IT'S FILTH! IT'S FUCKING FILTH!

Lib-Dem Functionary Flagellates NV Pusher on Town Hall steps

A GARGOYLE descended from the guttering of Rochdale's architecturally pseudo-Gothic Town Hall, last night, in the shape of John Swarbrick, to accost a purveyor of Northern Voices 12. And out of the spout which passes for a mouth came forth the following: 'Northern Voices - it's filth, it is fucking filth!'

Whatever could he mean? To what might he be referring? Could it have summat to do with the six page 'Obituary' to Sir Cyril Smith in the current issue of NV12?

It was the night of the last full Council Meeting of Rochdale MBC before the pending local elections. And all and sundry were in a jolly mood except for the Gargoyle or was it a Grotesque? 'Are you a Liberal?', says I. 'Why do you say that?', says he. em>'You'll be getting a solicitor's letter for libel', he declared 'filth, it's filth!' Then off he goes with a councillor muttering through the swing doors into Rochdale's glorious Town Hall.

Then in went I, onwards and upwards, to the Council Chamber's spectator's gallery to sit next to the Gargoyle but not too close, of course. By that time the Council Leader, Councillor Colin Lambert, was in full flow suggesting: 'As part of the Rochdale Town Centre redevelopment, we propose to seek funds to reopen part of the road covering the river (Roch), this will give Rochdale a unique feature and give us a major start in the regeneration.' Hooray! Last years Northern Voices 11 called for this very thing. Councillor Lambert said: 'there was all party support to investigate a possible bid for the Wheatsheaf Centre.' Moreover, the Council Leader declared: 'I have been keen to push ahead with the carbon reduction measures as part of (a) move towards a green economy'.

This was later challenged by a Lib-Dem, the feisty German lady and former Green artist from Berlin, Wera Hobhouse. Mrs Hobhouse, petite, blond and with a lovely Teutonic twist to her accent claimed that Labour had stolen the ideas of the Lib-Dems. Moans and groans from the Labour benches: folk up North don't much like clever foreigners like Mrs Hobhouse because she has a touch of class which they despise. Recently she has been campaigning over the loss of our heritage in Rochdale with the two-day closure of the Touchstones Centre since the cuts.

Councillor Farooq Ahmed, Portfolio for Finance, drew attention to Rochdale's past talking of the 'group of ordinary people (in 1844, who) decided to form a co-operative society'. Another Cabinet Member, Councillor Peter Williams, talked of a Hydro e-Power Scheme on the River Roch and £1.5m for a transformation of the Toad Lane Co-op.

Later it was back-patting time for the retiring members and I left determined to catch the Council Leader and get the money for his copy of NV.

For a copy of the current Northern Voices 12 with our unique revelations on Cyril Smith, condemned by John Swarbrick above, send cheque made payable to 'Northern Voices' for £2.20 (post included) to 52, Todmorden Road, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 4AH. For a back copy of Northern Voices 11 also refered to above please send cheque payable for same amount.