Journal Club, Comic Con NE, Lee Child in Todmorden

A lot of travel this week. 

Wednesday: Journal Club returns to Hinterland in the Northern Quarter for a night of writing. There’s usually prompts, with 10 minute writing bursts and the opportunity to share your writing with the group. Meetup group Manc Mates are attending – there’s 2 of us at the time of writing. Hinterland is a great, cosy restaurant serving vegan food, no alcohol and a quiet atmosphere. The antidote to today’s hectic Manchester environment. 

I’ll be starting a new month-long project on Saturday that should keep me very busy. And drunk. 

But before the alcohol consumption begins… a trip up north to Newcastle for a Monopoly Events convention. Comic Con North East sees a range of TV and movie stars fly in, including Alan Ford, or Brick Top from Snatch. That’s who I’ll be meeting.

I’ll probably have a wander around the city too afterwards. Amazing place. 

Todmorden Book Festival starts Friday with Jack Reacher creator Lee Child opening the proceedings at the town’s Hippodrome. Intriguing. It all seems to go downhill from there with a roster of obscurities, the only other anomaly being former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, which has raised a few eyebrows over socials. I work in healthcare AND I have a disability. I don’t remember his policies helping me or my clients. Quite the opposite, in fact. 

But yes. Newcastle will be awesome.

Last Day of this Machinist Diet.

I cannot wait for this ridiculous, painful fasting experiment to be over. Yes, it’s self-inflicted. Yes, I’ve lost *some* weight. But no, it has not been fun. More later. But at least Monday’s my rest day, so I’m not staggering about with a skipping rope trying to understand Twin Peaks, which has made up most of the time of the project. 

I’m on leave today to catch up with a ton of blogging. Expect also a write-up of Sheffield Comic Con yesterday with a certain British sci-fi celebrity, a sci-fi book review and a bar and restaurant review. 

Wednesday night: Manchester holds host to former White House Communications Director Anthony ‘The Mooch’ Scaramucci on his All the Wrong Moves book tour. Scaramucci famously lasted 10 days as Trump’s comms guy before being unceremoniously sacked, after which he turned on his former boss, speaking out against many of his policies. Tickets, including a copy of the book, are £40. As for the event, there’s definitely a Q+A. No word yet of if there are photo ops or signings with it. I’m still undecided. 

Thursday: Ryan Murphy’s latest Monster series drops on Netflix, this time covering Lizzie Borden, who I understand may or may not have hacked her parents to death in Massachusetts in 1892. Murphy’s previous Monster instalments have frequently been intriguing, violent and fun, but scattered and repetitive. 

There was a Lizzie movie that came out some years ago with Chloë Sevigny in the title role. I never got around to that. 

Saturday: retro entertainment day Nostalgic Oldham arrives in Parliament Square in the town centre, with classic cars, circus entertainers and the official unveiling of a huge community-created mural. I’m intrigued by the cars. 11am-4pm. 

Saturday night: Manchester Nightlife this time tries out the new Dahlia Stereo, the food and house music venue in The Northern Quarter. Last weekend saw their first Saturday Night, and the Insta story looks fantastic – great music, a real club atmos, and even branded t shirts are available. 8pm, Lever St.

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Meet Red Dwarf's The Cat; Blinker Bar Meetup

Highlights of this coming week: 

Friday: Early meetup with Manchester Nightlife, this time to new Blinker bar which I hear is highly recommended. Friday night, right in the middle of the financial area off Fountain St. 9pm. 

Sunday: Sheffield Comic Con lands Sunday at Ponds Forge Sports Centre with Danny John Jules the guest attraction. DJJ played The Cat in Brit SF comedy Red Dwarf, a well-groomed, slick talking space traveller who evolved to a man-like creature after years of evolution from a pet feline stuck on a spacecraft for millennia. The actor was also Baldy’s Lookout in Scum – the guy who lets Carlin into the coal room to fight the number 2 guy. I just learned that. There are still tickets.

Try the New Sticks 'n' Sushi in Spinningfields

 

Looking forward this week: 

TV and movie convention For the Love of Retro takes place this weekend in Telford, which is a little too far for me. An incredible line-up though. I could easily have spent £400 if I could be arsed with a long drive and more money on a hotel room, which I can’t. 

New bar and restaurant Sticks ‘n’ Sushi opened in Spinningfields, a Japanese / Scandinavian chain. Manchester Nightlife are headed there on Saturday for cocktails and mocktails, plus to look around a few other bars. Glamorous decor, chilled background beats, possibly the odd celeb knocking about. Come join the Meetup group. See the newest parts of the city. 4 of us so far. Will be more by the weekend.

Bank Holiday Breakfast

I was at a family gathering yesterday where a family member was raving about Dishoom’s breakfasts. Dishoom serves up great Indian delicacies and lassi milkshakes. I’ve been for lunch a year ago, but I kept meaning to try their other menus. Here’s their breakfast menu. 

Hence, I’ve set up a meetup with Manc Mates for food, 10am, Sunday morning. Come join. 

I predictably have no plans for Sunday night, when we have a Bank Holiday on the Monday. I’m all ears...

House Music at Up this Saturday

Afternoon sessions are rising in popularity rapidly, and with good reason: no late night taxis, no disrupted sleep, more daylight and people are more likely to be available. That’s probably why a few DJs – including a friend of mine – have put together Up, an afternoon of house music in Six Trees out in Trafford. There’s a meetup with Manchester Nightlife that you should join. At the time of writing we’re planning where to meet – probably Impossible in the city centre first. 

 

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Journal Club This Week

 

Journal Club returns to Hinterland Northern Quarter on Wednesday. Enjoy a night of writing prompts, vegan food and alcohol-free beverages. There’s a meetup with Manc Mates. 

I’m doing stuff with friends on Friday, so no meetup. Need a break from that scene, tbh. There’s another for the week after if you like house music. 

On the blog: another of the 48 Laws of Power, plus some plans for the next year, and a bizarre movie diet challenge.

Flock to Flok this Saturday

Hella behind with blogging at the moment. Expect part 2 of the Comic Con writeup. There’s also a pharmapsychological experiment that I conducted during the Manchester Day Parade last Sunday. I haven’t even written that yet. I won a competition – more details to come. I went to see a music producer / DJ in a house music club Friday. Great night. Then The Commonwealth Games closed last night, and with it this absurd fitness project. Again, there’s a write-up of that to come.

I got 2000 likes on this joke insta comment. 

Passed 2.9 million hits on this blog. 

Got an Insta commentfrom Richard Chaves, Poncho from Predator.

I recently turned 44. Going to try to round a few people up and have a few scoops this Saturday night, starting in favourite Flok and trying a few bars around Stevenson Square. I’ve told a few friends, and I’ve put up a meetup with Manchester Nightlife too. Sign up, come along. 

 

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House Music in Manchester Friday Night

Superb return of Comic Con Manchester on Saturday. Blog post coming. 

Commonwealth Games are in full swing. We get to see parts on Channel 5, and a little more on BBC Alba. England are in 2nd place on the medals table behind Australia. I’m working through this Commonwealth Games Fit project I set for myself. 

Manchester Day Parade took place yesterday, a celebration of the city by a consortium of different local social groups. More on each of these soon. 

Greater Manchester elects a new mayor on Thursday. Looks like I’ll be going for Greens, with Geraldine Goggins on the ballot. I’m disgusted in Labour’s Zionism, their refusal to accept the ICC’s ruling that Israel is conducting a genocide in Gaza, and their apparent lack of understanding of their own rules on Personal Independence Payment. It’s not an out-of-work benefit. Labour seem unaware of this. Greens, on the other hand, want to properly tax the billionaires, fund the NHS and social care system, build more affordable homes, fund proper mental health support, increase the minimum wage, stop the gig economy and stop corporations from dumping literal shit in our rivers, to name a few reforms. So they’ve got my vote. 

Friday night: Manchester club Joshua Brooks welcomes house music producer Miguel Campbell for Full Circle, a night of deep house. His 2011 hit Something Special is still a banger. 

 

 

Manchester Nightlife are headed there. 3 of us have signed up so far. Be 4th! 

New Batman spinoff Clayface has finally released their trailer. 

 

 

Clayface was partly filmed in Castlefield Manchester, and also Stockport Centre. Look carefully and you’ll notice Stockport Plaza. Back in September last year, the production of the movie used Castlefield Manchester as a filming location. I took a look. 

Sunday night: The Commonwealth Games Closing Ceremony takes place, around 6pm (the exact details aren’t readily available). I’m working through this absurd Commonwealth Games Fit project, with an unrealistic goal of losing nearly 13 kilos. I wouldn’t count on it happening at present. 

That’s this week. Quiet week next week.

Commonwealth Games starts Weds

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This touchtyping project comes to a close on Wednesday. Made some progress. 

The 2026 Commonwealth Games starts Wednesday 23rd. I’ve got a fitness project that I’m going to do in conjunction with that. More to come. 

Saturday: Comic Con Manchester returns to Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester for 2 days of stalls, movie stars, photo ops, Q+A panels and cosplay. I’m looking forward to meeting Carrie Henn – Newt off Aliens – and Bill Duke – Mac off Predator and Cook off Commando. This will be my third attempt to meet him – looks like he’s actually turning up this time. It’s gonna be great. There’s a meetup with Manc Mates with a couple of people signed up. Saturday has sold out, though, so they’ve either bought their tickets or they haven’t. 

No plans for the evening.

Workout in the Park?

 

A little different this week – summer weather means it’s worth doing daytime activities rather than 2am bar crawls. I figured, why not something more healthy and outdoor? 

We’ve got a new park in Manchester. We could utilise Mayfield Park for an outdoor workout session, get some vit D and serotonin in while we have the chance, then get soft drinks and a bit of food to replenish. I’ve set up a meetup on Manc Mates, a group I took over a while ago, which I use for non-nightlife related events. It’s quite different to what I’d normally do, so feels like a bit of a risk. Also I’m not a PT. I’m just a guy who works out. Just wondered if people wanted to do that with me. 12pm on Sunday. 

In other news, looks like this 4-month bot surge on the Blogger platform is over. At one point I got nearly 28k views in a single day. More recently I got 700. Still. I hit 2.8 million overall hits recently.

Finders Keepers - Summer Drinks This Saturday

Put your arms all around it

Take it now that you've found it

It don't need to be no deeper

It's finders keepers

-Mabel 

Sister’s wedding this weekend just gone. A magical time in the woodlands of Swillington Leeds. Great fun. I prefer to leave my family out of this blog as much as is possible, but I have mentioned it was going to happen: this Wedding Fit project is done. More on Saturday. 

Passed 2.8 million hits on the blog. Thanks, readers and bots! 

Also on Saturday: an early doors meetup with Manchester Nightlife. Come join me and (at present) 3 others in sunny Ancoats Marina for a few afternoon drinks, starting in the new Finders Keepers bar. I’ve not been yet but Ancoats seems to be the new up and coming area. Let’s find out at 4pm.

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Summer Solstice Morning Rave this Sunday

2 weeks away from my sister’s wedding and the weight is just not coming off, no matter how much bland soup I make and begrudgingly eat. So I’m hammering through this remaining veg, and then fasting. The suit fits me as it is, so that’s a start. If I succeed, it’ll be a bit big. Hugely failing this Wedding Fit challenge. 

Fittingly, the next meetup is in a venue with no alcohol and healthy vegan food. Hinterland bar hosts the Summer Solstice Rave, featuring ‘matcha, coffee and vibes.’ Come join Manchester Nightlife for some daytime partying. The only downside: it starts at 9am on a Sunday. So no Saturday night out. 

 

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Come to the new Katie O'Brien's Saturday

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I booked today off to write up a Comic Con that I actually ended up not going to. The guests were interesting but not really my thing this time. 

But this has meant I can get on with other things. Including this one, I have 3 blog posts to write. Also, expect a recipe review on the blog this Saturday. 

But what’s happening in the city? Saturday night: new bar Katie O’Brien’s has opened and is already hugely popular. Manchester Nightlife are headed there Saturday night, first starting on the corner of Peter St in Dirty Martini. 

New Meetup group Manchester Whisky Tasting Events opens with a tasting event on the 13th. I’m dieting for an upcoming wedding, but I’ll be all over some whisky tasting after that, depending on their events. I’m a big single malt fan. I went to a couple of tastings in Oldham about 15 years ago, then again in ‘12 and ‘23 in Scotland. 

My friend Fay has set up Manchester Woman and Guys Having Fun meetup group (sic). It’s got a bit of everything: coffee meets, fitness, food, drink, movies. Keep an eye on it. 

A heads-up for anyone visiting rooftop bar 20 Stories this summer: there’s a £10 door charge which ‘will apply from Saturday 23rd May until Monday 31st August (Bank Holiday) from 5pm onwards.’ I guess if you were the manager and it’s busy season, you may as well make the money.

Sora Sky Bar Saturday

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More and more sky bars are opening in Manchester, offering cocktails and views of the city. You know me. I love a good cityscape. Come take a look at one of the latest views at Sora Sky Bar, inside the Malmaison, opposite Piccadilly Station. Manchester Nightlife are headed there Saturday. 

A month to my sister’s wedding. Steadily getting fitter.

Discover Hidden Bar Kodo on Saturday

Well. That IDRA meetup didn’t take off, for whatever reason. Too niche, perhaps. Anyway, I ended up staying in last night. Hence, I accidentally woke up at 5am, when I’d like to have been coming home. 

Also, actor William Forsythe liked my Insta comment about another actor Mike Starr.

I’m off work until Friday. I have a ton to do. Saturday night: Join Manchester Nightlife Meetup as we head to hidden bar Kodo Their location requires a bit of legwork to find, but I’ve figured it out. There’s a door. There’s a code to get in. (I’ve found all of this for you.) Think moody red lights, Japanese décor… and that’s all that’s available online. All you have to do is meet me and the group in Roxy Ballroom, Withy Grove, first. 9pm, Saturday. 

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Bank Holiday Incoming

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Stay tuned for a psychology book review on the blog. 

Saturday Afternoon: join Manchester Nightlife in Castlefield for some hopefully outdoor drinks in the sun. Dukes 92 from 3pm. The sun should just about be coming out, as are 6 people at the time of writing. It’s the perfect time of year for that area. 

Sunday Afternoon: Manchester Nightlife are out again, this time to new club venue IDRA on store St. Veteran house music DJ John Digweed, from the Kiss 102 days if you’re in your 40s and 50s, shares the set with headliner Sasha. Second release tickets are £37. They will increase! I haven’t bought yet. At the time of writing I’m still waiting for attendees. 

There isn’t a great deal else happening on Meetup this weekend, particularly not on the bank holiday Sunday. I’ve noticed this a lot on Meetup, that when it comes to those Mondays off, nobody seems to want to do anything on the Sunday night. Either I put something up (I ran a Northern Quarter bar crawl on a bank holiday Sunday a few months ago) or nobody does.