Owners of The Briton’s Protection pub in Manchester have today launched a petition to save their historic boozer.
Last week, Heineken-owned subsidiary Star Pubs & Bars refused to renew the lease and threatened them with an eviction notice.
Now, owner Mark West and landlord Allan Hudd are battling to retain control of the iconic Manchester pub, which they have run for the past decade, after being told the brewery wants to take The Briton’s back into its managed portfolio from as early as June.
Long considered a Manchester institution, the specialist whisky pub boasts over 300 bottles alongside its own special collection of rare Jack Daniels casks – not to mention a regular rotation of local cask ales.
Image: The Manc Group
If Star Pubs & Bars were to be successful in taking the pub back, however, all of this would disappear – leaving just a few generic beers and maybe ten generic whiskies on its back bar.
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The Briton’s team say that, if lost, the pub will “fall into the abyss of generic gastro pub whitewashing that has befell so many others, seeing the offerings whittle down to minimal portfolio that would no longer be able to support the local breweries or offer such a vast selection of whisky as is commonplace just now.”
At the time of writing, the petition has just 55 signatures – but we know that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of Mancs who will want to get behind this campaign to save The Briton’s Protection.
The pub’s full petition reads: “A Manchester Iconic Pub, The Britons Proteciton is under-threat.
“Brewery subsidiary Star Pub & Bars under Parent company Heineken UK have opted not to renew the lease of the current owners. This will have a massive impact on the offerings and running of hich the Britons Protection has become known for over the decades.
“The pub is a must visit site for their specialist whiskey collections, boasting over 300 bottles, including their own unique offering of specially-selected single barrel JackDaniels as well as 8 rotating localled sourced cask ales on draught.
Image: The Manc Group
“The landlord Allan Hudd and Owner Mark West have put 10 years of passion into maintaining what this Great British pub is all about and if lost it will fall into the abyss of generic gastro pub white washing that has befell so many others, seeing the offerings whittle down to minimal portfolio that would no longer be able to support the local breweries or offer such a vast selection of whisky as is common place just now.
“Help us keep the Britons as it should be, steeped in local heritage, serving local beers and raising great whisky to all who enter.”
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To show your support for this iconic Manchester boozer, make sure to sign the petition and let Star Pubs & Bars know we won’t be letting it go without a fight.
Feature image – The Manc Group
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Middleton to receive a cinema and Metrolink as part of regeneration plans
Thomas Melia
Greater Manchester town Middleton is about to undergo a huge facelift thanks to a new regeneration project, including a new cinema and Metrolink tram station.
Middleton is one of many bustling communities that make up the borough of Rochdale, and with these new plans, the town might receive a fair few new visitors who want to know what it’s all about.
The Greater Manchester town is undergoing a huge transformation with regeneration plans confirming that Middleton will receive a brand new cinema complex along with an extended Metrolink line as part of the Bee Network expansion covering this area.
This is all thanks to Middleton teaming up with the Mayor to launch the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), which pushes forward regeneration plans for the town and future ideas.
Middleton Shopping Centre right in the heart of the town centre.Middleton Town Centre bustling as the markets take place.Credit: Steven Haslington (via Geograph)/@Rept0n1x (via Flickr)
The MDC considers lots of aspects of the town and even aims to create new homes and improve surrounding public spaces.
Middleton regeneration plans have been floated previously, but complications arose due to a lack of land and available funding, which ultimately brought these foundations to a halt.
Now it seems the green light has been lifted and Middleton is about to get a whole new facelift, which will not only improve the town economically but aesthetically too, along with the wider Rochdale region.
For many Middletonians, the idea of a cinema may have felt like a distant memory, with their last big screen location shutting down just over a decade ago.
This all-new high street regeneration will not only bring an array of shopping favourites back to the town centre but also the long-awaited return of a local cinema. Most importantly, the plans also include a slate of new housing, with an estimated 300 apartments set to be created in one building alone.
Early CGIs of the proposed Middleton regeneration plans.Grade II-listed Warwick Mill looks set to be turned into flats.Credit: Publicity Picture (supplied)
This all falls in line with the ‘Atom Valley scheme‘, which has been commissioned in order to generate over 20,000 job opportunities for people in Bury, Oldham and Rochdale.
The scheme also mentions how it aims to bring a combined economic boost of around £1 billion to these previously mentioned areas.
Rochdale Borough Council leader, Neil Emmott, said: “The development of 1.2 million square metres of employment space around the junction 19 area will help to generate 20,000 high-quality jobs and bring a £1 billion economic boost.”
Featured Image — Publicity Pictures (supplied via Rochdale Borough Council)
News
Scouting For Girls announce stacked UK tour with Manchester date
Thomas Melia
British boyband Scouting For Girls are heading out on an extensive UK tour with dates up and down the country, including right here in Manchester.
If the first thing that pops into your mind when you read this headline is “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how we’ll make it through this”, then you’re on the right side of history.
Nearly 20 years since their single ‘She’s So Lovely’ reached catastrophic heights and had everyone putting on their best Roy Stride accent, Scouting For Girls are heading back on the road.
This UK tour announcement comes two years after their last project, The Place We Used To Meet, reached our ears and was coined by the band as “Our best work since our debut”.
It’s been 18 years since this Brit trio captivated our hearts with their eponymous debut album, which sold over one million copies and went number one on the UK official charts for two weeks.
Whether you know them for ‘Heartbeat’ or ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, it’s clear to say this band had their fair share of smash hit singles throughout the noughties.
This tour, however, celebrates the sophomore follow-up: Everybody Wants To Be On TV, which went on to continue their legacy and secure them their only number one, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, back in 2010.
Now, the boys are treating UK fans to an array of live performances, and if you can’t make one date, fear not because there are 20 different locations for you to choose from.
The group will also be playing the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and a whole host of other Northern cities, so you have plenty of chances to catch them.
If you can’t wait all the way until March 2026 for your next Scouting For Girls fix, lead singer Stride has his own cameo account where you can get the star to read out a message or even sing you a song: “‘Michaela Strachan’ in full, please?…”
Scouting For Girls are coming to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 21 March 2026, with tickets going on sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
28th March 2022 
