For devoting her life to protecting young people in Manchester, and improving their lives, Professor Erinma Bell is our worthy winner of the May instalment of Manc of the Month.
In a week where the headlines have again been dominated by a gun-related atrocity, with 21 people including 19 children killed at an elementary school in Texas, we’re taking time to give thanks to a woman who has worked to keep similar tragedies away from our city.
Professor Erinma Bell MBE helped to strip away the gun crime that used to dangerously affect Moss Side and the surrounding area, allowing Manchester to shed its nickname of ‘Gunchester’.
Her life as a peace activist started two decades ago, when she tragically witnessed a close friend being gunned down in front of her.
Credit: Facebook, Erinma Bell
Erinma and her husband Raymond set about creating CARISMA (Community Alliance for Renewal, Inner South Manchester Area), with a mission to give young people positive alternatives to crime.
She told the Manchester Evening News: “A friend of mine was shot and shot right in front of me. From that night I thought enough is enough, because I didn’t want to have to go through that ever again. We needed to get local people to own the problem and concrete action.”
Her work with CARISMA, along with the effort of police and other community groups, was so impactful that there was a drastic reduction in gun crime by 2012.
Wow it's now official. I am now Councillor Bell for Moss Side! Thankyou to the returning Deputy Officer, to all the counters for counting, 're counting and 're counting again. Thankyou to my Agent and my election team, and all the residents of Moss Side who voted for me. pic.twitter.com/VN6h1YhGjj
— Professor Erinma Bell MBE DL (@ErinmaBell) May 6, 2022
In 2007, Prime Minister at the time Gordon Brown praised Erinma in his book Britain’s Everyday Heroes.
Three years later, in 2010, the inspiring peace campaigner travelled to Buckingham Palace, where she was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II – who apparently complimented her hard work as well as her outfit.
The accolades continued in 2017, when a bust of Erinma was unveiled at the Manchester Town Hall.
Erinma Bell with her statue at Manchester Town Hall. Credit: Twitter, Erinma Bell
The artwork is legendary for several reasons – she was the first woman in history to have a statue in the landmark building, and the piece was created using confiscated guns, which were melted down into her likeness.
Most recently, the public showed their support in the polling booths, electing her as Labour councillor for Moss Side with an absolute landslide victory.
Prof Erinma Bell with Andy Burnham and Mel C receiving her Pride of Manchester Award. Credit: Facebook, Erinma Bell
Erinma is also involved in Chrysalis, a brilliant family centre and registered charity that supports African and migrant families as well as asylum seekers and refugees.
The centre in Moss Side provides language classes, workshops and seminars, parenting help and advice, referrals for immigration and housing, advice, support, job clubs, and computer classes.
No matter the project, this inspirational woman is always working to provide access to a better life for everyone.
And that’s why she’s a very worthy winner of Manc of the Month for May 2022.
About Manc of the Month
We all know that Manchester is home to some special people, some born here and others drawn here, and after a bumpy two years that effectively amounted to one big lockdown, it’s these special people that have inspired and led us through the tough times – so we decided to start a series that shines a light on those who should be celebrated.
Following on from our ‘The Mancs of the Year’ feature towards the end of 2020, Manc of the Month officially kicked off in July 2021, with Marcus Rashford MBE, Manchester’s mural king Akse P-19, the local chef feeding the region’s vulnerable families Mary-Ellen McTague, and Manchester’s groundbreaking new Council leader Bev Craig among previous honourees.
Feature
Review | Snow Patrol roll back the years at Co-op Live for a mini-Manc’s first gig
Danny Jones
This weekend we enjoyed a new kind of live music experience: rediscovering the joy of listening to a childhood favourite by watching it through the eyes of the next generation – that was how we witnessed a fully-fledged arena return to Manchester for Snow Patrol at Co-op Live.
And it was special for lots of reasons.
Taking a little one to their first gig is something you’ll never forget and sharing a new-found connection with a band that you loved when you were their age is one of those magical things about music that we’re eternally grateful for.
You might assume the Snow Patrol crowd one skews a little older for the most part but we were pleased to see there were more than a few kids and teenagers donning tour tees, looking wide-eyed at the sheer size of the Co-op Live arena, and singing the words back better than Gary Lightbody at times.
Sees the sign: ‘Race you there!’ (Credit: Audio North)
Yes, the Belfast-born frontman made a few mistakes on the night, but it did add a rather laid-back quality to what many acts might have found a daunting performance: playing a sell-out night to around 23,500 fans inside the enormous state-of-the-art venue.
But, obviously, there wasn’t even a whiff of nerves from these lads.
You don’t get to have been around for this long and become as successful as they are without being able to relax on stage and lean into those idiosyncratic perfections that feel more like private moments shared between the artist and the crowd.
The young lad sat watching it with us certainly got a kick out of it and though we might not have been able to cover his ears in time to censor some light but ever-charming swear words (it always sounds better in Irish, don’t you think?), it made for some nice banter between him and the crowd.
Big props must go to Johnny McDaid on the keys too, who besides having written for the likes of Ed Sheeran, Robbie Williams, Alicia Keys, Biffy Clyro and countless others over the years, also managed to impress by playing the majority of this entire tour after having trapped his hand in a train door. OUCH.
Credit: The Manc Group
Not only was that little interlude up there with one of the most applause-worthy parts of the entire show, but we were always pretty blown away by what we saw, as we all as what we heard.
Be it watching a digital tree come to life, shed its leaves and then fall as petal confetti, two sheer semi-opaque paper-thin screens swirl to create the album cover art for their latest album, or kicking the gig off with ‘Take Back The City’ as a multicoloured skyline appeared behind them, it was all pretty incredible.
We even got to hear a personal favourite of ours, ‘Set Fire To The Third Bar’, complete with a virtual performance from the voice that truly makes the song: Martha Wainwright.
It was in moments like this when we turned to see a 10-year-old’s face not quite sure of what it was seeing but an open-mouthed expression confirming they were finding it as stunning as we were.
We thoroughly enjoyed going through the back catalogue and working our way right up to plenty of the songs from The Forest Is The Path – which Gary himself firmly believes is their best work yet when we interviewed him – but it was as visually stunning as it was to the gorgeous sonically.
Both proved to be a brilliant way to see the contemporary rock, indie and alternative veterans, but there’s something about giving them a stage as big as this that reminds you of just how much they deserve it.
Up there with one of the prettiest gig snapshots in our memory.Not quite a hologram but very cool nonetheless.The production levels are always top-tier at Co-op Live but the Snow Patrol set was much more impressive than we expected.
Last but not least, thanks to Co-op Live not just for having but for creating a little boy’s memory that he’ll never forget.
Flashbacks: The timelapse of the Trafford Centre construction that’s gone viral
Danny Jones
The Trafford Centre might look like some decadent Roman emperor’s palace or as if it was plucked from the heart of Ancient Grecian city, but as anyone old enough to remember it’s opening and/or construction will tell you, it seems strange to think its not even been around for three decades yet.
As Greater Manchester’s and one of the North West’s most famous shopping centres full stop, the iconic attraction first began being built back in 1996, when John Major was Prime Minister, Manchester United were still Premier League champions, Britpop was at its peak and George Michael was number one.
It’s fair to say that a lot has changed since then and although Oasis might be back come 2025, The Trafford Centre and surrounding area are pretty unrecgonisable compared to nearly 30 years ago.
All told, it took approximately 27 months to erect the neo-classical epicentre of all things shopping, leisure, food and fanciness – and here’s what the process looked like:
With the initial 14 million sq ft shopping centre being completed in September 1998 following approximately 810 days of work, The Trafford Centre debuted to the Manc public and beyond.
It took more than 3,000 builders to bring the 60 hectare site to life at the peak of construction and since then the plot has only grown bigger, bolder and more ambitious over time.
Present day, it has everything from cinema screens and a mini Legoland to a Sea Life location, multiple bowling alleys and countless other forms of entertainment beyond just rows of shops and restaurants – hence why it remains busy pretty much year-round.
Back then, British celebrities, popular local names of note, politicians, dignitaries and prominent figures from the retail industry got to visit as part of exclusive preview events in the days before its launch date.
You can see the spectacle and fascination surrounding the official opening event here:
Seems surreal watching this today but the construction of the Trafford Centre was a huge moment not just for 0161 but all of the North.
But of course, the entire complex itself has seen multiple extensions over the years, including massive developments such as Barton Square and The Great Hall.
At the outset, it cost more than £600 million to build The Trafford Centre; the major renovations mentioned above which took place in 2008 cost another £100m and the Trafford Palazzo revamp around a decade later came in at around £75m.
There has and always will be lots of money put behind this intruguing monument to modern consumerism, and big brands will continue to flock to open units within the huge expanse whenever they can: some of the most recent being Archie’s, Flying Tiger, Sephora, Tiffany, Gymshark and more.
We’ll admit the aesthetic still makes us double-take from time to time (though not as much as confused Londoners visiting for the first time), but it’s not like this part of the world hasn’t boasted plenty of other curiosities in the past…
Daisy Jackson -
27th May 2022 
