Frog & Bucket has been saved / Image: Frog & Bucket Comedy Club via Facebook
Frog & Bucket has been saved from closure after comedians and fans joined together to raise thousands of pounds for the famous Manchester club.
Despite functioning as a launchpad for the comedy careers of some of Britain’s greatest standups, the Frog & Bucket wasn’t considered ‘culturally significant’ enough to qualify for the government’s Culture Recovery pot – which had been launched to protect the country’s most important venues during the pandemic.
The decision to refuse the club funding was met with widespread outrage from the comedy circuit; being described as “total bulls***”.
But now, many of the people who first found success at Frog & Bucket have repaid the venue in its time of need.
Jack Whitehall, Adam Hills and Richard Herring – who all cut their teeth on Great Ancoats Street – donated substantial sums to the club’s GoFundMe page, with contributions also flooding in from Britain’s Got Talent winner Lost Voice Guy Lee Ridley, All Killa No Filla podcast legends (and Frog regulars) Kiri Pritchard McLean and Rachel Fairburn, and Peep Show’s Isy Suttie.
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The ‘Save the Frog and Bucket’ fund has since toppled £23,000; not only ensuring the club’s survival but also enabling a brand new round of gigs for 2021.
Thanks to the fresh financial boost, Frog & Bucket is fully-equipped with the tech required to provide quality visuals and sound for streaming online shows right around the country.
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The £23,000 raised will help the comedy club run a new programme of gigs / Image: Frog & Bucket Comedy Club via Facebook
The club has confirmed the reincarnation of its long-running Beat the Frog and Barrel of Laughs shows in online formats until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
Beat the Frog has been a Monday night fixture at the venue since 2003; with acts attempting to survive on stage for five minutes without being voted off (if three frog cards are held aloft, it’s game over).
Audience members, participating via Zoom, will have the power to ‘croak’ off the comedians – who will be performing live from their homes and the club itself.
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On March 8, the Beat the Frog line-up will be entirely female to mark International Women’s Day.
Barrel of Laughs, meanwhile, will showcase the best of the country’s headline acts and will be largely filmed from the Frog’s stage.
There will also be limited number of a live audience passes – with ticket-holders able to log in and interact with the show.
The club is also planning a “plethora of solo shows” in the weeks ahead – with full details of the spring programme to follow.
Welcome back, Frog & Bucket…
More information on tickets and upcoming gigs is available on the Frog & Bucket website.
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England football fans warned as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of World Cup
Emily Sergeant
England football fans are being warned to remain vigilant, as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup merely weeks from officially kicking off in the North America and Mexico on 11 June, football fans are being urged to guard against scams, as newly-released data from Lloyds has revealed that football ticket scams increased by more than a third (36%) during the current Premier League season.
The findings – which are based on thousands of scam cases between October 2025 and March 2026 – showed that fraudsters focused heavily on popular teams such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea.
Fraudsters also repeatedly targeted supporters looking for tickets to some of the most in-demand football matches in the UK, which is why, with the upcoming World Cup set to be one of the most speculated sporting events of the year, scam warnings are being issued.
It’s anticipated that fraudsters will target the big-name fixtures and attempt to exploit international demand, according to Lloyds.
England football fans are being warned as ticket scams skyrocket ahead of the World Cup / Credit: Picryl
On average, it was revealed that victims lost £215 during the current Premier League football season, but some fans even paid thousands of pounds for ‘season tickets’ or VIP seats that never existed.
Hopeful football fans are expected to pay much more for expensive World Cup tickets, meaning the potential loss for victims could be ‘devastating’.
As scammers know demand for World Cup tickets will be huge, it’s expected that they will mimic the methods seen in club level scams – including fake listings on social media, pressure to act fast, and requests for bank transfers.
“Fraudsters thrive on urgency and target fans looking for hard to get tickets for big name fixtures,” explained Liz Ziegler, who is the Fraud Prevention Director at Lloyds.
“Most of the football ticket scams we see start on social media, before the criminal moves the buyer onto WhatsApp and insists on a bank transfer to pay. It’s incredibly convincing, and we don’t want fans to lose their money trying to support their team.
“We’re urging supporters to stay alert and stick to official ticketing channels.”
Ahead of the World Cup, Lloyds and the Home Office have teamed up to take action to protect fans by highlighting how criminals will try to exploit the excitement – with Lord Hanson adding: “Our new fraud strategy sets out how we will use every tool at our disposal to disrupt and dismantle criminal operations, bring fraudsters to justice and strengthen support for victims.”
Featured Image – Pexels
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Cold case solved after 34 years as Stockport man is jailed for indecent assault and attempted rape
Emily Sergeant
A cold case has finally been solved after more than three decades, as a man has been jailed for indecent assault and attempted rape.
Aron Traynor, 56, of London Road in Stockport, was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last Friday (8 May 2026) for the violent indecent assault and attempted rape of a then 74-year-old woman all the way back in 1992.
The conviction follows a renewed cold case investigation by Greater Manchester Police’s (GMP) Cold Case Unit, as well as advances in forensic science that allowed the evidence to be re‑examined.
The victim – who has sadly since passed away – was attacked by a stranger while walking near her home.
Despite extensive forensic work at the time, no suspect was identified, and the case remained under ‘active review’. Then in 2005, the Cold Case Unit commissioned further forensic analysis, producing a near‑complete DNA profile that was added to the National DNA Database… unfortunately though, no match was found at that time.
A breakthrough came when a DNA sample taken from Traynor following an unrelated arrest for drink-driving in August 2023 matched the profile developed by the Cold Case Unit, finally bringing long‑awaited justice for the victim’s family.
In October 2023, the Cold Case Unit was formally notified of the DNA match, and Traynor was arrested shortly afterwards.
A five‑day jury trial in March 2026 found him guilty on both charges, and last week, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Speaking following Traynor’s sentencing last week, Detective Chief Inspector Cheryl Hughes said: “Time is quite simply no barrier to justice.
“Today’s sentencing shows that we never close investigations into serious violent or sexual offences. DNA is crucial, but it’s the painstaking work of our officers – revisiting evidence, tracing witnesses, and rebuilding the investigative picture – that ultimately brings offenders to justice.
“Offenders should be in no doubt that forensic science continues to advance, and every interaction they have with the criminal justice system increases the chance of their crimes being uncovered.”
The Manc -
1st March 2021 
