Balancing the needs Mancs old and new PLUS ‘Sorry, you don’t look gay enough’
Hello,
Are you Sankeys or sourdough? Dry Bar or Diecast? Madchester or Manchattan?
Balancing the needs and wants of old and new Mancs is a tension council leaders are ‘well aware of’.
And as Ethan Davies reports, it’s a tension that is only growing as Manchester city centre becomes busier than ever.
Our man on the ground has been looking at the state of the city in 2025 by speaking to those who live and work there. It’s a fascinating read.
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As Ethan writes, redevelopment has been spearheaded by successive pragmatic Labour-run councils, willing to work with the private sector to attract investment.
“By the 2010s, billions flowed into the city as property developers moved in.
“Out went surface-level car parks. In came skyscrapers and mill conversions into apartments, fully occupied by urban young professionals, complete with new bars, restaurants, and shops.
“They brought disposable income and an enthusiasm for fancy everyday luxuries like craft beer, sourdough, and artisan coffee.”
Speaking to Mancs old and new over the last few weeks, Ethan has found that fans of the ‘new’ city centre love its buzz, the job opportunities, and ‘confidence’. But others – usually lifelong Mancs who grew up within a couple of miles of the skyscrapers – feel left out.
People like Julia, who told Ethan she only visits town if she’s ‘cutting through’.
“It’s horrible,” she said. “It’s as rough as anything.”
Elisabetta Nicoli disagrees. She’s left Italy twice to live in Manchester – swapping the sun-kissed Tuscan Renaissance city Florence for Mancunian rain-soaked cobbles and concrete.
“I moved here for work in 2013 and I loved it,” she explained while clutching her pooch Rudy, near her home on Chapel Street on the Salford side of the city centre.
“Manchester is exciting. A lot of things are happening. My friends are here, there’s gigs, there’s music, there’s bands and the people are very nice.”
Not that it’s easy to find somewhere to live. As Liz Gordon knows only too well.
The 23-year-old actress sells flowers on Stevenson Square to make rent and has been viewing seven properties a week.
“Last year I was in an apartment and I was looking to move to Ancoats or Salford. I wanted to pay about £750 per month in a share. But estate agents were asking for me to have a guarantor who earned I think £83,000.”
You can read Ethan’s excellent feature on the state of the city here.
The worst of humanity
Yoni Finlay(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Just a fortnight after being shot during the Yom Kippur terror attack, Yoni Finlay returned yesterday.
The father-of-three was accidentally shot by police as he barricaded the doors of Heaton Park synagogue and was one of three men who were seriously injured in the incident that claimed the lives of two people.
Mr Finlay, 39, was at the synagogue yesterday to welcome King Charles.
He said the King’s presence showed the Jewish community that they have support in this country.
Mr Finlay said he feels “lucky” and said those who were killed are “the real heroes”.
“Three weeks ago I saw the worst of humanity but since then you do absolutely see the best. There’s a lot of good people out there so that really helps.”
Ex-council chief denies allegation
Joanne Roney(Image: David Oates)
There’s an interesting battle going on in court at the moment.
Ben Rose, a property agent for major city centre landowners Weis Group, is suing Manchester City Council and Joanne Roney for £30,000 in damages.
He claims the council’s ex-chief executive called him a ‘massive Jewish b****nd’ amid city centre land negotiations, a court has heard.
Ms Roney, who left Manchester to become Birmingham City Council’s managing director last year, denies the allegation.
You can read about the first day of the court battle here.
Poorly managed
Angela Thompson(Image: Humberside Police)
Grandmother Angela Thompson died just five days after leaving HMP Styal.
A report into her death has now concluded that the “clinical care” she received during her time at the women-only prison in Wilmslow was “poor”.
The 62-year-old was said to have a “long and extensive contact with community mental health services”. She died after being hit by a taxi following her release from prison in April 2022.
A coroner recorded a conclusion of suicide after an inquest.
And the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has now said “prison service suicide and self-harm prevention procedures” at Styal during Ms Thompson’s stay were “poorly managed”.
You can read the details of the report here.
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A tough life
Julius Matera whose body lay unfound in Higher Broughton, Salford, for eight weeks.
Tanyaradzwa Matera suffered a horrific death and his body lay unfound for two months.
But years on from his murder and the investigation into his murder has been stalled.
Julius, as he was known to his family, was stabbed in the left side of his neck on the night of October 13 or 14, 2023. His killer has still not been found.
As our chief reporter Neal Keeling writes, detectives investigating the crime have been faced by apathy and witnesses who fear the killers.
“I think people know what happened and they are scared to tell us. Or maybe they are protecting people in their own community,” says Detective Inspector Rachel Smith.
As police put forward a £50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible, Neal writes: “Julius was part of Salford’s cosmopolitan community. He had a tough life, but he remained a gentle, friendly man. Putting his killer behind bars should be the objective of his adopted city.”
Headlines
Trial: An undercover operative told a jury he felt ‘in serious danger’ when he met an alleged Islamic State fanatic for the first time amid fears he could be exposed as a law enforcement officer. The trial is currently ongoing at Preston Crown Court.
Drugs: Record numbers of people died after taking drugs last year, with the number of deaths involving synthetic opioids almost quadrupling. All Greater Manchester boroughs had a drug related mortality rate above the average for England from 2022 to 2024 – apart from Oldham and Rochdale.
Art: A second national heritage group is backing a campaign to stop “a rare and beautiful” piece of art from being destroyed. More here.
Markets: With Manchester’s Christmas Markets now just over a fortnight away, the design of this year’s coveted Christmas mugs have been revealed. See it here.
Weather
Wednesday: Cloudy changing to sunny intervals by late morning.
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.
A577 Mosley Common Road closed in both directions due to roadworks between A580 East Lancashire Road and Ashdown Drive until October 21.
Manc trivia: The fleet of Stagecoach-run buses that zipped along Oxford, Wilmslow and Palatine Roads for almost 30 years were known as what?
A good read
There isn’t a solution that will appeal to everyone, but discussing matters could be a big start(Image: ASP)
It’s rare that I finish a conversation with Adam Maidment without learning something new.
And when he told me about the historic M.E.N article titled ‘Sorry, you don’t look gay enough’, it was another great chat.
In this comment piece, our LGBT+ Writer has been looking at the door policies at venues in Manchester’s Gay Village and the ethics and politics behind them.
From those turned away to those who feel like a spectacle for Hen Do groups, Adam has been examining the debate.
The answer to today’s trivia question is the Magic Bus.