Inside Manchester’s pleasure palace PLUS Fight to save ‘most important rock and roll pub in Britain’
Hello,
You can start the day enjoying a Kroissant Royale and a flat white and end it watching a roller skating drag queen covered in shaving cream.
That’s just a normal shift for the staff of Albert’s Schloss – the Manchester institution which is celebrating ten years.
As Adam Maidment writes in this fabulously entertaining piece, pretty much every type of performer has graced the stage here over the years.
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“There was one performer a few years ago where we had to have a conversation and be like ‘are we crossing the line here?’,” says head of innovation James Plant.
Albert’s Schloss has stood the test of time in the city(Image: Albert’s Schloss)
“It was burlesque performer John Celestus, who was stripped down to a thong, bent over on stage and shaving his upper thighs on stage so I could staple a player card to it. There was a lot of shaving foam and a very small thong involved.
“But then we got a review from someone about that night and we realised that, actually, dancing on the line is exactly what we should be doing.”
The Bavarian-themed venue, situated on the ground floor of Albert Hall on Peter Street, is a live music venue, a restaurant, a bar, a bakery and a cabaret venue.
“Every morning starts off quiet and then as the day progresses, you just see it start to take on a new identity. All of a sudden, there’s cabaret performers on stage and people get up on the benches to dance,” James says.
Albert’s Schloss has become the go-to spot in Manchester when it comes to Oktoberfest celebrations(Image: Albert’s Schloss)
Inspired by Bavarian, Czech and Alpine food, drink and culture, the Schloss has helped introduce new audiences to Pilsner, roast pork knuckle and kaiserwurst.
Food critic Jay Rayner once wrote: “I should hate it, but I don’t”, whilst Grace Dent described the place as a “stroke of genius” and “really much, much better than it needs to be”.
For the anniversary this year, Albert’s Schloss go bigger than ever with its Oktoberfest celebrations over three weeks.
It will feature wurst platters, laderhosen contests, “more bier, more showtime and more Bavarian feasting”. And they hope to match, or even exceed, the 4,900 steins poured up during last year’s event.
“What Schloss does is straddle that gap with mainstream and diverse. I’ve seen some crazy things in ten years that have truly boggled my mind. But I wouldn’t have it any other way,” says James.
You can read more about this very unique Manchester venue here.
The fight is on
Mani has dubbed it “the most important rock and roll pub in Britain”. And it was famously the place where The Pogues and their entourage finished a barrel of Guinness in 40 minutes flat.
But the appearance of a skip piled high with bar-room clutter outside the Apsley Cottage last week confirms the pub is no more.
Sitting beside the Apollo Theatre is has long been a popular refuge for a post-show drink by stars performing at the venue with Abba, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, Happy Mondays, New Order, Stone Roses and Oasis all visiting over the years.
But owners Admiral Taverns have decided to dispose of the building. As such, SAVE Britain’s Heritage is aiming to get it listed as an asset of community value.
Mancunian poet Mike Garry describes the pub as a space the likes of which “do not exist anymore”. “They are washed away by the fashion of city living,” he says.
“Imagine the after-party of every performer at the Apollo since 1938 all convening in The Apsley at once. A place for the community where old boys would count out copper coins for half a Guinness and make it last an hour.”
Our chief reporter Neal Keeling takes up the story here.
The anchor institution
Lowry Theatre
From one iconic venue to another – bosses at The Lowry are also fighting for its future.
The arts and theatre venue at Salford Quays needs £10m in ‘substantial investment to continue operating’, with work needed to upgrade the infrastructure at the 25-year-old building.
Now bosses have been invited to make an application for £8.5m from the Arts Council England Creative Foundations Fund, in a bid set to be supported by £1.5m from Salford council.
Salford city mayor Paul Dennett said the Lowry was “the catalyst for the transformation of Salford Quays” and was “the anchor institution that led to probably one of the most successful regeneration projects in the whole of Europe”.
Declan Clarey has the details.
“We’re absolutely trapped”
Dave on his boat (Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
For the last six years, Dave Marshall has been convinced the Rochdale Canal has been “drinking water”.
And with his boat now grounded on the floor of the waterway, he feels validated, but “absolutely trapped”.
“We can’t empty the toilet and we’re having to buy bottled water because we can’t get the boat to the tap. It’s an absolute nightmare,” he told reporter Rami Mwamba.
The Canal & River Trust has pointed to the nationwide water shortage caused by the exceptionally dry spring and summer this year.
But the boaters insist the issue is down to a leak, and say they have now found its source.
Dave and his neighbours on the New Islington marina have been unable to move for more than a week as water levels plummeted.
Now they’re worried about their safety and the damage to their homes.
We’ve got the full story here.
No passing trade
The owner of an Ancoats barbers says he has been forced to call time on his business after 43 years thanks to overrunning roadworks.
Jimmy Kennedy, of Kutters, has brought his planned retirement forward by six months after racking up £7,000 of losses.
Overrunning project to install bike lanes near Wing Yip super market means work overnight
He says the Manchester council project to install cycle lanes and upgrade pedestrian crossings on Oldham Road has left him with “no passing trade”.
“You cannot put a business in the middle of a building site for 33 weeks and not know the end of it,” he told Ethan Davies.
The roadworks were due to finish in late April – but completion is now expected this winter. To make up time, crews are working overnight from 8:30pm to 5:30am this month.
Ethan’s been talking to neighbours and traders about the impact.
Not a review
(Image: Oasis)
This is the “luckiest girl in the world” according to Oasis fans.
She was picked out of the crowd by Noel Gallgaher after he spotted her weeping through Oasis’ entire set at the Rose Bowl, near Los Angeles in California.
“I can’t really hear you, but this next song is for you. She’s been in tears all night this girl. Which I hope is not a review of the f*****g gig,” he said, before launching into Don’t Look Back in Anger.
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Thursday: Sunny intervals changing to heavy showers by lunchtime. 16C.
Roads: A5067 Chester Rd westbound, Old Trafford, closed for roadworks between Talbot Rd and Bridgewater Way between 9.30am and 3.30pm until October 31.
A6 Chapel St westbound, Salford, closed for long-term roadworks between Blackfriars Rd and New Bailey St until January 19.
A6104 Hollinwood Avenue, Moston, eastbound closed for roadworks between Lightbowne Road and Broadway. Until September 14.
Manc trivia: Which building was once described by the late MP Gerald Kaufman as “Salford’s Guggenheim”?
Headlines
The roofline of Manchester city centre’s historic town hall will be visible again(Image: MCC)
Finally: The roofline of Manchester city centre’s historic town hall will be visible again for the first time in more than three years as the multi-million pound restoration project reaches a key milestone. Details here.
Thanks: The owner of Prestwich restaurant The Lime Tree says Oasis saved his business.
Revamp: The 196-year-old train station in Rochdale is set to get a huge makeover as part of a wider redevelopment in the area. More here.
Cheers: A pint of cask-conditioned Boddingtons was pulled for the first time in 13 years at The Founder’s Hall on Friday. And it went down a storm as two Manchester pubs completely sold out within hours.
Trivia answer: The Lowry