It was a rather popular destination back in the day, and even managed to be a rather fashionable venue to be seen in, with their Thursday night’s being described back in the day as “packed with good-looking upwardly mobile types draped in heavy gold and Italian leather who have found that Country Club atmosphere (bar prices to match) without stepping beyond Fallowfield.” Sandpiper in the 80’s // Courtesy of Dave Haslam Going back to the 80s though, Robinski’s was known as the Sandpiper which famously decked out the upstairs like an aircraft, complete with airline seats, windows and seatbelts. They were characterised by their bright yellow branding super-cheap drinks deals and a card – the imaginatively named ‘Yellow Card’ which cost £1 and would entitle you to even better drinks prices.Īlongside the booze they also did food – cheap and rather substantial burgers, chips and other classic pub grub – perfect for students on a quick break from lectures or looking to soak up the M-CAT and Red Bull in a morning. Manchester saw an influx of Scream pubs, with The Phoenix, Zoo and Footage on Oxford Road, and The Queen of Hearts and Robinski’s in Fallowfield.

It was bought up in the early part of the millennium by a brand-new student pub chain known as ‘ It’s a Scream’ – a concept dreamt up by the brewers Bass who intended to create pubs within a relatively short walking distance of a university. The history of Robinski’s is certainly varied and rather interesting, as back in the 80’s it was known as the Sandpiper, before becoming Robinski’s Wallet, and then being re-named just Robinski’s in the early noughties. Robinski’s is now a curry house, The Orange Grove was bulldozed and replaced by new flats and The Ram & Shackle is now a super-budget hotel type thing that also includes a restaurant.

These days the town is a shell of its former self, with the majority of these bars and clubs replaced in recent years. Once offering one of the region’s best nights out, Fallowfield was an all-week booze and music mecca – a destination where not just students flocked but people from all over – looking for a cheap and cheerful night of general debauchery. It seems that after decades of pressure from local community groups and residents, plus a concerted effort by Universities and the Council to move students into brand-new accommodation options in the city centre – Fallowfield is a VERY different place than it was 10 years ago. You can search songs by artist or song simply by typing words in the search box.Joining the list of other legendary Fallowfield venues like The Orange Grove, TROF, The Queen of Hearts and The Ram & Shackle – Robinski’s went the way of all of these – and pretty much everything in Fallowfield in recent years – and has either closed down or changed hands to offer something completely different.

Yellowcard only one karaoke