A week in Manchester crime stories and cinema closure
A few of this week’s news items from Manchester seem to highlight the more negative aspects of the city’s image, portrayed in shows such as X-Cars, which features real life police car video action, and tv drama Prime Suspect Five starring Helem Mirren, chillingly realistic and set in real-life 90’s Manchester.
Crime fiction turns real life in Manchester
Fiction became real life on Wednesday, when a security guard was shot and seriously wounded during a raid on a Securicor van at the Tesco supermarket in Wythenshawe. And this weekend, four men were arrested in Manchester as part of an investigation into an armed robbery in Dorset.
Reports of more shootings in Longsight add to a worrying trend. Statistics point to a greater rise in the crime rate in North West England than in other parts of the country. Out and about in the city, though, I don’t see much evidence of the problem. I don’t think Manchester’s crime problem is as bad as in some American cities.
It can certainly be difficult for a city or local area to shake off a bad reputation, but the district of Hulme is managing to do just that at the moment. Featured this week on tv, Hulme continues its transformation from 70’s urban planning disaster to a model of 90’s style community-led regeneration.
Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley to begin Radio show from Manchester
The Gallagher brothers have been unusually absent from the news this week, but filling the gap was the announcement on Thursday that DJ team Mark Radcliffe and Marc Riley will be taking over the Radio 1 primetime breakfast show starting February the 15th 1997.
The job became vacant after the departure of controversial presenter Chris Evans after bosses turned down his request to have Fridays off. The show will be broadcast from Manchester, which Mark and Marc insisted upon.
Cine City Withington to be closed
On a less happy note, this week sees the closure of the Manchester’s longest-running cinema. After 85 years, Cine City in Withington shut its doors for the last time, apparently the effect of competition from nearby multiplex cinemas. Local residents are sad, but hope that a new buyer will come along.
During the week we had a spell of cold, drizzly, overcast weather, but by the weekend, the clouds had gone, and as I write, it’s a bright, glorious day in Manchester.
Text and photos by Aidan O’Rourke