One of Manchester’s most premium fitness facilities appears to have closed down, leaving members and instructors in the dark.
A forfeiture notice has appeared at the entrance of Blok, a boutique gym and pilates studio in the city centre.
Members have been arriving for classes this week to find the luxury facility at Ducie Street Warehouse closed up.
Native Places, which owns the beautifully restored mill building near Manchester Piccadilly and operates the upper floors as an aparthotel, has confirmed that it’s taken ‘formal possession of the ground floor gym’.
Blok has said they believe that the forfeiture of their lease by landlords is ‘illegal’ and that the team are ‘working to get this resolved as a matter of urgency’.
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The gym also stressed the Manchester is a ‘profitable site, which we have collectively worked hard to grow into a thriving, healthy business’.
With three different studios, Blok opened in Manchester in 2019 offering classes ranging from dumbbell-based weight training to barre and pilates, as well as boxing, calisthenics and HIIT workouts.
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Last year, the gym introduced reformer pilates to its premium offering.
And just last week, Blok had been running a Crowdcube campaign selling shares in the business in exchange for exclusive investor rewards.
Blok Manchester is inside Ducie Street Warehouse, owned by Native Places
Their investment campaign cited 175% growth in membership over the last 12 months, and promised four new flagship sites forecast to generate £1.5m in profit annually.
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Alas, it appears Blok Manchester is now closed. Members have been leaving comments on their Instagram posts asking for updates, and several people are posting TikToks saying they were unable to attend their class.
One person wrote: “Hello I’ve lost my personality as Blok is closed *cry*.”
She added: “You can still book but it’s all locked up, no one can enter the premises … I got one email that they’re having ‘trouble accessing the building’, confused why they’re still allowing people to book??”
Hello I’ve lost my personality as Blok is closed *cry* Good Pilates/Mat/Barre/ reformer studios in Manchester. Also please no say a place that costs the same as my kidney, because that’s not cool 🙂 #BLOK#manchesterpilates#MCR#FYP
A statement from Native Places said: “Native Places has taken formal possession of the ground floor gym following the sustained non-payment of rent by the tenant.
“This action marks the end of a six-year relationship during which Native has consistently supported the tenant in their occupation of the space.
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“Unfortunately, due to continued non-payment, we have had no option but to follow the appropriate legal process. The premises have now been secured, and access is restricted.”
In a statement provided to The Manc, Ed Stanbury, CEO and Founder of Blok, said: “The closure of BLOK Manchester is due to the forfeiture of our lease by our landlords, an action that we believe to be illegal. We are working with our lawyers to get this resolved as a matter of urgency.
“Whilst there has been speculation around financial pressures that may have led to this situation, we want to be clear: BLOK Manchester is a profitable site, which we have collectively worked hard to grow into a thriving, healthy business.
“We’re incredibly proud of the team and community we’ve created in Manchester, and our focus right now is on supporting them as we navigate this.”
Former One Direction star Louis Tomlinson is heading to Manchester on a new world tour
Daisy Jackson
Ex-One Direction star Louis Tomlinson will perform a huge gig in Manchester next year as part of a newly-announced world tour.
The singer-songwriter will be heading to the Co-op Live arena with his ‘How Did We Get Here?’ tour in 2026.
The 33-year-old star, formerly one-fifth of hit boyband One Direction, announced the news hot on the heels of the release of his latest single Lemonade.
Doncaster-born Louis Tomlinson will visit UK cities including Leeds, Birmingham, Glasgow, Brighton and London, as well as that massive show in Manchester.
Louis continues to establish himself as one of the UK’s top live performers, with hits like Back to You, Just Hold On, and fan-favourite tracks from his critically acclaimed albums.
He launched himself as a solo artist back in 2020 with Walls, shifting more than 1.2 million copies worldwide and amassing nearly 1 billion streams.
He then went on to release Faith In The Future in 2022 (a chart-topping album in the UK and top five in the US).
This new world tour will showcase his evolution from global pop superstar to respected solo artist.
Louis Tomlinson will perform at the Co-op Live arena on Friday 24 April, 2026.
Tickets will go on sale at 9am on Friday 10 October HERE.
Heaton Park announces the death of another one of its beloved resident donkeys
Emily Sergeant
Another one of Heaton Park’s beloved resident donkeys has sadly passed away, the park has announced this week.
Back in May of this year, Heaton Park shared the devastating news that one of its well-known resident donkeys called Lenny had been diagnosed with an endocrine disease, and would therefore have to start undergoing specialist medical treatment moving forward.
The treatment Lenny would be receiving was to support his health during his retirement, as not long prior to his diagnosis, he had reached approximately 30 years of age.
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 Lenny and everyone who cared for him.
Sadly though, as the months went on, things started taking a turn for the worse.
Heaton Park‘s Estates Team requested an onsite vet visit after identifying some changes with Lenny’s health, and these changes were subsequently linked to a condition called hyperlipaemia.
It’s with ‘great sadness’ that the park had to announce to the public that Lenny passed away later that same day.
“Lenny was a staple in Heaton Park and was a significant star in the memories of both staff and our visitors, he will be deeply missed by us all,” the Estates Team said in a touching tribute shared on the park’s social media.
Lenny’s passing unfortunately comes not long after the death of one of Heaton Park’s post well-known resident donkeys, Ralph, who died in early June of this year at the grand old age of 40 years old – with many tributes being paid to him.
Following both Lenny and Ralph’s deaths, the Estates Team has assured visitors that the remaining two resident donkeys, Bonnie and Josh, are ‘doing well’ and are being ‘monitored closely’
Bonnie and Josh are being monitored closely for ‘any changes in behaviour which could indicate stress’ as a result of Lenny’s unexpected passing, as the Estates Team says that visitors may notice them on ‘a few extra walks’ around the park over the coming weeks.
Daisy Jackson -
21st May 2025 
