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
Review | ‘This is a night to remember, Manchester’ – Jason Derulo’s Co-op Live debut
Amy Williams
Who’s ready for another throwback night? Because this was absolutely a night already full of nostalgia and one to remember.
American singer-songwriter Jason Derulo hit Co-op Live last night as part of his ‘The Last Dance World Tour’, famous for hit songs like ‘Whatcha Say’, ‘Talk Dirty’, and ‘Savage Love’ – we all remember the Covid TikTok dance, don’t we? – as well as many more.
With over 250 million singles sold and tens of billions of streams, you best believe his one night in Manchester was sold out.
Running through the big hits and everything in between, he and his dancers made it a proper party atmosphere on this fine Saturday evening.
He did his throwback songs and more; from the moment he said, “We’re throwing it back to the beginning, back to 2009″, we knew his first debut single, ‘Whatcha Say’, was about to grace our ears, and that it did.
He also brought back absolute classics like ‘Ridin’ Solo’ (I definitely lost my voice during this one) In My Head and It Girl.
The Last Dance run of shows has seen him visit places like Leeds, London, Glasgow and Birmingham, finishing his UK leg right here in Manchester, before he carries on to Europe, but we’re confident our date had the best crowd so far.
And just when you think this couldn’t get any better, he brought his little boy on stage to say hi to everyone, too – shattered everyone’s hearts.
He has that many hit songs, it wasn’t possible to get through them all, so his DJ halfway through did a mash-up of songs he’s also written and featured in, including ‘I Gotta Feeling’ by Black Eyed Peas, ‘Secret Love Song’ with Little Mix and ‘Replay’ by Iyaz.
We knew his voice was amazing – but can we have a moment for this man’s dance moves, keeping everyone on their feet at Co-op Live tonight, and his dancers made everyone want to start dance lessons tonight too, an absolutely incredible performance by all.
Jason Derulo told the audience, “This is a night to remember Manchester’, and that it absolutely was.
Inside One Port Street, the luxury new skyscraper that’s the tallest building in the Northern Quarter
Daisy Jackson
Manchester has a new luxury skyscraper, and while we’ve become pretty accustomed to seeing this pop up by now, this one’s a little different – because it’s in the Northern Quarter.
The city’s creative heartland has a new tallest building, a whopping 32-storey giant that’s home to features like a swimming and spa pool, skyline views, a state-of-the-art gym, and plenty more too.
It might sound like a new luxury hotel – but it’s actually a building that’s bringing hundreds of brand-new homes to the northern side of the city centre.
One Port Street is now open, and is the first premium residential community to open in the Northern Quarter.
Select Property’s £195m flagship development has 477 premium open-plan apartments, plus some awe-inspiring amenities for those who like the finer things in life (but don’t want to live in Deansgate Square).
Those features include a 2000 square foot swimming and spa pool that looks like a James Bond lair, with integrated changing rooms, as well as a huge state-of-the-art gym that’s free for residences, which has TWO yoga and barre studios.
You’re greeted at the entrance to the building with a 360-degree fire pit, with cosy co-working spaces and a hidden ‘Hideout’ room, which has its own projector.
The 360-degree firepitThe ‘Hideout’The One Port Street gym
There’s outside space too, including a landscaped garden and 22,000 sq ft of new public realm.
Going up to the seventh floor, you’ll find the Panganini’s resident lounge and roof terrace, named after a historic tavern that once stood nearby, with an exclusive dining room and more space for work from home days.
From open-plan apartment to communal spaces, you’ll spot artwork from independent artists and luxury finishes.
The apartments themselves have open plan layouts and the highest specification fixtures and fitting, all styled by Select Property’s in-house design team.
The huge new landmark is on Port Street, right on the doorstep of the Northern Quarter’s many bars, restaurants, gig venues, and businesses, and a short walk from Manchester Piccadilly.
One Port Street apartmentsOne Port Street apartments
Launching alongside the opening of the building is the One Port St Collective, a residents’ programme with a dedicated resident app, that gets members exclusive access to One Port St partners and curated discounts.
Adam Price, CEO, at Select Property, said: “One Port St is a major landmark for the city of Manchester, representing everything we believe modern residential living should be: design-led, community-minded and deeply connected to its surroundings and local heritage.
“One Port St is about redefining what modern rental living can be. It’s not just about beautiful apartments – it’s about how people live, connect and experience the city around them. Positioned at the gateway to the Northern Quarter, this is a place shaped by its surroundings and designed for modern city life.
“The Northern Quarter has long been the heart of Manchester’s creativity and culture, and One Port St celebrates that identity and brings something totally new to the area. With apartments now open and available to rent, and residents moving in, this is a big milestone for us and a proud moment for our entire team.”
Panganini’s resident lounge and roof terrace
Ian Simpson, Co-founding Partner, SimpsonHaugh added: “One Port St presented an opportunity to elevate residential provision in one of Manchester’s most characterful districts, creating a design that mediates between the Northern Quarter and the wider city.
“Our ambition was to create a building that respects and responds to the Northern Quarter’s rich industrial heritage. The result is an elegant landmark development that combines considered design, outstanding amenities, and enhanced public realm to form a welcoming and connected place to live, visit and enjoy.
“We’re proud to see the building now open and becoming part of the evolving story of this iconic neighbourhood.”
The building is officially open with apartments now available to rent – you can find out more HERE.
The Northern Quarter has never been fancier – One Port Street apartments are ready and waiting for you
Daisy Jackson -
21st January 2022 
