One of Greater Manchester’s weirdest landmarks, a huge military tank parked on a residential street, is no more.
The tank – which is technically an armoured personnel vehicle, but ‘tank’ is catchier – has been standing in West Didsbury for decades, in various locations.
The massive vehicle has been on Old Lansdowne Road since 2018, where it has remained, despite an initial flurry of complaints from local residents.
It’s become the stuff of local legend, where most Mancs don’t even question its presence any more.
It’s understood that the Didsbury tank’s owner is a military vehicle collector, but he’s never been particularly forthcoming with why he has the beast parked on the corner of the street and how he came to own it.
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The owner reportedly has a couple of other military vehicles parked up at his home too.
It’s been the source of plenty of jokes and memes over the years, with one person writing on X: “My favourite thing about West didsbury is that people call it posh but there’s just some dude with a f*ckin tank.”
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There have been plenty of calls of: “Can’t park there mate!” too.
But now the legendary vehicle, and ‘piece of South Manchester history’, has reportedly departed Didsbury for a brand new home.
Photos of the tank on the back of a truck have been shared by Midland Military Vehicles, a company that specialises in the restoration and sale of Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) vehicles.
The company shared on Facebook: “The Didsbury FV432 has arrived. This vehicle is very well known as it was sat on a road in Manchester for years!”
Since their post made it to Reddit, Mancs have been lamenting the loss of the unusual landmark.
One person shared: “Used to live on that road, that tank kept me safe on my walk to Tesco Express, sad times.”
Another wrote: “No way! That’s a piece of South Manchester history. The first day I arrived in Didsbury, I got my girlfriend to take a picture of me with the tank.”
Someone else posted: “Goodbye tanky mctankerton, enjoy your new home. :sheds a lil tear:”
Drinks prices revealed as Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub opens inside T2
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Manchester Airport’s first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub has officially opened its doors inside Terminal 2.
The 300-seater pub – which welcomed its first customers earlier this week – is named The Belle Vue after Manchester’s historic showground.
Throughout the pub, you’ll spot design features that nod to the city’s sporting heritage – including vintage event posters and memorabilia, a ‘locker wall’ hosting trophies and other sporting exhibits, and a cricket-themed design in the carpets and bar panels.
Creating around 150 jobs in the process, The Belle Vue is the final planned new eatery to open in the airport’s redeveloped Terminal 2, marking one of the final steps in the super-terminal’s decade-long, £1.5bn transformation.
Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub has opened inside Terminal 2 / Credit: Supplied
According to the MEN, pints are priced from £6.20 for Carling and Coors lager, £6.45 for Budweiser, £6.60 for Guinness, and £6.70 for Poretti and 1664 Biere.
Prosecco is £9.20 for 175ml glass and £37.10 for the full bottle, while spirts and mixers are £6.80 for singles and £10.20 for doubles.
There’s also the classic Wetherspoons tea and coffee machines, where you can refill as many times as you like for just £3.60.
“It’s a proud moment to see the final new retail unit opening in our new-look Terminal 2,” commented Richard Jackson, who is the Retail Director at Manchester Airport.
“To be rounding off this 10-year programme by adding such an iconic name as Wetherspoon to the terminal is particularly special and we know that it will prove extremely popular with passengers. We think they’ll love the nods to Manchester’s heritage in the décor and design – and of course the name.”
The Belle Vue will be open from the first flight to the final flight each day, and food will be served from opening until 10pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
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Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Daisy Jackson -
6th December 2023 
