‘It’s like it’s my birthday: The pubs enjoying Paul Heaton’s birthday bar tab

Sixty 25th of Decembers, Fifty-nine 4th of Julys, it’s Manchester music legend Paul Heaton’s 60th birthday today (May 9) and to celebrate in style, he has gifted a bar tab to 60 pubs across the UK. Six of which are in Greater Manchester.

The former frontman of the Housemartins and the Beautiful South is local to South Manchester and to show his support to his community, two of Manchester’s six tabs were awarded to Paul Heaton’s locals: The Orion on Burton Road and Albert Wilsons on Wilmslow Road in Withington.

The Manchester Evening News visited these two establishments to find out how customers, fans and residents in Withington are enjoying Paul’s birthday. While true locals were sticking to their own pubs, some customers were on the all new Paul Heaton birthday pint pub crawl, making sure to visit the two Withington pubs as well as The Railway Inn at West Didsbury, and if time permitted, a trip to The Bowling Green in Chorlton.

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Marguerita Doyle, the landlady of The Orion in Withington has organised a birthday party for Paul Heaton this evening. Despite thinking he isn’t going to show up, the pub wants to put on some Beautiful South and enjoy a celebration in his honour.

The Orion is offering one free drink to every patron until the tab runs out. Marguerita is certain it won’t last all night. She said: “He used to be a regular here. He’s such a nice guy anyway, he’s dead down to earth and he mixes with all the locals. There’s no airs and graces with him.

“We’re going to do a big happy birthday for Paul, we’ll get all of the students together later and sing happy birthday, have music, a bit of food. Everyone gets a drink.”

Martin Whitelock, a regular at