Sneaker 63, the super rare trainer store tucked beneath a sushi shop in Manchester‘s Chinatown, has left fans heartbroken after announcing it will be closing its doors for good at the end of the year.
One of the first high-end trainer consignment stores of its kind to open in the city, the shop helped to put the city on the map for sneakerheads with money to burn.
Rare pieces have sold here for upwards of £6,000, and over the years owners developed a reputation for getting their hands on some of the most exclusive drops first – often appearing at the shop before they officially hit the market.
But now, one of Sneaker63’s co-owners has revealed that the rare trainer store will be closing permanently at the end of the year due to a partnership issue within the business.
Taking to social media, Jack Chen shared a heartfelt statement on his personal Instagram story revealing that the time had come to close up shop for good.
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He wrote: “It is with a deep sadness that Sneaker 63 will close its physical store on 31st December due to a partnership issue within Sneaker 63.
“I appreciate you all and the support from the start till now it’s been amazing to see you all and also watch through the years grow and your collections and stories that you’ve told about how you’ve copped that pair you always wanted.
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“I’m gonna miss that a lot and everyone .. so I hope to see y’all soon before close …. – Jack.”
Image: Instagram
Unreleased J Balvin x JORDAN 2, first pair in hand in the whole of UK / Europe at Sneaker 63. / Image: Sneaker 63 Instagram
Jack’s former Sneaker 63 co-owner Dominic Hespe sadly passed away last year after battling an inoperable late-stage cancer diagnosis.
Since then, it appears there has been an ongoing dispute between the remaining business partners. Unfortunately, attempts to come to an amicable solution with the help of legal representation appear to have been unsuccessful. The business will close for good on the final day of 2022.
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Speaking to The Manc, Jack added that all the stock at the shop will continue to be for sale right up until 31 December before he starts to notify the sellers they need to take back their items.
Sellers will then have the whole of January to come down to Chinatown and collect their pieces from Sneaker 63.
Asked if this would really be the end, he said: “Sadly yes for Sneaker 63”, before adding “But it’s not goodbye […] I’ll be back stronger and better.”
“With the passion I still have left of what I’ve loved the most, hopefully I can rebuild something using that and it’ll be done for the community.”
Feature image – Google Maps
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NHS launches new AI and robot cancer detection pilot offering ‘glimpse into future’
Emily Sergeant
The NHS has launched a ‘trailblazing’ new AI and robot pilot to help spot cancers sooner.
Patients who are facing suspected lung cancer could get answers sooner under the new pilot that makes use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic technology to help doctors reach hard-to-detect cancers earlier, and all without with fewer tests too.
At the moment, patients are faced with weeks of repeat scans and procedures to come to a diagnosis.
But this could soon be replaced with a single, half-hour cancer biopsy – reducing prolonged uncertainty, and avoiding more invasive surgery.
According to the NHS, the new approach uses AI software to rapidly analyse lung scans and flag small lumps that are most likely to be cancerous, before a robotic camera is then used to guide biopsy tools through the airways with much greater precision than standard techniques.
A new NHS pilot using AI and robotic technology will help doctors reach hard-to-detect lung cancers earlier.
Weeks of scans and procedures could be replaced with a single biopsy, reducing uncertainty and avoiding more invasive surgery.
The robot can reach nodules as small as 6mm – which is around the size of a grain of rice – that are hidden deep in the lung and are often deemed too risky or difficult to access using existing methods, and once AI has highlighted higher-risk areas, doctors can then take a precise tissue sample, which is sent to specialist laboratories and reviewed by expert cancer teams to confirm or rule out cancer.
The NHS’s top cancer doctor hailed the pilot – which is currently being carried out at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust – as ‘a glimpse of the future of cancer detection’.
“Waiting to find out if you might have cancer is incredibly stressful for patients and their families,” admitted Professor Peter Johnson, who is NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer.
The NHS has launched a new AI and robot cancer detection pilot that’s offering a ‘glimpse into future’ / Credit: rawpixel
“Our lung cancer screening programme means that we are picking up more cancers at an early stage than ever, and by bringing AI and robotics together in this trailblazing NHS pilot, we’re bringing in the very latest technology to give clinicians a clearer look inside the lungs and support faster, more accurate biopsies.
“This is a glimpse of the future of cancer detection.
“Innovation like this is exactly how we can help diagnose more cancers faster, so treatment can be most effective, and why the NHS continues to lead the way in bringing new technology safely into frontline care.”
If successful, the pilot will help the NHS to generate evidence to develop a national commissioning policy for robotic bronchoscopy.
It will also support more consistent access to the technology across the NHS in future.
Featured Image – Tima Miroshnichenko (via Pexels)
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Chester Zoo announces new spring date for its popular running event to help UK wildlife
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced that its popular Run For Nature is back again this year, and this time, there’s a new spring edition.
The UK’s biggest charity zoo seen success with this event in the past few years, with thousands of runners signing up for one of the North West’s most unique athletic experiences and all funds raised going towards efforts to protect highly-endangered giraffes in Africa.
This year though, the much-loved event’s focus brings conservation ‘a little closer to home’ and will protect some of the UK’s most threatened species instead – with all funds helping to safeguard hedgehogs, kingfishers, otters, harvest mice, and more.
It comes as the UK is currently considered one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth.
Participants will first get to wind through the zoo and enjoy glimpses of elephants, lemurs, and other incredible species along the way, before heading out into the picturesque Cheshire countryside.
Adults can choose from a 10K or 5K route, while younger runners are invited to take part in a one-mile ‘Zoom’ race, open to children aged four-15, which takes place entirely within the zoo’s incredible 130-acre grounds.
All runners will receive free entry to the zoo for the rest of the day as part of their registration, along with a 25% discount for friends and family who come along to show support.
Chester Zoo’s popular 10K charity run is returns with a new spring date / Credit: Chester Zoo
Lorraine Jubb, who is the Fundraising Lead at Chester Zoo, called the Run For Nature a ‘really special event’.
“In previous years, runners have already supported conservation efforts for Asian elephants, Eastern black rhinos and Northern giraffe,” she explained. This springtime though, we’re turning our attention much closer to home in the UK, and to the wildlife we share our gardens, parks and countryside with.
“With one in six species now at risk of extinction in the UK, every runner will be playing a vital role in helping us protect animals and supporting our growing nature recovery work across right across Cheshire.
Georgina Pellant -
28th December 2022 
