Manchester clubbing behemoth The Warehouse Project has revealed it has begun to roll out urine tests on-site to people who are afraid they may have been spiked.
Speaking to The Independent in an exclusive, WHP boss Sacha Lord said his club night at Depot Mayfield was one of the ‘first ones’ to make the tests available to partygoers.
Telling the paper that WHP medics had “actually bought kits last week”, he said that the club had started to roll these out over the Halloween weekend and plans to use them moving forward.
“We’ve got a real education job to do here,” he said, adding “I just don’t think it’s right that a woman should feel protected by a bottle top on the right out.”
However, it isn’t clear whether the club has plans to introduce any more new measures to keep women safe at the venue – aside from offering urine tests to a victim if / when an alleged spiking has already occurred.
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The move to introduce urine testing kits follows a worrying rise in spiking across the UK since the reopening of nightclubs this July, including a new trend of needle spikings reported in areas close to Manchester including Liverpool, Nottingham, and Preston.
It also comes nearly a week after club boycotts, an End Spiking Now protest, and a list of demands being sent to Andy Burnham and other leaders at the GMCA – with protestors’ key focus being for women’s safety to be made more of a priority in venues across Manchester.
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One of the key demands of last week’s boycott was that nightclubs thoroughly search guests upon entry, with some women starting a petition to ask the government to make this a legal requirement.
Credit: SONY DSC
Asking for a “pat-down search or metal detector”, the petition now has over 171,000 signatures at the time of writing – well over the 100,000 needed for it to be considered for debate in parliament.
The letter to the GMCA, meanwhile, asked for designated employees on hand to deal with problems of spiking and harassment, as well as for venues to produce their own clear procedures on how to deal with such incidents.
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It also asked that the GMCA provides bars and nightclubs with anti-spiking devices, enforce more staff training, and create a toolkit for women detailing measures venues should have in place in order to be licensed.
The comments made by Sacha Lord on changing behaviour echo those made by Andy Burnham, who was in attendance at last week’s End Spiking Now demo.
Mr Burnham told the crowd, “This one is on us: men, lads, boys. That might mean calling out mates for their behaviour or it might mean changing our own behaviour.”
The move from Warehouse Project to introduce urine spiking is a welcome one, however – as Sacha Lord seems to acknowledge himself – more still needs to be done.
The Warehouse Project has been approached for comment.
Iconic Salford music venue The White Hotel to reopen under new ownership from 2027
Clementine Hall
After announcing plans to close at the end of the year, famed Manchester club The White Hotel is changing hands.
Just a couple of months ago back in May, it was announced that one of Greater Manchester’s most cutting-edge and best-loved nightlife venues would be closing its doors for good.
Despite ‘continuing to draw full houses’, co-founder Ben Ward told The Guardian that the venue had found itself in a flood-risk zone, saying: “Basically, it’s a swamp.”
He added that it was better ‘to go out on our own terms, long before we became a museum’.
But it seems the swamp may live on…and although it is the end for the cult favourite nightclub as we know it, the former garage in Salford will be reopening in new ownership from 2027.
From January onwards, the disused Dickinson Street space will be known as BASTION according to a social media post shared to Instagram yesterday.
It will be run by the team who operate neighbouring venue The Bag Factory and will be supported by the Strange Art Collective CIC.
Images: The Manc
The Bag Factory shared a black and white illustration of the iconic White Hotel’s exterior, along with coordinates to the venue, stating: “The underground has a new stronghold”.
Rather cryptic we must say, and although we hope The White Hotel that we know and love could stick around forever – we hope the new owners will keep some of its magic alive.
‘Own a landmark, create a legacy’ – Historic chimney goes on sale for £300k in Bolton
Emily Sergeant
How would you like to live in a big chimney?
I know that might sound like an odd question, and in some respects, it is… but we’re being 100% genuine, as over in Bolton there is currently a historic local landmark on the market with planning permission to make it into your new home, and it’ll only set you back £300,000.
‘Only’ is a bit of a stretch, but when you consider the magnitude of this property, it’s surprising that you’re able to get your hands on it for such a reasonable price.
This is Barrow Bridge Chimney.
Rising above the tranquil stone cottages and wooded valley of the stunning model village that is Barrow Bridge, this striking Victorian chimney stands as a lone sentinel of Bolton’s proud industrial past – and now, with full planning permission secured, estate agents say it offers an ‘extraordinary opportunity’ to reimagine history as a truly one-of-a-kind home.
A historic chimney has gone on sale for £300k in Bolton / Credit: Miller Metcalfe
Originally built in the early 19th century as part of the ‘ambitious’ Dean Mills complex, the chimney once crowned a thriving cotton-spinning hub founded by Thomas Bazley, who was one of the Industrial Revolution’s great innovators.
Long after the mills fell silent though, the chimney endured and remained a local landmark in Smithills visible for miles, and today this relic of the steam age is ready for its next chapter.
Approved plans for the chimney are described as being a ‘bold’ residential conversion that will honour its industrial heritage, while still creating a dramatic modern dwelling like no other in the town.
The planning permission is in place for a two-storey residence of approximately 3,939 sq ft, with a striking contemporary design blended seamlessly with practical living.
The planning permission is in place for a ‘striking’ two-storey residence / Credit: Miller Metcalfe
The approved plans include three spacious bedrooms (two with en-suites), a family bathroom, a downstairs cloakroom, and a study that can easily adapted to a four-bedroom, four-bathroom layout to suit modern family life.
What makes this an even more attractive prospect for future buyers is that the chimney is well-connected to both amenities and nature – with both independent businesses, good local schools, and convenient transport links on the doorstep, as well as parks and tree-lined walks.
“This is your chance to own more than bricks and mortar,” estate agents Miller Metcalfe said.
“It’s a chance to live inside a landmark, to shape its story for future generations, and to call a piece of Bolton’s proud industrial heritage your own. Enquire now to discover how you can transform this iconic chimney into a legacy home that will stand for generations to come.”
Fancy it then? Take a look at the property on Rightmove here.
Georgina Pellant -
2nd November 2021 
