The indie rockers are performing at the legendary venue to celebrate the launch of their new album, Ribbon Around The Bomb.
The Manchester Evening News has reported that a member of staff inside Stockport Plaza asked people to leave ‘due to circumstances beyond our control’ adding: “Unfortunately I’m not joking.”
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Blossoms posted on Twitter: “Sorry about the fire alarm that went off at @StockportPlaza1. All sorted now. False alarm. The venue’s letting everyone back in now so we’ll see you on stage very shortly x”
One person said: “The most British fire evacuation ever as everyone piles from Stockport Plaza and straight into the pub opposite.”
Someone else Tweeted: “Couldnt make it up! Cant wait to see you!”
The hotly-anticipated homecoming gig for the Stockport five-piece comes just days after their intimate concert at Band on The Wall.
Featured image: Publicity picture / Flickr
Stockport
Public appeal issued to help find ‘well-known’ former postman missing from Stockport
Emily Sergeant
The public is being called on to help find a missing 70-year-old former postman from Stockport, who was well-known within the local community.
Steven Caulfield was last seen in the vicinity of the golf course next to Middlewood Way, in the Marple area of Stockport, at around 4pm last Tuesday (1 October), according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) – with the ongoing search for him now well into its second week.
CCTV images released to the public this week show that Steven was wearing a distinctive blue parka-style coat with a fur hood at the time of his disappearance, along with a baseball cap, black jeans, a black v-neck jumper, and some white trainers.
Since Steven was reported missing last Tuesday, GMP officers – including detectives, and specialist resources – have been conducting enquiries in the local area thorough searches, but unfortunately, he has sadly still not been located at this time – which has prompted the need to appeal to the public for information and assistance.
#MISSING | The search remains ongoing for 70-year-old Steven Caulfield from Stockport who has been missing since last Tuesday (1 October 2024).
Stephen was captured on CCTV on Gorse Avenue in Marple on Tuesday 1 October, at around 2:55pm.
Police are continuing to support Steven’s family at this difficult time, GMP has confirmed.
Appealing to the Greater Manchester public for information on Steven’s whereabouts, Detective Chief Inspector Ian Wrench, from GMP’s Stockport District, said: “We have been doing everything we possibly can to locate Steven, who was well known within the community as a postman prior to his retirement.
“We have been conducting thorough searches of the areas he was last seen, as well as areas that he is known to frequent using resources from our Specialist Operations Branch, and we are also liasing with our colleagues in Cheshire and Derbyshire Police to share our appeals and to alert the public in those areas who may possibly have seen him.”
A CCTV image of missing Stockport man, Steven Caulfield / Credit: GMP
DCI Wrench says he would like to thank the public for their assistance in sharing the police appeals so far, and for getting in touch with possible sightings and information, but more needs to be done.
“Please do continue to share any information with us, no matter how small you think it is,” he added. “If you believe you have seen or know where Steven is, your assistance could be hugely beneficial.”
Anyone with any information regarding Steven’s whereabouts is asked to contact GMP on 0161 856 9675 or 101, or by using the report tool and LiveChat function on the force’s website here, quoting MSP/06JJ/0002272/24.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
Stockport
Station South – The former Levenshulme train station saved from collapse to become community hotspot
Daisy Jackson
If you were to ask someone to paint a picture that summarised ‘community’, you’d like end up with a drawing of Station South in Levenshulme.
From families clustered around tables inside to chattering pals catching up on picnic tables outside, to cyclists pulling in for a bike service and a takeaway coffee to people admiring the on-site urban garden, this is a community hub for all ages and walks of life.
This is a room where you’ll see cotton baby grows and lycra one-piece suits and oversized denim and linen dresses all running along together.
Station South has a regular programme of events, from planned cycling trips to maintenance masterclasses, pub quizzes and mini markets.
Every Friday, DJs pop up for the weekly Platform Social, spinning disco, funk, soul and much more, and they host open deck nights where anyone with a vinyl collection can get involved.
The building itself has been restored beautifully, with plenty of odes to its former life, from the wooden ceilings to the parquet floor.
It’s located around the halfway point of the Fallowfield Loop – in fact the busy cycleway passes directly underneath Station South. You can sit in the sunny side room and watch people cycling, running, scooting and skating along beneath you.
A sunny side room looks over the Fallowfield Loop. Credit: The Manc GroupThe outside space at Station South in Levenshulme. Credit: The Manc GroupA sunny side room looks over the Fallowfield Loop. Credit: The Manc Group
Outside, there’s a sunny terrace bedecked with festoon lighting, and their little patch of green has been thoughtfully rewilded with native wildflowers and hedging.
There are picnic tables perched beneath pergolas crawling with plants, and even a few raised beds growing herbs.
As is so often the case with these suburban venues, Station South has a little something for everyone and for every time of day. That means roast dinners on Sunday, family-friendly seasonal menus, local beers, great wines, and plenty more.
On its breakfast menu is a fall-off-your-bike-in-delight breakfast muffin – the Manc Muffin – an intimidating stack of sausage patty, hash brown, cheese, egg, and relish. They don’t scrimp on the fillings. You’ll get in a mess eating it and you won’t mind.
We also ordered a confit tomato, halloumi and butter bean toast dish with just the right amount of pesto stirred through.
That intimidating Manc Muffin. Credit: The Manc GroupExcellent Station South Coffees. Credit: The Manc GroupHalloumi, confit tomatoes and pesto butter beans on toast. Credit: The Manc Group
On a Saturday morning the place is packed and bustling in a comfortable, familiar sort of way.
And without the community Station South now serves, none of this might have existed.
A once bustling and integral part of Manchester’s public transport network, the former Levenshulme Station was gradually downgraded as electric trams arrived, war ravaged the economy, and the railways were nationalised.
The building slowly stopped serving passengers, then reduced to goods only, then became a coal depot that simply watch trains pass through on their way to Manchester Central, until that also closed in 1969.
Inside Station South now. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Station South now. Credit: The Manc Group
In the late 1990s, a small group of keen cyclists rallied to have the old railway line turned into an urban greenway that would link up key South Manchester boroughs – this is, of course, the Fallowfield Loop (not actually a loop, before you get lost).
But the building above whizzed through several different iterations as various retail units before being almost completely abandoned and quickly falling into disrepair.
In 2017 a group of Levenshulme locals started their mission to bring the dilapidated but still-beautiful building back into use.
Daisy Jackson -
3rd May 2022 
