Feature

Girl who survived 40ft fall off a bridge reflects on her mental health journey four years later

Olivia Bartlett's story went viral last year, and now she's spreading her inspirational message once again.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 28th January 2021
Olivia Bartlett

4th March 2018 is a date that Olivia Bartlett will never forget.

It was the date that the then-17 year old took what she thought would be her last step, as she leapt off a bridge over a major road in Stockport and plunged 40ft to the ground in an attempt to end her own life.

But unlike the five others who’d jumped from the very same spot before her that week, Olivia survived.

The former trainee hairdresser from Gorton suffered a catalogue of horrific injuries from her fall – including serious damage to her head and spine, along with 15 other broken bones – and underwent two operations at Salford Royal, leaving her bed-bound for two weeks, before being subsequently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression, and spending three months in a specialist facility to improve her mental health.

The hospital staff told her it was “a miracle” she was still alive.

ADVERTISEMENT

“[Struggles with] my mental health started at a young age, but I didn’t want anyone to know what I was going though daily.” Olivia told us.

“It was a battle everyday, especially with the thoughts I was getting [and] I was just so embarrassed [that] I didn’t tell anyone, [nor did I] understand why I even felt the way I did,

ADVERTISEMENT

“I didn’t even understand about mental health then.”

Olivia admits that her life “changed dramatically” after that day, and she has sadly suffered both short-term and long-term effects from the incident, ranging from apprehensions and embarrassment about going outside and re-integrating back into society shortly after being discharged from hospital due to “[having] all my hair shaved, as my head injuries were really bad to the point [that] you could see my skull”, to suffering with long term back pain – which makes walking and standing a challenge – the devastating decision to give up her job as a result of injuries, and even the loss of “a lot of friends and social circle”, who she believed just did not understand how to handle the severity of her mental health struggles and diagnosis’.

In December 2019, she also suffered the devastating loss of her uncle Paul to suicide, which she said “broke me, as he [had] seen everything I went through [and] was married [with] two children”.

ADVERTISEMENT

And it was then that she just knew she “didn’t want anyone else to go through what I had”.

Nowadays, Olivia – 21, who’s family and boyfriend of three years are supporting her “every step of the way” – is keen to advocate that “mental health matters” and that it should be prioritised just as much as our physical health, and it was this very urgency to promote better care that saw her story go viral on social media last year.

https://www.facebook.com/olivia.bartlett.3/posts/2954587021268475

Olivia goes back to that same bridge as much as she can, but not to jump – to stop others from doing so.

She does this by regularly decorating the bridge with handwritten messages of support, words of encouragement, and vital contact numbers for anyone who may find themselves in the same position as she did all those years prior, in the hopes of proving that “better days will come”.

It was an act that, once shared to Facebook, saw her receive widespread support from all across the globe, with messages from strangers still coming in to this day.

ADVERTISEMENT

The viral post also miraculously reunited her with the man who she credits with “saving my life”.

Olivia continued: “During my recovery, I learned so much about mental health… [and] I thought I needed to do more to make sure people never feel like this again, [so] now I go to the bridge I jumped off to put notes and try and keep up with it as much as I can.

“If it stops just one person from doing [what I did], it would mean the world to me – I just want to help others [and] no family should go through what mine did”.

“I try to do everything I can for mental health, but sometimes I feel like I’m not doing enough,” Olivia admitted.

“I want to do more as it’s very important to me [and] mental health will always be a part of my life, so now that I have learnt how to deal with it, I want to help everyone I can.

ADVERTISEMENT

“No one should feel like this, and some people just need help dealing with their mental health issues”.

Olivia also expressed some concerns with the level of after-care she received following the incident, which she is keen to rectify, explaining that: “The hospitals didn’t do anything with me after, no talks, no therapy – I had to make myself better, but some people aren’t as strong to think like that.

“There’s not enough help for mental health and it’s so upsetting to see, but if my story gets out there, it might help others”.

https://www.facebook.com/olivia.bartlett.3/posts/2955072707886573

As part of her reflection process, nearly four years after the attempt to take her own life, Olivia has now realised the importance of speaking out, especially after coming up against several negative comments as a response to her social media posts.

“I want to tell everyone that things do get better and so will you.” she said.

ADVERTISEMENT

‘I’m living proof of that, and it’s okay not to be ok, and mental health is normal [so] don’t worry that you are different to others. Try your hardest to be positive, even though it is so hard to do, and remember that there are people out there that love you.

“I also want to say to everyone to please just please be kind.

“I have had a lot of negative comments saying lots of sick things, but if I wasn’t as strong as I am, that could have broken me and I could do it again, so please just be kind [because] you could say horrible things to the wrong person someday, and you would be the reason they’re not here anymore.

“Please try to understand and try to be in their shoes – mental health needs to be a priority“.

“Most of all, I just want to tell everyone to stay strong”.

ADVERTISEMENT

___

If you or anyone you know is struggling right now, please know that you are never alone and there are many different places you can reach out to for support right here in Greater Manchester.

Suffering in silence never need be the way.

  • Manchester Mind – An organisation that has supported people in Manchester for over 30 years. Most services are now available over the phone, by email or video call. The number is 0161 769 5732 and the opening hours are Mon – Fri 10am – 2pm.
  • The GM Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust – The local NHS helpline is open 24/7 which you can call any time, day or night, if you feel your mental health is beginning to suffer: 0800 953 0285.
  • Andy’s Man Club – A group dedicated to starting conversations about mental health, assuring people that it’s ok to talk. You can contact them by email on: [email protected].
  • CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably supports people via phone and webchat. You can call 0800 58 58 58 or speak to a support worker online. Open 5pm to midnight.
  • Samaritans – The Manchester & Salford Samaritans offer emotional support by telephone and email. The phone lines and email support are available 24/7. Call 116 123 or visit the website.

The Manc Group is also here to help too.

There are real people behind our platforms, and our DMs are always open, so we encourage you to drop us a message should you ever need a chat and we will be more than happy to help point you in the right direction towards the best help possible.

We got this, Manchester.

Feature

Inside the underground Manchester noodle bar serving Chinatown’s spiciest scrans

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant noodle alley

Over in Chinatown, there’s a relatively new little noodle bar that’s been making a big, spicy stamp on the city’s dining scene.

Its owner, Wendy Ren, hails from the Chinese province of Sichuan – a region that’s home to giant pandas, traditional Sichuanese opera, and some of the spiciest food going, thanks to its famous Sichuan pepper.

Also known as the Chinese prickly ash, the citrus-like peppercorn leaves a tingly numbness in the mouth and on the lips that you’ll either love or hate.

It’s an acquired taste, by all accounts – but those who love it can’t get enough. In fact, on my visit during a packed-out Wednesday lunch service, Wendy stopped to chat with an Italian family holidaying in Manchester who had been in to eat three days in a row. Now that’s an endorsement if I ever heard one.

She’s opened the restaurant alongside her Cantonese husband, Ken Chen, but the recipes are all hers – and on our visit she laughs with us about how it has taken him some time to get on board with her spicy food, saying: “he found out pretty quickly that he either eats it or he doesn’t eat at all.”

For big fans of spice, this is fast becoming the absolute go-to spot in Chinatown – and for those who aren’t so tough, don’t worry, because Wendy’s put some things on the menu for you too (and possibly, also, for Ken).

Just taking a moment for the hand-rolled pork dumplings with sweet and spicy chilli oil and minced garlic. / Image: The Manc Eats
Noodle Alley is beautifully decked out in red and green with little nods to the famous wide and narrow alleys of Chengdu. / Image: The Manc Eats

Called Noodle Alley, the restaurant is tucked away underground on Faulkner Street and beautifully decked out in red and green with little nods to the famous wide and narrow alleys of Chengdu.

Formerly home to China City, a real old-school Chinatown legacy restaurant, the space has a special place in Wendy’s heart.

She tells me that she and her husband used to come and eat here “all the time” when they first started dating, so the location really means a lot to both of them.

Chinatown restaurants aren’t exactly known for their glamorous interiors, and China City, Wendy jokes, was one such place – with the same old carpet, and the same old tables that had been used for the past twenty years.

Now the space is her own, though, it’s markedly different – lovingly decked out in cheerful colours, with little green windows, hanging lanterns, and bamboo rattan paneling on the walls.

Hand-rolled dumplings stuffed with mince pork on their way to the kitchen at Noodle Alley. / Image: The Manc Eats
The end result – drenched in homemade chilli oil and topped with crispy garlic. / Image: The Manc Eats

Her story of getting into the restaurant business is something of an unusual one. Prior to opening Noodle Alley, she tells me, she spent nearly two decades working at The Marriott Hotel.

After seventeen years of service and the birth of her second child, she asked to go part-time but her request was refused – so she quit the very next day, and began building her own route to independence.

It was during the Covid lockdown, she says, that she really got into cooking group meals – making meals for her friends and spending hours in the kitchen busying away happily over her stove.

A friend with several restaurants in Chinatown suggested she start her own business, and the rest – as they say – is history.

Dan Dan noodles are out, apparently, and Su Jiao Mian are in. / Image: The Manc Eats
Burning noodles with preserved vegetables and crushed peanuts. / Image: The Manc Eats

Dish-wise, her menu spans a mouthwatering selection of dry noodles, soup noodles, street food, and small plates, including the likes of deep-fried wavy potato chips with chilli and Szechuan pepper and steamed beef strips wrapped with chilli paste, numbing Sichuan pepper, and five-spiced rice powder.

Dan Dan noodles, the Sichuan dish we probably all know the best, don’t feature – they’re a bit old news now, apparently, and Wendy has some cooler alternatives for us to try.

Read more: This blink-and-you’ll-miss-it basement restaurant in Manchester’s Chinatown serves the ultimate yum cha feast

One is her Su Jiao Mian, a mixture of minced pork, sesame sauce, and house chilli oil, the other is the Wan Za Mian, a fiery mixture of spices combined with minced pork, soft yellow peas, and more chilli which Wendy says is “one of the most popular noodles in Sichuan.”

Apparently, if you’re eating with the cool kids in Sichuan, you should order this. Not one to argue, I dig in – and it’s safe to say her food is pretty damn exceptional. Almost immediately, I’m planning my next trip back.

Two of Noodle Alley’s signature dishes: Steamed beef strips wrapped with five spiced rice powder (back) and ‘saliva chicken’ served cold with special chilli oil, peanuts, and cucumber. / Image: The Manc Eats
Pork knuckle with butter beans in an umami-rich pork bone broth. / Image: The Manc Eats

Other signature dishes here include Wendy’s steamed beef strips, which can be eaten alone or dipped into one of her noodle soups, and a dish of ‘saliva chicken’ – a crunchy, cold, textural dish with steamed chicken, fresh chillis and ribbons of cucumber that sit swimming in a bath of homemade Sichuan chilli oil, so named because it literally makes your mouth water.

We also opt for a dish of pork knuckle with butter beans in an umami-rich pork bone broth. Not one for the faint-hearted, even Wendy seemed a little cautious to recommend this one, but as fans of ‘the weird stuff’ we insist – and it really ends up being a highlight of the meal.

Read more: Top Manchester chef to host special £250 dinner – but vegans aren’t welcome

We end up needing a little help with it. It’s a slippery bugger and I end up wearing a fair bit of the broth. before she returns with a knife and fork to cut it up properly for us.

That broth it’s in, though, is so beautiful I could happily bathe in it. Some might say I did, to be fair. As for the soft, succulent pork meat? When sliced into tiny morsels and dipped into an extra special Sichuan chilli oil she retrieves from the kitchen, is something else entirely.

If this is Sichuan heaven, then I’ll happily stay here forever. From plump hand-made dumplings stuffed generously with flavourful pork and drenched in chilli oil, to chicken giblet soup noodles, there’s so much on the menu I will be coming back for.

And for those who really can’t handle the spice, I guess I’ll be recommending the scallion oil noodles with soy sauce and crispy egg. No matter what you order here, I don’t think you can go too wrong.

Featured image – The Manc Eats

Feature

The Chemical Brothers’ Ed Simons on upcoming arena tour, forming in Manchester and how the city influenced them

Danny Jones Danny Jones who are the chemical brothers formed in manchester arena tour tickets

The Chemical Brothers are back and life is good. They never really went anywhere, per se, but they have a new album and a fast-selling UK arena tour, including a date right here in their musical home.

It always surprises us how many people are still unaware that the legendary electronic duo formed right here in Manchester and just how much of our city’s music influenced their unmistakable sound.

Having just released their new record, For That Beautiful Feeling — the tenth studio album in a career spanning nearly three and a half decades — it’s great to know that no matter how much they evolve, you can always spot their signature and that the Manc music scene an integral part in it.

Soon to embark on a fast-selling UK tour with a glorious homecoming at the AO Arena on 27 October, we had the immense pleasure of sitting down with one-half of The Chemical Brothers, Ed Simons, to chat all things past, present and future for one of Britain and the big beat genre’s biggest exports.

Back with more block rockin’ beats and another massive UK tour

So, how much are you looking forward to being back touring new music?

 ”It’s good to be going back indoors — it’s a big thing, you know, we play a lot of festivals; most of them are good but you get a much better sound [inside] and everyone’s in the same place and, hopefully, in the zone.

“[Post-Covid] A lot of people have still missed out on their first experiences of big loud music and big raucous crowds. Maybe some people are waiting to let go again and thrust into it.”

As for the album, first since 2019, what can you tell us about the direction you’ve gone in?

“Yep, well with performing live we really want to play the new music and just rest on what we’ve done before, we want to incorporate the two. It’s exciting for us. People have heard some of [the record] at summer festivals but now it’s is out there are lots of people that want to experience it for themselves.

“There’s always a core thing: some kind of secret thing between us about what we like about our music. It’s not so much a secret as it is the effect it has on other people but, hopefully, it’s evolving and the sound is still fresh. We don’t ever want people to say, ‘Oh, it’s just another Chemical Brothers record’, there has to be some quality to it.

“It’s a pretty rousing album and has the sense of people waking up again out of a long period where things still are difficult for a lot of people, but that sense of fragmentation that we went through in the lockdowns and what it’s like to come out of that.

“We made a lot of music in that period, but we’ve kind of concentrated on the stuff that feels the most rousing and has a bit of get up and provocation to feel alive again.”

The Chemical Brothers are bringing the new music to Manchester in just over a month.

Absolutely — the new singles like ‘No Reason’ definitely tap into that energy. What’s the reaction been like so far?

“Yeah, it’s been good. We had bits of and then had a sort of pressure to put it together into something we could play because we were about to DJ at fabric [in London] a few years ago at a charity gig for a friend of ours and the first time we played it at a club, even a really early version of it, you could feel it had an energy and sounded different. Great bassline too.

“It’s been rewarding and it’s been a really big live track for us this summer and we do a kind of live edit of it, which is fun and fresh.

“The track ‘Tell Me I’m Dreaming’ has also been a really big track. The visual that Flat Nose George [real name Adam Smith] and Marcus [Lyall] put together for that is really crazy, and, yeah, that’s been going down really well. I think that could be pretty huge when played indoors.

“We’ve had versions of it for a long time, but I think the first time we played it was actually at The Warehouse Project in 2021, I think? You know, when things were picking up again and it just immediately had that impact with the loops and the vocal.

“I just associate it with that WHP party in Manchester now and a few DJs have been playing it like Erol Alkan now too, so yeah, it’s kind of a big club track — a strange one but it works.”

chemical brothers arena tour manchester
chemical brothers manchester tickets
The kind of light shows Manchester and the AO Arena can expect (Credit: The Chemical Brothers via Instagram)

Foundations in 0161 and how 90s Manchester influenced The Chemical Brothers’ sound

Definitely, and it doesn’t get much bigger than the AO Arena but what other venues have got fond memories of?

“Well, I know there’s a lot of new venues but given that we’ve been playing Manchester since 1990, we’ve done most venues. We even used to DJ at the Old Steam Brewery [later became ScuBar] which I don’t even know if that still exists [it doesn’t] but yeah we’ve played the Arena and both Warehouses over the past few years and we just love them.

“Victoria Warehouse and WHP are just amazing, you know. Manchester is our second home; we were students there and we’ve still got a lot of friends there.”

“I guess the best memory of the Arena”, Ed chuckled, “was when one of the security guards was walking us back after a said, ‘Corrr, I’ve not seen a crowd like that since Ricky Hatton was here”, adding that it’s a wise-crack that still gets brought up on tour and that all the gig staff here have a “proper good attitude”.

Not too bad a compliment, haha. What about other venues then? Any you’ve still got a soft spot for or have any lasting Manc music memories?

“Well, we were there with all the students and the early ‘Big Barn’ days at Manchester Academy, the indie disco, the house night in a house Thursday; the Wiggly Worm which Justin Robertson ran [went on to become the Millionaire Club] — we were just in and out of all those places and then ended up holding our own club nights.

“We’d hire everything from a swanky bar in town where we’d have to move all our speakers in, to setting up in Pizza Express in Didsbury where we used to go on and party as well.

musicians from manchester
where are chemical brothers from?
Ed and Tom back when they were starting. (Credit: Ed Simons via Instagram)

Amazing. Tell us a little bit about the early days and how you and Tom [Rowland] came to meet at uni.

“Yeah, at the University of Manchester in 1989. We met really early on, pretty much the first week through a mutual friend. We were on this tiny little course on medieval history, so there weren’t many of us, and then I think we were talking about wanting to play the Haçienda, which at that time was the big thing and we’d all heard about it.

“So yeah, we just kind of became friends because we were the only people in this course and we just wanted to go to the Haçienda and I think we ended up going every Friday from September to Christmas. We were just so into the music that Mike Pickering and Graeme Park were playing, and just the whole atmosphere. We also loved buying records together.

“Tom was actually in another band at the time called Ariel, so our thing was just DJing together at first and then after making some more friends about a year into our course we started putting on these nights around town and we got really friendly with a lot of DJs who worked at Eastern Bloc like Robertson and [Richard] ‘Moonboots‘.

It always comes back to Manchester

Ed ended the chat by reiterating that, like many artists who come through here either as natives or otherwise, “there’ll always be a big Manchester connection.”

chemical brothers manchester days
Then.
chemical brothers tour
Now.
No matter how many years go by, the importance of those early Manchester days has never left The Chemical Brothers.

“We used to buy some really brilliant records that Moonboots would put aside for us and then when we came to London, we were suddenly DJing and playing all these cool records that no one else had heard.

“A really big part of our early career was building that bridge between Manchester and London, and, you know, we were around at the same time as The Stone Roses and we absolutely loved them — that first album had a huge influence.

“There was just that sense of if you’ve got an idea, just try and record it and get it out; there was a sort of can-do feeling about everything and we always feel indebted to that time we spent there. I think without being around all these people and artists printing a thousand white labels, we never would have been exposed to the culture and wouldn’t be coming back to the Arena 34 years later…

“Apparently the lecturer who did that medieval history course still starts his years by telling his students that they’re following in mine and Tom’s footsteps…”

Read more:

You can grab tickets to see The Chemical Brothers in Manchester at the AO Arena on 27 October HERE.

ADVERTISEMENT

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — The Chemical Brothers (via Instagram)/Wikimedia Commons

More Feature

Greater Manchester walking groups

Feature

The Failsworth and Oldham-based walking group that’s proving to be a lifeline for hundreds of Mancs

Shed Seven frontman Rick Witter interview

Audio

Rick Witter on Shed Seven’s first album in six years, collaborating with Rowetta and Manchester memories

sexy fish

City Centre

We went to Sexy Fish to eat lobster and stare at mermaids before it comes to Manchester

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches