Suddenly Last Thursday...

we're all turning vegan......

2007-07-02T12:56:00.000+01:00

....after an excellent and inspiring talk from SUSTAIN at last week's Last Thursday Club, we've been left with no option but to turn vegan, eat turnips all winter, and fit all cows with personal air fresheners. Hopefully that'll keep us all busy for a while, because there's no LTC next month - it being summer holidays and so forth. When we return in September, we can look forward to the Tyndall Centre , who will be giving us an update on climate change - so think on before you board that bargain holiday jet to Alicante........

In the meantime, MBC will be following the exploits of Graeme and Mark from Envirolink a.k.a. Green Team 2CV - who will be having a very exciting summer holiday as they tackle the Mongol Rally. Keep tabs on their progress by checking the MBC blog during the summer.

The above pictures were taken last week when the eco-2cv visited Hilton Street......

little hoodrat friend.....

2007-05-17T14:32:00.000+01:00

Okay, so the blog was wrong. This month's session will not feature Richard Leafe of Natural England, it will instead welcome Neil McInroy of CLES (Centre for Local Economic Strategies). He will be discussing 'the creative class and the knowledge economy, and the problems old industrial cities like Manchester face'....or, as the scandal-mongering mavens of the Last Thursday Club would have it 'Hoodies and ASBOs: A lost generation?' So buff up your kickers and stay out of the Trafford Centre, please, we'll see you on Thursday 31st May. Yup, the blog was wrong about that too. Oops.

gold leafe

2007-05-01T11:58:00.000+01:00

Well, I'm just about recovered from a surfeit of chocolate, not to mention a huge pile of butties at last week's LTC. According to the schedule (see below), next month's session will be graced by Richard Leafe, Regional Director of Natural England. Impress him, or terrify him, with your encyclopedic knowledge by checking out this piece in advance.......

chocolatechocolatechocolatechocolate

2007-04-25T09:30:00.000+01:00

This month's Last Thursday Club is entitled 'How good is chocolate?'. Did you see that, it contains the word 'chocolate'. That means that chocolate is almost certain to be involved. The talk will be delivered by Penny Street from SNW / the National Centre of Business and Sustainability, and will inform us about an initiative to eliminate child and forced labour in the cocoa industry. Allegedly there will also be the chance to taste some, what was it again? Oh yes, there'll be some chocolate-sampling. But you wouldn't be interested in that......would you?

While we're on the subject, what's your favourite chocolate product?

Jimbo & the Jet Set

2007-03-22T13:18:00.000Z

This is your captain speaking. We are currently cruising at an altitude of one floor. If you take a look out of the windows you'll see the stunning vista of Hilton Street, with a fleeting glimpse of the Rochdale Canal as we bank to the left. Our flight time today is approximately one hour, and we expect to touch down in Thursday Afternoon at around 1:30pm local time. The weather in Thursday Afternoon is currently grey and murky.........

Next Thursday is March's Last Thursday Club, when the theme will be 'Pains, Planes and Runways'. The speaker will be Callum Thomas - a Professor of Sustainable Aviation at the Manchester Metropolitan University, a Director of the Centre for Air Transport and the Environment and sustainability advisor to the Manchester Airport Group.

He has been an advisor to the UK Government, the European Commission, the World Economic Forum and the Airports Council International on aviation and environmental / sustainability issues. He was responsible for establishing and managing Manchester Airport's Bird Control Unit, its Environment Department and Community Relations Department, all UK firsts and all internationally acclaimed.

His particular expertise involves the sustainable development of the aviation industry, environmental constraints upon airport growth, the impact of airport operations on local communities, the control of aircraft noise, public consultation and community participation in airport development. He is also recognised for his expertise in bird hazard management.

Thomas is internationally known for his work in this field and has co-authored two books and over 50 scientific papers on aviation/environment issues. He is a visiting lecturer at a number of Universities (including the Technical University of Crete) and external examiner of aviation management courses at the Universities of Cranfield and Loughborough.

In 2006, the UK Government Secretary of State for Transport announced the award of Euro 7.5 million for the Centre for Air Transport and the Environment to lead a consortium of top UK Universities to work with industry and regulators to help deliver the sustainable development of UK aviation and establish formal links with similar initiatives in the USA and Europe. This, the single largest such award ever received by the Manchester Metropolitan University has confirmed the University as the UKs leading institution in this field.

Emergency exits are located through Groundwork's office, and should there be a change in pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling. Ladies, please remove your high heels before utilising the emergency escape routes, and we'd just like to remind everyone to extinguish all smoking materials and turn off digital devices prior to take-off. Have a safe, pleasant, carbon-neutral flight on Last Thursday Airways...........

the vice squad

2007-02-20T10:33:00.000Z

It's all going a bit Pete Doherty at the Last Thursday Club this month, with a visit from Professor Mark Bellis, Director of the Centre for Public Health. This session promises to provide everything you ever wanted to know about cigarettes and alcohol, not to mention banned substances and teenage sex. Obviously, non-attendance will be interpreted as an admission that you're already an expert on the subject.......

2007 - new, improved, and a little bit James Bond...

2007-01-19T12:33:00.000Z

Happy new year,
The schedule for Last Thursday Club in 2007 is now ready for viewing. The best-laid plan looks a little like this.......

2007

25 January - Faiths 4 Change
Annie Merry, Operation Eden (arranged by SC)

22 February - Binge Drinking and Teenage Sex
Professor Mark Bellis, Director of the Centre for Public Health (arranged by IMc)

22 March - Pains, Planes and Runways
Callum Thomas, Professor of Sustainable Aviation, MMU (arranged by WM)

26 April - How GOOD is Chocolate?
Penny Street, Sustainability Northwest (arranged by MP)

24 May - Not Just Bunnies - Why Natural England Matters
Richard Leafe, NE Regional Director (arranged by IMc)

28 June - Hoodies and ASBOs - A Lost Generation
Neil McInroy, Chief Executive of CLES (arranged by IMc)

26 July - Slow Food - Sustainable Food
Jeanette Longfield, Co-ordinator, SUSTAIN (arranged by IMc)

27 September - Climate Shock, Climate Feedback
Tyndall Centre (arranged by MP)

25 October - MediaCity and Irwell City Park
Central Salford URC/MediaCity:UK (arranged by SC)

29 November - Mersey - The River That Changed the World
Colin MacPherson, Photographer (arranged by WM)

20 December - The Eco Hub Christmas Quiz
Creative Concern (arranged by SC)

Such a lot to look forward to....not to mention the wraps, the pineapple chunks and the mini-rolls......

2007-01-03T14:40:00.000Z

2006-12-19T13:12:00.000Z

The first Noel Edmonds....

2006-12-19T09:01:00.000Z

Tension is building in Fourways House as we approach the much-anticipated Last Thursday Club Christmas Quiz. Noel Edmonds has been booked as host, and we'll be utilising a variety of bird calls and vole-squeaks as buzzers.

The teams are coming together, despite allegations of ringers being drafted in. Here at MBC we have brought together a crack team featuring some of the finest minds in, well, our office. Get your best casual knitwear ready, and prepare to out-Magnus Magnusson........

THE TIME: Thursday 21st December, 4pm
THE PLACE: Meeting Room, 1st Floor

We really wanna see those fingers........

Mary's post....

2006-12-04T14:59:00.000Z

....Sorry, I've just read Mary's post. Laura at Enworks says that you can get a Zoundz HERE. But leave one for me!

2006-12-04T14:51:00.000Z

A great time was had by all on Thursday when Futurologist Mike Ryan came along to let us in on his vision of a technologically-enhanced tomorrow. It seems like everyone in Fourways House is now looking for a way to get their hands on the only stocking-filler worth its salt this year - the RFID-tastic Zoundz (see above).

So what did you make of Mike's presentation - did it get you all excited, or scare you stupid, or are you just sceptical about the whole thing? Post here to tell us what you thought, or indeed to compliment / complain about this month's cake and fancy selection.

EMAIL ME to get an invitation so that you can post on the LTC blog.

Suddenly Last Thursday...: thursday october 30th: fear the future!

2006-11-30T17:32:00.000Z

Suddenly Last Thursday...: thursday october 30th: fear the future!

Congratulations to Mike from Idaho for entertaining Last Thursday spot today. Has anyone managed to find supplier for that musical gizmo he brought along?

Mary

thursday october 30th: fear the future!

2006-11-23T14:11:00.000Z

This month's Last Thursday Club is next week on Thursday 30th November at 12.30pm.

The speaker will be Mike Ryan, Managing Director of Idaho Technology Ltd. His presentation will be on 'Technology, Fear and the Future'.

Mike formed Idaho 9 years’ ago and has successfully ridden the boom bust of the internet sector. He eats, lives and breathes technology and his passion has grown his business to be one of the best respected in the region. As secretary of Manchester Digital he now speaks for the sector and is committed to seeing an unprecedented amount of innovation that will help to deliver the knowledge economy that will transform the city in so many ways. As a self confessed gadget man he’s hoping with this presentation to open your eyes and minds to the pace of change that’s just around the corner……

Refreshments will be provided by MBC.

ecohub north - the conning tower for this great region of ours

2006-11-08T09:26:00.000Z

the radar tower at the mouth of the mersey - the river that changed the world...just having a thought for the day moment...we're a bit like a radar tower here at ecohub north sweeping the seas and the skies...alert to bollox and of course to lovelinesses...and at the heart of it all the northwest's premier gathering...the last thursday club...fabulous...and what a programme for 2007!