A popular Thai restaurant called Giggling Squid is opening its doors in Manchester next year, bringing Thai-style tapas, curries, salads and cocktailswith it.
Popular restaurant chain Giggling Squid first originated in Brighton under the name Mai Ped Ped Ped before rebranding when it opened its second restaurant in Hove.
Now, 41 sites later, it has revealed plans to open its first northern restaurant in Manchester’s Spinningfields district over on Hardman Square.
The new Thai restaurant will open opposite The Ivy in a vacant Spinningfields unit at some point in the new year.
It will serve a selection of Thai dishes, ranging from the likes of Phuket mussels in a red curry broth to Samui zingy prawns, Betel beef on sugar cane skewers, salt and pepper squid and chicken satay.
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Whoever wrote the menu here is clearly fond of an adjective, as elsewhere you’ll find the likes of ‘delicious’ Thai chicken wings, ‘yummy’ duck spring rolls and ‘big flavour’ mushroom larb.
You’ll also find Thai staples like Paneang curry, pad Thai and lamb shank massaman on the menu, which is split into seven sections – starters, from the land, from the water, stir fry, curry, noodles and sides, and rice.
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Founded by couple Andrew and Pranee Laurillard, the restaurant has grown significantly from its early beginnings in a fisherman’s cottage in Brighton.
That cottage, once the couple’s home, is still the base of their restaurant today – with diners down south able to book in to enjoy dinner in the same space where the concept was conceived.
The initial concept was to cook ‘simple, rustic, fresh Thai food’ and create a menu that ‘people could eat like they do at home’, say the couple, explaining that ‘in Thailand, mealtimes are all about lots of dishes that everyone shares’.
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Whilst they acknowledge that the menu has ‘moved on a bit now’, the pair state that some of those original dishes are still guest favourites today.
To date, Giggling Squid has restaurants across the country – all located in various towns across the south of England. The new Manchester site will be its first proper northern opening, joining fellow Thai newcomer Rosa’s Thai Cafe and longstanding Thai favourite Thaikhun in the glittering business district.
To find out more and keep up to date with any new developments, make sure to follow the Giggling Squid on social media here. Check out the restaurant’s website and menu here.
Feature image – Giggling Squid
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Bolton man jailed for rape and ‘violent’ sexual assault of vulnerable woman
Emily Sergeant
A man who subjected a vulnerable woman to a violent sexual attack and then refused her medical help has been handed a lengthy jail sentence.
Kieran Naylor, of Bold Street in Bolton, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Courtyesterday (25 November) after being found guilty of two counts of rape, a section 18 assault, false imprisonment, and theft.
The offences took place around this time last year (9 and 10 December 2024), Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained.
Naylor approached the victim at a nearby petrol station and invited her to his home, and once the pair were there, he became violent and sexually assaulted her. During the attack, the victim sustained serious injuries, including a broken wrist and femur, which required multiple surgeries.
Despite the injuries the victim sustained during the attack, Naylor refused to call for medical assistance and instead locked her inside his property.
The 39-year-old later left the address, taking the victim’s bank card along with him and attempting to make purchases in Bolton town centre.
#JAILED | #Bolton man subjected a vulnerable woman to a violent sexual attack and refused her medical help has been jailed for 14 years pic.twitter.com/EXlCr0hHM7
The victim eventually managed to reach the doorway, where a member of the public found her and called emergency services.
Police arrived at the scene and arrested Naylor there and then.
Following the trial at Manchester Crown Court, Naylor has been jailed for 14 years – with the police describing him as a ‘dangerous individual’.
“This was a shocking and deeply disturbing crime,” explained Detective Constable Lucy Birch, from Bolton CID. “Naylor is a dangerous individual who is rightly behind bars for a long time.
“We know how difficult this has been for the victim and her family, and her bravery ensured justice was served.”
Sadly, the victim passed away before seeing Naylor face justice, but GMP says the evidence she provided ensured he received a ‘substantial’ sentence.
DC Birch concluded: “It is saddening that she passed away before seeing Naylor sentenced, but her courage has helped protect other women from harm.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Sankeys nightclub is returning to Manchester
Danny Jones
It’s officially happening: iconic local club Sankeys is coming back to Manchester city centre almost a decade on from its gutting closure.
The iconic ‘Sankey’s Soap’ nightlife space – which started out over in Ancoats during the mid-’90s – enjoyed numerous stints during its time in the clubbing world, as well as opening multiple partnered venues in the country and even overseas.
Now, approaching nine years after the shutdown, Sankeys is returning to Manchester in the new year, and Mancs are currently losing their minds.
Whether you are one of those who ‘remember it when’, or someone who sadly missed out on the halcyon days in the old Beehive Mill, we assure you that everyone is in agreement that this is nothing short of massive news…
First teasing the comeback back in July, as our city and the world at large were gripped by ‘Britpop Mania’ 2.0, the largely dormant Instagram account posted: “This week Manchester, and the UK, has been blessed with a homecoming of our very own, Oasis.
“We think Manchester deserves another homecoming… Definitely, maybe?”
The North West corners of the internet and veteran revellers alike were understandably quick to get excited by the potential revival, but nothing else had been said for months – until now.
Confirmed on Tuesday, 25 November, the infamous and storied nightclub’s social media team began by writing, simply: “The Legend Returns” and beckoning “a new era for Sankeys”.
It is still unclear as to where exactly the new and improved club(s) will be, but we do know that the events will be in the city centre. However, we do know we’ll be getting a familiar matrix grid installation as part of the design once again.
They will also be enforcing a strict new no-phones policy, which has become increasingly popular across the scene, thanks to the likes of Amber’s right here in Manchester.
Sankeys first opened in Manchester as "Sankeys Soap" in June 1994.[3] It was so called due to its residence inside Beehive Mill, Ancoats, which once was used to manufacture soap. The basement of the mill was transformed into a club and live music venue#pub#historypic.twitter.com/cnM6Nt23uZ
Sankeys may have remained an active promoter in the days since the building on the corner of Radium and Jersey Street (M4 6JG) closed – going on to become an unsuspecting office development – this will be the first event of the aforementioned next chapter in a flagship venue.
Promising a limited capacity of no more than 500 people, Sankeys is set to make its landmark return on
“We will only be open one night a week on Saturday. There will be no VIP or phones allowed on the dancefloor — everyone is a VIP. People need to stop taking pictures and start dancing to the beat.”
Hordes of clubbers, ravers, students and more are already signing up for early access and general admission tickets for the first two nights on Friday and Saturday, 30-31 January 2026 go on sale at 9am this Friday (28 Nov).
Get ready to grab yours HERE and party like it’s, well, 1994, 2017 – take your pick.
Georgina Pellant -
7th December 2021 
