Vietnamese Restaurant, Joe Stretch's Pulled Tackle, Guardian Reviewer Goes Quiet

SleuthSleuth is a sideways glance at the city every week, it's the truth, but Sleuth's truth. He's several people all at once. We give £25 for every story/rumour and piece of absurdity you find for us to publish. Sleuth sometimes even gets serious. We ask for the money back if any legal action follows. Follow Sleuth on twitter @Sleuth

Vietnamese Restaurant For Chinatown

Sleuth likes the look of this newish Vietnamese restaurant called Pho. It's on George Street. Gordo's off to review it this afternoon. Sleuth hopes unlike with the stories this week of two menus for 'us' and 'them' in Chinese and Asian restaurants he gets the real deal.

Pho-ho-ho

Sleuth's Beautifully Rubbish PR Of All Time - If You Do One Thing To Cheer Up You Today Read This And Watch The Clip

This from a PR bod, called Chris, at Kindling Media desperate to promote Mentos mints in Singapore on Manchester Confidential. Sleuth's sarcasm is in brackets.

'I am reaching out to you (you're doing what?) about a video I am currently working on for my client Mentos Singapore (very relevant). The video is interesting (we'll be the judge of that), it calls upon Singaporeans to help raise the national birthrate by well… you know (shagging?) on Singapore's National Day night, August 9th. 

'I decided to reach out (again, you're doing what?) to your ManchesterConfidential.com first of all because I am a big fan of your site (are you really?) and secondly because I thought that this topic could capture the interest of your readers (yes, Sleuth's sure they like making babies if not necessarily producing them).'

'The combination of relationships, dating, and sex combined with a breath mint (nicely shoe-horned promo) should be something quite unique (there's only 'unique', never 'quite unique') that grabs the attention of new viewers (you mean readers). Feel free to reach out to me (again 'reach out'? do you want some Sleuth love on National Day night) if you need any additional info.'

Sleuth's Weird Art In A Garden Award Of The Week

Wes Didsbury, Lapwing Lane....what's going on here?

Eh?

Joe Stretch's Pulled Wedding Tackle...And New Book

Joe Stretch has a new novel out this week, called The Adult. This is about being a child of the nineties and adult of the noughties. It's laugh outloud yet poignant stuff - the editor's reviewing it. Stretch has already written a couple of novels and been in the band Performance. Back in 2009 though he became a Ladyboy of Bangkok for Manchester Confidential. The full story is here, below there's a sample of his prose style.

'I’m just about to turn around to locate Sak when my boxer shorts are suddenly pulled down to my knees. A hand reaches through my legs, gropes around a little then disappears back through my legs taking my penis and my testicles with it. It’s Sak. He’s pulling very hard. I go into shock. My throat dries. No one had thought to warn me about the penis-binding. Then to my horror the toilet door swings open and I can briefly see a seating area outside where people are relaxing and drinking coffees in the sun. “Don’t come in,” I blurt out.'

Ladyboy Stretch getting made over

Lost Guardian Journalist Of The Week: Bob Grandleese

This award goes to Bob Granleese. He reviewed 63 Degrees last Saturday in the Guardian and at Confidential we think he got it wrong. 63 Degrees is serving some of the best food in the North at present. Still critics are allowed their opinion that's the name of the game but something wasn't quite right. Bob mentioned the 'gems of Oxford Road, Rusholme and Chinatown'? The editor had a twitter exchange with him, ending up with Bob being asked for the names of these 'gems'. At that point Bob suddenly stopped playing twitter tig. Sleuth is sure that Bob knew exactly the names of the ‘gems’ he referred to in his article, and not that he simply didn’t know any because he hadn't been. Yep, Sleuth is absolutely certain of it.   

Sleuth's Cheerful Historical Fact Of The Day

Today August 3 is the day when in 1746 three heads of rebels from the Bonnie Prince Charlie insurrection where stuck on the Exchange. The Exchange stood where Marks and Spencer now stands. The heads would have occupied the space close to the window inside the first floor cafe. Sleuth wonders if M&S could bake a special cupcake.

The tomb pictured below lies behind St Ann's Church and is that of Thomas Deacon, father of one of the beheaded people, who had to pass by the gruesome objects until January 1749 when they were 'stolen'. Sleuth reckons that must have been a hard sell in the pub later. 

Deacon tomb

Sleuth's Second Odd Picture Of The Week

Sleuth stumbled across this curious scene in St John's Gardens, off Deansgate. Book burning is back. Or maybe this is an example of spontaneous combustion? Maybe, given the dominant occupation around there, a barrister's gone up with his briefs.

Oh dear, spontaneous combustion?

Sleuth Holiday

Sleuth will be taking a break for a couple of weeks. He's been asked to guest column on the New York Times, picking up absurdities and oddities for the American audience. So that means here in Manchester you all might as well stay in and do jigsaws.