It was a sunny day in June when the face of Manchester was changed forever by the IRA bomb that tore the city centre apart.
A 90-minute warning about the lorry bomb, made with a phone call from the IRA, led to a massive evacuation effort of some 75,000 people.
Miraculously, no one died – but the attack deliberately targeted Manchester’s economy and, in today’s money, caused £1.3 billion-worth of damage.
Previously unseen footage given to The Manc and shared below shows just how widespread the impact was, with ceiling panels hanging down in the Arndale, road signs knocked askew, and windows shattered.
While the scars left on the city by the atrocity on Saturday 15 June 1996 may have been patched over, the memories are still just as vivid for those who were in the city centre that day.
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The aftermath of the IRA Bomb
One such eye-witness is a familiar face around Manchester, and landlord of one of our most legendary pubs.
This is Gerard Ford, better known as Ged, the man behind The Millstone pub in the Northern Quarter where the karaoke blasts from morning til night.
Back in the 1990s, Ged was in charge of The Blob Shop, a long-lost institution on High Street that specialised in ‘cheap wine, cheap beer, and plenty of blobs’ (a mix of Australian white wine, hot water and lemon. Ged sold 6,000 a week).
The old Yates Blob Shop on High Street, Manchester / Credit: deltrems@flickr
When he arrived to work that day, he could never have imagined that he’d be sitting in the rubble drinking beer with police officers just hours later.
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He told us: “I’ll never forget that day, because it was a beautiful day – it was all blue skies and everyone was in a great mood and all that, and then you heard all the things going on, sirens and things.
“And the police coming in saying to people ‘You’ve got to move out, you’ve got to move out of the pub’.
“Truthfully, a lot of people said ‘No. I’m staying here for a few pints. If I’m going to go, I’ll go with a pint in my hand’.”
Eventually, Ged’s punters were coaxed out of their local and down the road – to another pub.
His customers were safely drinking in The Merchants on Oldham Road (now The Crafty Pig), but Ged was still standing in The Blob Shop when the IRA’s 1,500kg bomb was detonated.
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“The phone happened to ring, and I was in the off-licence which is the window on High Street,” he said.
“I put the phone to my right ear, the bomb went off – the reason I’m saying that is because it blew my ear in, it blew my ear drum in.
“And it blew all the panels off the wall. All the windows came in, everything came in when the bomb went off. It was unbelievable.”
After being evacuated, one of Ged’s employees told him that she’d left her purse at the Blob Shop – including her house keys.
He continued: “I knew how to get down the back streets to the Blob Shop.
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“As I was crossing the road I heard the police shout ‘There’s a bloke!’ and they chased after me.”
Ged Ford in The Millstone / Credit: The Manc Group
Ged was quickly emptying the cash from the tills and fetching his friend’s purse when the police rushed through the open doors after him.
He says they were shouting ‘we’ve got him Serge, we’ve got him’.
“I put my hands up and said ‘I’m the manager, I’ve had to go and get this girl’s purse and I’ve just got to take all my cash downstairs and put it in the safe. I’ve got to do all these things.’
“I was [shaking with] adrenaline and so were the policemen, so I said to them ‘Well while we’re here, let’s have a pint!’
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“And I promise, and this is the God’s gospel truth, we all had three pints each, just like that.
“They were great policemen.
“So then obviously they got me out of the Blob Shop and they had to walk me down Church Street in the middle of the street with the policemen with me, to make sure I was safe.
“All the glass was still coming out of the windows, it was still falling in from all over the place.
“When I came out with the police it was still a lovely day, obviously it was blue skies.
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“All the alarms were going off, I remember all the alarms.
“Alarms for cars, alarms for all the offices. The sound of alarms all the time, it was very very eerie.
“I can’t describe it. Well, after three pints anyway! I just remember thinking ‘What the hell’s happened?'”
Ged’s Blob Shop pub was only closed for a matter of days – it was back open for business by the middle of the week after the attack.
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“People are very resilient, they want to go back to normal ways and that’s what they do.
“We opened the Blob Shop again and it thrived and it thrived.”
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Feature
Where to find a great pint of Guinness in Manchester city centre
Georgina Pellant
When it comes to finding a good pint of Guinness, it’s fair to say that not all Manchester boozers are created equal — however, we do believe we have some of the very best outside of Ireland.
Some pints are thin and watery, some have a bit of a bitter taste and some are missing that all-important signature creamy head. All things you want to avoid. In fact, if you go into a pub and see any of this our advice is to run.
Any bartender worth their salt will tell you that there’s a certifiable art to pouring out a proper pint of the black stuff, starting with a two-part pour: a practice considered sacrosanct for literally hundreds of years. Your pint should be properly poured with 3/4 of it filled with old stout, rested, then topped up with new, and when the drink is done a white residue should remain around the glass.
These, as we know them, are the very basics but serious Guinness drinkers can likely reel off a whole list of other criteria that we haven’t even touched on. For now, though, that’ll do and these are the very best places that boast not just a good but a great pint of Guinness in Manchester — in no particular order.
Well, we say no order… Widely renowned for having the best pint of Guinness in Manchester hands down, if it’s authenticity you’re looking for then Mulligans of Deansgate is a must.
An authentic Irish bar with live music almost every night and plenty of cosy snugs to tuck yourself away in, it’s typically packed to the rafters and bartenders pride themselves on never, EVER leaving a bubble in your pint.
This equally cosy Northern Quarter bar on Thomas Street is another good choice for those looking for a great pint of Guinness and some bloody good food while they’re at it.
Bay Horse always has deals on too, including a pie and a pint for a tenner on Mondays, which might be one of the most affordable prices for a Guinness and a good meal in the city centre full stop these days.
Run by one of Britain’s oldest and longest-serving landlords, come for its bold green tile-clad exterior and stained glass windows and stay for a very smooth pint of Guinness.
4. The Castle Hotel – NQ
Great pub.Great Guinness.Great people.Credit: Dunk (via Flickr)/The Manc/The Castle Hotel (via IG)
Another great NQ pub, this time on Oldham Street, The Castle Hotel is another spot you can completely rely on for quality Guinness. Its pours have even been accredited.
The real ale pub boasts lots of charming little corners, a small beer garden out back, a great jukebox and a gig room where you can watch local bands whilst sipping on proper pints.
5. Kiely’s Irish Bar – Great Northern Warehouse
Phwoar. (Credit: The Manc)
In at number five is one of the very best Irish bars in Manchester for our money and that’s Kiely’s over on Great Northern. Prone to lots of spill-over from the busy scenes on Peter Street and Deansgate strip most weekends, you’ll find plenty of people heading in here for a great pint of Guinness.
With live music and sports on the box most days, not to mention plenty of room for the big crowds on match days and the likes of St. Patrick’s name day, you can count on this place for plenty of the black gold and good vibes.
This gorgeous Grade II-listed freehouse sits on the border of Ancoats and the Northern Quarter dates all the way back to 1774 and is literally oozing history.
Reopened in 2005 in cooperation with English Heritage and lovingly refurbished not long ago, it has an incredibly fine and unusual ceiling, a brilliant pub quiz and one of the best pints of Guinness in the neighbourhood.
7. Edinburgh Castle
Quietly one of the best non-Irish pub pints of Guinness you’ll get in Manchester. (Credit: The Manc)
Whilst we’re talking about Ancoats, the elegant Edinburgh Castle also deserves a very honourable mention for its Guinness pour.
This refurbished Victorian boozer not only boasts Manchester’s most elite chip butty and great food all-round from its stunning upstairs restaurant but is also widely considered one of the best places for a pint of Guinness in town. Trust us.
8. O’Shea’s Irish Bar – Central
Well look who it is!Shelf and a half, that.Credit: O’Shea’s Irish Bar (via IG)/The Manc Group
Obviously, we have to talk about O’Shea’s. This Irish bar is widely considered a go-to for a good pint of Guinness, with some even reporting they prefer their pints to Mulligans — controversial, we know, but this is a democracy after all.
During the pandemic, the bar also made a splash in the city by opening a giant outdoor Guinness garden and you can rest assured it’ll be one of the best places to spend Paddy’s Day this year.
Another historic boozer recently reborn after a couple of years of sitting boarded up on the busy Manchester stretch from which it takes its name is one of our personal favourites, The Deansgate.
Now under the ownership of Greene King and serving up a cracking pint of Guinness from its ground-floor and first-floor bars alongside a hearty pub grub menu, what’s not to like?
10. Lass O’Gowrie – Oxford Road Corridor
Such a welcoming space.That tilt though…Credit: The Manc
Oh, she’s a bonnie wee Lassie, the Gowrie. One of the best-loved city centre spots you’ll ever have the pleasure of popping in for a pint, the Scottish-founded but heavily Irish-influenced pub knows a thing or two about pouring a proper pint of Guinness.
What’s more, we just love spending time in here full stop as there’s always plenty on; whether it’s a quiz or open mic night or you simply just want to sit out on their fairy-lit balcony terrace hanging over the River Medlock, it’s an absolute jewel in the Oxford Road Corridor‘s crown.
11. O’Neill’s – Printworks
Credit: The Manc
An absolute dynasty when it comes to Irish bars across the UK, we couldn’t not put O’Neill’s on this list as no matter how busy they get every Friday and Saturday they never fail to pull a good pint of Guinness.
With Waxy O’Connor’s having left the Printworks a little while back, it’s now the go-to place for a solid stout in the popular leisure and entertainment venue, plenty of punters all over the country consider it their go-to for the craic.
Heading just outside of the city centre for our next tipple, there are some locals living in the enclave of Chorlton and beyond that believe Duffy’s is the very best pint of Guinness anywhere in Greater Manchester; better than Mulligans, O’Shea’s, Kiely’s — all of them. Big words.
We’d never be so bold as to fall on our swords when it comes to such a precious debate that people are always so passionate about, but what we will say is that this regular Man United pub is a very good place to split the G.
13. The New Oxford – Salford
Another gem located just outside of the city limits and down the road from Spinningfields is The New Oxford in Bexley Square on Chapel Street. Recently restored and absolutely glowing, it’s not only one of the prettiest traditional pubs you’ll find in 0161 but it does a bloody good Guinness.
With Irish roots and staff behind the bar, as well as an authentic vintage pump shipped straight over from Temple Bar in Dublin, the sip in this place is just as sublime as the setting. An extremely underrated spot.
14. The Old Nag’s Head – Deansgate
AWe know this is technically easy rules but we’re counting it.Credit: The Manc
Another big stronghold for Reds — well, the biggest in the city centre, certainly — The Old Nag’s Head isn’t just a good place to watch the footy or make a fool of yourself on karaoke, the staff also serve up a pretty decent pint of Guinness too.
You might struggle to get a seat when United are and they do often have a bit of queue on the busier of nights, but the atmosphere in here is great, the dancefloor upstairs is dynamite and the rooftop terrace is a wonderful hideaway when the sun is out.
When one door closes, another one opens and in the case of the Thirsty Scholar, we were truly gutted to see it go but relieved to see it replaced with a very pretty Irish pub that’s instantly become a hit with the locals. Welcome to O’Connell’s.
The video above should tell you all you need to know about the charming aesthetic of this place and having been in a few times since it opened, we can confirm the atmosphere is following suit. Manchester has some of the best Irish pubs outside of Ireland, and this one quickly worked its way into the rankings.
16. The Station – Didsbury
Last but not least, we’re giving the nod to another pub located outside of the city centre and that is The Station, which also happens to be one of the best pubs on the Didsbury Dozen bar crawl.
A fave amongst the suburbs locals and old boys going for a scoop in the afternoon, this is another one that many people put firmly forward as number one in the argument for the best pint of Guinness in Greater Manchester, not to mention at a decent price.
10 photos through the decades that show how much Oldham Street has changed
Thomas Melia
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
Daisy Jackson -
21st January 2022 
