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Popular live music festival returns to The Oast House this bank holiday weekend – and it’s FREE

ManiFest is back once again this Sunday 28 August to celebrate the August bank holiday weekend.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 23rd August 2022

One of the most popular city centre venues is back with another edition of its new music festival this August bank holiday weekend.

In case you missed it, award-winning Spinningfields bar and one of the city’s best-loved sun traps, The Oast House, has launched a new live music festival this year – which kicked-off for the first time over the extended Easter bank holiday weekend, with a full day of tunes provided by local musicians throughout the one-day event.

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It then returned for the early May bank holiday, and was back once again to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.

Now, to mark the final bank holiday weekend of the year, ManiFest returns this Sunday 28 August and will take over The Oast House’s large outdoor terrace area with a dedicated stage set up.

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ManiFest returns this August bank holiday weekend / Credit: The Oast House

Set to run from 1pm right through until 10pm in the evening, a packed roster of acts are lined up to perform, including bands, solo artists, and duos all taking to the stage throughout the day, with interludes provided by a number of resident DJs.

As always, the Oast House says that festival-goers can expect a “party atmosphere” and sounds of rock, pop, soul, R&B, funk, disco and blues.

The event is not ticketed, and is free to attend on a first come, first served basis.

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It will take over The Oast House’s large outdoor terrace area with a dedicated stage set up / Credit: The Oast House

Given the fact that the event is not ticketed and knowing how popular The Oast House is on most weekends in general, the venue is recommending that people get there early to avoid disappointment.

And if the tunes weren’t enough of a draw as it is, The Oast House’s unique street food menu will also be on offer to try out throughout the weekend for those looking to line their stomachs during the festival – which has a wide range of signature dishes such as the Northern Poutine, Crispy Chicken Burger, and the famous Hanging Kebabs.

Read more: The Oast House launches new street food menu with gyros, poutine and more

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Some of the vegan options on the menu include Cauliflower Wings, Salt and Pepper Fries, and the Plant Based Gyro Wrap.

The Oast House says that festival-goers can expect a “party atmosphere” / Credit: The Oast House

Festival-goers will also get a glimpse at a new street art mural by Northern artist Sam Porter, which was unveiled to celebrate the launch of the new festival earlier this year, and has seen iconic Manchester scenes painted onto the inside of The Oast House stage.

Find out more about the final ManiFest of 2022 on the Oast House website.

Featured Image – The Oast House

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A new NYC-style pizza bar is opening in Warrington’s Time Square

The Manc The Manc

A new New York-style pizza bar is opening next month in Warrington’s very own £142 million Time Square development.

Called Parlour, it will serve up its NYC-style pizzas by the slice and as huge 22-inch pies from 11.30am every day.

As well as time-honoured favourites like margarita and pepperoni, Parlour’s pizza options will also a range of specials including a bee-themed pizza with chilli honey and a ‘controversial’ option with a Dr Pepper BBQ sauce.

Elsewhere, look out for The Controversial (tomato, mozzarella, pineapple and roast ham finished with rocket, parmesan and a Dr Pepper sauce), the Club Med (tomato, feta, spiced chicken, red onion) and the Vegan Deluxe (tomato, vegan’duja, courgette ribbons, Roquito pepper pearls, red onion, evoo and vegan parmesan.)

The handcrafted pizzas will be complemented by an eclectic menu of small plates ranging from tater tots and sticky sausages to mac n’ cheese alongside a range of delicious salads and healthy options. 

As for drinks, Parlour will stock a range of independently-brewed craft beers and cocktails.

Think craft beers from Manchester favourite Shindigger as well as Liverpool’s Love Lane Brewery and specialty cocktails celebrating a host of locally-made spirits.

You’ll also find classics like the espresso martini and mojito served alongside twists on favourites like the spiced Pornstar, watermelon and black pepper margarita and the Bridge Street zombie, which consists of three rums, balanced with pineapple, orange, guava, passionfruit and lime finished with a drizzle of absinthe.

Elsewhere, weekly ‘Bloody Mary Sundays’ will see Parlour working with the Warrington Market and sourcing different ingredients to create a different Bloody Mary each week. 

Elsewhere, look out for The Controversial (tomato, mozzarella, pineapple, and roast ham, finished with rocket, parmesan and a Dr Pepper bbq sauce; Club Med – Tomato sauce, feta, spiced chicken, tomato, red onion and Vegan Deluxe – Tomato sauce, vegan’duja, courgette ribbons, Roquito pepper pearls, red onion, evoo and vegan parmesan.

James Wrigley, Director of Parlour Bar + Eatery, said “It’s not long now until we open our doors and welcome the Warrington community to Parlour.

“We think it will perfectly complement everything that’s going on at Time Square, adding another layer of buzz to an already thriving destination. We’ve been working hard to ensure that we’ve got the food and drink right – it’s a real labour of love and we can’t wait for guests to come and enjoy it.”

Parlour will open its doors on 7 October at Time Square in Warrington.

Feature image – Supplied

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Intro, the 90s Manchester menswear store that survived the IRA bomb

The Manc The Manc

With a glut of new luxury menswear stores opening in Manchester city it’s easy to overlook what we already have.

In the past few years, Manchester’s welcomed the likes of KershKicks, KickGame, Sneaker63, Yards Store, Clints Inc and, more recently, END. Clothing, significantly upping its premium menswear game.

Whilst it’s been a long time coming, right now it feels like there are endless options for male shoppers looking for some luxury. But for those who knew where to look, there have always been a few reliable gems.

We’re talking about INTRO a local family-run clothing store that’s been dressing well-heeled Mancs ever since the nineties.

A fixture in the city centre for three generations, the business was originally started by the late Irvin Grant in 1980s in the Royal Exchange under the name Zico. 

The first floor of INTRO clothing on Deansgate. / Image: The Manc Group
Image: Supplied

Named after the famous 80s Brazilian footballer Arthur Antunes Coimbra, better known as Zico, the store became something of a go-to in the eighties and early nineties for fashionable gents – until the bomb hit, anyway.

After many happy years, the storefront was forced to relocate after it was nearly destroyed by the devastating 1996 IRA Bomb, which famously left little more than a bright red Market Street post box standing in its wake.

Fortunately, Irvin had already opened a second store, INTRO, with the same philosophy six years earlier. This meant that when disaster struck his sought after collections of exclusive, premium menswear were able to relocate to INTRO.

Sadly Irvin passed away from cancer earlier this year, so now the family legacy is being carried on by his sons Oliver and Adam.

They tell us: “Basically dad originally went to work for his dad in the late 1960s at his shop called Just in Fashion just off Market street.

“At the time, the store also carried the same philosophy of showcasing brands you couldn’t find anywhere else, in those days it was Levi’s flared jeans and Ben Sherman shirts!

“His mum also owned a shoe company specialising in handmade leather shoes from Portugal which celebrities like Tom Jones would wear.”

Image: Supplied
mage: Supplied

“We’ve always tried to stick with the same philosophy which continues to this: keeping it exclusive, and something you can’t find everywhere else, and that’s what we’ll always be like.”

“We’re not going to do commercial labels, we’re about being different a bit European […] We do things differently.”

“So from the 80s he had a shop called Zico then he opened a shop called INTRO in 1990, because Zico was at the Royal Exchange.

“We had two shops at the time, INTRO and Zico, and 1996 when the bomb went off Zico got hit hard and it affected business so Zico was written off, so that was the end of that in 96. But INTRO continued, yeah. and like I say 1990 established and hopefully we’ll continue.”

Read more: The hidden Manchester sneaker store selling £10k Air Jordans and rare Yeezys

Image: Supplied
Image: Supplied

Since 2000 you’ll find INTRO on Deansgate on the front of the Barton Arcade. Thirty-two years on, it’s still going strong and stocking some of the most sought-after exclusive luxury menswear brands on the market.

Inside, you’ll find clothing and accessories from brands such as Thom Krom, Transit, Hannes Roether, Danile Fiesoli, Tramarossa, Herno, Limitato, Off The Rails, PT Torino, Vision of Super, Cote & Ciel, Goti and many more.

Split across two floors, a quick dig into the rails reveals graphic t-shirts, sweatpants, hoodies, luxury trainers and rows upon rows of designer jeans.

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Elsewhere, for those after more business-appropriate attire, you’ll find a mix of smart suit jackets and tailored but casual sports coats, jackets and overshirts, perfect for taking busy city lads from day to night.

As well as having a physical shop on Deansgate, INTRO also has an online store where shoppers can browse at leisure online. To find out more and visit Intro’s website, click here.

Feature image – The Manc Group

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