Manchester is a clearly unrecognisably better place to live than it was twenty years ago but one of the things I have to challenge is the notion that the regeneration of Manchester began with the bomb in 1996. By 1996 Manchester had already developed the skills, the partnerships and the attitude that allowed us, when disaster struck, to turn that disaster into opportunity, and opportunity into reality.

An hour on paperwork and then it's a brief visit to the new Irish World Heritage Centre, due to open next month just a few hundred metres along Queen's Road from the current site. This is only phase one but the new building will offer the centre's users far better, far more flexible, and far pleasanter accommodation. It's aiming at BREEAM excellent so will also be a lot greener. Looks good too!

Ward matters are never far away and after the visit it's back to the Town Hall for a Crumpsall ward co-ordination core group meeting. part of it is planning the agenda for the next Ward Co-ordination meeting where we intend to have a presentation and discussion on current health matters. Part is progress chasing from the last meeting where health or at least the hospital features again as we hope to develop a residents parking scheme to deal with the growing problems around NMGH.