On Growth: Lucy Edgar

I Heart Manchester

Lucy Edgar

The riots that took place in Manchester last week have invaded every area of our lives. They have been inescapable; on the news, in the papers, no matter where you look someone somewhere is talking about them. Who is to blame, how can we stop it, the damage done to businesses, the policy that should or shouldn’t be imposed on our nation’s youths. It’s a miserable and pessimistic world out there.

Or is it?

Manchester adopted me eight years ago when I moved here to be a student and never went “home”. Manchester is now my home, much to my mother’s dismay, but I like it here. Manchester takes a hold of you over time and before you know it, it becomes yours. When new students turn up in September and drop their flyers and kebab wrappers all over the pavements I feel a stab of resentment and anger. “Pick that up!” I want to say, “Don’t you know where you are? This is Manchester. This is OUR town”. And that is what makes this city lie so close to my heart. I own Manchester. It's my city. And this is, I think, what every person who picked up a bin bag and a broom last Wednesday morning was also thinking.

CfE staff Jennie, left, and Lucy, take to Manchester streets.
Another staff member, Laura, kindly took this photo.

The riots of last week were a really positive experience for me personally. Okay, I don’t have a business that had its windows put through and its stock stolen; I didn’t own a building that was set on fire, and my family and friends weren’t involved or worse, killed. But I was involved in the aftermath and I have never seen or felt such affection, pride and camaraderie in this city. As a troop of us marched down Market Street looking for debris to clear up, we were applauded by shop workers stood outside their damaged buildings cheering us on. Complete strangers were talking to us, apologising for not being able to help but really wanting to, others asking where they could join in, meeting other troops of cleaner uppers, comparing notes – if there was ever an opportunity to go out and restore your faith in the community where we live and work, then last Wednesday morning was it.

If we’re talking about growth, then this is the growth that I feel is important. The growth of pride that came to the fore from such a huge number of people, indignant that this kind of behaviour happened in their city. The growth of generosity as businesses and residents donated their time, supplies and refreshments to the clean up operation. The growth of the posters and messages that have appeared on the chip boards closing up the gaping holes left by the rioters that proclaim they are not defeated, that they are open as usual, that they may be empty but they are still working, but most importantly, that they too heart Manchester.

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Lucy Edgar is a world travelling, story telling anthropologist who enjoys making things out of paper mache. Turning her hand to being a grown up and utilising her skills as a control freak, Lucy is currently trying out life working in the Centre for Enterprise and finds she likes it there very much.