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
Damson MediaCityUk Opening
MediaCityUK's first credible food operator Damson has announced its opening date - 1 February. There'll be a chef's table, views across the main MediaCityUK square, 140 covers in the restaurant, and a bar if you only want to drink and take in the view. The menu will include signature dishes such as Whitby crab and parsley risotto with salt and vinegar cockles; grilled scallops with slow cooked middle white pork belly and Bury black pudding croquettes; and for desserts, caramelised pain perdu with roasted pear, honey and yoghurt ice cream, Earl Grey tea jelly and honeycomb. Sleuth can't wait. He lives a walk away and has been embarrassed about the lack of a proper restaurant in the whole MediaCityUK/Salford Quays area for yonks.
Steve Pilling and Simon Stanley of Damson
Sleuth's Leadership Developments In Confidence
Sleuth was at the ‘Rally to Restore Confidence’ property panel on Tuesday at the Hilton, Deansgate. Confidence was in short supply. It should have been called the Conference of Cold Reality’ (or Cold Realty – ho, ho). At the end of the event the panel were asked a series of 'fun' questions. One of which was who would they have as their deputy prime minister if they were running the country.
Ken Knott of Ask Developments went for the late Steve Jobs. John Atkins of Manchester Airport went for John Whittaker, the boss of Peel Group, "someone who plays the long game". Gerry Kelleher, deputy vice chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University said, “Basil Fawlty...er...I think I read the brief wrong”. Council Leader Sir Richard Leese wanted Bill Clinton, “a formidable intellect”.
Tom Bloxham, boss of Urban Splash, said he’d like the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, Sir Howard Bernstein.
Sleuth thought this odd given Bloxham was sat next to the political leader of Manchester, Sir Richard Leese. Maybe he didn’t want to appear too creepy, oh, er, just a minute...
Sleuth's Black And White Facts
Sleuth hears that the Manchester area is the place with the most black and white TV sets. A recent survey (click here) found that, 'despite being next to Salford's MediaCityUK, the BBC's new TV hub - Manchester has the highest density of greyscale sets for its population, 0.08 per cent to be precise. It's more than the 0.06 per cent of Birmingham dwellers who have a black-and-white licence. Or the 0.03 per cent in London, going on population stats from the 2011 census.' Of course for black and white it's only £49 for the TV licence, which saves viewers £96.50. Canny. And also we Mancunians are famous for our discernment, we love the nuances of texture and the added purity of the black and white image.
Manchester, as many locals see it
Sleuth's Pub Theming Moment Of The Week
Sleuth loves when a business really gets into a theme. These sofas at the Oast House in Spinningfields show a true commitment to the well-used, lived-in look of the classic boozer.
Or maybe one of those fighting Wetherspoons pubs in small towns where you can get the stuffing kicked out of you in seconds for merely picking up the wrong pint.
Hard working sofas
Sleuth's Most Obvious Planning Permission Sign Of The Year
Sleuth is odd, he reads all the planning permission notices on buildings, trying to nose out what's happening. Normally the lettering on these is so small it can only be read by hobbits and literate mice. Not this notice. The application for fruity dealings to continue in Deansgate's Fantasy Bar, is very big, very pink and shouts the word 'SEX' at passersby.
Sex!
Sleuth And The Cheapest Car Parking Charge In Greater Manchester
Lynda Moyo, Confidential's tough nun, found herself in Hale this week, and was taken aback. In NCP's King Street car park in the city centre, the cheapest tariff is nearly £7 for a minimum of two hours.
In Hale it was 10p for an hour. La Moyo got so excited she bought a ticket for three hours for 70p.
She didn't have a car with her but it was just too much of a bargain to resist.
Cheapest car park
Sleuth And The Most Beautiful Typeface In Manchester, Perhaps The World
Every seven days or so Sleuth is stopped in the street by policemen, firemen, concierges, Bill Clinton, NCP attendents, old sofas, the complete cast of Les Miserables, and asked "Where can we see the best typeface in Manchester, perhaps the world?"
"Why," says Sleuth, "that would be the arts and crafts typeface on the 1890s extension to Manchester School of Art, Lower Ormond Street. It was designed by WJ Neatby."
Beautiful lettering
Sleuth And The Weirdest Thing Seen On A City Street This Week
Sleuth was walking up Quay Street. In the bin outside the Opera House, in amongst the cigarette butts was...well take a look below. This is the sort of picture that demands a caption competition.
Man with glasses dissolves in tobacco
