Spinningfields and clubbing
Friday 7th August

I'm driving through Moss Side to the city centre to meet Jackson. Some of the roads are blocked off because there's been another accident. These roads are notorious.

Anyway. I'm running 10 minutes late and I texted Jackson to tell him this. He texts me back saying:
Jackson texts: "Well that's an extra slice of pizza for me then!"

I park the car and walk over to the front of Manchester Met Students Union where Jackson is sitting. A drunk lady in her 50's is nearby and shouts to me half smiling and joking
Drunk lady: "He's been waiting like an idiot for ages for you!"
Me: "Yeah."

Me and Jackson walk towards the takeaways.
Me to Jackson: "Sorry I was late. I usually set off earlier, but haven't been out for a while and it was a big deal getting ready."
Jackson: "I was going to text you myself that I wasn't going to make it on time! I didn't leave until 37 minutes past. But I got your text so left it."
Me: "It's the excitement of going out clubbing."
Jackson: "Yeah. I was really looking forward to tonight."

We've been spending time with our girlfriends so haven't been going clubbing, dancing and so on.

We get a pizza and garlic bread with cheese from Popolinos and eat it in the park opposite the takeaways. It's a warm summer evening so it's nice to be outside.

We go to Kro Bar Piccasilly Gardens. There's a real trendy crowd out tonight. It's great when people make an effort as the night out is more special.

Next we go to Label.

We go to Living Room where we have drinks and stay for 45 minutes. There's so much style tonight. People have really made the effort to dress smart. It's a party atmosphere.

We leave Living Room and go towards Spinningfields.
Jackson: "There's a really good restaurant in Spinningfields. I went last night when I was there watching Grease on the big screen. I went with my girlfriend."
Jackson says how good it was watching Grease at an open air cinema.

We go to the restaurant in Spinningfields.
Jackson: "The hot chocolates are really nice. Do you want one?"
Me: "Sure."
Jackson orders the hot chocolates. He knows the waitress, who gives great service, as he comes here often.
Me: "It's a nice place. I like the décor, music is good too. It's relaxing."
Jackson agrees.
Jackson: "It's somewhere you can go to relax in the evening that isn't like a nightclub."

Jackson buys some macaroons from the bakery area. They taste good.

Spinningfields is a new office, bar and restaurant complex in Manchester. There's a grass area with a big screen. Deck chairs are available to hire at £2 each, so in summer people sit out and watch films or sport together.

We have a good time being at Spinningfields.

We go to the Birdcage nightclub. The music is quality tonight. We're dancing to the tunes. Ladies are hitting on us. We dance with some but then tell them we have girlfriends. It can seem that women can't just dance and enjoy themselves in a club. They either have to be hitting on a guy or thinking they're teasing a guy.

Later on, one lady dances up to Jackson all close, then her friend goes up to Jackson and starts pulling away the lady. Jackson says
Jackson: "She's the one who danced up to me!"

Another lady is being hit on by some guy, she goes to Jackson as if to ask him to protect her. Jackson lets her dance near him. Then when Jackson doesn't try it on with her, she goes off and dances with the guy she originally wanted Jackson to protect her from!

We have a good time dancing to the music.

There's a show now on stage. So we sit down.

The Birdcage is a nightclub with a camp theme. It has drag shows which is something you have to put up with if you want a good night out - since this club is the only place with good music all night. They don't allow drinks on the dancefloor so there's no broken glass on it. Every other club by 11:30 it can become difficult to dance there's so much smashed glass everywhere. As well as the drag artists they have a few showgirls who are women.

Now me and Jackson are sitting down and opposite us on the stage is a showgirl dancing next to a pole. She's doing her dance - not a strip club dance, more like sexy dance top of the pops moves. As she's dancing she's totally looking directly at me and Jackson. It's amazing. We make a connection across the room. Me and Jackson have the styles tonight. Since we've got girlfriends we really like, women notice us everywhere even more than before.

The show finishes and we're back on the dancefloor. I'm dancing some new moves with a lady I met, while Jackson has this lady who is dressed as a devil dancing close to him. They dance well together.

After lots more dancing, we leave and walk across the city in the warm summer air.


Summary and venue reviews

Popolinos
Quiet. Clientele: smart casual. Décor: 6/10.
Popolinos

Kro Bar Piccadilly Gardens
Medium busy. Clientele: smart casual, smart. Décor: 7/10.
Kro Bar Piccadilly

Label
Medium busy. Clientele: smart casual, smart. Décor: 9/10.
Notes: A trendy and modern interior.
Label

Living Room
Medium busy. Clientele: smart, smart casual. Décor: 9/10.
Notes: A fashionable venue with nice decor, friendly staff and a range of drinks.
Living Room

Spinningfields
Medium busy. Clientele: smart, smar casual.
Notes: Spinningfields is a new area in Manchester with bars and restaurants.
Spinningfields

Birdcage nightclub
Busy. Clientele: smart, smart casual, hen nights. Décor: 10/10.
Notes: A well organised venue with a good DJ and friendly staff.
Birdcage nightclub



Click here for Season 6 Index

© Alex Remizo