"Even if I got rid of all my problems, I'd just go out and get new ones..."

An entry about Manchester
6:31 p.m. on 2005-07-01

There was a shooting in Manchester yesterday.

It was lunch time, and it took place on a busy street filled with the more fashionable clothes stores.

I like that street. I like that it is pedestrianised, and that there are trees planted amongst the concrete. I like that during the Christmas period, the council hang large, green displays of holiday symbols between the shop roofs and thread fairy lights in every one of those trees.

But yesterday, an armed man dropped his gun, which he was hiding under a magazine, and it fired by accident, shooting a woman who was stood looking in the window of a jewellers with her husband.

Some rather horrible people took that moment to take photos of the woman, lying on the floor, as a passerby pressed cloth to her heavily bleeding leg. Those photos have been sold to the press.

Paul Dimelow chased after the shooter, but lost him. He's man I frequently buy the Big Issue off, if I'm in the area.

When I spoke about this with Hayley, she pointed out the one silver lining - the amount of alarm and shock this incident caused within the whole area. Shootings are rare in Manchester, and daylight ones are unheard of. Were this another place - LA, perhaps - we might be blase about it.

So I should be thankful that my fear put me off going to that street today, in my lunch hour, to look at the sales. Right?

Listening to: My Life Story "Birthday Suit"

Quote:
Ted: "I think we're all set for olive oil."
Kyan: "Extra virgin. That doesn't apply to you."

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