Messenger December 2017

14 Feature
Talking Heads
From January 2018 the Messenger will be published as a digital magazine, so we
asked practitioners "What are your fondest memories, articles or stories from the
paper version of the Messenger magazine?"
Geraldine McCool
Partner
Irwin Mitchell
Past President of MLS
Michael Clavell-Bate of Eversheds
was a hard act to follow
as President of this
Society. I am not referring
to the sterling work that
Michael did on Access to
Justice and other issues that
affected our members. I
refer instead to the challenge
that he set himself to
have a photograph with a
celebrity for each monthly
Presidents column in the
Messenger.
With city intelligence (I
blame Fran) he managed to
meet the challenge. Back
then we are talking about
proper celebrities playing at
the Arena or filming locally.
I recall that the challenge
was for charity but even this
failed to improve my mood.
However Michael showed
that serious legal matters
could be combined with a
social side and that typified
what the Society was about.
I have looked back at some
of the photographs and noticed
that Michael does not
seem to have aged. My bad
mood continues.
Adrian Mursec
The E-Word
I mostly read the Messenger
to keep up to date with
what my work wife Fran Eccles-Bech
had been up to.
Over the years I've known
her she's always been able
to give me helpful advice
and I'm grateful she's always
there to talk to over a coffee
(preferably a glass of wine).
In the January 2017 Messenger
she shared a personal
story about how she
discovered she had stage
two cancer which did unnerve
me but she followed
on to share the good news
about how her son Jack
who finally tidied his room
for once in typical Fran humour.
Thankfully the February
issue continued the story to
let us know she had the "all
clear" and how happy she
was. I too was very happy although
I knew nothing
could beat Fran. She's a positive
unstoppable force.
Ruth Shearn
Managing Director
RMS PR
I’ve chosen four pieces, all of
which are linked by a strong
sense of pride in Manchester’s
unique legal community.
Back in 2010, I loved reading
about the success of the inaugural
Manchester Legal
Awards, which continue to
be one of the most anticipated
events in the region.
The article captured the excitement
of the event and
provided a perfect platform
to showcase and celebrate
the superb legal talent here
in the north west.
Two years later, Fran’s piece
about doing a parachute
jump to raise money for
Breakthrough Breast Cancer
made me laugh and cry in
equal measure. And raise
money she did – over
£25,000. No mean feat for
someone who doesn’t like
sport or heights!
World War I was commemorated
by Julia in 2014.
The fascinating and deeply
moving article paid tribute
to the many lives lost from
the legal community after it
was singled out to ‘do its bit’
for the war effort.
My final choice has to be
from July 2017, when The
Messenger led with a piece
about the very positive and
generous action being
taken by Manchester’s legal
community to help victims
of the Manchester Arena attack.
This work continues to
this day and serves to
demonstrate the decency
that abounds in the region’s
legal sector.
The Messenger is dead, long
live The Messenger.
Craig Phillips
Associate Partner
Express Solicitors
My fondest memories of the
Messenger without doubt
has to be Fran’s column
throughout the years.
“Fridge wars” was hilarious
and gave some laughs during
what has otherwise
been quite a tumultuous
and challenging year with
the constant threat of legal
reforms being dangled by
the Government. Also, at
the risk of blowing one’s
own trumpet I’d have to
mention the January 2017
edition where I was named
Lawyer of the Month as a result
of successfully appealing
of a finding of
fundamental dishonesty. It
was a career highlight and
has pride of place on my office
wall.
Jeff Lewis
Partner
Brabners
I'm going to show my age
here in two respects: first, by
bemoaning the fact that I
will no longer be getting my
beloved hard copy of the
Messenger (sorry, but it just
won't be the same online!),
and, secondly, by harking
back 21 years to a particularly
memorable article.
When a huge IRA bomb exploded
in Manchester in
1996, it wrecked large parts
of the city centre. Many solicitors'
offices (including
the firm I was with) were inaccessible
for at least a few
days, and when we did venture
back into Manchester
we were greeted by a scene
of devastation. Of course,
many businesses and individuals
suffered particularly
seriously, both financially
and physically.
It felt like our wonderful city
of Manchester had been
ripped apart. And the mood
of the city - stunned but defiant
- was articulated beautifully
in a wonderful article
by Michael Clavell-Bate of
Eversheds (and at the time a
MLS Council member); all
these years later the power
of the article remains with
me.
Of course, its sentiments
resonated again only a few
months ago, after the terrible
attack at the MEN Arena.
Plus ca change. If only the
Messenger could stay the
same too.
Bill Kirby
Director
Professional Choice
Consultancy
I have observed and participated
in the Messenger in
hard copy for over 10 years.
Most satisfaction has come
from some of the responses
where I have had the opportunity
to throw challenges
(and advice) out in the Management
Matters column.
Management checklist,
working capital management,
costs of abdication.
See some of the others at
http://professionalchoiceconsultancy.com/articles.ph
p
I enjoyed the hard copy,
they get read at different
times and passed around.
Digital of course is the way
forward, so much is going
that way often too soon
though. Perhaps as compensation
it may encourage
more on line response to
points made and debates
getting underway. Let’s
hope as many people read
it.
It has been a great journal,
supporting individual members,
corporate members,
MLS Advantage suppliers
and general sponsors and
advertisers – a real Manchester
contribution”
Julia Baskerville
Publisher
The Messenger
Over the past 23 years, I
have published 276 editions
of the Messenger and I have
many fond memories going
back over the years. I have
interviewed such a broad
range of people, all with
their own story to tell.
I also feel that the Messenger
has assisted in some way
by bringing together local
campaigns, such as the one
against competitive tendering,
court closures and many
years ago; Legal Aid Franchising.
The challenges to
the profession over the past
23 years have been many.
On a more personal level, I
enjoyed looking into the history
of Manchester Law Society
and one topic which
consumed my life for several
months was the commemoration
of Manchester solicitors
and clerks who served
their country in WW1.
However, Manchester Law
Society is one that looks forward
and the world is very
different to that of 1994.
Law firms have embraced
technolgy, the membership
is becoming younger and
the Messenger must now
change to remain relevant
and sustainable.
My heartfelt thanks to all our
contributors, advertisers
and readers and I hope that
you will continue to enjoy
the Messenger in its new
digital format.
Fran Eccles-Bech
Chief Executive
Manchester Law Society
There are so many memorable
editions of the Messenger
I have struggled to
choose just a few editions.
However, one edition in
1995 was memorable for
the wrong kind of reason. In
the ‘old days’ adverts were
sent directly to the printers,
and when the Messenger
came out there, in full technicolour,
was an advert for
“Gentlemens’ Heavening”
strip club! The President at
the time was “incandescent”
to say the least!
Over the years each of the
Presidents have written
their columns, but of course
Michael Clavell-Bate was set
a challenge each month to
have his photo taken with a
celebrity. Not many legal
publications can boast having
Ali G, Des O’Connor,
Reeves & Mortimer, Lesley
Garratt, Alex Ferguson,
Kevin Keegan, Michael
Greco, Tony Hadley Shirley
Bassey, Suranne Jones and
Clive Anderson featured on
their pages.
And of course we have the
Legal Awards, now in its 9th
year. We have covered the
triumphs, the victories and
the disappointments and
each year the number and
standard of applications increase
and I hope this continues.
Finally, on a personal note, I
have been featured in a
number of editions, in particular
when I was a “Booby
Bird” raising funds for Breakthrough
Breast Cancer. The
Messenger featured a very
unflattering photo of me
skydiving in a bright pink
jumpsuit. Who could forget
that? I wish I could!