The heavy rain that hit Manchester on New Year’s Eve has caused flooding across the region, including the city centre.
One city centre venue had to close early on one of the biggest nights out of the year as water rushed into its basement.
In a statement shared today, Joshua Brooks shared that it had to close its New Year’s Eve party prematurely ‘to ensure everyone’s wellbeing’.
The popular city centre club had moved revellers upstairs to its clubhouse, rather than its basement, but ultimately feared the ‘unknowns regarding electrical safety’ and shut down early.
Luckily, party-goers were able to ring in the new year before the venue shut at around 2am.
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Joshua Brooks shared: “Unfortunately, in the early hours of New Year’s Eve, we had to make the difficult decision to close the club prematurely due to unexpected flooding in our basement. The heavy rainfall in the Pennine mountains caused the River Medlock and several tributaries to overflow, impacting multiple venues along the riverbank, including ours.
“Our top priorities are always the safety of our ravers and the preservation of our equipment. As water levels continued to rise, we considered moving the party to the clubhouse upstairs. However, there were too many unknowns regarding electrical safety, so we ultimately decided to shut down the event around 2 AM, just under two hours before the end of the night, to ensure everyone’s well-being.
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“We understand the inconvenience and disappointment this has caused you and sincerely apologise for disrupting your New Year’s Eve celebrations.
“Our warm-up DJs were absolutely smashing it, and Alan Fitzpatrick was playing great until the moment we had to close.
“While this type of incident is rare and hasn’t happened in years, there is always a risk due to our location. We want to assure you that we are taking this matter seriously and exploring all options to minimise the chances of this happening again.
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“Thank you for your understanding and continued support.”
Luckily, Joshua Brooks hasn’t been left with any lasting damage to its main bar area, and is set to go ahead with its New Year’s Day party this evening.
Police appeal after Rochdale woman, 75, was burgled by man in clown outfit on Halloween
Emily Sergeant
An appeal for information has been made following reports of a burglary in Rochdale last week on Halloween.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that at around 7:10pm on Halloween (Friday 31 October), a woman on Birch Road in Rochdale answered the door to a man – who is believed to have been dressed in a clown outfit – and he proceeded to ask for a drink before following the woman into her address and stealing several items, then running away.
He took a red purse with the woman’s mother’s wedding ring inside of it – which is said to be of ‘extremely’ sentimental value.
Police say the man may have discarded the ring once he left the victim’s address, but he did use one of her stolen cards at a shop later that evening.
Birch Road in Rochdale, where the shocking incident happened / Credit: Google Maps
Thankfully, the woman – aged 75 – was left unhurt, but she has been left shocked and upset by the incident.
“This was a shocking incident, which has left a woman feeling unsafe in her own home,” commented Detective Sergeant Ruth Thompson, from GMP’s Rochdale district.
“She has spent many years helping the homeless and working for local charities, so it is particularly grim that someone would exploit her goodwill.”
#APPEAL | Officers are appealing for information following reports of a burglary in Rochdale on Friday (31 October).
At around 7.10pm that evening on Birch Road, a 75-year-old woman answered the door to a man, who then entered her home.
Investigating officers have now released an image of a man they would like to speak to, alongside the wider public appeal for information, as it’s believed it could help with their enquiries.
DS Thompson added: “While I appreciate the image quality isn’t the greatest, I hope that someone may recognise the costume and it jogs their memory.”
Anyone with any information is urged to contact police via 101 or using the Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 3012 of 31/10/25.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
News
Greater Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Dozens of local restaurants will be adding an extra £1 onto every bill over the festive season to help fight street homelessness.
People in Greater Manchester are once again able to give back while they dine at some of the best restaurants the region has to offer in the run up to Christmas, as the successful StreetSmart fundraising initiative is back for another year.
This year, 26 fantastic restaurants have come together to support local homeless charities as the campaign launched this past Saturday (1 November).
Manchester independents such as Mana, Erst, Climat, 10 Tib Lane, Ezra & Gill, Tartuffe, and Blue Eyed Panda are among those taking part in the campaign this year, alongside several city centre chain restaurants such as Lina Stores, Tampopo, Banyan, Manahatta, and San Carlo.
StreetSmart works by each participating restaurant adding an extra £1 to every bill they deliver throughout November and December, with all of the money raised going directly to local homeless organisations, thanks to StreetSmart’s official sponsorship from LandAid.
The funds raised by StreetSmart in Greater Manchester this year will support the crucial work of organisations such as CentrePoint, which funds Independent Living Advisors for young people, and Real Change Manchester, which plugs into the existing homelessness charities to provide that extra boost of funding that makes all the difference.
The StreetSmart team says it’s determined to deliver another record-breaking year in 2025, and provide much-needed support to the services that help some of the most vulnerable people in the city.
Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas / Credit: Supplied | Rifqi Ali Ridho (via Unsplash)
“The festive period can be an incredibly tough time for the vulnerable people in our community,” explained Glenn Pougnet, who is the Director of StreetSmart.
“StreetSmart provides a simple way for people to help some of our city’s most in need. Giving back whilst dining out at Christmas is what StreetSmart is all about, and we’re thrilled to have so many restaurants already taking part.
Daisy Jackson -
1st January 2025 
