When an ASBO is a good thing

• Kate Feld
• 3 May 07, 04:45 PM

The incredible spring weather we've enjoyed up norf this week has definitely been enjoyed by one group – the city’s skaters. There’s a very active skateboarding scene in Manchester, and the SkateMCR blog has it covered. Their latest post shows that skaters definitely have a sense of humour about their often persecuted and misunderstood sport:

“The final competition in ASBO (April Skate Bonanza Ohyeah) was a great success! Over 100 skaters came down to the Projekts Mancunian Way Skatepark to enjoy the weather, the skating and the competition… Congratulations to the TWOmanchester shop team who walked away with the coveted ASBO Ashes Trophy after coming 1st in 3 of the 4 competitions throughout April.”

Sheshark has been enjoying the wildlife in Whalley Range, and has written a vivid description of the surprising animals who seem to peacefully coexist in her urban 'hood. Here’s a bit:

“I was washing up and saw the fox from the kitchen window. It seemed very long and pointy, as if it had been squashed into the wrong aspect ratio and sharpened like a pencil. It prowled first toward and then away from the opposite neighbour's yard…”

Enough already! Stephen Newton is sick and tired of hearing about Manchester’s Sabi Rock guy:

“He’s been featured in an American tourist guide, there’s a Google map tracking his movements and a Flickr group for pics, but sadly no sign of that elusive recording contract. It’s been fun looking out for Sabi Rock Man in the rush hours, but maybe it’s time to call it a day.”

And fashion/design blogger Vic at Bend to Squares is dismayed by the shopping scrum that surrounded the launch of the Kate Moss line this week at Topshop, and the sudden mania for designer plastic bags at Sainsbury’s:

“All of this fuss, the pushing and the sharp-elbowed shoving, makes me wonder if it’s really worth it. At the end of the day, they’re just clothes. In fact, they’re just cheaply made clothes that thousands of other women around the country will be wearing. Sure, they’re affordable clothes with the designer touch but I feel like all this hype does nothing but cheapen them.”

Indeed. It’s hard to believe that people would queue up outside a supermarket at dawn to buy a “statement-making” plastic shopping bag. Is it something in the water?