The man behind one of Prestwich’s most successful independent businesses has shared a moving statement this morning as the thriving neighbourhood readies for the arrival of Rudy’s.
Dan Edwards, owner of Chips @ No. 8, has spoken out on chains ‘piggybacking on the the successes’ and dreams of all the many, many local favourites that have made Prestwich into one of the UK’s best places to live (not just our word, either – The Times said it too).
His statement comes on the week that work has begun on the former Barclays bank on the high street, ready for the arrival of Rudy’s – that ever-expanding pizza giant that started life in Manchester and is now infiltrating every corner of Britain with its Neapolitan pizzas.
And it’s rumoured that a Gail’s bakery (a big London name) might also be moving in just across the road in the former Natwest bank.
Now Dan has shared a powerful statement addressing his fears that these chains will change the face of this proudly independent corner of Greater Manchester.
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“I fear you’ll forget us,” he wrote.
He vocalised concerns from the suburb that the tiny, family-run, independently-owned, much-loved cafes, bars, restaurants and shops based in Prestwich won’t be able to compete with the ‘unlimited marketing budgets, fancy gimmicks, big shiny interiors’ of Rudy’s and Gail’s.
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He said that he’s worried this will drive rents even higher and attract even more chains (at the minute, Costa and KFC are really the only high street names along Bury New Road).
Rudy’s will be moving into this unit in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc GroupPizzas from an existing Rudy’s in Altrincham. Credit: The Manc Group
Dan said that it feels as though the chains are ‘piggy backing the dreams, the visions, the hopes and mostly successes of the independent businesses that helped establish Prestwich as a community that we can be proud of’.
He listed many of the local spots who ‘drove the scene’, from the beautiful cafe-bars like Cuckoo, All The Shapes, and Grape to Grain, to restaurants like The Pearl and Dokes (we would, obviously, like to add Chips @ No 8 to that list).
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And while Rudy’s and Gail’s will be ‘great additions’ to Prestwich, Dan stressed that these places ‘aren’t unique’.
He wrote: “Their owners don’t live in Prestwich, their kids don’t go to school here. It’s likely they won’t be shopping here.”
And he pleaded: “Support local, support independent. Please. More than ever we all need you.”
Dan Edwards’ statement on Prestwich’s future, and Rudy’s arrival, is below in full
“With the recent news that Rudy’s are finally starting work at the old Barclays and the rumours that Gail’s Bakery secured the lease at the old NatWest being confirmed, we can, and rightly so, get excited.
“Prestwich’s tag of an “up and coming” town really is a thing! The chains have identified it as such and are moving in! The impending redevelopment of the precinct has hastened the charge. Will chains, arrive there too? I hope not.
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“The chains are piggy backing the dreams, the visions, the hopes and mostly successes of the independent businesses that helped establish Prestwich as a community that we can be proud of.
“Cuckoo, ATS, G to G, The Pearl, Dokes, KCB, Macca’s, Tito’s, Butterfingers, Hideaway, Us, Everyone Else, all the great little places in Prestwich Village that offer something different, something great, somewhere you can get excited about to share your secret culinary pleasure when family or friends come to visit. We all laid foundations. We all drove the scene.
The Pearl. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Cuckoo, an original Prestwich independent. Credit: The Manc GroupFood at Chips & No 8. Credit: The Manc GroupGrape to Grain in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc GroupA few of the businesses Dan named in his statement about the arrival of Rudy’s in Prestwich
“Don’t get me wrong, they’ll be great additions. They’ll give us more choice and they’ll be great places to eat. They’ll give us another reason to get excited about when family or friends come to visit.
“Only, they won’t be a secret, there’s loads of them. Chances are, your visitors have already been, albeit somewhere else, in a different town. They aren’t unique, and they aren’t independently owned. Their owners don’t live in Prestwich, their kids don’t go to school here. It’s likely they won’t be shopping here.
“They won’t panic when they have a bad trading day, they won’t worry that the VAT bill is only days away and there’s not enough money in the pot. They have shareholders, investors, fancy lawyers and fancy accountants, deep pockets and big buying power.
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“They won’t be concerned that “Dave’s” place round the corner has seemed quiet for a little too long now, “I hope they survive”.
“I hope they do well, I hope they bring people in, I hope they give us exposure to a wider audience, I hope we can have our turn being carried by the piggy.
“I fear they’ll bring more chains, I fear they’ll drive rents higher, I fear that “Dave’s” place round the corner doesn’t stand a chance, I fear they’ll dazzle us with unlimited marketing budgets, fancy gimmicks, big shiny interiors.
“I fear you’ll forget us. Support local, support independent. Please. More than ever we all need you.”
Five Manchester artists we’ve been listening to this month | September 2024
Danny Jones
Oh hello there. All calmed down from the Oasis chaos now, have we? Well good, because we’re back to celebrating newer and largely lesser-known local bands and artists – hopefully to the point that they become far too big to need round-ups like these.
Not that we’ll stop writing them, mind you.
Yes, after last month’s edition (wink wink, nudge nudge), we’ve got five more Manc born and bred or at the very least currently based somewhere in within boroughs bands and artists that Audio North has been enjoying of late.
We welcome all walks of tunage here, by the way; it’s the best way to be and if you don’t manage to find something there’s always next month or all the previous ones, for that matter. Let’s get into it.
Five Manc artists we’ve been listening to recently
1. Nia Archives
Kicking the September rundown in style, we’ve got the wonderful Nia Archives, who despite not hailing from Manchester originally has made a happy home here, playing countless stages around the city since she moved here when she was just 16 and now she’s well and truly shining.
The 2022 BBC Introducing Artist of the Year is set to deliver her Up Ya Archives club night to The Warehouse Project for just the second time and if you’ve never heard her before, you’re really not ready for the breadth going on. Dance, electronic, D’n’B, jungle, neo-soul – she really does play with it all.
From Bradford, Leeds then to 0161, she’s got to be one of our favourite talents around right now. ‘Baiana’ is certainly one of her biggest tunes and her debut title track ‘Silence Is Loud’ is a certified banger, but we’re gonna shout out her remix of ‘leavemealone’ by Fred again… and Baby Keem.
From varied floor-fillers to another genre-bending outfit that we’re ashamed to confess we arrived far too late but are making up for it with some intense listening over the last 30 days. They started out as a trio nailing alternative synth-pop but things have got even more interesting and complex since then.
With roots in Wilmslow, Cheadle Hulme and various other spots around Greater Manchester, the band has grown in every sense of the word since their highly acclaimed 2019 debut, not only because they’re a five-piece these days but because their sound is oozing with so many sprawling influences.
One of the first tunes we heard from them is ‘High Pressure Days’ (it’s a cover but we don’t care), so that has to go in there as a potential starting point, but we’d also check out ‘Somebody Like’ before trying ‘Bloom and Fade’ off their upcoming third album, out 18 October, to see how much things have changed.
Next up is a much more familiar sound for us as Yasmin Coe has the shimmery, shoegaze-esque guitars that her sound is fitting right in with the 90s revival that’s currently thriving all over the country, not to mention a great display of versatility so early on in her career.
If you ask her, she’s self-proclaimed ‘girl power pop’, but there’s everything from Lana Del Rey, Mazzy Star, Wolf Alice and more going on here; safe to say we’re really excited to see where else she takes her music and we’ll definitely be buying a ticket to see her in person very soon.
Fortunately for you, Yasmin’s still pretty fresh so she only has four songs for you to get stuck into – ‘No Hope’, ‘Doubt’, ‘Promise Not To Care’ and her latest, ‘Linen’ – and you’ll get something different from all of them. We love artists like this, keep it up.
For a slightly heavier, more in-your-face entry at number four, our penultimate band has been enjoying the live setting for years but is slowly working its way onto people’s playlists – ours included.
There’s a lot more no-nonsense American rock to the very Mancunian-named Haciendas than there is Madchester or even Britpop, but that feels somewhat refreshing in amongst the mix of contemporary guitar-driven bands, and they also have the attitude to back it up. Think The Reytons but with more US-inflections and riffs and you’re part way there.
This is music that doesn’t need over-intellectualising: it’s fast, fun and even if it does subscribe to somewhat formulaic chorus formats, they’re winning combos for a reason. Our top picks are ‘Overdose’, ‘Brighter Days’ and you can’t go wrong with ‘I’m Not In Control’.
5. Denver County Council
Last but not least, we’ve got Denver County Council: one of the best sounding and, in our opinion, best-dressed bands in Manchester – especially if you’re like us and you love early Kings of the Leon era or anything even remotely close to the country aesthetic. There’s a real mix of blues/old-school rock and roll vibe with an indie sensibility, what’s not to like?
These guys came on our radar around the time they landed a spot on AO Arena‘s stripped-back series last year and we’ve been enjoying them on and off ever since, to be honest. However, since we spotted them on the lineup for Neighbourhood 2024, they’ve been firmly back in the rotation.
These guys haven’t put out tonnes of much just yet either, however, if we had to play favourites amongst the few it would be ‘Grace’, ‘Flawd’ and Mad Love – but the strictly the live version that we can’t wait to hear for ourselves this weekend. Having said that they can also do lovely slower ones like this:
These guys are the real ‘DCC’ and they’re the fifth and final name of our Manc artists of the month.
People are flocking to the ‘best sunset spot’ with beautiful views of Manchester
Daisy Jackson
As much as we love escaping the hustle of Manchester for some fresh air, we don’t like to stray TOO far.
So finding a patch of green on the outskirts of the region that happens to have sweeping views of home is absolutely ideal.
And what makes it even better is a gorgeous sunset.
Recently, people have started falling back in love with the views from one particular sunset hotspot in Greater Manchester, which handily has a great pub too.
We are of course talking about Werneth Low in Tameside, a country park where you can soak in views of the entire Manchester city centre skyline.
From way up here you can see the familiar shapes of Deansgate Square, Beetham Tower, the Manchester Town Hall, the Arndale and the Etihad Stadium.
As Werneth Low is west-facing, you get perfect views of the sunset over Manchester.
In fact it’s so beautiful, a few people in the comments of this video thought it was LA…
Werneth Low itself officially became a country park in 1980 – but prior to that it had been protected as a lasting tribute to the 710 men from the local area who died in World War One.
Credit: TikTok, charliefloydsadventuresCredit: TikTok, sophsandellaPeople are flocking to the ‘best sunset spot’ with beautiful views of Manchester
There are miles of footpaths to explore in this pretty country park, but if you want to find the view that will take your breath away, you need to head across to Werneth Low Road.
Here you’ll also find The Hare & Hounds pub, a handsome old building that dates back to 1728.
The rustic pub calls itself a gateway to the Peak District and sits right alongside the well-trodden Trans Pennine Trail.
From the inside, it’s all exposed beams, low ceilings and open fires, but outside is where the real treat is – those panoramic views.
As you look out across Manchester, you’ll be able to see FIVE different counties, and even the dark silhouette of the Welsh mountains on very clear days.
So Werneth Low (and its views of Manchester) has clearly always been popular with Tameside locals, walkers, families, and Mancs in the know, but lately it’s found a new fame through social media.
Platforms like TikTok are suddenly peppered with young people discovering this beautiful spot.
Daisy Jackson -
3rd October 2024 
