Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham gave partygoers in Ancoats a bit of a surprise last night when he brought out a surprise guest to jump on the mic.
Manchester’s own ‘King of the North’ and former MP for Leigh was booked to play a set of Manchester classics at renovated MOT garage Ramona as part of the bar’s five-week ‘Ramona Radio’ series.
The show was also live-streamed on Mixcloud via Mixmag last night, but no one in the audience was prepared for the Member of Parliament for Wigan to be filling in on MC duties.
As he opened his set with Badly Drawn Boy’s ‘Tony Wilson Said’, little did the audience know that he’d soon be pulling up Lisa Nandy to join him – handing her a mic and a pair of headphones as he blasted out hits like ‘Ever Fallen IN Love’ by The Buzzcocks, ‘Transmission’ by Hot Chip and ‘1989’ by rapper Aitch.
DJ trade union not impressed; @AndyBurnhamGM & @lisanandy taking jobs from our hard(ish) working colleagues.
Pictures shared online from last night’s gig show the Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities laughing as she speaks into the mic with a pair of headphones around her neck, standing next to Mr Burnham in the Ramona DJ booth.
It’s not the kind of sight we’d typically expect from our politicians, but it definitely makes a refreshing change – no matter which side of the cringe debate you find yourself on.
ADVERTISEMENT
Well-known Manchester DJ Dave Haslam was quick to chime in, joking that the ‘DJ trade union [was] not impressed’ with Andy Burnham and Lisa Nandy ‘taking jobs from our hard(ish) working colleagues’.
Another person jibed: “Nandy standing next to a trade union? Good job Starmer’s on holiday.”
Know your place – don’t come the big ‘un; Or you’re gonna have to deal with the Member for Wigan!
A third joked “Who next? May and Iain Duncan Smith?”
ADVERTISEMENT
Whilst a fourth rhymed: “Know your place – don’t come the big ‘un; Or you’re gonna have to deal with the Member for Wigan!’
During the course of the night, Burnham also played ‘Tart Tart’ by The Happy Mondays as a tribute to the late Paul Ryder who sadly passed away last week.
Read more:Frankie’s has opened a Breville toastie stall inside the Arndale Market
Speaking on his decision to pay tribute to Ryder during his set, Burnham said that he was “someone who played a big part in the building of the Manchester scene” before adding, “we’re all in his debt.”
He also told the crowd to huge cheers on the night: “This is a global capital of music, this is EXACTLY what the Mayor should be doing. Absolutely!”
ADVERTISEMENT
The Mayor has since shared his full setlist online, you can see the track list from last night here and listen to the full set on Mixcloud here.
Feature image – Ramona
News
BBC releases first look of new drama series based on inspirational journey of England men’s football team
Emily Sergeant
First look images of a new BBC drama series based on award-winning play Dear England have been released.
The four-part series based on James Graham’s Olivier-award winning play of the same name tells the story of Gareth Southgate and the England men’s football team journey to renewed success, and it’s set to air on BBC One and iPlayer next year.
Dear England is a fictionalised account of the struggles and successes of England’s football teams, based on extensive research and interviews.
The stage play premiered at the National Theatre to five-star reviews, winning an Olivier award for ‘Best New Play’, and enjoying a sell-out run in 2023 before it returned to the National Theatre earlier this year and then embarked on a national tour.
The first look images of new BBC series Dear England have been released / Credit: BBC
With the worst team track record for penalties in the world when he takes over as manager, Gareth knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt to take England back to the promised land.
The country that gave the world football has delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t the England team win at their own game?
Joseph Fiennes will reprise his Olivier award-nominated role as Gareth Southgate in the new series.
Joseph Fiennes will star as former manager Gareth Southgate / Credit: BBC
The first look pictures see Fiennes in his role for the first time in scenes depicting England’s triumphant Euro 2024 Semi-Final celebrations, where the men’s team reached their first final of a major tournament on foreign soil.
Fiennes is joined by Jodie Whittaker as England men’s team psychologist Pippa Grange, and Daniel Ryan as Steve Holland the former assistant manager, whilst Will Antenbring stars as Harry Kane, joined by an ensemble cast of upcoming actors as the rest of the team.
Among the squad cast is Adam Hugill, Josh Barrow, and screen newcomer Lewis Shepherd, who are all reprising their respective stage roles as Harry Maguire, Jordan Pickford, and Dele Alli.
Dear England will air on BBC One and iPlayer in the new year, with exact air dates set to be announced in due course.
Featured Image – BBC
News
World’s rarest lions arrive at Chester Zoo as part of global breeding programme
Emily Sergeant
Two of the world’s rarest lions have arrived at Chester Zoo as part of efforts to protect the highly endangered animals from extinction.
The pair, a male named Nilay, who has travelled from Köln Zoo in Germany, and a female named Shanti, who has arrived from London Zoo, are Asiatic lions who have been carefully matched with each other following what has been described as a ‘detailed genetic analysis’ as part of an international conservation breeding programme.
Conservationists say the pair have ‘formed an instant connection’, and are hopeful that they’ll go on to have cubs in the future.
Chester Zoo has been identified as a ‘key player’ in helping to safeguard the long-term survival of Asiatic lions – a breed of which there are thought to be fewer than 900 of in the wild.
The world’s rarest lions have arrived at Chester Zoo as part of a global breeding programme / Credit: Chester Zoo
Carnivore experts at the zoo have released the first images of the iconic cats exploring their expansive new home, which has been specially designed to recreate the dry forests and scrublands of India’s Gir Forest – the only place on Earth where Asiatic lions still exist in the wild.
Asiatic lions are classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which only reinforces the need for urgent conservation intervention.
Experts warn that, without effective conservation, the big cats could follow in the footsteps of the Barbary and Persian lions – that once roamed North Africa and the Middle East – and vanish from the wild all together.
“The arrival of Nilay and Shanti marks an exciting new chapter in our conservation efforts to protect one of the world’s most extraordinary and endangered animals,” explained Dave Hall, who is the Team Manager of Carnivores at Chester Zoo.
“Now that they’ve had time to settle in, we’ve successfully introduced the pair to one another in a special behind-the-scenes area, and the early signs are incredibly positive.
“We’re hopeful that as their bond grows stronger, we may one day have a pride again here at Chester, which would be another truly special milestone for the safety-net population of Asiatic lions.”
Georgina Pellant -
4th August 2022 
