British singer-songwriter Morrissey has just announced a major UK and Ireland tour starting this September, that will see the former The Smiths member play a special one-off show in Manchester.
Born right here in in Manchester, Morrissey is of Irish parents and, specifically, Dublin lineage, He was the singer and lyricist of The Smiths for 6 years, before moving into a new career as a successful solo artist for the past 35 years.
In 1994 his album “Your Arsenal” was Grammy-nominated, and his songs have been covered by big names including David Bowie, Nancy Sinatra, the Killers, Marianne Faithfull, Chrissie Hynde, My Chemical Romance, Thelma Houston and Christy Moore.
The new tour will bring him to the Manchester Apollo for one night in October, as well as including two London dates at The Palladium and O2 Academy Brixton, and further dates in Blackpool, Glasgow, Birmingham, Stockton, Killarney and Brighton.
Morrissey has enjoyed 16 albums in the UK Top Ten, plus 9 Top Ten albums with his former group The Smiths, of which Morrissey was a founder member. In the U.S., Morrissey has had two Top Ten albums, and eight Top 20 albums.
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In 1991, he broke The Beatles’ record for selling out the Hollywood Bowl, and in 2006 he was voted the second Greatest Living British Icon by BBC viewers, with Sir David Attenborough first and Sir Paul McCartney third.
In 2012, he was awarded the Keys to the City of Tel Aviv, and in 2013 Penguin Classics published Morrissey Autobiography, which became the second fastest-selling autobiography in British history.
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The book spent six weeks at number 1, five weeks at number 2, four weeks at number 3, and is a continuing British best seller.
Sat 24 Sep 2022 Killarney INEC Arena Wed 28 Sep 2022 Blackpool Opera House Fri 30 Sep 2022 Doncaster Dome Sun 02 Oct 2022 Glasgow SEC Armadillo Tue 04 Oct 2022 Manchester O2 Apollo Wed 05 Oct 2022 Birmingham O2 Academy Fri 07 Oct 2022 Stockton Globe Sun 09 Oct 2022 The London Palladium Tue 11 Oct 2022 London O2 Academy Brixton Fri 14 Oct 2022 Brighton Centre
Feature image – Supplied
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Beloved Manchester artist Stanley Chow slams Conservative Party for using his artwork
Daisy Jackson
Celebrated local artist Stanley Chow has lashed out at the Conservative Party.
The illustrator, who is famed for his cartoon portraits of famous faces, has discovered that the political party have been using his Andy Burnham illustration at their party conference.
Publicly addressing the usage, Stanley said he would be ‘seeking legal advice’.
He shared a photo of his Andy Burnham portrait that has been placed onto a water bottle with the slogan ‘Bottler Burnham’.
The label also says: “0% strength. Bottled under pressure from Badenoch.”
In another photo, Stanley Chow revealed that the Tory party conference has used his Andy Burnham portrait on pots of sweets, too.
This time, they say: “Andy Panders’ people pleaser pick n mix. Free sweets for everyone, it will only cost you higher taxes.”
Stanley wrote: “It seems like @conservatives have been using my artwork without my permission at their conference party…
“Regardless of whatever your political allegiances are, it’s still copyright infringement… I’ll be seeking legal advice.”
Backing him up in the comments are a number of other local artists, including Mancsy, who said: “As well as the copyright infringement, I expect more of political parties than making gags at the expense of the opposition. It’s alarming on multiple levels.”
Someone else wrote: “Imagine calling a prime minister a people pleaser like it’s an insult… when it’s their job.”
Another person said: “How does that even happen?! Layers of people signing off who go, ‘Sure, let’s not worry about copyright’ (people who’ve presumably never step foot in MCR and seen your artwork, like EVERYWHERE). Drag em, babe. Copyright and reputation, surely.”
Manchester man jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of woman on train
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed after sexually assaulting and masturbating in front of a woman on board a train to Manchester.
Following an extensive British Transport Police (BTP) investigation, Nisan Fernando Kurukulasuriya, of Troutbeck Road in Altrincham, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court last month.
At the trail last month, the court heard how, on Monday 20 April 2026, 39-year-old Kurukulasuriya was on a train from Stoke to Manchester and sat next to a woman he didn’t know, who was on the phone.
He then sexually assaulted her repeatedly, doing so again even after being pushed away by the woman.
The woman then noticed that Kurukulasuriya had exposed himself and was masturbating in front of her. She shouted at him, and in response, he stood up and ran away to leave the train – but the woman immediately got up to report the incident to staff.
When the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly, the woman alerted a member of staff while Kurukulasuriya was stood only a few meters away, and BTP were subsequently called straight away.
Police quickly attended and arrested Kurukulasuriya.
When police interviewed him, Kurukulasuriya showed no remorse for his actions and refused to answer any questions put to him.
After pleading guilty to Sexual Assault and Outraging Public Decency at a previous court hearing, Kurukulasuriya was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, and was also handed a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) which will bar him from sitting next to any woman he doesn’t know on public transport, as well as being put on thensex offenders register for 10 years.
BTP Detective Sergeant, Mark Haviland, called Kurukulasuriya a ‘despicable man’ who targeted a woman travelling alone ‘for his own sick sexual gratification’.
Georgina Pellant -
21st June 2022 
