People behind the Salon

Simon Belt - Salon Coordinator

Simon Belt started his career in the technology industry in the rather restrictive environment of the civil service, moving into the more flexible and innovative international outsourcing world. Looking to implement technology the way it should be deployed, rather than what suits any given contract, Simon established his own IT Consultancy in 1999 - Simply Better IT. His passion is to help improve the way small businesses use technology, by matching its use to the way they work best and delivering end-to-end IT solutions, to those best suited for engaging larger businesses and institutions as equals.

Born and brought up in Yorkshire, he moved to Lancashire on a civilising mission some 25 years ago. After some success there, he’s moved on to sunny Derbyshire where he’s now based. From the delightful surroundings of New Mills where he plays golf at probably the friendliest golf club in Derbyshire, Simon plans and coordinates the Manchester Salon - preparing discussions, booking venues, promoting via the website, Email notifications and management of the Salon's Facebook Group. Always keen to take on new themes to discuss, formats to experiment with and collaborations to explore, please complete the Contact the Salon form with suggestions of your own.

Reviews: Omid Djalili, The Iron Lady, The Straits, Young People, Project Nim, Neoliberals and Democracy, Radical Gardening, Design The Future, Wizard, The End, Epic, Emotional Philosophy, George Monbiot, Communicative Capitalism, CING Lecture, The Social Network, God is a Manc, Mancunian Meander, 1984, Total Politics

Jane Turner - Reviews Coordinator

Jane Turner started her working life in the Employment Department and gained a reputation as a rather "un-civil servant", where as Branch Secretary of the Civil and Public Services Association (CPSA) she was involved in many campaigns. Becoming bored with life in the office, Jane went on to study Political, Economic and Social History at the University of Liverpool and followed this with a post-graduate certificate in Education at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Swapping the routine of life in a civil service office for the challenges of the classroom she spent some time teaching young offenders how to read and write and then moved on to teach ICT in secondary schools. Using ICT well enough to be considered "an expert", she then moved on to training teachers, working as a consultant in a local authority and since losing her job in the last round of council cuts she has been working temporarily as an education consultant and part time lecturer.

Jane helps to coordinate the reviews section of the Salon website, encouraging reviewers to write on a range of activities and events in and around the North West and provide reviews that have a more critical edge and include political content that encourages discussion.

Reviews: Schools: What are they good for?, Good, All the Way Home, Echo & The Bunnymen, Like you've never been away, Jobs Not Therapy, View From The Bridge, Buena Vista, Welfare State Reforms, Mogadishu, A Christmas Carol, Spend Spend Spend, Musings on Transport, The Christians, Les Misérables, Picasso: Peace and Freedom, Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Shaped by War, Being Earnest

 
Mark Iddon - Current Affairs Coordinator

Mark Iddon is a freelance architect, at Urbanization, who has been working in Manchester since graduating from Oxford Brookes and Brighton Universities. He is interested in the pursuit of freedom and democracy, economic growth and progress and development of the built environment.

Mark is a council member for the Manchester Society of Architects. He is also a writer / reviewer and a regular participant of the Manchester Salon and is an associate member of the Institute Of Ideas. He lives in Salford with his wife and daughter, and is a Manchester United Season Ticket holder.

Reviews: Exemplar, Norway Massacre, The Durutti Column, Painting from Life, Do Stuff, Ferraris For All, Dr Faustus, Alcohol Pricing, Greenbuild Expo, Freedom and Fun