Soho House is heading to Manchester for the first time, marking a big move into the north for the exclusive members club.
The hotly anticipated new Manchester location is currently being built in the Old Granada Studios building and it is hoped will be open by the end of 2022.
Whilst we already knew it was coming, excitement around the new opening has gathered pace after more details were revealed by its founder at the Northern Restaurant and Bar Show this week.
Image: Soho House
Speaking at the trade event, held at the city centre’s Manchester Central complex, founder Nick Jones said he wanted to provide more locations for members outside of central London and admitted he was ‘nervous’ to open up a branch in Manchester.
Promising that the new Manchester house will be weighted towards 80% of local memberships, he was at pains to emphasise the importance of making it a local’s haunt – with programming and music chosen by and for Mancunians.
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Speaking in Manchester this week, he said: “There will be an element of glamour to the place, but with an element of grit too. We have a lot of local people working with us, so the programming will be local, the music [will be local]”
During Nick’s talk, which saw him interviewed by NRB CEO Thom Hetherington, he also revealed that the new club will feature a number of restaurants including A-list celeb Italian favourite Cecconi’s.
Known as a favoured haunt of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Jason Statham, Nick Grimshaw, Kate Moss and Lindsay Lohan here in the UK, Cecconi’s abroad are equally as popular with celebs – with the West Hollywood location frequented by the likes of Tom Hanks, Ellen DeGeneres and Gwen Stefani.
He also revealed that the club will be spread across three floors and will house a rooftop pool, an outdoor terrace area, and a music venue and club space.
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Just beneath the Soho House development will be a second venue, Mollie’s, due to launch next year.
Mollie’s Manchester will boast upwards of 140 rooms, a 164-cover diner restaurant, cocktail bar, event space, lounge, workplace and an outdoor terrace.
It will be the third and largest Mollie’s site to date, following launches in Oxford and Bristol, and promises tospan 100sq ft in the iconic TV Studios building, central to Manchester’s buzzing social scene – marking Mollie’s and Soho House Manchester a firm place to be seen in the city.
Soho House Manchester will be located above Mollie’s, with a club and rooftop pool on the building’s top floors.
The Manchester house will be Soho’s fourth venue outside London, following on from the most recent Brighton location which opens on the coast this month.
Further openings on the horizon include a second London location south of the river in Balham, and international houses in Bangkok, Sao Paulo, Mexico City and Miami. Currently, the group has 27 global locations.
Feature image – Soho House
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Four rare African ducklings have been hatched at Chester Zoo for the very first time
Danny Jones
More conversation celebration down the road at Chester Zoo, as the award-winning wildlife park has welcomed four African ducklings who belong to a rare breed.
As is so often the case with the work they do all year-round, their arrival could help signal the species’ survival in the long run, whose status was sadly upgraded from vulnerable to endangered on the official IUCN Red List.
The particular type of fowl we’re referring to is the Maccao duck, a stiff-tailed bird that typically belongs to the fresh and brackish inland waters of Eastern and Southern Africa.
Medium-sized, chunky, with big bills and subtle striping around their heads, they’re gorgeous creatures as is, but especially so as ducklings…
If you didn’t say ‘awww’ out loud, then you’re just lying.
As the Zoo itself put it, they are “rare, fluffy and VERY cute.” Celebrating what is “a breeding breakthrough for one of Africa’s rarest ducks […] so these little guys are kind of a big deal.”
These little delightful little duckies are known for diving down to the bottom of lakes and riverbeds to forage for aquatic invertebrates and plants; in fact, given the choice, they tend to prefer going underwater over flying pretty much full-stop.
As a resident species that doesn’t migrate like many other birds, they are native to nations like Namibia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. They’re identifiable by their dark black heads, blue bills (among the males, at least) and presence within the wetlands.
However, their estimated numbers continue to drop, and unfortunately, just 14 of their kind currently remain in Kenya and only 100 in Tanzania, with fewer than 5,000 believed to be left across the entire African continent.
Not only is this the first time the species has ever been successfully bred by bird experts at Chester Zoo, but conservationists hope ducklings will put a spotlight on the threatened species.
Their scientific name is ‘Oxyura maccoa’.Just like human babies, they prone to stuff all over their face.As far as ducklings go, these adorable little African variants are pretty special. (Credit: Supplied)
The zoo’s Head of Birds, Andrew Owen, said of their birth: “As one of just seven zoos in Europe – and 12 zoos globally – that care for Maccoa ducks, these ducklings are very special as they’re the first of their kind to ever hatch here at the zoo – making it a really historic moment for our team,
“This success gives a real boost to the future of the species, and these vital new additions will contribute to the safety-net population in zoos. These birds are facing rapid decline in the wild, so every hatchling really does count.
“To see them now out on the water inside our new Heart of Africa habitat, which is dedicated to helping Africa’s most threatened species thrive, makes this milestone even more special.”
Nothing short of brilliant news, we’re sure you’ll agree; better still, in addition to the crucially charitable and conversation-based tourist attraction being named one of England’s most popular destinations once again, but these are the only rare birds welcome by the zookeepers this month.
Vogue’s immersive ‘Inventing the Runway’ show is coming to Manchester
Thomas Melia
A Vogue immersive show titled ‘Inventing the Runway’ is coming to Manchester, and it’s even co-created by Anna Wintour herself.
Ever fancied learning more about the fashion world? Well, now’s your chance to hear everything you need to know from global fashion leaders and lifestyle magazine Vogue.
The Anna Wintour-approved immersive experience comes alongside the announcement of Factory International‘s Winter lineup, which features another new event all about voyaging to the moon.
This Vogue-fronted experience will incorporate interviews, visual media and more to help attendees visualise fashion shows of the past, present and future.
As well as understanding how fashion shows became the pinnacle of a designer’s vision, this runway-themed display also includes looking back at iconic moments of fashion and pop culture.
‘Inventing the Runway’ by Vogue is focusing on outfits worn by models and A-listers alike, with narration from the one and only Cate Blanchett.
You can expect to see curated pieces by significant creative minds in fashion history like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and lots more.
Throughout the Vogue experience, as well as coming visually face to face with fashion, you will also hear a soundscape that perfectly reflects this innovative industry with a fusion of classical and pop music.
This fashion exhibition uses the same Lightroom technology behind the impressive David Hockney experience that opened back in December.
Vogue is using this show to honour anyone who has made an impact in the fashion world.The Met Gala has become a staple in everyone’s calendar year in and year out.First Northern Quarter’s Chanel show, now this… Très chic. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons/GoodFon)
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue said: “At Vogue, we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves.”
“This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first-hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”
You can experience Vogue’s ‘Inventing the Runway’ immersive show from 18 December to 10 January when it visits Aviva Studios this winter.
Find out more information and grab your tickets HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
17th March 2022 
