Week Ending: Cotton’s unhappy return; Dame Nancy’s bangin’ tunes & more
IT seems that despite a New Year trip to the beautiful Thai resort of Koh Samui for some well-earned rest and relaxation, Manchester-based tech company boss Rob Cotton had a somewhat traumatic time.
According to his Twitter feed, he lost both his credit card and debit cards, and to make matters worse his luggage went AWOL somewhere between Thailand, Heathrow and home.
After railing against Manchester Airport’s slow baggage handling. which he described as the “worst in the world”, Mr C, has turned his Twitter fury upon British Airways, which is apparently to blame for his lost luggage.
As of Thursday, the item was still missing after three days, leading the less than impressed NCC Group ceo to despair further, branding BA #appalling.
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While we’re talking Twitter, Cheshire East Council’s Tory leader Cllr Michael Jones seems to be in a little hot water for asking council communications staff – who are meant to be apolitical – to Tweet dismissive messages about “moribund” Labour leader Ed Milliband.
Jones, who has faced calls to resign from opposition councillors, says he now Tweets unaided and that the matter has become a “political football”, adding: “I think I’m good enough and strong enough to attack my political opponents”
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PROFESSOR Dame Nancy Rothwell, the vice chancellor of Manchester University, was the guest on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs last week.
She discussed her childhood and a career that has involved pioneering research into strokes and neuroscience.
And there was an intriguing anecdote about her decision to take the top job at Manchester in 2010.
She said: “I wasn’t going to apply to be vice chancellor. It wasn’t in my plan and I didn’t think I’d be very good.
“But I read a book by a female coach where she said men have a tendency to look at a job and think, ‘I can do half of that I’ll apply’, whereas women think, ‘I can’t do half of that I won’t apply’. And it was a bit of a lightbulb moment for me and a lot of women I tell that story to say, ‘Yes, yes, that’s exactly how I feel’.”
As for the music, she gave a nod to Manchester with a Sad Cafe tune, and referenced her dad’s love of the blues with a Howlin’ Wolf track. But there was also room for Military Wives, Susan Boyle, John Mayall and Mozart.
There was a clear omission though – anything by D:Ream, the former group of the university’s superstar physicist Prof Brian Cox.
Those tunes in full:
Sad Cafe – My Oh My
The second movement of Malcolm Arnold’s English Dances, Opus 27
Howlin Wolf – Moanin’ in the Moonlight
Third movement from Mozart’s horn concerto No.4
The Military Wives – Wherever You are
Susan Boyle – Perfect Day
John Mayall – Took The Car
National Chamber Orchestra – The Ashokan Farewell (This was a favourite of her predecessor Alan Gilbert).
