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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.
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?
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.
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.
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19 comments so far, continue the conversation, write a comment.
Looks like Daisy Mill in Longsight is for the chop too. This time MCC own the building and are…
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Read moreThat's perfectly true, but for various reasons not relevant to the original point. I'm happy to…
Read moreI'll try again..of course it won't, it's not listed so it will go. The fact that it is elegant,…
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Sleuth has to report massive row in Manchester Confidential office after debate over Guardian journalist story above. People from Manchester and Lancashire think it's 'tig', Scousers think it's 'tick' and New Yorkers think it's 'tag'.
Is it not chasies (pronounced chay-sees)?
In Davyhulme it was always 'tick'. It may be close to the canal, but it ain't in scouseland!
Simply called "it" where I grew up, dahn saarf.
"you're it"
Quickly replaced by kiss chase. "it" with kisses. Much better game.
Tick full of tock. I say tick!
Just asked our office here. 3 for tig, just me for tick and 3 for tag. Crazy scenes.
Well you wrote about it and I watched it so hats off to the PR man for reaching out and touching you right up! For info flights to Singapore are cheap right now so book early - National Night looks FUN! - I am not however compelled to buy any Mentos!
Vietnamese Pho restaurant is the best thing in Chinatown. Maybe the best £/£££ category restaurant in the city. Incredible.
The twats called Granleese BTW
To be fair, Bob Grandleese does name those "hidden gems" in his review, by means of hyperlinks. They are:
- Red Chilli (Oxford Road)
- Kebabish (Rusholme)
- BBQ (Chinatown)
He also mentions
- Michael Caines at Abode
- Piccolino (city)
- San Carlo
- Aumbry
That's odd, they weren't there when I first read it? Or am I dreaming? Or is he a twat?
Love the Mentos campaigners getting in contact with you in Manchester re trying to assist Singaporeans with their birthrate. You'd think we'd have heard something about the campaign here in Singapore, but no, not a dicky bird...
At last more Vietnamese restaurants, I'm off to try it tonight...
lets us know Hurrah and advise on the choice of dishes
Kebabbish is interesting. It's a franchise operation apparently in a bag. Yet has a reputation. So how many more of this type of operation are around.
http://www.kebabishoriginal.co.uk/
For entertainment read the comments under the guardians review, Gordo sticks his oar in and gets a panning from the guardian trolls - quality.
Gordo thanks you for that anon, he was trying to keep it quiet...
Was wondering how long it would be until somebody mentioned the Guardian comments section. It was a better read than the review itself
...says it all really.
Tick...unless you were playing Ticky Under Arm...obviously.