Born in Manchester, England, our roots are threaded deep into thecreative heart of the cotton city – Cottonopolis itself.RUN&FELL. Made in England.
We proudly manufacture and print our garments here in Manchester, the city where the Industrial Revolution began. The city once nicknamed Cottonopolis, home of Britain's cotton industry. A city renowned for its creativity and innovation.
We've decided to feature a few different projects from around Manchester; visionaries who are cultivating their own innovative enterprises; artists and designers creating inventive new visuals; musicians driving the heartbeat of the city.
We're passionate about local people embracing and excelling in their own forms of craft, launching initiatives which have a wider impact for good, and choosing to pursue positivity in their work to inspire others.
In the first part of our Made In Manchester series, we wanted to show you round a project which we felt shared our values entirely; The Pilcrow Pub.
Made In Manchester Series - Part 1 - The Pilcrow Pub
Hidden away in Sadlers Yard, a small square in Manchester which isn't very obvious and isn't very well known, is The Pilcrow Pub. The wooden cabin-like structure, not too dissimilar from an oversized garden shed, sits surrounded by imposing corporate buildings, in the recently regenerated paved square. Maybe it's all the wood, but it's got a very Scandinavian feel to it, with its clean lines and subdued tones.
We stumbled across the pub quite by accident, making a detour through a back street. The modern teal and beige hues of the newly laid out square, and the decidedly un-weathered wooden frame really stood out amid the 1970s towers and corporate Victorian architecture. There was definitely a feeling of freshness and expectation about the whole area.
What's really incredible about this place however, is that it's "The Pub That Manchester Built". A group of volunteers assembled and grafted together on the construction, building the, er, building itself. But they didn't stop there.
Workshops were held over a series of weeks, where locals could sign up to join in and make the furniture, furnishings, and everything inside, even down to the bar itself and the ceramic beer pump handles.
Light fittings, chairs, planters, tables. The curved, glossy, yet substantial ceramic tiled edging round the bar. Each one was made by hand by local people. And before you panic, it's all excellent quality; you're not going to fall through one of these handmade chairs, there's nothing flimsy, amateur or "home made" about them.
The pub sells a variety of local beers and a selection of ales from independent breweries from further afield. Cakes and baked goods are made by a couple of small Mancunian bakeries and the coffee is supplied by a startup coffee roasting company from neighbouring Salford.
The project brought people together to learn new skills, meet new faces, and ultimately create something long-lasting and unique. And it continues to do so, by running pub quiz nights, gin tasting events, and DJ sessions (from local DJs of course), seeking to build a sense of community in the middle of what would otherwise be a rather bland, soulless part of the city.
And isn't that what true regeneration is all about? It's not just about making the tired, old, or run-down physical structures and spaces look revitalised and modern, but also about injecting the very life and soul back in.
For further information regarding the Pilcrow Pub and their forthcoming events, visit: http://www.thepilcrowpub.com... See you at the next gin tasting?
