An abandoned pub building tucked away beneath and next to Victoria Station in Manchester city centre has been put on the market.
And it gives curious Mancunians the unique opportunity to take a look at what’s left inside.
While the full market listing – which has been put up to let with Leeds-based commercial estate agents Lambert Smith Hampton – also includes a “basement commercial opportunity” underneath the station itself, the street level part of the 4,154 sq ft site will likely be more familiar to passers-by.
This site – a recognisable glass-roofed space on Victoria Station Approach – was historically home to the British Railways Staff Association (B.R.S.A.) Club and operated as a traditional working men’s club.
It was also more recently home to the Snippers hair salon.
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Although the exact floorplan for the full unit has not been released, it has been confirmed that the old B.R.S.A. Club includes a bar and seating area, a billiards room, a cellar and two large rooms, and according to the property listing on Rightmove, the unit is in need of “significant investment and refurbishment”.
That above description is likely why the premises have become somewhat of an interest to urban explorers over recent years.
Exploration trips inside the huge space have found a number of abandoned bars and stages that have fallen into a state of disrepair.
A full 53-minute long exploration video posted onto YouTube by The Urban Collective shows “a full top to bottom permission explore of Manchester’s iconic Victoria station including the now derelict B.R.S.A club and its stunning secret underground”, and was described by the creator as “one of the best explores I’ve done and one I will never forget”.
A forgotten bar underneath Victoria Station is for sale. The British Railway Staff Association (BRSA) Club shut in 1992. Access was opposite the station & there were several rooms (now derelict). Rightmove now have the property listed https://t.co/Ehm9FQaB94 A new lease of life? pic.twitter.com/lfC7sTyuhd
And more photos on the urban exploration blog 28 Days Later show posters still on the walls and cases of beer bottles still stacked in the cellar, as well showing that the site appears to also have retained some of its historic features, such as the Victorian gloss tiling and stained glass windows.
According to ORR Station Usage data provided by Lambert Smith Hampton, the commercial unit will be in the line of more than eight million pedestrians a day.
The “prominent” location of the unit also means it is “suitable for a variety of commercial uses”.
You can have a nosey at the Rightmove listing in full here.
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Channel 4 is looking for Mancs who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wanted to see how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now’s your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: “Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?”
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city – used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare – with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden – which is part of ITV Studios – for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on Mancs and people up and down the country with the ‘courage and ingenuity’ to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let’s prove what Mancs are made of.
Hundreds of katsu curries are being given out for FREE in Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
Hundreds of katsu curries are being dished up and given out for free in Manchester this week, but only for certain people.
And those lucky people will be students.
That’s right… a new semester is upon us, and thousands of freshers and returning students are descending on the city and Manchester‘s many universities for another year. But the life of a student isn’t exactly the cheapest sometimes, especially for those who haven’t had to live on a budget before moving out or into halls.
But to make things a little easier, Tampopo has announced it’ll be serving hundreds of one of its most popular dishes for free this week.
Tampopo is celebrating National Katsu Curry Day in the most delicious way possible, by giving away 700 Katsu Curries with rice for free, exclusively to freshers and students this Sunday (27 September).
Whether you’re brand new to the city, settling back into uni life, or you’re simply in need of a katsu fix, students can head to their nearest participating Tampopo and tuck into a hearty meal without needing to spend a penny.
100 katsu curries will be available each from 12-2pm at both Tampopo restaurants in Manchester city centre – which are on Albert Square, and in the Corn Exchange – or if you head over to the Trafford Centre, both the Tampopo there and the East Street sites are taking part.
“[Our] Katsu Curry has long been one of our most-loved dishes, so National Katsu Curry Day felt like the perfect excuse to give students a proper welcome to the new academic year,” Tampopo said in a statement.
So, are you feeling hungry then? The offer is exclusively available for takeaway only to freshers and students with a valid student ID, which they must present on collection.
100 portions are available at each participating location, and just one free katsu curry with rice will be available per person.
Emily Sergeant -
19th January 2021 
