David Adamson reports back on recent goings on from across the city and beyond
In his regular writeup, Editor David Adamson - with help from the Confidentials team - reports back on life from across the city and beyond.
"I'm only having one"
"Do you fancy a pint after work?"
My usual response to this would be, "Does the pope shit in the woods?", or something to that effect.
It's one of British working life's great traditions, the bit where you're no longer working. Still in your work outfit, whether that's a hi-vis or a gilet, but mentally so far from the office it's like you've forgotten you work there.
Happy Hour has always been a slightly understated phrase, so how about the endless possibilities brought to mind by 'Hours of Happiness'. Just how many hours are we talking?
At Finders Keepers on Islington Wharf, it's three. From Wednesday to Friday, 3pm to 6pm, it's £4 pints of Mahou or £8 cocktails or a bottle of prosecco for £20. I like those numbers.
It's a nice quiet spot by Islington Wharf and an easygoing place in Finders Keepers. Watching passersby in that end of town does start to feel increasingly like being in a simulation - so many greyhounds and gazelles - but then again it's nice to have something to keep you entertained.
'Have you seen this dog?'
Yes, fucking everywhere.
Meanwhile on the other side of town, Albert Square, work continues on the town hall refurbishment, and the gorgeous clocktower is gradually revealing itself.
Round the corner, Bowlers cafe has now closed, and in its place will come El Kabron, a tapas and pintxos bar by La Bandera due to open this month. It's a wonderfully secluded and pedestrianised part of the city, so I'd love for this to be a success, and more widely for that post-work, standing around with a few bits to eat type affair to spread. When the square is fully open again - apparently summer 2026, Christ they're making us wait for it - I'd love for a looser food and drink offering on there as well, more in line with what you see in almost every European city you visit.
Summer 2026 is a long way off, but September is already upon us, so in the meantime I'll be popping into El Kabron after work.
When you're then inevitably getting a later train back than expected, and find yourself in the nether zone where it'll be too late to cook when you get home, I reckon you could do worse than overshooting Piccadilly by a few minutes and getting a quick something at Freight Island like I did. I went to Burgerism, and it more than did the trick.
Or better yet, sack off the train, overshoot Piccadilly by a few minutes once again and pay a visit to The Whiskey Jar for their Open Mic Sessions, which take place from 7pm every Tuesday and Wednesday.
It's a criminally under-visited part of the Northern Quarter nowadays, such is the obsession with Stephenson Square and the strange, lemming-like lack of imagination that seems to dictate a lot of people's social lives at the moment.
In the shadow of Neville Towers
The Manchester Confidential team all made the 30-second trip down the road to The Nag's Head yesterday (Thursday 5 September) for some post work pints (see, it's catching on) ahead of us going to Three Little Words' 5th birthday party.
I popped outside on the Jackson's Row side of the pub for a cigarette and was greeted by the advertising hoardings for The Residences at Gary Neville's St Michael's development.
I don't doubt the place is going to be heaven for yuppie-disruptor, perma-gileted types in shit white trainers, but the question is - will they regularly make the trip downstairs to have a pint in The Nag's Head? For the sake of the pub's coffers I hope so, but for its regulars, maybe not.
Hard Rock Cafe Charity Painting Competition - The Results
As I mentioned in my recent Front Page, I was kindly invited to be one of the judges for this years' Hard Rock Cafe Charity Painting Competition, where budding artists were given from 11am to 4pm to paint a Manchester music icon.
Here are the five fantastic entries
And the winner's podium was thus:
1st - Johnny Marr by Caz
2nd - Guy Garvey by Catherine
3rd - Morrissey by Dale
Congratulations to Caz and all the artists for their fantastic work, which will be displayed at Moss Room bookshop in Salford before being auctioned off. The proceeds will go to The Mercury Phoenix Trust.
Assorted bits and bobs
Best lunch deal in town
Blues Kitchen does a lunch deal from Monday to Friday that is frankly stupid. It's fantastic value for money; a cheeseburger, or a steak sandwich, or some fried chicken and gravy and a soft drink for £10, or £12 if you're having a proper drink.
Late night Suki Suki
After a few gins at the aforementioned Three Little Words birthday bash I was ravenous, so headed over with our very own Martyn to Suki Suki. I fancied a ramen and I bloody well got one, going for char sui. We sat on the stools by the window, which I found a nice change of formality from the table service type affair. It's a great spot and a great ramen.
Northern Gothic
Some fantastic news in the world of UK cinema and Mancunian creativity as Andrew Hurley, Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University, sees the released of the film adaptation of his novel Starve Acre.
Here's a brief description courtesy of our friends at MMU:
"Starring Matt Smith and Morfydd Clark , Starve Acre, based on Andrew Hurley’s novel of the same name, sees a family’s seemingly idyllic rural life thrown into turmoil when their young son starts acting out of character.
"Set in 1970s Yorkshire, Hurley’s novel received glowing literary reviews on its 2019 publication, with the Guardian describing it as ‘a chilling tale’ and Hurley said to have ‘a fine talent for evoking the menace of his northern landscapes’.
Hurley said: “It’s been a long time coming but I can’t wait for audiences to see Starve Acre. It’s the perfect story for the dark days of the year.”
Daniel Kokotajlo’s ‘STARVE ACRE’ starring Morfydd Clark and Matt Smith to be released in UK and Irish cinemas on September 6.
A supernatural folk horror, it’s set in rural 70s England, where a couple’s life is thrown into turmoil when their son starts acting out of character. pic.twitter.com/FeIVZo6Bu2
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) May 1, 2024
Here's Assistant Publisher Harley Young with her report back from Gravity Max and Tanning Shop Manchester
Liverpool’s ultimate gaming spot turns one
Gravity Max, the all-encompassing entertainment venue at Liverpool One, celebrated its first birthday this month. Still as jam-packed with punters as it was on its first day of opening, and with everything from mini golf to VR, go-karting to augmented darts and bowling, and arcade games to supersized slushy machines, it’s no surprise as to why.
My partner Dave and I were invited down to try a few of the games for ourselves - perfect for competitive couples on date night. We kickstarted the evening with a thrill-chasing E-Karting session, where I quickly realised that I’m not going to be the next Max Verstappen any time soon - I had to be pryed from the barriers a few times after forgetting how to reverse.
1-0 to Dave, I decided to up the ante with a round of bowling...surely I wasn’t going to lose this? One spare and six gutterballs later showed me how wrong I was. Moving swiftly on to a game of darts, I felt like I was hitting my stride with my ultra-methodical technique (lobbing the darts at the board, not giving my aim a second thought). Somehow it worked and I finally beat my other half to something.
2-1 to Dave. I’ll take it. The venue has just launched its new ‘MAX3 Pass’; a new deal designed to create unforgettable memories without breaking the bank. Priced at £25, guests can enjoy 3 activities, saving at least £15 and up to 40% off their booking. With a selection of exciting and immersive activities to choose from, there’s something for everyone to get stuck into. Book now.
Hot to cold at Tanning Shop Manchester
By now we’ve all heard of the benefits of cold and warm therapy, but red light therapy is the new kid on the block when it comes to revitalising your skin and overall health. Red light therapy beds treatment helps to turbo-charge overall health, wellbeing and wellness - it does this by supporting and enhancing cellular function and can even help reverse the signs of ageing and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
Tanning Shop Manchester invited me down to try their new red-light and cryotherapy beds for myself to see if I felt a difference.
I started off with the red light therapy as this increases blood flow, helping you get more out of the cryotherapy later. Tanning Shop Manchester team member Suzie took me downstairs to the bed and explained how it works before leaving me to enjoy 15 minutes of solitude - a much welcome bit of ‘me time’ after a stressful morning in the office. The light beams from the bed are incredibly bright so tiny little goggles are worn to protect the retinas. The bed gets warm, but not uncomfortably so, in fact it’s quite pleasant - just imagine you’re on holiday in Barbados.
A quarter of an hour later and the lights shut off, my tiny little goggles now plunging me into darkness. I was so relaxed I’d almost fallen asleep by this point, but I was about to be brought back to life with a bit of cryotherapy.
Forget the discomfort of ice baths and having to get wet - the Tanning Shops Zerobody Cryo bed provides an innovative three-to-five-minute treatment without the need to dry off afterwards. The bed uses water membrane technology that combines the benefits of cryotherapy with floatation therapy, helping to reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery. Beyond the physical benefits of cryotherapy, it also acts as a natural pain reliever and helps to reduce stress levels.
I’m not going to lie to you and say this wasn’t cold. It was. Almost painfully so in the extremities, but thankfully Suzie was on board to chat to me throughout the three minutes (which actually flew by, by the way). The timer went off, the bed deflated and I leapt up with a pep in my step like someone had just stuck a rocket up my behind. I felt alive - even now as I’m writing this an hour later, I’m still buzzing.
As someone who suffers with joint pain and fatigue, I definitely feel more awake and able to move slightly more freely than my crappy, arthritic joints normally allow me to. So I’d say it works. The true way to find that out is by doing a course of red light and cryotherapy sessions and seeing how I felt then. I’m very tempted to go back and do just that, if not just to get warm from the red light (and then cold again) away from this typically British summer we’re having.
To book a red light therapy or cryotherapy at Tanning Shop Manchester click here.
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