Remember last year when Christmas 2020 was called the worst in living memory?
All over the UK, millions were trapped inside their homes, bemoaning the fact they are unable to see their loved ones at what is widely considered for many to be the most important time of year.
But on this date 81 years ago, Manchester was facing an even tougher Christmas.
During the nights of 22 and 23 December 1940, the city was decimated by German bombs in an attack that would later go down in history as the ‘Manchester Blitz‘.
The German Luftwaffe had already targeted Manchester twice before during World War II – aiming to destroy key war production centres in the likes of Stretford.
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Raids had occurred in August and September 1940, but the most devastating attack arrived just before the festive holidays.
At least 684 people were killed, with more than 2,000 others injured.
Many key landmarks in the city centre were completely destroyed in a little over 24 hours.
Buildings in St Ann’s Square crumbled to dust, a section of the huge Victoria Building collapsed onto Deansgate, and warehouses on Portland Street, Sackville Street and Watson Street were set ablaze.
Manchester’s Free Trade Hall and The Royal Exchange were also hit – along with Smithfield Market and the Gaiety Theatre.
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Manchester Exchange Railway Station was still on fire when the sun rose.
One survivor, Susan Jones, who was 16 at the time, remembers “looking up at the sky and it seemed like everything was on fire.”
“There was an acrid smell of burning and from the guns,” she told the BBC.
“The sky was all orange and yellow it looked like the fireworks I’d seen at Belle Vue when I was younger.”
Firefighters putting out a blaze at a bomb site in Manchester city centre / Credit: Wikipedia
The Manchester Blitz remains to this day one of the worst atrocities to have ever befallen Manchester.
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But, as always, the city got back on its feet.
So, while Christmas 2020 was undoubtedly tough (albeit for very different reasons) and Christmas 2021 may also feel the same for some, perspective and optimism are the best tools at our disposal.
Once again, we’ll recover. It’s just a matter of time.
Featured Image – Imperial War Museum
Feature
Bad Bunny: What you need to know about the Super Bowl LX headliner before his big halftime show
Thomas Melia
Global superstar Bad Bunny is headlining the Super Bowl LX halftime show, and we’re giving you the rundown about the current reigning reggaeton artist.
Despite being world famous and hugely popular in Latin America as well as other Hispanic countries, not everyone had heard his name before now.
And since there seem to be more places showing the Super Bowl than ever in Manchester this year, we thought we’d give you a little explainer of his story so far and why you should care when he takes one of the world’s biggest stages.
So, if you’ve been wondering, “who is Bad Bunny?” – well, this is who…
Who is Super Bowl halftime show headliner, Bad Bunny?
Born in Puerto Rico, Benito Antonio – now more widely recognised by his artistic moniker Bad Bunny – is a fast-rising Spanish-speaking act who has transported modern-day reggaeton from Latin America to all new heights.
The Puerto Rican powerhouse has only ever visited the UK once, performing at O2 Forum Kentish Town in London seven years ago as part of his first-ever run of global shows entitled ‘La Nueva Religión’ (The New Religion) tour.
Since then, ‘El Benito’ has dropped seven full-length studio albums and nine musical projects overall, which have all helped establish him as a major force to be reckoned with in the music industry.
Bad Bunny is headlining the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show on 8 February / Credit: Press Shot via Apple Music(Supplied) / Unsplash via Naveen Venkatesan
Alongside his musical career, Bad Bunny has seen himself at the forefront of various pop culture moments thanks to his innovative fashion sense and notable charm.
Iconic moments Bad Bunny is known for
With his first album X 100Pre (an abbreviation meaning Forever) dropping back in 2018, Bad Bunny has spent almost eight years in the limelight, so it will come as no surprise that there are plenty of iconic moments you might remember.
Bad Bunny as a drag queen – To coincide with the release of his single ‘Yo Perreo Sola’ (I Twerk Alone), Benito stepped into unchartered territory, debuting three different Drag personas to combat toxic masculinity in the reggaeton music scene.
WWE – Benito is a huge fan of wrestling. He first appeared for a performance at the Royal Rumble in 2021, before returning later that year and teaming up with Damian Priest to take down The Miz and John Morrison.
VMA performance – The Latin multi-hyphenate made headlines in 2022 after kissing a male dancer on-stage. Both fans and media outlets stated the performance harked back to Madonna’s similar showcase two decades prior; you can watch Bad Bunny’s kiss HERE (skip to 2:50).
Met Gala – Well-recognised for its glamorous and glitzy outfits, the Met Gala brings together A-Listers for a showcase of all things fashion. Bad Bunny was styled by fashion house Jacquemus and wore a backless suit with a 26-foot train.
The Super Bowl is a huge accomplishment for all artists; now Bad Bunny joins the headlining roster / Credit: Jorge Rojas via Unsplash (Supplied)
SNL – The LATAM star has appeared on American comedy sketch-show SNL numerous times, both as an artist and as a part-time comedian. In 2023, Bad Bunny and Pedro Pascal became an overprotective aunty and mum duo and had crowds laughing uncontrollably.
Carpool Karaoke – James Corden’s nighttime show segment was welcomed into the reggaeton world courtesy of Bad Bunny. However, it’s his cover of ‘Break Free’ by Ariana Grande where he discusses it’s the first English-spoken song he ever learnt that had people falling in love with him.
Coachella – This desert-based music festival is known for its large-scale productions, and in the early summer of 2023, Bad Bunny became the first Spanish-speaking artist to headline this mega music celebration.
No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí – Translating to ‘I don’t want to leave here’, this was the title of his Puerto Rico residency. As well as creating lifelong memories for fans, this 31-date experience also boosted the economy of his home country.
What songs will Bad Bunny perform at his Super Bowl halftime show?
With 28 songs over one billion streams, Bad Bunny is going to have a tricky time deciphering which of his hits to include in his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show performance.
His most recognisable album is the beach-inspired Un Verano Sin Ti (A Summer Without You), which features six tracks with over one billion streams, so it’s safe to say this LP is guaranteed some love.
The latest addition to El Benito’s discography, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (I Should’ve Taken More Photos) might also steal the spotlight due to its focus on exploring traditional Puerto Rican sounds.
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And, after reconciling late last year, Bad Bunny might take his friendship with J Balvin to Super Bowl status, performing songs from their collaborative album OASIS as well as their Cardi B link-up ‘I Like It’.
Audio North‘s Bad Bunny Super Bowl setlist prediction:
NUEVAYoL
Tití Me Preguntó/ Me Porto Bonito/ Moscow Mule (Medley)
Dákiti
I Like It (With Cardi B and J Balvin)
La Canción (With J Balvin)
Callaíta (With Tainy)
Un x100to (With Grupo Frontera)
Baile Inolvidable
Super Bowl halftime show performances normally contain around 10 songs, and the setlist is being kept very tight-lipped as per usual; however, it’s always fun to throw out a prediction or two before the event on Sunday, 8 February.
Which special guests will join Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show line-up?
Bad Bunny has worked with a multitude of artists from reggaeton sidekicks to pop supremes like Jennifer Lopez, Dua Lipa and Drake.
Although it’s highly unlikely these big names will all be free at the same time, when it comes to ‘The Bowl’, anything is possible.
The ‘Tití Me Preguntó’ songwriter is heading to the UK for the second time ever in his career, for his Debí Tirar Más FotosWorld Tour, and he’s chosen Tottenham Hotspur as the location for this huge cultural moment.
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If you’re wondering where to get tickets, you have two chances to watch this superstar in his element as he’s performing on June 27 and 28; you can grab your tickets for either date HERE and HERE, respectively.
Hopefully, now you’ve discovered more about who this Latin American sensation is, so you’re not left completely clueless when the Seahawks and Patriots take a quick 15-minutebreak mid-game.
Featured Images – Press Shot via Apple Music(Supplied)/Unsplash via Naveen Venkatesan (Supplied)/Jorge Rojas via Unsplash (Supplied)
Feature
First Look | Grué Pastry – Alty’s real introduction to ‘entremet’, a.k.a one of our new foodie obsessions
Danny Jones
We might have a new sweet treat obsession, and it’s all Grué Pastry’s lovely fault: the small but pretty new pâtisserie and café over in Altrincham.
Located just off the busy Stamford Quarter, you’ll find Grué’s stylish little shop and already plenty of nosy passersby being seduced in by its pristine white counter.
While they do more familiar traditional desserts like tarts, cookies and tiramisu, their signature item is the wide range of ‘entremets’.
Even tinier than the venue, but packed full of different fillings, textures and layers (SO many layers), these picture-perfect treats almost look too stunning to eat, but of course, we did.
It’s not just a shiny little chocolate, nor is it merely a posh miniature cake with some clever decorations – this is quite literally an art form, and it takes time and precision – lots of it, in fact.
Requiring plenty of technique and patience, anyone who has the talent and persistence to pursue this very specific genre of pastry has our eternal admiration.
A rather painstaking process, split over a number of days, each carefully designed and layered entremet is a real labour of love.
For instance, not only is everything made from scratch right down to the most minute detail possible, but the inserts have to be mixed, assembled, frozen and then allowed to fully set before any of the finishing touches can be put on.
We’ve seen these kinds of ‘fake fruits’ and cakes with surprise interiors before, but nothing as delicate and nuanced as these.
Co-owner Wissam Jedar joked that they can’t exactly grow their own pistachios, but they can flavour and roast them themselves, control every how much sugar, spice, and everything nice goes into these perfect few bites.
He also told us about how many people have been surprised by just how filling these things are.
They’re not just a small mouthful or two, as some people expect; the various considered and contrasting layers of rich and varied textures inside an entremet are like biting into something entirely new each time, especially when the appearance can often be intentionally deceptive.
It’s also impressive how many of these aren’t as naughty calorie-wise as you might expect.
They rely almost entirely on all-natural sugars only, and the flavours come through fresh, clean, not too sweet and often super sharp. Picture biting into what you think is ‘obviously’ lemon dessert in a light chocolate shell shaped like an actual lemon, only to taste fresh, chilled and tart apple with fragrant mint…
Are you kidding? Incroyable.
But this is just the start. Wissam also told us that both he and his partner, Farah Bioche, have to try their hardest not just to create consistently uniform entremets, but also not to let their imaginations run too wild and come up with concoctions as crazy as some of those they think up.
He says that Farah, in particular – the master baker behind their incredible workshop in Salford and the in-house bakery in their new Alty kitchen – has some seriously BIG ideas, but they’re trying to drip feed and nail them before fully introducing them to the menu.
They cater for events, do larger-scale desserts and are perfect for Valentine’s Day. (Credit: The Manc)
Another example of this is when it comes to the hot drinks menu. There’s a simple but classic coffee menu too – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? – but they’re also planning to add coffees with special meringue and even tiramisu toppers. Yum.
With Wissam’s sister running the social media, word of mouth spreading fast, and locals quickly catching on to the buzz behind this new opening, we reckon it won’t be long before you see this place all over your timelines.
They’ve also noted that despite raising a few eyebrows over price points at first, once someone has tried one (however speculatively), it usually isn’t too long before they come back to hold their hands up and sample another one.
So, if you’ve a bit of a sweet tooth but don’t want to be left feeling like you’ve overindulged in something slightly too sickly, trying an entremet from Grué in Altrincham town centre might just be your ticket.
The Manc -
22nd December 2021 
