Phil Martin's Blog, page 2

Manc’s many brothers and sisters

Manc’s many brothers and sisters As a small provincial city punching way above its weight,There’s a hundred thousand reasons why Manchester is great,I’d be surprised if you’ve not heard of us, more so if you’ve missed us,Coz this fine city called Manchester has many brothers and sisters.
Now this you might find staggering coz we sound like a world great,But there’s thirty one Manchesters just in the United States,To put this in perspective and quantify this conundrum,The States has just five Liverpools and eight named after London.
There’s many other Manchesters, you should believe me if you can,Because Manchester has name sakes in Bolivia and Suriname, All over the world, far and wide, I’m not trying to fake yer,There’s even towns called Manchester in Canada and Jamaica.
Australia has two great lakes named after this town of mine,New Zealand has a homestead in the mountains you will find,Gibraltar has a football club; South Africa has six farms,There’s a farmstead in Zimbabwe too, all carrying our Manc charm.
But really? Why so many Manchester’s, spread so far and wide?Why so many namesakes linked to this town where I reside?United’s fame came far too late, though that’s got my brain spinning,Coz we dominated like the reds when it came to the world’s linen?
We made ninety-eight per cent I hear… almost the one and only,Is this the reason why Manchester will never ever be lonely,Maybe the world would think of us whilst resting in its bed,Whilst dressing in its cotton clothes, or towel drying its head.
Whilst laying out its table cloth, or pulling back its curtains,I guess we’ll never really know and never truly be certain,But add to that our politics as we battled for free trade,Free thinking and free Manchester and the progress that we made,
See Mancs supported Lincoln and everything he fought for,And signed allegiance with him during America’s civil war,Synonymous with their president… as he abolished slavery,Linking the name of Manchester to freedom and to bravery.
Their blockades stopped raw materials causing the Cotton Famine,Forcing suffering and poverty but still they wouldn’t damn him,Their support would never waver as he strove to make life better,And he thanked the folk of Manchester with a Presidential letter.
Backing Abraham Lincoln saw Mancs become their foes,And to honour this they built a statue on the street of Brazenose,A brave new world was forming with Manc ethos at its heart,Freedom, free trade, freedom of speech and for all a fresh, new start.
So maybe our cotton workers took the name with them,When relocating to America where they looked to start again,Coz you CAN take the folk out of Manchester, it’s true I’d never joke,But you’ll never take the Manchester out of fine Mancunian folk.


Copyright©2011 by Phil Martin All rights reserved. Buy Child Number Three http://amzn.to/xsDmpa

Industrial Evolution and the Manchester Moth

Industrial Evolution and the Manchester Moth So many things happened here in the industrial revolution,But one of the lesser known facts, is a quirk in evolution, Because something was born in Manchester to raise a global query,Pitching Devine intervention against evolutionary theory.Coz the conditions here in smoggy Manc when we made our cloth,Saw a ‘survival of the fittest’ with the once white, peppered moth,The soot-filled, dank conditions saw it change its colourings,And a black version of the moth evolved with camouflage on its wings. At first they thought this change was due to the moth not being clean,A survival of the dirtiest but no, the change was in its genes,The peppered moths stood out from the soot and so were eaten first,The black ones became survivors with its colourings immersed. They say this evolution took less than fifty years,And led to bitter fallouts between evolutionists and their peers,Just fifty years after this with the Clean Air laws now passed,Darwin’s evolution struck again and the black moth wouldn’t last.You see it stood out far too much on a lichen-covered tree,Like a dark but visual beacon saying come and eat your tea,It somehow changed its wings again, to stop this predatory attraction,So there it is in black and white, Manchester’s evolution in action.
Copyright©2012 by Phil MartinAll rights reserved.Buy Child Number Three http://amzn.to/xsDmpa

China in my Town

China in my Town
It always makes me hungry; it kicks out many smells,There isn’t one Far Eastern dish that this place doesn’t sell,Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, Nepalese, Korean too,Japanese, Cantonese, Pekingese, all served up for you.
Noodles by the bucket load, sushi on conveyor belts,But mark my words you won’t be leaving feeling thin and svelte,Sweet ‘n’ sour, OK sauce, spare ribs and crispy duck,But there’s more than food to China Town if you wanna take a look.
Coz this ethnic enclave’s been delivered straight from the Orient,Second biggest China Town in England, third on our continent,Dragons decorate its archway, made by craftsman from Peking,And it boasts everything Far Eastern you could possibly be seeking
Like oriental gift shops with cats nodding constantly,And Chinese lucky hanging charms bringing prosperity,Lucky dragons, Chinese fans… lanterns and parasols,Golden Buddha’s, Lucky pigs and matching couple dolls.
Three legged frogs and wind chimes or even a flying horse,Bamboo flutes and long life turtles for Feng Shui of course,Chinese Sci-Fi gift shops, popular culture like never before,Sweet bakery concoctions that are bound to make you phwoar.
An explosion of karaoke bars if you want to sing-along,And special little pharmacies that’ll make your love last long, Over spilling Oriental markets… with live lobsters in, With many different food types that I bet you’ve never seen.
So many cultural novelties for passers-by to see,Like lovely Chinese pensioners… practising Tai Chi,They stretch on the pavilion by the side of the archway,Not giving a Feng Shui what passing folk might say.
Mobile phones shops, computer stores, art shops and not forgetting,That the Chinese have a penchant for every type of betting,Like on football and the horses and if you’re feeling plucky,There’s casinos brimming over with Chinese called Mister Lucky.
A Thai massage? A professional one where they don’t roll you over,But there’s naughty parlours round here too, if that’s the thing you go for,It bustles just like Hong Kong’s streets; so much is going down,It really is the embodiment of China in our town.
But here’s a word of warning, I’ve just one more thing to say,Please recognise your limits at the help-yourself buffet,Coz even though it says that you can eat all that you can,The all-day Chinese Buffett has beaten many a big man.
The food is so delicious and no-one holds you back,But folk can only blame themselves if it’s self-control they lack,Because over loading your digestion can temporally disable,Leaving folk asleep in restaurants with their heads slumped on the table.


Copyright©2011 by Phil MartinAll rights reserved.Buy Child Number Three http://amzn.to/xsDmpa

Shenanigans in Brannigans

Shenanigans in Brannigans
If you’re a fan of spooky stories and spiritual shenanigans,You’ll know Manchester’s most haunted is right above Brannigans,You’ll know the spirits on the optics aren’t the only ones in there,Coz it’s haunted by the clergy men that used to meet upstairs.
The staff that used to work the bar said invisible hands would touch ‘em,Whilst customers would complain that unseen things would push ‘em,Down the stairs, knocking… their pint glasses to the floor,So they sent in paranormal teams… in an effort to explore.
They said the lights flashed on and off even when the bar was packed,They claimed glasses would float up, then to the floor they’d smash,They said that there were cold spots and that gusts of wind would blast,And claimed to hear the patter of tiny kids feet running past.
So they conducted a spooky séance to see what they could see,And uncovered an evil spirit who called himself Godfrey,They think that he did heinous things that no one could condone,And found out that his spirit was anything but alone.
For upstairs above Brannigans there was a church for Methodists,But something untoward took place; they think he killed two kids,They say they haunt the boozer too, Philip and Elizabeth,And have recordings of them crying, centuries after their sad death.
But more spirits are up there coz Godfrey wouldn’t repent,So three clergy ghosts are said to guard him so they can prevent,More wrong doing on his part…they won’t let him move on,But they’re angered by our drinking and the drunken goings on.
So if this bar reopens and it gets to closing time,And the bouncers say it’s time to go, never whinge or whine,Don’t go down for one last wee in case you get locked in,And get punished by the clergymen, for your drinking is their sin.
Copyright©2012 by Phil Martin
All rights reserved.
Buy Child Number Three http://amzn.to/xsDmpa

The pubs that move

Thepubs that move Sometimeswhen I've had a few, and just can't get my bearings,Iend up lost on some back street, under my breath I'm swearing,
I'msure it's here but now it's gone, I feel like such a loser,Standingblankly on the street coz someone's moved the boozer.
It'smust be here, it has to be, pubs simply cannot move,It'snot like something tiny or like something you can lose,
Butguess again in Manchester, where rules don't resonate,Wherethe pubs are known to up their sticks and sometimes relocate.
Iftrying to map a boozer then really heed advice,Cozthe Wellington and the Oyster bar have moved not once but twice,
Onethe oldest pub in town once from a Medieval Street,Butboth twice moved completely just like they'd both grown feet.
Forwhen they built the Arndale, to make the area neater,Theyhad to raise these boozers up by just over a meter,
Andthen again when the bomb went off in nineteen ninety six,Theyhad to lift those buildings up and move them both in bits.
Theyhad to move them brick by brick, each piece of timber, every tile,Itreally was a mammoth task and took them quite a while,
Theystood side by side for all those years but now form Shambles Square,Threehundred meters, up the road, winched up and through the air.
Sowhen you don't know which pub is where, don't take drunken gambles,Anddon't rule out the pubs that moved or the story of the Shambles,
Protectedmedieval history from an era long ago,Ifyou've never seen the Shambles then I suggest that you should go.
Butplease don't trust your instinct and get a map that's up to date,Cozif those pesky pubs have moved again you'll end up being late.
Copyright©2011 by Phil MartinAll rights reserved.Buy Child Number Three http://amzn.to/xsDmpa

The highest point in Manchester

The highest point in Manchester
Thehighest point in Manchester and this might not seem real,Isn'thigh up top some skyscraper or on the Manchester wheel,Itisn't on Old Trafford's roof although that'd be a lark,It'spositioned on a hilltop in good, old, fashioned Heaton Park.
Becausethe earl of Wilton, from many moons gone by,Wantedan observatory tower somewhere way up high,Somewhereto use the telescope he'd bought from London town,Aplace to watch the planets and the stars all move around.
Sohe built a small rotunda room of columns to house his treat,Atiny little domed-roof house with built-in fire for some heat,Alittle lantern on its roof made sure the light was ample,Delightedwith his hilltop house he called it simply The Temple.
Childrenfind it magical, a tiny round house on the hill,Artistslike to paint there to accentuate their skill,It'shigher than City Tower, the Arndale and the Hilton too,Soif you ever need the higher ground you know just what to do.
Thecity dances on the horizon in a blurry, summer haze,Providingthe perfect backdrop to think how to change your ways,Anideal place for being thoughtful, so if you need to be reflective, Join the Earl up highin his Temple to think and gain perspective.


Copyright©2011 by Phil Martin
All rights reserved.
Buy The Attachedhttp://amzn.to/xjsKgp

Alpine Al

Alpine Al

Cananybody tell me why he's perched up there?
Withhis alpine dress and his unwavering stare,Sittingon a window sill, high up in Piccadilly,Sunbathing'n' chilling' even when it's wet 'n' chilly.
Helooks like he's resting from chopping some wood,Likehe's laid down his axe as soon as he could,Sothat he can take a breather from his alpine work,Butstill he looks down with a casual, knowing smirk.
Becausehe knows the reason, even if historians don't,Ofwhy this building was designed… so Alpine-ly bespoke,
It'swritten on his chiselled face but he'll never give a clue,He'sthe architect's secret and won't reveal himself to you.
A referenceor a symbol or maybe just a quirk,Isthere even a real reason for his Mona Lisa smirk? Ariddle to solve maybe, in the reason for his being,Buthave you even noticed this Alpine man I'm seeing?
Hisbrother sits up there too, perching way up high,Butstill no one can quite detail the real reason why,Withtheir square cut hats and long, curly, flowing hair,Theysit there all year and down towards the pavement stare.
Theylook down at Mancunians as they rush to and from the station,Admiringthe town of Manchester from their place of elevation,Twolittle men of secrecy; maybe Austrian or Swiss,Perchedup so high in Piccadilly, they're so easy to miss.
Yetbranches of juicy apples decorate their home,Isthis the clue, I wonder, into which… I must zone,ButI know my stab into the dark will just bring disapprovalWasthis once a manufacturer of Austrian apple strudel!
Maybeit was a fruit factory, a warehouse to store apples,Butstill there is no historic proof and still my mind it grapples,Questionsabound of who… what, why, where and when,Cananyone unearth the mystery of Manchester's alpine men?
There'sno link with the building to their place of birth,Butthere must be a valid reason at least to prove their worth,Toprove… once and for all, why the builder went to the trouble,Tocarve out Alpine Al so intricately and then carve out his double.
ButI've done my research and there's still nothing to say,Toexplain why the rooftops are inhabited in this way,Butsomebody must know the reason and I don't care how silly,Ineed an explanation for the roof top men of Piccadilly?

Copyright©2011 by Phil MartinAll rights reserved.Buy Child Number Three http://amzn.to/xsDmpa

The magic of the markets

The magic of the markets
I livejust round the corner and walk past it every day,But I'venever seen them build it; it springs up when I'm away,An emptysquare to log cabins, stored on a million shelves,But whoexactly builds them up? Is it Santa's team of elves?Do theysneak onto the squares at night and build it whilst we doze?In AlbertSquare and St Annes too and all down Brazennose,Do theybuild them up in seconds, a whole village out of oak,WithZippie shining merrily up high as Rudolph sings to folk,A hundredelves all beavering, fixing roofs and walls,Thenfilling up the goodies on the Christmas market stalls,The onlything they don't need magic for is the market going folk,But thenone day it's gone away, not even a puff of smoke,The elveshave done their work once more and the markets disappear,Leavingthe merry folk of Manchester full of Christmas cheer. 
Copyright©2011by Phil MartinAllrights reserved.

The Manchester Man

The Manchester Man
If everthere was anyone who should stand in Albert square,Encapsulatedin bronze glory, raised eyebrow 'n' floppy hair,Pompouslyproud in statuette, for evermore for what he's done,So usMancs could pay tribute to our Tony; Anthony H Wilson.
A postmodernist before his time, he changed the way we party,A house,indie and punk pioneer despite being cultural and arty,He rippedup London's rule book and made music relocate,Pimpingall the local bands and making Madchester resonate!
With 'bloodedminded determination', for better or for worse,Hecampaigned to make Manchester the centre of the Universe,In hisquest for local talent, he set up nightclubs to unearth,The bestbands around, then signed the deal in blood to prove his worth.
He broughtembryonic punk rock, to a shocked audience on TV,And aconveyor belt of new bands through his label Factory,He helpedfoster a new sound, one so Manc could lead the way,And madeManchester cool again, standing tall with lots to say.
Factorytook on the giants but hated commercialisation,He didn'twant a sales team, and didn't care for amortisation,Factorywas just a platform to show off Manchester's best,Bollocksto corporate profit, in this city he'd invest.
His Hacwould rule in club land but would spin out of control,But hisinfluence was everywhere; it was just the way he'd roll,Inpolitics and broadcasting, in journalism and the arts,Hispassion always Manchester, it's where his swagger starts.
The Hacwas an iconic noose but Wilson wouldn't crack,Never init for the money, always giving something back,BlueMonday's sleeve was priceless; every single lost some pence,Aestheticsover commerce, creative spark v common sense.
Corporatelyrebellious, Wilson didn't curb his views,Politicallyoutspoken yet they let him read the news!They famedhim for his insight and his naughty news ad libs,He'drather tell it how it was than spout us corporate fibs.
He workedon World In Action, After Dark and other shows,He hostedThe Other Side of Midnight, What's On and So It Goes,They let himloose on the Politics Show, so he could air his views,But Iliked him best locally when he read the North West news.
Heepitomised Manc attitude, he'd rather walk alone,Aware ofeveryone and everything but preferring the home grown,He riledthem all and made his point often causing himself strife,But allthe while he tickled himself with the ridiculousness of life.  So apresenter and a journalist but culture was his heart,Yet evenin his life story, he claimed just a minor part,He woundthem up the right way; when told he was bold and brash,He calledhimself  'Anthony H' so he'd sound even moreflash.
Hisarrogance was rousing whilst his quotes were heaven sent,Like notowning a record label but a human experiment,He saidthat some make money and some make history,His ownwords sum up his life, nothing short of an epiphany!
He claimedRyder and Shakespeare were a chip off the same block,Then hebrought us In The City coz he wanted Manc to rock,Hecampaigned for regional assembly and 'The Necessary Group,' Hedesigned a flag for the North West but what was his favourite coup?
I'd saypromoting Manchester and all that it bestows,Coz hewanted folk to notice us and he wanted to impose,Our city'sculture on the south and all around the world,So theproud flag of his Mancunia could be defiantly unfurled.
He had apoint on everything but his views would never bore,Hisoverflowing civic pride was a nice, heroic flaw,He said wedo things differently here in rainy Manc,Where hehelped to shape our history; we've got his ilk to thank.
Forlauding our creation and our creative streak as well, Andpushing Mancs to the front if they had a skill to sell,Seeour Tony was a helper of people with a craft,Buteven at his funeral he had to have a laugh.
Cozeverything was referenced; hiscoffin FAC 501,Hisheadstone carried a quote to remind us now he's gone,Thatpeople drop from history; every year it is the same,Butthe influence of the truly great will eternally remain.
Hisquote is taken from a Manc book, of which he was a fan,But sorry Toe, forget Jabbez,you're the Manchester Man,You've done as much as anyonein the post industrial age,To put Salford and Manchesterback on the front page.
So I'dlike to see you cast in bronze from your barnet to your boots,So Mancscan always celebrate the heritage of their roots,Coz youfought to put our cities on the international stage,Doingsimilarly to those statues from our great industrial age.
I'd reallylove to see you standing next to Albert in statue,So I couldnod to you with civic pride coz I love your Manchester too,I'd likefor you to pontificate over the Square for years to come, So overthe Centuries, Mancs won't forget, the work that you have done.
It'simportant they acknowledge you so then they won't forget yer,Arevolutionist of the modern age, Tony Wilson, Mister Manchester.
Copyright©2011 by Phil MartinAll rights reserved.
Manchester-based crime novels/thrillers by me
Killing Doves, just $1.99 First six chapters available on thisblog. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Killing-Dovesebook/dp/B006NXD2M6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324429234&sr=8-1
The Attached just $1.99 (for i-tab, smart phone, PC, MAC orKindle) First six chapters available on this blog.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006CNC3DQ
Child Number Three, just $1.99 (fori-tab, smart phone, PC, MAC or Kindle) First six chapters available on thisblog.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Child-Number-Three-ebook/dp/B005IRNYVM/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321268694&sr=1-2

A city of firsts

A city of firsts  
"WhatManchester does today, the world will do tomorrow,"Beforeyour eyebrows hit the roof and your fod begins to furrow, There is alot of truth in that, see, this city led the way,And inmany revolutions our inventions came into play.
Some ofthem are whacky and some of them are weird,A treasurechest of Manc heritage now around the world revered,Forexample did you know, we had the world's first vegetarian?We builtthe first public library and the first sshh librarian?
But I guessthe rain that made us was focal way back then,And ourobsession with this water would make us reign again.Coz ourancestors built the first canal the UK had ever seen,And they followedthis up by building the first mechanical submarine!
Then the country's first steam boat and first steampowered mill,Would spur industrial revolution, when Mancs just couldn'tstand still,The Flying Shuttle, the Spinning Jenny and the SpinningMule,Were invented here in Greater Manc under industrial rule.
It's true to say at that time we had ideas above ourstation,Like launching the world's very first, passenger railwaystation,Ninety eightper cent of the world's linen came from our cotton boomWhichforced us to build back then, the world's biggest trading room,
The shockcity of that century, once those cotton wheels got spinning,And thatlegacy lives down under where Manchester still means linen,In Sweden andin Germany, corduroy's known as Manchester velvet,So if youstill think we're insignificant, it's probably time to shelve it.
The first purposeindustrial estate sprang up in Trafford Park,We had the very first retail shop owned by Marks andSparks.We inventedthe commuter town in Alderley Edge and Sale,Whilst thewhole basis of atomic theory from this town would hail.
See, theatom was discovered here and later it was split,Theelements derived from the work Dalton would submit,Colourblindness, obstetrics and the study of the weather,Were developed herein Manchester, my goodness, well I never!
Thermodynamics,Henry's law, the categorisation of the Joule,A hotbed for newscientists, Manc was no-one's fool,Industrialismdrove the way but new technology was nearing,With our Jo Whitworth becoming the daddy of precisionengineering.  It was here they first launched microfilm and the micro-photograph,And the first lonely heart advert, which could make you cryor laugh,Coz in the 1700s Miss Morrison placed AN ad in the paper,She was looking for a husband, it seemed a harmless funnycaper.
But the authorities would disagree they frowned and theywere glum,And they locked up our poor Helen in a lunatic a-sy-lum,But then followed women's movements, like the Suffragettes,Who battled for the female vote and the equality theywould get.
The first post modern political movement would fight fora free trade,Lowering the cost of bread and the prices that folk paid,Years later the first meeting of the TUC was held in town,Havingformed itself in Salford at the pub called The Three Crowns.
Manchesterwas also where Britain's first aeroplane was designed,Andbetween this city and Southport was the first scheduled airline,Pilots ofthe first transatlantic flight, went to school around here,Whilst aManchester built aircraft was the first to fly to Australia.
So manydifferent industries where Manchester played a part,We also scoredsome firsts in the celebration of fine art,We had thefirst professional orchestra, our world renowned Halle,We'd host thefirst international art expo... in our gallery.
Backto the rainy weather the effect of which was blatant,Seerainy Manc was where  a Mackintosh filedfor his patent,We led the waywith reservoirs and municipal parks,The first Nuclear Free City, the first Urban Heritage Park.
It's been ameeting place for many, a point we should rejoice,Because Manchesterwas where Mister Rolls meet with Mister Royce,Thefootball league was set up here in eighteen eighty eight,Somany firsts and records broke; at least one team was great!
Thefirst to play and win in Europe, United were a rebel,Thefirst to win two doubles and the first to win the treble,WhilstCity are the only team, and this should make them proud,Toattract more than eighty four...thousand fans into their ground.
Theworld's very first computer was developed at our Uni, WhilstGreater Manc gave birth to the world's first test tube baby,Recentlyour scientists got the Nobel Peace prize for graphene,For inventing the thinnestmaterial the world has ever seen.
TopOf The Pops was launched here, I bet that was a treat,Whilstwe've got the longest running soap in Coronation Street,Theychanged the course of clubbing with the infamous Hacienda,Androcked the charts with Madchester, a near decade long, global bender.
We'veserved up Vimto from the bottle and Boddingtons from the keg, TheManchester Tart, Betty's hotpot and now the Manchester Egg,WhilstEngland's football kit was made by a company down the road,SoManchester made England's skin until Umbro was sold.
Weboast the only national daily to come from a provincial city,Andif you add all that little lot up, we sound quite revolutionary,Becauseremember...we're not a capital, no treaty here was signed,Butwe're known all around the world and on Mars I think you'll find.
Sosure ok, it rains alot and the sun ain't our best friend,Butit's harsh to say that nothings ever happened round your end,Andif you think it's boring here you should open up your eyes,Becuasethe list of firsts for this city far outweighs its size.

Copyright©2011 by Phil MartinAll rights reserved.
Manchester-based crime novels/thrillers by me
Killing Doves, just $1.99 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Killing-Dovesebook/dp/B006NXD2M6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324429234&sr=8-1
The Attached just $1.99 (for i-tab, smart phone, PC, MAC orKindle) First six chapters available on this blog.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006CNC3DQ
Child Number Three, just $1.99 (fori-tab, smart phone, PC, MAC or Kindle) First six chapters available on thisblog.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Child-Number-Three-ebook/dp/B005IRNYVM/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321268694&sr=1-2