Frog & Bucket has been saved / Image: Frog & Bucket Comedy Club via Facebook
Frog & Bucket has been saved from closure after comedians and fans joined together to raise thousands of pounds for the famous Manchester club.
Despite functioning as a launchpad for the comedy careers of some of Britain’s greatest standups, the Frog & Bucket wasn’t considered ‘culturally significant’ enough to qualify for the government’s Culture Recovery pot – which had been launched to protect the country’s most important venues during the pandemic.
The decision to refuse the club funding was met with widespread outrage from the comedy circuit; being described as “total bulls***”.
But now, many of the people who first found success at Frog & Bucket have repaid the venue in its time of need.
Jack Whitehall, Adam Hills and Richard Herring – who all cut their teeth on Great Ancoats Street – donated substantial sums to the club’s GoFundMe page, with contributions also flooding in from Britain’s Got Talent winner Lost Voice Guy Lee Ridley, All Killa No Filla podcast legends (and Frog regulars) Kiri Pritchard McLean and Rachel Fairburn, and Peep Show’s Isy Suttie.
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The ‘Save the Frog and Bucket’ fund has since toppled £23,000; not only ensuring the club’s survival but also enabling a brand new round of gigs for 2021.
Thanks to the fresh financial boost, Frog & Bucket is fully-equipped with the tech required to provide quality visuals and sound for streaming online shows right around the country.
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The £23,000 raised will help the comedy club run a new programme of gigs / Image: Frog & Bucket Comedy Club via Facebook
The club has confirmed the reincarnation of its long-running Beat the Frog and Barrel of Laughs shows in online formats until COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
Beat the Frog has been a Monday night fixture at the venue since 2003; with acts attempting to survive on stage for five minutes without being voted off (if three frog cards are held aloft, it’s game over).
Audience members, participating via Zoom, will have the power to ‘croak’ off the comedians – who will be performing live from their homes and the club itself.
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On March 8, the Beat the Frog line-up will be entirely female to mark International Women’s Day.
Barrel of Laughs, meanwhile, will showcase the best of the country’s headline acts and will be largely filmed from the Frog’s stage.
There will also be limited number of a live audience passes – with ticket-holders able to log in and interact with the show.
The club is also planning a “plethora of solo shows” in the weeks ahead – with full details of the spring programme to follow.
Welcome back, Frog & Bucket…
More information on tickets and upcoming gigs is available on the Frog & Bucket website.
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A Greater Manchester neighbourhood has been named one of the ‘coolest’ in the UK
Clementine Hall
A neighbourhood in Great Manchester has been crowned one of the coolest in the country – and this time, it’s not Ancoats.
Every year, we wait with bated breath to see which UK neighbourhoods have made the cut in Time Out’s annual ranking of the coolest places in the world.
But, as it turns out, Britain is just so damn cool that we’ve earned a list of our own.
In its latest guide, ’11 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the UK’, Time Out has rounded up the places across the country that are really making a name for themselves.
Images: The Manc
And one neighbourhood here in Greater Manchester has made the cut, and although you’d immediately think of Ancoats that has made its way to similar lists before, this time there’s a newbie on the block.
Coming in at a very respectable fourth place, Stockport and the Underbanks received a glowing report in the coveted list.
Images: The Manc
Are we surprised? Not one bit.
We love Stockport for its flourishing food scene, cool community vibe and ever-growing roster of independent businesses – not to mention its brilliant mix of old-school charm and new-school cool.
It’s a place that feels like it’s constantly evolving, without losing the character that made people fall in love with it in the first place. And clearly, Time Out agrees.
Images: The Manc
Kyle MacNeill, contributing writer, said: “If you live anywhere near Manchester, you may have heard this one on the rumour mill: ‘Stockport is The New Berlin’. It’s a gag, alright: the humble market town hasn’t got a club, let alone the most hedonistic nightlife scene in the world. But it is true that SK is rapidly becoming the place-to-move-to for the Second City’s creatives, thanks to cheaper rent and some serious suburban tenacity.
“The Underbanks, a cobbled high street once home to hat-makers and hosiers, has been transformed into a bustling hub of forward-thinking vendors, while various local institutions have embraced Euro-style cafe culture, midcentury decor, sustainable fine-dining, small plates snacking and chic drinking dens. All of which, actually, come to think of it, is very Berlin… “
High praise indeed, you can read the full list of the UK’s coolest neighbourhoods here.
Murder investigation launched and five people arrested after man dies in Salford
Emily Sergeant
A murder investigation has been launched after the death of a man in Salford this week.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that officers were called out to an address on Great Clowes Street in Salford at around 7:50pm on Tuesday evening (6 October), and when they arrived on the scene, a man in his 40s was found ‘unresponsive’.
Despite the best efforts of emergency services and all the medical professionals involved, the man sadly died a short time later.
The identity of the man has not been revealed as of yet.
Police have confirmed that five men, all aged between 24 and 35-years-old, have been arrested on suspicion of murder.
A public appeal for information has now been issued as the investigation into the circumstances surrounding this man’s death continues.
Detective Chief Inspector Ian Partington explained: “Our priority is to establish exactly what happened and we are keeping an open mind as we work to build a full picture of the events leading up to his death. A post-mortem is taking place to establish the cause of death, which will be an important part of our investigation.
“We understand that an incident of this nature will understandably cause concern within the local community but at this stage, we are confident that there isn’t any wider threat to the public.
“Officers will remain in the area while enquiries continue, and I would encourage anyone who has information, or who may have witnessed anything that could assist our investigation, to speak to officers or contact us.”
Can you help? Anyone with information should contact police on 101, use the LiveChat function on the GMP website, or contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
The Manc -
1st March 2021 
