Lord Sugar Fired, Best Veggie Pies ever, And Wonky Waterstones

Sleuth is a sideways glance at the city every week, it's the truth, but Sleuth's truth. He's several people all at once. We give £25 for every story/rumour and piece of absurdity you find for us to publish. Sleuth sometimes even gets serious. We ask for the money back if any legal action follows. Follow Sleuth on twitter @Sleuth

Sleuth And Why The Apprentice Is Full Of Idiots

Mancunian entrepreneur Carole Nash made her fortune in motorcycle insurance. She started the company in her forties in the 1980s and sold it for £74m in 2006 when she was 65. There's a full interview and feature with her next week on Confidential. "I just wanted to listen to people and sort out problems, it was a softly, softly approach that seemed to work," she said. So what does she think of people on The Apprentice, and all the aggression? "I think it is a terrible example to people. Awful that you think you have to behave like that in business. It's shaming really and to be successful that really does not have to be the way, it surprises me if it ever works." Lord Sugar, you're fired. 

Carole Nash

Sleuth's Apology Over Flag Error

Sleuth apologises for this banner on Victoria Street announcing the arrival of Victoria Wood's play, That Day We Sang for Manchester International Festival. This may have confused international visitors from as far away as North Korea by suggesting Manchester International Festival was on this summer when in fact it took place last year. Sleuth will be quickly getting his stepladder out sometime within the next year to hurriedly remove the offending banner. 

Flag error

Sleuth's Floating Food - The Greatest Vegetarian Pie Ever

Marketing Manchester hosted a fine event on Monday showcasing local producer food from Greater Manchester. This took place on a boat on the River Irwell and the Ship Canal. Lots of good food around - more of which in a story next week. The most astounding looking food provided some of the best flavours. The Great North Pie Company came with veggie pies - the best and the best-looking in the world. These Five Mile goats cheese, marinated beetroot, red pepper jam, toasted hazelnuts, thyme and caraway pies are some of the best Sleuth has ever tasted. Find them here. The pies are our main picture stars above.

Sleuth's Housekeeping Instruction Of The Week

This instruction was spotted by Sleuth on the beacons designed by Mel Chantry being placed at the Irwell River Park over on the Salford side of the river from Manchester Cathedral. High up on work, but close to Exchange Station car park, somebody had left the notice pictured below. Of course it could be a simple indication of where the piece was manufactured. 

Beacon instruction

Sleuth's Cupcake Salute

Cupcakes are on the slide it would appear. They are less ubiquitous than a year ago but the ones shown below were very good and came from Lego to celebrate their new Arndale Shop. They were cooked in the Lego kitchens by little Lego chefs with round Lego heads - the picture below the picture of the cakes shows them hard at work. 

Lego cakes

Lego Kitchen with Lego chef preparing the carrot cake

Waterstones Booksellers: The Gaurdiens of Lituracy

Sleuth nipped into the cafe in Waterstones on Deansgate for some nosh, some wine and some words. The menu made interesting reading. Especially for a book shop. There was 'Ceasar Salad' and 'Niciose Salad' and 'Mackeral' too. Funny thing is that the cookery section of books is only a short stroll away. Lazy buggers. 

Waterstones can't spell

Sleuth's Best Stall Ever - Sick Bags

Sleuth loved the Aviation Fair at Manchester Airport last weekend. One trader specialised in airsickness bag – with some (unused) sick bags of old airlines, such as Laker Airways and Pan Am, 'valued at anything from £5 to £10 each'. On another stall there was an Olympus engine from a Concorde on sale, this was worth over £1 million. Something for everybody then.