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"Northern Voices" (Issue 2, Winter 2004) Published by Northern Voices at Springbank, Hebden Bridge, HX7 7AA. Price £1.20 (Subscriptions £3.20 for 2 issues, "post free"). A5, 52pp.

It's always a refreshing change to read new local papers. Having been involved in one such paper back in the 70's, I know what a struggle it can be to put one together, and even more, difficult, selling the thing. (Anyone can write but few can really "sell"!) I missed out on Issue 1 so the feedback on it means little to a newcomer, but it is indicative of a commitment to taking your readers seriously, which is always a necessary part of any publishing effort that is more than an ego-trip for the writers.

So, what do you get for your money? The magazine is neatly DTP'd and printed, with a smattering of illustrations in amongst the text. (Although I'd severely limit the choices of fonts available for headlines in future issues.) There's a good mixture of the political with the everyday and the overall tone avoids the hectoring / preaching approach that bedevils so many left-of-centre publications.

Urban regeneration and decay in Manchester and Burnley kick things off, with some well-deserved boots aimed at central and local government for letting things get so bad. We then have two articles bemoaning the coming of the mega-windmills. Living in Wales, I'm aware of the issues around the subject, but whilst one values the visual amenities, I do like having a steady supply of electricity and if that means big wind turbines then count me in. I'd also take issue with the romantic view of the countryside especially Snowdonia. Words such as wilderness, and "spiritual resource" seem somewhat misplaced relating to a mountain range which features a railway line up to its summit and a cafe on top.

Back then to some local rows over planning in Bury (the local market is being threatened with redevelopment (something we also are facing down in Carmarthen, and again the local population is up in arms yet the Council only sees the money that they'll get from allowing a developer to trash the town centre). Further afield there's a piece about a missing footbridge (or rather one that's been built but the local land-owner simply refuses to allow it to be put in place). 

Manchester Earth First have an excellent (wider context) item about the Caspian Sea - Mediterranean pipeline system that is planned - provided BP and the other developers can get enough public funding and there's enough troops to stop it being blown up. Events in Iraq have recently shown just how vulnerable pipelines are to attack, given the area this one goes through it's difficult to see how it could be protected. A lengthy article on multi-culturalism in Bradford rounds off the heavier items and then it's downhill all the way in "A Bit on the Side", the cultural review section, with equal dollops of farts and arts.

For some reason the editor feels the need to waste three pages explaining the articles, which they simply don't need. They're fine as they are. There's an excellent piece on a murder in Ashton-under-Lyme and how killing the murderer, who was well-known to him, played its part in persuading the Public executioner, Albert Pierrpoint, to give up his position as he saw that hanging murderers did nothing to dissuade other killers and only acted as a form of revenge.

We are then treated to a review of an "Alternative Raven" on Chomsky and his critics. The articles in this publication were originally intended to be published by Freedom Press as a special on Chomsky to celebrate his 70th Birthday. Sadly the people at Freedom turned it down, for reasons which, if this account is to be believed, were based on total ignorance of what was being argued. Anyway, the people at Northern Voices have finally made the entire publication available for a mere £3.00. (Meanwhile at Freedom Press, the Raven has been put out of its misery and publication has been stopped.)

Following a review of George Monbiot's "The Age of Consent", we arrive at the highlight of the whole magazine, well worth the asking price: Mike Fielding's second article on Rugby League in the Pennines, featuring the flatulent blind side prop "Fatty". Quite the funniest thing I've read in a long time. Anyone who has ever played or watched rugby (of whatever flava) will enjoy this. 

The mag is wrapped up with shorter items on food and wine, and the letters pages. All in all a worthwhile effort by all concerned, but there's some glaring holes in the coverage. Not a murmur of the gay and lesbian communities and it really need a wider cultural base. One also gets the feeling that this is a middle-aged person's mag. Not that the issues aren't relevant to younger people, just the presentation and "voice" comes from the wrong (my) side of 40.

But that's just me being picky. If you haven't seen a copy and live in the "North", buy a copy and then pass it along to your friends and neighbours.

Richard Alexander

6/10