LEEDS has long competed with Manchester.
Whether it is which one has the best shopping (Manchester, in my opinion), which has the biggest legal sector (Leeds, I’d say) or who has the best football team (let’s not bother going there) there has always been rivalry between the two cities which are just 40 miles apart.
But now, for once, there can be no argument on one point.
The latest Michelin restaurant guide awarded The Man Behind the Curtain with a star giving Leeds its first Michelin-starred establishment since Steve Baker left Pool Court a decade ago.
I’ve written about Michael O’Hare’s restaurant here before and while it won’t appeal to all palates, it is a genuinely unique eating place with food that demands attention.
While Leeds was celebrating getting a Michelin star, Manchester was moping after missing out entirely.
Two high profile establishments opened last year: Simon Rogan’s The French in the Midland Hotel and Aiden Byrne’s Manchester House.
Both featured in a documentary and it was clear that neither chef was a shrinking violet.
It appeared that both restaurants acted as if the Michelin star was already in the bag. Instead, Michelin ignored them this year and both are now deflated.
But before Leeds gets too cock-a-hoop, it is worth bearing in mind that Birmingham, which despite having the monicker of Second City, has often been in the shadow of its northern rivals, now can claim to have five Michelin-starred establishments.
And with the opening of the rebuilt New Street Station along with the Grand Central shopping and dining concourse, anchored by John Lewis, Brum, often a rather downbeat city, now has plenty to shout about.
Plans for the Northern Powerhouse are moving forward at pace, but for now the balance of power appears to be tipping in favour of the Midlands.
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SIR Alex Ferguson is back in our newspapers and on our TV screens.
That only means one thing: he must have another book to sell.
Following up his best-selling autobiography, this time he’s written a book about the “art of management” called Leading.
Apparently he now does some lecturing on the subject at Harvard Business School.
But from the interviews he’s given and articles produced on the new tome, it appears it is less about how to create a successful team ethic than settling a few scores he missed in his old book.
He claims he only managed four truly world class players during his time at Manchester United (Scholes, Giggs, Ronaldo and Cantona, if you are interested) and he has a pop at various players including Paul Pogba, the Juventus and France midfielder he let go who is now the most sought after player in European football.
But away from the headline-grabbing pronouncements, what strikes me is that the art of a great leader is being able to think ahead, to plan for when you are not there and to leave a structure and team in place that can ensure continued success.
Ferguson not only made a mistake by picking Everton manager David Moyes as his successor, but he also left a weakened team which continues to need heavy investment as Manchester United bid to return to their previous heights.
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SOMEBODY texted me the other day and asked whether I was going to mention the so-called Piggate in this week’s column. He wanted an excuse to Tweet about it but couldn’t think of how to do it without falling foul of his employer.
I’m glad that I provide a legitimate creative outlet for some that work for narrow minded bosses.
But what can you say about the claims that Prime Minister David Cameron inserted part of his anatomy into a dead pig’s head during a weird college initiation ceremony?
Not a great deal.
I must have gone to the wrong college, because I’ve never been asked to take part in an initiation ceremony.
It all sounds like porky pies to me.
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IT’S like deja vu, all over again.
One of the memorable and oft-quoted sayings of a man that died this week.
A great of American baseball, former New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra passed away at the age of 90.
Several US basketball and American football stars may have become well known names in this country but I can’t think of one baseball player that ever achieved that kind of recognition over this side of the pond.
Maybe Joe DiMaggio, but that was probably because in retirement he became Mr Marilyn Monroe.
And if you’ve heard of Yogi Berra it is almost certainly because his name is so similar to that of Hanna-Barbera cartoon character Yogi Bear.
Apparently Berra launched a defamation lawsuit over the cartoon, although he later withdrew it.
The Hanna-Barbera management said the name was a coincidence, but it was widely believed he was the inspiration.
Yogi wasn’t even his real name, he was nicknamed that because a friend saw him sitting cross-legged and thought he looked like a meditating yogi.
I can only think the 13-times World Series winner brought the legal case in the hope of earning himself a few dollars rather than being upset at having a greedy picnic-stealing cartoon bear from Jellystone Park named after him.
His quotes are the stuff of legend.
Perhaps the most famous was: “It ain’t over till its over.”
Or how about: “It ain’t the heat; it’s the humility.”
He also gave sage advice: “Never answer an anonymous letter.”
And when confronted with such quotes he responded: “I never said most of the things I said…Take it with a grin of salt.”
It isn’t such sayings that make me certain that Berra had a great sense of humour.
He and his Yankees team-mates appeared in an episode of the hit 1950s TV comedy series The Phil Silvers Show, better known as Bilko.
In the episode called Hillbilly Whiz, the conniving huckster Sergeant Bilko has discovered a country hick called Hank Lumpkin (played by Dick Van Dyke) who is brilliant at baseball and Bilko proceeds to try and sell him for a fortune to the New York Yankees.
When Lumpkin is introduced to his prospective new team-mates at Yankee Stadium, he points at Yogi Berra and says: “He reminds me of Doberman.”
Fans of Sgt Bilko will know that Duane Doberman is the daft slobbish soldier in Bilko’s platoon.
Berra then asks Bilko: “Who’s Doberman?” with Bilko having to use all his con-artist charm to avoid upsetting the baseball great.
So who’s Yogi Berra?
A genius who never knew he was one.
I’d agree with Yogi on one thing.
“The future ain’t what it used to be.”
Have a great weekend.