Manchester-based property developers and community-led residential brand, Affinity Living, are bringing the world of renting and pets closer together with their brand-new dog adoption fair this month November.
The first of its kind Manchester city centre has ever seen, the ‘Doggy Adoption Fair’ by Affinity Living is part of their new charity partnership with Manchester Dogs’ Home (MDH) and is totally free to attend.
Aiming to find rescue dogs their fur-ever home, the event of open to anyone interested in taking the leap and adopting a dog as well as any furry friends they might want to have a sniff around as well.
Visitors will be able to learn more about the wide range of breeds up for adoption at Manchester Dogs’ Home and, of course, there will be plenty of pictures and information on all of the rescue pups who are ready to be picked up and petted as soon as possible.
Credit: Affinity Living
MDH will also have a team of experts on hand to chat with guests about the prospective adoptee doggos and give special insights into the quirks and unique personalities of each pooch looking for a new home and loving family.
ADVERTISEMENT
Guests will also be able to meet some of the happy hounds who have recently been successfully rehomed with the help of the organisation and there’ll even be an urban-pup masterclass giving top tips on how to best raise a dog in an urban environment — especially in apartments like Affinity’s.
Volunteers from the dogs’ home will be able to introduce guests to the dogs being brought along on the day, provide eye-opening stories of rescue dog adoption in action and stress the importance of rehoming dogs in need of a home rather than shopping around for one.
ADVERTISEMENT
Manchester Dogs’ Home will even be selling customisable mugs on the day, with guests and potential pet parents able to take home a custom-printed mug for just £5 featuring themselves and their four-legged friend. 100% of the proceeds go straight to the charity, of course.
But the fun don’t stop there. As well as Affinity Living’s on-site Loaf MCR coffee shop serving up refreshments for humans and their ever-hungry guests — pupcakes and puppicinos incoming — there’ll also be pop-up stalls organised by Manchester-based dog treat brand, All You Need is Woof.
Once again, proceeds will be going towards Manchester Dogs’ Home and whilst you’re busy deciding whether you need a new companion around the flat, there’ll be a host of canine carnival games to keep them busy throughout the day.
ADVERTISEMENT
At Affinity Living, unlike most other city centre apartments, pets (not just dogs) of all shapes and sizes aren’t just allowed: they’re welcomed with a warm embrace only man’s best friends themselves can rival.
With no additional fees and almost instant pet agreements on offer, Affinity Living not only want to put an end to the anti-pet landlord culture, but they also want to help make sure all dogs have a chance to find their forever home.
Taking place at their Riverview Apartments on New Bailey Street over in Salford, right next to Spinningfields, their dog adoption fair won’t just be the first Manchester city centre has ever seen but hopefully it will be the start of a change when it comes to pets and renting policies.
Better still, the entire event and all of the funds raised will go straight back into one of the region‘s most beloved charities in Manchester Dogs’ Home who continue to carry out their vital work for the purest souls on this planet year in, year out.
The 2023 Doggy Adoption Fair starts at 2pm and runs until 5pm on Sunday, 26 November. You can grab your completely free tickets HERE.
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
‘The average cost of a pint’ in the UK by region, according to the latest data
Danny Jones
Does it feel like pints keep getting more and more expensive almost every week at this point? Yes. Yes, it does, and while you can’t expect a city as big as Manchester to be one of the cheapest places to get one in the UK, we do often wonder how it compares to other parts of the country.
Well, as it happens, someone has recently crunched the numbers for us across the nation, breaking down which regions pay the most and the least for their pints.
The data has been examined by business management consultancy firm, CGA Strategy, using artificial intelligence and information from the latest Retail Price Index figures to find out what the ‘average cost of a pint’ is down south, up North and everywhere in between.
While the latest statistics provided by the group aren’t granular enough to educate us on Greater Manchester’s pint game exactly, we can show you how our particular geographic region is looking on the leaderboard at the moment.
That’s right, we Mancunians and the rest of the North West are technically joint mid-table when it comes to the lowest average cost of a pint, sharing the places from 3rd to 8th – according to CGA, anyway.
Powered by consumer intelligence company, NIQ (NielsenIQ) – who also use AI and the latest technology to deliver their insights – we can accept it might seem like it’s been a while since you’ve paid that little for a pint, especially in the city centre, but these are the stats they have published.
Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say; unless, of course, they’re trying to rob you blind for a bev. Fortunately, we’ve turned bargain hunting at Manchester bars into a sport at this point.
We might not boast the lowest ‘average’ pint cost in the UK, but we still have some bloody good places to keep drinking affordable.
London tops the charts (pretends to be shocked)
While some of you may have scratched your eyes at the supposed average pint prices here in the North West, it won’t surprise any of you to see that London leads the way when it came to the most expensive pint when it came to average cost in the UK.
To be honest, £5.44 doesn’t just sound cheap but virtually unheard of these days.
CGA has it that the average cost of a beer in the British capital is actually down 15p from its price last September, but as we all know, paying upwards of £7 for a pint down that end of the country is pretty much par for the course the closer you get to London.
Yet more reason you can be glad you live around here, eh? And in case you thought you were leaving this article with very little, think again…
Danny Jones -
3rd November 2023 
