Something on your mind? Let us know..

johnthebrief says..“ Tristan - any chance you could archive or delete some of this rant? It's 2 years old, and it's so long that if I try to access it my computer sulks for 10 minutes”

Gordo says..“ I agree, u ok with that Jonathan, it goes on forever; the new design will solve it but it's a ba****d on my iPhone”

Tristan - tech legend says..“ You're wish is my command. (Well, you're website based wish).”

Avo says..“ Got an Iphone have we Gordo?”

Gordo Knows Who says..“ Hi Gordo, you got money out of me !, just signed up as a friend, The petal wont let me be a hero as she stated singles is not for me, (shame)”

Gordo says..“ GKW, she doesn't need to be too worried! If you got a sniff of another woman it would bloody kill you!”

GKW says..“ Think I,ll stick to the goose liver pate that's a better way to go !!”

Snotty says..“ I miss Gezabelle's rant about the Spice Girls at the MEN already.”

Anonymous says..“ Meeself, I miss the Jonathan from Ithaca rant already; and that was only three days ago :)))”

C 2 The G says..“ Just wanted to say thanks to Man Con for a great Heroes night at Ithaca last night! FREE champers for most of the night and lots of great sushi - brilliant and bring on the next event. PS they even had a python there (no gags pls)”

Anonymous says..“ Fuuny that. I went to the event at Ithaca last night, launch of a new bling champagne. I downloaded the invite from the Ithaca web site - I'm not a 'hero', and clearly don't need to be. This was an event available to all, don't be fooled”

Beefy Stew says..“ Thanks for the heads up mancon on the Ithaca do, it was a good one, they have redeemed themselves. Anon above, it wasn't billed to us as exclusive, so no one was being fooled. So far Mancon have got me a table for my mum and dad at San Carlo, they were booked out till Christmas and drank the bar at The Mark Addy dry last week at the Heroes supper party and met some great people. For ten quid a month, this has been a great deal. I wouldn't have had a clue about the party last night otherwise.”

Fat and Ugly says..“ That sushi at Ithaca was great last night, not at all sure about the raioactive colours mind you.”

Fink of a Number says..“ That Jon@Ithaca reply was special. It really should be featured in a book of how not to use a theasaurus. That being said, his reply really was just poorly expressed, pompous nonsense but he did make a decent offer to the complainer so, fair play to him.”

GJH says..“ Reverse auctions? As in back of the star reverse auctions? Brand suicide?”

Gordo says..“ I'd have a go if i was you GJH, it hasn't been the most succesfull thing we have tried ;-) there's about a one in ten chance of winning the sodding thing at the moment... it's winking at me in the office...”

Carl Austin says..“ Budget Gyms = Budget Service and Budget Standards Last Thursday morning I went to see how good Pure Gym in Spinningfields was going to be as I had joined in August with a lot of promises being the best fitness / gym in Manchester at a fraction of the cost. It had been open now for just over 2 weeks and due to work commitments this was the first opportunity I had had visit. What a disaster... After typing in my 8 digit id number into a dodgy key pad for the third or forth time as the numbers kept sticking I was able to pass through a very tight turnstile, with my gym bag it was a very tight squeeze then my bag got stuck – I felt rather embarrassed, but then as time went on the same thing seemed to happen to everybody who came in. I then went to the changing room – again having to put in my ID code, it only took 3 attempts this time. Very basic, but what do you expect for a £9.99 / £15 per month gym. In the main gym area it looked very industrial. I went to use a fit ball, however these were all very soft and deflated so no use – as no staff were present nothing could be done. I then went to the weights area – the floor was filthy and black marks all over the “new” floor. Most of the weights were all over the place – none stacked correctly on the stands, the dumb bells that were on a stand were again all over the place – no two weights the same next to each other. I then went to use some of the weight machines, old dirty bottles that had been left in the drink holders were there to greet me. As I went to use the pec machine already the cord you use to stack your weight was broken off and just loose next to the equipment. Sweat was all over the seat and grease on the head rest – I went to get a paper towel and some spay to clean it down, however this is not available. A small sign is the only thing visible saying “please provide a small towel to wipe down equipment after use”. Again no staff on hand to advise. After my short session I thought enough was enough, I went for a shower, again having to put in my code.... In one shower cubicle it was disgusting – lots of pubic hairs visible, another had a used milk carton in and another had a used shampoo bottle in it. After finding a clean shower I was disappointed that the pressure was none existent, you can’t control the water temperature and it turned on and off when ever you moved away from the sensor, then when trying to dry off it would turn its self on again. After managing eventually to get dried and dressed I informed a member of the “fitness team” of my issues only to be told – guess we won’t be seeing you again...... I guess she was right. These budget gyms can’t compete with the quality of service you get from established Manchester Gyms. Carl Austin ”

Jules says..“ I went to Ithaca last Friday dining on the Strictly Confidential menu and was really very disappointed. Firstly we were told only one glass of wine came with the meal, yet it says 'half a bottle' on the website. Consequently, my boyfriend and I ended up paying £10 for another glass each that I thought was part of the deal!? The starters were actually very tasty, raising our expectations for the mains. My duck was overcooked and dry and my boyfriend's chicken was also similarly overcooked. The rice was cold, although we did get a replacement when we complained. The flavours were interesting, but it seems the execution was lacking. As for pudding - when I was offered a 'selection' of ice cream I was not expecting 2 balls of coffee and one of vanilla (I don't like coffee!). It seemed as though they were trying to get rid of that coffee flavour. The pannacotta was tasty, though it was served with that coffee ice cream again. All in all I was expecting a much better dining experience than I got, and I think I should get my £10 back for purchasing 2 glasses of wine that should've been included!!”

Anonymous says..“ Jules, hang on for Jonathan's response.............”

Anonymous says..“ Jonathan at Ithaca that is, not Schofield”

ocntact? deitorial? says..“ Thank you, someone will ocntact the winner soon. ”

thelloningrad says..“ Yup, thought as much. Disappointing but not especially surprising. Did think you'd have a thicker skin though. Or is that criticising ManCon is a members-only privilege now?”

Boomer says..“ I've spent half an hour on this site trying to submit a restaurant review. This seems to be impossible. The contact us button seems to be for advertisers only. This site was reccommended to be but I'm not very impressed”

Anonymous says..“ I spoke to a director at Ithaca last night and he had nothing good to say about Man Con and the offer. He said that they are not the kind of restaurant that does cheap deals and the deal has been more hassle than it is worth. ”

scoteee says..“ surely if that was the case then they wouldn't have done the deal and if they are not capable of delivering it properly then it's no wonder it's a load of hassle.Seems a simple enough deal to me they just damged their reputation further by entering in to it half heartedly.The food and service clearly isn't at the same high level as their ego. ”

Emmy says..“ Anon, your comment sort of makes Ithica look worse than ManCon though- 'they're not the kind of restaurant that does cheap deals'? Then why do it. It shouldn't be too hard to administer something that they've agreed to. The whole thing smacks of very poor management which, according to you, they're now trying to shift on to ManCon.”

Mark Garner, the Publisher says..“ @ Anonymous, would you kindly tell who that 'Director' was, you can do so privately by email if you wish markg@planetconfidential.co.uknospam. We have some issues that need to be resolved with them.”

GJH says..“ Whilst I have had a good chow at Ithaca, I have a rule not to buy anything off anyone who takes a lovely car & destroys it with a cheap body kit, rubbish paint job & a crap munchausens number plate. Which now rules it out. ”

lord help us says..“ Chow? what has happened to the english language?”

GJH says..“ Sorry lord (should that be Lord?!...and should it be a capital W?!) - I meant a good old nose bag. ”

scoteee says..“ Nose bag- is that West Yorkshire dialect?”

Anonymous says..“ That's rich coming from Ithaca - they don't do 'cheap deals'? Really? The restaurant has been advertising various 'cheap deals' for most of the year. 50%;, 40%;, 30%; and 20%; off on different days of the week; two-for-one lunches and dinners and so on. They really are so far up their own backsides, it's laughable. Ithaca is no different to any other restaurant suffering through a recession but they seem to think they are better than than everyone else. ”

Names have been changed to protect the innocent says..“ To be fair Anon, 50%; off doesn't represent a cheap deal at Ithaca; they're still a complete rip off even at half price.”

sn says..“ is Joe Akka still involved at Panacea?”

HaHa says..“ Ithaca has gone bust as stated in Crains today. Shame NOT”

Anonymous says..“ I went to Ithaca in the summer found the food interesting and acceptable. It was the clients I did not like. ”

Anonymous says..“ Really HaHa? Tell us more, can't see anything in Crains”

Anonymous says..“ Yep, correctabout Ithaca; it's on the front page of Crains ”

Anonymous says..“ ITHACA kept this quiet!

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/59250/notices/978613”

Anonymous says..“ I imagine they will see out Christmas, the receivers will move in and that'll be that. Funy really, they were still employing new members of staff last week......”

Jeff says..“ Just like to say thanks to Jonathan and the team for an excellent tour of the tunnels this evening. Really, really enjoyable, count me in for the next walk. Shame we had to miss the drink, but hope everybody else made good use of our drink tokens.”

Philbo says..“ I'll second that Jeff. Really enjoyed the tour, it's good see parts of the city that you never realised were there. And the pint was good as well. Looking forward to the next heroes offer!”

The Truth says..“ What Crains haven't explained clearly is that what has happened is what is known as a 'pre-pack', where the company has gone into liquidation and a deal by new management buy the assets off the liquidator on the same day takes place. This has been very common over the past year. The new company running Ithaca, which probably has the old management involved somehow, have a clear run at managing the business without all the old debts. Whatever we think of this, it is legal and helps ensure that the staff keep their jobs. Mind you, I would be sacking a few of the front of house people myself; the foods remains tip top, but the kitchen brigade are hugely let down by the old front of house people. So, it is here to stay.”

Anonymous says..“ My thoughts initially The Truth. However, Ithaca went in to voluntary liquidation in November but this was followed this month by a creditors winding up order. Confused? You should be”

GJH says..“ Involountary, voluntary, winding up orders.....the business evidently does not make any money. They have just delayed the inevitable. The crowd they market to do not like good food. Just expensive drinks.”

Descartes says..“ So, the truth, do you mean that any businesses owed money get nothing, but the management get to write that debt off and carry on working?

It's great if staff keep their jobs that way, for those staff members, but how many businesses have gone under because money owed hasn't been paid?”

GJH says..“ You do promise that my £120 heroes membership will be worth 5 X the reduced friends doncha? You have my faith! Tour yesterday was excellent btw, ten quid saved already on that. ”

RR says..“ Surprise as ManCon £2 per month offer extended! This is the first time that I've found myself at odds with ManCon. Despite being out of work I'm considering paying £24pa to enjoy the full site but 'threats' of having to pay £60pa if I don't sign up by Dec xth have a negative impact on my thinking. I would have liked there to have been, say, a two week free period after the launch of the new site and then I'd be in a better position to decide whether to spend my (err) hard-earned benefit or not. If the site's as good as promised, I'd sign up. I don't like being bounced into it and I certainly dislike the 'extended offer' bollox. I know it'll be £24pa whenever one signs up because, if you don't get people to sign up at £24 before the site is restricted, there isn't a chance in hell of getting them to sign up at £60 when it is. Admit it, guys. It's going to be £24pa. And, let us take a look before we commit to spending our dosh.”

Gordo says..“ RR, the curent thinking is that in line with normal publishing models, the maximum you will get discounted is 40%;, with certain terms attached, from time to time, exactly the same as my New Scientist subs. If you believe you aren't getting your moneys worth, email me and I will give it you back. ”

on the money says..“ can;t please all of the people all of the time - i'm signed up and went on the tours last night, great fun. whatever the new site looks like i know what mancon is about now which is why i signe dup”

RR says..“ Gordo, I don't understand your reply! Are you saying that only 40%; of your future subscribers will sign up at the discounted price or that 40%; of the total price is the cheapest the subs will ever be? I'd like to take your New Scientist analogy to show you how your future policy won't work. Far fewer people would sign up for a magazine subscription if they were not able to see the whole magazine before deciding to do so. You can see the NS before you subscribe. Apparently, you won't be able to see Man Con. yet you're expecting people to sign up from such a position. I'm pretty sure that £24pa will be good value for Man Con. I really like your articles, (your style and the content) and that of the other contributors and so, I will almost certainly justify a subscription. My argument is that you really will have to keep the subs at £24 (or thereabouts) for late-comers too or else I think you'll find it very hard to attract new punters! Whatever you decide to do, I wish you good luck.”

Gordo says..“ Thanks for that RR, we are commited now to the strategy and so far, so good, the early birds are getting in and getting a good deal for buying blind, which is a compliment, but most people have been reading us and taking advantage of our advice and offers for three or four years now so they know what they are getting. As to future incentives to make people buy, the %; we knock off our 'rack rate' will probably be a maximum of 40%; off the £60 annual fee, ie. £24 discount bringing the annual membership down to £36 for the year. Without giving too much away, we may well be allowing people a month free in the future, but that will probably come in around february having made sure that the software is debugged. Whatever we do, the aim is to have the best online site for the North West possible. ”

Anonymous says..“ Pardon? So your're prepared to let people pay for something now, but are polishing it up a bit until it reaches sufficient standard to give it away for free? Bit weird.”

Gordo says..“ Have you been at the cherry brandy Anon?”

Gordo says..“ Nope, didn't say that. Right I have had a bollocking for talking about our future plans by Herr Ramsbottom, no more chat till we officially open up. ”

Lower echelon manconeer says..“ Jarwol mein Helen”

Jonathan Schofield - editor says..“ Thanks for the feedback on the tunnel tours folks. Really appreciate it. It was a pleasure and privilege. We'll be doing more fun, intriguing and intelligent activity like that next year.”

Tunnel Tours says..“ Jonathan, I went on the tunnel tour a couple of years ago and on the tour you asked everybody to email their photographs to you. Rather than email a large file, I burnt them onto a disc and went to the trouble of driving to your offices (not easy to find) from Rochdale to deliver the photographs by hand. I telephoned on several occasions and sent emails to see if you had received them safely as there was something I wanted to mention about one of the images, but not a single reply. Common courtesy costs nothing.”

Jonathan Schofield - editor says..“ Tunnel Tours, I'm very sorry about that. ”

Tunnel Tours says..“ I sent one of the photographs to a couple of photographers that I know and they weren't sure what it was on it, if I can dig it out would you like me to email it to you?”

Jonathan Schofield - editor says..“ Tunnel tours that would be lovely: jonathans@planetconfidential.co.uk”

Tunnel Tours says..“ I have sent them over. Thanks for replying and all the best for Christmas! ”

The Truth says..“ Black is white actually”

Anonymous says..“ Could we have a wake (in the Mark Addy no doubt) for all the eateries on ManCon Manchester Restraurants list that have passed on to the great feast in the sky, or more like it. a roasting on the burning braziers of the lower place.”

fi says..“ Any news on how the Mark Garner Christmas lunch went at the Mark Addy? After this year I need to hang up my pinny and take everyone out to lunch instead. Could do with somewhere like this if it's good. Report please Mr. Garner”

Mark Garner, the Publisher says..“ Fi, it was great. The best thing was the problem with people not travelling because of the weather, everyone finished up with more food than they could shake a stick at. They roasted off whole turkeys as well, so none of that boned and rolled tasteless nonsense.”

scoteee says..“ Any one of you councillors that read this site should have a word with the team of gritters that supposedly grit Oldham road.(one of the the main route in to the city centre) the lack of grit was nightmare this morning I have never ever experiened such dangerous conditions. Black ice is all over the place,The road has not been gritted atall I almost became fourth party to a three car pile up this morning.It's Just not good enough and it is clear that this stretch of road has had no treatment atall last night or this morning !!!”

Cas says..“ Any food reviews due? You haven't done one yet this year you lazy sods ;)”

Brown says..“ Anyone know where I can get some lovely pancakes on Pancake Day? Pancake House has left a gaping hole in my life for years...”

Anonymous says..“ What's happening at the MEN? There's only about 4 stories on their website daily, they've got front page website stories that go back to last year. At the weekend they don't update the news, the sports section has gone to pot, the jobs section is a shadow of its old self and the standard of journalism has nose dived. Are they winding it down so they can dump it on the scrapheap with less uproar?????????”

Dear Gordo says..“ Can you fill me in on a cpl of details rgds manconf going forward please. When are you guys playing a change and will there remain to be a free platform obviously with restricted info etc or is it the paid way or the highway??”

Gordo says..“ Dear Gordo, the 15th of January and we shall be part free part membership, click on the button top left to find out the details. If you a regular you will want to join.”

Dear Gordo says..“ Thanks, had a look and dont think i'll bother. Cheers tho.”

Anonymous says..“ Can you clarify these figures please as they have now been updated at last. "December unique visitors: 122,190 • December page views: 1,003,524 • December subscribed users: 268,818 • December readers: 268,818 • Average time on site (minutes): 06:45" ”

HAHAHA...!!!! says..“ 268k+ Readers???? are you having a laugh??? when this strictly confidential nonsense bombs the same way those confidential cards did that figure will be about 10, not 10k, just 10”

johnthebrief says..“ Thought I'd share with you an experience last night (12th Jan) at Pizza Express on Peter St. I was with a couple of friends staying at the Midland and due to time constraints and their not wanting to walk far in heels, we went to Pizza Express.

Well we tried to anyway.

After 10 minutes waiting (I timed it) inside the door to be sat at one of the many empty tables, and being completely ignored by the staff (they were literally turning away to avoid eye contact) I managed to collar a waiter, by dint of shouting "excuse me" as loud as I could.

Apparently they were short staffed. Too short staffed to give us a table and a drink while we wait? He suggested we leave. So we did.

Don Giovannis did us a great meal and some nice wine, and Pizza Express lost 4 customers for good.”

coldbuffer says..“ When i saw discounts for Confidential Heros, i thought you were meaning REAL HEROS, ie our boys and girls of the Armed Forces, it is an insult to use the word heros in this context”

scoteee says..“ Oh ,Shut up you tart!”

Mark Garner, the Publisher says..“ Cold buffer, I have given your rant some thought. I think that you are being rather sensitive on the meaning of the word Heros. Actually, are top level members are called Heroes. But that is nit picking. I am however bound to say that i do think our boys and girls fighting on our behalf are Heros or indeed Heroes and therefore, any member of the armed services who have been deployed in combat zones will be entitled to a free Heroes Membership for life, or as long as I a the publisher of Confidential.”

Mark Garner, the Publisher says..“ My apologies for the awful writing in the previous blog. I am fretting for my bacon and egg toasted sandwich.”

Anonymous says..“ Bacon and egg an toasted sandwiches? Surely you ought to be reporting on breakfast round town starting at the top...the Lowry and working down. Will Heroes get a reduction?”

Mark Garner, the Publisher says..“ Anon above, showing a bit of class there you are my friend. We have a pretty cool list of 20%; and indeed, 25%; off all food on the complete table at any time for people coming onboard and whilst I can't yet confirm the Lowry, they are great friends. The Mal is also brilliant with its breakfasts whilst I have a soft spot for the Abergeldie, but only do that twice a year as you will undoubtedly fall over dead if you do a third.”

johnthebrief says..“ Where's the Abergeldie?

Best brekkies I've found are at Trof/Deaf Insitute and Kim by the Sea, though I've yet to try out Gabriel's Kitchen of which I've heard great things.”

O says..“ Johnthebrief... at the bottom of Thomas Street where the road meets Shudehill, opposite the bus station”