As both someone who is still strangely interested in the Olympic games as arguably the world’s biggest cultural event, and as a man who was born and brought up in Cheshire, I must admit to finding this news oddly exciting. “A £7m fund to explore how the Olympics could be brought to northern England will be announced in John Healey’s first Budget on Wednesday, the BBC has learned.” Having been fortunate enough to be living here in London in 2012, I think that is great, great news. I still remember what the metropolis felt like and the almost palpable sense of optimism in the air. If there is even the possibility of doing something similar in the north of the UK, then surely that is to be welcomed. Of course, it hasn’t been revealed what this ‘northern Olympics’ would look like, and exactly which cities and towns would be involved; but you can rest assured this is an embryonic possibility I’ll be keeping an eye on. There is a very long way to go and it could still come to nothing, but this might – just might – be the beginning of something awesome.