The Mancunian Way: 'Constantly aware of being visibly Jewish'

Hello,

It has been a troubling few days for Manchester’s Jewish community.

On Tuesday, two men appeared in court accused of plotting to carry out an Islamic State-inspired gun attack, with prosecutors alleging their intended target was 'the Jewish community in the North West of England'.

In response, Greater Manchester Police have promised to step up patrols in areas such as Sedgley Park, Broughton Park and Crumpsall - which together make up the UK's largest Jewish population outside London.

But Jewish people say there is a sense of fear and concern in the area. Speaking to Ste Topping, one man said he actively tries to make himself look as ‘non-Jewish as possible’ when he goes into Manchester city centre. Another spoke of a man in a balaclava who came to his shop and shouted at him last week.

"I know a lot of people take their yamakas [skull caps] off, try not to appear Jewish in public," he added. "It's a bit mad, it's also worrying. They're talking about targeting Jewish people in the North West - that's literally me. It feels a bit close to home.

"Everyone here now is worried. They just keep their heads down, don't read the news too much, and crack on - but people are worried. I can't believe anyone isn't bothered, it's just how much it affects you."

There has been a clear rise in reports of anti-Semitic hate crimes in the region since the October 7 attacks. Earlier this month the Manchester Evening News reported that between October 2023 and February 2024, GMP recorded 228 anti-Jewish hate crimes - up 231 per cent from 69 crimes recorded during the same period the previous year.

In an exclusive interview with John Scheerhout yesterday (May 15), Chief Constable Stephen Watson said his officers are 'doing their level best' to protect Jewish and other communities 'from dreadful things'.

"We do acknowledge the importance of this in terms of the perceptions of our Jewish communities of threat and risk and fear, and we're very alive to that of course going back to October 7 and beyond we know that events in the Middle East are affecting many members of our different communities across Manchester,” he said.

"But we know particularly, not least because hate crime against our Jewish communities are significantly up, that we have a duty to ensure that nobody in Greater Manchester is subject to hate crime and that in this context is particularly true of the Jewish community as well as other communities.”

You can read Ste’s piece here, and John’s full interview with Chief Constable Watson here.

Stuart Everett murder investigation continues

Police have cordoned off a woodland and park area in north Manchester this morning as part of an ongoing murder probe into the death of Stuart Everett.

The investigation, which has seen multiple woodland and beauty spots in the region taped off over the last six weeks, began when a dog walker found parts of a torso wrapped in plastic at Kersal Dale in April.

Further dismembered remains were then found in three other locations across the city. Two men, Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski, 68, and Marcin Majerkiewicz, 42, have been charged with murder after the victim was identified as Stuart Everett.

Boggart Hole Clough in Blackley is currently closed off to members of the public. In a statement, Greater Manchester Police said: "Today we will commence searches of locations in North Manchester and Salford to look for more evidence as part of Stuart Everett’s murder investigation.

"We will be searching Boggart Hole Clough in North Manchester along with land near to Walkden Train station over the coming days. Land near to Patricroft Railway station will be searched by British Transport Police officers as they assist our force with this part of the search.

"These searches are as a result of in-depth CCTV and phone data enquiries that the detectives have located during the investigation.

"Similar to our previous locations in Salford that have been searched already in the last couple of weeks, you will see officers from our Tactical Aid Unit, Crime Scene Investigators, underwater search divers and also our canine units to ensure that we are using all of our policing capabilities in the force."

More here.

Sephora has landed

Big news for fans of all things beauty - Sephora has officially landed in Manchester.

'More than a thousand' fans reportedly queued outside the new Sephora store in the Trafford Centre this morning - with some of them camping through the night - hoping to get their hands on one of 500 goodie bags. At one point this morning, there were an estimated 3,000 people in the queue. Crikey.

The hotly anticipated store is the brand’s third opening in the UK, and stocks a number of beauty brands shoppers would usually have to purchase online.

Our Beauty Editor Rachel unpacks what's inside the Sephora Trafford Centre VIP goody bag here.

'Hero plumber' firm under fire

A company helping people struggling with the cost of living has come under fire after an investigation uncovered it used misleading social media posts to raise tens of thousands of pounds.

DEPHER Community Interest Company (CIC), run by James Anderson from Burnley, has received huge accolades over the last few years for its work providing financial help to the most vulnerable people struggling to heat their homes and pay for food.

But a BBC investigation has found the company posted old photos with new stories in captions - alongside links to online fundraisers.

A family member of an elderly woman whose photo was shared claiming ‘she had a noose ready to commit suicide', said it was a ‘complete lie’ and she had no idea her mother’s image had been shared.

More here.

Manchester restaurant received prestigious accolade

A hidden Manchester restaurant has been named amongst some of the best in the UK in a prestigious food guide.

The Walled Gardens, based in Whalley Range, is run by top Manchester chef Eddie Shepherd, and is the only restaurant in the city to be listed in the 360°Eat Guide.

It’s a pretty unusual place, seating only eight diners at a time as it is inside the chef’s own home. The fully veggie concept has proved so popular that it is known for having a six month waiting list.

Speaking about the nod, Eddie said: “I am incredibly honoured to be listed in the 360°Eat Guide Best UK Restaurants list.

“To be listed amongst so many highly regarded Michelin star restaurants and those pioneering sustainability is always the level of food and sustainability that I aim to deliver and it’s a huge compliment for that to be recognised again here.”

More here.

Weather etc

Friday: Overcast changing to sunny intervals in the afternoon. 21C.

Roadworks: A34 Quay Street Southbound closed due to roadworks from A6042 Trinity Way to Gartside Street.

Manchester headlines

• Hotting up: Temperatures are set to rise in Greater Manchester over the coming days as a 'Saharan Plume' approaches the UK. More here.

• Charged: Police have charged 19 people on suspicion of drug offences following an investigation at Piccadilly Gardens. More here.

• Road closed: A road in Manchester city centre is expected to be closed for at least a week due to an 'unsafe building'. More here.

Worth a read

Six years after he was attacked with an axe after attempting to calm a road rage incident, Cameron Brooksbank, 24, known by his loved ones as Cam, was tragically pronounced dead.

He has been commended for his 'immense bravery' in helping to bring down a criminal gang after an inquest found he did not intend to take his own life. You can read the full story here.