The return of New Islington Festival on Saturday at Old Mill Street, near the soon-to-be-closed Ilva. The event, which was a bit of a wash-out last year, features live music from The Jesse Rose Trip, The Mouse Outfit, personal favourites Tim & Sam’s Tim And The Sam Band and others, plus bloggers Jon and James DJing to promote their new clubnight, Dig for Victory! Spectangular will present a programme of Manchester-based short film and photography, while The King’s Arms Knitting Club will be holding a knitting circle, plus various other activities. It’s free.

The Spotlights Bar at the Library Theatre will host a wine fair on Friday, 6pm-9pm. You’re invited to try 50 top wines from around the world (plus some malt whiskys) with live entertainment also provided. Tickets are a very reasonable £10 and are available in advance from Oddbins on Fountain Street – call 228 0849 for more information. Any profits go to mental health charity Mind.

This Sunday is ‘First Sunday’ for the loiterers resistance movement over at the Nowhere Fest blog. To celebrate (?), they’re organising a walk ‘focused around the CCTV cameras which guard the people’s republic of Mancunia’. ‘We may lead you delightfully astray but we promise it’s all perfectly legal,’ they say, adding that the walk will probably be followed by music and refreshments. Meet at Cafe Pop, in the basement of Pop Boutique on Oldham Street, between 1pm and 2pm if you’re interested in some Channel Four-less Big Brother viewing. More info via loiter@hepzombie.co.uk or on 07974929589.

Plus Beck’s Fusions, which I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, at Castlefield Arena. Tickets for Friday and Saturday have been given away now but today, Thurday, is a free, non-ticketed event featuring interactive installations, DJs (Charlatan members, Dave Haslam and Simon’s Mobile Disco), short films, plus food and drink.

Have a good one!

I was in the Yorkshire Dales last weekend, failing to complete the Three Peaks Challenge (excuses include hailstone, lightning and terrible, terrible chafing). If I’d known about it beforehand, I probably would have stayed in sunny ol’ Manchester and attempted one of the many walks detailed on the university’s Community Mapping Project, such as the Fallowfield Loop. Who needs hills anyway?

Manchester’s Mardi Gras in August will have something of a fringe event this year, in the form of a special Club Brenda night at the Ruby Lounge. It’ll feature various DJs and bands including personal favourites the Hidden Cameras, probably Canada’s most upbeat band.

Didsbury Beer Festival has now confirmed its venue for November: St Catherine’s Social Club on School Lane. I think I’ll probably be helping out, copy writing and liaising with the press etc, so expect more information as it’s confirmed.

And don’t forget: this weekend is the aforementioned Chorlton Beer Festival (Friday and Saturday) and Summer in the Park (Saturday and Sunday). I’d recommend going to the former on Friday, as most of the beer is gone by Saturday, while Sunday’s SitP musical lineup (including Magic Arm, the Travelling Band, the Earlies, the Bottomfeeders) looks marginally better than Saturday’s. (I also hear that friends of Red Deer Club can get a limited number of tickets on the cheap.)

Finally, hello to the seven people who have taken up Mancubist email subscriptions in the last week. If there’s something you think I should be writing about, get in touch.

Futuresonic festival (1-5 May), featuring In Search of the Social in Manchester and more social networking than even a 15-year-old webophile can handle.
Highlight (hopefully): a late-night gig at Charlies’s hosted by yours truly
Tip: A limited number of pay-what-you-can Day Passes will be available on each day of the conference

Sounds From The Other City (4 May) is a one-day, Bank Holiday Sunday celebration of musical Salford. Around 50 bands play in tiny churches and pubs along Chapel Street, with each stage organised by a different local promoter.
Highlight (again, hopefully): David Thomas Broughton’s set at my Salford Arms stage and Craig Wood’s Manchester bootleg archive, from 1973 to the present day
Tip: Most years sell out so book your £10 pass at Quaytickets.com now

Also, a few other bits and pieces:

Vice magazine is back in town this Thursday, 24 April. This time it’s at Sankeys and the lineup features live sets from Metronomy, Operator Please and Lovvers (who I hear are great live) plus DJ sets from Friendly Fires, c90s, Autokratz, Evil 9, The oldboy, Contort Yourself. Tickets are free when you register over at Viceland.

Someone or other at Arts Council England wants you to vote on the country’s most musical city. Mark Radcliffe makes a good case for Manchester – but I think we should all vote for Leicester, which has produced such greats as Mark Morrison, Showaddywaddy and Engelbert Humperdinck. You can’t argue with quality like that.

And finally, bad news for Manchester independents as Mai Bai, the sushi cafe, and Roadkill Records, the Oldham Street record shop, both shut their doors. I was telling someone just last week about Roadkill’s mixtape exchange…

A few interesting things are building up again so here’s a quick link dump…

One for you literary types first: Ar’ Back Yard is a triology of books by Anwar Dharma, giving a fictional account of 1980s Manchester. Or at least it will be when it’s published in the next few months. For now, however, you can read extracts – uploaded monthly – on the book’s very stylish website.

And here’s one for you history buffs: Ciara Leeming wrote an article for the MEN about this book by Keith Warrender. It’s fascinating stuff – a theme I’ve touched on before here, here and here – and the book already has plenty of fans here. Definitely one for the Amazon wishlist…

Finally, The Rehearsal, which I saw and actively participated in at the Temple of Convenience during Manchester International Festival, is showing at the Library Theatre tomorrow, Wedneday, at 7pm. Highly recommended if you’re looking for something to do.

A week today (Wednesday 16 January, 5.30pm until 7.30pm) the MDDA on Portland Street hosts the first Manchester Wordpress User Group meeting. It’ll cover designing for Wordpress and security issues, it’s free and refreshments will be provided. For more information email MDDA’s Alan Holding or phone 0161 224 8211.

Elsewhere, Vice (a free, often controversial international magazine available in Vinyl Exchange and other places) will be bringing three trendy new bands to town on Thursday 31 January.

Jacksonville’s Black Kids, plus Metronomy and Ipso Facto (both from London, naturally) will be playing at Mint Lounge on Oldham Street – and, best of all, it’s free. All you need to do is sign up on the Vice Live website. If you’re attending and use Last.fm, visit the event page here.

Still on the events front, Showclix.com now lists over 100 upcoming gigs in Manchester – though I still much prefer Last.fm’s Manchester gig calendar – and Skiddle.com lists more general Manchester events. I’m trying a feed from the latter on Mancubist’s sidebar.

Finally, I hear next Saturday’s blogging workshop – also at MDDA – is now fully booked up!

BBC 6 Music reports that Manchester City Council is considering a proposal to rename Whitworth Street West (home to Green Room, Rainbow Snooker Club and the Brickhouse nightclub) in honour of the late Tony Wilson. Two-thirds of residents will have to approve the name change to either Tony Wilson Way or Anthony H Wilson Way – I personally prefer the latter.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, is of course the date of the Manchester Blog Awards 2007 – for which Mancubist is nominated in the arts and culture category. Remember, the venue has now changed from MohoLive (which now opens in late November) to Matt & Phreds, also on Tib Street. The city’s music bloggers will be DJing (or MP3ing…) and blogger-cum-published-writer Caroline Smailes will be doing a reading. It’s free and starts at 7pm.

Also happening tomorrow is a low-key media event called MELD. It aims to generate ideas by ‘melding the skills of Northern Journalists and Interactive Designers’. The long-term goal is to pitch ideas by 20 of the region’s hacks and geeks to ‘major industry players’. The project’s Manchester launch event takes place in Selfridge’s Moet Bar from 6pm. If you think you fit the bill email info@just-b.com.

And finally, another lovely (lapsed) blogger called Kate tipped me off about a free event happening on Friday. A Wall is a Screen is ‘part guided tour, part film night’ and invites the public to view nine short films projected on buildings across seven secret city centre locations. It’s part of Manchester Urban Screens (11-14 October, check out their other events) and begins at 9pm outside Kro Piccadilly.

See you at some or all of the above…

‘An office worker from Leigh, Greater Manchester, broke his ankle as he jumped 6m (20ft) from his third floor flat – because he was late for his first day in a new job’ – Metro (and note the great picture caption)

New exhibition by Crosby Manchester Art Prize winner Sophie MacCorquodale at Manchester Art Gallery – Press release

‘The Carlton Social and Bowling Club in Whalley Range was facing closure after amassing debts of £20,000. However, over the past three years the board and members of the Carlton Road club pulled together and have now managed to fight off the severe threat to their popular club’ – South Manchester Reporter

The Museum of Science and Industry are appealing for readers’ favourite digital colour photographs of South Manchester to celebate 100 years of colour photography – Contact Sarah Roe via images@msim.org.uk

‘Two schoolboys behind the mass pillow fight in Albert Square have dreamt up 100 more mad capers to do before they are 18′ – Manchester Evening News (and check out the comments)