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 NQ BAR
Sleuth hears whispers that hostel group Hatter's are hatching plans for two new watering holes in Northern Quarter, both located on the ground floor of their hostel on Hilton Street/Stevenson Square. The first is located on the corner of Oldham Street and Hilton Street, the other in the vacated Stevenson Square site, formerly occupied by the heart of indie Manchester, Koffee Pot. The two sites are split by Northern Quarter's steadfast laundrette, though Sleuth hears whispers that the laundrette may fall victim to plans to merge the two sites into one hefty late-night bar.
Hatters Hostel, Oldham Street
BLACK TOWERS OF WORRY
Sleuth is worried, as our article here says. The St Michael's proposal shown on these images from the Gary Neville fronted consortium overwhelms the Manchester Town Hall. These huge black towers need to be re-thought and re-drawn much, much lower or ditched as a poor idea. Confidential was barred from the meeting at Town Hall to launch these, presumably due to our stance on the doomed Abercromby pub. We weren't barred from the St John's meeting later in the same day which was a distillation of openness. Mike Ingall of Allied London has learnt how to play the game. Gary Neville and his backers should take a leaf out of his book.
Overwhelming towersST. HUBBINS OF ST. MICHAEL'S
Despite Sleuth's exile from the St Michael's meeting, he managed to get his hands on an artist's impression of the £150m scheme, and was glad to see Spinal Tap's David St. Hubbins alive and shredding guitar on the proposed music stage... though no one seems bothered.
ONE MORE THING
...and another thing about St Michael's, the renders don't match up. Look at the steps in the render above. Now look at the steps in the render below. The above looks a chore, the below a feature. Sleuth hopes the developers opt for the latter.
ONE LAST THING
One of the major bones of contention regarding the St Michael's scheme is the unnecessary demolition of the Abercromby pub, which has stood on that spot for around two centuries and is one of only two remaining witnesses to the Peterloo Massacre. What irked Sleuth is the below statement given in the St Michael's press pack:
'We recognise that the buildings on the site are in a conservation area and have merit in hertiage terms. But we have to recognise that they were purpose built facilites that are no longer situated to or appropriate for their original purpose. We have undertaken a considerable amount of research into these buildings and this and these will be fully and properly evaluated and assessed as part of the formal planning process which is the proper mechanism for considering such matters'
Aside from making little sense (given that they've already revealed their intention to bulldoze the lot), the suggestion is that the Abercromby pub is no longer 'appropriate' for its original purpose. Er, what? The Abercromby was a pub serving beer and still is a pub serving beer. How is that no longer appropriate? Daft.
TANNING, STEPS AND MR BIG JIG
Sleuth was at the RNCM and stumbled upon the British National Championships of Irish Dancing. There were hundreds of girls and boys many of tender years attending this leg kicking festival. Sleuth nipped in to get some spray tan as the picture below indicates. All the kids required browning which given their young age seemed a little much. Maybe that's a command from on high. In the car park was clearly the Don's car, it's number plate simply spelling out the word 'jig'.
JiggerWEIRD COUNTRY
It has been European City of Science Week in Manchester. Sleuth met a group of scientists in Manchester Central. One Czech lady said to Sleuth. "I have had five British people apologise to me over Brexit. I said to them your country is always interesting and a little bit weird and you've just proved it again."
'Your country is weird', says the Czech lady to the far leftHOLY RAVIOLI BATMAN!
Before Sleuth was barred from this week's St Michael's meeting at Town Hall, he cycled into Albert Square and found Batman loitering outside Albert Square Chop House. Batman told Sleuth he'd rode in from Bolton in order to do 22 press-ups in front of Town Hall, having pushed out 22 in front of Old Trafford, the Etihad and St Gregory's Social Club (the setting of Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights). Batman is doing 22 press-ups for 22 days in order to raise awareness of military veteran suicides. The US-born campaign claims 22 veterans commit suicide every day in the States. Sleuth thought Batman's pursuit noble and joined him on his endeavour, but collapsed after four and decamped to Albert's Chop House for 22 pints of ale.
Holy Helmet, Batman!SLEUTH SOLVES A CHRISTMAS PROBLEM
Sleuth is often asked how late can you have a Christmas party? The answer is towards the end of July. This was revealed by the notice in Hanging Ditch Wine Merchants close to the Cathedral and by the silly hat on boss Ben Stephenson's head.
Merry, er, JulySLEUTH'S EASIEST CAR THEFT
Confidential publisher Mark 'Gordo' Garner bought himself a new car this week. It's one of those clever German things which starts itself without a key and unlocks the doors as you walk up to it. Sleuth reckons Gordo must think that it closes its own doors too. After a couple of hours of Manchester rain Sleuth thinks the interior has been thoroughly baptised.
...and is that an iPhone on the dash?
Powered by Wakelet
