Beard Blog - Days 18, 19, 20, 21

Today's beard

There's no real news about lights or electricity. My beard has got longer, though. Perhaps tomorrow will hold something a little more interesting.

http://picasaweb.google.com/johnnyhaines/MyBeardProtest

Beard Blog - Days 16 & 17

Today's beard

In 1969, during the Vietnam war, John Lennon and Yoko Ono embarked on a new type of anti-war protest - they laid in bed and grew their hair. Now I'm growing my beard but it's not for peace, it's for floodlights, which I think is a much more realistic target! Is it working? Probably not. Well it doesn't speed up the process but it does let people know that I care and that I'm thinking about it all the time and that I'm trying to push the process on.

Today I'm going to find out if the Council have written the cheque to United Utilities. I'll let you know how it goes.

http://picasaweb.google.com/johnnyhaines/MyBeardProtest

Beard Blog - Day 15

Today's Beard

I discovered yesterday that I'm gonna be growing this beard for at least another month! I spoke to a lovely woman at United Utilities who told me a little of what I already knew and a little new stuff.

I explained before, that City Works had no idea that UU had changed their order process from payment on completion of works, to payment in advance. Well, UU told me that a letter was sent to MCC as soon as their new system was introduced. As City Works make all the works orders on behalf of MCC you'd imagine this important change in policy by UU would have been passed onto them but it seems it wasn't. If this information had been passed to City Works we would be well on the way to a beautifully lit skatepark.

We have around 1,400 members a Projekts Skatepark. They skate if it's raining, cold, sunny, cloudy, or snowing. They can't skate if it's dark! Every delay in this convoluted process affects each one of our members. That's why I'm writing this and that's why I get angry and that's why I grow my beard. It's our members and our staff who suffer daily each time a mistake like this is made. Every time a simple phone call isn't made or an email not sent, we are left cold and in the dark for another day.

The other news is that UU need to give a 28 day traffic notice before works can begin. So even if MCC got the cheque to UU today, we still won't get lights for at least another month. And the beard keeps growing.......


http://picasaweb.google.com/johnnyhaines/MyBeardProtest

Beard Blog - Day 12,13 and 14

Today's Beard

The beard's really getting somewhere now, which is a shame because it means we still don't have lights. I'm starting to look like some ancient king from Lord of the Rings, except with shorter hair and cheaper clothes. Yesterday I got out of the shower and thought I looked a bit like Stephen Baldwin in Usual Suspects but it's not really happening today.



I wonder who I'll be tomorrow...

http://picasaweb.google.com/johnnyhaines/MyBeardProtest

Beard Blog - Day 11

On 8 March, Projekts MCR will be hosting its first Girls-Only skate jam for International Women's Day. The competition is for female skaters only and will be held at Projekts skatepark under the Mancunian Way. Categories include U16, 16+ and sponsored, with a cash prize available for the best sponsored skater. Projekts will also run Girls-Only coaching sessions at certain points in the day.

Initially we planned to have our floodlight opening event on 1 March but this is now canceled until further notice (see earlier blogs to find out why). As soon as I hear anything I'll let you know.

Beard Blog - Day 10

Today's beard

When Projekts MCR began running the skatepark, back in August 2004, we were told by the Council that they would soon be providing floodlights, mains electricity, an office for us to work in and, at some point, a park extension. This was all great news because sitting outside in the freezing cold, even after the first week, was starting to become a little depressing. Around 8 months later we finally received our office; a black, steel shipping container, 2 meters wide, 3 meters long and 2 meters high. Although it wasn't much warmer than being outside, it kept the wind off and it gave us a secure place to keep our generator until the floodlights arrived. We had no idea that we'd be waiting over 3 years to get them.

We used a generator to power temporary floodlights during the first winter. This allowed the skaters to continue into the night, which was great for them but not so fun for whoever was working because they were forced to sit outside for 5 hours each evening in freezing temperatures.

Our first generator was stolen on 12 December 2004, when the park was closed. It was worth about £5,000, I think. The Council gave us another generator shortly after. This was stolen less than a month later, between Christmas Day and New Year. It was stolen whilst Projekts staff were working inside the park but no one saw or heard anything. The generator had been left sitting on the trailer it had arrived on. We think the thieves must have simply attached it to their van a driven off with it. This generator was also very expensive, similar to the first one.

The following year, we had our final generators stolen. We were storing two generators in our office at the time. The thieves clipped the locks on the gate, then tried to pull the container door open but gave up trying that after they accidently managed to rip the solid metal handle off. They then turned their attention to our metal shutters that protected the windows on the front and side of the office. They peeled the front shutter open using a long metal rod, smashed the window, climbed in and opened the door from the inside, then proceeded to steal everything inside which included two generators (one for lights the other for a small electric heater), our entire tuck shop stock (this was apparently sold to the local pub, according to some young boys from the area who claimed to have witnessed the transaction), some skateboards and my guitar (this made me particularly sad as I’d owned it for a very long time). There would be no more generators from now on.

The total cost of these thefts comes to around £10,000 which, coincidently, is the price we're paying for permanent floodlights.

To see how the beard's coming on click on this: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnnyhaines/MyBeardProtest

Beard Blog - Day 9

Today's beard

Electricity update

If you remember, City Works (they're the guys who make the orders for MCC) needed a cheque from the MCC finance department to give to UU so that they could process our order for mains electricity. However, to get a cheque from the finance department, UU must first provide them with an invoice for the amount required. As you can see, it's a laborious process.

UU appear to have a monopoly on laying electricity cables in Manchester. It's very frustrating and I struggle to see how it's legal. We tried to use a different company at one point, in order to reduce our costs; as with all monopolies (and I'm not saying UU definitely are), they can set their own prices and not have to worry about being undercut.

So our valiant effort began by calling UU to find the position of the mains electricity junction. We needed the grid reference so we could pass it on to another company, allowing them to know where to start digging. (At this point I feel I should explain why anything needs digging in order to give our skatepark electricity. We have been told (by UU, in fact) that the nearest electricity junction box to our park is about 100m up the road. Therefore, in order to bring it to our little skatepark someone needs to dig a big hole from the junction box to the park, get a 100m long cable, lay it in the hole, attach one end to the electricity, attach the other to our junction box next to the park, then bury the cable. Quite simple, really.)

UU refused to give us the grid reference. Their reason for not passing on this essential information was this: that if they give us the grid reference, we would be able to find another company to do the work instead of them. If that's not unfair practise, I don't know what is.

Lighting update

Amey have nearly completed the new lighting design. On completion it will be sent to MEDC to be checked. MEDC will then send a purchase order to Amey who will start the works as soon as possible.




Check out the beard growth process: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnnyhaines/MyBeardProtest

The Beard Blog - Day 8

Todays beard



Just over a week ago I decided to grow a beard. Not because I fancied a change or because I thought I'd look particularly good with one but because I'm sick and tired of being let down by the companies and organisations surrounding the installation of floodlights and mains electricity to Projekts Skate park, under the Mancunian Way, where I work.

Although we were told three years ago that floodlights would arrive soon, it wasn't until recently that I decided nothing was happening and that the only way to get anywhere was to try to get the funding myself and deal directly with the lighting and utilities companies. This worked quite well. We made a successful proposal to the Youth Capital Fund for £25,000. Manchester Leisure had already agreed by this time to give us half of the total project cost if we could find the rest. At that time the project cost was £27,000, so Manchester Leisure will provide £13,500.

So we've got the money but where are the lights and mains supply? In December I was assured the lights and electricity would be installed in January. It's January and I still haven't been given any official dates. So what's going on?


There are about 7 companies or organisations holding an essential piece of this peculiar skatepark jigsaw game. These are: Amey (lighting), United Utilities (electricity), Manchester Leisure (funding the park), City Works (ordering lights and electricity), MCC Planning Dept (consenting permision for lights and electricity, Manchester Engineering Design Consultancy or MEDC (designing lighting), Manchester Youth Service (dealing with Youth Capital Fund) and us, Projekts MCR. The aim of the game is to fit all the pieces together in the right order. If any of these companies decides not to play their piece the whole project goes on hold. Not only that but in certain situations if one group holds back their piece the overall cost of the project goes up. In essence every player effects every other but some more than others.

So what's gone wrong? So far only two things but there's always room for more. Problem number one is this: apparently, when MEDC designed the floodlight setup over a year ago, the design they produced was inappropriate for a skatepark. Their design would result in intense spotlights and large areas of shadow across the park. Coinsidently, about two months ago, Amey were working on the design for lighting for Phase 2, the park extension, and noticed the problem with MEDC's design for Phase 1 (the current area). Amey are now redesigning the lighting for Phase 1 to produce an even spread of light over the park. Although it was Amey that noticed the mistake made by MEDC, ironically Amey must have their new design checked by MEDC before it can be installed.

Problem Two seems to be due to an administration change by United Utilities. According to City Works, the company that makes the orders for works on behalf of MCC, UU used to accept orders without advanced payment but now they won't. Because our order for mains electricity was made without an attached cheque for the full amount, the order has not been processed. Now City Works need to get a cheque from the MCC treasurer so they can send it to UU who will process the order and give us a date for installation.


These problems could have been avoided. MEDC could have taken examples from other floodlit skateparks and UU could have called City Works to let them know about the changes. So I'm growing a beard until the lights and electricity are fully installed and working. I'll also be giving day by day progress updates to keep everyone informed on the length of my beard and what's been going on in the companies surrounding this debacle project. I've been growing this beard for about 10 days but I only have photos from Day 2 - sorry.

There are some rules but they're pretty straightforward. I can't cut or trim the beard at all until lights are fully installed and operational. Simple as that. Click on this link to see the beard so far: http://picasaweb.google.com/johnnyhaines/MyBeardProtest