STUDENTS BACK

It's the first day of term for the students - the bars, buses and streets around Oxford Road are noticeably more crowded.

But there are fears concerning their safety: an article in the Evening News highlights the danger of violent crime and burglaries. Students are seen as affluent "soft targets". But senior superintendent divisional commander Lilian King of Greater Manchester Police says Manchester's violent reputation is "unfounded".

But as reported on BBC teletext, researchers from Manchester University will be studying the behaviour of criminals by interviewing murderers in jail. It's part of a government-funded research project into violence in Britain. Academics will also work as club bouncers and shadow prostitutes.

So watch out students, that could be your sociology professor on the door of the Conti club.

PRESCOTT FLIES IN

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott flew in to Manchester today to inspect work on the £127m Lowry centre and the new Metrolink line to Eccles, both currently under construction in Salford Quays (QTVR panorama here). He also visited Manchester Airport, where the new £60m British Airways terminal was opened today. It will handle all British Airways flights, and will be used by six million passengers a year - as many as the whole airport did in 1982 when I worked there.

FREE TRADE HALL PUBLIC INQUIRY BEGINS The public inquiry to decide the future of the Free Trade Hall begins at Manchester Town Hall tomorrow. The City Council are very much in favour of the plan, and their deputy chief executive Howard Bernstein will argue that the multi-storey development is vital for the city. But heritage groups including the Civic Society say the plans are "grotesque and surreal". There will be a clash of opinions and personalities, and I have no idea which side will win.

It's clear and cool in Manchester tonight, EWM temperature 41 degrees fahrenheit, 5 degrees celsius.

EWM UPDATE SUNDAY 19 APRIL 1998 11.30am (BST)

CLEAN-UP UNDERWAY

Manchester is one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in the UK, but it's also one of the dirtiest. Taking foreign visitors around parts of the city centre I feel embarassed. Would Stockholm or Yokohama or Wellington have so much rubbish strewn on the streets? To tackle the problem initiatives have been launched both in Manchester and Cheshire to clean up the environment. One scheme in the Strangeways area uses local volunteers who will go out and clean up the mess, and in Cheshire, the County Council has organised clean-up, recycling and tree planting events as part of National Spring Clean month.

BOXER UNDERGOES BRAIN SCAN

Chris Eubank was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary after losing the WBO cruiserweight challenge at the Nynex Arena. The 31-year-old former WBO middleweight and super-middleweight champion developed a swelling in the eye during the fourth round of the fight with Carl Thompson.

CHILD INJURED ON WILBRAHAM ROAD

Six year old Dawood Bouzidi suffered serious injuries after being dragged underneath a car for up to 80 yards on Wilbraham Road, Chorlton. The police think the woman driving the car was unaware she had hit someone, and have appealed for her to come forward. And in Rochdale, police are looking for the driver of a red Audi, registration B335 PBA, who was involved in an accident in which Alice Butterworth, 77 suffered pelvis and shoulder injuries.

REEBOK STADIUM TO BECOME WEDDINGS VENUE

The Reebok Stadium (picture coming soon), home of Bolton Wanderers, has been granted a licence to hold weddings. So for that ceremony with a difference, forget Westminster Abbey, Mauritius or Las Vegas, just head for Horwich!

It's cloudy and cool in Manchester at the moment, EWM temperature 46 degrees fahrenheit, 8 degrees celsius.

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EWM UPDATE Friday 17 April 8pm (BST)

NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL

The annual New Music festival has just got underway in Manchester. The event aims to bring the best in contemporary music to the city. Contemporary is difficult to define, "modern Classical", perhaps, and it may include world music, but not Oasis or the Spice Girls, who appeared here last week.

In front of the Bridgewater Hall today, groups played instruments made with car horns - and on the BBC national breakfast programme, a group of taxis parked in Albert square played a morning refrain, also using their horns. The programme includes more mainstream musical offerings, with lots of free outdoor events. There will be concerts at the Nynex Arena, The Bridgewater Hall and other venues across Manchester.

DEIRDRE IS FREE

As I write, Coronation Street is being broadcast, and Deirdre has been released from prison. The story, thought up by Coronation Street scriptwriters, has produced an unprecedented nationwide reaction, and generated plenty of publicity for Granada. Staff at the Manchester-based tv station were shocked to discover a cheque for four-figure amount in the morning post - made payable to the "Free Deirdre" campaign. The money was returned. Find more Corrie stuff at http://www.coronationstreet.co.uk

LOCAL EXPAT MURDERED IN CHINA

David Earle, an engineer in his fifties from Bramhall, has been found murdered in Qingdao, China. He worked for Cussons International based in Cheadle Heath, and was apparently suffocated during a burglary.

MAN CHARGED WITH MOSS SIDE MURDER

Dean Perry, from Moss Side, appeared before magistrates in Manchester today charged with the murder of grandfather Carlos Bennet.

The weather in Manchester at the moment is cold, but after grey skies through the day, there was a golden sunset.

Megan Boardman mboardma@uoguelph.ca
OK, how about the QTVR panorama of St Mary's Gate. Yes, readers, download that plug-in software and start viewing those QTVR panoramas - they're going to be really big on the WWW in the future, both in importance and size on the screen!

Manchester United made a profit of £27.5m this year, up from £15.4 million the previous year. Turnover was £87.9m, a fifth of all the income generated by the Premiership. Much of the profit came from merchandising. Many fans will wish the club were having a little more success on the field rather than in the accounts office.

There has been a shooting in Little Haven Close, Longsight. Two men were slightly injured, and according to reports, an automatic weapon was used.

The Heaton Park pumping station in Bury has been given Grade II listing. Heritage minister Tony Banks made the announcement today. 19 other post war artefacts have been given official recognition.

The weather's glorious over Manchester at the moment - sunshine with blue skies and white clouds, though it's still cold. Who says it always rains in Manchester? Have a look at the QTVR panorama of Tatton Park, taken last Monday during equally superb weather.

If you haven't tried viewing a QTVR panorama yet, please do, they're great! Just get the plug-in software and you're away!

SHAMBLES SQUARE GETS £12M

£12M funding has been secured to redevelop Shambles Square. The money will be provided by the government-sponsored redevelopment agency, English Partnerships, as well as private companies, the EC and Manchester City Council.

By "Shambles Square" I presume they're referring to the new one, next to the Cathedral, as pictured above, not the old one, where the pubs used to be.

As reported in today's Evening News, Peter Hill of English Partnerships said: "Our investment will be used to acquire property interests around Shambles Squre to enable the creation of New Cathedral Street. The two historic pubs are being taken down brick by brick and rebuilt closer to the cathedral."

Conservation groups, including the Civic Society have objected to the dismantling and rebuilding of the Shambles, one of the few remaining pieces of pre-19th century Manchester.

POLISH COUPLE MARRY - HE'S 99 SHE'S 71

Jan Konecki, aged 99 and Kalinka Kuroski, 71 got married today at the Church of Divine Mercy, Moss Side. They met at the Polonia residential home one year ago. "I go for the younger models", said Jan, who has lived in Manchester since 1946. Kalinka came here in 1947. They both survived POW camps during World War 2.

Current weather: It's freezing outside, and more snow is on the way!

It appears that children throwing snowballs caused an accident in Oldham in which five people were injured. The snowballs were thrown from a footbath over the A627 Oldham by-pass the by a group of 5 children aged around 10. When the snow hit the windscreen of a lorry, the driver lost control, and was taken to hospital.

Elsewhere in the region, roads have been blocked, and there are speed restrictions on motorways. Six inches of snow fell on parts of Cheshire. North Wales and the Pennines have also been affected.

Current weather: cold, sunny spells

I have had a complaint concerning the insufficient level of snow in my photographs, so I selected the image below out of my archive. It was taken during a previous bout of snowy weather last year - the snow flakes are genuine!

Love the new "daily dose", but really not the best of starts........ you call that SNOW? Anytime Aidan, you want to see snow, you're more than welcome to come & visit (and help shovel).
David Crompton , Montreal, Quebec dcrompton@suzyshier.ca
Thanks, but I won't be taking the offer up at the moment! Due to the shocking weather conditions, I'd better not risk driving the airport! Is the above picture snowy enough for you?

MORE SNOW OVER MANCHESTER!
Snowflakes kept falling on my head this afternoon in Manchester City Centre, as more snow showers brought fun to some, disruption to others in Greater Manchester. Snow shut the Macclesfield to Buxton Road - where I was yesterday - and there have been minor accidents on roads around the region.

DRUG WAR
"£40m Drug War" is the headline in the Evening News this afternoon, with a report that £40m worth of drugs were seized last year by Customs in Manchester.

MANCHESTER TO FRANCE BY RAIL
A private consortium has drawn up a £3bn rail scheme to carry freight from the North West to France. The scheme still needs parliamentary approval. Plans for a passenger link from Manchester to Brussels and Paris came to nothing.

NEXT UPDATE... SOON WITH MORE PHOTOS AND QTVR PANORAMAS OF TATTON PARK AND ECCLES

EWM UPDATE 10.45am TUESDAY 14 APRIL

SNOW FALLS ON MANCHESTER

There were snow showers during the night, with snow piled up on car bonnets in the morning. Currently, there's hazy sunshine over Manchester. PICCADILLY STATION UNDERGOING REFURBISHMENT

Manchester Piccadilly station is currently undergoing a £27m facelift, as part of a regeneration scheme by Railtrack, costing £1bn.