STAT

ISSUE 15 July 2025 Printed at STAT HQ in Leigh. One of 250 limited, numbered copies. Rainy Miller is back to Lancs, Bolton’s home to a Romani dance troupe and we’re telling the Hacienda to FAC OFF all in our brand spanking new No. 15. GO GET EM statmagazine.org/shop

nts broadcast from the trafford centre

IMPRESSIONS OF SPEKE by Luke Charnley A sift through Grandma’s old diaries gives us a glimpse into the mid-century Scouse suburbs. “It’s [Speke] that Joan lived much of her early life, and where the nostalgia of her writing truly starts to flow.“ statmagazine.org/impressions-of…

IN A WEEK’S TIME THIS POST WILL BE ILLEGAL. NEVER STOP FIGHTING FOR A FREE PALESTINE. NO ONE IS FREE INTIL EVERYONE IS FREE.

ROY JAY: How An Obscure Northern Comedian Became An Internet Demon An online conspiracy about a relatively unknown Wigan comic reveals how AI has us all paranoid. STAT investigates. statmagazine.org/roy-jay-intern…

THE WOMEN OF HMP FOREST BANK The state’s hand is heavy, but no match for the camaraderie of HMP Forest Bank’s visitors. Rosy Wilson visits the Salford prison. ‘“My son has been inside countless times,” she told me. “It’ll get easier.”’ statmagazine.org/the-women-of-h…

STOCKPORT RULES: Where is Greater Manchester’s Best Pool Table? Next on the yuppie chopping block, Stockport’s pool tables are under threat. But which is best? Rhys Delany’s done his research. statmagazine.org/stockport-rule…

NORTHERN FACT: The Adam Viaduct in Wigan is among the first examples of a prestressed concrete railway bridge in the World.

MR. MAN-CHEST-HAIR: A CHAT WITH TWH’S AUSTIN COLLINGS “Catch the bus instead of getting an Uber... It’s never not theatrical.” A chinwag with the writer and artistic director behind the North’s best nightclub [@m3_7lw]. statmagazine.org/mr-man-chest-h…

Quick thanks to whichever @theQuietus editor let STAT's name grace its digital pages in the recent Rainy Miller interview x

OPINION: Preston, Are We Ever Going to Talk About the Cyberdog? by Hannah Browne Preston City Council clings to the success of Wallace & Gromit’s Prestonian creator, but does it support the Nick Parks of today? statmagazine.org/preston-are-we…

ALREET COCKS! OPEN TH'PIT UP!!!! THIS NEXT SONG IS ABOUT BEING A FUCKING WINDOW CLEANER!!! SIDE TO FUCKING SSSIDE BLACKPOOL!

ISSUE 14 One of 200 and each complete with a unique rubbing of Preston’s Wallace & Gromit statue, STAT is BACK. Besides Preston, we’re bringing you pool tables, prison visits, and peeking into Martin Scorsese’s dressing room. Grab one while you can. buff.ly/Jjpq9i0

SUBSCRIBERS GO FREE! patreon.com/statzine

STAT PRESENTS: Patchwork 7TH MARCH 2025. 6PM — 11PM. STAT HQ, Leigh, WN7 2LB. An exhibition of visual art and performances by artists from across the North West in celebration of STAT’s 14th issue release. TICKETS: buff.ly/4jYYfAe

NORTHERN FACT: The Lancashire town of Accrington is home to the densest and strongest bricks in the world, some of which can be found in the foundations of the Empire State Building.

Happy Valentine’s Day folks x

MINORITIES’ LIVES ARE NOT ENTERTAINMENT Opinion by Manvir Sohal “While minorities' stories were once a rarity in mainstream media, they are now just commodities that the majority can manipulate to further their own careers and cultural capital.” buff.ly/4h5STRU

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT Opinion by Mary O’Neill Parents bemoan the death of cool culture — it still exists, they just don’t know about it. Mary O’Neill looks back on her teenage years in St Helens, in those corners no one cared to look. buff.ly/3W7RZfn