SleuthSleuth 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 @mcrsleuth
Sleuth’s Dress Code Of The Week
This from Bijou Club on Chapel Street in Salford. Sleuth loves the notion of ‘Diamante Embezzlement’ and heartily approves of its restriction. ‘Manbags’ seems harsh – where would Sleuth put his spare hat and his gallant gifts for ladies. ‘Checked shirts’ is completely understandable, we’ve all had enough of them. As for ‘exaggerated jewellery’, Sleuth wonders if his old nan would have been barred, she loved a big brooch.
Bijou tick list
The Library Walk Planning Farce
You might want to read the yellow box on this article before diving into the next three Sleuth's. Click here.
So after the Friends of Library Walk campaign, the thousands of signatures, the written submissions, the City Planning Authorities duly consigned the noble passageway in its original form to the long list of destroyed quality Manchester buildings and spaces.
Earlier this week a reader, John Poulson, told the editor off for saying that Planning Approval was inevitable. He wrote: ‘It is not uncommon for planning committees up and down the land to go against the recommendation of the respective council's head of planning. You're besmirching local democracy by saying it's a done deal’.
Sleuth was at the Planning Committee meeting on Thursday. It took about fifteen minutes for local democracy to be steam-rolled.
Library Walk before it gets glassed
Sleuth And The Incompetent Committee
The Planning Committee were allowed to ask questions of the planning boffins and architect Ian Simpson about the proposals to glass Library Walk.
One question from a councillor was something like, “Can the glass be cleaned easily, and are we sure people won’t store anything there?” Talk about missing the point.
Even more ridiculous was the question, “Why didn’t the architect design something more in keeping with the existing buildings?” The buildings on either side are different stylistically from each other and made of stone. Even Sleuth has to concede that a glassing of Library Walk is better than a stoning. These were the only questions asked by the committee over whether to ruin this special space.
Sleuth wondered how these people could be part of a panel adjudicating on design in the city centre? Are there not more qualified individuals? Absolute farce.
Sleuth And One More Thing On Library Walk
One of the councillors supporting the campaign to save Library Walk was Joan Davies. She lives in the city centre, represents it, and is a Green Badge tour guide and occasional writer for Confidential with theatre reviews. She was excellent during the planning meeting above, saying over the reasons for destroying the space: “If it’s dirty, clean it, if it’s dark, light it, if you say it needs to close because it’s used as a urinal then close Deansgate.”
Event organiser, Anne Tucker, said to Sleuth about the meeting, “But this city is suffering millions of pounds of cuts, how can it afford £3m for the glass thing, when they were supposed to make a link underground between the buildings?” None of this was answered.
About forty metres from Library Walk is a red plaque marking the place where one of the early societies for the protection of public rights of way was formed in 1894. Library Walk used to be a public right of way. Absolute farce.
Bye bye rights of way
Sleuth And Hanging Dicth B
Sleuth was in need of cheering up so he strolled through the city, noting how remarkably handsome and perversely lovely this city is. He sat and drank, with a friend, a new favourite tipple, a half-bottle of B (that's the name, just one letter) from Spain, a gently floral blend of grapes Sleuth's never heard of, in the lovely Hanging Ditch Wine Merchants. Price £8.50. Full name Pares Balta Blanc de Pacs. That perked him up. Sleuth recommends a subtle session at Hanging Ditch. Maybe join in with their Fifth Winefair on Friday 6 November – selection of 200 wines, music, £19.50.
Sleuth’s Name Of The Week
The man with 'Promises'Sleuth gets all sorts of speculative press releases. His favourite this week being from an American chap who offers to rid people of 'issues' at his ‘Promises Treatment Centers’. The man is the ‘Addiction MD and CEO’. The man’s name is Dr Sack. Sleuth was amused by this although he couldn’t say exactly why. Sleuth wonders if he dresses up at Christmas and becomes Santa’s Sack.
Sleuth’s Bargain Of The Week: Manchester’s Best Tudor Building
Sleuth reckons people could snap this up for half a mill. It would be the prestigious home to end all prestigious homes. It should also be a Manchester landmark, and as well managed a heritage attraction as Ordsall Hall. Yes Hough End Hall, the Grade II listed, former family home of the Mosley family in Chorlton is up for sale. It was built in 1596 and ‘comprises 6,278 sq ft, arranged over basement, ground and first floors’. It’s advertised through Vicky Cook here.
Lovely brickIt’s been called ‘the most important brick Elizabethan building in the North West’. We wrote about it here.
Of course if you bought it, then you’d have to spend another couple of million demolishing the idiotically close 1960s office buildings on each side.
How was planning permission ever given for those? Oh just a minute: please refer to story three on this page above.
Hough End Hall, idiot adjacent offices
Sleuth And James Bond
Thanks to Pedro 1874 for this who took exception to the lovely vodka martini that Lewis at The Living Room created for us.
‘This is from the Bond novel Casino Royale,’ he wrote. ‘This is how it should be done.’
'A dry martini,' he said. 'One. In a deep champagne goblet.'
'Oui, monsieur.'
'Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?'
'Certainly monsieur.' The barman seemed pleased with the idea.
'Gosh, that's certainly a drink,' said Leiter.
Bond laughed. 'When I'm...er...concentrating,' he explained, 'I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold, and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink's my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I think of a good name.'
As Sleuth says, thanks Pedro. See you at the cinema sometime this weekend no doubt.
Sleuth's Chair Of The Week
Sleuth loves watching the events in Albert Square from up here, although putting on the safety equipment can be a drag.
Sleuth gets onto his seat
Sleuth's Dish Of The Week
Folks get your chops round this perfectly cooked lamb in Aubaine, the French outlet on Selfridges' second floor overlooking Exchange Square. It comes with lovely broth and beans to warm you up on the coldest days. There's a full Confidential review coming up soon. True this lamb rack was £19, the usual Aubaine £4 too much, but it was delightfully power-packed.
Lambkin broth
