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
‘Seriously injured’ man rescued from reservoir dam at popular Bolton country park
Emily Sergeant
A significant emergency service response descended on a popular country park in Bolton early yesterday evening.
After reports of a person in the water at Jumbles Reservoir, in the Bromley Cross / Bradshaw area of Bolton, came in just before 6:30pm yesterday (Monday 18 May), teams from North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), Lancashire Constabulary, and Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service all attended the scene in droves.
Specialist support was also provided from NWAS’s Hazardous Area Response Team, North West Air Ambulance, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team, National Police Air Service, and United Utilities – which looks after the reservoir.
It was also confirmed that a HM Coastguard helicopter was requested to attend the scene.
At this time, no formal statement has been made by the police, but Bolton Mountain Rescue Team has taken to social media to update the concerned public on the situation as it unfolds.
Their statement reads: “At 18:28 this evening, the team was contacted by North West Ambulance Service with the report of a person in the water at Jumbles Reservoir, Bolton.
“We worked alongside colleagues from NWAS and their Hazardous Area Response Team, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, North West Air Ambulance, National Police Air Service, Lancashire Constabulary, and United Utilities. A HM Coastguard helicopter was also requested.
“A seriously injured male was rescued from within the overflow structure on the reservoir dam and was conveyed to hospital for further treatment.”
According to reports in the MEN, pictures and videos posted on social media showed rope rescue teams along with water rescue units also in attendance, and the emergency response was seen in the main car park off Bradshaw Road.
Further statements and updates on the situation are expected in due course.
Featured Image – David Dixon (Wikimedia Commons / Geograph)
News
Bury primary school teaching assistant jailed after pleading guilty to child sex offences
Emily Sergeant
A teaching assistant from Bury has been sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple sex offences against a ‘vulnerable’ young boy.
Terri Cook, of Masefield Avenue in Radcliffe, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last week, where she was sentenced after pleading guilty to eight charges of sexual offences.
The sentencing came after officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Child Protection Investigation Unit (CPIU) began in ‘intense’ investigation into Cook back in September of last year after a member of the public reported seeing her out with a young boy.
The subsequent investigation showed that she had been grooming and manipulating the young boy into engaging in a sexual relationship with her.
Police found numerous messages on Cook’s phone where she had been inciting sexual communications with the boy and holding indecent images of him, and she was also found to have been buying him expensive items, like jewellery and clothing, for a period of more than nine months.
During a powerful statement read out in court, the young boy was described as being ‘extremely kind and caring’, with his mum adding: “Despite experiencing traumatic events earlier in his life, he continued to be positive and compassionate. He smiled every day and made us all laugh.”
Cook was sentenced four-and-a-half years in prison for eight charges of sexual offences.
Speaking following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Adam Stanfield, from GMP’s Bury CPIU, said: “This case was a horrific example of calculated abuse of power, and Cook targeted a vulnerable child who put his trust in her.
“Grooming is a form of manipulation that can leave lasting emotional and psychological damage, and our priority remains protecting young people and supporting victims as they recover.
“This sentencing also emphasises our unwavering commitment to protecting male victims. They can be victims too and I urge anyone who believes they may have been through anything similar to please report to us.”
Georgina Pellant -
15th June 2022 
