SLEUTH | New Deansgate Bar, The Smith's Arms, Noel Gallagher

Confidentials 5 August 2016

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

NEW WIFF-WAFF BAR

Back in October last year Sleuth revealed that Leeds-based bar and restaurant operator, the Jones Bar Group, were planning to launch their gaming bar, Roxy Ball Room (main image), in Manchester sometime next year. Now Sleuth has wind that they've secured a site on Deansgate, on the first floor above La Tasca, opposite Barton Arcade. Should their licence be granted at the close of this month, the new 'Ping Pong, Pool, Beer Pong, Craft Beer, Cocktails, Pizza & Burgers' venue could launch in 'eight to nine months' following building work. Sleuth hears they're currently being shafted by the lift shaft...

Roxy Ball Room plans to open above La Tasca on Deansgate

SLEUTH'S VERY APPROPRIATE PROTEST

Sleuth sees a protest is planned to save another eighteenth century former Manchester pub within a conservation area from being levelled. This time it's The Smith's Arms in Ancoats, which dates back to 1775, and could be demolished to make way for around 200 new apartments. There has been an ongoing effort to get The Smith's Arms put on English Heritage’s 'List of Buildings of Special Architectural Interest' and save it - to no avail.

Now, in what must be the politest, most British demonstration yet, civic conservation group Manchester Shield will be swapping remonstration for mastication by inviting everyone who gives a monkeys to a picnic protest on Sunday 7 August (2pm) in Ancoats' Cutting Room Square. Sleuth's told a number of notable local figures are expected to attend, including Smiths drummer Mike Joyce, who probably got a little confused when he was told developers wanted to dismantle The Smith's Arms. "But then I'd have to use my feet," said Joyce.

YELLOW PERIL

Sleuth overheard this in Exchange Square. Two older women were walking past the tram stop admiring its full Metrolink yellow with an equally vivid tram halted there. “It’s clever,” said one to the other, “how they’ve matched the station and tram colour with the Selfridges banners.” Sleuth stopped the pair and explained the expression of putting the cart before the horse.

And it was called 'yellow'

THE STARING TOWER OF MANCHESTER

Sleuth felt he was being watched. He turned and there was London Road Fire Station tower peering down at him with flamboyant eye decoration, eyebrows sculpted like eagles and a fine set of teeth in a rather large underbite. Oh and with a rather elaborate hat as well.

Watching, always watching...

SLEUTH’S FINEST INTERIOR OF THE WEEK

This is the splendidly restored and utterly spectacular Refuge Assurance boardroom which is now part of the Palace Hotel. Sleuth almost fainted with joy as he contoured the tile and wooden details. The designer was the Town Hall architect, Alfred Waterhouse, and the style is boldly Renaissance. It’s bloody lovely. The equally gorgeous main banking hall, now the public dining areas operated by the Volta and Electrik boys, Luke and Justin, opens on 14 September and that will warrant a whole photo gallery.

Bloody lovely

GALLAGHER TOWERS

Sleuth was conducting a walking tour with the property folk of Marketing Manchester. As we were stood at the site of the Bruntwood and Select Property Group’s 33 storey development Affinity development next to the Lowry Hotel. Suddenly Noel Gallagher strolled by from the hotel. “This,” deadpanned Sleuth as the rocker passed, “will be an oasis of city living.” “Shame he didn’t turn back and acknowledge the joke,” said Louise of the group. “Indeed if he’d not been happy with me I would have shouted, “Oi, Noel, I’ve told you, don’t look back in anger.”

LIBRARY FACTS

Sleuth loves moany Twitterland occasionally. Occasionally. The editor-at-large had posted a panoramic picture of St Peter’s Square praising how it is starting to look slick, modern and quite spectacular. One Twitter response was curmudgeonly and also added the comment ‘and the library is criminally underused’. Sleuth has always thought it anything but underused so asked for the visitor numbers for last year, Jan-Dec 2015. The number was spectacular: 1,513,391. This makes it easily the most visited cultural attraction in Greater Manchester. This fact was pointed out to the misery twitterer and it wasn’t enough. ‘No one is impressed by the managerialist click counting of ‘service users’ anymore,’ he grumbled. Bless.

'I've no words for this book'

SLEUTH'S MOST ITALIAN MOMENT

Sleuth was cycling through town around lunchtime this week, when he saw the don of the San Carlo Italian restaurant empire, Carlo Distefano, doing his usual, daily rounds, door-stepping each of his restaurants on King Street West and striking the fear of God into his underlings. In Carlo marched through the front doors of San Carlo, soon to appear again. Looking rattled, he began down Southgate towards the delivery entrance at the back, where the chattering kitchen brigade huddle and puff. Sleuth could feel something bubbling so gave pursuit. Here Distefano thundered through the back, where a chef - who had been slumped on a barrel, flicking through his phone - jolted up as though his strings had been yanked. Now Sleuth has spent a good deal of time in Italy, and has seen his fair share of Italian strops, but this was quite exceptional. Textbook. A true master at work. As Sleuth pedelled off with lunch in basket and beautiful Italian profanity chasing him down the alley, he could've almost been winding his way through the Campo de’ Fiori... if it hadn't been for the seven smelly Biffa bins outside Mulligans.