Oldham post-Panorama

Went out for a few in Oldham last night, and well...

Haven't seen so many police, they almost outnumbered the punters on the street as Friday has become something of a quiet night.

Outside of Vogue there was a metal detector to scan for knives, thing is Vogue is usually quite empty and last night was no different, meanwhile Walkabout next door was pretty busy but no detector there... Although there could be suspicions as to Vogue as there were about Brownz.

Burglers, drunk drivers and speeders probably all enjoyed last night, as the town centre turned into Police Central. Even Tokyo Project was closed upstairs, with hardly anyone in the downstairs bit.

Didn't venture anywhere near Mink or Aruba, but I doubt they were thriving.

Oldham was pretty much dying as a night out anyway, Panorama and the overkill of police may just provide the suckerpunch. I can see a couple more bars shutting in the next 6 months, and people going to Manchester or staying local.

The irony was a few years back Oldham could be dangerous, there were a lot more bars, a lot more idiots and hooligan groups who'd start at the top of Yorkshire Street and then proceed down fighting, vandalising and threatening. No police about then either.

Now you just get the idiots after throwing-out time.

Ah well, to each it's season I suppose.