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Here is today's Mancunian Way:
by BETH ABBIT - Mon Aug 22, 2022
Hello and welcome,
I’m back after a few days off and a short jaunt to Dublin, where I realised I do not like Guinness, but I will not stop trying to enjoy it.
Thank you to the brilliant Adam Maidment for holding down the fort while I was away. To kick off the week, let’s look at Adam’s opinion piece about this coming weekend’s Pride celebrations.
As he says, over the years the event has morphed into one of the city’s biggest festivals - but it had far humbler beginnings as the Manchester Gay Pub and Club Olympics in 1985.
“The small event featured tug-of-war and egg-and-spoon races in a bid to raise money for local and crucial charities. Held in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, it provided a sense of community and belonging to those facing hostility and prejudice on a daily basis,” he writes.
Since then Manchester Pride has developed into one of the most popular in the country. But has it lost it’s roots? As Adam writes: “The idea of seeing drag queens taking part in an egg-and-spoon race today would face bewilderment from audiences more accustomed to seeing Ariana Grande on stage or knocking back shots of unknown spirits at 3am with a woman in a £5 rainbow wig they've just met.”
He argues that Pride has lost some of its identity over the years with the donation buckets ‘often shunted aside in favour of cocktails as people prefer to party over protest’.
Following a public consultation, Pride bosses say this year’s event will go back to its roots with a focus on protest and activism. The music festival has been moved back to the Village, there are more free, inclusive events and protest parties, kids music workshops, and a showcase night featuring queer disabled performers.
“With the work that Pride is doing, I have a feeling this year could be really different to recent Prides. While I’m still not expecting to see any egg-and-spoon races, I’m certainly hoping the donation buckets for local LGBTQ+ charities will be a bit heavier,” Adam says.
Changing the face of the city
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll already know about Victoria North - the massive Manchester city centre development set to change the face of the city.
Joseph Timan has been on a walkaround of the site, where 15,000 homes will be built between Angel Meadow and Collyhurst, with hopes for a new primary school, tram stop, parkland, GP surgeries, and walking routes. When it’s completed, it will have created seven neighbourhoods.
Developers Far East Consortium (FEC) has spent more than £120m so far and £3.88 billion is expected to be spent overall. They’re working with Manchester Council, which has secured a £51m government grant to prepare the previously industrial areas for residential use.
Red Bank is set to gain 5,500 new flats, including affordable housing, with industrial units and railway arches converted for commercial spaces. Developers say the area can become a ‘brewing quarter’ with a hope that independent businesses will join Runaway and Blackjack. There is also funding to de-silt the River Irk and revamp St Catherine’s Wood and hopes for a Metrolink stop at Sandhills Park.
Collyhurst will be split in two to create Collyhurst Village and South Collyhurst. Construction on 244 ‘Village’ homes begins in the autumn - 100 of which will be bought by the council for affordable renting. The 29 existing homes will be cleared, but everyone will be offered the opportunity to stay. Meanwhile, South Collyhurst will see 30 homes built, with room for more.
Weather, etc.
- Tuesday: Cloudy changing to light rain by early evening. 22C.
- Roads closed: A57 Eccles New Road westbound for roadworks from Stott Lane to Gilda Brook Road until September 12.
- Trams: No service on Metrolink between Eccles and MediaCityUK due to engineering works until October 21.
- Trains: Cancellations across the network on Avanti West Coast.
- Today's Manc trivia question: Who headlined MCR Pride Live in 2019?
Answer at the bottom of the newsletter
Not good enough
Andy Burnham has renewed his call for answers from Avanti amid severe disruption to the West Coast mainline.
The mayor was among passengers struggling on the route this morning and tweeted: “On @AvantiWestCoast from Wigan to Edinburgh where all the seats are double-booked. I’m aware of chaos on other services this morning. It’s not good enough. We need to hear from the company this week as to how/when it will restore the full timetable.”
Many customers have faced major disruption in recent weeks after Avanti slashed timetables, with services between Manchester and London reduced from three per hour to one per hour. Passengers are also being prevented from booking tickets more than a few days in advance.
The company has blamed workers for embarking on ‘unofficial strike action’, But drivers’ union Aslef accuses the operator of failing to employ enough drivers.
£75 one way
If you're planning on travelling between our city and the capital this weekend, there is an alternative to Avanti.
Heritage train company Locomotive Services Group has launched a first class-only charter service to and from London Euston on Fridays. The train’s air-conditioned carriages are restored British Rail Mark 3 stock with three-abreast seating, tables, power points and large windows.
The service departs from Crewe at 2.29pm, running non-stop to arrive at London Euston at 4.12pm. The train will set off to return north at 5.27pm, calling at Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe and Wilmslow before arriving at Manchester Piccadilly at 8.45pm. Fares cost £75 each way.
Avanti West Coast passengers booking at the last minute for travel from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly on Fridays in standard class are charged £68.60 for an off-peak single. First-class travel – which, unlike on the charter train, includes food and drink – costs £169.30.
Manchester headlines
Inquiry: 'Devoted' dad Thomas Campbell, who was found dead at his home, suffered a 'quite horrific' level of injury, police say. Detectives investigating his death in Mossley also say 'at least' two 'high-value' Rolex watches he owned were missing and haven't been seen since. They appealed for the public's help to locate the watches today - saying they were an 'important line of inquiry' - as a man wanted on suspicion of Mr Campbell's alleged murder was named. More here.
Strike: Criminal barristers in England and Wales have voted in favour of an all-out strike next month. Members of the Criminal Bar Association have been walking out on alternate weeks as part of a dispute with the Government over jobs and pay. According to figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), more than 6,000 court hearings have been disrupted as a result of the dispute over conditions and Government-set fees for legal aid advocacy work. CBA vice chairwoman Kirsty Brimelow QC said this was 'last-resort action' over a demand for less money than it costs the Government for the courts to sit empty.
Lucky Cat: Gordon Ramsay looks set to open a swanky Pan-Asian restaurant, Lucky Cat, on the site formerly occupied by Jamie’s Italian and HSBC. Owners of Union Street Cafe, of which Ramsay is a director, have filed a licensing application for a ‘high quality Asian style bar and restaurant with entertainment by way of recorded music and a DJ’ on King Street, with trading over three floors.
Mobbed by the Ovaltine tins
When Muhammad Ali visited Stretford Mall in the 1970s, things didn’t quite go to plan. It was October 1971 and the heavyweight boxing champ was on a tour of the UK to promote Ovaltine. But when he reached the Tesco store in Trafford, he was met by more than 1,000 fans.
Cornered between two mountains of Ovaltine, Ali was unable to move and had to be escorted to safety by police. Phoebe Barton took a look at the story behind this extraordinary archive picture.
Worth a read
Most of us don’t spend our days organising cat ice sculptures and wedding dresses for pugs - but for Debbie Marks, it’s a regular occurrence. She’s been a wedding planner for 23 years and says she has seen it all.
“A local client was having a middle eastern theme for their event. There were quite a lot of kids involved so I was asked if I could arrange some camel rides to give the kids rides up and down the residential road outside their venue. This never went ahead as they decided being responsible for poo shovelling on the main road wasn't a good idea,” she says, in this fascinating piece about her job, written by Paige Oldfield.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me, the next edition of the Mancunian Way will be with you around the same time on Monday. I'll be away for a week, but I leave you in the capable hands of Adam Maidment. If you have any stories you would like us to feature or look into, please email: beth.abbit@menmedia.co.uk
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The answer to today’s trivia question, who headlined MCR Pride Live in 2019, was Ariana Grande and Years & Years.
