Mark Radcliffe, Stuart Maconie, Steve Coogan, Charlatans man Tim Burgess and Irvine Welsh were among the people to take part in a 24-hour debate-a-thon held in memory of the late great Tony Wilson in Manchester this weekend. As well as former friends and colleagues of the Factory Records chief, 200 young people took part in the 'Tony Wilson Experience', which aimed to encourage young people to participate in creativity and idea sharing. Wilson, of course, was a prominent news journalist in the North West, as well as being the man behind Factory, the Hacienda and In The City.
Commenting on the venture, Welsh told reporters: "Tony was always a great evangelist for Manchester and his music. I first met him in the Hacienda and then again a few years later when I got into writing. What always struck me was the way he never talked down to people, he always made time for them, no matter who he was speaking to. Talking to other people, sharing ideas and thoughts with them about what you do and what they do is an important part of the creative process for most artists and this is what the Tony Wilson Experience is all about".