Phil Redmond: Memoirs can wait

Nov 2 2007 by Phil Redmond, Liverpool Daily Post

NOW. As against then. And the day that marks what would have been Brookside's 25th anniversary inevitably brings to mind those thoughts of what was, what might have been and what is now.

Last week, I pondered on whether I should have written the book by now.

Perhaps, but reflecting over the past week I think the time is still probably not right. It would probably feel a bit like those lifetime achievement awards, a signal that that's it.

As Jimmy Corkhill daubed in the last episode, game over. I don't think I'm really ready for that, nor opening up archive boxes and files that may just shatter my own rose-tinted view of history, never mind the peddlers of the myth and mythology that forever surrounded the great adventure.

So, apologies if last week I led you to believe I would give a potted history of Brookside today, but a few more years of reflection will bring a better perspective. Perhaps the 30th anniversary is a more realistic timescale, thereby allowing a few skeletons to stay in their cupboards and a few myth merchants to sleep easy in their beds a bit longer. For now, though, life goes on.

As it does with Capital of Culture, Cultural Clearing for which has just closed and next week begins the task of reviewing the, literally, thousands of suggestions that have been sent in.

So, thanks to everyone who has done so, but as I said at the outset of the exercise, there are no guarantees on anything, but we wanted to give everyone who felt they had a grievance or complaint about the way they had been treated, or more commonly, not treated, another chance to put their case.

Two things I can say for certain, though. One, that there has been no lack of enthusiasm. Two, a clear need has emerged for a simple and effective way for people to spread the news of what they are actually doing, rather than what they would like to do.

One of the great pleasures, and frustrations, of the job I am now doing is that every day I learn of yet another project, or aspect of a project, that is actually happening, yet hardly anyone knows about.

Hopefully, the soon-to-be- launched Open Culture website will help plug this gap by providing a quick, easy and free mechanism for information flow.

A tool that will help remind people about something that underwrote the original bid. That people were, are and will continue to be capable of not just standing around talking of what might have been, or what might be, but just actually getting on and doing it. Right here, right now.