A brownie pack had reason to celebrate earlier this month when it reached the grand old age of 90. A brownie pack had reason to celebrate earlier this month when it reached the grand old age of 90. The 6th St Annes Brownie group, which meets at the Church Road Methodist Centre in St Annes, was established on January 7, 1929. Current leaders Marie Hawkins said: “This is an amazing milestone for our little pack, making us one of the oldest groups not just in St Annes but in the country.” The Guide Association was established in 1909, with Brownies (originally being called Rosebuds) set up for girls under 11. Marie added: “The Brownie programme has had a complete makeover in the last 12 months. “I think our fellow brownies back in 1929 could only imagine the wonders of doing their aviation badge or zero waste badge. “We may have moved right on trend into 2019 but one thing is for sure Brownies is still all about making new friendships, learning important life … [Read more...] about St Annes Brownies celebrate group’s 90th birthday
The murder of Paul Massey: How ‘Mr Big’ lost control of Salford
Paul Massey was murdered by a hired hitman after losing his decades-long grip on Salford's underworld, the M.E.N. can reveal. For years Salford's gangsters have been among Europe's most committed organised criminals. Drugs, cash-in-transit robberies, commercial burglary, protection rackets and organised car crime are their stock-in-trade. And at the top tier of Salford's underworld was a gang who looked to Paul Massey as their mentor - the A Team - from the Ordsall and Pendleton estates of the city. At 5ft 8ins tall and 14 stone, Massey was far from the biggest man in Salford. But he had the biggest reputation. Charismatic, intelligent and capable of extreme violence in his youth, the security firm boss was respected and feared in criminal circles for decades. But that fear and respect wasn't enough to stop him being assassinated on his doorstep at the age of 55. That brutal end came about after the A Team split in two - turning gangland friends, even family members into deadly … [Read more...] about The murder of Paul Massey: How ‘Mr Big’ lost control of Salford
2018 sets new record for Manchester office take-up
Manchester saw a record year for office take up in 2018 with the final figure in the city centre reaching 1,750,276 square feet across 314 transactions. The Manchester Office Agents Forum (MOAF) announced that this is well above the 10-year average and surpasses the previous record of 1,331,557 sq. ft set in 2014. The final quarter saw 513,171 sq. ft. of deals with the most sizeable transactions being Amazon leasing 89,449 sq. ft. at the Hanover building, WeWork taking another 76,174 sq. ft. at Dalton Place and Manchester City Council moving to 33,223 sq. ft. at City Road. Over the course of 2018 the largest deals were HMRC taking a pre-let of 157,000 sq. ft. at 3 New Bailey Street and Booking.com announcing their new 225,000 sq. ft. facility at Allied London’s Manchester Good’s Yard. Harry Skinner, associate director at Avison Young said: “The performance of the market in 2018 clearly demonstrates that despite the backdrop of political uncertainty Manchester is … [Read more...] about 2018 sets new record for Manchester office take-up
Paul Massey’s family: Our dad, to us, was our dad. Not Salford’s Mr Big
Paul Massey's family have paid tribute to a loving family man who doted on his children and grandchildren, saying his 'personality and compassion outshone his criminal past'. They said he hated the label of Salford's 'Mr Big', revealing it made him 'cringe'. His daughter Kelly, speaking to the M.E.N. on behalf of the family after his killer was convicted, recalled happy family days out with his grandchildren, nieces and nephews to zoos and fairs - and her dad's fierce respect and care for the elderly. She also revealed he was planning to open a youth club in Salford before his murder. The grandad-of-eight would have turned 59 last Monday. The family said he got 'wiser' and changed with age. Mark Fellows, 38, of Warrington, but originally of Salford, denied murder at a Liverpool Crown Court trial. But after a 26-day hearing, he was found guilty of shooting dead Mr Massey. He was also found guilty of the murder of Mr Massey's friend John Kinsella, three years later. Mum-of-two Kelly, 36, … [Read more...] about Paul Massey’s family: Our dad, to us, was our dad. Not Salford’s Mr Big
PSG’s Gueye charm offensive continues
As charm offensives go, it had the subtlety of a sledgehammer. Thiago Silva, the captain of Paris Saint-Germain, was brazenly talking up the potential arrival of Everton's Idrissa Gueye, blissfully ignoring the two-and-half years left on Blues star's Goodison contract. "I don’t know him very well but we are going to try to pay attention now to understand the situation," said the Brazil centre-back. "But I know he has the qualities to play at PSG and he would of course be welcome if he arrives." It's a well-travelled path that European giants venture down whenever they are in the hunt for a player they so covet. Get enough big names talking about the transfer and it will surely turn the player's head. Or so the theory goes. Gueye's former Lille team-mate Benoit Pedretti was next to offer his two cents, declaring it a superb bit of business for the Ligue 1 champions. “It's a very good move for Paris as well”, Pedretti told Eurosport France. It's a tactic that … [Read more...] about PSG’s Gueye charm offensive continues