Beloved Manchester bar and once regular student stomping ground The Footage has officially been up for sale and it’s fair to say we had to double-take when saw for how much.
The iconic Oxford Road pub quietly closed its doors back in May after more than 30 years under various different names – but it’s always been The Footage to us.
It was one of the most popular pubs on the busy student strip for generations of uni cohorts and, as we’re sure many a Manc gig-goer would vouch for, a great place for pints beforehand.
However, not only the place is vacant but it’s now been put on the market for a bigger bargain than you’d find at Poundland. No, seriously…
The Footage is now up for sale on Rightmove. (Credit: The Manc Group)
No, we’re not pulling your leg: Manchester’s once well-trodden and ever-busy The Footage is now listed on Rightmove for just £1.
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A quid, for a whole building and all that potential on none other than Oxford Road, one of Manchester’s most prime real estate areas.
It might sound daft at first but it’s actually not too unheard of nowadays and properties like these can often be listed for such a small amount either to help others get on the ladder, support local businesses and industry markets, as well as make sure a site’s heritage can be not just kept intact but carried on.
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As the former cinema house and theatre is a Grade II-listed building, built in 1912 and set over two sizeable storeys (plus, it really is gorgeous), everyone involved has a vested interest in making sure it doesn’t get left to just sit there and go to waste.
However, take that price point with a decent pinch of salt because it isn’t just about purchasing the plot but also getting the place up to scratch, and in terms of business rates the value according to Rightmove is “£41,250 with effect from April 2023”.
The listing goes on to add that “confirmation of actual business rates payable should be obtained from the local authority” but it still presents a big opportunity for someone to take over the roomy spot.
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Although there is scope to do a lot with the place, the substantial basement area with two large beer cellars and a number of smaller storage rooms means it’s likely to become another bar or maybe just snapped up by a bar group.
Once again, particulars like the current energy rating are still to be fully certified but whoever does take a chance on buying it for just the price of a decent pick-and-mix with have access to a license that allows for trading between 10am-2am, Monday to Saturday and until 1am on Sunday.
We sincerely hope The Footage doesn’t stay up for sale too long and that somebody rolls the dice with the beautiful building – at that kind of price you’d be a fool not to. It’s not the only longstanding local favourite that’s gone up for sale either.
Manchester Airport issues update for anyone flying today after hundreds of cancellations yesterday
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport has issued an update for anyone catching a flight today after hundreds of cancellations yesterday.
In case you hadn’t heard, hundreds of flights at several major UK airports – including Manchester Airport – were disrupted by a technical fault at air traffic control provider National Air Traffic Services (NATS) yesterday (8 September 2026), with the incident grounding planes and resulting in numerous cancellations.
According to Flightradar24, more than 1,000 flights were cancelled nationwide, and many passengers were told to expect disruption for the rest of the day.
One of the worst-affected airlines was said to be Ryanair, with around 65,000 passengers affected by the cancellations and delays.
Manchester Airport issued its first statement addressing the matter at 3:15pm yesterday, stating: “We are aware of an issue affecting NATS’ air traffic control service at UK airports, which may result in delays to some departing flights from Manchester Airport today.
“Passengers due to travel are advised to check the latest status of their flight with their airline. We will continue to monitor the situation and share further updates as more information becomes available.”
Now, although the issue has been resolved, Manchester Airport has issued further statements informing anyone travelling today what they can expect.
The airport started off by saying that it is ‘operating as normal’ today, but that passengers are advised to ‘check with their airline for the latest information’.
“A full flight schedule is expected to operate [today] but the airport may be busier due to rescheduled flights,” it added.
Passengers were then thanked for their ‘patience and understanding’ over the past 24 hours.
Featured Image – Ivan Shimko (via Unsplash)
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Hundreds of staff at four Greater Manchester hospitals to strike AGAIN next week
Emily Sergeant
Another round of strikes has been called at a handful of major Greater Manchester hospitals.
Amid ongoing disputes following the first set of strikes at the end of last month, it has now been announced that more than 350 Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust (NCA) employees – including nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers – who are members of the union UNISON will once again walk out for three days next week.
According to the union, the dispute centres on the NCA’s use of an outside agency called NHS Professionals (NHSP) to manage overtime.
When covering staff shortages, workers are entitled to time-and-a-half pay – however in some cases, staff earn less than they would on a normal shift, and some have even been missing out on more than £80 per shift, the union added.
Operating theatre staff were previously on picket lines in June, and although an option to resolve the row was initially tabled by NCA bosses, this has now fallen through.
Hundreds of staff at four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals are set to strike next week / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
This means that staff at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, and Fairfield Hospital in Bury are walking out next week on Monday 14, Tuesday 15, and Thursday 17 September.
The union’s North West regional organiser, Kevin Dolan, said the trust had given ‘no indication’ that it’s willing to re-enter negotiations, adding that operating theatre services were ‘chronically under-staffed’ and staff were choosing to work extra shifts to cover shortages.
Ahead of the August strikes, the trust declared a critical incident to help it secure extra support and keep urgent surgery running, while also announcing that some procedures would have to be postponed.
Understandably, some disruption is expected at each of the hospitals on strike days.
But Gertie Nic Philib, who is the chief people and strategy officer at the Northern Care Alliance, said that the trust will do ‘everything we can to minimise the impact on patients’ and ‘maintain high standards of care and quality at all times.’
“We also have contingency plans in place for emergency situations,” they concluded.
Danny Jones -
24th September 2024 
