r/manchester • • 22d ago

Comprehensive list of gay bars/LGBT venues in Greater Manchester

118 Upvotes

I have compiled the following list of gay/LGBT+ bars/clubs/venues/businesses* in Greater Manchester. There are several other lists online, however most are out-of-date, and they all ignore anything outside of Canal Street. This is thus the most comprehensive list currently available; I’ve added a brief description for each one (n.b. I am not affiliated with any of these venues).

If anyone has any additions/corrections, please DM me and I’ll edit as appropriate.

\Meaning any venue which caters for and markets itself towards a predominantly LGBT+ crowd, not just ‘gay-friendly’. Casual social/meet-up groups not included. Worded also to aid Google SEO.*

 

AREAS:

1.      City centre - Canal Street area

2.      City centre – Civic Quarter

3.      City centre – Northern Quarter

4.      City centre - Chorlton-on-Medlock

5.      City centre (outer north) – Cheetham Hill/Strangeways

6.      City centre (outer east) – Ancoats

7.      One-off/occasional nights

8.      Greater Manchester (north) - Bury

9.      Greater Manchester (north-east) - Shaw

10.   Greater Manchester (north-east) - Oldham

11.   Greater Manchester (east) - Ashton-under-Lyne

12.   Greater Manchester (east) - Stalybridge

 

1.      City centre - Canal Steet area

. Area – 50 Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3WF (https://www.areamanchester.net). CLUB. Two-floor club, has frequent gay nights. Also incorporates Manchester’s former lesbian bar Vanilla. (https://www.instagram.com/vanillagirlsmcr).

. Bar Pop - 10 Canal Street, Manchester, M1 3EZ (https://www.barpop.co.uk). BAR. Pretty raucous place spread over 2-3 floors. Occasional drag shows. Attracts a mixed crowd leaning younger. Open late.

. The Brewers - 4 Canal Street, Manchester, M1 3HE (https://www.thebrewersmanchester.co.uk). BAR. Spacious, laid-back bar with a more-upscale feel, with occasional club nights/events.

. Central Station - 51 Bloom Street, Manchester, M1 3LY (https://www.facebook.com/CentreStageMCR). BAR. Cosy, old-school gay bar, with occasional drag/karaoke. Crowd tilts older. (My personal favourite in the Village!).

. The Church - 37 Chorlton Street, Manchester, M1 3HN (https://www.thechurchmcr.co.uk). BAR. Formerly known as Churchills. Large and loud with a mixed crowd, drag shows etc.

. Clone Zone - 36-38 Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3WA (https://www.instagram.com/czmanchester). SHOP. Shop selling sex toys and various gay-themed items (mostly male orientated).

. Club Tropicana - 33 Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3LZ (https://www.facebook.com/tropicanamanchester). CLUB. Plays 80s – 00s music.

. The Cockatoo Club - 20 Richmond Street, Manchester, M1 3ND (https://www.thecockatooclub.co.uk). BAR. More upscale-style place, with lots of cocktails etc. Does drag shows.

. The Company Bar - 26 Richmond Street, Manchester, M1 3NB (https://companybar.co.uk). BAR. Small, dark, basement bar - de facto men-only . Open late.

. Cruz 101 - 101 Princess Street, The, Manchester, M1 6DD (https://www.cruz101.com). CLUB. The main gay club in the city. Incorporates Sub 101 (https://www.instagram.com/sub101official), which is open very late for the hardcore ravers.

. Eagle - 15 Bloom Street, Manchester, M1 3HZ (https://www.eaglemanchester.com). BAR/CLUB. Men-only club which does a variety of themed club night, some 18+.

. EVA - 27 Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3LZ (https://evamanchester.com). BAR. Karaoke bar, with more chilled-out area downstairs. Attracts a mixed crowd.

. G-A-Y - 63 Richmond Street, Manchester, M1 3WB (https://www.instagram.com/gaymanchester). BAR. Large multi-level bar, focus on modern pop, crowd tilts younger. Now the sole G-A-Y left since the two in London closed.

. The Goose - 29 Bloom Street, Manchester, M1 3JE (https://thegoose.pub, https://www.facebook.com/thegoosepub). BAR. Fun, friendly, unpretentious bar, with busy drag/karaoke nights.

. Iconic Bar - 29 Richmond Street, Manchester, M1 3NB (https://www.facebook.com/IconManchester). BAR. Small, old-school bar. Mostly men.

. LGBT Foundation – 2nd floor, Fairbairn House, 72 Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3NJ (https://lgbt.foundation). NGO. Charity/campaigning organisation.

. The Lodge Bar - 14 Chorlton Street, Manchester, M1 3HW (https://www.lodgemanchester.co.uk). BAR. Upmarket feel at this speakeasy style venue, formerly the bar section of The Eagle; during the day it doubles as a casual café/work space.

. The Molly Bar - 26 Richmond Street, Manchester, M1 3NB (http://www.themollyhouse.com). BAR. Upscale-feel place, focussed more on food.

. The New Union - 111 Princess Street, Manchester, M1 6JB (https://www.newunionhotel.co.uk). BAR. Decent pub-style place (with B&B upstairs), though seems geared more towards hen-nights and door-staff can be hostile to single men.

. New York New York - 94-98 Bloom Street, Manchester, M1 3LY (https://www.newyorknewyorkbar.com). BAR. Long-standing venue split in two – large, lively room with karaoke, drag etc., with a quieter, smaller bar (sometimes called the Queen’s Bar, or formerly District) next-door. Mixed crowd.

. On Bar - 46 Canal Street, Manchester, M1 3WD (https://www.facebook.com/onbarmanchester). BAR. Modern style bar spread over two levels, with outside seating upstairs – perfect in the summer.

. Oscars Bar - 34 Canal Street, Manchester M1 3WD (https://www.instagram.com/oscarsbarmcr). BAR. Small cocktail bar playing exclusively film/theatre/musical tunes.

. REM Bar - 33 Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3LZ (https://www.therembrandtmanchester.com). BAR. Formerly known as The Rembrandt. Laid-back place, with occasional DJ nights. Almost entirely male, leaning older.

. The Thompsons Arms - 23 Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3NJ (https://thompsonsarms.co.uk, https://www.instagram.com/thompsonsarms_mcr). BAR. Large, no-frills bar. Open late.

. Velvet Bar - 2 Canal Street, Manchester, M1 3HE (https://www.velvetmanchester.com). BAR. Upscale bar-cum-hotel, also serves food.

. Via - 28-30 Canal Street, Manchester, M1 3EZ (https://www.viamanchester.co.uk). BAR. An institution – multiple rooms/levels, always busy, mixed crowd, packed drag shows.

 

2.      City centre - Civic Quarter

. Manchester Queer Massage - Spaces Building, Oxford Street, Peter House, Manchester, M1 5AN (https://www.manchesterqueermassage.com). MASSAGE. Gay-focussed massage service.

. Vada Vada - 7-9 New Wakefield Street, Manchester, M1 5NP (https://vadavada.co.uk, https://www.instagram.com/vadavadamcr). BAR. New venue just behind Oxford Street station, bar area upstairs with dance floor downstairs. Serves food.

 

3.      City centre - Northern Quarter

. Basement - 18 Tariff Street, Manchester, M1 2FN (https://www.basementmanchester.com). SAUNA. Now the only gay sauna in central Manchester, short walking distance from Canal Street.

. The Gay Pride Shop - 2nd Floor, Afflecks, Manchester, M4 1PW (https://gayprideshop.co.uk). SHOP. Sells gay books, clothes etc.

 

4.      City - Chorlton-on-Medlock

. The Pride Place - 49-51 Sidney Street, Manchester, M1 7HB (https://www.theproudtrust.org/the-proud-place). NGO. Community hub with various events.

 

5.      City centre (outer north) – Cheetham Hill/Strangeways

. Derby Brewery Arms - 95 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, M8 8PY (https://www.instagram.com/derbybreweryarms). BAR. AKA The DBA, traditional-style pub with live music/club events.

 

6.      City centre (outer east) - Ancoats

. Social Refuge - 27 Great Ancoats Street, Manchester, M4 5AJ (https://www.socialrefuge.com). CAFÉ/BAR/SHOP. Relaxed café-cum-bar. Incorporates Queer Lit, a gay book shop (https://www.queerlit.co.uk).

 

7.      One-off/occasional nights

. ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE: Nico Ditch, 52 Old Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6LB (https://www.instagram.com/thenicoditch). Hosts occasional LGBT events.

. CANAL STREET – Club Alert! (https://www.club-alert.com). Fetish/club night for men, operates usually from Area or Sub 101.

. SALFORD – Alter Ego at Islington Mill, 1 James Street, Salford, M3 5HW (https://www.instagram.com/alter.ego.mcr). Lesbian/female-focussed night.

. STRANGEWAYS – Homoelectric at Hidden, 16-18 Mary Street, Manchester, M3 1NH (https://www.instagram.com/homoelectric). Club night, mixed crowd, tilting younger.

. VARIOUS – Butch Revival (https://www.facebook.com/butchrevivalmcr). Old-school lesbian club night, operates from a different venue each time.

. VARIOUS – Diesel Duke Club (https://www.instagram.com/dieseldykeclub). Lesbian night, usually operates from either the Derby Brewery Arms in Cheetham Hill or The Grafton Arms in the University/Brunswick area.

. VARIOUS – Swagga (https://www.facebook.com/swaggamanchester). Infrequent event focussing on black music (reggae, dancehall, R&B etc).

 

8.      Greater Manchester (north) - Bury

. House of Bridget – 5 Silver Street, Bury, BL9 0EU (https://www.instagram.com/thehouseofbridget). BAR. Small local bar, with occasional drag/karaoke nights.

. Nero’s Sauna - Whitelegge Street, Bury, BL8 1SW (https://nerossauna.com). SAUNA. Situated west of Bury town centre in Elton/Woolfold, does themed nights.

9.      Greater Manchester (north-east) - Shaw

. Pennine Sauna - 96 Rochdale Road, Shaw, OL2 7SB (no website). SAUNA. Small sauna, crowd leans older.

10.  Greater Manchester (north-east) - Oldham

. The George Tavern - 42 George Street, Oldham, OL1 1LB (https://www.facebook.com/p/The-George-Tavern-Oldham-61553244922425). BAR. Large, traditional-style pub. Does drag/karaoke/DJ nights

.

11.  Greater Manchester (east) - Ashton-under-Lyne

. Blues Cabaret & Karaoke Bar - 29 Bow Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6BX (https://www.instagram.com/bluescaberetbarashton). BAR. Drag-focussed bar. Currently closed, though may re-open soon.

12.  Greater Manchester (east) - Stalybridge

. R Billy’s - 88 Market Street, Stalybridge, SK15 2AB (https://www.facebook.com/Rbillysbar). BAR. Does drag/karaoke nights.


r/manchester • • Sep 10 '26

Seeking friendship mega post.

27 Upvotes

Please post in here.


r/manchester • • 2h ago

Salford Chinese Garden at RHS Garden Bridgewater

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104 Upvotes

r/manchester • • 3h ago

Hulme Humphrey Hulme garden centre cat has passed

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72 Upvotes

He was always the highlight of my gardening visits. He was such a gentle dude and I feel for all of the staff who clearly adored him.

RIP Humphrey ❤️


r/manchester • • 6h ago

Anyone know the story of this house in Whalley Range?

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76 Upvotes

I was visiting Whalley Range and not familiar with the area as I live in Didsbury.

I noticed this house, with the name "Dunedin" (the Scottish name for Edinburgh) on Alness Road, which was completely boarded up, the windows bricked up from inside with breezeblock, the front door with roller shutters and a breezeblock wall completely blocking the driveway entrance. It's honestly the most bizarre (I assume abandoned) house I've ever seen.

I know Whalley Range is an area which was once wealthy with some very grand old houses but has come under hard times in recent decades, but this is one particularly peculiar spectacle of what once would have been a beautiful big house.


r/manchester • • 9h ago

Full trader list for Manchester Christmas Markets announced ahead of November opening, featuring almost 200 stalls – including giant Yorkshire pudding wraps, crumble pots & 9 locations

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37 Upvotes

r/manchester • • 6h ago

Joy Division- Love will tear us apart.

18 Upvotes

r/manchester • • 2h ago

Where can I take needlebins?

6 Upvotes

Ive found several needle/sharps bins hidden away in the back of a kitchen cupboard of someone ive started to help.

Ive been to about 15 chemists and my local GP. Only one would take needle bins and it was the small 500ml ones.

I need to dispose of several 2.5L and 5L bins and I can't find anyone who takes them. I googled it and the ones that said they took them didn't when I arrived.

Really don't want to throw them in general waste as I've heard news stories of people getting pricked at the sorting places.

Don't know if it matters but they are all insulin needles.

Any help appreciated! We are in the south of Manchester

Edit : thank you for all the helpful replies


r/manchester • • 14h ago

The BBC using the most overused Tony Wilson misquote.

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56 Upvotes

Now I don’t really mind the “Made in Manchester” BBC promo (even though they are in Salford) but them giving a nod or in this case a wink to the most overused Manchester misquote of all time, with a photo of Tony Wilson is disappointing. It’s worse than them editing that Trump speech. Tony Wilson didn’t ever say it. The screenwriter of 24 Hour Party People Frank Cottrell-Boyce confirmed it was made up line for Steve Coogan playing Wilson in the film. The slogan itself isn't false but associating it with the “real” Tony Wilson again continues to push the false impression about it’s origin.


r/manchester • • 13h ago

Lost passport - £100 reward

36 Upvotes

Hello,

I’m not sure if post like this are welcome, if not I apologize & I will remove.

I don’t think this is likely to work but I figure it is worth a shot. On Friday night I lost my Canadian passport while on Canal Street in the Village. I was not in any bars so it was definitely while walking down the street. I went up and down the street a good few hours to try to spot it but no luck. If anyone can return it I will give a £100 reward no questions asked. Thank you for your time.


r/manchester • • 1h ago

City Centre Market Street sweetcorn

• Upvotes

I counted 11 sweetcorn carts on Market Street yesterday (and probably just as many preachers).

A personal record. Can anyone beat it?


r/manchester • • 1d ago

Desert Storm/Chubby Brown preacher on Market Street

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293 Upvotes

I don't know what this get up was about. Knee pads and stab vest and helmet with goggles preaching the word. Does anyone know how the attire relates to the gospel? Absolutely bizarre!


r/manchester • • 15h ago

Absolutely fuming - tram machine enemy

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27 Upvotes

I got the tram from Burton Road to Deansgate - first machine I tried to tap out on just sat there and didn't register I was trying to tap so I went to the next one and immediately got the beep as normal. Then apparently I have been charged one incomplete from Burton Road because of a double tap and another incomplete from Deansgate. Absolutely fuming, I've queried it with them - anyone had any experience on how they are about querying? The first machine literally didn't even react so I just went and tried the next which worked immediately.

The time stamps are also all weird, I was at Deansgate for 1256 to get a train so no idea where the 1236 has come from.


r/manchester • • 1d ago

Manchester from Stockport this evening

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250 Upvotes

r/manchester • • 15h ago

Airport data breach - my response

15 Upvotes

Hi all, as you know that Manchester airport was a target of cyber attack recently. I recently wrote to them about it as some of you might also have. They replied. What makes me furious is that they are trying to sweep it under the carpet rather than acknowledging their mistake while enshittification of their service continues. Here’s my response to their response. I am posting this here so you can use the same/similar. We shouldn’t let them get away with this. What I really want from this is for them to provide alternatives for those who don’t want share their personal information with them:

I will be straightforward with you. Your letter has not reassured me. If anything it has made things worse, because the way it is written gives the impression that you would prefer these concerns to go away without consequence rather than acknowledging the seriousness and actually doing something to resolve the issue. 

Your letter lists what was accessed and then moves straight on to reassuring me that no bank or payment details were held. The structure of that itself is telling. It treats my email address, phone number, postcode, vehicle registration, IP address and booking and purchase history as a lesser category of information that I should not be particularly worried about!

I absolutely do not accept this framing. Taken together, that data identifies me, locates my home, identifies my car and records when I travel. It is not trival simply because no card number was stolen.

If MAG genuinely regards this combination as low impact, then I invite you to publish the same categories of data for the members of your own board and executive team. Namely, their personal email addresses, mobile numbers, home postcodes, vehicle registrations and travel booking histories. Based on your own logic there would be nothing to worry about as their banking details would not be involved.

Your letter states that at no point was passenger safety or aviation security compromised. I do not accept that either, at least not as it is presented.

I assume you to mean that your operational and security systems were unaffected. That is not the same thing as passengers being safe! As stated earlier, my home postcode, my vehicle registration and my parking booking dates have been taken together. Anyone holding that record knows where I live, what I drive, and the exact dates my home is empty. It has been reported that the stolen material includes roughly 200,000 records relating to travel booked for the remainder of 2026.

Please explain how that is consistent with passenger safety not having been compromised? Please also confirm directly whether any record relating to my own travel or parking falls within that subset.

Your letter further says you are unable to comment on whether specific data has been shared online. 

The dataset was published in early September. It has been indexed by Have I Been Pwned since then and is searchable by anyone, including me. It has been 6 weeks and you are still unable to tell me whether I am in it.

Please confirm whether you have checked customer records against the published dataset, and if not, why not? 
Is this the same laziness and negligence that lead to the breach in the first place?

I also note that your letter does not list customer names among the data accessed, although published analysis of the leaked dataset does.

It has been reported that access was obtained using API credentials exposed in client-side JavaScript on your own website, meaning they were visible to anyone who simply opened the developer tools in their browser. Please confirm or deny this.

If it is correct, this was not a sophisticated attack that you could do little about. It was a basic failure that could’ve been easily prevented if you actually cared about the customer information as you’ve said in your letter.

What’s worse is that MAG is steadily moving its services online while removing alternatives. For example parking is booked online, fast Track and the lounges are booked online, the airport Wi-Fi requires a sign-up before it will work. In practice a customer cannot use your airports without handing over personal data, and you have now demonstrated that you cannot keep that data safe.

So what is the alternative? What is the option for a customer who wants to park at Manchester without their home postcode and vehicle registration ending up on a leak site?

Please set out specifically what you are changing. Not general statements about industry standards and guidance, but what is actually different now.

I note that you will respond to my subject access request separately, and I will await that response.

I note that you are not in a position to consider compensation at this stage. I reserve my position and my rights under Article 82 of the UK GDPR, and will return to this once your investigation concludes.

I would like a response that engages with the points above, rather than one that repeats the general statements in your previous letter.


r/manchester • • 1h ago

Recommendations for russian lip filler?

• Upvotes

As stated in the title, I specifically want an actual Russian or Polish/other Eastern European aesthetician. Thanks 😙👄


r/manchester • • 1h ago

Manchester Airport - Why is it so hard to get there on a Sunday morning?

• Upvotes

Am I missing something or is it just incredibly challenging to get quick public transport to MAN Airport on a Sunday morning?

Having a flight at 1230 today (Sunday) I thought it would be pretty straightforward to get from Preston to the airport - how wrong I was!

- the earliest train was at 1024 from Preston getting into the airport with one change arriving too late for me at 1155
- so I took google maps advice on the next best option - to get the first train to Manchester at 925, get off at Oxford Road then walk 10 mins to the Coach Station to catch the 1045 National Express bus to the airport
- BUT when I arrived at the coach station I was advised that it wasn’t possible to buy a ticket to get the National Express Coach to the airport as it’s a regulated route so I’d need to get the local bus round the corner which takes over 1 hour vs 20 mins on the National Express Coach.
- HOWEVER as the coach was going to the airport I decided I would just buy a ticket for the same coach through to Birmingham and just get off at the airport. (This was still cheaper than getting an Uber). This makes absolutely no sense but it got me to the airport quickly and on time.

This was my first time visiting the region and given the size of the city and airport it just seems crazy it’s so hard and convoluted to use public transport on a Sunday to get to the airport. Surely this could all be fixed with a bit of common sense and joined up planning?


r/manchester • • 6h ago

Castlefield Hairdresser / salon recs?

2 Upvotes

Hi all, I’m hoping someone can help a girl out.

If you want some backstory:
Basically I have a long history of changing my hair, different lengths, different colours, mostly a lot of colouring but then ultimately returning to blonde. Most recently I went from being dark brunette back to bleach blonde, it was a process, multiple appointments to get me there etc. but unfortunately at my last root bleach appointment I had some bad breakage. It wasn’t my hairdressers fault, I am 99% sure it was because I was constantly pulling my hair into a slick back pretty much 24/7 - basically if it wasn’t freshly washed, it was slicked back - so I think mechanical damage was the culprit and then the root bleach on top of that was just the last straw. But the breakage was also in really unfortunate areas, so along my whole parting right from the front of my hairline back to my crown (I genuinely look like one of those birds with the mohawks when it’s sticking up), but also on both of my temples, so I’m having to specifically part my hair severely enough on the side of my head that is not natural for me, and my hair is so thin looking on either side of my head now as well, so I absolutely hate styling it atm.

So essentially, I really want an experienced hairdresser to just assess the whole situation and tell me what the best thing is I can do, mainly to gain some confidence back tbh because it’s been getting me down lately.
Currently my hair is cut into a short bob and my roots are grown out nearly an inch I’d say.
I’ve been considering all potential options, but at the very least I’d like to maybe get a root drag/smudge I think? As I have dark brown roots so I’d like to bring that down and create kind of an ombré look and tone the blonde ends to eliminate the yellow and instead have a nice cool tone like beige or something.
I’d also consider hair extensions if I’m honest but the price does concern me and I’d be worried that’s just going to prolong the damage rather than let it grow back healthy and recover.

I’m from Ireland btw and just moved here a week and a half ago, hence why I’ve no clue where to go..
I’m based in the Castlefield area so someone nearby / city centre / easily accessible by public transport or walking distance would be ideal.

TLDR:
Short bob, bleached blonde, dark brown roots with nearly an inch regrowth, recent major breakage on top of head and both temples. Looking for an experienced hairdresser to assess and advise best options. Ideally Castlefield area / city centre / easy reached via public transport.

TIA 🤍


r/manchester • • 1d ago

Lime street train 17.10

43 Upvotes

If you were the victim of the altercation that just happened on the train to lime street Liverpool from Manchester I have video evidence that I can send to you no worries


r/manchester • • 3h ago

Looking to meet new people

2 Upvotes

I am looking to make new friends in the town, so just wanted to check here if someone has had luck with any of the meetups that gets organised around the city?

I have been to one and there were a few creepy guys that kinda upset me, so I wanna go to a place that's more like a friendly space. I have tried Bumble BFF too, but is it just me or is the app kinda ded now? I made some great friends through the app in the past, but they have all moved out of Manchester sadly.


r/manchester • • 10h ago

Working with animals (19yold)

2 Upvotes

Hi. Does anybody know of any opportunities for a 19 year old to work with animals in the Manchester area. He's willing to do voluntary work


r/manchester • • 9h ago

If I buy a monthly tram ticket on the Bee network, do I need to scan my phone or anything when I get on the tram?

2 Upvotes

Hi all - question is in the title really. If I buy a weekly or monthly tram pass through the bee network app, do I need to scan anything when I get on/off the tram, or do I just ignore it and only show the ticket inspector my app when they ask?

Cheers guys


r/manchester • • 5h ago

City Centre need guidance from people working in the hse industry

0 Upvotes

hi everyone, i have a bsc in chemistry and an msc in safety, health and environment, and i’m looking to start my career in this field. i’d really appreciate some guidance on getting my first opportunity and developing the right skills. if you’re currently working in hse and are happy to share your experience or advice, please feel free to dm me. thank you!


r/manchester • • 5h ago

Gyms in City Centre

1 Upvotes

Anyone tried XF Arndale? I normally just get a pure gym membership and use any of them, but contemplating doing something different.

What about JD or King Street Gym?

Just want something with some spin classes and hyrox classes maybe, easy access and not heaving at lunchtimes and probably weekends...


r/manchester • • 6h ago

Bredbury.

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1 Upvotes