One of Manchester’s most beloved micropubs has announced its permanent closure, with a heartbreaking farewell letter plastered to its shutters.
The Ancoats Lad said that it had been ‘a tough two years with that clown in No 10’, which made the decision to ‘say goodbye to Oldham Street’ easier.
A lengthy laminated note taped to its frontage shared the gut-wrenching reasons behind its decisions to close for good.
Signed by landlord Phil Bell as well as Jackie, Anne, Nicola, Michelle and Diane, the note says that their relationships with their customers have given them the ‘greatest joy and our greatest pain’, paying tribute to some close friends who have sadly died in recent years.
A heartbreaking farewell for the pub. Credit: The Manc Group
They wrote: “We have lost some exceptional people in the last few years, my close pal Stevie Poyning being just one of them and then our beautiful vivacious Anne (Jackies partner in crime) died last week.
“When this happens you really do rethink your life.”
The note also said: “We are getting closer to ‘Gods waiting room’ and we need to spend a few years doing our own thing.”
The Ancoats Lad, which is nestled in a tiny unit next to Gulliver’s pub, added that it was proud to have ‘encouraged awkwardness’.
They wrote: “It was never a PC Bar it never went ‘woke’, we encouraged awkwardness, our customers were old school.
Although the pub has only been open since 2016 – nearly two of which were spent in Covid restrictions – Phil’s family has owned businesses in the city since the 19th century, including pubs, pet shops and hairdressers.
“We were and are Ancoats through and through,” he wrote.
“Ancoats will be forever, the new people are the same as us older ones, they just have different values, oh and shiny new buildings and posh bars and restaurants ‘we didnt’.”
The full heartbreaking note posted at The Ancoats Lad pub. Credit: The Manc Group
Its final paragraph reads: “To all our friends who enjoyed the Lad we will leave you with this.
“Sometimes saying goodbye means quitting something you’re good at. Saying goodbye sometimes can be so difficult especially with all that we’ve been through along with everything we felt about you….
“The memories that we made, all the fun we found, looking back on those years will always make us both sad and glad, in equal measures. The past is where we met, and where we rekindled old friendships, we went back into that wonderful world that we grew up in and lived and loved in.
“The future is where we are all going, who truthfully knows what tomorrow may hold. But please always remember you were part of our lives and we will miss you ‘Moving on is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is really hard’.
New £350m sustainable neighbourhood in Stockport given the green light
Emily Sergeant
Planning permission has been granted for a new ‘walkable and sustainable’ neighbourhood in Stockport town centre.
A major milestone has been reached for Stockport’s transformation, as the new mixed residential mini-village, ‘Stockport 8’ – which was put forward by the local LLP of the same name, set up as part of a partnership between Stockport Council and ECF (English Cities Fund) – has been given the green light, helping to make it one of the most sustainable and liveable town centres in the UK.
The eight-acre site is just one in a series of regeneration projects led by Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), as part of ambitious plans to develop land west of the town centre under the ‘Town Centre West’ (TCW) scheme.
The development is a key element of the wider £1 billion investment currently being delivered.
The plans were recommended for approval at Stockport’s central area committee at the end of July, and were then approved at planning committee last week (14 August).
A new £350m sustainable neighbourhood in Stockport has been given the green light / Credit: Supplied
Located on land either side of King Street West and next to the historic viaduct, the £350m mixed residential neighbourhood – which includes many affordable properties – is expected to ‘breathe life’ back into what was once a ‘thriving’ area under the railway arches, connecting Stockport Interchange with nearby communities in the process.
The plans will deliver approximately 1,300 new high-quality homes to suit existing residents and new homeowners moving into the Greater Manchester town in the next decade.
There’ll be be a mix of residential properties, including build-to-rent and owner-occupier – with a range of sizes to meet the needs of different households.
The development is also centred around ‘vibrant’ public spaces where people can meet and relax outdoors, helping to improve the wellbeing of residents, while a pedestrian-only street will run through the centre, again to encourage interaction.
“We’re not adopting a one-size-fits-all approach at Stockport 8,” explained Catherine Chilvers, who is the Managing Director of Stockport MDC.
“Instead, we are investing in high-quality and energy- efficient housing that offers so much more for people at all stages of life.
“The development sets the bar high for town centre living, creating a considered neighbourhood for residents along with leisure and employment opportunities, while outdoor squares, with a multitude of uses, will allow people to feel connected and enable families to grow.”
As detailed in the official appeal by Stockport Police, the white female was wearing black shorts, a red top and a black long-sleeve zip-up before she went missing.
Measuring roughly 5’2″ in height, she has long brown hair and had it tied at the time of her last sighting.
Writing on Facebook, fellow Stopfordian residents wrote, “Her parents are very worried about her. Please share”, and “Please keep your eye out for Freya. Very kind-hearted girl. Let’s get her home safely.”
Helping spread the news on social media, GMP went on to add: “Officers are concerned about Freya and want to ensure she is safe and well.”
The post has been shared in Stockport towns such as Bredbury, Hazel Grove and Marple, as well as further across Greater Manchester and the North West in hopes of tracking her down.
Anyone with any info they think might be of use should call 101 ASAP, quoting 3495 of 17/08/25.
Alternatively, you can get in touch with the anonymous referral service Crimestoppers online, or over the phone via 0800 555 111.
Last but not least, if you have urgent information regarding anyone’s safety or a crime being committed, please dial 999 immediately.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd February 2022 
