A local community has come together to raise thousands of pounds for the family of a restaurant owner who sadly died after a carjacking in Stockport this past weekend.
Haji Mohammed Heydayatul Islam – a 53-year-old father known as Nowab Miah from Hyde, Tameside – was delivering a meal on Friday 8th January in Romiley was run over whilst trying to stop his car being taken at around 9pm on Hazel Avenue.
A murder inquiry has begun and a 14-year-old boy – who was arrested on suspicion of robbery – remains in police custody.
Police are also searching for a silver Mercedes which was stolen.
The family of Mr Miah asked that the community on social media to “keep us in your prayers and allow [us] to come to terms with this loss”.
Following news of the tragic event which shocked the region, tributes have been pouring in for Mr Miah – who owned popular Indian restaurant and takeaway Marple Spice in Marple – after it was revealed he had died in hospital on Sunday.
In a touching tribute posted to Facebook on Sunday, Mr Miah’s son Shaf Nowab said: “I am saddened to announce that my father, my mentor, my role model Haji Mohammed Hedayatul Islam known as Nowab Miah to his friends has sadly left this world surrounded by close family.
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“Many of you will be aware of the recent incident that occurred in Romiley.
“My father is the person that it occurred with [and] he was just doing his last delivery for our restaurant before he went home [so] I would like to thank everyone in the community for their prayers and regards, and me and my family genuinely appreciate everything you have said.”
Local residents have also since launched a GoFundMe page in the hopes of raising money and showing their support for Mr Miah’s family and for charity causes close to his heart.
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The description of the GoFundMe page reads: “As a community we are all saddened to hear that a precious life has been lost. Donations will be used towards fulfilling the wishes of the gentleman, who especially wanted to help the Children of Bangladesh.”
More than 450 people have donated to the fundraiser, which has already reached over £6,000 and counting.
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Police are appealing to the public to come forward with any information.
Chief Inspector Liam Boden – of Greater Manchester Police’s Major Incident Team – said: “This is an extremely tragic case which has rocked the community and left a family utterly devastated. We believe there may have been others involved in the incident and a number of lines of enquiry are continuing to be carried out in order for us to find those responsible.
“We’re still asking the public to come forward with any information that may assist us – even the smallest bit of information can prove vital.
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“Anyone who may have seen a silver Mercedes in the area at the time or may have seen it in suspicious circumstances since is asked to get in touch – this vehicle could prove vital in our investigation.
“We’re also keen for anyone with any CCTV or dash-cam footage to get in touch.”
Anyone with information should call 0161 856 9821 or 0161 856 9790 quoting log number 2499 of 08/01/2021, or alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
You can also donate to the GoFundMe page for Mr Miah’s family here.
News
‘Stunning’ Old Rectory pub in Stockport suffers permanent closure
Danny Jones
One of Stockport town centre’s most beautiful pub venues, The Old Rectory, has officially closed down permanently following notices about its “final stages”.
Built circa 1740, the historic space itself has been there since before the Regency period.
Stockport‘s Old Rectory pub on Churchgate has been a number of different things over the decades, and has changed hands multiple times in more recent years, but now the Greene King site has shut down, what seems like, for good.
In fact, if you look online, it is already listed as ‘permanently closed’ on Google, as does a temporary sign now stuck to the gates of their entrance, with the most recent service last week being their final one.
With the news having since been shared on the Stockport Tourism notice board on Facebook, a post from the ‘Old Rec’ team reads: “We are sad to announce that The Old Rectory will be closing its doors at the end of this month. Thank you to everyone who has visited and supported the venue over the years.”
An update has also now been shared on the official CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) website.
Issuing a statement directly to The Manc, a spokesperson for Greene King said: “Following a period of team member consultation, we can confirm that the Old Rectory has now closed.
“We are grateful to everyone who has supported the Old Rectory over the years, and we look forward to welcoming them into our other pubs in the local area soon.”
They also go on to assure that they have worked with the team members who have sadly been put out of work to try and find new positions at other locations, with the operators urging Stopfordians to try other nearby pubs such as Gardeners Arms in Offerton and the recently refurbished Carousel in Reddish.
Described by CAMRA as a “multi-roomed pub-restaurant that still maintains a country house feel with plenty of dark wood and plush décor”, not to mention praising the all-day food service and “top notch” beer selection, its heyday may have been long ago, but it’ll still be missed by regulars and natives.
It’s also worth noting that the former Hungry Horse public house also long-served as an accommodation spot, too, with Premier Inn’s ‘Stockport Central Hotel’ attached to the back of the building.
There are no updates on this front at present, and they could easily repurpose what natives have hailed as a “stunning” Georgian structure – not to mention the expansive garden grounds – but the company is also currently cutting more than 3,800 jobs as part of a wider savings strategy.
Elsewhere, as SK residents bid goodbye to one veteran pub, they’re also gearing up to welcome back another former favourite…
Sacha Lord set to back local hospitality again with money behind the bar of Manchester pub
Danny Jones
Local figure Sacha Lord is once again looking to help support Greater Manchester’s food and drink scene once again this spring by putting a total of £2.5k behind the bar of one lucky pub.
Well, let’s be honest, we’re about to be the real lucky ones.
It’s far from the first time that the Night Time Economy Advisor has done this, having previously put sizeable sums towards shared tabs on a few occasions over the last few years.
Lining up his next handout for this coming early May bank holiday (perfect timing), it’s going to be a super and potentially very sloppy Sunday…
Tell me your favourite pub in Greater Manchester.
Bank Holiday Sunday 3rd May, I’ll be turning up and putting £2500 behind the bar.
Sharing the video above online earlier this week, the 54-year-old simply wrote, “Tell me your favourite pub in Greater Manchester. Bank Holiday Sunday, 3rd May, I’ll be turning up and putting £2500 behind the bar.”
The message is as straightforward as ever: “Support your local pub.”
Now obviously, the fact that people can reply with their go-to boozers and help influence the decision is one thing – something that has certainly always created an attraction each time he’s done this – but it’s also just a good way of marketing these watering holes to begin with.
Whether or not someone’s favourite public house tucked away in one of the 10 boroughs, or their bar of choice here in Manchester city centre, ends up being selected or not, it’s obviously great publicity having their names plastered on a notable social media account.
This is especially so when you see how much the post itself ends up being reshared and the overall exposure Lord ultimately lends them via creating such a big crowd discussion.
Confirming the chosen pub in a subsequent post, he said: “I asked you to choose a pub you wanted me to support. This Sunday, 4pm, I’ll be turning up at The Ape and Apple on John Dalton St, Manchester, and putting £2500 behind the bar.”
Here’s hoping we get proper beer garden weather over that long weekend – especially with that lovely refurbished outdoor terrace space up on the first floor of the Joseph Holt watering hole.
It’s also worth noting that the further support stunts like this have helped garner support for other regional businesses – in particular, indies that are battling the cost of living crisis and so many other challenges within the sector – has proved crucial for some places to stay open to begin with.
A good example is the Thirsty Korean, who teamed up with the Altrincham-born entrepreneur to cover hundreds of bills back in 2023, and has now been able to expand into a larger venue down the road from their original Chorlton location.
The obstacles facing the hospitality industry remain varied and numerous, but gestures like this can go a long way to helping prop up those who need it.
Which ones are you calling your favourites these days?
The Manc -
11th January 2021 
