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
Liberté
SLEUTH AND THE TOWN HALL
A friend of Sleuth was exclaiming about the cheek of the Town Hall and that Sir Richard Leese. Not only have the councillors and their boss ensured they’re getting the best public realm in the city with St Peter’s Square out the back door, and not only has Sir Richard got a tram almost to his front door in Crumpsall, but now the whole bally lot of them want £330m worth of mod cons in head office too. Moon on a stick eh?
This way to the council spa and massage parlour, folks
SLEUTH'S NEW BAR
Sleuth attended the launch of BEAT STREET at Great Northern last night – a new outdoor/indoor alleyway of street food diners, new bars, art spaces, sun decks and Japanese tat occupying the long forgotten Deansgate Mews for the foreseeable future. That is given the authorities don’t lock ‘em down for buying knock-off JMW Turners or attaching a seven metre long ‘Tronosaurus Rex’ onto a Grade II-listed building.
Sleuth got chatting to local booze loon Lyndon Higginson – one of three Beat Street organisers and owner of multiple debauched Manchester establishments. Higginson told Sleuth (amongst others things Sleuth can never repeat) that he was close to securing a Northern Quarter site for a second Crazy Pedro’s – a bar on Manchester's Square With No Name which has carved out a notorious reputation for frozen margaritas, Greggs-themed pizza and late-night beer ponging. Keep an eye out...
Is Crazy Pedro heading for NQ?
SLEUTH'S SELL-OUT STRATEGY
Sleuth also caught with Beat Street founder Chris Legh during the launch, the bloke that gave the city Friday Food Fights and Junkyard Golf Club. Sleuth and Chris were discussing the ubiquitousness and bastardisation of street food. "It's funny," said Legh. "People keep asking me when street food will run its course... but this weekend we shifted over 1000 tickets to this event in under ten minutes." "Wow," said Sleuth, "but then you are giving away free beer." "...fair point," said Legh.
SLEUTH'S BITTER DECOR
Sleuth went to a neighbourhood bistro in Sale the other day. Sleuth turned up at Chez Nous feeling relatively upbeat, but things turned a bit dark after a trip to the loos. It seems that the owners might have one or two relationship issues. If you've seen wallpaper more disillusioned and embittered than this, please Sleuth us know @mcrsleuth
SLEUTH'S PR ADVICE
As Sleuth's sure you’re all aware, it’s World Emoji Day on the 17 July. Pizza Hut will be marking this special occasion across six of its UK branches, including the Manchester branch on Fountain Street, by translating its entire menu into emoji, thus saving pizza-guzzlers the trouble of having to think or even read. Vegetarians might particularly enjoy tucking into tomato, branch, green heart, toadstool, or the spicier version with a couple of chillis and a small campfire. Personally Sleuth thinks the idea is a bit...
SLEUTH AND THE FIRE STATION
Dismay and havoc this week on one of the ‘superb, amazing, London Road Fire Station tours’ (as the Editor-at-Large who conducts them says). Now in the safe hands of Allied London, the magnificent building had been left to moulder for thirty years by the country’s worst hotel group, Britannia, who times too many to number had promised to deliver a fine hotel in the ex-Fire Station. So the tour guide shocked his guests when he said, “You may have heard that part of the building is going to be a hotel. So exclusively for you I can now reveal who the operator will be?” An expectant hush fell over the eager crowd. “It’s going to be the Britannia Group,” he said. Stunned silence. Then laughter. “Yea, only joking,” said the guide.
SLEUTH & POKEMON GO
Whilst on the London Road Fire Station tour one of the guests exclaimed, "Oh look, the Police Station part of the building, is on Pokemon Go. The place really has started to become recognised." "Why are you playing Pokemon Go, on my tour?" said the crestfallen tour guide.
As the Pokemon Go'ers gathered, Jigglypuff could take it no more...
SLEUTH AND THE FIRE STATION... AGAIN
Speaking of London Road, Sleuth hears that following the 'superb, amazing, London Road Fire Station tours’ (as the Editor-at-Large who conducts them says), Sleuth hears London Road developers Allied London are preparing to throw the venue's first summer event, a market festival 'celebrating and showcasing the designers, makers & creators of Manchester' sometime around August. Should give those who've yet to see inside this iconic Grade II-listed 'festival of terracotta' a chance to have a nosey, buy some doilies and perhaps snag a Pikachu.
SLEUTH AND WHAT A FIREMAN CAN DO WITH HIS POLE
Ex-firemen on the London Road Fire Station tours have been relating what can be done with a good pole. Apparently back in the day, before the Fire Station closed in March 1986, one of the firemen who liked his creature comforts would glide down the fireman’s pole with two blankets tucked under his arm, smoking a fag, carrying a full mug of tea and he wouldn’t spill a drop. Other officers would have a competition going head first down a pole, without a helmet, and seeing who could stop themselves closest to the floor. The winner would have drinks bought for him later. The least capable head diver would have to buy them, and might also have a headache.
'Your turn first Geoff'
SLEUTH’S SONG OF THE WEEK
Sleuth was at Chetham’s Library when Michael Powell, the Librarian, was showing off some nineteenth century ballads in the collection. “This one might work right now,” he said. It was called ‘England’s Stagnation; Or I wonder where the money’s gone.’ One verse reads: ‘The thieves say the times are very hard, if pockets they try twenty/Nineteen of them are marked to let – they are completely empty/The doctors say they’ve naught to do, the lawyers they are crying/The coffin makers are full employed, ‘cause people they keep dying’.
SLEUTH'S TWEET OF THE WEEK
Powered by Wakelet
