David Parkin on the HS3 dream, newspaper editors and hi-jinks at Headingley

HANDS up if you think HS3 is a good idea?

That, if you missed it, is the proposal to create a high speed rail line between Manchester and Leeds to create a “Northern powerhouse”.

It is an idea mooted by Chancellor George Osborne who said this week that the east-west link should be considered as part of a review into the second phase of the £50bn HS2 high-speed rail project.

But that is all it currently is – an idea.

And given we will have to wait until 2033 for HS2 to reach Leeds and Manchester from London, don’t hold your breath.

The Chancellor didn’t discuss the funding of the project, but the idea has been backed by regional and national politicians, economists, business people and organisations like the IoD.

Given the huge imbalance between the economy in the South and North of the UK, there is an argument to say that HS3 is actually going to deliver more benefit than HS2, so shouldn’t it happen first? That is certainly the view of Leeds-based property expert Richard Barker, of Michael Steele, who added a comment to our story on Monday.

As Simon Walker, director general of the IoD, said: “IoD members in both the North West and Yorkshire expect London to be the main winner from HS2, so investment in infrastructure modernisation and connectivity is needed to allow great cities like Manchester and Leeds to compete with the South East.

“To fully realise the Chancellor’s idea of an economic powerhouse, it makes sense to extend the high-speed service to Liverpool. Any fast line would also need to be complemented by a range of smaller road and rail schemes, building on the work already begun on the Northern Hub, to improve life for commuters and support businesses.”

Make the service from Hull to Liverpool and you then do connect up key cities that can benefit the North as a whole.

But when will it happen? By floating the idea, the Chancellor now knows this isn’t going to go away. As an MP in a Northern constituency in Cheshire, he will clearly understands the benefits of such a project.

His big challenge now is to find the money for it and, if his party can win the next election, set a timetable that doesn’t put the completion of the project beyond the retirement date of most people working today.

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HEADLINES were also made by the result of the newspaper phone hacking trial this week.

A jury concluded that former News of the World editor Andy Coulson was guilty, but his former colleague Rebekah Brooks, who also edited the NoW and The Sun before being promoted to run News International by Rupert Murdoch, was found not guilty.

I’ve only read excerpts from the long-running court case but evidence presented suggested phone hacking was going on during her time at the helm of the News of the World of which she was unaware of.

What it does suggest is that she was pretty poor in her role as editor.

Every newspaper editor I have ever worked for, when faced with a controversial story that might attract legal action, would always ask about the source of the story and ensure they were comfortable with it, before deciding to publish.

She appears to have been the exception to the rule, too busy schmoozing Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

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IT was probably the uneventful play on the pitch, but the subdued support among a far from capacity crowd at Headingley on Sunday had me yearning for days of yore.

The boisterous nature of the infamous Western Terrace meant that test match spectators usually had as much to watch off the pitch as on.

Personal highlights include a super hero conga, two stag parties dressed in habits meeting in a ‘nun summit’ and a university lecturer dressed as a banana having a bit of argy bargy with a bloke in a tomato outfit.

Then there was the steward in charge of emptying bins who some spectators decided had a vague likeness to former Bullseye host Jim Bowen.

Everytime he appeared with a bin liner he was greeted with the chant: “Super, smashing, great…”

Officials at Yorkshire County Cricket Club have made great play of their efforts to clean up Headingley’s image as an international ground.

The Leeds venue has attempted to eradicate the rowdy elements by segregating the old West Stand, creating four sections each with its own criteria relating to age, alcohol and fancy dress.

But that part of the ground was far from full at the Test on Sunday and 37,500 people attended the five-day Test against Sri Lanka, when Yorkshire had targeted attracting 55,000.

The ‘beer snakes’ – part of Headingley folklore, where spectators stacked their plastic pint glasses together before attempting to raise them tower-like to the heavens – have gone.

And apparently there was only one arrest during the match – when a spectator threw a piece of cheese at a Sri Lankan fielder – and eight ejections for drunken conduct.

I’m not advocating a return to the bad old days, but perhaps finding a balance between Headingley’s boisterous and, rambunctious (a favourite word of loquacious boxing promoter Don King) reputation and an atmosphere that encourages good behaviour can be found.

If they don’t, then the second hand banana costume I bought last year will be a complete waste of money.

Have a great weekend.