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. Sometimes Sleuth even gets serious @mcrsleuth
PAY AS YOU STAY... JUST NOT THAT WAY
Sleuth hears Northern Quarter’s popular pay-per-minute ‘anti café’ café are close to securing two new sites in Manchester following the success of the Edge Street branch. Founded in Moscow in 2011, Ziferblat has grown to 14 branches across Europe in cities such as St. Petersburg, London and, er, Rostov-on-Don. Ziferblat’s shtick is that everything is free; the coffee, the cake, the crockery, just not the time you spend – which will cost you 5p per minute. Not bad. Cheaper than some hotels that. Mind you, they're not keen on you using it in the same way you might use a pay-per-minute hotel, particularly on top of the Battenberg.
Ziferblat...once the custard creams have goneLO-GONNER
Sleuth was helping popular Thai food restaurant Chilli Banana - which has just secured a new Manchester site on Lapwing Lane in West Didsbury - celebrate its twentieth birthday this week when he noticed their long-standing characteristic logo had changed.
'What's happened to the happy mascots?' asked Sleuth. 'Well,' said owner Steve Wakefield, 'Last year we attended a fancy restaurant awards dinner, and when it came to the one we'd been nominated for, all the nominees logos were flashing up on a big screen... we thought ours looked a little out of place.'
Sleuth's no idea why...
.SPANISH SPOTLIGHT
Sleuth was in Tapeo eating and drinking and drinking and eating and drinking and drinking and drinking and drinking and falling off the chair and muttering like a gibbering monkey when Guillem Balague was introduced to Sleuth by Natalia, the charming boss of Tapeo. “What are you doing in Manchester?” slurred Sleuth to the famous Spanish football writer and biographer of Mr C Ronaldo. “Well, there is this famous ex-manager of Barcelona who’s just arrived in town and then there’s also this famous ex-manager of Real Madrid who’s arrived in the same week… might be something to do with that,” said Balague. “Who might be they?” said Sleuth’s companion. Balague looked at her and said, “Maybe this isn’t such a football mad city after all.”
Guillem B in City blueNO DRINK PROBLEM YET
Sleuth was in Sam’s Chop House eating and drinking and drinking and eating and drinking and drinking and drinking and drinking and falling off the chair and muttering like a gibbering monkey when he remembered this story from some research in Chetham’s Library where he hadn’t been eating and drinking and so forth. This advert was placed in the Manchester Mercury paper in 1804: ‘Wife wanted - she must be a middle-aged red haired sober woman of good morals and not allowed to take snuff. The advertiser having kept an inn and is now in his 60th year, during 28 years of which he is supposed to have drank 2,098 gallons and 3 quarts of brandy, and in the enjoyment of good health may be found by enquiring of his neighbours. He is well known by the crimson die of his complexion and illuminated radiance of the vivifying nose.’ This comforted Sleuth: he’s nowhere near 2,098 gallons of brandy yet.
COCKFACE
Sleuth was in Sam’s Chop House eating and drinking and drinking and eating and drinking and drinking and drinking and drinking and falling off the chair and muttering like a gibbering monkey whilst entertaining revered national restaurant critic, Masterchef judge and recent Confidential recruit, Charles Campion. Campion was in town on assignment for a pub trade mag and on the hunt for a grand old boozer with period features, good ale and, ideally, bread and dripping (Sam's is the best and perhaps only dripping in town). Sleuth and Campion were later joined by the editor, the publisher and the CEO, in what turned out to be a rollicking lunch, full of wine, wit, wine and wine. Halfway through the meal Campion excused himself to spend a penny, whereby the editor-at-large took up Campion's notebook and pencil and, without any discernible reason, wrote the word 'COCKFACE'. 'What are you doing?' asked Sleuth, worried their esteemed guest might take offence. 'Well, I just thought things were getting a little serious," he replied, closing the notebook with a boyish grin.
The next day Sleuth emailed Campion a copy of Sam's menu: '...also, I understand somebody might have written something vulgar amongst your notes. We're very silly up here. My apologies', wrote Sleuth.
A reply quickly pinged into Sleuth's inbox.
'Thanks for that old boy. Very decent lunch. A bit depressing that the Manchester graffiti in my notebook includes a basic grammatical error. Charles.'
CharmingRIGHT TO THE FINNISH
Sleuth was taking some Finnish engineers around Manchester last week. The tour started at 9.30am. The Finns were fascinated by a narrowboat on the Rochdale Canal and then fascinated by the Museum of Science and Industry where the group stopped for a coffee. “Why does this bar not serve beer?” one asked Sleuth. “It’s a museum café more than a bar,” said Sleuth, “and it’s 10.15am, which even if it did serve beer is a little early.” “Good job we have this then,” said the man passing a small bottle around. Sleuth wondered what it was. “It’s brandy mixed with vodka and tastes very smooth,” said the guest. Sleuth tried it and found it was a smooth as sump oil mixed with pain. Later he took the guests to the City Arms for 12 noon, the exact moment it opened. The Finns went into the backroom and Sleuth ordered beer. When he got to the backroom they hadn’t sat next to each other but on each side of the room taking up the whole space. “Why have you done that?” asked Sleuth. “There is a lot of space between towns in Finland,” said one of the number. “And we don’t like each other,” the leader said. At which point they all fell about laughing and Sleuth couldn’t help join with these lovely, honest and funny Finns. “Anyway,” added the leader after the laughter had subsided, “you think we might be strange, but then look, you are eating pickled eggs.” Good point, thought Sleuth.
THE BIG GAME
Good turn out for the West Didsbury & Chorlton FC vs Bamber Bridge FC game...
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