Oldham Street these days is one of the Northern Quarter’s most famous spots, home to vintage shops like Pop Boutique, Blue Rinse and Vinyl Exchange, as well as countless little bars and cafes.
Perching itself right in the middle of Northern Quarter and spanning all the way from Piccadilly Gardens to Great Ancoats Street, Oldham Street has been keeping up with the trends since day one.
If you’ve ever wondered how to boost your status in the indie circles or want to show off your individuality, this road has is one of Manchester’s biggest culture hotspots.
After all, there’s not many streets that can say they’re home to Afflecks Palace.Well it’s on a crossroads so there’s four which have that claim to fame but my point still stands!
But it hasn’t always been the shabbily cool little street of today, so we’ve been diving back through the archives to bring you photos of Oldham Street how it used to look.
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Oldham Street – Over the years
Oldham Street facing Piccadilly Corner, 1894
Credit: The Manchester Library/ The Manc Group
This particular photo shows the main gateway to bohemian paradise, also known as Oldham Street.
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The shops standing tall in these buildings may have changed owners a fair few times but the original architectural design has stayed the same.
Just like the photo from 1894, it’s hard to take a picture of this area without crowds of people, we can’t help being so popular, that’s just Manchester!
Oldham Street facing Piccadilly Corner, 1903
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Credit: The Manchester Library/ The Manc Group
What was once a tea supplier that went onto become PG Tips, is now an American fast-food chain Five Guys.
The first picture denotes a shop front with the title ‘Brooke Bond & co.’, launching PG Tips in the 1930’s under ‘Pre-Gestee’ which relates to its original name ‘Digestive Tea’.
The second half of this notable brand is due to the fact that only the top two leaves and bud are used in their blend, the tips, and that’s what makes the company what we know and love today, PG Tips.
Oldham Street merging into Great Ancoats Street, 1920
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Credit: The Manchester Library/ The Manc Group
The times have definitely changed since the first photo, swapping horseback travel for cars and a pedestrian crossing.
The end building which joins together Oldham Street with Great Ancoats Street is none other than Wayfarer.
After trekking all the way from Five Guys and making it to the other end of this bustling row of shops, there’s nothing better than a stop off for a cheeky pint.
Oldham Street, 1940
Credit: The Manchester Library/ The Manc Group
There she is in all her glory, no not Afflecks Palace, Blue Rinse, where you can find some trendy and snazzy items that feel like they’ve been pulled right out of a time capsule straight from the 80’s.
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However, you can’t visit this retail road and not show some love to the city centre emporium as it’s stacked with four floors of independent shops ready to welcome you with open arms.
No matter what time of day you go, expect to walk past some incredibly dressed shoppers from emos to hippies, this place brings everyone together.
Oldham Street and Great Ancoats Street, 1959
Credit: The Manchester Library/ The Manc Group
It’s now one of those pubs that toes the line between traditional boozer and hip Ancoats hangout, and still bears the scars of the huge fire that tore through it in 1989.
Looking back to the late 1950s though you can see how well this building has been preserved, even if the pint prices have crept ever-higher.
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Oldham Street and Warwick Street, 1967
Credit: The Manchester Library/ The Manc Group
Manchester is constantly changing its skyline and it gained another mini skyscraper in 2022 thanks to The Quarters.
Tied between Oldham Street and Warwick Street, this building is a residential complex with 100 apartments.
The two buildings in the middle of the first photo were torn down in 2013 after a fire.
Oldham Street, 1967
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Credit: The Manchester Library/ The Manc Group
Two fashion retailers and a Beaverbrooks jewellers have traded in their stay on Oldham Street and in their spot is none other than a retro-themed bar and… an empty building.
The Mean Eyed Cat bar has taken over what was previously District, a futuristic sushi bar. You’d never have found that in 1960s Manchester.
Oldham Street and Hilton Street, 1967
Credit: The Manchester Library/ The Manc Group
Underneath all that bright green scaffolding is a hostel, bar and pub, who, as with a lot of things in Manchester, are getting a make over.
It’s hard to tell but underneath all the building work are some gorgeous windows like in the photo from the 70’s that are still shining brightly today.
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The record shop may have been traded in for a Turtle Bay but there’s still some cracking places to dig through the crates: Vinyl Exchange, Piccadilly Records, Vinyl Resting Place and Vinyl Revival.
Oldham Street, 1970
Credit: The Manchester Library/ The Manc Group
This picture is a national treasure in itself and we’re sure some readers will be very familiar with this piano-inspired shop front.
Swan’s Pianos and Organs were a music lover’s heaven with instruments galore and although it might not be standing today, in its place is another shop with a very important legacy, Koffee Pot.
This Manchester institution and slap up caff has been famed for its brekkie and brunch delights which warm the soul just like a musical melody.
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Oldham Street, 1986
Credit: The Manchester Library/ The Manc Group
Sunset Strip was ahead of its time, if only it would’ve known that in today’s day and age a brand new pool hall would open up not too far away in Kampus.
Although this ball game establishment might not have been pairing rounds of pool with frozen margs and birria tacos, they were brightening the high street with their vibrant shopfront.
Nowadays rests ‘Northstar’ a creative workspace set to inspire forward thinking and inspirational ideas, they’ve even continued the colourful legacy of the pool hall prior.
Oldham Street you’ve always been at the epicentre of all things culture and we’re sure it’s set to stay that way forevermore, keep thriving R’kid!
Review | Some of the most fun you can have at a theatre – Jeff Goldblum and The Mildred Snitzer Orchestrax
Danny Jones
On Wednesday night, we did something we hadn’t done in a long time: we went to a concert almost completely blind and walked in without having heard a single second – because how many times in life are you going to get the chance to say you’ve seen Jeff Goldblum music live in Manchester?
We can comfortably say it wasn’t just one of our favourite shows of the year so far, but it might be one of the best decisions we’ve made, maybe ever…
Honestly, there’s not even a whiff of exaggeration in that statement; within minutes of the headline date starting, a long, hard day suddenly melted away in the smooth, sultry, stylish and unapologetically silly atmosphere created by Jeff Goldblum and the truly wonderful Mildred Snitzer Orchestra.
For starters, we were pleasantly surprised to see ‘Bonnie Scotland’s very own Liverpool-based singer-songwriter, Brooke Combe, opening up for the man himself, whose soulful, 1960s, 70s and Motown influences made for a perfect fit to warm up the crowd.
With the North West favourite – who we recently caught once again at NBHD Weekender late last month – even getting a perhaps initially hesitant and very possibly more Theatre-leaning audience inside the Palace to relax with some fun vocals excercises and Scottish banter, we were off to the races.
But in truth, this show turned out to be so much more than we were expecting – and by that we don’t mean when Brooke joined him on stage for a spell and had him try his first Irn-Bru…
In our heads, we were kind of expecting to see Goldblum, 73, playing his beloved piano as other members of the jazz band got to enjoy a few moments centre-stage as those who sat watching admired their sheer technical ability.
Where we actually landed was somewhere between a live and just the right amount of chaotic stream-of-consciousness stand-up show, interlaced with a series of effortlessly charming and loose bits of crowdwork as if he were compèring, and, of course, the incredibly cool musical arrangements.
It may not have been entirely free-form (it’s clear that a lot of time, effort and tireless rehearsal go into this shindig), but it did have the feeling that things were unfolding organically as the night went on, the perfect example being specifically for Manchester, with each local reference getting a rousing reception.
His latest LP is going down a treat with the critics in the early reviews, too, and having now heard a few samples, we’re not surprised.
As Jeff said at the top of the show, the best bit about this music is watching these marvellous musicians effectively jamming and playing call and response, not only with each other but you down below – not to mention with the man himself vamping over the top and enjoying plenty of solos on the keys.
Aside from crowd-pleasing arrangements of contemporary and well-known tracks like ‘Lover’ by Taylor Swift and even his own bittersweet and oh-so-gentle take on ‘Over The Rainbow’, it felt not just like an intro to some cult favourites from within the genre, but a serviceable broad-strokes education at times.
Personally, we’ve always liked to think of ourselves as open to anything, sonically, albeit fairly limited when it comes to jazz, but we left feeling like we knew more about the mechanics and flow of a jazz gig than ever; we’re now eager to learn more and dive deeper into the syllabus curated by this superfan.
One very special mention also has to go to session singer Khailah Johnson, who recently shone in the & Juliet production on Broadway and is now currently on tour with Jeff on his Night Blooms run.
Believe us, she’s not merely performing ‘beside’ anyone; when you have a voice and presence that’s so big and has such range that you generate enough star-power for people to genuinely forget that a Hollywood actor is there right next to you, you KNOW you’re beyond talented. Simply spellbinding.
The whole crew had a lovely, laid-back quality that was just infectious. (Credit: Lucy Elson-Whittaker)
And then we have the A-lister himself, who clearly doesn’t only have the gift of the jab and a natural penchant for pageantry, but looks so at home up there that we would happily trade ever seeing him in a film again if it meant we could have the next few decades watching him be the live showman that he is.
For anyone who feared Jeff Goldblum’s music career might just be a famous bloke indulging himself in a side project and cashing in on fandom simply because he can, fret not: this man has as much passion, love and aptitude for jazz and this particular side of showbiz as any role we’ve seen him play, if not more.
Whether it be playing movie trivia games with those in the stalls, thanking fans he bumped into at his hotel, or inviting people there for a special occasion backstage, he ticked almost every box you could have asked for, from the cabaret vibes and Jurassic Park puns to simply playing his socks off.
The new album that gives its name to this current slate of live shows is much more than a play on words. Be it the soft and warm hues of the coloured spotlights, the off-the-cuff comedy interludes, or even the pure giggle-fits in the audience, the Palace Theatre was bursting with joy, life and vibrancy.
We sincerely hope Jeff Goldblum has grown as fond of the city as he claims, and that we get to watch him play a Manchester venue every year.
Coffee Rules: The Greek-born cafe that’s gone on to become a beloved Greater Manchester brand
Danny Jones
It’s rare that you find a place in an already saturated food and drink scene like Greater Manchester’s that genuinely comes across like a local community cornerstone, but that’s exactly what we got when we visited Coffee Rules in Salford.
We went for a brew, one of those viral iced coffee we’ve seen on socials, and maybe a nice bite to eat – but we left with much more and the impression that these lot are onto something big.
Opened in Arta back in their home country (also up in the northwest, by the way), they’ve never struggled to get queues out the door, and it’s no different here. This one is run by two siblings, 23-year-old Thomas and his younger brother Marios, 30, who have been smashing it since 2023.
Since launching their growing UK brand in the likes of The Meadows neighbourhood – one of two they have in the city of Salford alone, the other being Swinton – they’ve brought the lines with them. With authentic Greek food and drink like this, it’s not hard to see why.
They’ve now expanded to more than eight sites total, including one still keeping their own local reputation alive over in Athens, and this looks to be just the beginning.
Having not only spread across the ten boroughs but further out into the region with their Liverpool locations as well as a Yorkshire stronghold up in Sheffield, there’s more to come from Coffee Rules, both in terms of premises and their plans to take on the rest of the brunch game and beyond.
Suburban Mancs may have already seen the regular midday and weekend crowds that pack out their Chorlton venue, the Rusholme one is often filled with fresh-faced uni students in need of their caffeine fix, and it’s an increasingly similar story for those based in Bolton.
Or maybe you’re one of the many people based in Manchester city centre, who nip to their quiet, tucked-away corner of Ancoats for a fresh bake or even to have your eye caught by some of their merch with that modern mythological-inspired logo.
Whichever one happens to be closest to you, you’ll have the same satisfying experience, from sipping on speciality coffee and the scran, to the service and all-around atmosphere.
They’re also about to start hosting board game nights over at their Salford site, where they’ll be making the most of their large terrace with plenty of seating, which also has the added bonus of a retracted pergola – perfect for sunny days or simply sheltering from the Manc rain.
One thing we also noticed was just how many locals not only popped in throughout our time there, but the sheer number that had chosen to start their day at this particular spot.
There’s a regular Greek crowd, of course, but there’s also the native Salfordian and those currently residing in and around the up-and-coming area, who were pulling up in the large car park and taking a pew, or even those just looking for quick and top-quality grab-and-go stuff.
In fact, it’s one of the quickest venues we’ve seen fill up that fast in a hot, Med minute.
Speaking of, whether it be one of their superb Spanish lattes, or the equally sweet, sultry and viral ‘Freddo Cappuccino’, or their traditional spanakopita, not to mention their many Mediterranean pastry variations, there’s a big call for pretty much everything on the menu.
We could go on at length in listing what impressed us about just this one Coffee Rules branch, and we’ve made many trips to their Chorlton one in the past already, but it’s probably best that we just urge you to give it a try sometime soon. Trust us, you won’t be disappointed.
This is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the UK, and it’s no wonder they keep pulling in plaudits and invites to bigger and better industry within the industry as time goes on events over the past few years.
Oh, and one more thing, there’s plenty of savoury stuff that you’ll likely fall in love with, but we highly reccommend ordering the red velvet. Wow…
Thomas Melia -
16th March 2025 
