Manchester city centre restaurant and bar Ramona has responded after guests visiting the venue over the weekend were injured in an accident following damage to the tipi.
The busy nightlife venue was evacuated on Saturday night after falling debris crashed through the canvas and injured customers.
Ramona has stated that the high winds brought on by Storm Elin caused materials to fly off a neighbouring construction site and onto the bar’s tipi below.
A large emergency service presence, including two fire engines, attended the ‘scary’ incident at the venue, which is situated just on the edge of Northern Quarter and Ancoats.
Ramona has been in touch with the guests who were injured in the freak accident, two of whom were sent to hospital, and all are reported to be ‘safe and recovering’.
They have also said that the construction site has ‘taken full responsibility’.
News of the accident first began circulating on a r/Manchester Reddit page, in which an anonymous individual shared details of a “serious incident”, with a witness claiming that a part of Ramona’s outdoor tent collapsed as a result of the damage and high winds drummed up by Storm Elin which has spread across the North West.
The poster said: “At least one person sat near the wooden supports that gave way was seriously injured. Not talking just a chipped tooth but life-threatening head injuries, profuse bleeding, the lot.”
They went on to add: “The place was immediately evacuated, and a major emergency services presence arrived shortly thereafter.”
We’ve enjoyed many a drink in the Ramona tipi which was damaged and partially collapsed’
Issuing an official statement to The Manc, Ramona said: “On the evening of Saturday, 9th December, an incident occurred where, during the severe storm, high winds blew several pieces of debris from a neighbouring construction site, onto parked vehicles, and piercing the Ramona tipis, injuring customers.
“Thankfully, all injured parties are now safe and recovering. They have contacted Ramona to thank the team for their wonderful support in what was a scary situation for all involved.
“The construction site next door to Ramona has taken full responsibility for what happened and ensured that all is safe and secure after the extreme conditions.
“The team is committed to continuing to support all involved and is speaking to Hospitality Action to arrange for some potential crisis management support for those who may want to take that up.”
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) also confirmed: “Around 8:15pm on Saturday (9 December) two fire engines from Salford and Manchester Central fire stations were called to Cable Street, Manchester, in response to reports about falling debris.
“Firefighters established a cordon to make the area safe, working alongside colleagues from North West Ambulance Service and Greater Manchester Police at the scene. Crews were in attendance for around two hours.”
GMP also verified that “two people received injuries and were taken to hospital” as a result of falling debris”, with a cordon put in place to secure the perimeter around the incident.
We’re just glad everyone is ok and that the site has been deemed safe to re-enter.
‘Dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture goes on public display in Greater Manchester after fears it was lost
Emily Sergeant
A long-lost masterpiece of Victorian silverwork has been saved and is now on display to the public in Greater Manchester.
Anyone taking a trip over to the National Trust’s historic Dunham Massey property, on the border of Greater Manchester into Cheshire, this summer will get to see the ‘dazzling’ sculpture called Stags in Bradgate Park – which was commissioned by a former owner in a defiant gesture to the society that shunned him.
The dramatic sculpture of two rutting Red Deer stags, commissioned in 1855 by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, was said to be an ‘act of love and rebellion’.
It also serves as a symbol of ‘locking horns’ with the society that ostracised him over his marriage to a woman considered ‘beneath him’.
“This isn’t just silver – it’s a story,” says James Rothwell, who is the National Trust‘s curator for decorative arts.
“A story of a man who fell in love with a woman that society deemed unworthy. When the Earl married Catherine Cox, whose colourful past was said to have included performing in a circus, Victorian high society was scandalised. Even Queen Victoria shunned the couple at the opera and local gentry at the horse races in Cheshire turned their backs on them.”
Modelled by Alfred Brown and crafted by royal goldsmiths Hunt & Roskell, Stags in Bradgate Park is a meticulously-detailed depiction of nature, and was considered a ‘sensation’ in its day.
Showing the rutting deer positioned on a rocky outcrop with gnarled hollow oaks, it graced the pages of the Illustrated London News, was exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862, and at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 – both of which were events that drew millions of visitors.
A ‘dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture has gone on public display in Greater Manchester / Credit: Joe Wainwright | James Dobson (via Supplied)
The silver centrepiece was the celebrity art of its time, paraded through streets and admired by the public like no other.
Gradually over the years, some of the Earl of Stamford’s silver collection has been re-acquired for Dunham Massey, and this particular world-renowned sculpture, thought to be lost for decades and feared to have been melted down, has miraculously survived with its ‘dramatic’ central component being all that is left.
“The sculpture is not only a technical marvel, with its lifelike depiction of Bradgate Park’s rugged landscape and wildlife, but also a dramatic human story key to the history of Dunham Massey,” added Emma Campagnaro, who is the Property Curator at Dunham Massey.
“It speaks of nature, of craftsmanship, and of a couple who chose each other over status and what others thought of them.”
The sculpture has now gone on display at Dunham Massey from Thursday 26 June.
Featured Image – James Dobson (via Supplied)
News
Lewis Capaldi announces MASSIVE comeback gig in Manchester this year
Thomas Melia
Everyone’s favourite Scottish ballad-maker, Lewis Capaldi, is heading out on tour across the UK, including a massive Manchester date.
Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is ready to tug at our heartstrings again right in front of our eyes as he announces a new UK arena tour.
This huge announcement comes right after his surprise set at the UK’s biggest music event of the year, Glastonbury, where he made a heroic return to the Pyramid Stage just two years after being forced to pull out.
Capaldi is known for writing some of the most notable and emotive hits of the late 2010s and early 2020s, including a long list of anthems such as ‘Someone You Loved’, ‘Bruises’ and ‘Before You Go’.
His monster of a hit ‘Someone You Loved’ has surpassed 3.9 billion views and is the UK’s most-streamed song of all time, so it is safe to say that his presence has been well and truly missed.
To many fans’ delight, the singer has stepped back into the spotlight and is ready to sing his heart out live at a variety of arenas across the UK, including Co-op Live right here in Manchester.
Now, in a post on his official Instagram account announcing this upcoming UK and Ireland arena tour, it’s good to see the Scottish powerhouse hasn’t lost his wit and charm as he jokes, “About time I got back to work.”
These shows are set to be in high demand as the singer has also revealed these upcoming dates, “Will be my only shows in the UK, Ireland or Europe this year! Would love to see ya there.”
On the back of his glorious Glasto return, Capaldi has dropped a huge heart-wrencher titled ‘Survive’ which offers more insight into the struggles and challenges the singer has been facing.
There is no confirmation of whether this new single marks the launch of a bigger project or not, but we can’t wait to scream his hits at the top of our lungs, regardless of when he pays Manchester a visit later this year.
Danny Jones -
12th December 2023 
