breathtaking. But Lib Dem MPs do have a tendency to feel less behoved to the party. Regarding their election as a consequence of local campaigning, rather than party label, can make them independent minded.

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Booking these Library Theatre tickets fairly late I was warned we’d be sat right on the end of the row by the wall.

But Manchester’s theatres aren’t like London’s West End. The view from the rubbish seats is great. When a West End theatre says you have rubbish seats they mean it. Chances are you won’t be able to see a thing without standing up and leaning precariously over a balcony.

Anyway. Noel Coward always delivers, the apparent formality and flippant comedy of Private Lives disguise the depth of the work. Although some may be more shocked at the idea of marrying someone you’ve only known four months and have never bedded than the domestic violence.

The Library Theatre also delivers with strong performances well directed. The only quibble is that Amanda’s haircut looks a little cheaply done.
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‘So I want a Bill of Rights that puts the protection of the environment at the very heart of Britain’s constitution. We should guarantee the right of every citizen to clean water, pure air and unpolluted land.’
– Ming Cambell

Sir Menzies Campbell’s leader’s speech to the Liberal Democrat conference reads far better than he delivered it. It reads rather passionate, but the delivery was lacklustre and while we know that big set piece speeches are written by a team, it’s still important that the leader makes them his or her own. Sadly Ming does come across as a rather kindly old uncle, who says interesting things from time to time but is largely ignored.

But the biggest grown over here came with the idea of incorporating environmental rights into a new Bill of Rights. As if we weren’t finding it hard enough to cling on to the rights enshrined in the Human Rights Act.

Bills of rights are privileges, often hard won, that a state grants its citizens to be upheld by the judiciary.

It already takes an exceptional set of circumstances to deny a British citizen access to clean water. A bill of rights would be no more effective at preventing extreme weather than a referendum against crime or poverty. We should only enshrine into our constitution rights that we can meaningfully deliver: anything else is futile gesture politics.

And it’s a King Canute style gesture at that. To enshrine a constitutional right to clean water, air and land is absurd as is it claims dominion over nature for the judiciary. Human activity almost certainly alters nature, but we’re long way from being able to control it and so dealing with climate change requires a far more intelligent approach.

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A night out with Facebook pie master, Paul, makes pie at Pi, Chorlton-cum-Hardy a must do. These are Pie Minister pies, a bit trendy says Paul, but he’s not about to let that put him off.

The verdict: ‘If you got a pie like this at Gregg’s you’d be made up.’

But we’re not walking through the Arndale eating from a paper bag. These are gormet pies, a point the stingy portion of very nice mash (£1 extra) rams home.

Pie Minister pies turn out to be very good, well filled with quality ingredients, but the pastry is a touch soft. We wouldn’t say it had been microwaved, but it may be that the oven could be a little hotter. They go down very well indeed and at £4 a pie, pie at Pi is good value. Paul was very happy with his peas (£1 extra), but my gravy (£1 extra) suffered from a lump.

Heidi Pie is goat’s cheese, sweet potato, spinach and onion. Paul had Minty Lamb.

The place was pretty busy for a Wednesday, so expect it to rammed at the weekends.
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