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
A FAVELA... ON DEANSGATE?
Though Sleuth hears the no-go slums of Brazilian's megacities have some fantastic grub (not that anyone Sleuth knows has been, they're too busy quaffing Burgundy and buying brogues, still, they did read something in The Guardian about it...), there's still something faintly perverse about naming a new restaurant in central Manchester 'Favela' - unless of course they plan to serve fried caiman and fafofa with a side of destitution and misery.
Still, Favela, a new 80 cover Brazilian, Peruvian and Argentinian restaurant, bar and dancehall is set to open somewhere on Deansgate later this year. Sleuth's told Favela will focus around the rotisserie, steaks and ceviche and offer 'accessible fine dining'. Sleuth reckons after the meal punters should be lead out into a back alley for a gun fight with grenade-lobbing bandidos. You know, for authenticity.
'I believe you forgot to tip sir...'DUCIE BRIDGE PUB TO CLOSE
Always sad news to hear a pub closing down. As Confidential's Editor-at-Large said here: 'proper pubs possess that almost indefinable quality of time passing and of lives lived, as though the ghosts of generations of drinkers and chatters are sat among the present guests, informing the whole experience with their departed conviviality'. Hear, hear. The Ducie will fall casualty to Co-op's grand £800m plans for NOMA, as Corporation Street's old Crown and Cushion did in 2013.
Some pubs have heroic figures associated with them, most don't. The Ducie was one of Nancy 'Dickie Bird' Cunningham's many boozers. Nancy is famous as being the most arrested person in the city's history. She was nicked 173 times for being drunk and disorderly while also being a well known 'singer and whistler'. In 1912 she was 'saved' by the Salvation Army and appeared at meetings across the UK, singing and whistling for God and sobriety. Then she'd lapse, get drunk, get arrested, be saved, lapse, drink, get arrested and so on until she popped her clogs in 1931. Her funeral in Manchester General Cemetery was attended by thousands. God loves a trier.
Ducie Bridge will close this weekend£7.5m MANCHESTER HALL PLANS UNVEILED
Back in December 2014 Sleuth revealed work had begun to convert Percy Scott Worthington's monumental Grade II-listed Masonic Hall (1929) on Bridge Street into Manchester Hall - a new multifarious food, drink and event venue. Leeds-based Mexican outfit Cielo Blanco are already confirmed for the space directly opposite Manchester House, now Vision Developments are inviting operators to let one of two 7000 sq ft ground floor/basement venues. There's rumours of course: Nobu, Polpo, Mr Wimpy, and of course, Byron, Pizza Express, Zizzi and Greggs. Naturally Sleuth will keep an eye out. For now here's some of the renders...
MASSIVE HOLE APPEARS IN MANCHESTER
"Yes, we've created a massive hole in Manchester's transport policy," said a council spokesperson to Sleuth. "We've run a Metrolink second city crossing together with pulling a bridge building down on Oxford Road, altering bus circulations, putting road works on Trinity Way and the new bypass at NOMA, narrowing Deansgate at key junctions plus several other initiatives too many to mention. But then an act of God," here the spokesperson paused and shook his fist at the heavens, "goes and creates another massive hole in the Mancunian Way. This has seriously disrupted our plans to have the city centre transport circulation in full working order by 2034 or 2056, we're not quite sure which yet. As we say in the city council we're always prepared for surprises unless they're unexpected."
Addition to transport policyCYCLISTS ARE UNHAPPY SHOCK
Sleuth is a cyclist but gets irritated by the way so many cyclists whinge on and on. They make farmers look content and happy. Sleuth finds cycling into the city a joy. The trick is to take it easy and cycle slow and steady appreciating a gentle commute in the open air, all that garish lycra and frenetic speeding on 18-gear machines is so stressful, slow down folks. In otherwords Sleuth says don't think the roads have been cleared for the Tour-de-France and thus all other road users are potential murderers. Helen Pidd of The Guardian doesn't seem to agree, as she stated in her whinge piece this week titled: Why Manchester is a terrible cycling city. She makes some valid points but Sleuth thinks it just isn't that grim. Although the article does prove yet again how the council is pleasing no-one, not even groups they might think were on their side, with its 'massive hole' city centre transport policy.
SLEUTH HAS FLOWERS IN HIS HAIR. HAPPY HAPPY SLEUTH
Sleuth loves cycling, as stated above, and particularly loves cycling under the Mancunian Way at the moment - via the subways and roundabouts in Hulme. The Grow Wild: Tale of Two Cities scheme in Manchester and Liverpool has sprinkled flowers like fields of dreams across the planted areas. Sleuth sighs every time he gently pedals by. Folks, it's lovely. Sometimes Sleuth even pauses and puts poppies in his hair for the rest of the journey. This suits his rather racy Brompton Bike from Piccadilly Station's Brompton Dock, and also allows him to experiment with extracting opium in the office. Just joking folks, just joking.
Beautiful flowersVIP RESEARCH
This week Sleuth was heading down Market Street when the usual mix of pandemonium and menace forced Sleuth off the drag and onto Brown Street where he came across this mysterious staircase up to 'VIP Research'. Intrigued, Sleuth climbed the staircase and was handed a questionnaire. It began...
1. Do you like the Milton Club?
...Sleuth left.
IN DEFENCE...
Speaking of The Milton Club, Sleuth read a rather gloomy piece this week in the Manchester media titled Why nightclubs in Manchester are dead. The piece argues clubs are dying because the yoof are too health conscious to 'binge and take drugs' and because dance music is now toilet. Sleuth doesn't agree, primarily because a recent study proved drug use is on the rise, as is the global popularity of dance music, but also because Sleuth has witnessed some sterling club nights in recent last years: Funkademia, Warehouse Project, So Flute, Drop The Mustard and so on. Most baffling though was the article's alternative to going out clubbing in Manchester... the Milton Club. Deary me.
SLEUTH'S REBEL OF THE WEEK...
No Bills on Deansgate Locks eh? How about a William...
A DEDICATED FOLLOWER OF FASHION
Last year at the Grammys, US popstar Pharrel famously paired his vintage Vivienne Westwood Buffalo hat with an Adidas track jacket. Last night at Solita Prestwich Confidential's Gordo paired his Buffalo hat with a bacon buttie.
