‘Old school’ pub The Ancoats Lad to reopen its doors this summer
The traditional Manchester boozer is reopening on Oldham Street under a new name and new ownership, but pretty much everything else will stay as it was
Five months after owners bid it a heartbreaking farewell via a letter plastered to its shutters, tiny Oldham Street boozer The Ancoats Lad is being given a new lease of life.
At the time of its closure, landlord Phil Bell seemed firmly set against selling the micropub on or getting someone in to manage it, saying “to be truthful there was only one ‘Ancoats Lad’ and together we made it ours.”
Howver, after being introduced to local lads Joshua Stones and Perry Morrissey through a friend of a friend, it appears all he needed to find the right person to pass it on to. “Someone local, someone of the same ilk,” the pair tell us.
Joshua and Perry will reopen the pub under a new name in July, but are keen to stress that they “don’t want to lose Phil’s crowd” and have been working pretty hard to ensure that it will still cater to loyal regulars in much the same way it did before.
Long known as a place that ‘encouraged awkwardness’ with ‘old-school’ customers, the miniscule pub, sandwiched between Gullivers and Chakalaka, will reopen as The Mancunian next month – with a hyper-local offering to reflect its new moniker.
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Drinks will come from the likes of Salford Rum, Manchester Union Lager, Manchester Gin, Shindigger, Seven Brothers and more. “Pretty much everyone you could think of”, Perry and Josh tell us, adding they want to keeping everything as traditional and Manchester-based as possible.
They’ve even spoken with Phil on what they should stock, telling us: “[he] let us know which ones was the big sellers, a bit of what the Ancoats lad used to drink.”
Their attitude of preservation extends to the decor, too, which will only see small changes made – with new murals from local artists Quebek and Dave Draws, a fresh lick of paint and a few new pictures of the city to mix in with the old.
Those who’ve visited the pub before will likely know its former-landlord kept a lot of memorabilia on the walls from over the years.
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These will stay as they were, say Perry and Josh, who are working with local photographer Manc Wanderer (aka Nathan Whittaker) to add in more modern images to show “how the city’s changed now.”
Image: Google Business
Image: Google Business
Image: Google Business
Josh and Perry also tell us they have their eyes set on “where all the old pubs and lost pubs of Ancoats are”, adding: “this is our foot in the door to get back into town.”
It’s not their first foray into hospitality. Perry already has another pub The Treeehouse in Bury, which he opened just before the pandemic hit, and his family has a long history of owning nightclubs in the city centre – including the famous Ampersand and Paparrazi.
He also happens to be a cousin of Morrissey’s, who he says he is “trying to get down” to the pub for its reopening.
With a great appreciation for the dying breed of traditional boozers, the pair say that once they get The Mancunian up and running they hope to take back some more of these lost venues – stealing them away from the trendy cocktail bars that have run amock in this part of town for the past however-many years.
God speed, we say. There’s something to be said for a great traditional boozer, and, sadly, they’re becoming a less and less of a frequent sight nowadays – not just in the Northern Quarter, either, but across the country.
The Mancunian’s official reopening date is set for Saturday 16 July.
Feature image – Google
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NHS urges people to book flu jabs ahead of winter as A&E attendances hit record 2.5 million
Emily Sergeant
The NHS is urging people get their flu jabs booked ahead of the upcoming season.
After A&E attendances hit a record 2.5 million in July, and staff experienced the three busiest months ever recorded between May and July in emergency departments, the NHS wants to do everything it can to ‘ease demand’ ahead of winter flu season arriving.
Flu season usually peaks in December and January, so the health service is starting to administer the vaccinations from autumn onwards to ensure fewer people are hospitalised.
Flu can cause significant issues for children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with some long-term health conditions – with issues including hospitalisation and, in certain cases, severe respiratory failure or even death.
It’s estimated that around 104,000 hospitalisations could have been avoided last year, which is why the NHS is keen to cut that number this winter.
From today, the national booking system is open for those eligible to book their flu vaccine, with appointments starting from 1 September.
Those eligible will be able to get their flu vaccination from a variety of places in their local community, including their GP practices and participating high street pharmacies.
The jab is given in injectable form in the vast majority of cases, while a nasal spray is provided for most children.
“Vaccinations play a vital role in protecting those most at risk from flu and they are also crucial for relieving pressures on our NHS over the winter months,” explained Health Secretary Yvette Cooper.
“Everyone who is eligible for a free vaccination will be notified through their phone or in the post, and the system for booking appointments is now open. Together, we can save lives, support the most vulnerable, and ensure our NHS is there for everyone who needs it this winter.”
The national booking system is now open so that eligible people – including pregnant women and children – can pre-book their flu vaccinations when appointments start on 1 September.
Manchester City Council approves petition calling for Market Street to be less of a ‘sensory overload’
Daisy Jackson
A petition has been launched calling on Manchester City Council to review the management of Market Street, hoping to make it ‘more peaceful’ and less of a ‘sensory overload’.
All Mancs know that a walk down Market Street is no easy undertaking – it’s a hugely busy shopping street and pedestrian thoroughfare, often populated by buskers, street performers, charity fundraisers, and roving stalls.
One does not simply ‘pop to the shops’ in Manchester city centre. Instead, we pinball our way along the street which often feels like an urban obstacle course.
And now, an online petition has been launched and approved by Manchester City Council, calling for the street’s management (and that of Piccadilly Gardens) to be reviewed.
The petition calls on the council to assess ‘the cumulative effect of these activities, including excessive noise, sensory overload, obstruction, and difficulty navigating the city centre’.
And while it is ‘not directed at any particular group of people, business, political belief, charity, religion, or organisation’, the petition organisers believe that the large number of organised street solicitation, amplified sound, gazebos and stalls, and organised gatherings, are all significantly impacting pedestrian movement.
“These spaces should remain accessible, comfortable, safe, and easy to navigate for everyone,” the petition states.
A ‘quiet’ Monday lunchtime on Market Street. Credit: The Manc Group
Management measures for both Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens that have been put forward include designated locations for organised activities, permits, reasonable controls on noise levels, a review of street trading locations, and more measures to reduce obstruction in high-footfall areas.
It reads: “The review should also consider whether the concentration of multiple organised activities within the same locations operating during the same time slots is appropriate, and whether a more balanced distribution across the city centre would improve accessibility while continuing to respect the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and legitimate trading.
“The aim is not to prevent lawful expression, peaceful assembly, or legitimate trading. Instead, it is to ensure that Manchester’s busiest public spaces remain welcoming, accessible, and functional for everyone by achieving an appropriate balance between the many activities taking place within them, while protecting the rights of all who use these shared public spaces.”
The petition has made its way onto the Manchester Reddit subreddit, where one person described Market Street as an ‘absolute sensory overloaded obstacle course’ and a ‘sweetcorn scented sleep paralysis demon’.
The petition calls for more thought into the organisation of traders, performers, and more on Market Street. Credit: The Manc Group
One person commented: “Literally walked down market street just yesterday and thought about this, very glad something might actually be done. I moved away years ago and it was never good, but yesterday I’d never seen anything like it. Preachers, half a fun fair, sweet stand, rapper, guy dancing in a banana suit and more. It’s absolutely f*cked.”
Someone else posted: “People can practice whatever religion they want, but it’s horrible hearing loud chanting music, combined with two other religions doing the same thing, combined with random preaching, and then the buskers that seems to think if they’re super loud it means that are super good.”
You can see and sign the petition to review Market Street HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
29th June 2022 
