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.
Entertainment union Equity makes £1 bid for Manchester Pride to protect workers from ‘further exploitation’
Emily Sergeant
Performing arts and entertainment trade union Equity has made a £1 bid for Manchester Pride.
You may remember that, back in October last year, Manchester Pride – the charity / organisation that ran the Manchester Pride Festival – entered into voluntary liquidation, and news emerged last week that the assets were being sold off to the highest bidder by liquidators.
By offering a ‘symbolic’ £1 for the assets – which include the Manchester Pride brand name and associated domain names – Equity says its bid has been made to give workers the opportunity to ‘decide the future’ of the event.
The bid is also said to have been made to prevent a repeat of 2025 – which apparently left Equity union members more than £70,000 out-of-pocket in unpaid fees.
Equity’s variety organiser, Nick Keegan, warned that selling the Manchester Pride brand to a commercial buyer risks ‘undermining the values’ of the event and the community that built it.
He worried it could also leave performers and workers ‘vulnerable to further exploitation’.
“Manchester Pride is not just a city-wide party,” Mr Keegan explained. “Its roots in protest are as important today as then.”
He added: “Manchester Pride was built by the LGBTQ+ workers of Canal St and beyond who provide a space and a community for LGBTQ+ people all year round. The event should not be treated as a commodity to be bought and sold off to the highest bidder.
“The cultural workforce are at the heart of Pride, without them, there is no festival.
“After what happened in 2025, with members left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket, we don’t want to see history repeat itself.”
Equity says that if its bid is successful, the workers will have control over who the ‘asset’ goes to.
“Our bid is about protecting Pride as a community asset, not a commercial one,” the union’s statement continued.
“Allowing the people whose labour was used to build this ‘asset’ to decide how the trademark of Manchester Pride is used in the future will help protect them from further exploitation, as well as preserve the values and the longevity of the event itself.”
Featured Image – Manchester Pride (Supplied)
News
New police hub to be set up in Piccadilly Gardens to help reduce anti-social behaviour
Emily Sergeant
A new police hub is set to be established in Piccadilly Gardens.
In case you missed it, it was announced last week that council tax in Greater Manchester could be increased to help fund improvements to policing, and that a consultation on it has been launched – with local residents urged to have their say.
The police precept helps Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to build on a range of improvements, including the speed of answering 999 and 101 calls, road and transport safety across Manchester city centre, and bringing more sex offenders to justice, among many other things.
Greater Manchester council tax is set to be increased again to help fund improvements to policing, and a consultation is now live. 🏘️🚔📝
But on top of this, Mayor Andy Burnham has also pledged to deliver a new police hub in Piccadilly Gardens as part of a wider drive to improve policing.
GMCA says its ‘top priority’ is to build strong communities where people feel safe, and it is Mayor Andy Burnham and his Deputy Mayors’ responsibility to enable GMP to be an ‘effective and efficient’ police force.
Local leaders say their ambition for 2026 is to maintain a ‘high-performing’ police service by tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, and protecting residents and businesses along the way – and part of this ambition is to increase police visibility in Piccadilly Gardens, which is a much-maligned part of the city centre, by launching a new ‘prominent’ police hub.
The increase in the police precept is also being touted to help increase ‘hot spot policing tactics’ in town centres and other key locations to help drive down theft and other violent retail crimes.
A new police hub is to be set up in Piccadilly Gardens to help reduce anti-social behaviour / Credit: Gerald England (via Geograph) | Rawpixel
“We need GMP to be properly funded if it is to continue to deliver an effective and responsive service for people in Greater Manchester,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham. “The cost of running a modern police force is going up and this is at a time when our city region has become the fastest-growing economy in the UK, with visitor numbers increasing year after year.
“So much is happening here and that includes a number of major and complex incidents over the past year, including a terrorist attack. These incidents added significant pressure to police resources.
“We recognise the ongoing impact of the rising cost of living and do not take the decision to increase the precept lightly. But right now, this increase is our only option to ensure GMP can continue delivering an effective police service that ensures that people feel safe in their own communities.”
Danny Jones -
6th November 2023 
