A popular Manchester city centre gaming bar has suffered a devastating burglary just six months after opening its doors in the city, leaving its owners financially and emotionally bereft.
Thieves broke into Pixel Bar in the Northern Quarter in the early hours of the weekend, getting away with nine high-spec gaming PCs worth an estimated £25,000.
The burglary occurred on Friday morning around 5am, just half an hour after Pixel Bar’s staff had left the premises.
Footage shared by the bar’s co-owner Craig Ryan with The Manc shows three masked men helping themselves to the high-tech gaming computer equipment, which is kept on the basement level of the bar.
The men’s faces are only partially covered and may be recognisable to some.
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Image: Supplied
Pixel Bar is now working with the police and is appealing for anyone who has any information to come forward.
Posting the heartbreaking news to social media, co-owner Craig Ryan wrote on LinkedIn: “This weekend our Manchester bar was burgled. The thieves got away with 9 of our PCs from our PC Gaming Arena.
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“We’re devastated, financially and emotionally this has really hit us and I don’t know what to say.
“We’re working with the police. If anybody has any information please contact us or the police.
“Needless to say, until we find a way to replace the hardware there will be no PC gaming or tournaments happening at the bar. We’ve no idea how long this will take. Personally this hurts so much. We’d just hosted a great university esports event and had a lot of events lined up.
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The downstairs PC gaming area as it looked before the burglary / Image: Supplied
“The rest of the bar is open as normal thankfully.
“We’ll be dramatically increasing the level of security throughout our venues so that this doesn’t happen again.
“Please understand that we’ll not be answering any questions about the event at this time.”
The gaming bar, originally launched in Leeds, moved across the Pennines to Manchester in November last year and quickly became a popular haunt amongst gaming enthusiasts.
The burglars only partially covered their faces. / Image: Supplied
Pixel Bar is appealing for anyone with any information to come forward. / Image: Supplied
It also caught the eye of Manchester’s cocktail lovers with its quirky gaming-themed menu, which features choices like ‘Jigglypuff’, ‘Princess Perch’ and the ‘Yoshi’s Island Iced Tea’, plus a selection of ‘magic potion’ shots – promising do deliver ‘full health’ and ‘stamina’ to the drinker.
Co-owner Craig told The Manc that, following the burglary, the downstairs part of the bar is currently off-limits, but he added that the upstairs section with its bar, arcade games and consoles remains open and that anyone wanting to come down, buy a cocktail and support them is very welcome.
The street-level bar and its console booths remain open, with Pokemon cocktails and more. / Image: Supplied
He said: “[Downstairs is] off-limits for now, we’re working with our sponsor to try and replace the PCs at cost, hopefully, but until we’ve got all the security in place and fire compliance with the new security measures we can’t open up, even if we had the hardware, so it could be a while yet.”
He added that they are still waiting to find out whether the custom-built gaming computers can now be bought back on insurance, as they were gifted as part of a sponsorship deal with bespoke computer company PC Specialist when Pixel Bar opened.
Pixel Bar is now appealing for anyone who has any information to come forward to them or to Greater Manchester Police.
Feature image – Supplied
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You can now have a private tour of Manchester Christmas Markets
Thomas Melia
Every year, Manchester Christmas Markets hosts its almost two-month long residency on the frosty streets of our lively city, but now you can enjoy the cute huts with an unbeatable luxury experience.
Travel agency, Viator, who are directly connected to TripAdvisor, have launched a one on one guided tour of Manchester and its stunning Manchester Christmas Marketsin all their glory.
This private tour of the festivities occurring in the city will last two hours and for the whole duration of your time, a city host will be on hand to offer undivided attention, catering to your every need.
A makeshift itinerary is already awaiting guests and can be tailored according to the individual taking the tour, everything is catered to your preferences.
Anyone who books onto the tour also receives a complimentary hot chocolate and that’s sweetened the deal for me, I’m sold.
How can you go wrong with these incredible options at Manchester Christmas Markets?You can recreate your very own gigantic cheese pull and your local host can snap a piccie.Scrumptious selection of food available as you venture through Manchester Christmas Markets in style.
There’s also the chance to keep your hands toasty with a free cup of mulled wine or a soft-drink for those who aren’t interested in the warm alcoholic beverage.
Manchester Christmas Markets are a phenomenal day or night-out regardless so this latest personalised opportunity will take your festive fantasies to a whole new level.
This private tour provides a one-of-a-kind exclusive treatment making your stroll down Manchester Cathedral, Exchange Square and Manchester Town Hall that little bit more special.
These tours are a great chance to immerse yourself in one of Manchester’s many selling points as you can choose to focus your time around art and culture, fashion, architecture or our personal favourite – food.
This exclusive tour package which highlights the best of Manchester Christmas Markets is definitely a present in itself with tickets costing a hefty sum of £100.
If you want to visit Manchester Christmas Markets while also living the high life with a private tour, ‘Christmas In Manchester: Private Experience With A City Host’ is running all the way until the huts shut shop on 22 December and tickets can be found here.
A Christmas train in Wigan has been delivering donated toys galore
Thomas Melia
Yuletide wishes have come true as a donation of toys and goodies have been delivered via a Christmas train in Wigan, right in time for the big day.
The Amazon toy train, which is a new initiative running this festive season, is dropping off presents from now right up until Christmas day itself.
Already visiting Wigan earlier this month, the locomotive has its sites set on three more stops including London, Swansea and Scotland as it makes its journey across three nations.
In partnership with Multibank’s Brick-by-Brick project, the train hopes to provide and offer gifts to families in need across the UK with Wigan marking the closest stop off in Greater Manchester.
Credit: Lee Boswell (supplied)
All the toys that are being transported across the country in this Amazon-fronted train are featured on the company’s ‘Top Ten Toys 2024’ list.
Hatchimals, Screamerz and Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza were some of the exciting gifts found on the Christmas train in Wigan at the start of this month.
This lighthearted and fun-filled Christmas-themed project is kitted out with toys from top brands like Play-Doh and the brickmasters themselves, LEGO Star Wars.
So far, Multibank has helped over 400,000 families and provided three million essential items across their operations in England, Scotland and Wales since launching in 2022.
This collaborative local project doesn’t just operate at Christmastime either: Brick-to-Brick Multibank run all year round collecting surplus business requirements like furniture, hot water bottles and hygiene products to be used by those less fortunate.
The Christmas train in Wigan filled with Amazon’s top toys.The Wigan toy train features some well known brands.Credit: Supplied
This roster of children’s favourite companions and interactive games is inspired by the consumers themselves. Every toy is related to or the exact match of what Amazon customers have been searching for the most. A real Christmas list come true.
The list of the top toys isn’t extortionate either, offering customers some affordable and still as fascinating options with prices starting from £9.99.
Even old-school classics like Play-Doh have a spot on this wish list. This poses the really big question: where’s the adult version?
You may have finished your Christmas shopping not too long ago or might still be looking for inspiration, browse the top-ranked teddies and more HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
16th May 2022 
