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Here's the Mancunian Way for today:
Hello
What did you have for your dinner? If you lived or worked in Oldham you may have well have gone to the new Greggs Outlet which opened in the town centre last weekend.
It sells heavily discounted items left over from the day before. The aim is to reduce food waste with a percentage of all sales go towards tackling food poverty.
I think we can all agree that's very admirable. But if you're anything like me what you really want to know is exactly how cheap the sausage rolls are. Read on to find out.
In today's newsletter we'll also hear from the manager of a Gay Village adult store that's been targeted by vandals for the fourth time in six weeks and find out which swish Manchester city centre cocktail spot has been named the UK's best bar.
And ahead of a crunch meeting on Friday we'll take a look at the crucial questions facing an under-fire NHS trust.
Meat pie, sausage roll...
Two pals are browsing the shelves of a brand new Greggs. "This is the best thing that's ever happened to Oldham,” one tells the other.
It’s a bold statement that perhaps downplays what the likes of Joe Royle, Annie Kenny and the Industrial Revolution did for the town. But then again lots of people really do like Greggs.
And Oldham’s newest branch isn’t any old Greggs, it’s a Greggs Outlet. Last year, the bakery revealed plans to open a number of discount stores across the country.
Thirty have already opened their doors and the new branch on Henshaw Street, opposite Oldham's Tommyfield Market, is the first to arrive in Greater Manchester. Fresh from being nominated for the prestigious Orwell award, we sent ace reporter Stephen Topping to check it out.
“The first thing you notice as you walk into the store is that there is no hot food counter, which usually catches the eye of every hungry customer who comes through the door,” Stephen writes. “Instead, favourites like sausage rolls and steak bakes are bagged up in multiples and displayed on shelves around the store, alongside sweet treats like doughnuts and Belgian buns.
“There are also sandwiches kept in a fridge in the corner of the store, which at first glance appears the same as it would in your regular Greggs, until you notice the prices. Red signs around the shop also remind customers that this isn't your usual Greggs.”
So what are the prices like? A pack of four sausage rolls, which would normally cost £3.60, are on sale for £1.55.
Two steak bakes are £1.55, compared to the regular price of £1.90 each. And a pack of four jam doughnuts is just 55p, a massive 78% saving on the usual £2.55 price tag.
So there’s some big savings to be had, but if you’re thinking about paying a visit don’t leave it too late. Once the stock runs out, it won't be replaced until the next morning.
'This has to stop'
An adult store in Manchester’s Gay Village has been targeted by vandals for the fourth time in just six weeks. In the latest attack on Monday evening two masked men smashed the glass door of Clone Zone with what appeared to be a crowbar before speeding off on a motorbike.
The windows of the Sackville Street shop are still boarded up from three previous attacks that took place in almost identical circumstances. Clone Zone general manager Richard Tropez said: "They need catching."
Richard told M.E.N. reporter James Holt he’s been forced to install new CCTV and even put security on the door, but the attacks still continue. One incident took place while an unmarked police sat outside.
Last month Greater Manchester Police said catching the offenders was their 'top priority' and that the force would not 'tolerate these kinds of mindless acts of vandalism'.
On May 10, one man was arrested by police on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage and then released on bail.
Following the latest attack Coun Pat Karney said that the council was demanding an urgent meeting with GMP. "These hate criminals must be caught," he said.
"The shop staff must be terrified for their safety with all these attacks. This has to stop."
The failing NHS trust and its missing chief exec
Greater Manchester Mental Health Trust is under the microscope once again. Leaders at the under-fire trust are expecting to be grilled by councillors at a crunch meeting this week, Helena Vesty reports.
The trust has faced a slew of allegations and investigations in recent months, many of them stemming from the revelations aired in a September episode of Panorama in which an undercover reporter exposed shocking conditions at the Edenfield Centre in Prestwich. There’s also been concerns about the way the trust handled the cases of baby-killer Zak Bennett-Eko and Eltonia Skana, the killer of seven-year-old Emily Jones.
GMMH’s efforts to change will be closely examined by Manchester’s health scrutiny committee. But it’s understood the town hall is concerned there’s not have enough evidence to show major issues are being resolved, and that progress is happening at an infuriatingly slow pace.
One man who won't be attending the meeting is the trust’s chief exec Neil Thwaite as he’s on annual leave. Instead the trust will be represented by other members of the board, the M.E.N. understands.
That’s caused much frustration among the committee, not least because time to question Mr Thwaites is running out, as he’s due to step down in the coming weeks having handed in his resignation.
Best bar none
Brothers Joe and Daniel Schofield might be out shopping for a new trophy cabinet today. That's because last night their Manchester cocktail bar Schofield’s was named the best in the UK for the second year running.
The bar, in Sunlight House on Little Quay Street, was also named Best in the North at the annual Class magazine awards in London. Last year Schofield’s won both Bar of the Year and New Bar of the Year.
The brothers, originally from Rossendale, opened Schofield’s in 2021, having worked at some of the best cocktail spots in the world, including the American Bar at the Savoy and Coupette in London.
Big changes for Ardwick?
A new day, another multi-million pound housing development in Manchester. This time it’s Upper Brook Street under the Mancunian Way in Ardwick getting the CGI treatment.
If approved the £450m estate will house 11,000 bedrooms in purpose-built student accommodation. Those new beds will ‘free up homes for local residents’, the consortium behind the plan says.
Two new public squares will also be created alongside a life sciences workspace, a community centre, a medical centre, convenience store, a café and shops.
A public consultation is to be held on May 26 at Brunswick Parish Church, Brunswick Street, Ardwick. Plans can also be viewed online from today.
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Weather etc
Temperatures: Thursday will be largely dry and cloudy with some sunny spells. 19C.
Roadworks: Ainsford Road, Burnage, is closed in both directions due to water main work between Southlea Road and Haldon Road.
Trivia question: In which city did the first Greggs bakery open in 1951? Bonus points if you can also name the suburb.
Manchester headlines
Station death: A person was found dead on the train tracks at East Didsbury railway station last night. More here.
Motorway closure: A busy stretch of the M60 motorway will be resurfaced in a scheme lasting around two months. The work will take place between junctions seven and eight, between Sale, Altrincham and Carrington including Stretford, in both directions from May 30. Read more.
Connected: Free wi-fi is set to be rolled out across Manchester city centre, with advertising boards set to act as giant routers. A total of 22 boards have been installed at locations across the city.
Worth a read
Chief reporter Neal Keeling tells the story Bernadette Bell, a 22-year-old 'ATS girl' from Moston. She was one of 26 young women killed during a Nazi bombing raid in Norfolk on May 11, 1943.
It was the single biggest loss of female life in the British Army. You can read more about Bernadatte and how her sacrifice was finally honoured on the 80th anniversary of the tragedy here.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me. If you have stories you would like us to look into, email beth.abbit@menmedia.co.uk.
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The answer to today's trivia question is: The first Greggs opened in Gosforth, Newcastle.
