Jonathan Schofield picks out some recent stories from across the city
ENO: from no to yes
A jolly gathering with lovely music was held in the Holden Gallery in Manchester Metropolitan University last week to mark the ‘new partnership’ between English National Opera (ENO) and Greater Manchester.
Speakers included Bev Craig, Manchester City Council Leader, Paul Dennett, Salford City Council Leader and Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester Mayor. The latter, with a cheeky grin on his face, revealed how negotiations had stalled time and again so at one point he’d said, and I paraphrase, well if you don’t want to come then just don’t and stop wasting our time. At the event on Thursday, of course, it was all sweetness and light although there were some in the hall eyeing their phones and watches wondering about the train times back to London. Happily on this occasion there was no cheap prosecco for quaffing, instead, ENO have an ‘Official Champagne Partner’, Laurent-Perrier. Well, yes, darling.
The Shakespeare: ‘a quart of ale is a dish for a king’
The Shakespeare pub on Fountain Street, latterly a dreary rundown dump, has been reborn. Vast pub company Greene King has polished and preened the interior so it’s now a very acceptable beery escape from the religious idiots and would-be teenage singing sensations on Market Street. Of course, this being a Greene King the menu is predictable and the fit-out familiar and in line with the 2,700 pubs the company own across the kingdom. I wrote about this sameyness while reviewing a favourite Liverpool pub The Ship and Mitre recently. Still, it’s good that The Shakespeare is alive again.
Shame about the pig wrestler
One thing Greene King have messed up on is with the façade of The Shakespeare. The seventeenth century frontage was originally part of a Chester pub which was faced with demolition so a Manc businessman saved it and shipped it to Manchester. Just above the ground floor level there is an entertaining sequence of wood carvings displaying the dangers of drink, which is a bit odd on a pub. These used to be picked out in colour, now they’re blurred with a bruising grey/black shade. Here’s the pig-wrestling carving depicting that happy pastime of our ancestors who liked to cover a pig in grease and then see who could ride it the longest without slipping off. Greene King ought to reintroduce the colour to the work if not the activity itself.
Hello again Andy Rourke
The Smiths are easily the Manchester band which drag the most people to the city despite mighty competition from other musical acts. It was tragic news when the group’s former bass player Andy Rourke died of pancreatic cancer in 2023. Mike Joyce, The Smiths’ drummer, has worked with Pancreatic Cancer Action and top Mancunian muralist Akse P19 to produce a superb artwork on the side of The Wheatsheaf pub in the Northern Quarter. Akse used as a model for the work a photograph taken by Nalinee Darmrong at a Dundee gig in 1985. It’s hoped the mural will help raise awareness of pancreatic cancer. It will also liven the street scene. Tour guide Emma Fox is shown here with a group of music fans
Goodbye Sir Howard
The 12 November memorial for Sir Howard Bernstein (SHB) who died in June this year was a lovely thing, moving yet funny, poignant yet entertaining. Eamonn Boylan, George Osborne, Marty Edelman and SHB’s son Jonathan Bernstein all contributed. There was a medley of Frank Sinatra songs by the Halle Orchestra brass section and, of course, ‘Blue Moon’ rang out given SHB's love of the Blues.
George Osborne, former Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Northern Powerhouse was created, called SHB not only the most important civil servant in the region or in local governance but the most important civil servant nationally because he actively pursued change rather than simply reacting to situations. He was an example to other cities and the civil service itself in achieving transformative results.
One story revolved around Manchester International Festival’s inception in 2007 and SHB being charged with raising money for it. “As we know Sir Howard viewed culture as he did Manchester United,” was the affectionate quip. So SHB met with Chris Oglesby of property giant Bruntwood, made the case for the festival and asked for a huge sum of sponsorship.
Chris was taken aback. He liked the idea but said he needed to get his father’s agreement. When he nervously broached the idea his dad described how he had intended to talk to Chris about it. Sir Howard apparently had already spoken to Michael too and he’d been nervous given the sum of money involved about talking to Chris. Classic SHB, both men had already agreed in principle before they talked to each other and so the deal was secured.
What was clear and moving throughout the Bridgewater Hall event was SHB’s love of his family. And more surprisingly of Lego. Thus the 1,000 guests at the commemoration of SHB’s life were appropriately given a small Lego figure in Manchester City colours with SHB on the back and his age when he died of 71.
Blueprints for the soul
Speaking of culture, top Manchester architect, Nick West, has penned with Barbara Iddon a very handsome book titled ‘Blueprints for the Soul: why we need emotion in architecture’. It’s published by RIBA and costs £35. West and Iddon believe that: ‘Over the last century, a majority of the buildings we see, work in and live in have become increasingly monolithic, functional and featureless inside and out. They are anti-nature, or put another way, anti-human. The power of architecture to inspire, move and delight has been under attack for many years and for many different reasons. But emotion in architecture matters because it satisfies and encompasses the human condition and offers a glimpse into the transcendent. Emotion in architecture allow us to appreciate, aspire and connect.’ It’s a thought-provoking read. You can buy the book here.
Ugly multi-story car park to bite the dust
Not far from The Shakespeare is Church Street multi-story car park. This tiled brute in that beloved shade of the 1970s, beige (why?) chokes the ground between Church Street and Thomas Street. It replaced a church that was formerly on the site. It’s as ugly as sin although it did provide a suitable backdrop for a car chase in Ford Cortinas in the time-flipping TV detective thriller Life on Mars. Manchester City Council is now looking for a development partner for the 1.5 acre site with a deadline of 12 February.
Council Leader Bev Craig has been quoted as saying: “Our Northern Quarter is proudly and fiercely independent and we would expect proposals to understand intimately the context of the neighbourhood and present plans that pay homage to the history and heritage of the area to support the next generation of independent businesses to thrive. The Church Street car park has for some time felt out of step with its surroundings, detracting from the wider area both in look and feel, and in the way the current building layout attracts anti-social behaviour.”
Too right, time to get rid.
(Despite our extensive photo-library we didn't have any pictures of the Church Street multi-storey car park, but the cow pat in the picture below sums up its aesthetic qualities.)
