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Sleuth 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
The Clever Burger Boffins Are Back
The people at Almost Famous, those sneaky burgers selling the best buggers around (Sleuth may have got some words mixed up there), is moving back into its nest on High Street. Sleuth can't wait for today's, Friday 20 July, opening. Loved the place last time. But can they keep up the mystery with a permanent spec? (Read the review here for prior madness.) The Boozy Milkshakes hint they might still prove originals rather than cover versions. And meanwhile with job ads like this, click here, they clearly still retain the ability to shock some of readers who emailed and tweeted to complain.
National Football Museum: It's Better In Manchester
In its last year of occupancy of part of the Deepdale Stadium at Preston, the National Football Museum (NFM) had 106,000 visitors. In its first ten days in Manchester it had 18,000 visitors. So in about eight weeks it will have exceeded the Preston figure. Not bad given that this isn't the football season and there are no floating fans occupying the city's hotels twice a week. Sleuth wonders if there's anybody out there who still laments the loss of Urbis and would wish NFM away? Manchester's all the better for a proper pop culture visitor attraction reckons Sleuth.
Sleuth's Massive Put Down Of The Week
This came from a guest at the launch of Kaleido restaurant at the National Football Museum this week. He was talking about another person well-known to the diners and the description went. "He’s the sort of man who keeps the One Show going." Devastating.
Sleuth's Outdoor Experience Of The Week
Sleuth appreciates the screen in Spinningfields and the way it does special summer showings of movies. On Thursday it featured 'Singing in the Rain'. Sleuth loves an immersive cinema experience.
New 40 Storey Skyscraper For The City
Ian Simpson must have been sworn in as Manchester's Official Tall Buildings Architect while we weren't looking. He seems to get much of the tall stuff. Anyway Sleuth is pleased to see he's had approval for a 40 storey tower block bordering the Mancunian Way, on the city side of Princess Parkway. This is a minute away from his excellent Parkway Gate student accommodation scheme and will share city skyline with Beetham Tower also by Simpson, 400 metres as the crow flies north west.
The tower will contain 600 serviced apartments commissioned by Chelmer Developments. At least Simpson won't have to move. When he built No1 Deansgate he took the penthouse. When Beetham was finished he moved into the top floor there. The man's getting higher in the sky. But the new tower will only be 410ft, much lower than Beetham's 554ft. No need for Ian to move then.
Sleuth's Great Obvious Signs Of Our Times
Sleuth loves an obvious sign as much as he likes oysters on Friday. This one below is a cracking example from the Midland Hotel.
Great obvious signs of our time
Sleuth And The Bacon That Wasn't
Sleuth was at the launch of Solita on Tuesday, which also opens to the public (as Almost Famous Burgers does - see above), today, Friday 20 July. We featured this place in the food and drink round-up this week for its crazy menu. There's so much to praise not least the delightful Cabrelli's vanilla ice cream with bacon candy (£3.90). Sleuth reckons the Cohen brothers of Manchester cooking, Dom and Franco Sotgiu have produced a very exciting city addition on Turner Street in the Northern Quarter.
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28 comments so far, continue the conversation, write a comment.
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Almost Famous Burgers - Pretentious much?
And what is wrong with pretentious every now and then?
Well it seems to be in the right end of town for the Synth Crowd to be seen!
Hi Sleuth, Ian Simpson's proposed new tower might have had your approval, but there's a whole planning process to go through yet. The plans have been submitted, but they've yet to go out to consultation.
What Sleuth's approval doesn't count as permission to build?
I hope it gets built; I love it. We need more big stuff. Yay!
What's pretentious about hamburgers?
I want lots more skyscrapers in Manchester, but don't you think this one is a bit, well, dull? Soaring buildings have captured the imagination since the Tower of Babel. Look at Sears tower, Empire State, the Gherkin, the Shard. Now look at this one... Desperately, desperately underwhelming.
Oh yes, there are very definitely still people out there who lament the loss of Urbis – an original, innovative and exciting venue that explored a huge cross section of different pop cultures and sub sections of society, not just the one that is likely to bring in the most cash – football. I don’t deny that visitors to the city, families and footy fans alike will love the new attraction but if Manchester prides itself on being ‘original and modern’ then why did it get rid of the only art venue in the city that matched that description???
I wouldn't worry, Debbie, Jon's just trolling (and trying to justify himself).
Went to see the old incarnation of URBIS and it was dull! Been to the new incarnation, it's populist and dull! When will this building get a use that matches the quality of the building. It will be hard to get the NFM out though now I guess.
Urbis, promised much delivered little. A lot of money thrown at it but dull and too precious for its own good. The Goths outside were more exciting and said more about pop culture.
Almost Famous re-opening permenantly is the best news i've had this year. these burgers are hands down the best in manchester, bar none.
ps. Tat Parney - pretentious - have you even been there, tried them or even thought about it, its miles from pretentious
Ian Simpson wins 'Stating the Bleedin' Obvious Award' about his prolific use of glass:
"I haven’t found another material that lets sunlight in and keeps the rain out."
Almost Famous Burgers... I can see my waistline expanding already.
yes we all noticed!! lol
Can it be that, somehow, Manchester has found itself with the best burger place in the world? Well, In N Out runs it close, but they won't come to the UK...
Urbis was crap.
I think the loss of Urbis was a great shame, it hosted some fantastic exhibitions. I think it's good to have the football museum here, I just wish we hadn't had to lose Urbis to get it here.
URBIS was dull apart from the name. The NFMis dull and so is the name.
Why hasn't "David" posted a moaning comment about the labour party yet? I miss him.
But the compulsory Kevin Peel comment is here! :-)
But Kevin's not delighted, for once. Then again he probably is, just didn't say so.
These buildings that Simpson is designing will look very dated in 5-10 years. Our skyline is being ruined.
The Beetham Tower is 5 yrs old and doesn't look dated yet... I think our skyline has been more ruined by low-quality boxy apartment blocks...
I look forward to the full review of SoLITA; I tried them this evening.
I started with the Pulled Pork Sundae - rich, tender, juicy and full of flavour. Then followed it with the SoLITA Burger, which didn't disappoint - a burger that's up there with the Almost Famous guys. This stuff is cooked with love and care in their Inka oven, and it's a delight.
The Northern Quarter is fast becoming a carnivore's heaven, and there are some bars that need to look to their laurels.
Bring it on!
Ate there last night had the 'cowboy steak' on the bone - It was amazing!
Went to Solita today for lunch hoping to try their lunch offer as advertised on here (where it definitely says weekends) to be told the offer wasn't on on a Saturday. so, went to almost Famous instead and fell ever so slightly in love.