Kampus, the new garden neighbourhood that sits across the water from Manchester’s famous Gay Village, will soon be home to a new LGBTQ+ bar.
A queer cocktail den serving dirty martinis under dim lights, Red Light will move into one of the Victorian warehouses off the cobbles of Little David Street – a newly reopened route connecting Kampus with Chorlton Street – later this summer.
The brainchild of Deana Ferguson, an adopted Manc originally hailing from Belfast, the inclusive, queer space will serve a menu of refined cocktails, natural wines and locally-brewed ales.
Speaking on the new opening, she said: “Red Light will be a queer and inclusive space, where we’ll be mixing signature cocktails in a historic space that just draws people in from the street.
“The bar we’re creating fits perfectly with the red brick of the stunning Victorian warehouse, opening onto Little David Street. ”
ADVERTISEMENT
Little David Street will welcome Red Light later this summer. / Image: The Manc Group
Soundtracked by disco beats, the laid-back lounge will feature an imposing bar set against a red-brick backdrop, queer art and low-lit, intimate corners for lovers and friends to sequester themselves in.
The bar’s name nods to the area’s history as a hidden red light district, stretching back over 100 years.
ADVERTISEMENT
Once at the heart of the cotton industry, as canals were replaced with other transport methods the canals and warehouses that surround The Village and Kampus became deserted.
That vacuum drew sex workers to the area, and it continued to be known as a red light district into the late 1980s.
Red Light founder Deana Ferguson explained: “The name is a nod to the fascinating history of the area, with the canals and warehouses once at the heart of the cotton industry, but then becoming a hidden red light district after the businesses wound down.”
As well as a number of cosy corners inside the Minshull Warehouse, there will also be seating outside on the cobbles – perfect for late-night, al fresco drinking.
When the bar opens later this summer, it will sit alongside the growing list of indie food and drink brands set to call Kampus home including Madre, Great North Pie and Cloudwater Brewery.
Speaking on the new opening Adam Brady, from developer HBD, said: “Red Light will be a worthy addition to Little David Street. So many people are discovering the charm of this once-lost street and it’ll be awesome for them to have a cocktail den tucked away just off the cobbles.
“Loads of people comment on the community spirit and laid-back, inclusive atmosphere we’ve created at Kampus. The warm and welcoming vibe of Red Light will fit it to a tee, providing an intimate getaway from the crowds and excuse to lap up the industrial beauty of Minshull Warehouse.”
Feature image – Supplied
News
Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre
Daisy Jackson
Police are trying to track down the family of a man who died after being found unresponsive outside the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
The man, who has now been named as Jonathan Bernard Carroll, was seen outside the city centre theatre at around 6.30am on Tuesday 12 November.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Carroll was taken to hospital.
Tragically, the 47-year-old passed away a short time later.
A large cordon was in place on Whitworth Street and Oxford Road while police and security attended the incident.
Greater Manchester Police are now appealing to find his next of kin.
It’s believed that he resided in the Salford area of Greater Manchester.
Anyone with any information should contact the Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 1376.
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
Georgina Pellant -
15th June 2022 
