THING OF THE WEEK
MONKEYING AROUND… A primate party may be in order now that Colwyn Bay’s Welsh Mountain Zoo has secured planning permission to expand and upgrade its gibbon enclosure. With an extended enclosure, the zoo will be able to bring in a female gibbon to join its male. There would be plenty of space for, ahem, activities, enabling the birth of many baby gibbons in the years following – thus helping with a conservation effort to help the endangered species. Let the love nest be built!
LAKE PRIMARK… The Bee Network boasts buses, bikes, and trams but is missing one particular mode of transport that would have come in handy this week. Manchester’s dinghy provision has been sorely lacking amid recent persistent rains. Contrary to popular belief, Manchester does not feature in the top 10 rainiest cities in the UK, but it is surely the runaway leader when it comes to the amount and average depth of its puddles.
Office workers returning to the city on Tuesday were faced with the prospect of having to navigate a small lake outside Primark on Market Street. The body of water that had accumulated forced anyone making their way along one of Manchester’s busiest thoroughfares to take evasive action or else risk a nasty case of trench foot. Manchester’s puddle problem is not befitting a global city but there is good news in that the solution seems simple. It took Paul Morris, director at Civic Engineers, all of five minutes to mock up a sustainable urban drainage solution on the shores of Lake Primark. See above.
BAMBOO-HOO… A cult favourite of the Greater Manchester clubbing scene will soon be wiped from the map. Bamboo in Hazel Grove saw some sights over the years and was the cause of some quite catastrophic hangovers. The unassuming club, tucked away off the A6, is to be demolished under proposals lodged by owner Simon Beeley to pave the way for the site’s “redevelopment at some point”, according to the plans. For anyone who ever frequented the dimly lit venue, the news of its impending demolition will prompt mixed feelings. It was one of those places.
Thanks to all these for there support from the world championship final🎯 #TeamNuke❤️ @Garryplummer @TargetDarts @Prestige_PBS @SkodaWarri33910 @Zxfsports @Dartsshopsth @DartsAcademySTH @lorraine180 @WarringtonRLFC @bucker1980 @LisaLittler3 ☢️ pic.twitter.com/J5POxxAEgg
— Luke Littler (@LukeTheNuke180) January 4, 2024
DART SMARTS… It was an all-North West final in the World Darts Championships on Wednesday evening as Crewe’s Luke Humphries took on Luke Littler, the teenage sensation from Warrington. Littler took the darts world by storm during the tournament, brushing aside former champions Raymond van Barneveld and Rob Cross on his way to the final at Ally Pally. Ultimately it was ‘Cool Hand’ Luke Humphries who came out on top but this year’s competition belonged to 16-year-old Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, who became the youngest ever finalist and came within a whisker of winning the whole thing.
While his spectacular run might have come as a surprise to some, Martin Foulds, Littler’s manager, knew what his client was capable of. As well as looking after one of sport’s hottest prospects, Foulds is the founder of Rochdale-based Prestige Building Supplies and the firm’s logo has been emblazoned on Littler’s shirt throughout the competition.
HIGH HONOURS… We in the Northern property world are in some prestigious company. The King’s New Year Honours List saw awards granted to several members of our built environment circle for services to regeneration and local government. A very hearty congratulations to Manchester City Council chief executive Joanne Roney for becoming a CBE as well as to Greater Manchester Combined Authority chief executive Eamonn Boylan and Blackpool Council director of strategy Antony Lockley for their new OBE status. A final kudos to Captain Michael Pemberton, chief executive of Cumbria-based developer BEC, for being awarded a BEM in recognition for his services to regeneration and community. We’re looking forward to seeing those expanded email signatures.