World of Chig   

13.9.02

Manchester, so much to answer for


It's all kicking off here in Brum! The gloves came off yesterday in the most ludicrous battle of the year. All over the papers and last night's regional TV news were the results of a nationwide MORI poll which showed 34% of people named Manchester as England's second city, but only 29% name Birmingham. (For the benefit of overseas readers, Birmingham has always been known as the second city, and by population it IS the next biggest in England after London.) Much trumpeting on Midlands Today last night of Birmingham's achievements and facilities; some worthy, some ridiculously irrelevant. And of course the local papers in each city have set out their stalls; see what the Birmingham Evening Mail has to say on the matter. Note the use of the phrase 'rain-swept Manchester' in the very first sentence. Note also that the MORI poll was commissioned by Marketing Manchester in the immediate wake of the successful Commonwealth Games. Rather embarrassingly though (and I feel like a traitor drawing your attention to this fact), the Evening Mail's website currently has another, internet poll, asking which is the second city, and Birmingham is losing, with about 65% versus 35%. On a Birmingham website! A spectacular own goal for Brum, if ever I saw one! (Although I predict another spectacular own goal in Birmingham in three days' time...Mystic Chig has spoken.)
UPDATE, 19/09/02: The Manchester Evening News couldn't resist. They have seized on the above poll result with glee in this inflammatory piece.

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