decembers first sunday

Hello everyone
I'm in temporary exile from manchester but can't bear to skip first sunday... and so i've concocted a scheme that enables all of the loitering diaspora to join together and share space on a level hitherto unexplored by us... yes, its the first ever remote control derive!

the idea is simple, find your starting point at 2.30 on sunday, it can be anywhere (for those of you craving company tim will be at the victoria statue in piccadilly gardens, if anyone else wants to share please put summat in the comments and i will publicise) You will need appropriate clothing, an open mind, a phone and a coin or some other double sided thingummie to toss.

At two.thirty and at 5 minute intervals i will send instructions for you to follow or ignore as you choose, this will go on for about 90 minutes. You will need to either follow @thelrm on twitter or send me your phone number so i can text - mine is 07974929589 - alternatively we could experiment with telepathy but its cold and my mind is befuddled so I would discourage that.

Please share your experiences here, or twitter, or down the pub with me next week as I'd love to know how this works!

With love and glitter
Morag xx
ps there will be an exciting announcement tomorrow about other events so please watch this space

November 2012 First Sunday Derive

Woop! It's First Sunday This Sunday and we will of course be a-loitering.

Frankly this month I have no idea what to expect; the spirit of the derive has passed to Dale Meakin who promises a "spontaneous scrabble walk" which I have every faith will be marvellous

We'll be meeting 2pm in Bakerie Tasting Store, off Lever Street - its behind The Hive, round the corner from the large Bakerie bar. Be brilliant to see folk xx

library walk events

We've also just heard (in the last hour) that we will be able to speak at the scrutiny committee meeting tomorrow. I am now rather nervous so any friendly faces that can make it would be even more appreciated!

Tuesday 16th October 2pm Manchester Town Hall Committee Room 11 - Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Committee. 
The decision of the Exec Committe has been called in “To allow for evidence from Friends of Library Walk and other groups about the history, design and usage of Library Walk to be discussed and for other aspects of the St Peter’s Square Framework to be scrutinised.” We have applied to speak at the meeting and supportive faces in the audience are very welcome - there really is strength in numbers at meetings like this!

Wednesday 17th October 6-8pm at Bakerie Tasting Store off Lever Street (behind The Hive) - Friends of Library Walk meeting An informal meeting where we will share any developments, news and information and - crucially - finalise our statement to the planning committee

Thursday 25th October 2pm at Manchester Town Hall - Planning Committee Meeting. This is the big one where we need as many people as possible; its where the final decision is made. Please, please join us if you can.  We will be meeting at noon on the 25th at Riba Hub Cafe (Portland St) for a joint event with manchester modernist society - this will be an informal chat, with speakers and slides showing the history and beauty of Library Walk. Then we will all go to the planning committee meeting; you are welcome to join us at Riba or The Town Hall. Their rallying cry is here: http://manchestermodernists.wordpress.com/2012/10/12/library-walk-storm-the-bastions-attend-the-planning-meeting-and-change-the-councils-mind/

for more details about friends of library walk please see www.friendsoflibrarywalk.wordpress.com

October First Sunday

1st Sunday This Sunday, meet 2pm at the map in victoria station for a maptastic derive. All welcome. Free like our streets

celebrate and save library walk today

Please, please come and loiter this evening (September 11th) - we'll be celebrating library walk - join us at 6pm Piccadilly Gardens where we will embark on a beating the bounds with music, banners, badges, biscuits, a great range of speakers and a few surprises. We're celebrating a beautiful place, public space, the right to roam and our twentieth century heritage, be wonderful to see lots of loiterers there. more information on the campaign can be found at www.friendsoflibrarywalk.wordpress.com it's a place and a cause very dear to my heart and your support is much appreciated xxx

Septembers First Sunday

We have a special guest loiterer this month so i dont know what to expect - but i'm excited as it will be a splendid i am sure; here's the message they sent: 1st Sunday Sept LRM exploration - we are going troll hunting. Do bring a magikal weapon if you have one. Meet at the Mirror Ball outside the Museum of Science and Industry at 2pm on sunday 2nd September.

August First Sunday - Tomorrow

This Sunday (tomorrow) is First Sunday, woo-hooh. Its going to be another silly game type affair as we'll be reviewing the new mission:explore food tasks set in the guerrilla geographers latest book, I havent actually read it yet but i'm a big fan and I have no doubt this will be a very enjoyable wander. We'll be meeting 2pm this Sunday - 4th August - downstairs in the cornerhouse. I hope you can come and play out with us x

here is my letter of objection, written in rather more haste than I'd like but please feel free to copy and paste bits of it ALSO - IT DOES HAVE PARAGRAPHS, BLOGGER IS BEING A DICK! To whom it may concern RE: Planning reference number 099352/VO/2012/C1 I wish to object in the strongest possible terms to the plans for Library Walk. I have several grounds for believing this would be detrimental to a unique and well loved part of Manchester that many people cherish. My objections are as follows: Any new structure will compromise the integrity of the two Grade II* listed buildings. E.V Harris’s Town Hall Extension and Central Library are of significant importance both locally and nationally. They are truly stunning and this is reflected in their listed status. The historical statement and other information supplied with the application implies Library Walk is an accident and dead windswept space. This is simply not true. The Walk was clearly part of Harris’s original design and is a magnificent and well regarded piece of urban planning.I love Library Walk because of the sensuous curves, the glimpses of the sky and a unique streetscape, the respite for pedestrians, the sheer beauty of a place that is hard to describe but that I cherish. My feelings are reflected by many others. I regularly take students, tourists, residents and community groups on tours of Manchester City Centre. The wonderful curves and stunning vistas offered by Library Walk are very much admired; I have not heard any negative comments. Expert opinion confirms this as well. Well respected photographer Aidan O’Rourke describes Library Walk as “one of the best loved and most enduring features of Manchester city centre” and Phil Griffin, architectural commentator says ‘Library Walk, already damn near perfect in its materials, proportions, orientation, volume, geometry and scale, must not be damaged in any way. (And it must) maintain an unimpeded through route between Mount Street and St Peter’s Square”. I would also like to challenge the application on practical grounds as well as aesthetic and heritage concerns. I believe Library Walk is, and should remain, a de facto right of way. It has been used as such since its creation and was well used until its temporary closure during the library and Town Hall renovations. I can see no genuine and valid reason for taking it out of the public domain. The link is unnecessary as there are plans to provide more than adequate linkage under the ground floor levels of each building; it was only included as an indicative design in the initial plans or the recent St Peters Square design competition so presumably was not deemed essential. The argument that it is for public safety is spurious to say the least. As a woman I find it downright offensive that there is an implication this is a space to be scared of and the way to deal with this is with a locked gate! Library walk has never been a hotspot for crime and we need to look at the bigger picture. Are we to put gates on every street women are attacked in? What about the sad but true fact women are more likely to be attacked at home and by someone they know than by a stranger in any alleyway in the city? I feel deeply offended at the inference I should not be free to walk through my favourite place in the city for my own good. I would suggest appropriate lighting could create a feeling of safety, regular cleaning would make the space welcoming and well used so there are the informal eyes on the street Jane Jacobs talks about. In the current economic climate when women’s health services refuges, youth projects etc are being cut and closed this would surely be cost effective. Similar logic applies to the idea that gates are needed to prevent the space being used as a urinal – a cursory sniff around the city centre will demonstrate Library Walk is not alone in suffering this indignity and is not the worst affected area. I understand the gates themselves will also serve as the official memorial to Peterloo. This was a deeply significant and tragic event which aimed to bring democracy to the people of Manchester. To seek to commemorate it by closing public space is an insult. There is also the terrible risk people will still use the site as a urinal and effectively urinate on the memory of Peterloo. To go ahead with this plan would be to ruin a wonderful space and to disregard the views of many Manchester residents. The Friends of Library Walk was launched as soon as we were made aware of the Planning Application. We aim to celebrate the glory of Library Walk and to act constructively to stop this scheme. We have already had one public meeting which was very well attended and our Facebook Group has over 500 members and is growing every day. Please, I implore you to think again about this planning application and preserve the integrity and beauty of library walk. Yours Faithfully Morag Rose

Help please! Urgent Action Needed to Save Library Walk

The Save Library Walk meeting last week was very well attended and the facebook group has over 500 members in just a few days, so it is clear there are many people who do cherish this space which is very far from an accident. The campaign has been working on some really creative ideas, however we really need help now Urgent Action is Required: we were advised we had 8 weeks to object to the plans, we now learn we only have 3 - which means comments have to be in by TOMORROW 12th JUNE 2102 (insert rant about less than transparent planning proceedures here) Please log in and register your objection here: http://pa.manchester.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=M40NFJBC6K000 and if possible also please cc your letter to the people and places mentioned here: http://manchestermodernists.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/do-you-object-to-the-proposals-for-a-glazed-link-between-manchester-town-hall-extension-and-central-library/ 099352/VO/2012/C1 | CITY COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT Erection of a glazed link between Central Lib pa.manchester.gov.uk Any support much appreciated, I am gutted that the period to rally support is so short.

Manchester Modernist Heroines Walking Tour

We're back on the streets due to popular demand! Details here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/3666283954/es1?srnk=1&ebtv=C warning: contains explicit feminism and geography

Save Library Walk!

Library walk is one of my favourite places in manchester, the sensuous curves, the glimpse of the sky, the possibility for disappearances, daydreams and transportations it offers..... truly a portal. The space between places, especially two such important and well loved buildings, matters. However my objections to the ghastly plans for a canopy and gates are more than aesthetic. This is a symbolic fight too and one worth rallying diverse troops for. I'ts about another piece of public space being eroded, about sham consultations and wasteful funding decisions by the council. It's about the commercialisation of everything and the disgraceful idea that the way to protect women from sexual violence is to restrict access to keep us safe. It's about respecting the memory of peterloo, our radical history, our civil amenities and our right to the streets. It's about more than an alleyway, gorgeous though it is. Watch this space for more details and please, lets work together to #savelibrarywalk The campaign group is meeting for the first time this thursday 6pm at the bakerie tasting store (behind the hive off lever street) everyone is welcome. Our friends at manchester modernist society have produced a handy guide on how to express displeasure at planning applications as well as a history of the space (i need to heed this) www.manchestermodernistsociety.org and manchester confidential have run a lovely peice on it too http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/News/Library-Walk-To-Be-Gated there is a facebook group (save library walk!) and an email address savelibrarywalk@gmail.com i believe we are getting involved at the right time to make a difference to this unique space, please take 5 minutes to send an email. Thank you! with love and glimpses of a brighter sky morag x

Junes First Sunday

It's June! It's First Sunday This Sunday! the always eloquant and inspiring Alan Smith is treating us to the second part of his epic medlock tracing wander, meet 2pm at the lass o' the gowrie pub charles street. hope to see you there x

loitering with the cornerhouse: 3 very special derives

Woop! I can finally go public with our 3 very special Cornerhouse Micro-Commission Walks. Details of what we will be doing - and how to book your free tickets - are here http://thelrmwalks.eventbrite.co.uk/ Thanks to folk who have offered to help document them, more photographers, filmers, artists etc are welcome - please pm me if you are interested in this role. I am very, very excited about this and will be blogging more details very soon Really hope to see lots of lovely loiterers on these three special days! x

May Day, May Day First Sunday Approaching Fast

oops, lets try again with better smelling (the perils of rush posting) Dear Loiterers It is First Sunday tomorrow (6th May) and as you know we'll be going for a derive inspired by the luddites bicentenary. We'll be meeting at 1.20 by the Victoria statue in Piccadilly Gardens, we'll be heading up Oldham Street to catch a bus to Middleton 1.30 – so please be punctual. We'll be arriving in Middleton 2.00pm-ish (bus willing) and we'll get off at the bus station and head towards Wood Street. I am not very familiar with the area so its hard to be specific; any problems finding us please call 07974929589 This won't be a historical tour; more of a bimble thinking about affect, looking for resonances and a chance to share reflections and debate. We'll be exploring themes of dissent, fair labour, the meaning of work and effective forms of resistance to an oppressive state. Debates about technology – the negative impact it can have and the folly of believing in a techno-utopia are as relevant today as they were to the Luddites. We will be revisiting the site of one of their most important actions. It has long been an LRM concern that we should learn from history and respect the battles fought for us; we need to try and understand how we got here so we can work out where we want to be. And of course we need to question how we know what we think we know.... don't trust everything you read.... Luther Blisset and Enoch Taylor will be in attendance; please dress appropriately. Apologies the specific details have been somewhat sketchy up till now, I've been a tad poorly this week. Thanks to John for helping to sort this out, much appreciated. Thanks for keeping the faith in first Sunday, we will always go out to play even if its relatively short notice about exactly where and when it will always be first Sunday. Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us, we merely ask you are respectful, open minded and take responsibility for your own actions and please remember the lrm is run for love, not money. The streets and its stories belong to us all. with love and rage morag xx

Aprils First Sunday

Hooray! This Sunday is First Sunday - April 1st - and I am delighted Alan Smith is curating this months derive, continuing on from last months lost rivers but in a very different style and with a river you can actually see.

"Join us on Sunday for a trip up the mighty Medlock. We'll be following the river Medlock as it meanders through the city linking surprisingly disparate areas, from shining modernity to industrial wasteland and every point between, finally ending in a haven for nature overlooked by many. We'll be meeting outside Deansgate Station (look out for the giant bicycle under the railway arch) at 1pm. This is quite a long walk (approx. 2hrs) and probably not suitable for children."

Next Month - May - we will be exploring the legacy of the luddites in this bicentenary year. If anyone has a special interest in this area please holler and I will be glad to buy you a beverage and have a chat about how best to do this x

hello

The LRM (Loiterers Resistance Movement) is a Manchester based collective of artists and activists interested in psychogeography, public space and the hidden stories of the city.

We can’t agree on what psychogeography means but we all like plants growing out of the side of buildings, looking at things from new angles, radical history, drinking tea and getting lost; having fun and feeling like a tourist in your home town. Gentrification, advertising and blandness make us sad. We believe there is magic in the mancunian rain.

Our city is wonderful and made for more than shopping. We want to reclaim it for play and revolutionary fun….

On the first Sunday of every month we go for a wander of some sort and we also organise occasional festivals, exhibitions, shows, spectacles, silliness and other random shenanigans. Please come and join us; everyone is welcome.

Please accept our apologies for the rather shabby nature of the blog at the moment; I am in the process of making it lovelier but I keep getting distracted, I'd so much rather be on the street than staring at a screen. I promise it will be sorted soon. In the meantime if you fancy a blether or a beer or just want to find out about what loitering can do for you please get in touch:
Email loiter@hepzombie.co.uk
Twitter @thelrm
Facebook group the loiterers resistance movement

We hope to see you playing out with us soon xx

The Lost Rivers of Manchester

Woop! The Lost Rivers of Manchester - The LRMs contribution to Manchester Histories Festival. Places limited and booking is now live http://manchesterlostrivers1.eventbrite.co.uk/

First Sunday is Nigh

February marks the fifth birthday of first sundays! i'm a bit ambivalent about anniversaries but that does feel a bit special. thank you to everyone who contributes - past, present and future - to make our anarcho-flanuerie so wonderful. it is a pleasure to walk, talk, dream and drink with you all.

Having heeded calls for another expedition out of the city centre The LRM will be congregating this sunday at 2pm in Staylbridge buffet bar (aka the lovely old pub on the railway station platform).

We'll be wandering off by 2.30 but will return after exploring stalyvegas so don't panic if you've not had time for a pre-derive pint

trains from manchester piccadilly leave at 7mins past the hour and arrive at 24 minutes past. there are various buses as well. i'll meet you all in the bar as i'm not travelling from manchester

love morag xx

in march we will be back in manchester for something very special as part of the histories festival.... more details soon x

Last few tickets left for Bata-ville Film Screening 26th Jan

woop! just 15 (free) tickets left for Bata-ville: We are not afraid of the future screening with a special bonus film Hush. Please join The LRM and our friends at manchester modernist society and mmu for a night of utopian shoes, coach trips, lively discussion and more.... Book your place here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/2594823186/efblike?ebtv=C

January scavanger hunt is go

Howdy folks.... this sunday is the first ever lrm scavenger hunt, something silly and wonderful to welcome in the new year. We'll be gathering 12 noon in the downstairs cafe of the cornerhouse (oxford road) this sunday 8th january 2012. We'll be on the streets by 12.20 and it might be a bit tricky to find us so please try and make the start....we hope to see you there, who knows what treasures we will find? x