rows rumble on as we launch our 'open culture'

By Catherine Jones on Jun 20, 07 12:30 PM

The row from Joe Anderson jumping ship from the culture board rumbles on with the world and his wife getting involved to back one side or another.
Today the 'Magnificent Seven' culture bodies have put out a supportive statement backing Capital of Culture planning, coming on the back of George Howarth and the all party parliamentary group yesterday.

Was it of their own accord or were they prompted? No one is saying, although the culture company protested in our sister paper the Post today that it knew nothing of the arts organisations' statement until 'late yesterday'
Now, those were the Post's words so I don't know how late you would consider 'late' to be.
However, I received an emailed copy of the statement from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic at 11.40am.
And I do know (emails - they can be dangerous things!) that the list of suggested recipients originated from Millennium House.
Anyone else getting weary of all this?
I know I am.
On a much more positive note, today the Echo, Daily Post, BBC Radio Merseyside and Radio City launched our joint Open Culture initiative.
It's about helping the ordinary Liverpudlians out there who would like to get involved in Capital of Culture but really don't know how to start to give something towards the celebration.
Apparently the Beeb has already been bombarded with entries for its Liverpool Saga epic poem. Well, it was bound to be popular in a city of musicans and poets.
We will launch our competition to design new, groovy benches for the city in September, and Radio City will open its song contest to all the musicians and poets (boy, they're going to be busy) in November.
Then the Post will put Liverpool-ness on the map, quite litereally, in January.
As Phil Redmond said: "The bid was all about people, people, people."
And that's what this is all about.