One of Manchester’s most beloved micropubs has announced its permanent closure, with a heartbreaking farewell letter plastered to its shutters.
The Ancoats Lad said that it had been ‘a tough two years with that clown in No 10’, which made the decision to ‘say goodbye to Oldham Street’ easier.
A lengthy laminated note taped to its frontage shared the gut-wrenching reasons behind its decisions to close for good.
Signed by landlord Phil Bell as well as Jackie, Anne, Nicola, Michelle and Diane, the note says that their relationships with their customers have given them the ‘greatest joy and our greatest pain’, paying tribute to some close friends who have sadly died in recent years.
A heartbreaking farewell for the pub. Credit: The Manc Group
They wrote: “We have lost some exceptional people in the last few years, my close pal Stevie Poyning being just one of them and then our beautiful vivacious Anne (Jackies partner in crime) died last week.
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“When this happens you really do rethink your life.”
The note also said: “We are getting closer to ‘Gods waiting room’ and we need to spend a few years doing our own thing.”
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The Ancoats Lad, which is nestled in a tiny unit next to Gulliver’s pub, added that it was proud to have ‘encouraged awkwardness’.
They wrote: “It was never a PC Bar it never went ‘woke’, we encouraged awkwardness, our customers were old school.
Although the pub has only been open since 2016 – nearly two of which were spent in Covid restrictions – Phil’s family has owned businesses in the city since the 19th century, including pubs, pet shops and hairdressers.
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“We were and are Ancoats through and through,” he wrote.
“Ancoats will be forever, the new people are the same as us older ones, they just have different values, oh and shiny new buildings and posh bars and restaurants ‘we didnt’.”
The full heartbreaking note posted at The Ancoats Lad pub. Credit: The Manc Group
Its final paragraph reads: “To all our friends who enjoyed the Lad we will leave you with this.
“Sometimes saying goodbye means quitting something you’re good at. Saying goodbye sometimes can be so difficult especially with all that we’ve been through along with everything we felt about you….
“The memories that we made, all the fun we found, looking back on those years will always make us both sad and glad, in equal measures. The past is where we met, and where we rekindled old friendships, we went back into that wonderful world that we grew up in and lived and loved in.
“The future is where we are all going, who truthfully knows what tomorrow may hold. But please always remember you were part of our lives and we will miss you ‘Moving on is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is really hard’.
Award-winning Manchester restaurant Another Hand announces closure with ‘immediate effect’
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most popular intimate restaurants has sadly announced that it’ll be closing its doors with ‘immediate effect’.
Another Hand – which can be found tucked away up on Deansgate Mews – opened back in 2022 to acclaim from critics and customers, as well as scooping up several awards along the way like Best Newcomer at the 2022 Manchester Food and Drink Awards, and places in the Michelin Guide and the Good Food Guide along the way.
Not only that, but the 24-seater intimate casual dining restaurant was also named as one of the best restaurants in Manchester merely three weeks ago by respected publication, Time Out.
Launched by the team behind 3 Hands Deli – which operated from a site two units down – Another Hand was known and loved for focusing on sharing plates made with produce from local ethical growers.
And it seemed to be going from strength to strength, but sadly, the restaurant took to social media yesterday to announce its decision to close ‘with immediate effect’.
Another Hand said in its statement on Instagram: “With heavy hearts we are sad to announce that after five years Another Hand will be closing its doors with immediate effect.
“Unfortunately, as most of us know, the current economic climate for the hospitality sector is facing steep challenges, sadly a familiar story. And after five years of operating within this increasingly challenging environment, we feel it’s time for us to step away.
“This isn’t a decision we’ve taken lightly, but it feels like the right time to bring this chapter to an end.
“We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve built here. From the people who have worked alongside us, to the producers and suppliers who have supported us; and most importantly, everyone who has come through the door and eaten with us…. thank you.
How will the Government’s new digital ID alternative for alcohol sales work?
Emily Sergeant
All licensed venues across England and Wales now have the choice to introduce digital proof of age for alcohol sales alongside physical.
Instead of having to hand over physical ID that contains personal information, such as names and home addresses, customers now have the choice to simply provide confirmation that they are 18 or over on their phone – helping to better protect privacy and personal safety in the process.
This means that, no matter whether you’re buying a drink at your favourite pub, heading to a festival, or enjoying a night out at a concert, you won’t need to worry if you’ve left your ID at home.
According to the Government, this new change will benefit businesses greatly too, as certified digital services are able to check that an ID is genuine and belongs to the person presenting it much easier than the alternative can, which therefore helps to reduce the risk of any fake or borrowed IDs going undetected.
Well, according to the Government, it could be as simple as a customer showing a QR code for staff to scan, or tapping their phone against a compatible reader, where staff will then receive a clear confirmation on their device that the customer has passed the age check.
This change follows a 2024 Government consultation where it was reported that 72% of respondents supported the use of digital identities for age verification when buying alcohol.
Digital Government Minister Stephanie Peacock reiterated that ‘it will remain an individual or business’ choice whether to use or adopt [digital ID]’ and that physical ID will ‘still remain a valid way’ for customers to prove their age.
“This groundbreaking change in the law will mean you do not need to carry a physical ID, nor hand over sensitive personal information such as your name or address just to prove your age, allowing everyone to feel safer on a night out,” she concluded.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd February 2022 
