All Mancs know of Boombox Barry – but his latest upgrade has caused quite a stir around town.
It’s become so normal in the city centre to hear the far-away thrum of bass music growing louder and louder, until the bucket hatted-figure of Barry whizzes past, that most of us don’t even blink.
The local character spends much of his time cycling around town blasting tunes from a boombox that he totes around in a bag-for-life hung from his handlebars.
No genre is off-limit, from jungle to thrash metal, as long as it’s played a maximum volume.
He’s a familiar face on our streets and, without fail, brings a smile to everyone’s face.
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Boombox Barry on his new wheels. Credit: Joe Craven, Twitter @Joe__Tennis
In fact, he’s so popular that someone has recently suggested he should be the new face on our bank notes.
Boombox Barry is often seen cruising down Market Street, past the universities on Oxford Road, and zooming past commuters on Deansgate.
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But recently, his usual bicycle has been swapped out for a much swankier upgrade.
He can now be seen travelling around on an e-scooter.
Now quicker than ever, Mancs are only catching snatches of Boombox Barry’s playlist as he flies past them with his speaker.
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His new ride has absolutely stumped a lot of people who have seen him recently, with one person tweeting: “Apparently boombox Barry has swapped his bike out for an e-scooter and I just don’t know what to do with this information.”
Someone else said: “Boombox Barry has upgraded from a bike to an E SCOOTER! No way”
An entire ‘BREAKING NEWS’ Reddit thread was even started last month to discuss his new wheels.
One user commented: “The use of the word “breaking”, and it being in upper case, correctly convey the importance of this information.”
Another wrote: “Haha I’m equal parts sad for the end of an era, and excited at the birth of a new chapter in Barry’s travels.”
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Someone else posted: “I moved to Manchester from Baltimore, Maryland few months back. First time I saw him in Piccadilly I was like ‘What the…’. Fast forward 4 months later, I’m like ‘There’s my man!’.”
Morrisons has launched a nationwide search for its first-ever Chief Doughnut Tester
Emily Sergeant
Today is National Doughnut Day, and to celebrate, Morrisons is on the look-out for one sweet treat fan to take on a new role.
That’s right – today (5 June) is National Doughnut Day, and Morrisons is officially on the hunt for the nation’s ultimate doughnut devotee with the launch of its brand-new (and delicious) role, The Chief Doughnut Tester – with all glaze enthusiasts, sprinkle connoisseurs, and jam-filled aficionados urged to get applying.
The search is on to crown one lucky fan who’ll take on the dream job of taste-testing their way through the supermarket‘s range of doughnuts.
The Chief Doughnut Tester is more than just a title, Morrisons says it’s ‘serious business’.
Morrisons has launched a nationwide search for its first-ever Chief Doughnut Tester / Credit: Morrisons
The new hire will be tasked with taste-testing doughnuts before they hit the shelves, giving verdicts on new flavours and textures, all in the name of research.
The role will also involve teaming up with Morrisons’ internal doughnut-expert team to develop new and limited-edition treats that’ll be in stores next year.
Crowned as the nation’s definitive doughnut authority, the selected winner won’t just earn the title of Chief Doughnut Tester, they’ll also receive the ultimate of sweet perks – a year’s free supply of Morrisons fresh doughnuts, which the retailer sells more than 1.1 million of weekly.
Aspiring Chief Doughnut Testers can apply on the Morrisons website here, by filling in a short 200-words about why’re the ideal candidate.
Applications close at midnight tonight (Friday 5 June), so you’ll need to be quick.
Featured Image – Annie Spratt (via Unsplash)
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First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Daisy Jackson -
10th October 2022 
