It is extraordinary the change in Sunderland St in such a relatively short period of time. Had a glass of wine in Inca Bar the other night. Intimate, great music and a really nice spot. The Jolly Sailor is always friendly and the Treacle Tap has great beer, good atmosphere and a lots of sociable events from Reading groups to Stitch and Bitch (they are opening in Congleton soon, tell the Bears). Convivial Snow Goose offers sofas up stairs, tables downstairs a piano or two here and there. Have just discovered the Goose’s cellar where a woodburner completes an intimate seating area with a picture by artist TJ (see gable wall) which seeps from its frame and creeps across the ceiling. Just another excuse to visit really. Sigh.

January is traditionally a time to draw breath, and flick through holiday brochures whilst munching slightly unpleasant chocolates left over Christmas. So I thought anyway, but not In Macc. There is so much going on, the town is buzzing with busy people planning exciting things for the year ahead and beyond.

Have just heard a glowing report from someone who has had a peep inside the part restored Old Town Hall . All is on schedule and apparently looking great with many of the listed building’s grand old features shining more prominently. Roll on Barnaby when we will all be able to appraise the work for ourselves as the Town Hall once again becomes a pivotal performance space for the Festival.

Talking of which, Barnaby volunteers are hard at it. The meeting at the Bate Hall last week was a testament to the broad support the festival now has. It was a great chance to listen to inspiring plans for the four day festival in June which will take place a week later than last year. It won’t rain then you see!

Barnaby Festival 21-24 June2012
To get involved with Barnaby as a volunteer or potential sponsor contact: mail@barnabyfestival.org.uk

It has been an amazing month in Macclesfield. Winterfest has showcased performance, poetry, comedy and more and lots and lots of music. Macc has always been known for its lively music scene but has truly surpassed itself with touring groups from Classical to African drummers and home grown Opera. One of the highlights was the stage in the Marketplace which truly showed what a great al fresco performance space the Marketplace can be. Really impressed by the organisation of Winterfest, it must have been a huge event to pull it all together.Thank you all!

Have just read with interest that the delightful and rather odd Castle pub tucked away on cobbled Back Church Wallgate may be reopening. We obviously haven’t been alone in thinking this was a dream small pub to bring back to life. Whoever is reviving it will be serving Polish food. What will happen when they try and remove all that brassware inside? Will it remain standing? Watch this space for for updates.

Barnaby meeting till the usual 12.40am this morning. We have so much to say and so many fizzing Barnaby ideas! Heading towards the deadline for you to put your proposals forward for inclusion…

Weve been poking about Macc a bit this month. Naturally nosy as we are ofcourse, but there have been some extra opportunies too. On Heritage weekend the Silk Musem threw it’s doors open for free. We are ashamed to admit that we had never ventured into the the Paradise Mill wing of the Museum before, which remains as an intact working Silk Mill. Extraordinary machines, evocative offices and design room and the most lovely old floor boards. A real treat, make sure you go soon.

Macc’s Magistrates broadened their clientelle this month to celebrate 650 years of Justice.We poked around the cells, blanched at the loos and sat in a roasting courtroom and watched the reenactment of Medieval justice in action. We took our youngest along in the hope that it will put him off appearing in the dock for life. We shall see!

Have emptied the last of the sand out of my shoes and already forgotten the lazy hours spent reading on the beach. With a rug round my knees. And a big jumper. Its all over and back to the Autumnal grind stone.

Had our first Barnaby Board meeting on Tuesday, why do they always finish the wrong side of midnight? Had a real sense of creative possibilities for June next year and a clear reminder that we need some more volunteers on board. Don’t hold back any of you . Get along to the meeting on Wedenesday night to find out how you can, why you should and why you might enjoy it, all with glass in hand! (See news).

Must get along to look at the unveiling of the new Sik Moth mosaics by Jean Westbrook outside T J Hughes tomorrow at 4.30pm. TJ’s Graffitti Wall now this! Whats happening to the place?

Note for diary: Hog roast in the Market Place this Saturday 10th Sept from noon.

Anyone get along to the first Speak easy Open mic at the Snow Goose this evening.How did it go. Did you speak up?

It was a dark hour for Macclesfield last week. Not any reference to sporting defeats (MTFC are on hols) but to the tragic incineration of that handsome Mill at Park Green. This iconic Mill with distinctive clock, had watched over the Green since 1785 and was both a key building and a unique part of the physical character of the town. It’s untimely destruction was a wake up call and sent us scurrying to the Silk Museum on Park Lane to immerse ourselves in the town’s Heritage. Suggest you do the same and take advantage of their newly opened tea room serving very good homemade cake. The cake aside, the Museum not only offers intriguing insights into the town’s industrial past but conjures old townsfolk with real warmth and charm too. This old Art School building is really worth investigating and there are things for all ages to poke and peer at, read and listen to. Our visit helped galvanise our sense of place and more than a little civic pride; we are determined to support and enjoy what’s left of the town’s significant historic assets. While they are still here.

Silk Museum, Park Lane, Macclesfield. Mon-Sat 10am-4pm www.silkmacclesfield.org.uk

Comment received:
‘Great idea to commiserate at the Silk Museum but please can we have an appreciation of Paradise Mill. A hidden and uncelebrated gem in the contexts of social, technical and industrial history. \r\nI am told that children from Oldham, once the hub of the cotton industry , actually travel over to Paradise Mill or Styal to catch a glimpse of their industrial history. Use it!’

Rogr Bakr

Barnaby came and went in a frenetic weekend of late nights and packed days as we predicted. It would have been easy to take that rain personally but it just seemed to galvanise Maxonians into enjoying themselves regardless. And they certainly did. I’m still recovering from meeting a fishfinger running up Mill street….

Brilliant to hear Macc being broadcast on BBC Radio 4′s ‘Any Questions’. I spoke to a couple who came to Barnaby specifically after hearing the programme  (staying in a holiday cottage nearby) and fell in love with this interesting, buzzing town.’We’ll be back’ they said, and that the Young Macc Art Exhibition ‘made you want to send your children to one of the imaginitive  schools represented’.

So apart from being a glorious weekend of stimulation, culture, and fun ( oh those pianos!), Barnaby is so much more than that. It acts as beacon for the town,  and shows the outside world what we are capable of. Importantly it raises the bar, reminds us  what a  creative community we are and reconnects us with our town and its history too. What ever the weather throws at us!

www.barnabyfestival.org.uk

Just off to the Castlefield Gallery in Manchester to  the private view of the first solo show by artist Hilary Jack. If you don’t make it along you can see her work in the show Wild Thing, in Paradise Mill during Barnaby and a couple of weeks after.

Is it just me or is there an unbelievable amout going on? In fact a Macclesfield record was achieved in the early hours of this morning: the last Barnaby Board meeting before the festival, drew to a close at 1am. Weve managed 12.37am before, and brushed 12.50 am but this was a whopper.

Mind you what do you expect with the extraordinary line up of events. Think we’re tired now? Well wait til Sunday 19th! Hopefully like last year the tangible buzz and exuberant good will  that engulfed the  town will keep us afloat. So roll on poetry, cabaret, comedy, opera,  jazz and al fresco dining , parades and more. We are ready to party!http://www.barnabyfestival.org.uk/

We attended the Barnaby Festival volunteers meeting at the Bate Hall on Wednesday night. The room was packed ( standing room only) with  a lovely divese range of Macc folk. The common thread being they had loved the colour , culture and  vitality that Barnaby brought to town last year and they want to help it happen again this year. Similar to the vision of makeitmacclesfield really, it proves good things need pushing along by everyone not just a few. Its all our responsibility to roll our sleeves up and do what we can if we want to live in a thriving community. Even a few hours helping on the Barnaby weeknd 17-19 June would be hugely appreciated. Contact Barnaby at mail@barnabyfestival.org.uk  and check out www.barnabyfestival.org.uk. Oh and its a great way to meet some very nice people too.