Manchester

Eric Cantona pictured at Peveril of the Peak on reopening day

A footballing legend heads down to one of Manchester's most famous pubs as they prepare to pour the first pints after lockdown.

The Manc The Manc - 22nd April 2021

Thursday was always going to be an important day for Peveril of the Peak. The doors to the famous pub had been locked for months – and this was the date when the pints would finally start pouring again.

But the arrival of a very special guest at the Great Bridgewater St boozer on April 22 turned reopening day from a big occasion into an unforgettable one.

As the barrels were prepped and the tables were propped up outdoors, the first visitor pictured at ‘The Pev’ turned out to be none other than Manchester United legend Eric Cantona.

The former striker – who scored 82 goals during five years at Old Trafford – was seen stood behind the bar on Thursday afternoon.

Posting on social media, The Pev revealed that some filming was being completed at the venue during the daytime and they planned to reopen to the public around 5pm.

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Cantona has been spotted shooting in other locations around the city this week – with another photo showing him in conversation with current United star Bruno Fernandes.

Peveril of the Peak is not just one of the most beloved old boozers in Manchester but also one of the most visually distinct for its iconic green tiled Victorian architecture.

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It is operated by one of the longest-serving landladies in the region – with 89-year-old Nancy Swanick celebrating 50 years behind the pumps in January 2021.

The Pev had originally planned to reopen on May 17 following the national lockdown, but owners brought the date forward “due to much popular demand and nice weather.”

Serving recommences outdoors from around 5pm tonight (April 22).

Manchester

Man jailed for life after ‘preparing for terrorism’ in relation to Manchester synagogue attack

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A man with links to the Manchester synagogue terrorist attacker has been jailed for life after pleading guilty to preparing for acts of terrorism.

You may remember that earlier last month, it was revealed that Mohammad Asim Bashir, of Shaftesbury Road in Cheetham Hill, had pleaded guilty to one count of preparation for acts of terrorism under the Terrorism Act 2006, and a subsequent two-day sentencing hearing to decide his fate had been set for this week at Manchester Crown Court.

The sentencing this week comes after Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW) launched a large-scale investigation to establish the full circumstances behind the attack.

In case you need a reminder, the shocking knife and car attack took place on 2 October 2025 on Yom Kippur – the holiest day in the Jewish calendar – at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue.

During the incident, two men sadly lost their lives during the attack – Adrian Daulby, 53, who was shot dead by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) while trying to stop the attacker from entering the synagogue, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, a worshipper who also helped stop the attacker.

GMP synagogue attack
A man with links to the Manchester synagogue terrorist attacker has been jailed for life / Credit: Google Maps | GMP

The attacker was named as 35-year-old Jihad al Shamie – a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent who lived in Prestwich – who at the time was on bail for an alleged rape, before being shot dead by police.

Following the terrorist attack, enquiries conducted by detectives identified Bashir as an associate of Jihad Al-Shamie, and established that the two of them had conducted ‘hostile reconnaissance of a UK defence facility’ on 14 August 2025.

The pair were seen on CCTV prior to the trip discussing criteria for potential targets to attack.

They were then seen on ANPR cameras making the journey to the site – with Bashir acting as the driver for most of the journey.

GMP synagogue attack
He was sentenced after pleading guilty to ‘hostile reconnaissance of a UK defence facility’ / Credit: GMP

Phones belonging to the attacker were reviewed by CTPNW and identified Bashir as a ‘close associate’ who also held extremist views, as during WhatsApp conversations between the pair, they discussed preparing for ‘war’ and frequently made antisemitic remarks.

Further enquiries established that both men had made a 10-hour round trip to conduct the aforementioned hostile reconnaissance of the UK Defence Academy in Shrivenham.

Bashir acted as driver for most of the journey and Al Shamie made notes regarding the security arrangements for the base on his phone.

Both men disposed of the phones they had used to conduct their research and make notes, however the investigation team successfully accessed cloud data for a number of mobile phones linked to Al Shamie – which revealed internet searches for weapons, potential target sites, and individuals with links to the Israeli military.

This, coupled with CCTV footage and audio showing them discussing plans for an attack, provided damning evidence against Bashir.

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Bashir was therefore sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 16 years and 135 days.

“Bashir is now facing the consequences of his actions and I hope his sentence will act as a deterrent to anybody considering taking part in extremist activity,” concluded Assistant Chief Constable Rob Potts, who holds operational responsibility for Counter Terrorism Policing North West.

Featured Image – GMP

Manchester

Manchester Day 2026 – all the road closures set to be in place across the city centre

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Manchester Day is back for 2026 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.

Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Sunday 26 July, and as always, it’s set to be ‘the day summer officially starts’ in the city centre – with organisers going all in to make this year’s event one of the very-best yet.

This year’s Manchester Day is promising to have a ‘distinctly Catalan flavour’, as performers from Barcelona head to Manchester to join in the festivities in what is a first for the event.

The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.

As always, activities will be taking place right across the city centre – from St Ann’s Square to Cathedral Gardens, and everywhere in between.

Organisers say there will be plenty of chances throughout the day for visitors, both young and old, to get stuck in, with city’s streets and squares filled with Catalan spirit, along with some surprising links to books and reading along the way.

But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.

The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.

Here’s everything you need to know.

A number of road closures and parking suspensions will be in place / Credit: Manchester City Council

Manchester Day 2026 – Road Closures

Sunday 26 July 

From 11am to 3​pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:

  • Peter Street (Hall Street to Deansgate)
  • Mount Street (Windmill Street to Albert Square)
  • Deansgate (St Johns Street to Cateaton Street)

From 11am to 4pm, the following roads will be closed:

  • St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
  • Market Street (Cross Street to Exchange Street)
  • St Ann’s Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
  • Cross Street (Corporation Street to Princess Street)
  • Princess Street (Cross Street to George Street)  
  • John Dalton Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
  • King Street (Spring Gardens to Cross Street)
Manchester Day set to bring sunny Catalan celebrations to the city centre this summer

All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 9pm on Saturday 25 July to 9pm on Sunday 26 July.

The parking suspensions set to be in place are:

  • Peter Street (Portland Street to Deansgate)
  • Mount Street (Windmill Street to Albert Square)
  • Deansgate (St Johns Street to Cateaton Street) 
  • Central Street (Southmill Street to Mount Street)
  • St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
  • Market Street (Cross Street to Exchange Street)
  • St Ann’s Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
  • Cross Street (Corporation Street to Princess Street)
  • Princess Street (Cross Street to George Street)  
  • John Dalton Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
  • Clarence Street (Princess Street to Booth Street)
  • St Mary’s Street (Southgate to Deansgate)
  • Southgate (King Street West to St Mary’s Street)
  • Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
  • Southmill Street (Windmill Street to Lloyd Street)
  • Lloyd Street (Southmill Street to Deansgate)
  • Dickenson Street (Portland Street to George Street)
  • George Street (Princess Street to Dickenson Street)
  • Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
  • St James’ Square (John Dalton Street to End)
  • Booth Street (Cooper Street to Clarence Street)
  • Kennedy Street (Cooper Street to Clarence Street)
  • King Street (Spring Gardens to Cross Street)
  • Queen Street (Deansgate to Lincoln Square)

On the day, full traffic diversion signage will be in place across all areas affected by road closures, and the Council says it will do its best to ‘minimise’ their duration.

Manchester Day 2026 is taking over the city centre on Sunday 26 July, and will be kicking off at midday right through to 5pm.

Read more:

Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.

Featured Image – Manchester City Council

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