After climbing into the backseat of a taxi, the type of driver you’ve drawn becomes clear very quickly.
Seconds after the car pulls away, you’ll realise whether the person behind the wheel will dictate the entire journey and choose the roads themselves, or ask you which route you’d prefer to take to your destination.
But one particularly unlucky passenger in a Manchester Uber this weekend found themselves in the company of a very different driver: One that favoured shortcuts over road signs.
Ignoring a closed road warning, this taxi driver proceeded to plough onwards down a Manchester road only to find the sign had been put up for a very good reason.
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Driving below an underpass, the car was soon submerged up to its headlights in floodwater.
Ultimately, the taxi driver was forced to abandon the journey and the vehicle – as everyone inside was forced to climb out through the windows.
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An image of the vehicle bobbing along in murky water was posted to Reddit on Saturday (August 7) and was greeted with bewilderment and hilarity in equal measure.
“Are you going to give him a tip?” one user joked.
“Yeah,” came the reply.
“Don’t drive through floods.”
Manchester
New Almost Famous owners praised for ‘honest’ statement about burger joint
Daisy Jackson
The new owners of Almost Famous have released a lengthy statement addressing the legendary burger joint’s shock closure and sudden reopening.
The statement touches on everything from hiring back old teams to reopening those remaining venues that didn’t survive the takeover.
And this ‘transparent and honest communication’ has earned them a wave of praise from fans, who say it’s a ‘breath of fresh air’.
In their statement shared a week after reopening Almost Famous, D2 – the company behind PINS Social Club bowling bar in Liverpool – addressed plenty of the rumours and noise surrounding the high-profile closure.
“No, it wasn’t a publicity stunt,” they stressed, adding: “It wasn’t a pre-planned takeover – we saw the news at the same time everyone else and acted quickly.”
Addressing the staff who were made redundant when former Almost Famous operator Beautiful Drinks shut the brand down, D2 assured followers that they have ‘hired as many of the old team as we could’.
And as for their outstanding wages, they added: “We moved heaven and earth to get them a pay check in February as we knew they hadn’t been paid since December.
Food at Almost Famous since D2’s takeover of the legendary burger brand. Credit: The Manc Group
“It was really important to be able to reopen the venues quickly – we wanted to get staff back into their jobs and keep the existing suppliers -otherwise it wouldn’t have been the same brand we all loved, would it?
“If we hadn’t been able to reopen at the speed that we did – then the existing teams would have had to look at new jobs and we’d have risked losing brilliant people. If you don’t believe us ask them.”
When D2 took over Almost Famous, they had initially toyed with the idea of having it as the food operator in its PINS Social Club, but instead swiftly reopened the restaurants in the Northern Quarter and in Liverpool – though its Leeds and Great Northern sites never got back to slinging burgers.
On that, they said: “Leeds – we’ve not forgotten you. Ideally we’d have all four sites reopen now but the lease agreements were more complicated for Leeds and Great Northern. We had to prioritise the sites we knew we’d be able to save and we’re hoping that we’ll be able to look for new sites soon.”
Since sharing their statement on Instagram, Almost Famous has been flooded with praise from customers for their honest take.
One person wrote: “Great to read such an open and transparent statement about everything, especially regarding the old staff, and their pay, the staff at the NQ have always been one of the reasons I’ve kept visiting anytime I’m up in Manchester.
“I’m looking forward to making a visit at the end of the month when I’m up in the city for an overnight stay.”
Another commented: “This is awesome! I love how upfront and honest you have been with all of this. Taking the OG team back too – more businesses need to take this lead! Good luck with your amazing future, I’ll be bobbing in to get my AF fix ASAP.”
And someone else said: “This is honestly such a positive sign. The fact you’re being completely transparent is a breath of fresh air – I had no idea the previous owners hadn’t paid their staff. I really hope the Leeds branch opens again.”
The UK’s biggest fashion thrift market is back at a historic Manchester building next weekend
Thomas Melia
Manchester is about to get thrifty, as the city is housing the UK’s largest thrift market for the fifth year in a row this month.
The biggest pop-up sustainable fashion market in the country, Clothes Cycle, brings together everything from sustainability and affordability, to fashion and community, and it’s heading our way in just a few days time.
Alongside rooting through racks of vintage garments, shoppers will be treated to pop-up jewellery and accessory shops, which are even offering nail and tooth gem services by qualified artists.
Manchester is already known for its love of vintage fashion and pre-loved clothing, with plenty of shops dotted around the streets of this city.
The UK’s biggest fashion thrift market returns to Manchester this weekend / Credit: Clothes Cycle Markets
Another thing Manchester loves at the minute is… matcha.
And it’s a good thing we mentioned it because while you’re browsing for a crop top or two, why not keep the other hand open for a matcha as Bird & Blend Co. will have their own on-site matcha bar.
The lucky site which gets to host this fashion-focused event is Victoria Baths, which is just outside of the city centre.
More than 100 sellers will be there on the day, so all guests attending will be sure to find something that matches their style, hopefully without having to break the bank.
There’s also the opportunity for you to walk away with an exclusive free item as the first 100 people in the queue will be given a free tote bag – Perfect for all the clothes you’re about to grab.
This really will be a shopper’s paradise too, as not only will there be clothes and accessories to shop, you can bring five items to clothes swap, which means you’re technically decluttering (It’s girl math, ok).
The Manc -
9th August 2021 
