Altrincham – it’s changed a lot since we started Altrincham HQ in 2009
And being one of the most active towns on Social Media, it’s safe to say a lot of people like to talk
So aside from the doom and gloom in Newspapers – what were people talking in Altrincham in 2016
(Pic: Manchester Storm)
1. Justin Bieber Coming To Altrincham
For years there’s has been rumours of Rihanna dropping into Starving Man – nobody knows quite whether it’s true, but it still gets talked about to this day
But when Manchester Storm invited Justin Bieber to Altrincham to play Ice Hockey and he accepted, Social Media went a little crazy for a week
Altrincham is used to Coronation Street stars, Manchester United players and members of The Smiths and The Stone Roses on a weekly basis
US Superstars just don’t visit the town very often
The story was only made more bizarre by the fact he stayed after the game in Altrincham for a couple of pints at the old Faulkners pub
What in 2017? Jay Z visiting the Malt Shovels or Beyonce singing Karaoke in the Station
2. Altrincham Totem / Stump
The Totem. The Slab. The Gravestone. The Obelisk. The Monolith
Oh and the alleged spelling mistake
When this £16k gateway landed in Altrincham without warning it attracted lovers and haters
And then a few weeks later the Altrincham stump arrived
The alleged reason for this gateway to the town is that is slows traffic down ahead of the shared space scheme further down Stamford New Road which is still being worked on
It’s grown on many in the months since it arrived and it looks fantastic at night, but there’s still a book open somewhere for when a bus knocks it down
3. Nandos Altrincham Rumours
For years people have asked for a Nandos in Altrincham
It’s not to everybody’s taste, neither is the Primark which is the other name that keeps coming up when you ask “What brands do you want in Altrincham?”
But are the requests coming ever closer to being a reality
Back in November several sources stated they’d been told Nandos was going to be in the refurbished McDonalds building in the town centre
2 weeks later an image was in planning documents with the same colour scheme / font as Nandos
Official sources have said nothing – but 2017 will be interesting
4. Francs / La Vina / Hale Grill Closing
One of the most shocking stories of 2016 was the closure of legendary Altrincham restaurant Francs after 24 years
Altrincham HQ were the 1st to announce this and the shock from our readers was unparalleled
How could a local loved restaurant close after 24 years in the town?
Over in Hale saw both Hale Grill and La Vina close in recent months. Following the closure of Hale Kitchen and The American Bar in recent years the village of Hale has become barely recognisable from what people knew and loved
5. The Con Club / Bistrot Pierre / Porta Tapas & The foodie scene
A few years ago people used to go from Altrincham to Hale for a night out
There’s a lot to suggest that the movement has been reversed and that people in Hale now see Altrincham as the place to go for a night out
Around the Market Quarter have been 2 fantastic additions with The Con Club and Porta Tapas opening on Greenwood Street
The former has the same buzz that the market had when it opened – you can’t avoid the Instagram photos or the facebook checkins of the Con Club
The latter – well Porta Tapas simply has the best olives and best spanish omelette i’ve ever tasted in my life. And that includes in Spain
Bistrot Pierre has changed the face of George Street taking the old Burtons / Utopia unit and turning it into a landmark building. We pass daily and it’s not had a quiet day / night since they opened officially on December 2nd
Away from the Market Quarter we also saw Sugar Junction, Burrito Picante and Sushi Kimchi open – 3 fantastic additions to the foodie scene which you MUST check out
(Pic: Kitson Architecture)
6. Altrincham Hospital
People were fascinated by the demolition of the old Altrincham Hospital
Not just because it opened up the space in the area, but how quickly it happened compared to other Altrincham projects
And when it all came down and the ground was flat people started to wish it became an open town square or plaza
With a prime spot like this in Altrincham it will never happen and it’s already been announced that it will become part Health Centre / Library / Cafe
Enjoy looking at that open space whilst you can as work on the new building will start soon
7. Roberts House Turning Into Apartments
Or Altrincham Job Centre as people tend to know the building as
One of the more controversial developments to be announced in Altrincham this year
Planning got approved earlier this month to turn Roberts House into 91 Apartments
Why were people so shocked about it? The fact it has just 58 spaces in the car park which was less than the recommended number of spaces in an already heavily residential area
8. Those Tyre Warehouse Banners
“Free Jaffa Cake With Every Tyre”
It’s the small things that made people laugh this year and one of the genius marketing campaigns of the year
People were certainly talking about these random banners that were seen all over Altrincham and Sale in 2016
