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. Sleuth sometimes even gets serious @mcrsleuth
SHOCK AS NEW BAR NOT IN NORTHERN QUARTER
Sleuth hears Living Ventures are finally poised to make that move on MediaCityUK, three years after a deal on a unit next door to Wagamama hit the buffers. Sleuth’s told the Knutsford-based bar and restaurant group (which gave the city Australasia, Manchester House and Oast House) are planning to launch the city’s third Alchemist in MediaCityUK in this quirky little structure sometime in the new year.
The Bund at Dock 9 (which Sleuth likes very much indeed) - located on the stretch running between North Bay and Huron Bay - has been designed by Reid Architects and looks to Sleuth to boast fantastic views out over The Quays. Finally. Sleuth has always thought it odd how few places there are on The Quays to sink a drink by the drink.
All we need now is for Alchemist to stick a decent ale on...
The Bund on Dock 9 - a new Alchemist?THE FACTORY MANCHESTER
There's been some debate this week over the virtues of Dutch architect Rem Koolhass's design for the £110m Factory Manchester arts centre since it was unveiled on Wednesday. The jury is still out. However, having seen the fairly vanilla second place design by Manchester-based architects SimpsonHaugh, Sleuth's wondering, for an international design competition featuring some of the world's most celebrated architects, aside from Koolhaas's iceberg, where's the flamboyance? Sleuth would love to get his hands on the other entries...
1st place: Rem Koolhaas's design
2nd place: SimpsonHaugh designSLEUTH'S BROTHERLY CONFUSION
Sleuth bumped into some Trafford Council bods the other day and was talking leadership. Trafford is famous for having the youngest (and youngest looking) Council Leader in the country, a Conservative called Sean Anstee, aged 27. "Sometimes we don't whether it's him or not," said one of the officers. Sleuth was confused. "You see he has a twin brother who's also a Conservative Councillor in Trafford called Stephen and it's very hard to tell them apart," continued the person.
Sleuth looked them up and said 'wow' to himself. Sleuth has a dare for the pair. Council Leader Sean should lead a debate in the council chamber at Stretford Town Hall and then leave half way through for a supposed comfort break, Stephen could then sneak in as Sean and vehemently oppose everything he's just said. Come on Sean, come on Stephen, do it once, just once. For a laugh.
Those councillor twins, the one on the left is Sean, or is it the right? Nope, it's definitely the one in the white shirt
This settles it. Sean is the one on the right, or is it the left? Nope, it's definitely the one with the blue rosette.SLEUTH'S BEST JOKE OF THE WEEK
This is from the 'draft' City Centre Strategic Plan 2015-2018 (click here and scroll down for the link to the strategy). Part of the document reads: 'In Piccadilly, Piccadilly Gardens and the surrounding area has seen significant improvements in recent years. Public and private investment has led to new high quality space and leisure facilities.' Ha, ha. Very good.
'Significant improvements'SLEUTH'S SECOND BEST JOKE OF THE WEEK
This from Manchester City Council's annual State of the City report. Here's two snippets...
'...this figure coincides with the higher patronage of public transport and reduction in car use across the city during this period. Indirect benefits include reduced congestion and improved public health-related conditions...'
'...the enhancements to transport infrastructure in and around the Regional Centre have enabled the city’s economy to grow without negative effects associated with congestion.'
Reduced congestion? Without negative effects? Good one...
Heard the one about the reduced congestion?SLEUTH'S SOUVENIR OF THE WEEK
Sleuth doesn't really know what to say about this resin souvenir of Manchester Town Hall sold in the newsagents on Mount Street at the rear of Central Library. Clearly the Chinese manufacturers have got confused between a big round Victorian building in London or the name of Albert Square and thus have delivered a brand new title for the city's administrative centre: Manchester Albert Hall complete with leaning spires.
What's in a name?SLEUTH'S SOUVENIR OF THE WEEK PART 2
Oh no the Manchester Wheel has made a return. And look at that tram sneaking down Princess Street and then going the wrong way. Suddenly Sleuth has a lightbulb moment, so this is where Transport for Greater Manchester got the idea for Metrolink's Second City Crossing, a resin cast from China. After all it would have been a far better option to push the second crossing wider, maybe down Deansgate or Trinity Way, rather than down Princess Street and Cross Street. The present solution still has a single pair of tracks breaking point between St Peter's Square and Castlefield/Deansgate.
The spark of inspirationSLEUTH'S MOST TREACHEROUS NEW ARTWORK
Through No.3 launched in Spinningfields this week. The bespoke art installation, in partnership with Castlefield Gallery, is the creation of contemporary artist Liz West - a luminous colour and radiant light specialist - and features a walk-though prism of colour that will 'allow visitors to see the estate in a fresh new light'... and go arse over tit.
Walk Around No.3?SLEUTH'S DISH OF THE WEEK
Curtis Stewart at the new Quill Restaurant on King Street provided Sleuth and Gordo last Friday with a dish that Sleuth can still taste. It was a showstopper. Here was an egg with a filling of 'foie gras parfait, smoked eel, orange and yuzu, pecan emulsion, Thai shallots, burnt orange segments, smoked gizzard and wood sorrel'. The dish is part of the taster menu at £80. What the dish proves beyond all doubt is that Manchester has another proper fine dining venue with an excellent chef at the helm. After the third wine Sleuth was comparing those lush eggs to the pomp of a French Second Empire bed with little carved angels, tassels, satin and curlicues.
Just exquisite
The egg was as lush as thisSLEUTH'S DISH OF THE WEEK PART 2
Sleuth was in Altrincham Market and went to Honest Crust pizza and had the Brussel sprouts, chestnuts and pancetta pizza for £10 which was so festive and so excellent and just so right he drank all the wine in the nearby Reserve Wines stall. Then he dressed up as Santa, got into a fight and ended up in the Altrincham Police Cells singing the Twelve Days of Christmas, finishing the song with 'And a chestnut on a pizza-tree'.
And a chestnut on a pizza-treeGERMAN IS 195 YEARS OLD AND CAPTURED ON FILM
Friedrich Engels is one of the fathers of Communism with Karl Marx. He lived 22 years in Manchester and he doubtless wrote part of the Communist Manifesto here. It’s his birthday on Saturday 28 November. There’s a tour that’s sold out to celebrate this from the Editor-at-Large, Jonathan Schofield, but also Sleuth hears a film at HOME by Declan Clarke which features lots of sites associated with Engels in Manchester and Salford. This is called The Most Cruel of All Goddesses and is a wonderfully moody movie – more info here.
Engels, by the way, as the picture below shows, began the whole beard thing - Manchester taking the lead again. He loved a craft ale too, and a platter of cheese and hams, and bangin' tunes.
The first beard that set the trend
