Down on Lapwing Lane, squeezed between a post office and a wine bar, is (probably) the tiniest bar in Manchester – and it’s absolutely adorable.
Serving up cocktails, wine and beer from local independent suppliers like Le Social Wine and First Chop, at just 1-metre wide Kiosk on Lapwing has no room for seating inside – not that that’s stopped the crowds flocking down for a pint.
Opened by Jemma O’Brien, who lives in the flat upstairs, in April earlier this year, the bar is housed inside a former cupboard that was initially designed to provide access to her home.
Owner Jemma O’Brien pours a pint inside her tiny 1-metre wide Didsbury bar / Image: Kiosk on Lapwing
The cupboard before Jemma worked her magic on it and turned it into Manchester’s smallest bar / Image: Kiosk on Lapwing
However, the stairs were never put in and as a result, it’s lain empty for years gathering dust and cobwebs. Until Jemma took the space over in the spring, the most action the cupboard had seen was storing Wine and Wallop’s outdoor furniture.
Since then, it’s had quite the glow-up: painted in bright colours and decked out with neon and terazzo tiles.
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With over 10 years experience in hospitality, she had long wanted to open a bar in Didsbury – but it wasn’t until she lost most of her work due to covid that she finally got the push she needed to go for it.
With no cellar or back of house at all, everything is squished into what Jemma describes affectionately as ‘the hole’ – including the gas, beer board and glass wash.
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She’s put not just her beer, but her wine on tap too in a space-saving move, and offers just a small selection of cocktails to go alongside like espresso martinis, negronis and a selection of spritz.
it’s not all booze here, though. As well as some top notch bevvies, Kiosk also serves up locally-roasted coffee from Manchester’s own ethical Blossom roastery alongside a host of bakes from independent Levenshulme bakery Long Bois.
Levenshulme’s Longbois Bakehouse provide some delicious baked goods / Image: Kiosk on Lapwing
Open seven days a week, packed into this tiny cupboard you’ll find some of the best independent produce south Manchester has to offer.
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Seating outside is partially covered thanks to a glass roof that runs across the walk way, and whilst there’s no bathroom to speak of customers are able to use the facilities at neighbouring bar Wine and Wallop.
To find out more, head over to Kiosk on Lapwing’s Instagram here.
Salford confirms another ex-player as new CEO of phoenix rugby club
Danny Jones
As Salford turns the page of a new chapter in its rugby league history, ex-Red Devils player Ryan Brierley has been announced as the new chief executive officer (CEO).
His appointment was confirmed on Wednesday, 24 December, giving Salford rugby fans some fresh hope over the festive period.
Brierley, who played as a full back at Salford Red Devils from 2022 before leaving for Oldham RLFC halfway through last season earlier this year, follows fellow former player Mason Caton-Brown in returning to the team in a leadership capacity.
Sharing the news on his own social media, he wrote: “Incredibly honoured to announce I have been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Salford RLFC.”
His official statement goes on to read: “I would like to place on record my gratitude to the board members Malcolm Crompton, Mason Caton Brown and Paul Hancock for this opportunity. I would also like to thank the RFL and Salford City Council for their continued support.
“Lastly, but most importantly, to the Salford fans: what we had to go through last year was heartbreaking. I think I can speak to the wider Rugby League community and echo the sentiments of all fans that no club should ever go through that experience.
“Thank you for letting me lead this organisation into a new era. I’ve always said Salford people are my people and I will protect this club, with its best interests at heart. It is important [that] expectations are managed, and patience is required.”
He signed off by simply asking for the same support he was afforded as a fan, adding: “I have no doubt in my mind that you will go above and beyond, it’s just what Salford fans do…”
Led by the aforementioned Caton-Brown (a retired winger who played for the Red Devils between 2014-26), as well as another pair of directors in Hancock and Crompton, the Salford phoenix club has officially been given a Championship license for 2026.
Although relegation from the Super League and liquidation after 152 years were dark days for the club, this new consortium has already provided fans with some promising signs.
Besides saving the Salford sporting institution from total extinction, having previous members of the old outfit who know the bones, the stadium, the culture and the city so well is obviously a big bonus.
For now, it is a race against time to get a squad ready for the season opener against Brierley’s last team, Oldham – though contracts for a head coach and several players have reportedly been “pre-agreed”.
Featured Images — John Moorhouse (via Geograph)/supplied (via Rumpus PR)
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Netflix drops the first trailer for upcoming Peaky Blinders film
Danny Jones
It looks like Christmas has come early for TV drama fans and cinephiles, because Netflix has officially dropped the first trailer for the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie.
Popcorn at the ready – even the teaser alone has got us fired up.
ln just 70 seconds, they’ve managed to pull us right back in, and we cannot wait to see Cillian Murphy back in full-on Tommy Shelby mode.
Not exaggerating when we say we have LITERAL chills.
As you can see, they certainly haven’t scrimped on the budget with the first-ever feature-length Peaky Blinders film, neither in terms of production value nor the cast.
Then again, having already hosted the likes of Sam Neill, Tom Hardy, Adrien Brody, Anya Taylor-Joy and others in the series itself, as well as going on to become one of the most successful BBC shows of all time, they were never going to.
We’re sure you spotted plenty of them for yourselves, but the debut trailer for The Immortal Man gives us not only our first glimpses of now Oscar-winning Murphy, 49, back in the saddle (both figuratively and literally) but also fellow blockbuster Irish actor, Barry Keoghan.
Other big names set to appear in the movie – set for a limited release in theatres before launching exclusively on Netflix – include Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Roth. It still remains unclear, however, as to how any of these characters will knit into the new season.
It’s also worth noting that the trailer shares a little snippet of the historical context, this continuation of the Shelby story is playing into, as we see what looks to be Nazi figures meeting on screen.
Creator Steven Knight has already confirmed that the plot will fast-forward some years to meet back up with Tommy at the outset of WWII and his ancestral home of Birmingham during the Blitz.
Having already confirmed 6 March as the theatrical release date ahead of it going live on Netflix a fortnight later, the anticipation was seriously starting to ramp; this latest look has only added to the tinderbox of excitement.
What do you make of the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man trailer, and will you be watching it?
Georgina Pellant -
10th September 2021 
