The Mancunian Way: The other arena

Hello,

As seen in yesterday’s newsletter, the supposedly grand opening week of Manchester’s Co-op Live arena has been less than perfect.

The £365 million Co-op Live arena was only days away from officially opening when a 'test' gig last Saturday welcoming 11,000 fans to its first-ever show to reduce its capacity at the last minute. Just 24 hours later, the opening two Peter Kay gigs were also axed and rescheduled.

But this isn't the first time a new Manchester venue billed as the 'biggest indoor arena in Europe' has had problems on opening night. Back in 1995, the opening of Manchester Arena - originally known as the Nynex Arena - had its fair share of issues.

In this timely throwback, Lee Grimsditch remembers the disastrous opening of the other Manchester arena - now known as the AO.

On July 17, 1995, guests flocked to see skating duo Torvill and Dean at the brand new venue. But the Manchester Evening News reported the new arena suffered an "agonising catalogue of problems" on opening night. These included massive queues at the bars during the interval, blocked toilets, a two-hour wait to leave the arena's own car park, and "sickness and dizziness" due to the seating.

The arena was built as part of the city's unsuccessful bid for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Costing £60 million it was built as an American-style sports arena with 360-degree seating.

Originally a glass tower was planned as part of the arena but it was never built. It also had a 1,500 space on-site multi-storey car park as well as a seven-screen multiplex cinema, which opened in 1996, but closed just four years later.

Since then, it has hosted some of the city’s biggest events - as well as being the site for one of our biggest tragedies.

Lee Grimsditch remembers Manchester Arena’s opening here.

Marathon with a heart

I don’t think I’ll ever run a marathon - and you know what, I’m at peace with that.

But even I have been left inspired after reading the story of an incredible Tameside dad who ran the London marathon last weekend against all odds.

Chris Rowell collapsed while on the toilet in January 2021. He had suffered a cardiac arrest, and was rushed to hospital where he remained in a coma for three days.

Three months after his cardiac arrest, Chris did a treadmill test and was given the all clear to start running. He’d previously run the London Marathon in 2011 and Manchester Marathon in 2012 and joked about running another marathon - but said both he and his partner were ‘nervous’ for him to raise his heart rate again.

He built his fitness up, and took to the streets of London on Sunday to raise money for the British Heart Foundation. It’s an incredible and heartwarming story, and you can read it here.

Michelin-star Sunday lunch

Manchester's sole Michelin Star restaurant has announced it is to open over lunchtime on Sundays for the first time in a bid to be ‘more accessible’ to a variety of customers.

Mana, in Ancoats, has held the Michelin Star since 2019, becoming the first Manchester city centre restaurant to do so since the 1970s. The team said they are also planning to reduce prices by £10 in a bid to allow more people to experience the restaurant.

The change in opening hours sees Sunday lunchtime and afternoon reservations go live for the first time starting from May . But the venue will start to shut on Wednesdays later in May, which had previously been open for evening bookings, in order to allow staff a ‘positive’ work-life balance.

While it will be the first time you can book in for Sunday lunch, diners need not expect a traditional roast dinner style menu. The venue is known for its extraordinary crafted dishes using ingredients like cured egg yolk and verbena.

You can read more here.

‘A system at breaking point’

Some of Greater Manchester’s major hospitals have the highest numbers of deaths due to delayed cancer diagnosis and misdiagnosis in the UK, new figures show.

There have been six deaths in the last three years among patients of the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust (NCA), which runs hospitals including Salford Royal Hospital, Fairfield General, Rochdale Infirmary and the Royal Oldham Hospital. That’s the second highest number of all NHS trusts in England.

It’s a worrying statistic, and comes after just last month, England’s NHS ombudsman warned that cancer patients could be put at risk ‘because of over-stretched and exhausted health staff working in a system at breaking point’.

But Liez Fletcher-Parker, Lead Cancer Manager Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, said recent data shows the trust’s referral time for cancer diagnosis has improved.

You can read the full story from Helena Vesty here.

Leafy walks

Manchester is finally beginning to bloom into spring, and there’s a new way to enjoy the city’s green spaces as the weather turns.

A new walking trail celebrating the ‘best green, blue and outdoor areas’ in the city centre is being launched. The Manchester Green Spaces Trail will take visitors on a route through the centre, stopping by parks, gardens and water spaces along the way.

The trail has been written by Manchester tour guide Jonathan Schofield and it’s aimed not just at tourists but workers and residents of the city so they can discover the outdoor spaces on their doorstep.

You can find out more - including how to pick up a map - here.

Weather etc

Thursday: Overcast changing to sunny intervals by late morning. 11C.

Roadworks: A57 Church Street Westbound closed due to gas main work from B5230 Barton Lane to Peel Street.

Manchester headlines

• Manhunt: A suspected drugs trafficker was arrested at a hotel in Benidorm after a four-year manhunt to try and trace him. More here.

• Fall from bridge: A woman has sadly died after falling from a bridge over the M6 motorway. More here.

• Tevez hospitalised: Former Manchester United and Manchester City star Carlos Tevez has been admitted to hospital after suffering chest pains. More here.

Worth a read

The father of a 12-year-old boy who died from a hidden heart condition has been left 'dismayed' after Bury Council turned down plans to install defibrillators, describing the units housing them as 'street clutter'.

You can read the full story here.