With its bold green tile-clad exterior and stained glass windows, the Peveril of the Peak is one of Manchester’s most beautiful pubs. It’s also a famous institution in its own right.
Run by one of Britain’s oldest and longest-serving landlords for five decades now, the ‘Pev’ is a great survivor just like its landlady Nancy Swanick.
Aged 93, she celebrated 50 years at the helm tin 2021 and has seen all sorts in her time here: from glasses levitating behind the bar to brewery bosses who wanted to turn the ‘Pev’ into a themed pub with plastic palm trees. Both equally horrifying, we’re sure you’ll agree.
Thankfully, the brewery never got their way and today The Pev is now a respectable institution with a mellow atmosphere and friendly clientele.
No-nonsense County Donegal woman Nancy’s done a lot to turn its reputation around – not least talking the brewery out of the tacky refurb and into a proper refurbishment and restoration of the pub’s historic features.
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Suffice to say, it hasn’t always been the charming, friendly little watering hole we know and love today – in fact, it once had quite a rough reputation.
During the Second World War, the pub was frequently used as a brothel by GI’s, and when Nancy and her late husband first took it over in the 70’s she initially said she didn’t want anything to do with it.
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“You’d get lads coming in straight from work and not leaving until they’d spent their wages and had a punch up,” remembers Nancy’s son Maurice. “Mum told dad she wouldn’t do it.”
Reportedly, in its early years, some of the pub’s biggest customers were factory blokes on their lunch who’d “knock back three pints and a pie without blinking” then head straight back to it.
Today, there’s none of that, really. Locals and students drink happily side by side and there’s a whole host of regulars for whom the pub is more than just a drinking hole, it’s become a home from home.
The last man standing in a row of terraces, it’s now shorn of its original surrounding buildings and stands alone on a small triangular island, surrounded by much taller (and newer) office and apartment blocks.
Visit and you’ll notice various keepsakes nodding to Nancy’s long tenure here, like in the smoke room turned snug where a heavy etched mirror hangs commemorating forty years of Nancy’s proprietorship.
Other treasures hidden inside include an antique “table football” machine and the original bell pushes that customers once used for summoning staff and ordering drinks.
Nancy remains the key decision-maker at the pub and has pulled thousands of pints over the years for punters – including for a whole host of famous customers, most recently football legend Eric Cantona.
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But whilst much has been made of her celebrity clientele (and rest assured, there have been a lot of them) for Nancy and her son Maurice (who helps her run the pub today) the non-famous regulars are much more important.
Stories like that of the Manchester taxi driver who waived Nancy’s fare because of all the happy hours he’d spent in her pub, or the nurse who recently administered her COVID jab waxing lyrical on the Pev after spotting Nancy’s address, mean the most.
“You never get tired of hearing that,” adds Maurice.
The historic Manchester pub is also said to be home to another regular – their very own resident ghost. Over the years, many punters have reportedly seen spooky activity in spades: like pint glasses rising into the air and dropping into the wash of their own accord.
As well as doing a spot of cleaning, the spectre is also known for giving the odd guest a jolly good kick in the back when they’ve had enough to drink, just to help the management out, of course.
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It’s a friendly ghost, as long as you’re not annoying the pub’s proprietors, anyway.
The origins of The Pev itself can be traced back to 1830, when it was first registered as a public house.
Regarding its name, there’s a bit of a dispute with some saying it commemorates a horse-drawn stagecoach that departed from the nearby Peacock Coach Office on Market Street when the pub opened in 1830.
Others say it references the 1823 Sir Walter Scott novel of the same name, which references Peveril Castle near Castleton in Derbyshire.
According to Salford University graduate Erik Merriman, who won an award for his research into the matter, there aren’t any obvious geographical links between the pub name and the novel, but it’s clear that the stagecoach was in operation before the pub opened.
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Of course, that’s not to say that the stagecoach wasn’t named after Walter Scott’s novel.
The only detached pub in the whole of the city centre, it used to only open on Saturdays when Manchester United was playing at home but is now open to drinkers every weekend.
Awarded Grade II-listed status in 1988, the pub continues to resist pressure to close its doors for good and become another victim of city centre ‘regeneration’. It’s truly one of the most iconic pubs in town.
Find it at 127 Great Bridgewater St, Manchester M1 5JQ and rest assured, it’s even more beautiful on the inside.
Viral Manchester Christmas Markets trader shares apology for ‘below standard’ bakes
Daisy Jackson
One of the most popular traders at the Manchester Christmas Markets has shared a public apology statement after noticing its viral bakes ‘weren’t at the usual standard’.
The Flat Baker, which has been so popular in previous years Manchester City Council had to install a queueing system, thanked customers for their patience.
The bakery is famed for its Brazilian-inspired pastries, with its Christmas Markets offering featuring croissants served in a pot of molten pistachio sauce, and hot chocolates in an edible cookie cup.
But they said that an electrical issue at the stall left their viral croissants ‘cold and without texture’ and the team ended up pulling more than 20 boxes of croissants from sale.
The Flat Baker said they are ‘truly sorry’ to those who were served a croissant that wasn’t their usual standard, and assured fans that their electric warming cabinet is now back up and running, with every croissant ‘fresh, warm, and exactly as it should be’.
The bakery is run by couple Matt and Deb, who recently opened their first proper cafe in Ancoats, just down the road from their original hatch.
They described this as a ‘tough week’ for the business and wrote: “Over the past week, some of you noticed that our croissants at the Christmas Market weren’t quite up to the usual Flat Baker standard, and you were right.
“Unfortunately, due to electrical issues at our stall (managed by the event organisers), our warming cabinet couldn’t be used at all. That meant we couldn’t keep our croissants at their ideal temperature and texture throughout the day – something that’s essential for maintaining the quality we’re known for.
“We honestly didn’t realise how much this would affect the quality until it was too late, and that’s on us. Some of the croissants we served weren’t at our usual standard, and for that, we’re truly sorry.
“Without the warmer, their “shelf life” became much shorter, and they turned cold and lost texture far too quickly. We ended up bringing back over 20 boxes of croissants that we chose not to sell, because serving anything below our best just isn’t who we we are.”
They continued: “And as for those 20 boxes… nothing will go to waste. We’re already turning them into something new, warm, and seriously delicious, you’ll find out soon.
“Thank you for your patience, your understanding, and your continued love for what we do. We’ll always choose quality, honesty, and creativity, even when things don’t go as planned.”
The Flat Baker are back at the Manchester Christmas Markets now, and you can find them at Piccadilly Gardens.
Manchester Irish bar Mother Mary’s announces shock closure
Daisy Jackson
Irish bar Mother Mary’s has announced its closure in Manchester, just 18 months after opening.
The bar and live music venue opened last May on New Wakefield Street, taking over the building that had previously been home to legendary student haunt Font.
But just over a year after opening, and this Manchester Irish pub has announced its sudden closure due to financial pressures.
Mother Mary’s, at the time of opening, was headed up by nightlife veterans Greg Dwyer, Joseph Finegan and Chris Sharp, who transformed the venue with state-of-the-art sound systems for its live music offering.
Spread across two floors, the venue also served spice bags, pizzas, and plenty of Guinness, and hosted many-an-after party for some of the city’s biggest gigs.
Their full statement addressing their closure states: “It breaks our hearts to share that Mother Mary’s, as of this past weekend, has been forced to close its doors due to financial pressures.
Mother Mary’s Irish bar in Manchester has announced its closure. Credit: The Manc Group
“Only last week we were representing our venue at the This Is Manchester Awards as shortlisted nominee’s, so you can imagine this is a shock to everyone involved.
“Over the past year, Mother Mary’s has become so much more than a bar, it has grown into a true community hub. We’ve been home to grassroots music, inclusive club nights, and events that brought together people from all walks of life. From the bands who played their very first gigs on our stage (and have already gone on to fill bigger venues), to the regulars who made this place feel like home, to the countless partygoers who filled the dance floor with joy. YOU are what made Mother Mary’s so special.
“Spaces like ours that are wheelchair accessible, queer-inclusive, independent, and dedicated to championing local talent are so incredibly important. Especially also with the heart and spirit to offer a free space to fundraisers and events that are integral to those in our city that are often underrepresented. What we’ve built together is rare, beautiful, and deeply loved.
“It’s hard to imagine a world without Mother Mary’s, and while this may be the end of this chapter, we truly hope it’s not the end of our story. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for the love, the music, the laughter, and the community we created together.
“Keep an eye out on our social media for any updates, we still have memories of our own from events that we would like to share with you. While our doors may be closed, our soul is very much still here and in everything we do.
“Please keep sharing the love and the memories. Every post, every message, every bit of support means the world right now.
“With love and gratitude, The Mother Mary’s Team.”
Georgina Pellant -
24th February 2023 
