Panic on Tib Street
- 15 Feb 07, 06:45 PM
It鈥檚 all change in the Northern Quarter, with the redevelopment of Stevenson Square on track and Piccadilly Basin's transformation continuing apace. Heck, even The King on Oldham Street is getting a makeover. But Mancunian bloggers are up in arms over the latest rumour to waft their way 鈥 that the endearingly scruffy Affleck鈥檚 Palace may be in danger.
According to blogger and MEN journalist news report, traders in the building say their landlord, Bruntwood, has failed to give them any information about what will happen when the lease expires on June 14. They fear rising rents will price them out, or worse, that the building could be redeveloped into something entirely different, leaving tenants and stallholders out on Tib Street.
鈥淚t's one of the only independently owned, creative retail spaces left in the city and is central to the boho vibe of the Northern Quarter,鈥 Ciara writes.
While it鈥檚 obviously too early to know whether there鈥檚 any substance to this threat, the reaction on the blogosphere has been strongly negative.
鈥淚 personally think the prospect of Afflecks Palace becoming a block of luxury flats or offices is an appalling one,鈥 writes, in response. 鈥淏ut, as the Hacienda testifies, these things do happen in Manchester.鈥
鈥淚 don't shop there often, I'm too poor to shop anywhere much, but I'd hate to see it go,鈥 says
In other news, moved to Chorlton, which 鈥渋s both scary and exciting:鈥
鈥淪cary because it's going to increase my rent by 拢125 a month, exciting because it is an opportunity to waste even more money than that with trips round Manchester's new Ikea and Ilva stores. Scary because it means living alone for the first time, exciting because I will be able to frequent such bars as the Marble beerhouse and indulge my primitive bohemian streak. What's more, a friend told me the other day that Quentin Crisp died in Chorlton not far from where I live. So I might even meet his ghost.鈥
Finally, Roy of , Heaton Moor's new community blog, was unsettled by an unusually strong police presence in his 'hood the other day
" Was this Heaton Moor? Or had I been transported to some country bearing the prefix 'former'. Had this become ' The Former Heaton Moor'? Believe me when I tell you that no fewer than three uniformed officers, huge and fearsome-looking, were patroling fifty yards of Heaton Moor Road! I was scared! Military style hats, luminous jackets, size fifty two across the chest and stiff as contiboard, jack-boots - and expressions that would curdle the cream in Backs Deli!"
My goodness, is it really so quiet and law abiding there that the sight of a few coppers spooks the natives so?
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Great Blog.
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What a pity that the demise of Afflecks is aparently on the cards. But I have to say that it really does not surprise me. Traders in Afflecks have increasingly been under pressure as numbers of customers to this treasure have dramatically fallen. I have to say that if we lose this gem then everyone involved needs to look at how they contributed to its decline.
The ones bemoaning their fate because of happy memories there yet not happy to shop there.
The stallholders who all seem to do the same stuff. Most of which can be bought elsewhere at a lot lower prices.
The Landlords for over inflated prices for the units.
Bruntwood for total lack of respect for the local communities and pure greed.
So come on guys stop moaning and ask yourself do we really want a vibrant Afflecks that is an asset and good investment for the future or should we let the old girl die with dignity and have happy memories of her?
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