Eye On Manchester blog by Aidan O’Rourke Tutor Photographer

Personal & professional diary on photography, languages, Français, Deutsch, local interest, art, music, travel and more

This afternoon I went with 7 year old Adele to see the show presented by Crocodile Joe. Joe and his assistants took over empty shop unit at the Mill Gate shopping centre.

Joe is Manchester’s very own crocodile catcher and a conservationist. Originally from north Manchester, he has spent many years in Australia.

He takes his show, which includes live reptiles, snakes and insects to shopping centres and schools around the country.

Whilst he is talking to the crowds, they are invited to interact with his snakes and lizards, stroking their skin or posing for photographs.

While he was living in Cairns, Australia, there was a series of attacks by one crocodile. The crocodile was caught but died a few weeks later. Joe was angered when the autopsy revealed that its stomach was filled with plastic bags.

Joe has preserved the 14 foot crocodile, which he displays at his show in order to educate people on the misuse of plastic bags, and how animals that have even outlived the dinosaurs are being put at risk.

It was a fantastic show, I’ve never seen anything like it before. It was great to see how the children were captivated by the sight – and touch – of these creatures most of which you won’t get to see anywhere else.

I’m sure the show is of great value in schools. I’m all in favour of bringing this type of real experience into the classroom – I’m sure a visit from Crocodile Joe would be worth many hours of conventional teaching.

To find out more, go to http://www.crocodilejoes.com

Today I walked from the M60 roundabout Peel Green to Oxford Road

I had dropped our Skoda Roomster off at Claybank Motors and had originally intended to walk to the Trafford Centre and back. But the car wouldn’t be ready till later in the afternoon, and I needed to pick up my daughter Adele from school, so I decided to continue walking.

After stopping off at the Lowry shopping centre Salford Quays for lunch, I made it as far as Oxford Road and Grosvenor Street before hopping on a 197 bus to the school, St Joseph’s on Plymouth Grove.

View Larger Map

Total distance was about 8 miles. The weather was overcast, I didn’t take any photos.

Highlights and points of call included:

Barton road bridge and swing bridge
Venus Trinity statue
Apple store in the Trafford Centre
Guinness Road Trafford Park
Imperial War Museum exterior with tank
The Lowry shopping centre for curry lunch
Salford Quays former Docks
Trafford Road Bridge
Stretford Road
Hulme Arch
Grosvenor Street and Oxford Road

I left Claybank Motor Company at around 10.40 and arrived at Oxford Road around 2.50. I found the walk pretty easy.

To get back to Peel Green, we travelled on the 192 Magic Bus (Stagecoach) to Piccadilly – adult and child £1.90*, walked to Shudehill Transport Interchange and took the 67 (FirstBus), cost £3.20. So the journey cost £5, in my opinion, too expensive.

I’m planning more walks from the M60 to central Manchester – the next one Stockport to Victoria Park, (Manchester South). I find walking in the city more interesting than on the moors and less monotonous than on a treadmill in a health club!

Weather: Mostly overcast. 10 degrees celsius / c50 degrees fahrenheit.

To

This week I heard the very sad news that Tony Whalley has died. Tony Whalley played a key role in the early development of the Manchester Online website.

He gave support and encouragement to my Eyewitness in Manchester site in the early days. I launched it in 1997 and in 1998 – thanks to Tony – it became part of Manchester Online. I continued to develop it as a freelance contributor until 2005.

On the right is a screenshot of what I believe is the very first edition of Eyewitness in Manchester to be published as part of Manchester Online.

Tony came from a traditional newspaper background, but had the vision to see the possibilities of electronic media and the internet.

He had a great sense of humour, and an energetic ‘can do’ attitude to all things. I had many enjoyable meetings with him at the former Manchester Online on Hardman Street over the years.

Thanks to his support I was able to develop Eyewitness in Manchester into a vast archive of photos and writing, now an important document of Manchester at a decisive phase in its development – from post-bomb to post Commonwealth Games.

I continue to present my photography and writing on this Eye On Manchester blog site and my related aidan.co.uk photo and articles portfolio site.

I hadn’t seen Tony Whalley for a long time and often wondered how he was doing. Some people prefer to keep a low profile, but make a big impact. Tony was one of these he will continue to be a driving force with me.