'The defiant Manchester nightspot which refused to say yes to developers' (2025)

'We found solace at the Star and Garter', sang The Courteeners on their 2016 single Modern Love.

And the Middleton lads weren't alone. For decades the ramshackle pub-cum-nightclub has been a sticky-floored haven for the city's indie kids, punk rockers and metalheads.

But for much of the 21st Century the fiercely independent venue has faced the almost constant threat of closure. Amid the planned expansion of Piccadilly station, the rise of the Northern Quarter and successive waves of regeneration and gentrification, the 'Temple of Doom' as it's affectionately known, fought a rearguard action against the might of big developers.

But it was a fight the late landlord Andy Martin, who sadly died last March aged 52, faced with characteristic bluntness and humour. "We told them to stick it where the sun doesn't shine,” he once told the NME while discussing how he turned down a £400,000 offer for the pub from Network Rail.

'The defiant Manchester nightspot which refused to say yes to developers' (1)

And now, as the Manchester Evening Newsreported earlier this week, that defiance has paid off. Broadwick, the firm behind nearby Mayfield Depot, has invested in the 220-year-old Grade II-listed pub.

And it has vowed it will be business as usual. While some work on the building will be carried out, Broadwick has promised to preserve the venue's 'iconic atmosphere and unique charm', while the regular nights and events, including the beloved monthly Smiths disco, which attracts Morrisey and Marr fanboys and girls from across the world, will also continue.

'The defiant Manchester nightspot which refused to say yes to developers' (2)

It's a move Andy's widow Helen Kitchen feels he would have welcomed whole-heartedly. Since Andy's death the 42-year-old has juggled running the pub with her full-time job as an office manager, while also being a mum to their two young children.

"There are lots of different feelings, but it's the right decision. I'm absolutely certain of it," she said. "I've really struggled these past few months.

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"I went back to work in September. I've been doing my full-time job, nine-to-five, trying to run the pub and parenting two kids - there's been a lot. I know Andy would have wanted this."

The Star and Garter Tavern - as it was then known - first opened in 1803 around 50 yards from where it currently stands. And throughout its 220-year history its proximity to Manchester's largest railway station has often thrown its future into doubt.

'The defiant Manchester nightspot which refused to say yes to developers' (4)

In 1849 it was forced to close for the expansion of London Road station (as Piccadilly was then known) before being taken down and rebuilt brick by brick in its current location. It then faced another fight for survival in 2009, when rail bosses once again planned to expand the station, but found the Star and Garter standing in their way.

As offers to buy the building were repeatedly turned down, the business faced years of uncertainty and doubt. It was a predicament that weighed heavily on Andy.

"I've got this video of him sitting in front of all the bods from Network Rail, their solicitors, and he was fighting the fight on his own," said Helen. "It really got to him, all that stuff. It really affected his mental health I guess.

"After that was sorted out, it was the maths that were difficult. We would have months that we did well and months that weren't so good. He was always stressed about it one way or another."

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Over the decades Status Quo, Peter Hook, The Courteeners, Half Man Half Biscuit, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes, UK Subs and Bring Me The Horizon have all played there, alongside countless other acts who never made it quite so big.

Last year the Music Venue Trust estimated at least 35% of the country's grassroots venues had closed over the last decades. In 2023 alone some 125 venues closed, at an average of two per week.

But the deal to save the Star and Garter bucks that trend, hopefully safeguarding its future as a mainstay of the Manchester music scene for years to come.

"Andy said the people that made the Star and Garter what it was were the customers," said Helen. "He said he might not have the crowds that Deansgate Locks or Printworks had, but people had to go out of their way for the Star and Garter.

"We had people that turned out to be doctors, or talented musicians. Andy would say there were lawyers that are representing people in court, who he has helped into taxis at the end of the night.

"He loved the people that went to the Star and Garter and I love them too, they are a great crowd. I know that they will see this as the right decision too, and they will be happy the Star and Garter continues."

'The defiant Manchester nightspot which refused to say yes to developers' (2025)
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