Superb Salford

It's been wonderful here in Salford today, despite the rain. I was so looking forward to visiting and it hasn't disappointed - thanks to 11 year-old Demi Higgins for being among those to show their support.

I was aware of the city, of course, through the works of LS Lowry - you know, the chap who painted matchstick men, and matchstick cats and dogs. All very well, but why not penguins? Come on LS - step up!

If you’re keen to stop smoking but you weren't in Salford today please do call my Penguin Stop Smoking Hotline on 0800 032 7252.

A short Saturday blog from me today, in fact that’s it from me for an entire week.

You see the smashers at Smokefree Northwest have been so impressed with my work ethic that they’ve insisted I take some time away. So I’m off to the supermarket, where I suspect I’ll find a nice cool freezer aisle, and I'll make myself at home.

See you for my final appearance in Liverpool on 3 November – I’m told there’s a big surprise in store. How exciting!

Toodle pip!

Overwhelmed in Oldham

I’ve headed north and arrived in glorious Oldham.

Followers of this blog will have gathered long ago that we travel on a pretty tight schedule here at Smokefree Northwest and our regional tour would have limped along without a little technological assistance. So we’d like to say a big thank you to our team of boffins back in Antarctica. They’re the folk who developed our GPS (Global Penguin Support) thingamajig; a paper-based device which looks like a traditional map and can be used in the same way.

As per, I digress. Oldhamers have been uncommonly warm in their welcome today, particularly the student chappies above, and they all seemed awfully keen to stub out the ciggies. After all, last year an astonishing 1,653 people became smokefree with help from Oldham Community Health Services Stop Smoking Service.

If you’re equally keen to stop smoking but you were unable to get to Oldham this aft. please do call my Penguin Stop Smoking Hotline on 0800 032 7252.

I’m being urged to visit Gallery Oldham, the hi-tech art gallery, while I’m here in town. The curator-types have a fair few exhibitions installed at the moment, and it’s a well known fact that flightless birds are high-brow when it comes to this sort of thing. That whisper you may have heard about ‘culture’ and ‘vultures’ is a myth; all carrion birds are terrible bores.

See you tomorrow in Salford!

Stockport Shenanigans

I’m afraid we batted off on a sticky wicket here in Stockport today.

HQ advised that I was to meet up with Stockport County Football Club’s twin mascots Animo and Fide. Apparently (and appropriately) their Latin names translate as Courage and Faith – two qualities which we all needed to display in order to locate each other.

You see, there’d been a clerical error regarding our rendezvous and none of us had mobile phones. What rotten luck! Still, we all got together eventually, and I’m so glad we did since we hit it off splendidly. Old A and F, pictured above, are an absolute riot.

Thanks to them and Stockport County for supporting the Smokefree roadshow. The good people of Stockport are certainly doing their fair share to stamp out smoking; last year 1,823 people became smokefree with help from Stockport NHS Stop Smoking Service.

As you can probably tell, I consider myself a renaissance penguin and as such I include history among my many interests. So, upon my arrival, it struck me straight away that Stockport retains its medieval street patterns.

What a charming town this is, with its traditional market and many churches and there are exquisite examples of Victorian, Regency, Georgian and even Tudor buildings. Are you impressed? Impressed by Stockport or me? Do tell. As for Stockport viaduct it impresses me utterly. I’m informed it is one of the largest remaining brick constructions in Western Europe!

I’m off to the Stockport’s hat museum now; the town was a centre for hat-making for many years y’know? I’m fond of the old bonce-warmers, I wonder if they have a gift shop – I’ll need to take something home for kith and kin.

See you this afternoon in Oldham.

Good Old Trafford

I’m back! You may remember I was at the ChillFactor ski centre, right here in Trafford, at the very beginning of my odyssey around the North West. The chaps and chap-esses in charge thought it was a splendid idea to have me (a penguin) there (in the snow) – and it was!

So I’ve returned, though this time I’m down the road in Stretford.

I’ve met some marvellous people here today; they gave an uncommonly warm welcome to the good folk at Smokefree Northwest. In fact, the Smokefree team, who have been pointing people in the direction of NHS stop smoking services, were so pleased with the reception that they’re staying till Saturday. Last year 1,160 smokers quit with the help of Trafford PCT Stop Smoking Service. Shockingly efficient, what?

Trafford has an awful lot going for it y’know. It’s famously home to Manchester United Football Club and Lancashire County Cricket Club – have you ever played cricket on ice? By Jove, it’s thrilling. I still have last season’s bruises.

But this most engaging district is also home to the Imperial War Museum North and Sale Water Park, where you'll find the Broad Ees Dole nature reserve which provides a sort of B&B for migrating birds. I’ve never really understood why some of my feathered friends migrate – what’s not to like about winter?

If you missed me at Stretford in Trafford earlier today but would like to quit smoking, do call my Penguin Stop Smoking Hotline on 0800 032 7252.

See you tomorrow in Stockport!

There's something fishy going on in Bury ...

Bury Market has quite a reputation and I couldn’t resist a potter through there today. Oh my! The variety of foodstuffs on display was baffling – quite baffling.

As I mentioned earlier, I had been looking forward to sampling black pudding, however it appears that they aren’t made from fish after all.

Not fish! Have you ever heard of such a thing? If they’re not made from fish, what are they made of? So, as you can see from the image above, I decided to stick with what I know. Prawns.

Bury was bustling today and so lots of people, young and old, came along to meet me there. But more important was the fact that they were very keen to hear how the NHS can help smokers quit their habit. Last year 950 people became smokefree with help from Bury PCT Stop Smoking Service. Wonderful news!

I’ve decided to dig out my brand new mp3 player today (I don’t have a Waddle-man any more, they’re so 1980) because I wanted to listen to Elbow – what a fine band they are, and from Bury too. Isn’t elbow an unusual word? I wonder if I have one?

One thing I do know is that I have a weekend of relaxation ahead – I really won’t know what to do with myself. So I’ll be back in fine feather on Monday, this time from Warrington in Cheshire.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Actually in Ashton-under-Lyne

I’ve received a wonderful welcome from the people of Ashton-under-Lyne. What a pleasant name this town has! I took a little time last evening to look into its origins, apparently the first part of the name may refer a ‘settlement by ash trees’, but the ‘under-Lyne’ bit appears to be anyone’s guess. If you’ve any ideas, do let me know – I’m a curious penguin.

Ashton-under-Lyne is the birthplace of England’s 1966 World Cup final hero Geoff Hurst – the man who scored the hat-rick in your victory over Germany. I say your victory, but in fact I consider myself to be an honorary English-penguin. I always support England during the World Cup, you see football in Antarctica has never really recovered from the underpitch heating debacle back in 1997 - very embarrassing.

As ever we’ve been urging those smokers among the townspeople to contact the NHS and kick the habit. They’re extremely capable here, last year 1,839 people became smokefree with help from Tameside and Glossop PCT Stop Smoking Service. Incredible!

If you want to quit smoking, but you weren’t in Ashton-under-Lyne today, do call my Penguin Stop Smoking Hotline on 0800 032 7252.

I’m off to Bury shortly, where I expect I’ll try Black Pudding. Is it fish?

Hey-ho!

The road to a smokefree Wigan

Well that’s a rummy thing! You haven’t seen my mobile phone anywhere have you? I seem to have mislaid it somewhere between Manchester and Wigan. If you hear it ringing by the roadside, please let me know – it’ll be playing Snow Patrol.

I’m now in rugby league territory at the Grand Arcade in Wigan, and have just met Mighty Max, mascot to the world-famous Wigan Warriors rugby league club. What a shockingly big chap he is! Built like an iceberg, I tell you.

When I heard I was travelling to Wigan, I got in touch with Max to ask if he would come along and help me persuade Wiganers to quit smoking. It hasn’t been an easy week for Max following his beloved club’s defeat in Saturday’s Super League semi-final. But it’s the mark of the man that he didn’t hesitate.

A true sportsman!

I’m so glad he was there because the smokefree team told us they’d received pledges from more than 250 of the town’s smokers during the week – Max was so proud that he spent the next hour telling me all about how wonderful a place Wigan is.

He also told me that all the fellows at the Warriors are right behind the smokefree campaign and that’s a tremendous reassurance.

Actually, the town's buzzing at the moment with gossip about who will take over as the new Head Coach of the Warriors for next year. Annoyingly, the official announcement is tomorrow, so I’ve asked Max to let me know (I really do need that mobile phone!).

Farewell Wigan, sorry it’s been such a flying visit, but I’ve got an afternoon appointment in Blackburn.

Cheerio!

Chilling out in Trafford

Wheee!!! Check me out as I get ready to go skiing with my new friends!!!

I’ve only been in the North West of England for a few hours, and already I love this place. To be honest, I was very nervous on the plane over from Antarctica (us Emperor penguins aren’t used to flying).

Now I realise I had nothing to worry about. I’m currently in Greater Manchester, and it’s great! I’ve scoffed some delicious fish and chips, had a tootle around the shops and bought myself a CD by an excellent band called Oasis. I’ll impress my mates at the South Pole with all my new knowledge when I go home (they’ll think I’m the coolest penguin on the block).

Anyway, I know I’ll have to knuckle down to some hard graft soon as I’m working for Smokefree North West touring 25 shopping centres across the region to encourage people to quit smoking with help from the National Health Service.

To wish me luck on my amazing adventure, Smokefree North West arranged for me to have a ski today at the Chill Factore real snow ski centre in Trafford. It was nice to cool down and have a waddle in the snow. And I even had a go at skiing, although personally I prefer sliding along the ice on my belly (but keep that to yourself).

I got to meet some lovely people, including Pat Karney from Smokefree Manchester, Kerry Briggs from Trafford Stop Smoking Service, Jo McCullagh from Cheshire and Merseyside Tobacco Alliance and Hadas Altwarg from Smokefree North West.

Would you like to quit smoking? Call the Penguin Stop Smoking Hotline on 0800 032 7252.

Toodle pip!

Percy