Earlier this year, Ancoats was named as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world – described superlatively as a “damned magical” and “super-stylish” utopia of art, culture and greenery.
Of course, we’ve heard this all before. For the past five years, location guides and travel magazines have fallen over one another to heap praise on the regenerated eastern district of central Manchester – which has morphed into one of the busiest, buzziest, sought-after spaces in an incessantly evolving city.
Between the canalside balconies, independent art and critically-acclaimed restaurants (local eatery Mana won Manchester its first – and much-delayed – Michelin star in 2019), modern Ancoats has pretty much everything you could want in a neighbourhood. That’s often the headline. But it also has a fascinating history.
Before the skyscrapers, brunch plates and Michelin Stars, there were mill workers, ice cream carts and accordions.
Back in the 1800s, this part of Manchester was better known as “Little Italy“.
This is wonderful. The Italian community in Manchester is a huge part of the city’s heritage and culture. This recognition is long overdue for the Italian immigrants who arrived in the city in the 1800s with nothing and helped shape the city’s history.
In December 2021, following a momentous effort by campaigners, a plaque was installed on George Leigh St to commemorate Ancoats’ heritage – in the same spot where the Manchester Italian Association was formed in 1888 (the Halle at St Michael’s building).
The plate has already delighted members of the Italian community in Manchester – several of whom have ancestors who grew up on the cobbled streets of Ancoats during its early years as an Italian quarter.
People from areas such as Lazio and Campagna increasingly emigrated to the UK throughout the 19th Century and many settled in Ancoats – which turned into a bustling miniature version of the villages they knew back home.
Residing in the parish of St Michael’s – a Roman Catholic church – many of the immigrants went to work in the local mills, with the community described as bringing character to what was at the time a “grim part of Manchester”. Old family traditions were brought across to Ancoats – with the residents holding feasts, dances, Whit Walks, and parties throughout the year.
When Italian street musicians weren’t entertaining the neighbourhood with barrel organs and dancing bears, other residents spent the long summer evenings serenading their neighbours with the accordion.
Ice cream vans queue up to be re-stocked on Dawn Street, Ancoats in 1966. Gerard's Ices was owned by Gerardo Scappaticci – the story of the many ice cream merchants in Ancoats ("Little Italy") is a fascinating part of Manchester history. pic.twitter.com/SYrH7v83XC
Some of the families who lived in the area also made their living in sweet treats – playing a trailblazing role in jump-starting the ice cream industry in Manchester.
Carts would bobble across the roads selling the dessert, although a ban was placed on the trade after the outbreak of the war due to rationing. Nonetheless, appetites for ice cream remained intact after 1945 – with manufacturers ramping up production and whizzing across town in new vehicles. An increase in competition even gave rise to turf disputes – a conflict which went down in history as “The Ice Cream Wars”.
Little Italy and its wider family also produced some of Manchester’s most famous personnel – including community leader and entrepreneur Domenico Antonelli (who was knighted by the Italian monarchy in 1932 for his business achievements).
Manchester’s own Sherlock Holmes, Jerome Caminada, also had links to the area. An “extraordinary” detective who prowled the streets of Victorian Manchester, Caminada’s intuition and talent for riddle-solving has written him into local legend – with the policeman best-known for donning a variety of disguises to catch the biggest crooks on Deansgate and beyond.
Manchester: Ancoats: Little Italy: 1963. Love the little guy leaning against the wall. pic.twitter.com/QuzKBPLVZe
The rich, vibrant legacy of Ancoats has long been championed by members of the contemporary Italian-Manchester community. And now, anyone who passes by St Michael’s can appreciate the true heritage of the area.
One resident described it as “wonderful”, claiming that “this recognition is long overdue for the Italian immigrants who arrived in the city in the 1800s with nothing and helped shape the city’s history.”
For a deeper, closer look at the history of central Manchester’s Italian past, head over to the wonderful website for Ancoats Little Italy.
Manchester
Everton are reportedly already hoping to sign Jack Grealish from Manchester City permanently
Danny Jones
Everton FC are reportedly already considering signing Jack Grealish on a permanent deal after an impressive start to his spell on loan from Manchester City.
The former Aston Villa talisman has struggled to remain in the starting XI under Pep Guardiola since joining the club in 2021, but since arriving on Merseyside, he’s already been a difference-maker in every match for the Toffees thus far.
Grealish has not only registered four assists in just two starts for Everton but also won the very first player of the month award in the Premier League this season for his contributions.
Safe to say he’s fast made a big impact over in Liverpool – hence why it is now thought that manager David Moyes wants to make his transfer permanent.
Becoming just the 10th Toffee to ever win the accolade, the Birmingham-born creator is now thought to be the primary transfer target, despite the summer window having only recently closed.
He writes that despite the deal between Everton and Man City already including a £50 million option to buy next summer, that number is “not fixed and is more a consequence of accounting than a set price.”
The England international still has two years on his contract in the blue half of Manchester, but the previous valuation (which is half the amount City paid for him in a then record fee for a British player), so it is believed that he could be signed for an even better cut-price offer as his deal runs down.
Put it this way, it looks like the supporters would do just about anything to keep him at the Hill Dickinson.
Jack Grealish giving his shirt to an Everton fan after their brilliant win away at Wolves today.
Bascombe goes on to explain, however, that his salary considerations could be a significant obstacle. Grealish is estimated to be earning approximately £12m a year, which is almost certainly too rich for Everton’s blood.
Taking that into account, it’d be a case of whether or not the Brummy forward would be willing to accept a much lower wage to depart the Etihad Stadium for Everton long-term; alternatively, waiting for him to become a free agent in a few transfer windows’ time would also be an option.
What about you, Blues: would you like to see Jack Grealish stay and fight for his place under Guardiola, or would you understand/support him making his Everton permanent?
Interestingly, there could be yet more shuffling of the pack in the middle of the park for Pep, as a forgotten man is apparently going to be given another chance to revive his City career…
Darts returns to Manchester as Premier League dates are confirmed for 2026
Danny Jones
The schedule for the 2026 Premier League Darts tour has been officially announced, with the PDC’s annual championship returning to Manchester once again.
PDC Premier League fixtures continue to grow in popularity both in TV figures and live match attendance, with a whole new generation of fans getting into ‘the arrows’.
Just as it has for decades now, league darts is coming back to Manchester city centre and the legendary AO Arena once again, with our date landing right in the middle of the season.
Booking a big night right in the middle of a crucial period in the competition? It sounds like 0161 is set to welcome another blockbuster night up at the oche.
Confirmed on Thursday, 11 September, next year’s PDC Premier League Darts campaign will get underway in February, spanning the course of four months and eight countries.
Of the European cities on the circuit, the tournament will be heading to Belgium for the very first time, as the AFAS Dome in Antwerp replaces Exeter.
Elsewhere on the continent, there are two other mainland evenings in Germany and the Netherlands, along with multiple Northern dates here in the UK, such as Liverpool, Leeds and Sheffield.
As for Manchester, we’ve been selected for round nine of 17 (including the finals), with the AO Arena set to welcome multiple favoured competitors from the North West, including 18-year-old phenomenon Luke Little from down the road in Warrington, as well as Stockport’s very own Nathan Aspinall.
It was an unforgettable experience for Aspinall last time around in his local event, as he finally managed to win a PDC Premier League night on home turf for the first time in his career.
Those hoping to enjoy a night of darts in front of a Manchester crowd on April 26, 2026, still have to be patient for now, as general admission is still a little way off.
However, if you are interested, you can sign up for the AO’s newsletter to find out more information and get yourself on the waiting list early.
Better, if you go straight through the PDC, you can throw your hat in the ring for the presale window right now and be first in line to grab tickets when they go live.
You can do so HERE and, until then, get your signs and fancy dress at the ready because we’ll be heading back to the ‘boring, boring tables’ soon enough.
See the 2026 PDC Premier League Darts schedule in full down below: