A Manchester couple has been gifted the bench they met on at a city centre bar to keep as a memento in their new flat.
In a classic Manc love story, Christian Steels and Jade Hindley first met each other at the popular Revolución de Cuba Manchester, just off Deansgate on Peter Street, during a “fun-filled fiesta” over three years ago, and have been “soulmates” living happily together ever since.
“I took a particular shine to Jade,” Christian said.
“She was the most stunning girl I had ever seen, so I pulled her to one side on the street outside the entrance and invited her to sit with me on one of the benches.
“It was a very out-of-character move from me [but] I must have been spurred on by several Zombie cocktails and I asked for her phone number. Then later that night, I messaged her (keen, I know), and we have now been going out for over 3 years and live together.”
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With Jade’s birthday fast approaching and the pair having recently moved into a new flat together, Christian hatched a plan to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday with a gift that would commemorate their time together and decided that the original bench from outside the bar would be the perfect memento, so he sent a heartfelt to Revolución de Cuba asking if he was able to buy it of them.
And Revs were more than happy to take him up on the offer, gifting Christian the bench for free.
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Revolución de Cuba Manchester
The owners of Revolución de Cuba’s Manchester branch then contacted the original manufacturers of the bench to organise for its proper removal and modification, so that it could be safely re-installed on the balcony of the couple’s new flat.
Once it had been moved to its new location, Christian then attached a gift tag to the bench, which read “Where It All Began” to complete the birthday surprise.
Jade was apparently “utterly flabbergasted” when the gift was unveiled.
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Speaking on the heartwarming gesture, Clinton Ghent – Operations Director for Revolución De Cuba, which is currently temporarily closed to the public amid England’s third national lockdown – said, “When Christian approached us, we fell in love with his story, and with our bars currently closed we wanted to extend the fun and fiesta we usually host in our bars to him at home.
“This felt like a great second best, and along with some of our freshly made cocktails, he can enjoy the fiesta experience until we reopen”.
Revolución de Cuba Manchester is due to reopen for indoor hospitality as part of ‘Step Three’ of the government’s roadmap to lifting lockdown on 17th May, at the earliest.
Vintage fashion sale to pop up in Greater Manchester with all proceeds going to charity
Emily Sergeant
A sustainable vintage fashion shop and kilo sale is popping up in a Greater Manchester town in a couple of days time.
And all the proceeds will go to a very-worthy charity.
Merely weeks after the UK’s largest vintage market descended on the iconic Victoria Baths in Manchester city centre, another sustainable fashion event will be popping up in one of the region’s popular shopping centres for the month.
British Heart Foundation will be hosting a brand-new pop-up shop and vintage kilo sale, where you can buy clothing and other goods at a fixed price per kilogram, in Stretford town centre.
Opening its doors this Saturday (5 April), the charity will be taking over the vacant unit that’s next door to JD Sports to provide the Stretford community with a charity shop filled with all sorts of vintage goods and thrifty finds.
Visitors will be able to sift through shelves stacked with major brands at bargain prices, making it the perfect way to sustainably stock up on wardrobe staples and revamp ready for spring.
A vintage fashion sale is popping up in a Greater Manchester town centre with all proceeds going to charity / Credit: Supplied
All proceeds from the pop-up shop will go directly to the British Heart Foundation, helping to fund vital research into cures and treatments for heart and circulatory diseases, so whether you’re a fashion lover, an avid bargain hunter, or you simply just want to support a good cause, you know where to head on down to.
Running right through until 19 April, this venture is set to be a massively-valuable new addition to Stretford town centre.
The British Heart Foundation pop-up store will be open on Mondays – Saturdays from 10am-4pm, and on Sundays from 10am-3:30pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
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Jack Grealish dedicates first league goal in 16 months to late brother on anniversary of his death
Danny Jones
Manchester City star Jack Grealish held back the tears following his first Premier League goal in more than 16 months, but not in relief after breaking the duck, because it came on a very emotional day for him and his family.
The Man City and England midfielder opened the scoring in the Blues’ 2-0 win against Leicester City on Wednesday night, bringing an end to his goal drought after a total of 473 days.
But what made it even more special is that the game happened to coincide with the anniversary of his late brother Keelan’s death.
Speaking in his post-match interview after picking up the man of the match award, Grealish was in a noticeably quieter mood than his usual charismatic self before revealing that the day marked the 25th anniversary of his younger sibling’s death.
Jack Grealish dedicates his goal to his late brother on the 25th anniversary of his death ❤️ pic.twitter.com/u3toaqZSuR
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2025
The 29-year-old went on to reveal that the date coincided with Keelan’s passing and acknowledged that it’s “hard on the family but [I’m] happy to score”.
His mum and dad, Karen and Kevin, were up in the stands; it doesn’t need explaining why scoring in that particular moment was so special for all of them.
Clearly stirred by addressing what was a bittersweet occasion, he signed off by adding, “To score and to win was brilliant.”
Keelan Daniel Grealish was just nine months old when he tragically passed away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) back in 2000 – ‘Super Jack’ was just four at the time.
Paying tribute on social media after the game, the comments below his post were filled with love and support.
Besides the goal itself, the former Aston Villa star was keen to reiterate that he was never brought to the club to score bags of goals and “has a lot more to offer” than just hitting the back of the net.
Touching on his Grealish’s game and the tribute to Keelan during his post-match duties, manager Pep Guardiola went on to add: “Jack is an incredible human being; in terms of gestures and for the other people, he’s incredibly generous.
“I didn’t know that [it was the anniversary of his brother’s death]. I can’t imagine how tough it could be for mum, dad, sister, and all the family. It’s good on this day to remember him, I’m pretty sure they remember every single day.”
A lovely moment from a much-loved character around the Eithad Stadium as well as up and down the country. Rest in peace, Keelan.
You can watch the highlights from the game down below:
Three more points on the board for City and a big moment for the Brummy-born midfielder.
Emily Sergeant -
8th March 2021 
