Stockport residents have been left gutted by the news that a beloved and long-standing pub, The Golden Hind, will soon be closing — so much so that locals are now rallying to keep it open.
The Golden Hind, located in Offerton, has been open since the late 1960s and has been part of the Greene King family since 1996, having previously held the brewery and pub chain’s in-house Hungry Horse moniker above its doors for many years.
Although the pub itself was closed for a period in 2017 following a major refurbishment, it has been a go-to boozer for punters all over SK for decades, so naturally people quickly became concerned once rumours began circulating on social media last week that it might be closing its doors this month.
Unfortunately for fans of the pub, those fears were confirmed when a makeshift sign made out of a dust sheet and black paint by a passionate resident appeared on the main road just outside the building’s frontage asking people to help “Save The Golden Hind from closure”.
Stockport locals urge the town to help ‘Save the Golden Hind’Credit: The Manc Group
As you can see, the sign goes on to read, “It’s not just a pub, it’s our community hub”, adding, “Contact Greene King web page ‘Contact Us‘. Thank you, Offerton.”
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The reaction to the news online has been one of shock and upset, with many on social media urging others to take heed of the sign and help keep it open. Some residents are said to have already reached out to local councillors to petition against it and register the pub as a ‘Community Asset‘.
Writing on a community Facebook page called ‘What’s On Offerton‘, local Helen Judge said: “Just wondering which idiot at Stockport Council would let a great pub in Offerton like The Golden Hind to be bulldozed and sell the land. [It is the] worst idea ever and we don’t need any more houses in Offerton”.
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While the closure is strictly an owner issue and many believe the pub is “losing money” or simply not performing in line with other Greene King locations in the Greater Manchester area, others are claiming that the valuable piece of land situation on busy Lisburne Lane has already been sold.
The pub is situated right in the middle of the Offerton areaThe ‘Save the Golden Hind’ was hung outside last week.
Addressing their plans to shut the pub, Greene King did confirm the closure notice on 26 November to the MEN, adding that “formal consultation” with current landlord Danny and his staff has already begun, but did not offer any details as to the status of the land nor any potential plans for it in the near future.
Posting on social media, one person said: “I go regularly and the new manager was doing really well, great chef too and they were always full on the tribute meal events. Virtually the only affordable pub that does proper meals around here.”
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Many have also expressed their worry for the elderly and vulnerable people who regularly visit the Hind not only for food and drink but also to socialise and enjoy a sense of community. The place is also regularly packed on matchday and hosts live entertainment throughout the week.
Another wrote, “Feel really sad about this… It’s like the end of an era… all the traditional pubs going and just wine bars, bistro pubs and takeaways everywhere”, while a third added: “That’s so sad, many beautiful memories.” The pub famously had to take down an Elvis sign above the entrance merely placed as a bit of fun to promote their ever-busy karaoke nights.
Credit: Norman BroomCredit: The Golden Hind (via Facebook)The Golden Hind and its iconic Elvis signage in the early 2000s and the local Stopfordians who still consider it a pillar in the area.
Speaking to The Manc, regular patron Sue Harrop said: “The Golden Hind is an asset to the community. It is the only pub in the area since the social club on the nearby estate closed.
“It has a great atmosphere where people of all ages come together, offers good affordable food, fantastic live entertainment which always sells out and live sports. All the other regulars are devastated and friendship groups that have been formed in the Hind will be no more if it closes on 26 November.
“To say everyone is gutted is an understatement and it feels as though Greene King is only interested in making quick money with no thought for the community they are destroying”.
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It is thought that over 400 people have already signed a petition filed to the council and many more are expected to rally behind the cause as they look to save the Golden Hind before the end of the month.
Work finally begins on site of UK’s first majority LGBTQ+ housing scheme in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Work has finally got underway on the start of the UK’s first majority LGBTQ+ housing scheme here in Manchester.
The exciting new £37 million flagship development – which is being built on the site of the former Spire Hospital on Russell Road, in the Whalley Range area of Manchester – will be comprised of 80 one and two-bedroom apartments for older people over the age of 55 for social rent, alongside an additional 40 affordable shared ownership apartments.
Plans for the scheme have been co-produced in partnership with the Russell Road Community Steering Group, Manchester City Council, and the LGBT Foundation.
Delivered in partnership with contractors Rowlinson, and funded through Great Places, the Homes England Strategic Partnership, GMCA Brownfield Housing Fund, and Manchester City Council, the high-quality and sustainable building will offer a ‘safe and welcome feel’ with an ‘inviting presence’.
While the goal is to create an inclusive space, the scheme has also been designed to respect the surrounding conservation area.
On top of this, the low carbon scheme will also feature shared communal facilities including lounges, treatment rooms, and landscaped gardens.
The Council says the new scheme is part of its ambitious target to deliver at least 36,000 new homes across the city region by 2032 – at least 10,000, of which, will be social rent, Council, or considered ‘genuinely affordable’ housing.
It comes after more than 800 ‘Extra Care’ homes have been built in Manchester in recent years, and are another 1,000 are in the pipeline – to meet the demand for older people in the city.
A CGI of the newly-approved LGBTQ+ Extra Care housing scheme development in Whalley Range / Credit: Manchester City Council
“This is a real milestone moment for this development,” commented Cllr Gavin White, who is the Executive Member for Housing and Development at Manchester City Council.
“The Council has believed in the positive impact an LGBTQ+ majority housing development could have for this community for many years, and to celebrate the social rent homes officially starting on site is a great moment for the city.
“Working with the LGBT Foundation, we know that older LGBTQ+ people worry about being able to access appropriate and inclusive housing later in life. Although we hope all older person’s accommodation is welcoming to everyone, this scheme will provide safe, secure and affordable housing for LGBTQ+ people to live with dignity.
“We look forward to the completion of these homes that will complement and enhance this part of Whalley Range, and be an important part of this community.”
The project is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2027.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
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Parklife shares statement after festival’s brand-new stage closed down before headliners
Daisy Jackson
Parklife has released a full statement after the festival was forced to close its newest stage, and cancel two headline performances.
The huge Heaton Park festival had been running smoothly all weekend, with blistering performances from 50 Cent, Pawsa, Jorja Smith and plenty more.
But on Sunday, local lad and rising star DJ Josh Baker took to the brand-new Matinee stage to enormous crowds.
Although Parklife installed a queue system to manage numbers inside the enclosed festival stage, the crowds outside became very large, very quickly, and the decision was made to shut the stage down for everyone’s safety.
Several people have shared videos on TikTok, like the one below, that show the scenes around the Matinee stage and audiences being told the area would need to be evacuated.
The stage was shut down for the remainder of the evening, meaning a headline performance from Chris Stussy was also cancelled.
Parklife has said this decision was taken to ‘remove the risk of any potential incidents’ and to prioritise the safety of festival attendees.
Josh Baker told fans: “I deeply apologise. I can’t really put into words what today was going to mean to me.”
Chris Stussy said in a statement on his Instagram: “Really gutted I’m unable to perform at Parklife tonight, flew straight from Barcelona to play a 3 hours closing set but due to safety reasons and the stage being over crowded, the organisation decided to shut the stage down as it may have caused unsafe situations for those who were there.
“Despite being disappointed, safety comes first and we will make this right very soon.”
Parklife hasn’t publicly addressed the incident but has shared this statement: “As a result of crowd movement at the Matinee Stage and on the advice of our safety team to remove the risk of any potential incidents, Parklife made the decision to close the stage for the remainder of the final day of the festival.
“Unfortunately it has been impossible to relocate Josh Baker’s and Chris Stussy’s performances to a new stage.
“Our teams worked quickly and diligently to address the situation and the safety of our festival attendees is always our utmost priority.”
Danny Jones -
6th November 2023 
