Drag Racing On Canal Street for Sport Relief Canal Street got all revved up for its very own drag race – but these queens were running on heels not wheels! The Gay Village's ‘ladies' pulled their Sport Relief Socks up, donned their deeley boppers and made a dash down the world-famous parade of gay bars to stage their very own glitzy version of the Sainsbury's Sport Relief Mile. On-lookers were blinded by the glare from ten glittery frocks flashing past before there were tears and screams of triumph at the finish line as Miss Sugar was crowned Sport Relief Queen. ~ 24 Jan

Last Bets For Grosvenor Whitworth Street Rank has closed down the historic Grosvenor Casino on Whitworth Street on Sunday the 15th January, "because it was no longer commercially viable" and coincides with the launch of their brand new G Casino at Parrs Wood in East Didsbury, which opens on 6th February. They will continue to operate the Grosvenor Casinos at Salford and on Charles Street in Chinatown, together with the G Casino on Bury New Road. Rank had also previously operated the loss-making Hard Rock Casino near The Printworks. ~ 20 Jan

Manchester's New 'Hello!' Travellers to Piccadilly Station will get a nicer welcome to Manchester city centre with the £35m redevelopment of Station Approach. Manchester based property developer Realty Estates are behind the conversion of the iconic Gateway House with work underway to convert the seven upper stories into a 270-bed hotel including an entire floor housing a bar, restaurant and conference facilities. It is expected to open at the end of 2013, with work on redesigning the existing 16 ugly ground floor units to start late in 2012. There will also be a new block built on Ducie Street featuring offices above a retail unit. ~ 10 Jan

Manchester All Stars All Star Lanes are set to open inside the Great Northern Warehouse, their first bowling alley outside of London. Popular with the likes of Prince Harry, Kate Moss and Elle Macpherson, the London chain intends to bring the same state of the art lanes to Manchester. All Star are famed for their American restaurant, milkshakes and highly-praised cocktail bar, which features one of the largest selections of Bourbon in the UK. The venue will also feature a private room complete with two bowling lanes, its own cocktail bar and karaoke facilities. ~ 9 Jan

Tough Times Ahead for Manchester Bars? Anybody who has been out in town recently, will know how quiet the bars and restaurants have been, with the Manchester Pub & Club Network describing New Year's Eve especially as "bitterly disappointing". There's already some notable closures including Nossa Casa (previously Tropeiro) and another unit inside The Pritnworks (Just Chinese), whilst Lounge 10 has been closed "for refurbishment" since October, Kro2 gutted before Christmas ahead of a "February" refurb and the recently opened Sirocco at The Circle Club closed "until March". ~ 9 Jan

Other Manchester Bar News

The new Baby Blue gentleman's club on Deansgate has already been threatened with closure after opening without full planning permission from the council. The strip club controversially replaced the 15 year old Riley's snooker hall, after the landlord gave them just a few weeks notice to vacate. ~ 25th Jan 2012

The Fantasy Bar gentleman's club on Deansgate has received a massive £2million facelift both inside and out from its owners, the same people behind Lounge Ten. The Tib Street restaurant has also been having a makeover since September and is set to finally re-open in February as a private member's restaurant with an emphasis on live music, taking its inspiration from Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in London. ~ 25th Jan 2012

Just six months after opening in the building vacated by Aqua, BarCode Bar & Clubroom has been shut down permanently by police following three arrests for drug dealing and assault in December ~ 20th Jan

A bus driver had to be cut free after his empty double decker bus crashed into the side of The Bull's Head pub opposite Piccadilly Station. Structural damage to the historic pub is said to be significant ~ 13th Jan

Private equity company Alchemy, are selling their majority share holding in 66 branch Tameside vodka bar chain Revolution for over £100m. ~ 13th Jan

It would appear Scotland's largest independent brewery, Brewdog, is still looking for a unit despite announcing in September they were close to a deal for 16 Newton Street in the Northern Quarter, near to Piccadilly Gardens. Electric Boogaloo, opposite the Radisson hotel on Peter Street is a likely venue. 11 Jan

Balcony Bar at Piccadilly Station is to be rebranded as The Mayfield Bar, taking its name from the old Mayfield Station terminus, which can still be seen on Fairfield Street from platforms 13 & 14 (the large derelict building with the large 'Ninja' sign on the front). ~ 9 Jan

A planning application has been made to the council for a new bar, called Kulture, to be located in the Northern Quarter where the Corner Barber Shop is, next to The Soup Kitchen and NoHo. ~ 9 Jan

Following previous applications for a restaurant, a site reguarly touted to be that of the second Alchemist, 1 New York Street, is set to become a late night bar with the working title of Number 1. Just off Piccadilly Gardens, could it be another Living Ventures outlet, with Grill On New York Street on the same road? ~ 9 Jan

Manchester company Blue Training UK has bought the Bower Hotel in Chadderton, which will also become home to a new training academy for young apprentices looking to work in hospitality and catering ~ 9 Jan

Trof have announced very ambitious expansion plans with new openings at the premises vacated by The Green Room on Whitworth Street and Brannigans on Peter Street. ~ 4th Jan

The Lass O'Gowrie is to host a one venue fringe festival for the whole month of January which includes live performance of three 1968 episodes of Coronation Street and a Russell T Davies' play. ~ 2nd Jan 2012

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