{"id":900,"date":"2021-10-05T09:45:33","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T09:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/?p=900"},"modified":"2021-10-05T14:04:32","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T14:04:32","slug":"northern-weekly-salvo-297","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/lancashireloominary.co.uk\/index.html\/northern-weekly-salvo-297","title":{"rendered":"Northern Weekly Salvo 297"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Northern Weekly Salvo<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Incorporating \u00a0Slaithwaite Review of Books, Weekly Notices, Sectional Appendices, Tunnel Gazers\u2019 Gazette <\/em>and Northern Umbrella,etc. <\/em>Descendant of Teddy Ashton\u2019s Northern Weekly <\/em>and Th\u2019Bowtun Loominary<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Published at 109 Harpers Lane Bolton BL1 6HU email: paul.salveson@myphone.coop<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Publications website: www.lancashireloominary.co.uk<\/strong><\/p>\n

No. 297 October 5th<\/sup> \u00a0\u00a02021 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Salveson\u2019s half-nakedly political digest of railwayness, tripe and secessionist nonsense from Up North. Sometimes weekly, usually not; definitely Northern. Read by the highest and lowest officers of state, Whitmanites, weirdos, misfits, steam punks, trespassers, yes women, no men, gay Swedenborgians, cat-spotters, discerning sybarites, bi-guys, non-aligned social democrats, mis-aligned pie-eaters, tripe dressers, nail artists, self-managing VIMTO drinkers, truculent Northerners, grumpy Norwegians, absurd Marxists, sleepy Hungarians, members of the clergy and the toiling masses, generally. All views expressed are my own and usually nobody else\u2019s. Official journal of the Station Cat Improvement Network, Pacer Dining Club, Station Buffet Acceleration Council and the Campaign for a North with a capital \u2018N\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are far more united and have far more in common with each other than things that divide us.\u201d \u2013<\/em><\/strong> Jo Cox, maiden speech in House of Commons, June 3rd<\/sup> 2015.<\/p>\n

General gossips <\/strong><\/h5>\n

Grumpy old man writes<\/em>: We\u2019re in the thick of party conference season, with the Tories \u2018up North\u2019 in Manchester while Labour flew south to Brighton. There was the traditional lobby of the Tories though I have to say I don\u2019t really get the politics. \u2018Lobbying\u2019 suggests trying to persuade your target audience of something, whereas with the Tories in Manchester the aim seemed to have been to tell them what a load of xxxxxxx they all are. On the other hand, if I was a Tory I\u2019d welcome a bit of noisy sabre-rattling from the Left as it shows the outside world what reasonable people they are, besieged by an aggressive rabble. So why do it? Maybe the one thing it achieves for the Left is creating a sense of camaraderie and mutual support. Personally, I think it\u2019s a pointless exercise that\u2019s probably counter-productive.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Labour Conference sounded a dull and disappointing affair. The motion for proportional representation was thrown out despite 80% of the constituency delegates voting for it. Labour\u2019s opportunity to put itself at the head of a democratic reform movement<\/p>\n

\"\"
One of my favourite politicians – Harry Pollitt, born Droylsden, served his time at Beyer Peacock and went on to become General Secretary of the Communist Party. Could recite Laycock’s ‘Bonny Brid’ off the top of his head. Gradely chap.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

has been lost, for this year at least. Still, we had Angela Rayner warming the cockles of the comrades by calling Johnson and the Tories \u2018scum\u2019. Again, why do this? It cheapens politics and won\u2019t win over a single undecided voter \u2013 maybe it will have the opposite effect. Decades ago, Nye Bevan made a big mistake when he referred to the Tories as \u2018lower than vermin\u2019. It\u2019s bad, nasty, politics. But I wonder if there\u2019s an element of calculation in Rayner\u2019s apparent outburst? If she can appear to be the \u2018radical\u2019 side of Starmer\u2019s Labour it will keep the comrades happy and in line, while Starmer continues to drive his party to the centre-right (and into oblivion, in my view). A bit like the role that John Prescott played in the Blair governments which was so skilfully parodied by Steve Bell in his Guardian<\/em> cartoons.<\/p>\n

It has to be Horwich<\/strong><\/h5>\n

You may have seen the press notice from the DfT that a competition has been launched to find a headquarters location for the new ‘Great British Railways’ (GBR). They are looking for somewhere outside London and mention has been made of somewhere with a ‘railway history’.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Welcome to Horwich, Home of Great British Railways?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So, why not Horwich? It has a rich railway history \u2013 even the road signs entering the town proclaim its railway heritage. There is land available around Horwich Parkway and the station is well served by rail and road, being on an electrified railway and next to the M61. Horwich offers a good quality of life and a range of affordable housing in the area, within easy reach of Manchester.<\/p>\n

The press release says: \u201cThe government will soon launch a competition by welcoming expressions of interest with a commitment that the national headquarters will be based outside of London \u2013 ensuring skilled jobs, investment and economic benefits are focused beyond the capital. The competition will recognise towns and cities with a rich railway history that are strongly linked to the network ensuring the first headquarters will take pride of place at the heart of a new era for Britain\u2019s railways.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
Made in Horwich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n


\n<\/em>https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/new-competition-to-find-first-hq-of-great-british-railways<\/a><\/p>\n

Great British Railways<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Grant Shapps has announced the creation of the\u00a0GBR\u00a0Transition Team under the leadership of Andrew Haines, who will continue to work as\u00a0CEO\u00a0of Network Rail. The Transition Team will be responsible for driving forward reforms and creating the railway\u2019s new \u2018guiding mind\u2019.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Travel as it was: a class 40 arrives at Bolton’s Platform 7, early 1980s, on a special to Blackpool<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They will initially focus on driving revenue recovery efforts post-pandemic, bringing a whole industry approach to tackling cost and promoting efficiency and establishing a strategic freight unit to boost the sector. Shapps has also set out the core goals that will define\u00a0GBR, including:<\/p>\n