A stone’s throw from Manchester’s gay village and right at the end of the student Oxford Road corridor, for years Fifth Avenue was a mainstay on the mainstream clubbing scene. Now it’s closed for good.
Officially no more, the club officially ‘surrendered’ its license in November 2021 according to Manchester City Council.
Whilst the venue had been shuttered since the beginning of the pandemic, news of its official closure has only just been confirmed.
The once-iconic nightclub spot on Princess street had, in the eighties, been thought of as somewhat of a precursor to the Hacienda during its days as Legend.
At that time, it boasted incredible lighting and sound rigs, plus guest and resident DJs such as Greg Wilson, A Guy Called Gerald, Mike Pickering and Paul Oakenfold.
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Since then, though, the club’s had somewhat of a fall from grace – with some even branding it the worst nightclub in the UK.
Of course, after the closure of Legend, the site went on to become Fifth Avenue and was known, even more simply, as just ‘Fifth’ in recent years following a rebrand by owners 5th Leisure.
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Image: Fifth Avenue
Love it or hate it, if you’ve had a night out in Manchester then you’ve probably climbed those stairs down into the belly of the beast at one point or another.
Plagued by numerous noise complaints in recent years, in part due to the fact that a number of apartments are situated directly above the nightclub, planning documents show its owners had submitted requests to refurb, renovate and improve soundproofing at the venue.
However, according to reports in the Manchester Evening News, Manchester City Council recommended that its application be refused referencing ‘significant noise complaints’ stretching back to 2006.
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The Council’s Licensing and Out of Hours team wrote at the time: ‘with an existing abatement notice in force and for the aforementioned reasons LOOH recommend that the application is refused’.
Staff, however, seem to have been under the impression that the club was due to reopen if social media posts are to be believed.
Boarded up for some time now, it is unclear what will happen to the space next. As part of the fabric of the city centre for decades, it would be a shame to see another nightclub disappear from the Manchester scene.
For now, though, it seems that Fifth Avenue is gone for good. Who knows what will replace it.
Feature image – Fifth Avenue
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Heaton Park announces death of its two donkeys following ‘complex’ health and age-related issues
Emily Sergeant
Heaton Park has made the devastating announcement that two more of its beloved donkeys have sadly passed away.
“It is with great sadness that today we announce the passing of Bonnie and Josh, our beloved donkeys, following advice of a vet and The Donkey Sanctuary who visited our Animal Centre,” Heaton Park & Hall announced on its official social platforms at the end of last week.
The death of Bonnie and Josh comes after two of the park’s other donkeys, Ralph and Lenny, also sadly passed away in June and October of last year, respectively.
Both donkeys were born at Heaton Park, and had been steady companions for each other over the last three decades.
Heaton Park announces death of its two donkeys following ‘complex’ health and age-related issues / Credit: Heaton Park & Hall
Josh managed to reach 29, and Bonnie an incredible 33 years of age before passing, and considering that The Donkey Sanctuary says the average life expectancy for a donkey is just over 30, reaching this age was said to be a ‘significant achievement’ for all who cared for Bonnie and Josh.
However in their later years though, both Bonnie and Josh were living with ‘complex’ health and age-related issues.
Ultimately, these complications were what led to them passing away last week.
“They were such kind and gentle souls, and this loss will be felt deeply by all staff, past and present, alongside our visitors,” Heaton Park’s statement continued.
Heaton Park staff closed out their statement thanking everyone who has ever visited the donkeys over the past couple of decades, and particularly the Donkey Welfare Advisers at The Donkey Sanctuary who have supported them and their donkey herd, especially in recent years.
40 people arrested as part of ‘week of action’ to close down active drug lines across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
40 people arrested as part of ‘week of action’ organised last week by police to close down active drug lines across Greater Manchester.
Various policing activities took place alongside partners across all districts and boroughs as part of County Lines Intensification Week – which ran from Monday 2 – Sunday 8 March 2026 – with Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirming that officers conducted a total of 30 warrants.
Warrants resulted in 40 arrests across Greater Manchester, with 20 active drugs lines closed down, as well as more than £34,000in cash and a substantial amount of class A and class B drugs seized.
Drugs seized included heroin, amphetamines, cocaine, and cannabis.
Mobile phones, weapons – including stun guns, zombie knives, crossbows, and an axe– were also confiscated, and to top it off, electric bikes, designer goods,and high-value electronic deviceswere also recovered during the process too.
40 people arrested as part of a ‘week of action’ to close down active drug lines across Greater Manchester / Credit: GMP
Some of the arrests made include six men, aged between 20 and 42, on suspicion of production of cannabis and abstracting electricity, and three men and one woman were arrested on suspicion of various drug-related offences.
County Lines Intensification Week ran as part of a national coordinated action targeting county lines offenders, removing dangerous drugs and weapons from our streets, and safeguarding vulnerable adults and children, GMP explained.
If you’re unfamiliar, County Lines is the use of dedicated phone lines to deal drugs from one location to another, and it is known for often exploiting children and vulnerable adults who are groomed and coerced into moving, storing, and selling drugs.
County Lines teams use the ‘four Ps’ as a strategy to tackle organised criminals trafficking drugs and safeguard vulnerable people – Prevent, Protect, Prepare, and Pursue.
More than £34,000 in cash was also seized by police / Credit: GMP
Speaking following the week of action, Detective Inspector John Schofield, from GMP’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit. said: “We have had a very busy and successful County Lines Intensification Week, with various lines disrupted thanks to the warrants we have executed.
“Intelligence gathered from the community played a vital role in us being able to conduct this activity, which saw 30 warrants, resulting in 40arrests and 20 drug lines closed down across Greater Manchester.
“This week’s action is a powerful example of our commitment to dismantle organised crime in our region.
Deputy Mayor of Safer and Stronger Communities, Kate Green, added: “County lines activity brings significant harm to our communities. It fuels the supply of dangerous drugs while exploiting children and vulnerable adults who are often groomed, coerced and threatened into criminal activity.
“That is why tackling this type of organised crime is a key priority for partners across Greater Manchester.”
Georgina Pellant -
15th February 2022 
