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
ED'S EASY DINER
Rumours regarding the future of the supreme Grade II-listed mock Tudor former-furniture department store and Monsoon at no.15 King Street (which dates from 1902) have dragged on for months since the clothes retailer closed in March 2013. Hawksmoor, Meat Liquor, Shake Shack, Iberica, Jigsaw, and Wigan Tony's Black Truffle Kebab shop have all been for a snoop around the unit. Still, the unit has been coated in Teflon, nothing has stuck.
Now there seems to be a shred of evidence that Ed's Easy Diner - the US-diner themed restaurant which first opened in Soho in 1987 - have secured the site. Sleuth spotted the below map here which appears to show Ed's confirmed on an Experian GOAD plan (a retail property intelligence system, apparently, not to be confused with an Experian GONAD - which is something different entirely) of King Street. Ed's will cater to Manchester's seemingly bottomless appetite for fast Americana food with hot dogs, burgerzzzzzzzzzzz...... *slump*
King Street GONAD
Ed's Easy Diner
SLEUTH AND THE FUTURE ELECTED MAYOR
Sleuth was at the signing of the £6bn devolution of health and social care responsibilities to the Greater Manchester in the Town Hall. This is part of a process of devolution that will also lead to an elected mayor for Greater Manchester along the Boris Johnson model in London. "So who do think will be elected mayor in 2017?" Sleuth was asked. At the press conference later there was George Osborne, Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary, Simon Stevens, boss of NHS England and one local politician, Sir Richard Leese, Manchester's council leader. Seems to Sleuth like the Labour candidate for elected mayor has already been decided.
SLEUTH AND SECURITY
Given the senior government figures, given the status of the event, Sleuth was charmed by the nature of open government at, as George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer described, "This historic day for Greater Manchester and the NHS." Sleuth waltzed into the Town Hall, asked where the event was taking place, waltzed upstairs and into the Reception Room and sat down. No heavies, no police with guns. In today's paranoid times it was so very, very refreshing.
Sleuth loves an open government
MODERN MCR COMMUNICATIONS
In the press conference, Jeremy Hunt remarked on the progressive, innovative and forward-thinking hospitals in Greater Manchester. Sleuth hoped the Health Secretary didn't look up. On the wall of the Town Hall was the oldest bakelite phone still on any building in any part of the country.
Town Hall phone
ANOTHER INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOP FOR MANCHESTER
Sleuth is charmed. After we announced the future opening of Aspidistra Books here, along comes Chapter One. The latter will be biggish too, 5,000 sq ft with a cafe and an events space for readings. The owners will be Christine Cafun and Lyndsy Kirkman, the location will be the Northern Quarter at the junction of Lever Street and Dale Street. It should be operational in a couple of months. Sleuth can't wait. "Hey sons," said Sleuth to his three boys, "Great news, Manchester is becoming more civilised with a new bookshop." There was no response, they were all looking up the phrase 'bookshop' on Wikipedia on their smart phones, notebooks and other devices.
Dale Street site
KOFFEE POT
Following a series of the usual hold-ups (ya know, extractions and stuff), NQ's favourite indie 'ole dependable caf', Koffee Pot, look very close to launching KP 2.0 at the top end of Oldham Street... "if the ruddy gas would work," Sleuth's told. Sleuth's very much looking forward to this reopening, owner Chris has brought back his former business partner, Sam Dunwoodie, who recently helped hipster-favourite The Clove Club bag a Michelin star in London. The new Koffee Pot will include an expanded menu including "home-cured salt beef bagels with homemade pickles, beef dripping chips and an amazing grilled cheese sandwich, perhaps even some booze to go with it." Ace.
New Koffee Pot
LOWEST ASPIRATIONAL THIEVES
Sleuth hears there's a special police van parked at the back of Primark on certain days. This is to catch all the shoplifters emptying the shelves at the ultra bargain store. Sleuth scratches his head over this, surely people can't be selling the clothes on. "Give us a fiver mate for these seventeen shirts, four suits, three pairs of shoes, seven pairs of trousers, two Panama hats and five hugely entertaining Christmas jumpers with flashing reindeer horns."
SLEUTH'S WORST TWEET OF THE WEEK...
...Goes to this lot, who we can only presume are rabbits (and was this steak about £6? Weird)
