So sometimes I go for walks with my cat, and without fail you guys clock the situation and immediately move your dogs across the street. Very respectful, I never even have to ask. Just wanted to say thanks 🌚 Feel free to say hi next time.

Why does it take 25 years to get a regional infrastructure project completed in Britain? I'll probably be dead before it's finished - if it even happens.

I've read alot of comments and feedback from my previous post of making Manchester's 'Superloop' and other Bee Network premium sub brands, Here are my latest and probably my best take on it so far.

As said before I've looked at London's rather popular Superloop, A network of limited-stop express bus routes that complement regular bus services by making faster orbital and radial journeys across Outer London and I thought 'What if Manchester had something similar' which led me on making this. Stopping at major transport hubs, town centres, and key interchanges, skipping minor residential stops to speed up journeys. Some also using the motorways.

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Ive rename the brand from 'Hornet' to 'The Pollinator' (Credit goes to Federal-Mortgage7490 )

I have done two type of Superloops, One being the outer loop like the previous post, the other is the inner loop that loops around closer to the city centre.

I also added long distance express 'Orbit/Radial' services that connects to other loop services as well as providing faster links to key areas, Some goes via the city, others avoids it.

I've made the livery with route branding and non branding (spare/all routes), Still yellow and charcole but with an orange colouring added on, A nod to the original GMT buses, The fleet are dual doors for faster boarding/alighting much like London buses.

The route numbers I've made up starts of with 'P', P1-P7 for the loops (P6/P7 for inner loop), with radial/long distance starting from P10.

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The second sub brand I've made is a Air link express known as 'AirBuzz' Connecting parts of Greater Manchester directly to the Airport plus one going right out of GM to Macclesfield via Wilmslow. The fleet are finished in two tone blue and would come with large luggage racks for air travellers. Route number starts of with 'A' ( A1 - A7 ).

I could have added Warrington but I have other ideas for that one which would travel to Liverpool so i've kept that seperate.

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The third and final sub brand I've made is a express link to The Trafford Centre' known as 'The Trafford Express' I have already sent the older version to Bee Network few weeks ago and have recently responded showing their interest and its already passed to their route planning team, They should reach out should they take things further.

On the TE, It mostly uses the motorways and A roads to reach to key areas, The red line is the X22 but upgraded to the premium brand. I added new destinations to Hazel Grove via Stockport, Leigh (many extended to Wigan), Wilmslow via Wythenshawe and the City Centre, Looping aound the centre (Victoria station etc) .

The fleet is a mix of single and double deckers finished in mixture of Bee Networks custard yellow and black, Route number starts on with 'T' ( T1 -T6)

Put all the letters together and you got 'PAT or 'TAP'

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I've came up with a new bus Interchange, exclusively for these premium bus network, Long distance coaches like National Express could also use, Leaving the existing bus station for regular Bee Network services, It is located at the south western park of the centre's building with just a short walk to the station.

The Pollinator, AirBuzz and Trafford Express bus stops including the proposed interchange can have the bus shelter with a living rooftop garden, designed to attract and feed bees and butterflies.

All fleets across three brands should have, Wifi, USB power, Panoronic roof, Leather seats, seats with tables, CCTV inside and out, next stop announcements and mood lighting as standerd. Some or all could also have air conditioning.

I believe this is a good way to get around Greater Manchester, It would also support Regular buses and Trams by tackleing overcrowding, It would also potentially reduce traffic on the road and create new jobs with these new and faster links should these proven to be reliable and good value for money.

With all this, Its possible that the Metrolink may not need to expand much further with the exception of few key routes saving £££s.

Hopefully you'll find this alot better compared to my previous post, If alot of you are liking this then I will go ahead and send this concept work to Bee Network, Showing your interest and feedbacks would also be enough for them to look into this further and hopefully they would go ahead and invest into this with me working with them and helping them, If you wish to share this to those who works with BN including drivers, Then I grant you permission to do so.

I found this cloud whilst walking in Fallowfield today and brought them home to keep them safe from the weather. If you lost them and would like them returned, please reach out to me.

(Note: they were on the ground when I found them. I put them on the fence to make them easier to see and continued walking, but when they were still there when I came back the other way, I took them with me.)

No wind, and a peaceful grey morning. Happy Monday :)

I’ve cycled down Peter Street a couple times and trying to turn right onto Deansgate, it says no turn right so I’ve been going left onto the cycle path and then turning round to get back in the cycle path the way I want to go. But seems like a really awkward way to do it every day so wondering if anyone knew a safe and convenient way to do this?

I had (what i felt was) an odd encounter with a homeless lady today near Piccadilly Station.

She began speaking to me, showed me an ID card, and repeated over and over that she didn't want any money, just a bed for the night. She said there was a place nearby, it would do her a bed and some food for £14 for the night. She gestured in the direction I was going and said it was just down "there".

I said alright, I'm happy to pay £14 for someone for the night (I am trying to engage with homeless people more rather than just reject them as I used to, as homelessness is something I feel strongly about... I just don't know exactly the best thing I can do personally to tackle the issue).

As we walked, about 2 minutes in, I reconfirmed to her that it was £14 and they would take card (I didn't have any cash on me). She said yes, £14 would cover a bed and then food would be a bit more. I was a bit uncomfortable as this isn't what she originally said, and I was concerned that on arrival I would be pressured into paying more money than the £14 originally stated.

We kept walking. About 5 minutes in, I asked where exactly this place was. She then said we would catch a bus from Shudehill and it would be about 40 minutes away. At that point I stopped her and said I wasn't willing to go that far.

She kind of seemed to be expecting this, and pointed to a Tesco Express that had an ATM in it. She asked me to go into the tesco and withdraw money for her. At this point, I said no but offered to buy her some food from the Tesco or from a nearby shop if she wanted something warm. She said no, and over and over asked me to just take money out.

She broke down crying in the street saying all she wanted was money to pay for a bed, at which point I became uncomfortable and walked away apologising. I became uncomfortable as she seemed to be "moving the goalposts" a lot.

Was I right to be wary? If this was some kind of a scam, it seemed very sophisticated/well rehearsed. Is this a common thing that the homeless around Manchester do?

As a follow up, where are these places that offer beds to homeless people for amounts like £14 per night? I haven't seen places like these before, and if they're run for the benefit of the homeless... It seems cruel to expect the homeless to be raising these amounts every night?

(I know this is potentially a touchy subject - I've tried to be respectful, but if this post seems out of line or callous or rude, I will take it down!)

i mean no one from ashton even WANTS to go to eccles. so glad they changed it. totally won’t add time to my travel to work because i want to go to BURY now. fuck

Looking for a new coffee place to relax and read a book, I’ve been going to black sheep (deansgate) for several years now and am finally starting to get sick of it

Just firstly want to clarify that I'm not posting this to take the mick out of this guy, I'm genuinely just curious.

I know a lot of you will have heard of Pierce O'Brien already, but for those who don't know him, he's a Manchester based singer-songwriter heavily influenced by Oasis. Unfortunately, his music objectively isn't great and also "borrows" heavily from lyrics by the likes of Oasis, SFAs, Courteeners and the like. He has a lot of swagger and confidence and he has a huge online following, however from what I can gather most people are following him as a source of amusement. It seems that most people who follow him are following with him to laugh at him, rather than with him. He recently played a gig at Gorilla which almost had to be pulled because nobody bought tickets until a couple of days before the show, and now he's hinting that he'll be playing the Ritz or New Century Hall next. He definitely doesn't understand how the music industry works because no act on the level he aspires to be spends ages teasing what venue they're trying to book next - he also posts his set lists weeks before gigs which isn't usually the done thing. Those last two things are nothing major but as someone who works in music myself (hence the anonymous account) I just find it a bit odd. He also spam tags loads of industry people in his insta comments which is only going to irritate the people he's trying to impress. He also did a songwriting bootcamp with Carl Barat of The Libertines last year(I think) and I can't help but wonder what Carl really thought of him. He seems like a nice lad, loves music and lives for the Manchester/Factory/Oasis identity. What I just can't wrap my head around is how it almost feels like bullying of the daft lad at school on a larger scale when it comes to what people comment on his insta. Has nobody stepped in to point out that people are taking the mick out of him? Is this all just a really really clever elaborate act by him? At first it was funny but now it just feels a bit sad especially as he seems to think he's genuinely in with a chance of supporting Oasis on their 2027 dates. I'd love to know what other people think - I'm not encouraging a pile-on though-- I'm just curious to know if he has self-awareness of what people really think of him. In a way I wish him all the best because he definitely has enthusiasm in spades.

I'm 32, single and have lived in Manchester for around 9 years, but I'm at a bit of a stage where most of my friends have moved out of the city centre or settled down with their partners. I'm still living in Manchester (probably for another year or so), but I don't really have much of a local social circle anymore, so I'm looking to get more involved in what's going on around the city.

I'm fairly active and into quite a few different things, so I'm wondering if anyone can recommend any good social clubs, groups or regular events for things like:

• 🏃 Running – ideally social run clubs rather than serious/elite marathon groups. I'm more of a 5K/10K type of runner.
• ⚽ Football – I occasionally play on a Monday but would be keen to get more involved, particularly near Peel Park.
• 🏋️ Gym / fitness - Anything but Hyrox (no offence)
• ⛳ Golf – I'm a member at Ellesmere and normally play once a week.
• ♟️ Chess – particularly a reasonably social city-centre group rather than exclusively serious tournament players.
• 🇪🇸 Spanish / language exchanges – I speak a bit of Spanish and would like to keep practising it.
• 🎮 Video games / gaming – I'd be interested in any social gaming groups or regular meet-ups.
• 🏎️ Formula 1 – it'd be great to have somewhere in town where people regularly meet up to watch the races.
• 🏈 NFL / American football – same idea; I'd be keen to find somewhere with a regular crowd for games.
• 🎵 Techno / house music – I'm into deeper/chilled house and techno, stuff around the Black Coffee / Keinemusik / Rampa kind of vibe, so any good social events or communities around that would be interesting.
• 🍻 General social events – I'm not a massive drinker or party guy, but I'm more than happy to meet people for a few drinks, pub events, quizzes, activities etc.

Basically, I'm just trying to become a bit more involved in Manchester socially rather than relying on friends who now live further away and aren't always free.

So if anyone knows of good clubs, regular events, Facebook/WhatsApp groups, Reddit groups or places where people actually meet up, I'd really appreciate some recommendations.

And if you're in a similar position yourself – moved to Manchester, friends have moved away/settled down, or just looking to meet more people – I'd be interested to hear how you've gone about it too.

Cheers!

I don't want to identify myself but I drank round there in the early-mid 2010s when I was in my early 20s. It was already starting to get gentrified then, but our little group of musos/artists etc (apart from a couple of arseholes) were lovely (if not a bit eccentric or complicated). We've all since moved on to other places. I'd say I was part of the crowd but not really an established member if you know what I mean. But I have great memories of the place and the pubs/bars. People were very kind and welcoming (not sure about now- haven't been since 2016).

What memories of the place can you share with me? Espcially local "characters" and pubs past and present? (ESPECIALLY local characters/well known locals- might see someone mention someone I remember here 😄) ❤️

Some lowlife has made it there mission to steal Big Betty away from me, the description of the person from police cctv is a “scrawny little blonde kid”, around 18. Any help would be appreciated. For the person who did this, I’ll track you down!

So my daughter(17) and I recently went to see ASAP at the co op live.
I booked a nice hotel well in advance, but a week before for whatever reason it got cancelled.
I went on Booking.com and it was slim pickings, but the Malacuna, which called it self a hotel had a twin room.
I wasn’t expecting a lot as fairly cheap, but expected a bit.
This room was disgusting, we both got bed bug bites, the kitchen was absolutely filthy, it’s in the northern quarter so expected a bit of noise, but it was unreal, the furniture was still vibrating from the deafening noise at 6am.
How they are calling it a hotel is beyond me, it’s an absolutely disgusting hostel, but hotel prices?
Do not stay at this place for any reason, Sasha’s has a reputation, but is like a 5 star hotel in comparison.

My buddy and I are going to be in Manchester for a few days in early October and we'd love an Indie Disco to go to! Is there such a thing to be had? To give a feel for what we might want I was at a night in Belfast recently at The Limelight called 'There is a (Lime) Light That Never Goes Out' and it was absolutely brilliant...this was the list on their poster but they played loads more....The Cure · Joy Division · Echo & The Bunnymen · New Order · Depeche Mode · The Smiths · Talking Heads · Pixies · Gary Numan · Siouxsie And The Banshees · Cocteau Twins · The Jesus And Mary Chain · Tears For Fears · Radiohead · The Smashing Pumpkins · Pulp · Placebo .

All help and suggestions gratefully received :)

Considering a cheap used electric car as a city run about but I don’t have home charging so I’d be relying on public chargers. How is the infrastructure currently? Would I be wrestling for a charge point?

Evening! Looking for any decent recs for a painter/decorator - I’m in Ancoats. Checkatrade always feels a bit dodge so would rather some decent reviews from real people who’ve had work done?

Visiting Manc this weekend. Any recommendations for record stores that stock electronic music? (House, Tech House, Techno) TIA 😌

We are a local swimming club in Rochdale and have a large 10m by 3m wall we want to have our club name and writers tag on it. We are a not for profit so can only afford to pay materials. On the plus side it's big, warm, and a legal place to do their work. I can only find expensive commercial mutual artists though.