All submissions from Manchester residents, no matter how big or small, are welcome.  

Situated at Manchester Central Library, Archives+ is a purpose-built home for local, regional and national collections of documents, photographs and films, providing the public with access to their local history and heritage.

Some people may have already written down or recorded their thoughts, or expressed them through creating artwork - but if you are keen to capture your feelings about the times we’re living through and are not sure where to start, the following prompts might help:-

• If you have had the virus, how did it affect you?
• How has the virus impacted on your work?
• How has the virus impacted on your home life?
• What are you doing to keep busy?
• Have you got to know your neighbours better?
• How has the virus affected your view of the future?
• What are your feelings on how Manchester has responded to the virus?

Please make sure that anything you submit is your own work.  If you would prefer your submission to be used anonymously in a future exhibition, please let the team know - but do include your name, location and contact details, so that they can contact you for further information if needed.  

Submissions of documents, photographs or short sound files (aim for around one minute in length) can be made digitally by emailing info@archivesplus.org.  If you are submitting a photograph, please include details of when and where it was taken and why you took it.  

For submissions which are on paper, or in another physical form, please keep them safely at home until your local Manchester library reopens, when you will be able to submit it in person.

The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre & Education Trust, based at Central Library, is also calling for submissions, as part of their mission to ensure that historical accounts from black and ethnic minority communities are equally represented in the story of how the coronavirus has affected Greater Manchester.  To find out about their work and how to submit, visit www.racearchive.org.uk/covid-19-collecting.

If you wish to submit a short video file, contact the North West Film Archive, which is based at Archives+, by visiting https://vimeo.com/nwfilmarchive.  
 
Executive Member for Skills, Culture and Leisure, Councillor Luthfur Rahman, said: “Future generations of Mancunians will look back on these times and wonder what it was like to actually live through them.  That’s why we’re keen to capture some of your everyday feelings about life under lockdown and your thoughts on the city’s incredible response to the pandemic.

“The Archives+ Centre is an amazing place and our staff have the skills and expertise needed to sensitively create exhibitions to tell Manchester’s stories.  So if you're inspired to write down, film or record your experience, or create your own artwork to express your feelings during these difficult times, our team would love to hear from you.  

“Remember, there is no right or wrong way to do this, because your experience is truly unique.”

For more information about Archives+, go to www.archivesplus.org.

In recent years, the Gothic has perhaps become more pertinent than ever, with a range of television programmes, novels and websites inspired by its themes emerging. Given its connections to horror, mystery, dystopia and dark social commentary, the Gothic is a fascinating and fruitful subject of study – MA English Studies (The Gothic) at Manchester Metropolitan University is delivered by a specialist team of tutors, including staff from the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies.

The Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University is one of the biggest centres of its kind in the world, putting Manchester on the map as a recognised hub of Gothic expertise – with the city selected by the International Gothic Association as the destination for their 2018 conference as well as hosting the annual Gothic Manchester Festival. In turn, MA English Studies (The Gothic) is an opportunity to learn from this contemporary hub of extensive Gothic knowledge, thanks to the flexible and challenging Masters course providing students with the opportunity to graduate with a bracketed specialism in the study of the Gothic. Students are also able to suit their particular Gothic interests, as a range of module options are available.

From the earliest Gothic novels and classic vampires to horror hybrids and modern monsters, MA English Studies (The Gothic) embraces Gothic literature and culture from the eighteenth century to the present. Chronological and historical insight are key features, as the content considers early incarnations of the mode, as well as current examples. Plays, novels, film and television will all be the subject of study, framed by theoretical analyses and consideration of a variety of socio-cultural perspectives.

It is therefore little wonder that the availability of a Distance Learning route for the course offers an exciting prospect. This involves the same course content as the on-campus option, delivered innovatively including online tutorials and discussion groups, with full-time and part-time options available.  Comprehensive and interactive materials mean that learning at a distance is still a fully interactive experience, with a selection including videos, live slideshows, digitised readings, worksheets and synchronous discussion forums.

The Distance Learning prospect also means that students from across the world can take up this highly regarded course, from a location that suits them! Flexible study that can be co-ordinated around the individual’s time constraints and commitments is an advantage recognised by many. Alternately, students can combine online study with campus study, to suit their needs: for example, starting online in Autumn and switching to campus in Spring, or vice versa.

Head of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies, Dr Linnie Blake explains:

“Manchester Metropolitan University’s Gothic-focused Masters has always attracted a mix of students from the UK and further afield. Taught during the evenings it replaces conventional classroom seminars with an online platform that enables students to debate, discuss, present and question from the comfort of their own homes whilst continuing to pursue their own lives and professions. Staff love teaching on it and it's proven more than popular with students, many of whom have gone on to PhD level study.”

Course tutor and one of the founding members of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes adds:

“I have personally very much enjoyed delivering the MA English Studies (The Gothic) online in the past. The possibility of sharing slides and my screen with students, as well as the chat interface, means that sessions run like virtual seminars. Our virtual learning environment (Moodle) is a great resource for further research on all the topics we cover, and all essential readings are either digitised for students or available as ebooks.”

For more information about MA English Studies (The Gothic), Distance Learning opportunities and a range of other MA English Studies options at Manchester Metropolitan University (including Contemporary Literature, Film and Theory), visit the website here. 

By Emily Oldfield 

Images: Shutterstock

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/06/study-for-a-masters-in-the-gothic-from-home-ma-english-studies-distance-learning-options-with-manchester-metropolitan-university-b1237#comments1237 Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/05/furnishing-the-minshull-street-city-police-and-session-courts-b1236 Dr Peter N. Lindfield reflects on Manchester’s Minshull Street City Police and Session Courts and their furniture, visited exclusively and with kind permission of the Court Administrator and Security Staff, before the Covid-19 lockdown. The eighteenth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the Mancunian Gothic Sunday School of St Matthew’s, Arlington House in Salford, Manchester’s Modern Gothic in St Peter’s Square, what was St John’s Church, Manchester Cathedral, The Great Hall at The University of Manchester, St Chad’s in Rochdale and more. From the city’s striking Gothic features to the more unusual aspects of buildings usually taken for granted and history hidden in plain sight, a variety of locations will be explored and visited over the course of 2020. 

In this article he reflects on Manchester’s Minshull Street City Police and Session Courts and their furniture, visited exclusively and with kind permission of the Court Administrator and Security Staff, before the Covid-19 lockdown. The Courts are usually open to public access, but photography is normally prohibited; special dispensation was sought and granted to take photographs of the interior of Worthington’s buildings and publish this essay. The author wishes to thank the Court Administration for facilitating this research and publication. 

Pictured below: Fig.1 - Exterior of the Minshull Street Crown Court as it is in 2020. © Peter N. Lindfield

Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA is a Senior Research Associate in the Departments of English and History at Manchester Metropolitan University. He has published widely on Georgian Gothic architecture and design broadly conceived, as well as heraldry and the relevance of heraldic arts to post-medieval English intellectual, cultural, and aesthetic culture. Last year, as part of Gothic Manchester Festival 2019, he co-organised an event at Chetham’s Library Baronial Hall with Professor Dale Townshend titled ‘Faking Gothic Furniture’ (it also features, along with The John Rylands Library, in a previous article by Peter, here). This involved discussing the mysterious George Shaw (1810-76), a local Upper Mill lad who developed an early interest in medieval architecture and heraldry, going on to create forgeries of Tudor and Elizabethan furniture for a number of high-profile individuals and places at the time, including Chetham’s!

Currently Peter is completing his Leverhulme-funded research project exploring forged antiquarian materials in Georgian Britain, and also working on the recently re-discovered Henry VII and Elizabeth of York marriage bed, which itself was the inspiration behind many of Shaw’s so-called ‘Gothic forgeries’.

Furnishing the Minshull Street City Police and Session Courts

In my earlier Haunt Manchester post from 5 February 2020 on Minshull Street Crown Court, see here, I considered the exterior architecture of the imposing Grade II* listed building (Fig.1). I concluded that the architect, Thomas Worthington (1826–1909) of Manchester, designed the building using architectural forms taken from defensive buildings, including bartizans, machicolations, and arrow-slit windows. The general character of the court building, built between 1867 and 1873, also resonates with Victorian civic architecture and the polychrome style promoted by John Ruskin.

This is a follow-up post exploring the interior fitting-out and furnishing of Worthington’s building. Special dispensation to examine and explore the court, as well as take photographs, was granted, and it is very much appreciated.

The Victorian courtrooms survive remarkably intact since Worthington fitted them out in the mid-Victorian period. Having never seen the interior of the courts, I was shocked to see them; I was expecting to find them in a Gothic style somewhat related to the building’s external, defensive-like style, perhaps even with polychrome. Instead, the Victorian courts’ fixtures and furnishings repurpose traditional forms found in medieval church furnishing. If the exterior shows the rule of law, the interior, instead, is based upon ecclesiastical, redemptive forms.

Below - Fig.2: Interior of the Minshull Street Crown Court as it is in 2020. © Peter N. Lindfield; reproduced with permission of Minshull Street Crown Court.

Planed and varnished pine dominates the court’s surviving Victorian corridors, waiting rooms, and courts. A notable feature of this woodwork is the chamfered edges to the paneling. Seen, for example, in Fig.2 of an internal wooden staircase (or bridge), the vertical boards’ edges have been carved at 45º to give what is known as a chamfered edge. This was a typical form of decoration applied to Gothic furniture in the nineteenth century, with A.W.N. Pugin, co-designer of the Palace of Westminster, or Houses of Parliament, using this in his Gothic furniture from especially from the 1840s. It is, for example, applied to the legs on an 1852–53 X-frame table now at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (W.26-1972) (Fig.3).

Below - Fig.3: A.W.N. Pugin, Table, c.1852–53. W.26-1972. © Victoria and Albert Museum.

The seating found outside of the courtrooms in the waiting areas, or vestibules, are also made from this same panelled pine construction. The ‘bench’ found outside of court number five (Fig.4) is also based upon the traditional ecclesiastical seating of choir stalls—admittedly without the traditional canopies seen in Manchester Cathedral’s examples (Fig.5). Note, in particular, the similarity between these two examples in the circular ‘arc’ of the uprights, or standards. This derives from the arc created by medieval misericords, or the seats of choir-stalls, that pivot to a vertical position to provide a perch for standing parts of the liturgy, and lowered to become a traditional, horizontal seat. The misericords in Fig.5 are in the ‘up’ position. In general form, this bench in Fig.4 is a far less ornate version of a fourteenth-century German choir-stall in the Oppenheim Collection, Cologne (Fig.6). This is not to suggest Worthington was familiar with the Oppenheim choir-stall, but, instead, that he followed the conventions of medieval choir-stalls in the design of his Minshull Street benches.

Below - Fig.4: Bench outside of Court 5. © Peter N. Lindfield; reproduced with permission of Minshull Street Crown Court.

Below - Fig.5: Choir-stalls at Manchester Cathedral. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Below - Fig.6: Photograph of a fourteenth-century German choir-stall in the Oppenheim Collection, Cologne. 1253-1909. © Victoria and Albert Museum.

Turning to enter the court rooms proper, Worthington’s ecclesiastical models continue to inspire the design of the fixtures and furniture (Fig.7). Perhaps the most notable feature is the Judge’s bench. As typical in court rooms, this bench is raised up on a dais to symbolise the power and authority of the judiciary, and, recreating an aesthetic device found in ecclesiastical architecture, this seating is covered by a canopy. This canopy is a symbol of honour, and, hence, status, and it can be seen in many contexts. These include choir stalls (Fig.8), where the canopy symbolises the immortal mansions of heaven, and perhaps the most lavish is the Baldacchino di San Pietro over the high altar and tomb of St Peter at the crossing of St Peter’s in Rome (Fig.9).

Below - Fig.7: Interior of one of the Victorian courtrooms at Minshull Street. © Peter N. Lindfield; reproduced with permission of Minshull Street Crown Court.

Below - Fig.8: Detail of the intricate choir-stall canopies at Manchester Cathedral. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Below - Fig.9: Baldacchino di San Pietro in the basilica of St Peter, Rome. Dennis Jarvis (CC BY-SA 2.0).

The stalls flanking the judge’s central position on the bench (Fig.10) also mirror choir-stalls’ standards (the pieces of vertical woodwork between seats), and from each standard rises a column in much the same way we find in Manchester Cathedral’s choir-stalls.

Below - Fig.10: Detail of the stalls in the Judge’s Bench in one of the Victorian court rooms at Minshull Street Crown Court. © Peter N. Lindfield; reproduced with permission of Minshull Street Crown Court.

To either side of the bench are enclosed vestibules (Fig.11); these are made in imitation with church architecture, notably with the use of buttressing as seen on the exterior and interior of Manchester Cathedral, including its early sixteenth-century pulpitum (or screen) separating the Nave and Choir (Fig.12). These passages also feature blind and pierced Gothic tracery applied to the doors and panelling, once again mirroring ecclesiastical architecture.

Below - Fig.11: Detail of one of the enclosed passages to the side of the Judge’s Bench in one of the Victorian court rooms at Minshull Street Crown Court. © Peter N. Lindfield; reproduced with permission of Minshull Street Crown Court.

Below - Fig.12: Detail of the early sixteenth-century pulpitum at Manchester Cathedral. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Below - Fig.13: A fireplace found in one of the jury deliberation rooms. © Peter N. Lindfield; reproduced with permission of Minshull Street Crown Court 

This Gothic theme continues throughout the rest of the surviving court interiors. For example, fireplaces found in jury deliberation rooms match the Victorian quality of the building’s external style (Fig.13). Notably, the short stubby columns match those flanking the courthouse’s former main entrance on Minshull Street (this is not the ‘back’ of the building given that the twentieth-century renovations to the building relocated the main entrance to Aytoun Street) (Fig.14). The tall pitched roofs found on the building’s exterior are also recreated for the top of the chimney.

Below - Fig.14: Detail of the former main entrance of the court building on Minshull Street. © Peter N. Lindfield.

There is also an interesting, graduated application of ornament on first-floor doors on the corridor closest to Minshull Street. The doors closest to entrance feature cusped tracery, and further away the windows are of more plain design (Figs 14–16). This hierarchy matches the relative status of these respective parts of the building, and similar hierarchic gradation of windows can also be seen on the building’s exterior where complexity increases with each higher floor.

Below - Figs15–16: Details of the doors on the Minshull Street corridor. © Peter N. Lindfield; reproduced with permission of Minshull Street Crown Court.

In sum, the interior of Minshull Street courthouse matches certain aspects of Worthington’s architectural style as found on the building’s exterior. Of particular note is the repetition of architectural forms and the hierarchical grading of ornament relative to each part of the building’s importance. The most intriguing aspect of Worthington’s interiors is the almost consistent reliance upon ecclesiastical architecture and furniture as models for his work.

By Dr Peter N. Lindfield 

Image credits in the captions, with a number reproduced with permission of Minshull Street Crown Court.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/05/furnishing-the-minshull-street-city-police-and-session-courts-b1236#comments1236 Thu, 28 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/05/music-stars-come-together-for-live-streamed-doorstep-sing-a-long-b1234 A host of top musical talents are lending support to Together In One Voice, a mass doorstep sing-a-long on Thursday 28 May at 7:30 pm, which will be streamed via MIF LIVE. Liam Gallagher, Take That, James, Emeli Sande, Mike Pickering, Tom Walker, The Courteeners, Denise Johnson, Aitch amongst stars supporting Together In One Voice 

A host of top musical talents who all share a common love for Manchester and its people will be introducing live renditions of their songs by local residents in the Together In One Voice event, a mass doorstep sing-a-long on Thursday 28 May at 7:30 pm.  

Produced in lockdown and designed to celebrate the spirit and importance of community in these unprecedented times, the one-off event aims to unite people from across the whole Greater Manchester region.  

Liam Gallagher, Mark Owen of Take That, James' Tim Booth, Emeli Sande, Mike Pickering from M People, Tom Walker, Denise Johnson, Liam Fray from The Courteeners and the city’s newest star Aitch, will all be appearing on screen for the event.

They will be inviting people to sing along from their doorsteps, windows, balconies and streets - Together In One Voice - and will introduce the set-list of songs via a live-stream on the night, alongside other well-known Manchester faces from the world of entertainment.

Tim Booth of James said: "Events like these are critical right now for the community and I am keen to support people in any way I can." 

Tom Walker said:  "It’s great to be part of Together in One Voice, Manchester has been such a massive inspiration to me over the years’

The special set-list of songs will be streamed for people to join in with via MIF LIVE -  Manchester International Festival's online channel - and broadcast on BBC Radio Manchester, alongside introductions and contributions from the artists.

The soundtrack will feature around 20 different community choirs and 30 musicians from across the city region who have all spent the last few weeks recording themselves playing their instruments and singing their parts in isolation in their own homes.

Each of these individual vocal and musical parts has then been sent in to Musical Director Dan McDwyer and his team of sound engineers, for mixing into the stunning live versions of the songs that everyone will sing along to during the event.  

The playlist for the event will be:

Take That: Shine
Martha and the Vandellas: Dancing In The Streets
Emeli Sande : You Are Not Alone
Tom Walker: Leave A Light On
James: Sit Down
M People: Search for the hero
Oasis: Wonderwall

Dan McDwyer, Musical Director of the event, said:  "It's been a huge task recording the choirs and 30 musicians including rhythm, horns, and strings, plus coordinating sound engineers and mixing vocals from around 20 different choirs - all recording from their own homes safely within social distancing. 

"But what a moment it’s going to be when those choirs, all singing in their bedrooms, are amplified by thousands of voices across Greater Manchester."

The community led event for the whole of the city region will see Greater Manchester harness the power of music and the benefits of communal singing in an unique event, for one night only, that everyone can join in with.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “Lockdown has been taking a toll on us all but this is a night that will give everyone a real lift. It’s a moment to celebrate the strength of our communities and what people have done to help each in these difficult times. Together In One Voice will help us all feel connected, despite the need to keep a distance, and will be one of those incredible occasions which make Greater Manchester so special. We are grateful to some of our biggest names for supporting our communities in this and creating a moment we’ll never forget. I would encourage everyone to get involved and get out on your doorstep!”  

The doorstep singalong is being captured on the night with drones, street cameras and residents' own films that will be edited together afterwards along with interviews with artists and participants to produce an extended broadcast which will be transmitted on Sunday 31 May, 6pm (also on MIF Live).  

People are being invited to send videos of their own doorstep or window singalong from the night to togethermcr.com for possible inclusion in the YouTube broadcast on 31 May.

Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council and Chair of the Greater Manchester Health and Care Partnership, said: "We've all turned to music or a great song when times have been tough and all know how uplifting that can be. On Thursday we're giving everyone across the whole of Greater Manchester the chance to join in and sing Together In One Voice from their doorsteps and windows to harness that magical power of music and to re-connect again with their neighbours and communities."  

The event is being delivered by social entrepreneur Rose Marley and Manchester International Festival, alongside Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), and is supported by Co-op.
 
Matt Atkinson, Chief Membership Officer at Co-op said: “As a northern brand, Greater Manchester will always have a special place in our Co-op heart and as a business we actively support the mental and physical well-being of our communities.

"At times like these it’s important we come together and bring a little joy to those around us and this event is a great way to lift the spirits of the city region and say thanks to those that are working tirelessly on the front-line in our fight against coronavirus – including our own colleagues. As one the largest employers in the region, we will be encouraging all of our colleagues and customers to get involved and have a singalong.”

Showing typical resilience and resolve, the annual music festival – celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year - is moving into the digital realm in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Usually held in the pubs and clubs of Salford, this year’s event has been re-invented as a three-day online showcase of fantastic live music, DJs and spoken word. 

Performing from the comfort of their own homes, this year’s line-up features an impressive mix of established big names and rising stars. Salford-raised music legend Graham Nash – known for his work with The Hollies and Crosby, Stills & Nash – is performing an exclusive set and speaking to BBC DJ Janice Long. Another proud Salfordian, bassist Peter Hook, will be showcasing some Joy Division classics with his band The Light. There’s also epic soul balladry from local songstress Ren Harvieu; electronic duo K Klass unleash their famous dancefloor anthems; and former Icicle Works frontman Ian McNabb plays a solo set. 

In addition, a terrific line-up of spoken word talent includes Tony Walsh, JB Barrington, Mike Garry and the inimitable Dr John Cooper Clarke, plus DJ sets from Jon DaSilva, Graeme Park and Clint Boon.

Of course - as you’d expect of Salford Music Festival - there’s also a healthy contingent of emerging music talent. Keep your eyes peeled for sets from LIINES, James Holt, Jess Kemp, Bianca Alana, AAAK, One Sided Horse, Tiki Black, Freya Beer, Haig - and many, many more. 

Founded in 2010 by musician and promoter Ed Blaney, Salford Music Festival has evolved into one of the northwest’s leading music festivals, showcasing artists such as The Fall, Catfish and the Bottlemen and Rae Morris during its decade-long tenure. 

At the very heart of the festival is a strong sense of civic pride and community focus – and year’s event, despite going online, is no exception. With Salford communities heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, this year’s festival is doubling its efforts to help those in need. Local organisations such as Salford 4 Good, Salford Loaves and Fishes and Salford Lads Club will all benefit from donations made to this year’s event.  

Ahead of this weekend’s event - and reflecting on its transition into the online realm - SMF organiser Ed Blaney says:

“I’m dead proud of this year’s line-up. Like everyone else in the music industry, we’ve had to adapt in the face of COVID-19. It’s been touching to see how supportive people have been – for someone like Graham Nash to get involved, a real legend, it’s a massive coup for the festival. We’re living in hard times right now, and we just want to bring a bit of hope and positivity with this year’s festival.

During these difficult times for small businesses, the team at the Craft Centre have worked tirelessly to support their makers by offering rent relief and business support to help see them through.  

Manchester Craft and Design Centre is encouraging those shopping online to support local independents by buying handmade gifts online - a vital way you can show your support and keep local small businesses going. There’s a fantastic range of gifts to spoil your loved ones with, or to order as a treat for yourself. From ceramic vases with smiley faces on that are perfect as plant holders, to bespoke jewellery, paintings, face masks and more, this talented bunch have the perfect handmade gifts for you to show some love to those you may not have seen for a while.  

A new MCAD Craft at Home website has links to the makers’ online selection of products. You can shop via Instagram, their websites, or Facebook, or contact them directly if you have any questions or bespoke requests. The Centre are also encouraging donations to help them continue to provide necessary relief for their creative community in the difficult months ahead, and you can show your support by donating at the MCAD Craft at Home site Show your Support page. 

Director of Manchester Craft and Design Centre, Kate Day, said: “These have been difficult times for makers and crafts people across the North West. As the economy recovers, it will be more important than ever to show your support for local makers by shopping with them online – every purchase really does help both financially and to boost morale to carry on making.” 

As well as championing the value of buying handmade craft to bring extra joy to your life, the team have designed family friendly #MCADMakerBees activities for you to craft at home and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of making.

The Manchester Bee has been a symbol of unity for over 150 years and the team wanted to celebrate the busy key workers that have helped keep our region going during the Coronavirus pandemic. Hang your bees up in your window to show your support or share pictures of your buzzing creations using #MCADMakerBees.  

Manchester Craft and Design Centre hopes to welcome makers and visitors back later this year and will be sharing regular updates via their social media channels.  

In the meantime, show some support for our region’s makers and discover full instructions for all six bees to craft at home, at: https://www.manchestercraft.co.uk/  

Participants are asked to buy a ticket for the corresponding tour, and they will receieve an email that includes a secure invitation. The sessions are due to last 1 hour, and will include a number of images, some of which have never been shown in print or digitally before, which are designed to get you under the skin of the city. There will also be a Q&A session at the end of the tour. The tours will also be available aftewards, allowing you to revisit it as many times as you want. 

Sessions will take place on Tuesdays at 6.30pm and Saturdays at 5pm. The tours have an introductory price of £6 each, or you can buy 6 tours for just £25, saving £11. 

The tours currently on sale are: 

The Secrets of Cross Street
The Secrets of London Road Fire Station
Manchester's Amazing Tunnels
The Secrets of Old Trafford
80s Manchester from Joy Division to New Order
Chetham's Extraordinary Medieval Buildings
The Secrets of Oxford Street
The Secrets of Castlefield and St John's
Manchester, the American Link
60s & 70s Manchester
The Secrets of Chapel Street and Peel Park
The Ghosts of Manchester
The Secrets of the Refuge Building (Kimpton Clock Tower Hotel)
The Secrets of the Northern Quarter
The Pubs and Lost Pubs of Manchester 
The Secrets of Didsbury

Tickets are available from: www.jonathanschofieldtours.com/the-zoom-tours-series.

The iconic Manchester musician and artist LoneLady is no stranger to the city’s outskirts. Compressed spaces, derelict buildings and borderlands have been recurrent themes within her practice, from her two previous albums Nerve Up and Hinterland to her ‘Shutters Down’ clubnights in the urban wilderness and ‘Scrub Transmissions’ sound installations. Now her latest ‘Scrub Transmissions’ work has emerged – evocatively titled DEMON (find out more here), hosted by The Social Gathering and embedded in a wall just off an industrial estate on Gorton Road, Manchester.

DEMON marks the third edition of ‘Scrub Transmissions’; an occasional installation project that involves LoneLady (previously interviewed by Haunt Manchester here) embedding an mp3 player into the fabric of a structure, at a location in the city or on its edges. The choice of Gorton Road is a bounty of borders… the areas of Gorton, Ardwick and Beswick bleeding into each other. A hotchpotch of hard surfaces still cannibalised by scrubland plants, foliage flexing its tongue through red-brick cracks. Haunt Manchester’s Emily Oldfield decided to travel by foot to pay a visit…

I ran to DEMON like a reckoning. From my room in Hulme, I rehearsed the route in my head, crossing Oxford Road, through Ardwick, out onto Ashton Old Road before the final turn. The skeletons of the city’s streets ever-more pertinent at the time of pandemic. I put on my running shoes and set off.

It was the type of late afternoon where the cloud hangs like wet wool, the atmosphere dredged in a damp warmth… a breath coming too close. I headed down Streford Road, cutting through a university campus emptied of students, the façade of the new Poetry Library shining slightly like a nervous smile. Possibilities glimmering, creative engagement entreats us, even during the times we are afraid.

I crossed an eerily quiet Oxford Road, courted by the occasional bus, windows revealing only eyes looking back warily from behind protective masks. Onwards, past The Deaf Institute and up Grosvenor Street, I hit the intersection with Upper Brook Street, its complication of cold railings and bike lanes – splitting Grosvenor in half in a tarmac tourniquet. I crossed again to continue my journey up Grosvenor, under the towerblock with its grey window-dented stare, the new housing development to my right in its polished pledge of ‘new’. Nothing stays ‘new’ for long around here. 

Another crossing is Stockport Road as it reaches down towards Levenshulme in its long, pock-marked arm. Memories of journeys on overheated 192 buses very far away. My straight line wavered slightly as I took a turn on my left to head along the back of Ardwick Green, the small park surrounded by faded Victorian grandeur, former lads clubs. I fell into the faded footsteps off what was once a social throng, wondered at the name of ‘Cakebread Street’ as I carried on pushing forwards, up onto Fairfield Street… the type of urban artery that oozes into another with little warning. This becomes Ashton Old Road. This palimpsest of  pace stretching outwards and underfoot mades me reflect on the route LoneLady may have taken to first find DEMON, whether Simon too fell into her footsteps when he first went to visit the installation. Would I pick up the leylines of their looking, would I traverse the trace of their touch?

Out on the road, I looked back onto the scattergun architecture of the city, the curve and hiss of the railway tracks likesome serpentine carcass, a metallic blood-tang heavy in the air. I looked for the shadows against the busy building sheen. The only pedestrian visible on this stretch, it was as if a kind of film-reel flexed through me, eyes archiving an imprint of the city, its pulse of urban mystery somehow more exposed in the pandemic lull. Then a lorry horn leached into the air in a ripping leer. DEMON coming close.

The edgelands are areas of so many possibilities of identity, arching beyond corporate ideology, the plush personas of planning. I thought I was following the map in my head, but instead I was drawn into the tug and adrenaline thump of curiosity, passing a largely shuttered row of shops; only an Off-License open, its multi-coloured bottles of alcohol like the captive novelty of Christmas tree lights. On the far side of the road, another housing development emerged like a shout, the attempted optimism of modern design in a desperate dance of jutting angles and catalogue colours.

An empty petrol station lay in wait… and just beyond, the unsure beginnings of Gorton Road.

DEMON is here. A ghost imprint on a red-brick wall, its faded white outline – a frame goading the eyes to manifest meaning, filling. I felt instantly tested, the mind-map in my head dissolving into a guessing game of DEMON’s origins… who came all the way here to write it? When? Am I undoing history or creating it? The geography of possibility ripples through, dredges its hardness. I walked from its N down to the D, metal fencing and foliage above my head, facing me on the other side of the road.

 Warm skin on hard surface. What is it within ourselves that draws us to touch, a try to trace the story?  Aching for the archaeology of embrace, in some way. I knew, for that moment, that  I stood in the ebb of those before me, as I too will have left a trace. Touch is what so many of us are stretching for at the moment, yet cannot – social distancing measures warning of our potential  threat to others, transmission. Now we are all closer to DEMON than we think. I pressed my palm into the centre of D and held it there. Was it DEMON that I feared? Holding my hand to the wall, almost like something beyond myself, I found that it was not the place I shied from, but the passing rattle of cars, the suspicious stares from within.

Yet entering the edgeland, I let my own suspicion become surrender. Continuing to trace my hand along the wall, along to a jutting black pipe plastered vertically with read lettering ‘SCRUB’, I let it fall. At the edges, we can abandon conceptions of ourselves and create anew. I found myself increasingly unfazed by passing cars as I carried on, attempting to avoid trampling rough rasps of foliage close to my feet. Grey-green leaves licked with rust. They seemed to sprout from tarmac pores, hang from holes in the wall, in a kind of interruption… a reminder that ‘urban’ is just an umbrella term. For this place pushes against definitions, DEMON declares no meaning, instead draws questions.

I wonder at what point the photographs will be taken? Where memory crystallises? Curiosity. It was then I wanted to turn to the passing drivers, our mere metres-apart bodies muted by metal, and say, come and join this with me.

For at DEMON, I was not alone, a graffiti heavy carcass of a building in the corner of my eye, a totem of temptation. Transgression is not always negative, something I have come to learn, we can break expectations, exit the structures society so commonly expects. As part of this ‘Scrub Transmission’ LoneLady embedded an mp3 player into the wall itself, the music playing on loop within the structure, its fizzing energy unfurling into sound when headphones are plugged in. I found the red arrow and inserted my own cable, suddenly bound into brick… and then further.

At first, a reading rolled into my ears. The searing syllables of a reading, LoneLady lingering over the words ‘Forged in red-brick are all my yearnings. You can’t go back – can you?’

I can’t go back, even this essay is an attempt to touch a memory, taken by DEMON, dredged through the edgelands – not now at the desk where I sit and type. It has taught me to treasure the moment, the experience in in itself. And as I listened, ‘Nestled in brick, you toy with my fate’, fell before the music. LoneLady’s own cover of Pink Industry’s Bound By Silence bristled through my headphones, the tethered listener of my body becoming lost in the groove. We are all dancing with one DEMON or another. The map in my mind melted under my feet. Out in the edeglands, we are unbound.

- Emily Oldfield, 16 May 2020

A Journey to the Edgelands – By Simon Buckley

Even though all our journeys begin at varying times, and spring from many varied sources, we still seem consistently able to cross the paths of strangers we then decide to treasure, who become forever part of our existence. Each step we take is the conclusion to every choice we've made so far, one leg back, one foot forward, leading us towards the collisions of coincidence that define our lives. Shared experience can claim us when we believe we're alone.

I decide to be 'a visitor' and leave from Piccadilly Station on this strange pilgrimage, the journey taken, and resulting experiences, now ordained by this simple decision. I make my way through streets that are familiar yet unsafe, old yet restless.

This is where the work is done, where Manchester people live their lives. The increasing traffic along Ashton Old Road blows dust and filth into my lungs, and I think of the lost walk on the open moor.

On Gorton Road, I find Scrub Transmissions, where the artist Lonelady has embedded an MP3 player into some cement. I plug my headphones into the wall to listen to the songs and poetry. This is what drew both Emily and I to this location. Is it possible for there to be ghosts without there being existence beforehand?

My partner is with me, not from this city or even this country. But she too seems to understand. So many paths and journeys, and yet we all find each other when we need to. The sky turns deep blue, slithers of pink and yellow take an age to wither.

By Emily Oldfield and Simon Buckley

Image credit: Simon Buckley, photographs taken on an iPhone

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/05/a-journey-to-demon-on-the-manchester-edgelands-a-photo-essay-b1230#comments1230 Mon, 25 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/05/virtual-events-at-contact-theatre-b1229 Despite being in lockdown, Contact Theatre have been working hard to continue delivering fantastic events directly into your home. Despite being in lockdown, Contact Theatre have been working hard to continue delivering fantastic events directly into your home. 

United We Stream – Our City Speaks

Sunday 31 May 7pm

Contact are delighted to announce a new event ‘Our City Speaks,’ featuring the city’s best poets and spoken word artists.

Headlined by poets Tony Walsh and Keisha Thompson, the event is a collaboration with Manchester City of Literature, spoken word collective Young Identity and is part of Greater Manchester’s United We Stream.

United We Stream is an online showcase of the city’s best performers, musicians and DJs, and has already hosted performances from Mancunian cultural icons including New Order and Maxine Peake, as well as digital editions of some of Manchester’s biggest club nights.

Our City Speaks will be hosted by Contact Board member, City of Literature Community Engagement Manager and regular artist Reece Williams, and will feature a mix of sets specially pre-recorded for the night, and solo artists appearing live at United We Stream’s streaming studio located at The Met, Bury, which has been specially constructed for socially distanced live broadcasting.

Poets and artists confirmed so far include Mandla Rae, Roma Havers, Isaiah Hull, Saf Elsenossi, Damani Dennisur, Jardel Rodrigues, Dave Viney, Nadia Begum, and Argh Kid, with more yet to be announced.

The performances will be live from 7pm on United We Stream’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. United We Stream is free to watch, and donations are welcomed towards their fundraiser, which provides aid to Manchester-based entertainment venues, bars and restaurants and artists struggling from closures and revenue loss during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Week’s Notice

For seven weeks, seven different artists associated with Contact came up with a daily series of prompts, designed to make you take notice of the world around you. Curated especially for the current lockdown, there’s all manner of content to make you sit up, take notice and creatively respond to the current situation. Explore the prompts here, many of them are suitable for families to do together.

https://contactmcr.com/development/a-weeks-notice/

Homeskool Beatbox Adventures with Shlomo

Every Thursday, 2pm on facebook.com/contactmcr.

Contact have partnered with world renowned beatbox champion SK Shlomo to bring the art of beatboxing into your living room, every Thursday at 2pm.

Homeskool Beatbox Adventures is a weekly, livestreamed interactive show for kids and their families to find their true voices and create their own music.

The episodes will be streamed live from the Contact Facebook page at 2pm every Thursday.
Each week you can learn new vocal skills from SK Shlomo, the critically acclaimed world-champion beatboxer who has previously collaborated with Bjork, Ed Sheeran and Lily Allen, played at Glastonbury and broken world records.

Inspired by the success of his critically acclaimed tour show, Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventures For Kids,  we’ll be teaching kids how to become Superstar Beatboxers. The lessons are free, but Shlomo is aiming to raise £2500 for NHS Charities Together.

Nick’s short-form visual storytelling seeks to pull the reader into personal narratives, inviting them to consider the characters of this isolated village in lockdown and raising questions such as – who do we recognise as similar to ourselves? Which responses resonate with people’s behaviour in terms of Covid-19? Conceived and created by Nick in a response to a provocation from HOME’s curator Bren O’Callaghan, it may seem that these events of the past and people within them are not as far removed from the present day as we may first think.

Comic art is a powerful medium for expressing this, as Dr Joan Ormrod, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Media at Manchester Metropolitan University and the Editor of Routledge Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics, reflects:

“It’s a very apt story for our time, don't you think? 

"In response to your question, we all learn through the comics medium, often without even thinking about it.  Comics is the meanings we make from the conjunction of words and pictures.  For instance, the safety fact sheet  on a plane is in comics form.  Instructions for recipes can come in comics form.  This is at their most simple.  Comics are often regarded as a medium mainly about superheroes.  But it is more interesting as it incorporates many genres and several are journalistic and factual.  For instance, there are comics based on medicine that take the reader through people's experiences of cancer, epilepsy and mental illness.  Autobiographic comics recount people's stories of grieving and trauma.  There are comics that inform us of war and its consequences and there is one on the Peterloo Massacre.  The latter includes eyewitness accounts and quotes.  To say that comics is not for you is the equivalent of dismissing a whole medium without learning what you might enjoy in engaging with it."

The Eyam Plague of 1665-66 is in itself an event that deserves greater historical recognition. At a time when London was gripped by what has become known as ‘The Great Plague’, a posting of cloth from the capital to the Derbyshire village of Eyam spelled disaster. This cloth was riddled with fleas that were carrying the disease. A tailor’s assistant who handled the cloth on it arriving in Eyam, George Viccars, became the first victim.

The highly contagious nature of bubonic plague meant that it quickly moved through this close-knit community, with 42 villagers dying between September and December 1665 alone. As 1666 arrived, people were living in desperate fear, many planning to flee – when the new Rector William Mompesson took a decision that might have then seemed remarkable; he ordered that the village to into ‘lockdown’, a kind of quarantine. In cutting the village off in this way and trying to persuade its inhabitants to stay despite the threat, William hoped to avoid spreading the deadly plague to further northern towns and villages.  In isolating Eyam, the plague was in effect contained and the threat to further settlements was abated – though tragically an estimated 260 of Eyam’s residents died in the process.

In Our Plague Year, Nick (pictured below - image credit: Renée Goulet) in turn considers this remarkable story of sacrifice and the many different ways human beings respond when faced with crisis. From denial and tension to bravery and hope, emotions are set to run high in this fascinating series, delivered directly to people’s inboxes on a weekly basis. It is clear that this commission from HOME is a thought-provoking and contemporary response that invites viewers to consider their connections to the past as well as its implications for the present, something that Nick is no stranger to exploring in his work.

Nick is a Manchester-born illustrator, based for the last eight years in Salford after living for most of his life in Canada. His much-loved illustrations and comics possess an enchanting, personable style, often focusing on character scenarios. From telling the story of the Citymapper shared transport system to  encountering overheard conversations on the tram, the stereotypes people may hold about millennials and so much more, Nick certainly does not shy away from engaging with a variety of contemporary subjects… made all-the-more enthralling through comics! With features in the likes of The New York Times, GQ and Wired Magazine to name a few, this exciting new commission from HOME marks another exciting platform for Nick’s thought-provoking creativity. Haunt Manchester decided to talk to Nick about 'Our Plague Year' and to find out more…

Hello Nick! What was the inspiration behind 'Our Plague Year' and how long have you been working on it?

"The inspiration came in the form of a brief from HOME Manchester’s Curator, Bren O’Callaghan. He asked if I was interested in responding (through the comic medium) to what was going on in the world with regards to Coronavirus. Not about Coronavirus itself, but around the themes stemming from this period: isolation, fear of others, restrictions, anger, interior worlds, etc. This was at the end of March 2020.

"The idea for Our Plague Year came quite quickly. At the time, we were three days into lockdown and so information – reactions from people and the news media – were coming thick and fast. I don’t remember how I came across Eyam (perhaps in an article), but once I did and once I saw the parallels between what was happening today and what happened 350 years ago, the idea came instantly. I messaged Bren five hours later, told him I had something I was excited about and that I needed the week to put something together – which means I’ve been working on Our Plague Year for about 7 weeks. 

"One thing that I’d like to stress, however, is that Our Plague Year is not a historically accurate take on the events in Eyam in 1665/1666. The characters in this story are imaginary, the events are fictional and the timelines have been messed with. It’s still Eyam. It’s still about the plague that tore through the village, and about how that village decided to go into voluntary lockdown in an effort to stop it from spreading further. But it’s fiction – an alternative world Eyam with a contemporary spin."

The Eyam Plague is perhaps historically under-covered or grouped into stories of ‘The Great Plague’ as a series of events and horrors rather than personal stories. Why did considering the possible stories involved matter to you?

"I felt that coming at it from a personal story point of view was the best way to represent the many viewpoints around the issues I wanted to talk about. Looking at things through the eyes of the characters, rather than through the eyes of a bird sailing high above the village brings an immediacy to the stories.

"Further to this, there’s a dark heart at the centre of Our Plague Year which is the plague itself and the characters I’m telling the story through are each revolving around this heart while being drawn inexorably closer to it. This allows for flexibility in the telling of the tales and it allows for generational and cultural explorations of the events and themes themselves, plus a lot of freedom to explore the characters and their interrelated lives. Dan Clowes’ comic Ice Haven was constructed in a similar fashion. The lives of the people of Ice Haven revolved around a dark event, which was the disappearance of a child. The comic then went on to explore the reactions to this from a number of the town’s inhabitants. For Our Plague Year, I’ll be using a similar approach – an approach that will help provide variety, perspective and, ideally, keep things interesting.

"As far as the Eyam Plague not being covered as well as other plague stories, you’re right. 

"It probably has a lot to do with the fact that only three letters (written by William Mompesson, the rector of Eyam) have survived to this day (that I know of). So unlike London where the plague was documented by diarists, artists, politicians and journalists, Eyam presents a bit of a vacuum. A lot of what we know about Eyam was written 100 years after the fact – this being the poetry of Anna Seward and the writings of William Wood. That’s when the myth of Eyam and the sacrifice the villagers made began to capture the imagination of the public.

"What does this mean for Our Plague Year? It means I get to step into that vacuum and imagine what might have happened. I get to make things up."

In modern society, we often distance ourselves from past civilisations, perhaps assuming that it equates to ‘progress’. Do you think perhaps re-addressing our relationship with people of the past is important, particularly at a time like this?

"We are an inventive species and there’s no doubt that technology, science and medicine move ever onwards, but as people, are our reactions, feelings and responses that different from our ancestors? I think in many cases they aren’t.

"When you read stories from the past, it’s interesting to see how similar those stories are to our own. With regards to the 1665/1666 plague, I read that they had a vinegar shortage. Vinegar was seen as a purifier, a deodorant and something that possibly protected you from the plague. So there was a run on it. Fast forward to the onset of Coronavirus and we had a toilet paper shortage – goodness knows why – but there’s a strange parallel going on there. 

"Here’s another one. I’m sure you’ve read about people protesting and blaming the spread of Covid-19 on 5G towers. 350 years ago, fairies were getting the blame. There’s a link in the tendency to blame the other, or the unknown, for our misfortune.

"And of course, every succeeding generation wants to do away with the previous one. The feeling that this is our time and ‘we don’t need you to tell us what to do anymore’ happens again and again and will continue to happen with the next generation. I’m exploring this mindset through a few of the younger characters in Our Plague Year. And having great fun with it. 

"I once read that we are a species with amnesia and I believe that. So while I definitely think it’s important to learn from the people and events from our past, I also believe that history is written by the victors and that, unfortunately, there are plenty of voices, ideas and cultures lost to time. In those cases, we haven’t distanced ourselves from the past, we’ve buried it."

Is there a particular historical source you have used? How would you recommend people find out more?

"Well, once the country re-opens I’d recommend people travel to Eyam Museum and read about the real story of Eyam, its people and what happened there back in 1665/1666. I’ve not had the chance to do that yet but I am looking forward to visiting.

"As far as historical sources go, I’ve been putting myself through a crash course in 17th-century English History and so have used a variety of books and online resources. Not just those concerned with Eyam, but ones that look at how people lived back in the 17th century, what their belief systems were, what they did on a daily basis and how they approached their lives. It won’t all find its way into Our Plague Year, but it does at least ground the fiction in something real. 

"Here are some good reads: 

A Time Traveller’s Guide to Restoration Britain by Ian Mortimer

Eyam, Plague Village by David Paul

The History and Antiquities of Eyam by William Wood

The Story of Eyam Plague by Clarence Daniel."

In terms of the difficult subject matter, have you found yourself perhaps tested in your own creativity – has it made you respond in perhaps a different artistic style or with an altered approach than you initially planned?

"I’m definitely approaching this in a much different way than how I approach a lot of my other work. From a visual perspective, I wanted it to feel older, and so I was influenced by old woodcuts, advertisements, typography, bills of mortality, and the old paper they were printed on. I’ve tried to make Our Plague Year feel like it’s coming from an older place. And then because it’s about the juxtaposition between the 17th and 21st centuries, the language I’ve used and the way characters speak is more contemporary in nature."

To carry on the theme of subject matter… how have you handled the sensitivity of such a topic at this time and has that been a challenge?

"Well, on the one hand, I’m aware that there isn’t a single way to grieve. It all depends on who you are and the culture you live in. I’m thinking of traditional Irish Wakes, where jokes and pranks are all part of the process, or Ghanaian pallbearers who dance happily with the coffin they’re carrying, sending the deceased cheerfully on their way to the next world. We all respond differently to tragedy and death and what some find distasteful, others find moving, funny, or pleasant. Having said that, I did want to distance myself from the immediacy of Covid-19 and how it was affecting people, which is one reason why Our Plague Year is set 350 years in the past. It allows me to comment on the themes and issues of the day, but from a removed, centuries-old, vantage point. But then, at the end of the day, it’s dark humour and so I’m simply poking fun at how people and officials react to an event like this. There’s always comedy to be found in the misery and struggles of people trying to cope during a stressful time."

You are currently based in Salford. At the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, has the change in the city landscape around you and people's behaviour within it influenced your work? 

"My neighbourhood and people’s behaviour has definitely been an influence – not just from an observational point of view (and I include observing my own behaviour in that), but also with regards to some synchronicities taking place. An example of this would be how Reverend Mompesson moved the religious gatherings out of the church and into a nearby field (Cucklet’s Delph). This was done so that people could more easily maintain distance between each other. Meanwhile, I live in an Orthodox Jewish area and a similar thing has happened. The people no longer gather in the nearby Synagogues, they gather in open spaces, one of which I can see from my kitchen window. It’s a large space bounded on all sides by three-storey flats and houses. The Rabbi and a few others enter into this space to lead prayers, while all around, in the open windows, people are following along, watching and praying and singing. It’s an odd, makeshift amphitheatre and it’s fascinating.

"Other than that, I see the same things that plenty of people must be seeing. People crossing the road (or making a wide berth) when someone is coming in the opposite direction, people waiting for someone to enter or exit the gate to a park before they do, joggers bursting past you in a terrifying haze of spittle and heavy breathing. Then there are people not social distancing at all, like secret games of football taking place on a hidden field deep in the old forest across the road. And there are things you don’t see, but hear about, like the watchful, tattling neighbour posting on social media. Many of these and other behaviours will find their way into the stories I’m writing for Our Plague Year."

And lastly, some people seem to assume that ‘comics aren’t for them’. How would you counter this view and what can comics add to learning, for all of us?

"This is a tough one. It’s an age-old problem for comics in this country, though not in places like Belgium, France and Japan. People in those cultures are more accepting and have more respect for comic art and comics in general. Perhaps one of the issues here (in England) is that people tend to think of comics as a genre, not a medium. For instance, it’s all superheroes and/or jokes.

"To further that thought, it might be that people associate comics with their childhood. It’s something they read as children and they’ve ‘grown up and grown out of comics now’. They’ll be unaware of the vast amount of stories, subjects and issues that comics cover. And on that point, maybe publishers of comics don’t do a good enough job of marketing the work of their authors to a larger, more diverse crowd.

"I don’t know how it gets fixed, but maybe it helps when you see a comic long-listed for the Booker Prize, like Sabrina by Nick Drnaso was, or when a comic like Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis gets recognised by The Guardian as one of the best 100 books of the past century. It’ll hopefully encourage more people to give comics a chance. And it should because comics have a long and great history. The Bayeux Tapestry is a comic. William Hogarth’s Harlot’s Progress is a comic. He was also a fierce social critic and pretty much invented the political cartoon. Nabokov was also a huge fan of comics and believed that people don’t think in languages, they think in images. The American cartoonist Chris Ware has done more to further this line of thinking than any other cartoonist around. I think England’s Jon McNaught does a similar thing with his work. What they’re all saying is that a comic presents a more accurate representation of how we see the world. It just needs a reader to bring it to life.

"Which brings me to what I think is an important point: people need to understand how to read a comic. We understand as kids, but somewhere along the way, we unlearn it. If you approach it like a book, it won’t work, because comics exist in that space between writing and drawing. You’re not just reading the words, you’re reading the pictures. The rhythm of a finely crafted literary sentence is mirrored by how the action of a comic unfolds through panel content and placement. You have to read it differently than a book. With a comic, you are the performer. Your eyes bring the page to life as they scan the combination of words, pictures and page turns.

"If you’re not reading comics, you’re missing out on some of the most important stories humans have been telling for the past 250 years."

Sign up to receive the Our Plague Year weekly via email via the entry form on the HOME website here. For more information about Nick, visit his website at nickburtondraws.com and follow his work on Instagram at @mrgreysky and @plagueyearcomic. 

By Emily Oldfield 

Image credits: Image 2 by Renée Goulet, the rest thanks to Nick Burton 

Dave Moutrey looks back on five years since HOME opened its doors

On May 21 it will be five years since I stood on the steps outside of HOME with Danny Boyle and Sir Richard Leese when they declared the building open in front of 5,000 Mancunians, it only seems like yesterday. Over five days we welcomed 28,000 Manchester residents into the building to 112 events, worked with 750 young people, 100 artists, 143 musicians, 70 volunteers, spoke to 175 journalists and sold 400 outdoor pizzas!
It was a very busy, exhausting, beautiful and amazing few days, that lead to a very busy year and it has been non-stop ever since. After the opening weekend I was regularly asked how I was feeling about it all and the questioners were often surprised when I said the overwhelming sense was of relief.

Relief that people had actually turned up. Relief that the building worked. Relief that people where making a place of First Street. I felt like this because from the moment the project was announced many people told me, our Board, and our stakeholders that ‘no one will go to that part of the city centre, no one’, ‘First Street is nowhere’. They were also concerned because HOME was being constructed to house a new organisation formed from the merger of the Library Theatre Company and Cornerhouse. They were both much-loved organisations with loyal audiences and strong artistic track records and their audiences were invested in them and worried for their future in the new iteration. When we announced the new name for the merged organisation, HOME, this added to the concern of many. As HOME was a project green-lit at the start of austerity and no other council in the UK was even thinking about building an arts centre at that time, the level of civic risk was significant. So the pressure was on and made sure that every person our team understood the responsibility; we had to do everything in our power to make this work.

As custodians for the legacy of the two parent organisations, the Library Theatre Company and Cornerhouse, we realised that we had to do whatever we could to take people on the journey with us, after all, we cared as much about these two Manchester institutions as they did. The Library Theatre Company was homeless following the refurbishment of the Central Library and Cornerhouse occupied buildings that were reaching the end of their life and were not fit for purpose. It was also clear that both organisations needed to change with the grain of contemporary arts practice, audiences and stakeholder expectations. So the reality was that both organisations were very vulnerable at that time and this project offered not only an important lifeline but a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hit the reset button and reach out to new audiences.

As the project developed, we took listening to our audiences very seriously. We worked with our architects, Mecanoo, and wider design team on making sure that the DNA of the Library Theatre Company and Cornerhouse was reflected in the design of the new building at the same time as designing a building for the future needs of audiences and artists. There were many site tours, conversations and surveys with our audiences and artists, that not only informed the design of the building but also the name and how we thought about the programme.

Less than five years after the first phone call, we opened on time and on budget. In our first year, we attracted in the region of 1m visitors and had an economic impact of over £23m on the Manchester economy, we have never looked back. The people of our city laid claim to HOME, their building, and made it their own. It is a tribute to the huge team of people within the council, funders, sponsors, contractors, sub-contractors, artists and staff who worked hard to make it happen. More than anything, it is a tribute to the people of our city, our audiences, participants, donors, and volunteers, who have made HOME a place, a living room in the city. HOME is only five years old yet it is built into the fabric of the city.

When we closed our doors on March 16 for the Covid-19 lockdown we had completed an amazing year with our best ever visitor figures. One week later I walked out of HOME with the final few of our team members after mothballing the building that had dominated 10 years of my working life, and that of many of my team, and moved to working at home. It was all a bit emotional and was made even more so by the outpouring of generosity and love for HOME from our audiences and donors but…

I know that we will be back and I hope soon. I know that our audiences and artists will be back with us. I know that we have a job to do in helping the city recover. I know that we will need to help rebuild emotional and artistic confidence. I know that we have a job to do helping our key workers recover. I know that we can and will help and work with young people and vulnerable people. I know that we have work to do helping arts organisations, artists and creatives come out the other side of this. I know that we will play our part in combating climate change. I also know that we will not be the same as before, we are not going back to what was normal. In some cases this is because we can’t go back because society and the economy have changed and in other cases what we had before needed to change. The future for all of us is almost certainly going to be a bloody huge challenge and test of our resilience, tolerance, community spirit, creativity and energy but we can and will get through this stronger. I know this because I work in Manchester, the personification of resilience, and work alongside of a brilliant team of people. We are planning our return.

Dave Moutrey
Director & CEO, HOME

The four-hour production on Friday 22 May, organised by Greater Manchester’s Night-Time Economy Adviser Sacha Lord, starts at 8pm and will be headlined by Melanie C, best known as member of global iconic girl group The Spice Girls.

Pop star Melanie C performed at the Arena many times with her fellow Spice Girls Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Melanie Brown.

She said: “I can’t wait to for my live DJ set on Friday night.  I’ll be playing some uplifting pop bangers and maybe a few cheeky classics from the North West.

“It’s so important to never forget the lives lost and affected because of this awful attack, now more than ever, as we face a crisis that effects every single one of us. Hopefully I’ll be able to bring a smile to your faces and get you dancing round your living room!”

Created in April by Sacha and the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, in swift response to the UK shut down due to coronavirus, the United We Stream platform is free to watch, but with donations welcome.

The project has already raised a staggering £320,000 for the city region’s night time economy, cultural organisations and chosen local charities.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: "Greater Manchester has experienced dark times in the past and the attack on the Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017 was one of the darkest. The families and friends of all those whose lives were lost on that devastating night are always in our hearts - the 22 will never be forgotten.

"This Friday's United We Stream will be a very special and thoughtful night marking a very important anniversary. It will showcase Greater Manchester doing what we do best as a community: remembering, commemorating and being together.

"I want to personally thank everyone involved in the special plans for Friday, in particular Melanie, Cath and the series director Colin McKevitt and his ICZ production team, who has made it possible for the Manchester Survivors choir to come together to mark what will be such a poignant day, both for them and for all of us."

Joining Melanie on the commemorative line-up is former Coronation Street actress Catherine Tydesley, who will be singing with the Manchester Survivors Choir.

The Manchester Survivors choir is a group of people who were at the Arena on the night of the attack, mostly parents and children, and was formed as a way to unite and help those affected by the atrocity. Since 2018 it has more than quadrupled in size, with nearly 100 members.

They say singing together has made them stronger. Unfortunately, since the country has been staying indoors because of the pandemic they have been unable to rehearse, and were left ‘deeply saddened’ at the prospect of not being together for this year’s anniversary to remember and honour those who lost their lives in the attack.

However, the United We Stream production team, led by Director Colin McKevitt, organised for the choir to sing outdoors, in the heart of Media City, while ensuring all social distancing and infection control guidelines were strictly adhered to.

Member of Manchester Survivors Choir, Cath Hill said: “We feel honoured and excited to be asked to contribute to the wonderful United We Stream Greater Manchester project. We were anxious about how we would mark this year's anniversary and felt deeply sad that we could not be together.

“With the help of everyone involved in the production of United We Stream, we can safely sing together, and remember and honour those who lost their lives. It means so much to us that on this day, we can share our message of resilience and hope in our amazing city. United, we shall sing!”

And actress Cath Tyldesley said: “To be remembering those we lost and anyone affected by the Manchester bomb attack is crucial. It reminds us of how strong we are in union. The city-region of Manchester has a heart and a strength greater than any other city I know.

“This is a special honour for me to take part in this United We Stream Greater Manchester remembrance. A true privilege to stand among such strong people. I’ve never felt more proud to be a Manchester lass. My prayers for the lost, and the families of those grieving will always remain in my Mancunian heart. We will stand and sing together.”

United We Stream Greater Manchester is live every weekend with a donations page, where viewers can watch for free but can buy a ‘virtual ticket’ for whatever price they choose to enjoy the channel. 

All income from the stream goes directly to a relief fund, with 8% of funds raised donated to Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Charity, 22% donated to the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s Charity, and 70% of all funding generated going specifically to support Greater Manchester's night-time economy, including music venues, restaurants, bars, freelancers and cultural organisations who are unable to work, or operate their businesses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Donations to United We Stream can also be made via the website, or by texting ‘MUSIC’ to 70140 to donate £5.

United We Stream executive producer Sacha Lord said: “Clearly I know how difficult this week is, not just for the families of the 22 lives that were lost on the 22nd May 2017, but also for the many families, NHS, police, paramedics, firefighters, first responders and many people who pulled together on the evening of one of Greater Manchester’s worst days.

“I also understand the importance of coming together on this date, remembering those lives and paying tribute to those who risked their lives.

“That night at the Arena was a night of pop music with people dancing and having fun. At United We Stream we wanted to pay our respects, but can’t have the kind of anniversary gathering take place that we would have wanted.

“At a time when we are living through another period when we need the city region to come together, we felt it right to pay tribute, but also allow residents of the city-region to dance their way through it, safely in their homes.”

Due to ongoing coronavirus restrictions, people in the city-region are being encouraged not to gather together to mark the anniversary on Friday, but to mark the day remotely.

Prayers led by Dean of Manchester Rogers Govender, which will include the names of the 22 people who lost their lives being read out, will take place at 9am and 4.30pm on Friday 22 May and be livestreamed at www.facebook.com/ManchesterCathedral/live

During the morning service, people watching will be invited to light a candle in remembrance.

At 10.31pm – the exact time of the attack three years ago – a recording of the cathedral’s bells tolling 22 times will air on BBC Radio Manchester, while Hits Radio will broadcast a reflective moment.

The United We Stream model was pioneered in Berlin by their Night Tsar Lutz Leichsenring, with Sacha working round the clock with his international counterparts and the GMCA to enable Greater Manchester to be the second city-region worldwide, and the first in the United Kingdom, to begin the concept on 3rd April.

Since then, United We Stream has also launched in Belgrade, Detroit, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Cologne with many more cities across the world poised to take part.

Performances take place in artist’s homes, gardens, or from selected host venues around the region, making sure all performances adhere to government advice around isolating, distancing and infection control.

More than 150 globally renowned artists and local breakthrough talent have performed for free on United We Stream GM with highlights including: two Hacienda House Parties with over 2.5 million viewers combined for each party, Homoelectric with The Black Madonna and Moloko’s Roisin Murphy,  Headstock festival with New Order, the Killers and Elbow,  Moovin Festival with global award winning DJ Woody and Hip Hop star Big Daddy Kane, Funkademia, La Discotheque, Ad Hoc Records special, DJ Paul Oakenfold, cookery features Manchester Food and Drink Festival,  Gary Usher and Simon Wood and Indie music Radio XS and Capital Radio takeovers.

With both Number One Riverside and the accompanying Dippy exhibition at Touchstones Rochdale, Museum and Art Gallery, temporarily closed, the council and Link4Life wanted to find a way to share Dippy with the public. To do this they harnessed the power of technology to enable dino fans to see Dippy in Number One Riverside and enjoy the Dippy exhibition at Touchstones from the safety of their home.

Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member for community, culture and neighbourhoods at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Dippy went down an absolute storm in Rochdale. We welcomed over 110,000 visitors in just five weeks. More than 9,000 schoolchildren from 100 schools across the region met Dippy and visited the exhibition at Touchstones as part in this once in a lifetime experience. We created something incredibly special here and were obviously sorry to have to close our doors so early in the run.

“We don’t want people to miss out on Dippy because they can’t visit him. That’s why we organised the virtual tour, so people can still have access to this wonderful opportunity despite everything that’s going on.”

Dippy’s stay in Rochdale was due to end on 28 June, but tour dates may change as a result of the ongoing situation.

The virtual tour of Dippy in Number One Riverside and the Dippy exhibition at Touchstones Rochdale, can be viewed at: visitrochdale.com/dippy

People can also follow both the council and Link4Life’s social media accounts and the twitter account @DippyOnTour for the latest news on Dippy on Tour.

Chloé is an academic working in the fields of literature, film and cultural studies, specialising in the Gothic, games and children’s literature. She is the author of Twenty-First Century Children’s Gothic Fiction: From Wanderer to Nomadic Subject (Edinburgh University Press, 2017) – pictured left – Co-Editor of Telling it Slant: Critical Approaches to Helen Oyeyemi (Sussex Academic Press, 2017) with Dr Sarah Illot, and has contributed a range of book chapters, journal content and online articles. Haunt Manchester also previously interviewed Chloé about her academic work here and ahead of her participation in the academic panel at Manchester Folk Horror Festival II here. She went onto write a retrospective of the experience, and provided a further review of Gothic Manchester Festival 2019’s event ‘The Witching Way’.

Terrifying Tales

Independent booksellers have reported an increase in telephone and email orders during the pandemic as people turn to books for entertainment in efforts to stay at home. Children and teens are in need of the same, of course. Normally, teachers and librarians are a fantastic source of book recommendations and reading enthusiasm and, without their support, it can be tough to find fun and suitable titles for young readers. However, if your tastes tend to the spooky and macabre, there’s no shortage of great books out there. While researching my book, Twenty-First-Century Children’s Gothic, I read a lot of scary stories written for children and young adults and here I share my top 10 reads...

Although the Gothic has always been part of children’s literature, it has exploded in popularity since the turn of the twenty-first century. Nowadays, children’s Gothic ranges across multiple genres, showcasing a real diversity of themes and styles. In the children’s section of your local bookshop, you will find literary ghost stories, dark fantasy and paranormal romance series, neo Victorian novels, zombie horror, and Weird fiction. In this “Top 10 Must Reads” I’ve picked out some notable examples and personal favourites dating from the eighteenth century to the present. To make the task of selecting only ten books slightly easier, I’ve limited the list to British and Irish writers. This means I’ve not included the superlative Lemony Snicket and his Series of Unfortunate Events ... Writing a Top 10 is really difficult!

Gothic Children's Fiction Top Ten, 1798 - Present

1. Horace Walpole’s Hieroglyphic Tales (1798): Walpole published the first self-proclaimed Gothic novel, Castle of Otranto in 1764; the same year that the first children’s novel went on sale. Hieroglyphic Tales couldn’t be more different to Thomas Newbery’s Tale of Goody-Two-Shoes, though. As Dale Townshend, notes, “horror drips darkly from Walpole’s pen” in these tales of witches, devils and an archbishop who swallows a human foetus! All purportedly penned for a 9-year-old girl. Read the free e-book here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14098
2. Lucy Lane Clifford’s “The New Mother” (1882): This is very strange story from the Victorian Golden Age when writers inspired by the Grimms penned new fairy tales for the nursery. Here, two little girls determined to misbehave have their mother replaced by a “new mother” with glass eyes and a wooden tail. A key inspiration for Coraline (2002). Read the story online for free: https://weirdfictionreview.com/2011/11/creepy-classic-lucy-cliffords-the-new-mother/
3. Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden (1911): A lovely tale of gardening and blossoming childhood friendship, which also happens to riff on the Victorian Gothic. Although, in this case, the “madwoman in the attic” turns out to be Colin. Read the free e-book here: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/113
4. Helen Cresswell, Moondial (1987): Moondial was a childhood favourite of mine. This creepy time-slip ghost story turns real-life National Trust site, Belton House, Lincolnshire, into an emotionally charged Gothic space. 
5. Celia Rees, Blood Sinister (1997): Rees’ page-turning spin on Stoker’s Dracula (1897) has everything. Its dual timeline narrative tracks a nineteenth-century Vampire as he closes in on his prey. There are gory scenes of blood transfusion, a terrifying private medical institution, and a strong feminist message.
6. Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (2002): Gaiman’s terrifying tale of a haunted house playfully rewrites elements of Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Looking Glass by way of Freud’s essay on the “Uncanny”. Adapted by director Henry Selick into a sinister stop-motion animation in 2009, Coraline really kickstarts 21st Century Children’s Gothic.
7. Bali Rai, City of Ghosts (2009): Rai’s novel is a ghost story of sorts, one that takes readers back to Amritsar in 1919 when the British army murdered hundreds of Indian civilians. Harrowing stuff, but a truly important book about Britain’s imperial past, which is all too often whitewashed.
8. Chris Priestley, Mister Creecher (2011): I don’t like to have favorites, but I do, and it’s Mister Creecher. This is a fantastically inventive reimagining of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with a striking ending.
9. Derek Landy, Skulduggery Pleasant (2007 – 2014): These books are a lot of fun. Landy hybridizes elements from so many genres, including the Lovecraftian Weird, his books are impossible to summarize in a sentence. Skulduggery Pleasant opens when a twelve-year-old girl is saved by a fire-ball throwing detective, who is also a skeleton. It gets weirder from there.
10. Francis Hardinge’s The Lie Tree (2015): This book won the overall Costa Book of the Year award and it’s not hard to see why. A neo-Victorian novel about a girl who aspires to escape the confines of her class and gender, The Lie Tree explores tensions between religion and science, the construction of gender, and contains a dark kernel of weird magic that will not be explained away.

I would also like to add an honourable mention to the amazing Barrington Stoke collection which features a superb range of titles for reluctant readers and dyslexic readers. My favourites include Tanya Landman’s retelling of Jane Eyre, Chris Priestley’s Seven Ghosts, Juno Dawson’s Grave Matter and Catherine Johnson’s Race to the Frozen North.

By Dr Chloé Germaine Buckley, who also provided the images for this article

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/05/terrifying-tales-a-top-ten-of-the-best-gothic-stories-for-children-and-young-adults-b1223#comments1223 Wed, 20 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/05/tinkering-toolboxes-at-the-ready-for-the-science-and-industry-museums-makefestathome-b1222 Inventors of the future are being encouraged to gather household items to top up their toolboxes in preparation for a week of making, engineering, crafting, and creating. Inventors of the future are being encouraged to gather household items to top up their toolboxes in preparation for a week of making, engineering, crafting, and creating.

The Science and Industry Museum traditionally dedicates May half term to tinkering. This culminates in MakeFest, a weekend of creative family fun. Despite its doors being temporarily shut, the museum remains devoted to inspiring the next generation of innovators and will be challenging audiences to get crafting from home and sharing their creations online as part of #MakeFestAtHome.

From Monday 25 – Friday 29 May, #MakeFestAtHome will introduce daily challenges inspired by the museum’s extensive online learning resources and designed to develop skills in science, technology, engineering and maths in people of all ages and abilities. It is an opportunity for whole families to discover how ideas of the past can influence inventions of the future, and put this into practice by building their own creations. 

Monday’s challenge will see makers create something that flips, spins, pushes or pulls when they make it move. Manchester’s towering skyline is the inspiration behind Tuesday’s activity to build it tall, and Wednesday’s task will ignite everyone’s inner engineer during a challenge to build it strong. It’s all about noise on Thursday and creating something to sound it loud, and Friday’s task is to make it fly by fashioning something that glides like a plane through the air.

In preparation for the tasks that lay ahead, makers of the future are being encouraged to build up their tinkering toolbox by collecting household items to transform into exciting DIY creations. This includes anything from loo rolls, lolly sticks and plastic bottles, to straws, sticky tape, paper and card.

Gina Cooke, Contemporary Science Programme Producer at the Science and Industry Museum, said: “MakeFest is an annual celebration that aims to get whole families being creative together.  Although we’re not able to deliver our usual activities at the museum, we’re delighted that our extensive online resources mean everyone can get creative, make things from home and share their ideas and creations with us on social media using #MakeFestAtHome.

“Our aim is to inspire people through ideas that changed the world. The #MakeFestAtHome challenges provide an understanding of some of the world’s most awe-inspiring innovations, many of which we are lucky to have on display at the museum.”

For more information about MakeFest, visit www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/makefest-at-home. Challenges will be available on the website and on the Science and Industry Museum’s social media channels, with makers encouraged to share snaps of their creations using #MakeFestAtHome.

To be the first to hear about news and events from the Science and Industry Museum, sign up to its mailing list at www.scienceandindustrymuseum.org.uk.

The Science and Industry Museum temporarily closed its doors on Tuesday 17 March following Government advice that aims to contain the spread of COVID-19. There is currently no set date for reopening, but it looks forward to welcoming visitors back in the future. 

Including online talks, hidden treasures from their collections, learning resources and online exhibitions, you can make the most of the opportunity to explore the past, change the future from the comfort of your own home. 

Check out the top 10 ways to explore Salford's Working Class Movement Library from Home. 

In this article he reflects on Sacred Trinity Church, Salford. At the time of writing (May 2020), the Church is currently closed due to Covid-19 guidance, with more information via its website here. There is also a previous Haunt Manchester article featuring the monthly ArA night that takes place within the church (currently also not running, in terms of Covid-19 guidance) ‘Behind the scenes of ArA: the gothic club-like night set in a Salford church’ readable here.

Pictured below: Sacred Trinity Church, side elevation. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA is a Senior Research Associate in the Departments of English and History at Manchester Metropolitan University. He has published widely on Georgian Gothic architecture and design broadly conceived, as well as heraldry and the relevance of heraldic arts to post-medieval English intellectual, cultural, and aesthetic culture. Last year, as part of Gothic Manchester Festival 2019, he co-organised an event at Chetham’s Library Baronial Hall with Professor Dale Townshend titled ‘Faking Gothic Furniture’ (it also features, along with The John Rylands Library, in a previous article by Peter, here). This involved discussing the mysterious George Shaw (1810-76), a local Upper Mill lad who developed an early interest in medieval architecture and heraldry, going on to create forgeries of Tudor and Elizabethan furniture for a number of high-profile individuals and places at the time, including Chetham’s!

Currently Peter is completing his Leverhulme-funded research project exploring forged antiquarian materials in Georgian Britain, and also working on the recently re-discovered Henry VII and Elizabeth of York marriage bed, which itself was the inspiration behind many of Shaw’s so-called ‘Gothic forgeries’.

A Hotchpotch of History: Sacred Trinity, Salford

The tower of Sacred Trinity is a marvellous survival from seventeenth-century England; only 11 listed structures in Salford, with a further thirteen in Manchester, laying claim to such an early date. This post explores the history of what is now a very curious building.

Above - Fig.1: Details of Classical orders from 1728. Image in Public Domain.

Architecture in eighteenth-century Britain was governed by the very fluffy concept of ‘taste’. Trying to define taste is much like trying to define the nebulous concept of common sense. Nevertheless, Georgian England generally considered Classical architecture a good taste courtesy of its government by mathematics and the fact that it was taken from the great historic empires of Classical antiquity (Fig.1). Gothic architecture, on the other hand, came from the barbarian Goths. Not only did they destroy Classical architecture and the architects trained in the style, but also the Roman empire. Alexander Gerrard, a Church of Scotland minister, wrote and had published in 1759 probably the definitive exploration of taste in eighteenth-century Britain: An Essay on Taste, available here as a later and expanded edition.

Above - Fig.2: Elevation of St Paul’s Cathedral, London. © Peter N. Lindfield.             

Gerard argues that ‘modern’ architecture in eighteenth-century Britain ought to be Classical. As I explored in reference to Wren’s St Paul’s Cathedral in London (Fig.2), and St Philip’s in Salford, here, such advice followed, and helped cement Classical architecture’s presence and popularity in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Britain. Most ‘modern’ architects in Stuart and Georgian Britain, like Sir Christopher Wren, worked almost exclusively in the Classical mode, yet the vast amount of medieval Gothic architecture in Britain’s landscape, such as churches, abbeys, castles, and colleges, meant that there remained a need to work with—repair or add to—medieval architecture.

Above - Fig.3: Tom Tower, Christ Church, Oxford. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Wren’s most important piece of Gothic architecture is the entrance tower—known a Tom Tower—to Christ Church, Oxford, on St Aldate’s Street. Left incomplete by both Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII, the tower needed finishing off. Rather than adding a Classical tower, Wren chose to erect a Gothic structure because it would sit happily with the rest of the college begun and constructed by Cardinal Wolsey (Fig.3).

Below - Fig.4: Western Towers, Westminster Abbey, London. © Peter N. Lindfield.

The same sense to tradition guided Nicholas Hawksmoor’s work on Westminster Abbey in London. Hawksmoor, another architect working primarily in the Classical style, completed the western towers on the Abbey (Fig.4), which, until the eighteenth century, were only completed up to around the apex of the nave, see number 1 in Fig.5.

Below - Fig.5: After Hollar, St James’s Palace and Part of the City of Westminster, taken from the north side of Pall Mall, (1660), published 1809. Image in Public Domain.

Whilst both Wren’s and Hawksmoor’s additions to Gothic fabrics are largely in a complementary Gothic style—even if they do include elements from Classical architecture—they can be considered sympathetic additions. Something quite different happened at Sacred Trinity Church in Salford.

Above - Fig.6: Sacred Trinity, from a map of Manchester and Salford from 1741. Image in Public Domain.

Built in 1635 in what Howard Colvin considered to be the ‘Gothic survival style’—Gothic practised after the end of the medieval period by local builders—Sacred Trinity’s form is preserved in engravings, such as Fig.6. As you can see from the engraving, not only is the tower ornamented with Gothic tracery windows, but the nave’s windows are also in what appears to be the Perpendicular style typical of late-medieval churches.

Below - Fig.7: Sacred Trinity Church. © Peter N. Lindfield.

The tower (Fig.7) is the only obvious surviving part of the early seventeenth-century church, with the ‘nave’ that we see today erected in the Classical style. The church was restored subsequently between 1871 and 1874 by Holden. Grade II* listed by Historic England (list entry number 1386185, here), the tower is recorded as having Decorated windows in the listing, whereas, in reality, the tower’s overwhelming character is Perpendicular Gothic (Fig.8).

Below - Fig.8: Sacred Trinity Church, detail of the tower. © Peter N. Lindfield.

The general form and appearance of Sacred Trinity’s 1635 tower resonates with that belonging to Manchester Cathedral that we see today, however the Cathedral tower’s later, Victorian, and fine Perpendicular Gothic ornament is not repeated on Sacred Trinity; this seventeenth-century Gothic tower is more spartan with less money invested in its carved detail.

Above - Fig.9: Sacred Trinity Church, side elevation. © Peter N. Lindfield.

What is curious about Sacred Trinity is the decision taken when the church was redeveloped in 1752: the Gothic tower was retained, but the nave was rebuilt in the Classical style. Note the use of round-headed windows instead of Gothic pointed examples (Fig.9). Something especially curious is that these windows’ glazing bars are effectively Classicised versions of Gothic tracery.

Below - Fig.10: Sacred Trinity Church, eastern façade. © Peter N. Lindfield.

The end result is a wonderfully—or perhaps horribly—hybrid building retaining some elements of historic, seventeenth-century Gothic architecture, but the church, nevertheless, was remade in the then fashionable Classical style (Fig.10). Photographs of the church’s Classical interior can be found here—the building is closed due to the present Covid-19 pandemic. As such, the church’s appearance matches a satirical print from 1771 by Hooper (Fig.11), showing the effects of bad taste where a house is composed of elements from every style of architecture going. Despite this, Sacred Trinity is the manifestation of architectural fashions, and it responds to the Georgian period’s interest in architectural style, aesthetics, taste, and, above all, the preservation of built heritage.

Its extreme historical value comes from the fact that it records and preserves changes in English architectural history and fashion. The seventeenth-century tower’s retention, perhaps out of a sense of heritage, out of financial economy, or a mixture of the two, which helped crate this most curious church, thankfully helps preserve a glimpse of Manchester’s and Salford’s now almost entirely destroyed early architectural heritage.

Below - Fig.11: S. Hooper’s ‘A COMMON COUNCIL MAN of CANDLESTICK WARD and his WIFE on a Visit to Mr. DEPUTY at his Modern Built Villa Near CLAPHAM’, 1771. 771.11.01.02+. Courtesy of The Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University.

Image credits in the captions

By Dr Peter N. Lindfield 

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/05/a-hotchpotch-of-history-sacred-trinity-salford-b1216#comments1216 Mon, 18 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/05/more-acts-announced-for-manchester-jazz-festivals-25th-anniversary-weekend-b1217 Music and film premieres, unseen archive footage and live concerts from stages and living rooms across the north west will all feature in Manchester Jazz Festival’s 25th online anniversary. Music and film premieres, unseen archive footage and live concerts from stages and living rooms across the north west will all feature in Manchester Jazz Festival’s 25th online anniversary.

mjf2020: Jazz Unlocked, produced in partnership with Jazz North, will stream across the festival’s social channels from May 21 – 24.

The festival’s opening and closing days will also see live music, special features and new recordings streamed with United We Stream, the newly launched GMCA streaming platform set up to support the region’s night time economy and Greater Manchester’s Mayor’s charity Nordoff Robbins.

The festival team can now reveal mjf2020: Jazz Unlocked will feature:

- A series of specially staged, socially distanced live sets from Baked a la Ska, Kirsty Almeida, Jenna G and George King, Ed Kainyek Hidden Gems Quartet, and the latest acts from mjf’s bespoke artist development scheme hothouse: Archipelago, Ubunye ft. Thanda Gumede, Power Out by Sarah Heneghan, and Lara Jones: EnsŌ.

- Live streams from the living rooms, gardens and balconies of Nani Noam Vazana, Ben Cipolla and Nishla Smith & Tom Harris.

- Exclusive new artist interviews and previously unseen footage looking back at 25 years of mjf originals commissions, featuring Mike Walker, John Ellis, Esther Swift and many others.

- Features from Manchester-based Efpi Records with new music and discussion on improvised music made under lockdown.

- Online premieres of Rob Cope’s moving biopic of trumpeter Richard Turner: A Life in Music and a brand new feature film of Mancunity, mjf2019’s opener and original commission by Andy Scott.

- A collection of features from filmmaker Antony Barkworth Knight’s Counterpoint series, spotlighting the creative genius of 808 State’s Graham Massey, HoneyFEET’s Rioghnagh Connolly, Cinematic Orchestra’s John Ellis and Unfurl’s Olivia Moore.

Many more acts, features and artist video launches are still to be announced.

Broadcasts will run from 8pm – 11pm on 21 May, throughout the days on 22 and 23 May and from 12noon to 11pm on Sunday 24 May, across the mjf, Jazz North and UWS platforms.

Manchester’s longest running music festival had been due to mark its first quarter century this May but was forced to halt its physical gigs as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.

All artists originally contracted to play mjf2020 were paid in full and the festival are now including as many of them as possible in the online line-up, for audiences to enjoy in their own homes.

Head to manchesterjazz.com for more information or follow us on Facebook and Instagram at manchesterjazzfestival or on Twitter @ManJazzFest.

For more information on Jazz North or to watch mjf2020: Jazz Unlocked from their channels head to jazznorth.org, Twitter @jazz_north or Facebook @jazznorth.

On 21 & 24 May, you can also watch the stream on unitedwestream.co.uk, Twitter @streamgm and Facebook @unitedwestreamgm

Music venues will be some of last places to open as the lockdown is eased, and the subsequent lack of revenue and ongoing cost of overheads in this period hits hard. As does the uncertainty of the measures that will need to be taken to open again. For small independent venues like The Peer Hat, this is especially difficult – and hence a Crowdfunder has been set up to support it during this difficult time: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/thepeerhat

The Peer Hat was the focus of a full length previous Haunt article here, and even in the last couple of years alone, has cemented itself as a thriving space where alternative creativity of all kinds unfolds. Their eccentric upstairs bar and snug combines a laid-back living-room feel with wonderfully wacky artwork contributed by a range of artists, as well as their resident artist Fruschian Void. Festooned with drapery, decoration and the strange statues of a suit of armour and another colourful creature in the corner, it has never been just an ‘ordinary’ venue. Even the outdoor smoking area has become affectionately known as ‘Rat Alley’ – its gritty graffiti and odd intimacy inspiring a whole zine in dedication. Downstairs, beneath the city’s streets, is an atmospheric basement space, with a stage that has welcomed events of all kinds: grassroots gigs, DJ sets, debates, talks, interviews and more.

The Peer Hat has hosted a legacy of eclectic and innovative events. These highlight how it has long been a champion of experimentation and the alternative, how it allows people to try new things, and how it evidently deeply cares about the community that it is forging in the process. To lose it would not just be the sad shutting of a venue, but a loss experienced deeply and personally by so many people.

 It is here that people have plunged into gigs including the Manchester Meltdown series curated by Ian ‘Moet’ Moss (German Shepherd Records) and a range of bands have made their mark incorporating everything from punk to hip hop. Resident clubnight Heart Of Glass has seen guests get on their ‘70s inspired glad-rags, open mics have emerged, yoga classes have assembled, the snug has buzzed with video installations, exhibitions and acoustic sets. Independent record labels and promoters have got involved including Tilted Fiction, AnalogueTrash, German Shepherd Records, Scruff Of The Neck, Abattoir Blues, Valentine Records, Grey Lantern, The Beauty Witch, and Deco Records, to name just a few.

Festivals have been another key feature, with The Peer Hat becoming a starting point for a number of innovative examples. Here is the birthplace of Manchester Folk Horror Festival, with February 2020 marking its third edition and featuring a huge selection artists and musicians inspired by all things esoteric and unusual. Haunt Manchester also featured in the second version of the festival, with an academic panel exploring the genre and taking questions from an audience. The Peer Hat has also been part of Manchester Psych Fest, Off The Record, a range of all-dayers and Foundations Festival, the latter including Haunt Manchester’s ‘Black Christmas’. Haunt Manchester also chose the venue for its first ever network fair back in October 2019, part of the wider Gothic Manchester Festival VII, whilst also co-curating another event as part of this in the basement: the Rural Eerie to life, co-curated with MassMCR and Flange Circus.

The Peer Hat not only provides a place for the alternative, but an accommodating space for people of all backgrounds. The umbrella term of ‘Music Venue’ may seem overtly-generalising, for some places go significantly further than providing an area for live music; also offering solace, inspiration and crucial friendship. From the creative team behind it - Nick, Dom and Mike, to the much-loved bar staff, sound engineers, cleaners, and all who have entered its doors, The Peer Hat is a community of people, as well as place.

In turn, Haunt Manchester's Emily Oldfield decided to speak to a selection of people and the wider Haunt Network about The Peer Hat and their experiences there. They shared their views on social media (Facebook): 

“I do miss it, and of all the small places in town, although I love loads of them, I think this one is really important, so I've donated to the cause. It's more than simply a pub with live music, it's like going for a drink in someone's front room.” – Neil Winward, Photographer

“As a man of ancient vintage I have frequented what are regarded as legendary and seminal clubs for 45 years, The Electric Circus, The Beach Club, The Factory and Mayflower, The Hacienda and Boardwalk, Islington Mill, all of them magical in their own way but The Peer Hat is my favourite place in my lifetime of music and art, it is a place that I feel connected too, a place of safety for my occasionally battered soul, it is a community I’m happy to be a part of, I feel acceptance and a place where I feel less prejudice than any other, it is home.” – Ian ‘Moet’ Moss, Musician and part of the German Shepherd Records (pictured below in the band Four Candles, photo by Gary M Hough) 

"The Peer Hat is such an amazing resource for the city. It goes beyond your average music venue to include the arts and poetry. It's a wonderful and inclusive refuge for our academics, creatives and musicians and I cannot imagine Manchester without it." – Dr Becky Alexis-Martin, Lecturer in Cultural Geography at Manchester Metropolitan University   

“This is the place I’m missing the most, I miss the feeling as you descend the stairs, not knowing what’s behind the door but knowing it’s going to be amazing. I’m very proud that I get to stamp hands and welcome people into the some of the best gigs I’ve ever seen down there. There’s something magical about the Peer Hat and if you’ve felt it you know what I’m saying.” – Victoria Egan, Gig Regular and part of the German Shepherd Records Team

“I LOVE the Peer Hat. It has been the scene of so many great nights and great gigs and I have met some amazing people. The six months or so that I DJed there in 2018 were some of the happiest times of my life since my wife passed away and it gave me a reason for living. I couldn't wait for Thursday and Friday nights and lived for them.’’ – Stephen Doyle, Broadcaster and DJ

“This is one of the most important underground music venues and social hubs in Manchester. It's a safe haven for the intergenerational music freaks and weirdos with community minded spirit and lust for life. You can dance on the tables or mosh to the beat of a new band belting out their first ever song, or a stalwart punk group well-known and loved. From security to bar staff, sound engineer to cleaner, The Peer Hat holds hearts of gold and stories never to be told… what happens at The Peer Hat stays in The Peer Hat! But everyone else is welcome along to add to the collective story and there is so much yet to be written.” – Dr Susan O’Shea, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at Manchester Metropolitan University and member of MASSmcr

“Back in 1976 we watched bands play The Ranch, Rafters, Lesser Free Trade Hall and today we have a similar venue in The Peer Hat. Similar in that it brings together a unique and magical atmosphere and group of people from all walks of life who come out to support some of the best underground music and bands that this country will see today. The Peer Hat is as relevant now as Factory Records was back in its day. A wonderful venue and staff who know what music and its clientele are about and who work hard to accommodate it all.” – Gary M Hough, Photographer

“The Peer Hat is the heart and soul of Manchester’s independent art scene. It represents everything that Manchester stands for and is a shining light for the artist community.” – Michelle Shore, Artist (Pictured below at the Haunt Manchester Network Fair)

“It’s hard to remember a time before The Peer Hat. Even though it’s only been with us for a few years. I have probably spent more time there than in my own home since it’s been open. So much so that if people need to contact me they know that’s where to find me and they’ve even sent me post there! My band XUP has a rehearsal space above it and it’s been amazing having the bar to get some downtime from making albums. It also feels like home whenever I get to play live there and the support I’ve had from everyone involved with the place has been fantastic. I think of The Peer Hat as family. The Peer Hat is also regularly frequented by artists who attend life drawing sessions upstairs, while more informal art clubs are often held at the bar itself by resident artist Fruschian Void. All of this will be lost if we don’t act quickly. Even the smoking area lovingly known as Rat Alley (no drinks outside the venue please!) has its own fanzine and TV episodes as well as a meme account on Instagram! The Peer Hat is the city’s underground beating heart and its own unique networking hub. We cannot let it go under. I can’t wait to be back!” – Illana XUP, Musician

"When I do Leon the pig farmer material.. I've got a spoken word piece about the Peerhat male toilet walls!!!" - Jack Horner, Poet and performer (aka 'Leon the pig farmer')

"I love The Peer Hat. It's genuine art for arts sake philosophy and the sheer diversity of artists and performers is unique! I have met so many inspiring people there and a lot of it is down to the integrity of the hands off management that draws in such an eclectic range of visionaries. Thank you for being there and long may The Peer Hat exist." - Una Baines, Musician 

“The Peer Hat is a fab place. It’s the most wonderful microcosm of interesting, creative and diverse people with a great friendliness about it. When you are there, it often ends up being one of those special nights where you walk away with a big smile. Love it and can’t wait to go back for a drink or a gig.” – Nataly Chambers, Artist Manager of The Red Stains (pictured below by Neil Winward)

"The Peer Hat is a unique place of creative communion for like minded music lovers in Manchester. You never forget a trip there and it is always time cherished and well spent. Everything about the place is atmospheric and iconic, from the stairs down to the venue to the alley outside. You'll always meet old friends, make new ones and hear the real beating heart of the modern Manchester underground music scene. It's one of the most exciting scenes on the planet and always has something new to offer.

"The Peer Hat and other grass roots music venues are absolutely vital to the city's musical community. This is very important for the well-being, livelihoods and mental health of a great many and also for the local economy. Also, the world knows that Manchester is a world wide centre of musical innovation, it's one of our very greatest exports and a major attraction to the city. It needs The Peer Hat and the showcase it provides for the best of the city's arts scene more than ever. Also, in a world of cynicism it is so refreshing to find a venue that cares this much, the staff are wonderful and true believers. The Peer Hat is already a Mancunian legend and institution. It crackles with energy, excitement, electricity and life and is just a damn fine place for a pint too. Long may she continue!" – Mark Corrin, Musician and Broadcaster

"We love The Peer Hat! Played there many times and spent countless hours chatting and dancing in the bar area until the wee small hours. Our most recent Factory Acts gig before the Lockdown was at The Peer Hat in January this year with the Red Stains and the Ombudsman. We also gave the ‘world premiere’ of our track ‘Are you the Singer?’ at one of the many brilliant Manchester Meltdown events held there and were also delighted to be involved in Ian ‘Moet’ Moss’s collaborative improvised venture ‘Inflated Tear’. It has showcased many bands from local independent labels such as Analogue Trash (and the Foundations Festival) and German Shepherd Records. So it’s a place of happy memories and the building of friendships. The Peer Hat is one of the key creative underground hubs in Manchester throbbing and pulsating with life – no age or gender boundaries – all human life is there. It’s always a good sign to see the same staff working behind the bar, the same sound engineer and the same doorman – take your pint one inch outside the back door to the smoking area and John the doorman will give you a glare whilst engaging you in friendly banter. It’s a pub and gig venue full of character and full of characters. Please help save The Peer Hat! It’s an essential and central part of the Manchester (and Salford) underground music scene." - Matt Davies, Musician - Factory Acts 

“The only place I can get a friend to get naked, cover herself with clay and bones and encourage others to draw her!” – Becca Smith, Artist and creator of Stranger Than Life Drawing

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/thepeerhat

Image credits: Image 1 by Michael Foley, Images 2-4 by Alannis Barnes and Elaina Daley, Image 5 by Gary M Hough, Image 6 by Emily Oldfield, Image 7 by Neil Winward

By Emily Oldfield 

Exploring hidden histories, heritage and looking at alternative approaches to culture is something we often consider here at Haunt Manchester. In this article, we visit some of the online content from a selection of Greater Manchester Museums and Libraries. From virtual exhibitions to online events, live-streams and learning resources, a range of experiences are available– without leaving the house! #MuseumAtHome #LibrariesFromHome

Photo of The John Rylands Library above  ©  Dr Peter N. Lindfield, who featured the Library in an earlier Haunt article here. 

Chetham’s Library

Did you know that Manchester’s Chetham’s Library is the oldest surviving public library in Britain? It has been in use for over 350 years and the building it is located within is even older, dating from 1421! Yet in line with the Covid-19 measures, the library is currently closed… but their staff are still hard at work online, connecting audiences far and wide with internet content, allowing people of all ages to enjoy some of the library’s artefacts, virtually! Not only do they have an online platform that collects all their ‘virtual visit’ opportunities (link here), but also their already-popular 101 Treasures of Chetham’s series, highlighting some of the library’s most interesting items! This is a unique opportunity to learn more about many artefacts that are not always on permanent display. Just some examples are a portrait of library founder Humphrey Chetham himself; a three-volume copy of Plato’s works that once belonged to the Renaissance poet Ben Jonson, and novelist Horace Walpole’s handwritten accounts (1747-95) for his iconic country house Strawberry Hill, a significant piece of Gothic architecture mentioned multiple times by Dr Peter N. Lindfield in his Haunt architecture series.

Chetham’s Library also holds some particularly weird and wonderful items amongst its archives, as Siân-Louise Mason, Visitor Services Coordinator at Chetham’s Library reflects:

“We've got some rather strange items in our collections that were acquired some years ago. One of which is the death mask of Dr Thomas Dunham Whittaker from 1821. It was previously kept in one of the archives downstairs, but was put on display in the library a couple of years ago by our beloved former librarian Michael Powell. Knowing that I disliked the death mask, he thought it would be an 'amusing' joke for me to discover it at the top of the stairs during an evening event. It's remained there ever since to remind us of Michael's wicked sense of humour!”

And that is not all! There is plentiful family-friendly content too. Library Learners is an exciting free initiative from Chetham’s, providing weekly online activity for children of all ages, inspired by the library’s collection. Each week encounters different school subjects, taking in everything from English and History to Science and Geography, with packs so far including the wonderfully-titled likes of 'Blooming Botany', 'Marvellous Maps', 'Powerful Print', 'Superb Stories' and 'Magnificent Motifs'! A particularly exciting example of how young people can engage with this historic library, all that is needed to subscribe is to send an email to  visitorservices@chethams.org.uk with a request to join, leading to a different activity pack arriving via email every Monday morning! With recent further titles for Library Learners packages including ‘Amazing Anatomy’ and ‘Tantalising Textiles’, this is sure to inspire plenty of enthusiasm!  What is also notable is that this fantastic service is completely free, though users are encouraged to share their feedback or resultant work on social media (tagging in the library on Twitter and Facebook in the process) and can also make a donation to the library via the website. The social media channels also offer another way to engage with the library, and images from the Manchester Scrapbook within their collection have been a recent feature.

Image provided thanks to Chetham's Library 

https://library.chethams.com/

The John Rylands Library

A neo-Gothic Library of considerable architectural and historical significance, the John Rylands Library on Deansgate was founded by Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her husband, and designed in such a striking way by the architect Basil Champneys. It has inspired people far and wide ever since it opened its doors to public readers in 1900, following a decade-long building process. After becoming part The University of Manchester in 1972, it now holds The University of Manchester Library Special Collections and has over a million manuscripts and archival items as well as at least 250,000 printed volumes within! Although the building is itself currently closed to the public in terms of the Covid-19 guidance, there are a range of ways that people can still interact with its enthralling collection, online!

The majority of The John Rylands Library’s Special Collections’ rare books, maps and visual collections can be found using the search function online here  https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/search-resources/special-collections/, whilst the University of Manchester Image Collections also have a digital repository, LUNA (https://luna.manchester.ac.uk/luna/servlet/allCollections) featuring  images and highlights of rare books, archives and manuscripts. This means the ability to have a virtual look at truly historic texts in fields such as medicine, science and philosophy, to name just a few (see our earlier article on exploring the history of medicine through time with The John Rylands Library online here). The Library also has a highly-informative Special Collections Blog, which is being regularly updated and during the time of lockdown has included long read series’ such as a piece on ‘Florence Nightingale, Thomas Worthington, and the Chorlton Union Hospital’ as well as ‘Behind the scenes collections’. This has involved delving deeper into the library’s image processing software and investigating 3D imaging of the Special Collections. There is something for everyone!

https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands/

Touchstones Museum and Art Gallery, Rochdale

Touchstones is Rochdale’s arts and heritage centre, a much-loved gallery and museum located just across the road from the iconic Rochdale Town Hall and itself a Grade II listed building, with the oldest part first opening as a public library in 1884! It was expanded to become a museum and art gallery in 1903, and following refurbishment in 2002, has since also housed Link4Life’s Arts & Heritage Service – though all currently closed. Fortunately, much of the Touchstones collection can be visited online, including a number of books and documents written by famous people from the borough of Rochdale, digitised for audiences to enjoy remotely. A virtual reality tour of the museum stores is also another exciting opportunity, supported by the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund – meaning that people can get behind the scenes of the museum, from the comfort of their own home! A range of artwork held by Rochdale Arts & Heritage Service can also be browsed online (via ART UK), from a collection that features around 1,500 works, with a 1420s Italian panel painting by Giovanni di Paolo and Lucian Freud’s 'Woman’s Head with a Yellow Background' from 1963 amongst the items.

Image provided by Link4Life 

https://link4life.org/online-services/touchstones-online-collections

The Portico Library 

At 214 years old, Manchester’s historic Portico Library is currently usually known for its eclectic range of public exhibitions and events – including The Portico Prize and Rewriting the North (both in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University) – as well as its impressive domed building on Mosley Street. An independent subscription library, it has included a fascinating variety of members and associates over the years including the likes of John Dalton, Thomas de Quincey, Elizabeth Gaskell and even Eric Cantona! Also welcoming thousands of visitors a year, it is now temporarily closed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

 However, the dedicated library team have been working hard to take much of its fascinating content online… so people can experience the wonders of its shelves from their own home! Visit their website to find a selection of online engagement including ‘Off the Shelf’; an intriguing series of articles subtitled ‘adventures and misadventures of a 19th century library’. From the subject of ‘Beautiful Monsters’ to considering existentialism and its roots, this is an ideal opportunity to explore the Library’s collection and history!

Last month, The Portico also launched a new exhibition on its website, titled ‘What it is to be here’. Curated by guest curator Helen Idle, who also delivered an online talk as part of the exhibition, it considers the turbulent and often-challenging impact of Lieutenant James Cook’s landing in Australia. Cook is after all a common subject in children’s history books, as an example of an explorer and sailor. Yet his landing in Australia had a devastating effect in many ways  on the native Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of the area, and ‘What it is to be here’ aims to consider their perspective. Guest curator Helen, who works at the Menzies Australia Institute at King’s College London, has also worked alongside The Portico’s Curator James Moss for some time to develop this thought-provoking project.

Image from Marckel's Evolution of Man provided by The Portico Library 

https://www.theportico.org.uk/

Manchester Museum

Manchester Museum on Oxford Road, part of the University of Manchester, is the leading university museum in the UK. Its range of collections over the years, including Stan the much-loved fossilised Tyrannosaurus Rex, has inspired adults and children alike!

Forward-thinking and innovative, at the time of temporary closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the museum has created a special subsection for its website: ‘Manchester Museum in Quarantine’: https://www.mminquarantine.com/. This is a platform designed to connect and inspire digital visitors during this difficult time, with a variety of content, resources and ways to experience the museum’s collection – from home! Intriguing online exhibitions and displays are a key part, with ‘Beauty and the Beasts: falling in love with insects’ and ‘Minerals: Sustainability and Hidden Stories’ amongst the options! Another section on the site titled ‘The Things they didn’t teach us’ seeks to raise awareness of often overlooked and perhaps under-covered histories, giving them the attention they deserve. Partition histories, remembering slavery and ‘Jallianwala Bagh 1919: Punjab under siege’ are just some examples of the topics.

As can be seen, exploring learning opportunities matters to Manchester Museum. To further that experience, they have a variety of resources available via their quarantine site, with separate options for home educators, families, carers, researchers and curious adults. There is something for everyone… with a brilliant online ‘Encyclopaedia of Curious Objects’ sure to attract attention too! The museum is also inviting feedback and ideas, with contact details available online.

Virtual events are a further highlight, bringing some of the most-loved subjects of the museum alive. ‘Egyptology in Lockdown’ is a popular feature, the opportunity to learn more about Ancient Egypt from the Museum’s Curator of Egypt and Sudan Dr Campbell Price, screened live from his home study every Thursday at 3pm. Another live stream feature is ‘Frog Friday’ – the chance to tune-in live to the Vivarium at 1pm on Fridays, with staff answering plenty of frog-related questions. Simply tune in to Periscope @mcrmuseum at the set times to enjoy live streams such as these, with more details of all virtual events and online content available via the website below. #MMinQuarantine

https://www.mminquarantine.com/

People’s History Museum

Digital discovery is also plentiful with People’s History Museum (PHM) – the national museum of democracy based in Manchester. Although the museum building itself is currently closed, their Ideas Worth Exploring online platform provides an extensive virtual selection of PHM’s learning projects and online events. Documenting campaigns for political and social change over time and telling the stories of radical individuals are factors that PHM has upheld ever since its founding, and the museum’s curators are keen for that to continue. Ideas Worth Exploring in turn opens up fascinating content to the curious of all ages, from fun for toddlers to learning activities for adults. A range of digital resources as well as brand new initiatives are available, which can be accessed remotely until the museum is able to open to the public again.

 Features include streamed sessions of the popular baby and toddler-friendly sessions from Matt Hill ‘My First Protest Song’,  whilst for older children there is ‘Vital Voters’ – an immersive experience for under 18s exploring the past, present and future of democracy. ‘Ten treasures from People's History Museum's collection’ is another item ideal for wider audiences, assembled back in February 2020 to mark the tenth anniversary of the physical museum being at its current home at Left Bank, Spinningfields. Ten objects from the museum’s collection were chosen and now are displayed online, all documenting historic moments relating to the development of democracy in Britain, including the suffragette movement and the events of Peterloo.

Curious adults can also enjoy an online learning course. Launched in May and titled ‘Peterloo to the Pankhursts: Radicalism and Reform in the 19th Century’, it considers what was a crucial century for some of the key developments towards democracy, bringing a number of factors and themes to light.

All of the Ideas Worth Exploring activities can be found here: phm.org.uk/learn/ideas-worth-exploring

Image: Manchester suffragette banner, 1908 © People's History Museum

https://phm.org.uk/

Manchester Libraries

The central library service for the region has plenty of digital resources you can access from home, as all library buildings are currently closed until further notice. Free to join, the selection includes a range of ebooks, audiobooks and even e-magazines and comics… so users can read full digital copies of some of their favourite magazines, in full! Over 95 magazines and 200 comics are available covering many different topics, available to access on computers, smartphones and tablets.

There is also the opportunity to learn some news skills – from driving test theory to website building, with a range of free tutorials and courses thanks to the online reference library. Just some examples include interactive online coding lessons with code academy, a selection of IT courses, and Edx – connecting users with free courses from some of the best universities. Language learning is also a possibility, as Manchester Libraries have an online package with over 100 courses available.

Stay updated with the library service on Twitter and Facebook for more details of digital opportunities too.

https://secure.manchester.gov.uk/info/500361/coronavirus/7928/coronavirus/10

The Working Class Movement Library

Founded by the late Ruth and Edmund Frow in the 1950s and based in an atmospheric red-brick building on the Crescent in Salford – opposite the main university campus – The Working Class Movement Library (WCML) is recognised for the historic significance of its collections on radical working class organisations, working-class culture and has long-been a welcoming place to guests and readers. Yet although the library is currently temporarily closed in accordance with Covid-19 guidance, they are still welcoming the public to experience some of their fascinating collection – online! For example, a guest exhibition of Irish Civil Rights posters that was due to open at the library last month has instead been made available to browse via their website (link here). This offers fascinating and powerful insight into the August 1969 political and sectarian unrest in Ireland and how People’s Democracy – a radical student movement – provided political direction and publicity through their Poster Workshop in particular. The library is also planning an online accompanying event for the 26 May 2020, with all virtual events and updates available at www.wcml.org.uk/events. They also have compiled a range of resources to access from home, here: www.wcml.org.uk/explorefromhome

 Another exciting addition to the library’s virtual content, is that their popular ‘Invisible Histories’ talks – delving into under-covered accounts of working-class pasts - have moved online, taking the form of online meetings with a speaker delivering a talk and the opportunity to ask questions. The selection so far has included ‘The pre-First World War labour unrest and women's suffrage revolt: never the twain shall meet?’ delivered by Ralph Darlington, (Emeritus Professor of Employment Relations from the University of Salford) and the seasonally-apt ‘The right to our own time and energy' 130 years of May Day’ from Kevin Morgan (Professor of Politics and Contemporary History at the University of Manchester). Upcoming editions include an insightful example from Alison Fell (Professor of French Cultural History at the University of Leeds), considering ‘The legacies of wartime strikes: interwar women trade union leaders in France and Britain’ on the 25 May. Details on how to join the talks will be available on the day of the event at the event page link listed above. All of the talks and online exhibitions are free to attend and access, with the library appreciative of any donations during this time, and readers can become a Friend of WCML by signing up here. 

Image credit: Cal Cole 

https://wcml.org.uk/

Ordsall Hall

Did you know that Ordsall Hall is the oldest building in Salford? Parts of it date from 1177, which means over 820 years of history to explore! Although this beautiful historic house (managed by Salford Community Leisure) is currently temporarily closed to the public, there are many ways to learn more about it online! Visiting the website is one such way, and the Hall is also active on social media, regularly posting facts and collection highlights, with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

A virtual tour is also available, and Dr Peter N. Lindfield has written a fascinating account of the building in a previous Haunt Manchester article here… so there are many ways you can enjoy its architecture and heritage, from the comfort of home!

Image © Peter N. Lindfield, from his previous article

https://ordsallhall.com/

Salford Museum and Art Gallery

Located in an impressive Grade II listed building overlooking Peel Park, Salford Museum and Art Gallery first opened to the public in 1850 – so the current temporary closure due to the Covid-19 guidance is a significant change of circumstances! This is a place much-loved for its fascinating collection, significantly covering social history and Salford Heritage as well as other areas, and is managed by Salford Community Leisure.

 Thankfully, the Museum and Gallery is still active online, with a variety of engaging content on their social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. On Twitter for example, the museum has been posting images of collection items, offering tips for exploring family history and plenty of other ideas. A Crowdfunder has also been launched to support Salford Museum and Art Gallery, so it can continue to maintain its collection during this difficult time as well as prepare content and activities for when it re-opens. Its function in the community is notable, having over the years celebrated the history of Salford and  provided free entry, as well as provided subsidised learning programmes, connected with people with dementia through free loan boxes and more: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/salfordmuseum?fbclid=IwAR1eOIzxQi5EpKsuHl_mV_d0CBK81TEtlvcjjbG3qUCRgxzXNrwXZ-IXUQg

Don’t forget, highlights of their art collection can be experienced online too… as their Victorian Gallery usually attracts plenty of attention. Viewing is possible via Art UK and every print ordered will contribute towards supporting the museum at this time.

https://salfordmuseum.com/

Rochdale Pioneers Museum

Did you know that Rochdale was the birthplace of the co-operative movement in 1844? The Pioneers Museum at 31 Toad Lane in the town is testament to that; a former wool warehouse where working class people facing deprivation came together to form a new co-operative society, based on a set of principles (which became known as the ‘Rochdale Principles’) and community.

Now the charity Co-operative Heritage Trust currently runs the museum and there is also an archive in Manchester set up to safeguard the heritage of the ongoing movement. In fact, over 2 billion people worldwide are members of a co-op! In turn, the Rochdale Pioneers Museum has continued to be an inspiring place over the years, typically busy with visitors, events, activities and known for its work supporting the Pioneer Pantry Community Food Membership Scheme, providing food for the vulnerable.

However, in accordance with the current Covid-19 guidance, the museum is temporarily closed…though there are many ways it is still connecting with people, of a variety of ages! They have created a selection of resources for home-schooling which is available on their website for local children and teachers alike, plus their website is an ideal way to find out more about the museum and the co-operative moment. Keen to engage the public wherever possible, the museum is also welcoming suggestions from people of what they would like to see in the future when the building can re-open.

The museum can also be visited virtually thanks to Rochdale Town Centre BID’s Rochdale 360 online platform, which allows users to get behind the scenes of a range of Rochdale locations.

Image of Rochdale Pioneers Museum, credit: Rochdale BID

https://www.co-operativeheritage.coop/

Victoria Baths

Manchester’s Grade II* listed Edwardian swimming pool and Turkish Baths complex Victoria Baths, described as a ‘water palace’ when it opened in 1906 and served the people of Manchester for 87 years, is now a much-loved visitor attraction. Although Covid-19 measures have meant that it has had to close its doors to the public currently, there is opportunity to learn more about this fascinating building via their website; where there is an extensive timeline as well as the ability to explore their collections including pictures, documents and objects. So although it isn’t necessarily a museum or library, it is certainly a place inspiring historic discoveries a-plenty!

This is after all the place where the fifth woman to swim the English Channel, Sunny Lowry, launched her swimming career back in the 1920s – and yet also where fairs, festivals and even a Weekend of Words have taken place in recent years, following the extensive restoration of the building over the course of the last decade. Winning the BBC’s television programme Restoration back in 2003, as was voted for by the British public, this meant that Victoria Baths was able to receive funding it urgently needed for its restoration, having been closed since 1993 and falling into neglect. The restoration and upkeep costs of heritage buildings is after all extensive, and that is why Victoria Baths recently set up a Crowdfunder – inviting people to give what they can and ‘Back the Baths’ during this difficult time – as current closure of the premises means significant losses from visitor donations (read our full Haunt Manchester article about it here).

Image of Victoria Baths, Gala Pool - provided by Victoria Baths in a previous Haunt Manchester article 

http://www.victoriabaths.org.uk/

By Emily Oldfield 

Images credited in the captions 

We've put together some questions and a downloadable answer sheet for you to test your knowledge on the history of Greater Manchester.

1. Seen around the city from bins to pin badges, which animal is the symbol of Manchester?
2. In which city-centre hotel did Charles Rolls famously meet Henry Royce, prior to forming the Rolls-Royce company?
3. The first computer to have a stored programme and memory was developed in Manchester. What was its nickname?
4. Can you name the three rivers that run through Manchester city centre?
5. The world’s first passenger railway opened in 1830, operating between Manchester and which other city?
6. Which local borough is well-known for its black pudding?
7. Based in Manchester, which library was the very first public library in the English-speaking world?
8. Manchester is home to the world’s longest running TV soap opera – Coronation Street. What year did it first air?
9. In which local borough was the famous Co-Operative movement founded in 1844?
10. Which physicist, known as the father of nuclear physics, first split the atom at the University of Manchester in 1917?
11. Which gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall famously gave birth to a number of Manchester bands?
12. Which 2D material was isolated by Professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov at the University of Manchester in 2004, earning them the Nobel Prize for Physics? 
13. Which all-women advocacy organisation dedicated to "deeds, not words" was founded by Emmeline Pankhurst in Manchester?
14. Including the newly complete Trafford Park Line, how many Metrolink stops are there currently?
15. In which local borough are the famous Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls produced?
     

Download the questions and answers. 

Whilst - in line with Government guidelines this public gathering is no longer possible, and people across the world are discovering a new normal - we are delighted to announce that instead we are taking Pride Inside from Thursday 14 - Sunday 17 May with a small scale digital version for audiences to enjoy and experience in the safety and comfort of their own homes.

All events are free but there is the opportunity for audiences to contribute to Waterside’s Pay It Forward campaign, where any online donations made for select Pride Inside shows goes towards paying for future theatre tickets -  once Waterside reopens - for NHS workers and their families,  many of whom have had to sacrifice quality family time during the Covid-19 crisis.

Participatory events for all the family are at the heart of this small scale celebration, kicking off on Friday 15 with online Family Gorgeous Story Time sessions being streamed direct from Waterside’s social media channels at different times across the weekend.  A partnership with Z-Arts Manchester, readers young and old can tune in to and join fabulous members of the renowned Manchester Drag Queen collective ‘Family Gorgeous’ – as they read children’s stories using their mix of outlandish costumes and hilarious storytelling skills.

On Saturday 16 May, join renowned DJ Bright Light Bright Light live from his New York home as he live streams Disco, pop, 12” mixes, movie soundtracks, hits, misses and hidden gems from all ages inspired by the music of one of his favourite films, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.  Expect France Joli, Janet, Madonna, Mariah, Erasure, Donna Summer, John Barry, Shirley Bassey, Scissor Sisters, MUNA, Kate Bush and more. Grab a Mimosa, some cake and enjoy dancing the afternoon away for this amazing Saturday afternoon at-home experience.

Also on Saturday afternonon, Manchester’s Infamous Mother of House of Ghetto; Darren Pritchard will lead a one-off Vogue Dance Class online. In this session participants have the opportunity to explore the moves of Vogue – spinning, dipping, and werqqqqing to achieve a short piece of choreography.  As well as discovering Ballroom culture and voguing, Darren will also share the history and context of the art form, and the fundamentals of Vogue Femme.

This 60 minute event will have more of a focus for adults but on Sunday 17 May, Darren is running a shorter one-off high energy Family Vogue Class where kids young and old can learn to strike a pose and master the basics of voguing to impress all their friends once safely back in the playground!

Two additional events will also be available to enjoy at home during Pride Inside. From Thursday 14 May - a brand new digital art work from emerging queer poet, Louis Glazzard will be online in which Louis explores our relationship with technology and social media through the queer gaze in Behind The Eyes. This micro commission is part of Waterside and Creative Industries Trafford’s Screenlight Programme and it inspects the relationship and attachments that are made online, as well as opening up to wider comments and questions about the consumers’ use of modern technology.  And on Friday 16 May,  the Bi-Monthly Queer Artist Talking Circle will take place in an online Zoom format – welcoming Manchester’s creative community who identify both as queer/LGBTQ+ and also as artists to come together to connect, share, talk, inspire and support one another. This session will include provocations from artists across the region focusing on how we can remove barriers and include queer female and non-binary identities on our stages. Further info on this session is available at prideintrafford.org.

Waterside Venue Manager, Darren Adams comments: “We were so hugely disappointed when, like so many others, we had to take the difficult decision to cancel our live five day Pride in Trafford event. But we are so excited to be able to offer just a small taste of what the festival had in store and believe that our alternative and digital micro Pride Inside version reflects the same key mission and ethos to explore and celebrate LGBTQ+ life, identity and culture and offer a vital platform and voice for queer artists. We hope you enjoy the online festival and we look forward to welcoming you all (in person) to Pride in Trafford 2021.”

Cllr Liz Patel, Executive Member for Leisure and Culture says: " I am delighted that Trafford will get its chance to celebrate Pride this year. Thanks to the organisers and contributors who have made this on-line festival happen. It’s a free event with sessions for everyone, I will be trying the Vogue Dance Class. If you can contribute to our ‘Pay it Forward’ scheme then please do – this will help provide future event tickets for NHS workers and their families, a great way to say thank you’

Pride Inside runs from Thursday 14 May to Sunday 17 May 2020 coinciding with the world-wide IDAHOBIT (International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia) on Sunday 17 May and is a collaboration between the Mayor of Trafford, Waterside Arts and Creative Industries Trafford.

Designed to celebrate those individual stories that might otherwise be lost, the Game of Our Lives campaign offers fans and clubs at all levels the opportunity to get involved in a fan-led collection to feature in a future exhibition at the museum. 

It is the first time in the museum’s history that so many in the football community are being asked to directly contribute to the museum.

Fans will be encouraged to share their stories, including photos and video, on social media tagging @footballmuseum and using the hashtag #gameofourlives. Those without social media can send their stories via email to gameofourlives@nationalfootballmuseum.com. Footballers, celebrity fans and clubs will also be sharing their own memories as part of the campaign.

National Football Museum CEO Tim Desmond says “We too feel the void that football has left in our lives since Covid-19 brought games to a halt, but that’s not to say we can’t still enjoy reliving our favourite moments. This campaign is a way of keeping football alive during the lockdown and seeking out those special football memories that exist in communities, clubs and families throughout England.”

“There could be thousands of reasons why football is the game of your life. We want to know why it makes you proud, sad, happy or even angry.  What is it you love about the game, what is that one stand out moment for you?”

EFL on Quest, the home of the English Football League highlights, has teamed up with the National Football Museum to encourage fans of Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two clubs to share their stories. Show pundits will be kicking things off by posting their best football memories on Twitter.

EFL on Quest host Colin Murray says, “Football is such a central part of so many people’s routines so while there are more important things, it’s still very much missed. So, the Game of Our Lives campaign is a way for us to unite over football, to support our clubs in a different way and to take our place at the National Football Museum. It’ll be something to look back at in years from now. We’ll be getting behind this and I’d encourage all football fans to do it too.”

The Game of Our Lives campaign and the stories that come from it will form part of a permanent digital collection online and at the museum and be shared with visitors from around the world.

“Now more than ever it’s important to capture and share the diverse stories of what football means to the fans. We want to celebrate England’s passion for football and provide an outlet for people to share memories, reminisce and get excited about football’s ultimate return. It’s ambitious and it’s something we’ve never done before, but we believe the football community will help us bring it to life,” says Tim.

Go to nationalfootballmuseum.com for more information or share your stories on social media using the hashtag #gameofourlives. Don’t forget to tag @FootballMuseum on Twitter or @nationalfootballmuseum on Instagram. You can also share your stories via email to gameofourlives@nationalfootballmuseum.com

EFL on Quest airs at 9pm each Saturday, and 10.30pm on Wednesdays for mid-week fixtures, available on Freeview [channel 12], Freesat [channel 167], Sky [channel 144], Virgin Media [channel 217] and streamed live and on demand via dplay.co.uk and the dplay app.

Note; programming is currently on hold whilst the season is suspended

Below - Perpendicular Gothic Tower of Manchester Cathedral. © Peter N. Lindfield.   

Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA is a Senior Research Associate in the Departments of English and History at Manchester Metropolitan University. He has published widely on Georgian Gothic architecture and design broadly conceived, as well as heraldry and the relevance of heraldic arts to post-medieval English intellectual, cultural, and aesthetic culture. Last year, as part of Gothic Manchester Festival 2019, he co-organised an event at Chetham’s Library Baronial Hall with Professor Dale Townshend titled ‘Faking Gothic Furniture’ (it also features, along with The John Rylands Library, in a previous article by Peter, here). This involved discussing the mysterious George Shaw (1810-76), a local Upper Mill lad who developed an early interest in medieval architecture and heraldry, going on to create forgeries of Tudor and Elizabethan furniture for a number of high-profile individuals and places at the time, including Chetham’s!

Currently Peter is completing his Leverhulme-funded research project exploring forged antiquarian materials in Georgian Britain, and also working on the recently re-discovered Henry VII and Elizabeth of York marriage bed, which itself was the inspiration behind many of Shaw’s so-called ‘Gothic forgeries’.

Cottonopolis: Reaching to the Sky - the history behind some of Manchester's Gothic towers 

Above - Fig.1: ‘Manchester, Getting up the Steam’, The Builder (1853)

At the height of Manchester’s industrialisation, the city was awash with mills and their associated chimney stacks. This heritage lives on in the city, with mills converted into fashionable apartment blocks and their chimneys retained as pieces of industrial heritage. If we look at the representation of Manchester in an engraving, ‘Getting up the Steam’ from The Builder in 1853, chimney stacks belching out smoke abound (Fig.1). Turning to consider L.S. Lowry’s The Pond from 1950 and now in the collection of the Tate, it is possible to see the dominance of such chimney stacks (Fig.2). This imaginary depiction of industrialised Manchester—what is known as a capriccio—includes something else that today is easy to overlook, particularly given the seemingly endless construction of new high-rise blocks of flats: towers belonging to churches and civic buildings. I think it is possible to count five separate and clearly distinctive church towers in this painting: can you find these, and others?

Below - Fig.2: L.S. Lowry, The Pond. 1950. N06032. © The estate of L.S. Lowry/DACS 2020.

              Lowry clearly realised the integral place of church and civic towers within Manchester’s industrialised landscape. Even so, these towers appear outnumbered by industrial examples: these were no ‘dreaming spires’ as we commonly think of in terms of Oxford (Fig.3). Even if Manchester doesn’t possess such associations, its medieval and great Victorian architecture is nevertheless all around. This post explores some of the most important, and perhaps forgotten, Gothic towers in the city.

Below - Fig.3: ‘Dreaming Spires’ of Oxford. Taken from Christ Church Meadows. © Peter N. Lindfield.

 Below - Fig.4: Perpendicular Gothic Tower of Manchester Cathedral. © Peter N. Lindfield.            

The earliest surviving tower in Manchester city centre belongs to the Cathedral (the fourteenth-century tower was extended in the Victorian period) (Fig.4) and is in the Perpendicular Gothic style and of the type exemplified by that at Gloucester Cathedral (Fig.5) notable for its corner pinnacles, and the battlements pierced with tracery patterns that form a parapet.

Below - Fig.5: Perpendicular Gothic Tower of Gloucester Cathedral. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Below - Fig.6: Manchester Town Hall. Mark Andrew (CC BY 2.0). 

       At 87m tall, the central clock tower of Manchester Town Hall (Fig.6) is the tallest Gothic tower in Manchester and it proclaims the resurgence of the city. Designed by Alfred Waterhouse, a Manchester architect responsible for many Gothic buildings in the region—and London, the Town Hall’s spire from 1877 is matched by the spire on the earlier 1867 George Memorial (Fig.7) in front of the Town Hall by Thomas Worthington, another Manchester architect. The Town Hall’s tower is modelled largely upon the crossing towers of great cathedrals, such as Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire.

Below - Fig.7: Albert Memorial, Manchester. Tim Green (CC BY 2.0).

              Worthington was also responsible for the polychrome (bi-chromatic) tower on what is now the Minshull Street Crown Court complex (Fig.8), discussed in an earlier post, here. Modelled upon castellated architecture, this tower proclaims the rule of law and its defence.

Below - Fig.8: Minshull Street Crown Court. © Peter N. Lindfield.

              Representing late Victorian Gothic tower architecture is the gatehouse tower with its very high pitched roof next to Alfred Waterhouse’s buildings for Owens College (Fig.9), next to Whitworth Hall, now part of The University of Manchester, discussed in an earlier post, here. It was built by Waterhouse’s son, Paul, c.1895–1902, and this tower recreated collegiate gatehouses seen in many examples of medieval and early-modern architecture in places such as Oxford, Cambridge, and further afield.

Below - Fig.9: Whitworth Hall, University of Manchester. Stephen Richards (CC BY-SA 2.0).

              A number of churches were built in Victorian Manchester with incredibly tall, vertiginous spires drawing one’s eye upwards to heaven. They include that on St Mary’s, Hulme, designed by  J. S. Crowther, and built in 1853–58 (Fig.10). The crossing tower of Salford Cathedral (Fig.11) is also highly vertical, yet lacking the coherence and sheer height of St Mary’s spire.

Below - Fig.10: Church Of St Mary in Hulme. Julie Anne Workman (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Below - Fig.11: Salford Cathedral. Ian Roberts derivative work of Rabanus (CC BY-SA 2.0).

              Further, far more modest towers are found at the end ‘The Gorton Monastery’, a former Franciscan friary, designed by E.W. Pugin in the 1860s (Fig.12), and also at the centre of what is now the British Muslim Heritage Centre in Whalley Range built from 1840 as a congregational college (Fig.13).

Fig.12: The Monastery, Gorton. Sue Langford (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).

Below - Fig.13: British Muslim Heritage Centre, Whalley Range. KJP1 (CC BY-SA 4.0). 

             Manchester architecture may well have reached for the skies with brick-built chimney stacks as part of its industrialisation, but civic pride and religious fervour also saw architects build tall, Gothic towers. Such examples can also be found throughout Greater Manchester, including, perhaps most notably at Rochdale Town Hall (see our full Haunt article here), where the original Victorian tower was replaced by the 1885–87 example seen today (Fig.14) by Alfred Waterhouse following the earlier example’s heavy damage by fire. These are quite overshadowed by new skyscrapers, but the religious and civic towers in the city and Greater Manchester nevertheless record and demonstrate heritage.

Below - Fig.14: Rochdale Town Hall. AdamKR (CC BY-SA 2.0).

By Dr Peter N. Lindfield 

Photo credits in the image captions 

After its first sell-out virtual tastings, Manchester Gin has decided to attempt to break the World Record for the World’s Biggest Gin Tasting, which currently stands at a total of 796 drinkers. In addition to bringing together hundreds of gin-lovers at a time when being together is particularly difficult, the distillery will donate 20% of profits from sales of its Stay Home Tasting Set to The Big Change MCR, who are providing direct support to vulnerable homeless people during the pandemic.

The one-hour “Stay Home” tasting experience will be live streamed on Manchester Gin’s social channels on Saturday 30th May at 8pm for gin-lovers to tune in and learn about the process and botanicals behind the internationally recognised range. Founders and Master Distillers, Seb Heeley and Jen Wiggins, will lead the tasting, which gives viewers an insight into the brand’s history and its award-winning products.

To partake in the tasting, the Ultimate Stay Home Gin Tasting Experience set can be purchased from Manchester Gin’s website for £40, with 20% of all profits being donated to Big Change MCR, which aims to tackle homelessness in Greater Manchester. The set includes four 50ml bottles of gin, four perfectly paired tonics, and two custom Manchester Gin glasses. The set has a retail value of £48 and includes enough for two people to join in with the tasting – or simply to enjoy four delicious double G&Ts.

For those who already have a healthy selection of the Manchester Gin range, the live stream can be accessed for free, and viewers will be able to submit questions about their favourite gins, the perfect pairings and cocktail ideas.

Since opening its public distillery in September last year, Manchester Gin has welcomed thousands of people through its doors to drink, dine and distil in its impressive Grade-II* listed arches in the heart of Manchester. The Spirit of Manchester Distillery, home to Manchester Gin and premium cocktail bar and restaurant Three Little Words, is rated the ‘Number One Thing to Do in Manchester’ on TripAdvisor after just six short months launching due to its immersive guided tours and gin-making classes.

Manchester Gin is also producing hand sanitiser for frontline services and other businesses in an effort to play a small part in the nationwide effort to fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. NHS and frontline services can purchase sanitiser at cost, and other commercial businesses can purchase it by contacting the distillery.

As a thank you to those on the frontline, Manchester Gin are also offering 20% off online orders to NHS staff and key workers and have created the “Gin Lockdown Package”, which includes three full size bottles of Manchester Gin, or Manchester Spirit Vodka, along with six paired tonics for just £95. Free delivery is available across the site on orders over £30.

To receive the tasting set in time, customers must order by Sunday 24th May as the live stream will take place on Facebook and Instagram at 8pm on Saturday 30th May.

Jen Wiggins, Manchester Gin founder and Master Distiller said, “Our Stay Home Tastings began as a bit of fun and a way to adapt in a way that meant we could still interact with our customers during lockdown. We decided that we would host our virtual gin tastings virtually to help to ward off some boredom and to also bring people together for a night of G&Ts at a time when it’s impossible to actually be together. After our first two tastings sold and given the overwhelmingly positive response we have received, we hope that gin-lovers across the country will join forces to help us achieve this World Record attempt.

“Unfortunately, staying home to protect our NHS and save lives isn’t a luxury that everyone has. Homelessness is a huge issue in Manchester and these people are unable to social distance and protect themselves. To help to our city’s homeless community, we have decided to donate 20% of profits from our World Record attempt tasting to Big Change MCR, which helps individuals build a new life away from the streets.

“We hope that people across Manchester and the rest of the UK will join us to raise glass, have some fun and help fight homelessness.”

You can pucrchase the Ultimate Stay Home Drinking Experience here: www.manchestergin.co.uk/product/pre-order-the-ultimate-stay-home-gin-tasting-experience-for-two.

Ideas Worth Exploring features PHM favourites that have been taken online, digital learning resources and brand new initiatives, all of which can be accessed and experienced remotely until the museum is able to open to the public following the lockdown across the UK that has resulted from COVID-19. 

Katy Ashton, Director of People’s History Museum, says, “We are currently reshaping the work that we do and looking at different ways of sharing this, and Ideas Worth Exploring is one of the results of this.  It brings together some of our existing and new resources as one collection making it easier to access and explore People’s History Museum, as well as get involved in some of our interactive activities.  It is designed for those with little ones to entertain, to add creativity to home schooling and to inspire home learning for adults.”

My First Protest Song

Thursday 7 May, Thursday 4 June, Thursday 2 July, and Saturday 1 August 2020 11.00am to 11.40am.

One of the most popular sessions for babies and tots, and their grown ups, this PHM regular is now being streamed online for all to enjoy. Join singer-songwriter Matt Hill, who, with guitar in hand, invites you to participate in a workshop full of toe tapping tunes from times of change.  Follow PHM on Facebook to find out when and how to take part facebook.com/PHMMcr/

Vital Voters

Providing an immersive experience for under 18s that takes them through the past, present and future of democracy, Vital Voters is a brand new digital project created by People’s History Museum.

It is designed to inspire the thinking and imagination of young people, so they can understand the workings and possibilities that democracy presents.  Film making is at the heart of Vital Voters, with all the guidance on making a film from home available, with the best shorts submitted to be added to the campaign gallery. To find out more visit phm.org.uk/vital-voters

PHM’s treasures to explore

People’s History Museum holds the country’s largest collection of material relating to the development of democracy in Britain. It’s an eclectic and colourful collection that features banners, badges, posters, artwork, cartoons, placards and personal items that invite exploration of the stories of the revolutionaries, reformers, workers, voters and citizens who championed, then and now, for change and rallied for rights and representation.

2020 marks the tenth anniversary of the museum being in its current home, which has prompted the team to pick out ten of their favourite items; these include the 1908 Manchester suffragette banner, a commemorative plate to the Equal Pay Act of 1970 and a placard from the 2019 Youth Climate Strike in Manchester.  Take time out to enjoy reading the stories behind these fascinating objects here: phm.org.uk/collections

Object highlights on film

Items of political memorabilia, electoral materials and iconic objects that have earned their place in history all feature within a series of films made by Steven Fielding, Professor of Political History at the University of Nottingham.  Steven examines not just the historical significance of the pieces, but their relevance to today’s world.  Take a look and pick out the items you’d like to see in person when the museum is able to re-open.  You can watch the films here: phm.org.uk/blogposts/steven-fielding-highlights-five-objects-in-a-series-of-films-for-phm

Peterloo to the Pankhursts

Starting Monday 4 May

For adult learners who are inspired to take a deeper dive into the evolution of democracy, ‘Peterloo to the Pankhursts: Radicalism and Reform in the 19th Century’ is an online learning course that looks at the history of radicalism and reform, and the factors that bound events a century apart, in a way that is accessible to all.  The formation of modern democratic ideas is the starting point, and the campaign for votes for women is where the learning journey ends.  

The learning experience is brought to life through the examination of original artefacts and documents, the use of specially commissioned illustrations and animations, and the opportunity to watch compelling historical testimony and speeches – some dramatised for the first time.  The sessions are led by expert archivists, curators and historians.

Taking place on the FutureLearn platform Peterloo to the Pankhursts: Radicalism and Reform in the 19th Century’ takes four weeks, requiring five hours of weekly study and begins on Monday 4 May.  For further information visit: futurelearn.com/courses/peterloo-to-the-pankhursts-radicalism-and-reform-in-the-nineteenth-century.

All of the Ideas Worth Exploring activities can be found here: phm.org.uk/learn/ideas-worth-exploring.

People’s History Museum is currently closed due to COVID-19, but you can stay in touch by visiting phm.org.uk, signing up to the e-newsletter, subscribing to the blog, or following the museum on social media on Twitter @PHMMcr, Facebook @PHMMcr, and Instagram @phmmcr.

Easy Vegan Favourites (Part One) is an online class, featuring delicious vegan dishes demonstrated by experts from the Vegetarian Society Cookery School located in Altrincham.

Forming part of the Vegetarian Society charity, the cookery school is the home of vegetarian and vegan cooking – taking advantage of over 150 years of expertise in vegetarian food.

The Vegetarian Society tutors have a wealth of experience in teaching and, nutrition. The online class gives you the opportunity to tap into their knowledge from the comfort of your own home and learn how to whip up classic, easy dishes.

What you’ll learn

The class features a series of videos, featuring how to create delicious dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. From crispy tofu bacon to delicious Buddha bowls, their expert take on these classic dishes will have you counting down the hours to meal times!

Tutors Sam and Fiona use their years of experience to help you discover techniques for getting the best flavours out of your ingredients and develop skills that will improve your cooking on a day-to-day basis. The class also features additional content to watch and download, including knife skills, recipe sheets and vegan nutrition and healthy eating guides.

By buying this class, you will also be supporting the charitable work of the Vegetarian Society. From providing free cookery classes for young carers, to their recent food bank appeal –sales from this class makes  projects like these possible.

Buy the cookery class.

If you too are going mad twiddling your thumbs and looking out the window, Invisible Manchester is here to rescue with a virtual tour. Bring to life the streets of Manchester in your own home with their virtual tour, now available!

“Hello, my name is Danny and I will be your tour guide today!” - is the opening to our ‘Off the Cobbles’ virtual tour with Danny. In his joyful and cheeky manner, Danny takes you on a journey around Manchester through his eyes sharing lesser known historical facts, personal stories of his time spent living on the streets and even some of his poetry.

By booking the virtual tour guests will receive an email with links to a trail around Manchester including photos, videos and audio files and a fact sheet. The links are available at any time to explore. Invisible Manchester are also offering the opportunity for guests to virtually meet their guides to ask any further questions, their availability will be matched with you via doodle. This option is particularly important as the guides are really missing their tours and interacting with guests, answering their questions and sharing knowledge.

Tickets start at £7 for individuals, £15 for the whole household and £50 if you are a work team.

Book your virtual tour.

intu Trafford Centre has been an iconic North West shopping and leisure destination for over 20 years, famous for its luxurious marble malls and unique architecture.

Many might not realise it, but there’s so much more to intu Trafford Centre than fashion and food. 

Whilst it’s partially closed, the shopping centre giant has revealed 18 secrets and interesting facts about the centre that you might not know:

  1. The idea of The Trafford Centre was conceived in 1984. Planning permission was sought in 1986 and approval was finally upheld by the House of Lords in 1995. It took 27 months to build and opened on 10^th September 1998.

  2. The Great Hall entrance is home to one of the world’s largest chandeliers – so big it houses its own interior staircase! Made up of thousands of pieces of Chinese crystal, the chandelier measures 11m x 9m and weighs a hefty 5 ½ tons.

  3. The Great Hall staircase is made of Chicken Red Marble from the Luoyong district of China and was modelled on the staircase of the Titanic.

  4. Extensive use has been made of natural stone for the floors of the malls and for the frontages and interiors of the shops. The different stones used were chosen for their attractiveness in terms of colour and pattern. The variety of stone types selected provided examples of all three major rock types to be seen in the earth’s crust.

  5. The Orient is the largest food court in Europe, seating 1,600 people, and its design is based on an ocean liner visiting different areas of the world including China, Egypt, Europe and America.

  6. The Orient ceiling has been modelled to resemble the sky with the colour changing from pink at dawn, blues in the afternoon and reds and purples at dusk. 2000 bright stars twinkle throughout the evening, followed by the 12 constellations and the stars of the Milky Way.

  7. Outside The Great Hall entrance you’ll find the Trafford Crest Sculpture consisting of a Roman Centurion, a griffin and a unicorn. The piece is based on various elements within the Trafford Coat of Arms and took 16 months to complete.

  8. Since the centre opened, nearly £1million has been collected in total from the centre’s spectacular fountains. Every single coin generously dropped into the water by shoppers is washed, cleaned and donated to the centre’s local nominated charities.

  9. The palm trees on Peel Avenue are not only real, they are originally from California and were transported to the centre with a short stint in Amsterdam to acclimatise.

  10. The main dome by Selfridges is based on the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral in London and can change colour from blue to green, yellow and red.

  11. intu Trafford Centre was the chosen location for the first Selfridges outside London. The high-end department store is synonymous with designer brands, stylish homeware and gourmet food.

  12. Look at the floor by the glass lifts in the Main Dome and you’ll find a plaque to mark where a time capsule was buried in 1998, with children attending from local primary school Barton Clough.

  13. A time capsule was also buried in the newly transformed Barton Square in February 2020, again with students from Barton Clough primary school who drew pictures of the centre to go in the capsule.

  14. The portraits above Regent Crescent (near Debenhams) are the individuals involved in the original build, including architects, artists, developers and designers.

  15. The centre contains 3.5 miles of brass which is cleaned and polished every single night.

  16. The centre’s 135 toilets and 60 urinals are cleaned and maintained so regularly that the centre has achieved a national award ‘Loo of the Year’ for 17 years in a row – a royal flush!

  17. Unlike most other shopping malls, the centre is set amidst a 150-acre site of beautiful landscaping. Influenced by the landscaped boulevards of Los Angeles, borders of fresh woodland plants line all routes in to the Centre and natural wooded areas surround the building.

  18. The preserved Wilderspool Wood, near The Great Hall entrance, attracts a host of birds including green finch, wrens and blue tits.

This exciting expansion of the project means all-the-more opportunity for audiences to enjoy cutting-edge creative content, without leaving the house! The announcement follows on from news of the first commissions just last week (read our report here), HOME-commissioned online pieces from Bryony Kimmings, Plaster Cast Theatre, Ad Infinitum and Chris Thorpe & Yusra Warsama. These works went live on 1 May, already attracting plenty of attention, a range of positive reviews and highlighting the truly innovative nature of the Homemakers project.

Viewers can access and purchase their experiences online via the HOME website, and there is plenty to come, with commissioning partners and artists across the country sure to deliver a variety of exciting and entertaining, weird and wonderful, content!

The announced partners and artists involved include:

Oldham Coliseum Theatre – Hafsah Aneela Bashir

Z-Arts and STUN – Chad Taylor

ARC Stockton – Vici Wreford-Sinnott

Cambridge Junction – Zoe Svendsen and Hannah Jane Walker

Candoco Dance Company – Jo Bannon

Chinese Arts Now – Naomi Sumner Chan

Fermynwoods Contemporary Art – Anna Brownsted

Lime Pictures – Seiriol Davies and Matthew Blake

Music Theatre Wales and London Sinfonietta – Elayce Ismail and Alex Ho

Here at Haunt Manchester, we are often on the lookout for inventive and alternative creativity in Greater Manchester, and the ideas brought forward by the new Homemakers partners in the region certainly show that. For example, Oldham Coliseum’s Theatre Associate Artist Hafsah Aneela Bashir (pictured below) will be getting involved, introducing the intriguing Poetry Health Service (PHS) as a tool for healing. Inspired by her love for poetry and using her own as well as poems gifted to her, the project will involve her sharing ‘poetry panaceas’ by the people for the people… underlining the importance of creativity to our wellbeing. Fancy a try? The PHS will be available both as a dedicated phone line and online; the concept growing from Hafsah’s daily Insta Live readings that she has been delivering at 2.30pm every day since the start of the lockdown.

According to Manchester-based Hafsah, who as well as a poet is also a playwright, performer and founder and co-director of Outside the Frame Arts, a key champion of creative voices beyond the mainstream:

 “I’m so excited to receive a Homemakers commission – one that will draw on my lockdown connections made with strangers on Instagram Live through our simple love for poetry. This is the beautiful birth of the Poetry Health Service.”

Oldham Coliseum Artistic Director Chris Lawson added:

"We’re delighted to be working in association with our Greater Manchester neighbours HOME. We feel the PHS project, led by Hafsah, is a vital and necessary artistic service that we are proud to support.”

Hafsah’s involvement also underlines the engaging and thought-provoking work Oldham Coliseum Theatre is known for; itself also functioning as a cultural and educational charity, working with over 150,000 people per year. With a rich history spanning back to 1885, The Coliseum has cemented itself as a much-loved hub of creativity and community, and hence the commissioning partnership with HOME’s Homemakers –taking content online during these times - is an exciting prospect.

Another Greater Manchester partner is Z-arts, the arts and theatre venue in Hulme that is also a charity and known for its forward-thinking family-friendly content as well as STUN studio; a small theatre space within run by Sustained Theatre Up North. Local artist Chad Taylor will be getting involved in Homemakers for Z-arts, presenting a vibrant new dance piece, using digital content to explore exciting possibilities within the form. Synchronised movement, social media, seeing how interaction develops… it is set to be interesting.

According to Chad:

"I'm really pleased to be able to create something during the lockdown period that opens up dance as an art form to so many people, and am really excited to be creating something new that creates a conversation between dance and social media through this commission from Z-arts and STUN as part of Homemakers. I can't wait to share what I create!"

Zoe Pickering, Head of Programming and Big Imaginations Manager at Z-arts also reflected: 

"Z-arts are delighted to partner with HOME to be able to commission the amazing new piece Lost Online with local dancer, artist and choreographer, Chad Taylor. We've wanted to work with Chad for a long time, and we're thrilled that we've been able to support him to create an innovative new piece of work that works to merge social media and dance." 

For more information and to stay updated on Homemakers commissions as they become available to experience, visit the HOME website.

https://homemcr.org/event/homemakers/

And did you know that HOME will be turning FIVE soon? May 21 2020 marks five years since HOME first opened its doors to the public – and you can share your memories online here. They will publish their favourites as part of the celebrations!

Image 1 provided by HOME, image 2 provided thanks to Oldham Coliseum Theatre 

By Emily Oldfield 

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/05/from-a-poetry-health-service-to-daring-dance-home-announces-new-commissioning-partners-and-innovative-content-for-its-homemakers-project-b1203#comments1203 Tue, 05 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/05/a-digital-tour-of-the-monastery-manchester-b1204 .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position..

The Monastery Manchester (also known as Gorton Monastery) is a former Church and Franciscan Friary now functioning as an event venue, heritage site and visitor attraction.

Designed by architect Edward Welby Pugin, the site functioned as a Church and Franciscan Friary between its completion in 1872 until 1989 when the site was deconsecrated and the friars left. Abandoned and derelict for many years after a failed property development scheme, the site was saved by a group of volunteers.

The Monastery is now maintained by the same charitable trust that saved the building who work on its continued preservation so that it can be enjoyed for future generations.

This digital tour was originally created for the Monastery's Facebook page in response to the Covid-19 pandemic so that visitors could still access the site. It is a completely digital tour using previously recorded 3D mapping software, screen capture and video editing.

Find out more about The Monastery Manchester.

The current (at the time of writing – May 2020) Covid-19 pandemic and measures taken means that music venues have had to temporarily close. Yet a number face the prospect of never opening their doors again, as they struggle to cover lost earnings and a huge loss of trade. In turn, the Music Venue Trust has launched the #SaveOurVenues campaign, involving venues across the country and inviting the public to donate and spread the word. Manchester venues so far include Band on the Wall, Night People & The Twisted Wheel, The Rose & Monkey Hotel, The Castle Hotel,  The Eagle Inn, Gullivers and The Stoller Hall, with more expected to join.

Pictured above - Band on the Wall. Credit: JP Brown

The venues listed as participating so far highlights the eclectic nature of Manchester’s music scene. Band on the Wall (Crowdfunder link here) is one of the oldest music venues in Manchester, and in this previous article Haunt explored its fascinating history, with entertainment on the site spanning back centuries. It is recognised as one of Manchester’s truly iconic locations, celebrating local and international talent, featuring a range of genres – from gritty guitar gigs to vibrant reggae, jazz and World Music. It has also supported a variety of local and grassroots artists over the years, as well as become a home to the offices of Brighter Sound, a charity and music education organisation that aims to connect young people with creative opportunities.

Meanwhile, The Stoller Hall (Crowdfunder link here), located alongside Chetham’s School of Music, is another stunning venue – winner of a RIBA Award for its architecture and known for its innovative classical concerts. This included Scoring Fear: An Evening of Classical Music and Gothic Horror Film Scores in a unique collaboration between the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies and the BBC Philharmonic as part of the Gothic Manchester Festival 2018. For gutsy gigs and plenty of cutting-edge creativity, Night People & The Twisted Wheel on Princess Street has built on the history of the iconic Twisted Wheel Club with its vibrant programme of alternative artists, exciting grassroots music and clubnights. Haunt Manchester also wrote more about its history in a previous article here. It's 'sister venue' is The Rose & Monkey Hotel, a relatively new venue on Swan Street, close to the Northern Quarter and Ancoats. It's already made a mark, its pub interior complete with charming décor and a usually lively programme of content, including intimate gigs, open mics, poetry evenings and plenty more. (Crowdfunder link for Night People & The Twisted Wheel as well as The Rose & Monkey Hotel here).

Pictured below - the artist Dirty Freud performing at Night People. Credit: Shay Rowan 

Meanwhile The Castle Hotel, The Eagle Inn and Gullivers (Crowdfunder link for the three here) are all atmospheric pub venues known for their live music spaces. Outside of lockdown, the Northern quarter’s Gullivers is typically thriving most nights with eclectic gigs in the upstairs ballroom space, complete with its high stage and historic interior. A short distance away, practically on the other side of the street, is The Castle Hotel, a quirky pub with its much-loved snug as well as an intimate back room usually bustling with live music – a much-loved place for grassroots artists, featuring everything from acoustic acts to indie, electronic and industrial bands. The iconic Eagle Inn completes the trio, a brick-red boozer just over the Irwell in Salford, close to the famous Blueprint Studios and covered in more detail by an earlier Haunt Manchester article here. Its hidden-within music venue certainly is striking – the building knocked-through into a former terraced house next door, creating space for a stage and evocatively high ceiling with balcony space. The Eagle provides an intimate setting, the chance to see cutting-edge artists new and established alike. To lose any of these venues would be devastating.

There are other participating venues in Greater Manchester too, including The Snug Coffee House in Atherton and The Met in Bury.

Full details of how people can support participating places is available on the #SaveOurVenues website, and venues can still get involved and sign up online. Here at Haunt Manchester, we want to celebrate the fantastic creative force that independent venues are - these are after all places that have championed culture of all kinds right from the very grassroots –created communities that continue to thrive and have given so much, to so many.

https://saveourvenues.co.uk/#/

By Emily Oldfield 

Photo credits in the image captions 

Above - St Chad's, Rochdale, 2020. Picture provided thanks to Rochdale BID

Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA is a Senior Research Associate in the Departments of English and History at Manchester Metropolitan University. He has published widely on Georgian Gothic architecture and design broadly conceived, as well as heraldry and the relevance of heraldic arts to post-medieval English intellectual, cultural, and aesthetic culture. Last year, as part of Gothic Manchester Festival 2019, he co-organised an event at Chetham’s Library Baronial Hall with Professor Dale Townshend titled ‘Faking Gothic Furniture’ (it also features, along with The John Rylands Library, in a previous article by Peter, here). This involved discussing the mysterious George Shaw (1810-76), a local Upper Mill lad who developed an early interest in medieval architecture and heraldry, going on to create forgeries of Tudor and Elizabethan furniture for a number of high-profile individuals and places at the time, including Chetham’s!

Currently Peter is completing his Leverhulme-funded research project exploring forged antiquarian materials in Georgian Britain, and also working on the recently re-discovered Henry VII and Elizabeth of York marriage bed, which itself was the inspiration behind many of Shaw’s so-called ‘Gothic forgeries’.

St Chad’s, Rochdale

Above - Fig.1: Exterior view of St Chad’s Church, Rochdale. © Peter N. Lindfield.

The church of St Chad in Rochdale, Greater Manchester (Fig.1), is a particularly curious and also leading example of the Victorian penchant for recreating and forging medieval Gothic architecture and interiors. St Chad’s is also especially relevant to me, given the involvement of George Shaw from Uppermill, Saddleworth, on the periphery of Manchester, in the creation of supposedly medieval furniture for the church’s interior in 1847 (Fig.2). Shaw is a local Victorian forger extraordinaire, the subject of a chapter in my forthcoming book on antiquarian forgery in Georgian and Victorian Britain arising from my Leverhulme-funded Early Career Research Fellowship, and the subject of an essay I jointly authored with Dr Jonathan Foyle that will appear in an upcoming issue of The British Art Journal.

Below - Fig.2: General overview of the interior of St Chad’s Church, Rochdale; view of the choir from the nave. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Below - Fig.3: Henry VII bed. The Langley Collection. Courtesy of Ian Coulson.

Guiding some of his forgeries, although, admittedly, not in an immediately obvious way, including his work on St Chad’s, is a remarkable State Bed made for Henry VII (Fig.3) that was housed in what was one of the most important, but now sadly destroyed, medieval apartments in the Palace of Westminster: the Painted Chamber (devastated in the 1834 fire, refurbished thereafter, and pulled down finally in 1851). The bed can be found now, after a quite an exceptional recent history, in The Langley Collection in Northumberland, and a documentary on the bed can also be found on YouTube, below:

A more recognizable name involved in the Victorian renovations of St Chad’s, namely working on the church’s west window (in the tower) depicting Faith, Hope, and Charity, is the Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones. The glass was also made by the notable Arts and Crafts figure, William Morris.

Below - Fig.4: Detail of the tower of St Chad’s Church, Rochdale. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Why, then, have I not written about St Chad’s earlier in my sequence of blog posts on Visit Manchester exploring Mancunian Gothic? Well, put simply, differentiating between ‘genuine’ and ‘fake’ medieval Gothic architecture and furniture requires what is known as the ‘eye’; a certain amount of knowledge enabling one to look at, interpret, and differentiate between real and forged medieval workmanship. Hopefully those keeping up with these posts will now possess such knowledge!

Above - Fig.5: Side elevation of St Chad’s Church, Rochdale. © Peter N. Lindfield.

St Chad’s is a quite exceptional thing. It is grade II* listed by Historic England (list entry number 1045812, here, first listed 25 October 1951). The tower dates to the thirteenth century, although the far more ornate upper register was added in 1870 (Fig.4); the nave’s arcade columns are partly from the fourteenth century; the south aisle arches are also from this period; and the clerestory—that top register of the main vessel which lets light in through the tracery windows—dates to 1557 (Fig.5).

Above - Fig.6: Choir of Gloucester Cathedral. Diliff (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Most of the clerestory windows added in 1557 alternate between what architectural historians refer to as Decorated and Perpendicular Gothic; the latter is a version of Gothic architecture that developed in England and which first came to prominence in the south transept of Gloucester Cathedral. With antecedents in London, particularly the chapter house and cloisters of Old St Paul’s Cathedral, and St Stephen’s Chapel in the Palace of Westminster, Gloucester’s refinement of the London models, particularly in its choir (Fig.6), was perpetuated by the church’s eminent status on the English pilgrimage circuit courtesy of the body of Edward II being interred there to the north west of the high altar in the ambulatory (Fig.7).

Below - Fig.7: Detail of the shrine of Edward II in Gloucester Cathedral. Chris Gunns (CC BY-SA 2.0).

This style of Gothic, known for its regimented, rectilinear grid-like tracery patters found in windows and applied to walls and shrines, such as Bishop Waynflete’s chantry chapel in Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire (Fig.8), it became the last ‘true’ and popular style of Gothic in medieval England. Earlier churches, such as St Chad’s, were ‘updated’ in this version of Gothic to make them, essentially, fashionable.

Below - Fig.8: Bishop Waynflete’s chantry chapel, Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire. © Peter N. Lindfield.

To my surprise, the rather detailed listing entry for St Chad’s made by Historic England fails to mention George Shaw’s involvement at the church. The 2004 Pevsner Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East, on the other hand, refers to Shaw’s work at St Chad’s, namely in relation to him as a ‘collector and recycler of old carved woodwork and manufacturer of high quality repro’. Shaw’s understanding of medieval furniture was conditioned by what he could access or what he came across, such as the Henry VII bed. In Shaw’s diary entry for 15 and 16 May 1829 he records his impression of the pulpit at St Chad’s, some eighteen years before he undertook work on the eastern limb of the building, noting the historic pulpit and its black, ebony-like finish that, in the Victorian period, was considered to be one of the principal indicators and characteristics of ancient furniture:

'There is nothing very particular in it except it be pulpit which is a very handsome one, made of oak and covered with carving[.] It is very old, and nearly as black as ebony. Mr Hay the Vicar of Rochdale told Mr Raines when he was there that it was the grandest pulpit he believed in England. Every thing about it is so very perfect. The sounding board is a large and beautiful one.'

Heraldic ornament was also crucial to his understanding of the building’s history, where he notes that:

'there is a coat of arms painted on the roof over the [old, immense] pew, and likewise one in the window, which gives it light. I was told that they were the arms of the Byron family, to whom the pew formerly belonged, and of whom it was purchased along with their Rochdale Estates by Jas Dearden Esqr.'

Below - Fig.9: Detail of the choir stalls at St Chad’s Church, Rochdale. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Below - Fig.10: Detail of the choir stalls at St Chad’s Church, Rochdale. © Peter N. Lindfield.

As this second quote demonstrates, Shaw was keenly interested in heraldry, and he employed heraldry to afford his forged ancestral furniture the appearance of age and authenticity even though he did not, on all occasions, get the heraldry right!

         Shaw’s choir stalls at St Chad’s (Figs 9–10) are based upon medieval examples (Fig.11), particularly evident in the form and ornament of the uprights between each seat—the standards—but their execution is eccentric in that each standard is finished off not as a typical medieval standard, but, instead, as a pew end (Fig.12). They are also ornamented with Gothic tracery in the form of blind window heads within which are set coats of arms and (mostly blank) banderoles (or banners).

Below - Fig.11: The choir stalls at Manchester Cathedral. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Below - Fig.12: Pew end, c.1470. W.94-1911. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

         The president’s stall—the president being the person leading the service—features a chair set under a canopy and behind a desk modelled upon choir stalls, however the ends are finished with incredibly unusual and, hence, curious, finials that can be best described as preying-mantis-like (Fig.13). The chair itself is particularly noteworthy (Fig.14): it is based upon a design that, by 1847, was considered a classic example of Gothic furniture: the Glastonbury chair. The ‘Glastonbury chair’ was made popular by its adoption by Horace Walpole as suitably ancient and fit for Gothic interiors.

Below - Fig.13: Detail of the president’s stall at St Chad’s Church, Rochdale. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Below - Fig.14: Detail of a second Glastonbury chair at St Chad’s Church, Rochdale. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Examples of the Glastonbury chair can be found in public and private collections, in private and collegiate chapels, as well as churches, and cathedrals throughout the country. St Chad’s is part of this eighteenth- and nineteenth-century tradition. The chair’s form is ancient, and this connection is underwritten by the name carved into the right-hand arm of the ‘original’ that Horace Walpole acquired and displayed in the Holbein Chamber at Strawberry Hill in Twickenham (Fig.15).

Below - Fig.15: Chair of oak from Glastonbury Abbey. Folio 49 3582 (Oversize). Courtesy of the Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University.

         Walpole first writes about the chair on 1 February 1759:

'I am deeper than ever in Gothic antiquities; I have bought a monk of Glastonbury’s chair full of scraps of the psalms, and some seals of most reverend illegibility. I pass all my mornings in the thirteenth century, and my evenings with the century that is coming on. Adieu!'

And in the 1784 edition of Walpole’s Description of Strawberry Hill, the chair is described thus:

'A very ancient chair of oak, which came out of Glastonbury-abbey; on it are carved these sentences, Joannes Arthurus Monacus Glastonie, salvet eum Deum: Da pacem Domine: Sit Laus Deo. Lord Bathurst has several chairs copied from this.'

Joannes Arthurus is an anglicisation of Jöhes Arthur—a monk of Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset who subscribed to the Act of Supremacy. Although this appears to legitimise the age of the chair, it is not sufficient evidence to link it to the abbey. Indeed, Gabriel Olive, in his seminal article on the Glastonbury chair, argues that the name was intentionally chosen to play upon connections to Britain’s past made by antique collectors.

It is not known how Walpole acquired his ‘Glastonbury chair’, which is strange given the importance he allotted to it, and its current whereabouts is unknown. But as already indicated, chairs of this type proliferated in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Shaw appears to have made his own version of the Glastonbury chair for St Chad’s.

Above - Fig.16: Bedroom over Dining Room at St Chad’s, Upper Mill, Saddleworth. 1920.

A similar X-frame chair is illustrated in the 1920 sale at Shaw’s home, although the arms are notably different. This, nevertheless, indicates Shaw’s awareness of the X-frame chair type (Fig.16).

Above - Fig.17: Lectern at St Chad’s Church, Rochdale. © Peter N. Lindfield.

         St Chad’s also has a lectern supplied by Shaw (Fig.17), and it is a simpler example of that which he supplied to Manchester Cathedral (Fig.18). Much like his forged ancestral furniture, Shaw’s reuse of the lectern design demonstrates his repetitive work.

Below - Fig.18: Lectern at Manchester Cathedral. © Peter N. Lindfield.

         Refashioned in the Victorian period, St Chad’s in Rochdale recreates the impression of what medieval church furniture was thought to be, but the mediating ‘genius’ of Shaw meant that it took on a particular appearance. It is the most impressive of Shaw’s surviving interior schemes and well worth a visit (once open following the relaxation of COVID-19 limitations)!

By Dr Peter N. Lindfield 

Photo credits in the image captions

Manchester Jazz Festival’s 25th anniversary is going digital!

mjf2020: Jazz Unlocked will stream across the festival’s social channels from May 21 – 24, produced in partnership with Jazz North.

Join them for four days of unseen footage, exclusive artist interviews, a look back over 25 years of new music and of course some live gigs.

To help them stage some socially distanced live performances by festival artists, they’re also partnering with United We Stream, the newly launched GMCA streaming website set up to support the region’s night time economy and Greater Manchester’s Mayor’s Charity Nordoff Robbins music therapy, who’ll stream the festival across their channels on Thursday 21 and Sunday 24 May.

Find out more about mjf2020: Jazz Unlocked

Chetham's Library have created a series in which they have highlight some of the Library’s most interesting stuff, which as well as famous books and manuscripts includes furniture, paintings, and objects from the museum collection.

Limited space means that much of this material is not on permanent display, making this a rare opportunity to get a closer look at some of the jewels in the Library’s crown.

Browse the collection.

Alongside this collection they have also made available more digital resources, prints and photographs, printed books and ephemera and manuscripts.

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/05/101-treasures-of-chethams-b1199#comments1199 Fri, 01 May 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/04/the-real-cost-of-heritage-preserving-our-gothic-buildings-b1197 The fourteenth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr  Peter N. Lindfield  FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. The fourteenth instalment as part of an ongoing series for Haunt Manchester by Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA, exploring Greater Manchester’s Gothic architecture and hidden heritage. Peter’s previous Haunt Manchester articles include features on Ordsall Hall, Albert’s Schloss and Albert Hall, the Mancunian Gothic Sunday School of St Matthew’s, Arlington House in Salford, Manchester’s Modern Gothic in St Peter’s Square, what was St John’s Church, Manchester Cathedral, The Great Hall at The University of Manchester, and more. From the city’s striking Gothic features to the more unusual aspects of buildings usually taken for granted and history hidden in plain sight, a variety of locations will be explored and visited over the course of 2020. In this article he reflects on the importance of preserving Gothic and heritage buildings, and considers the Taylor Review Pilot Scheme, which was established to help re-open church buildings and supported 27 sites in Greater Manchester from September 2018 until March 2020. Please note that, at the time of writing, all buildings mentioned below are currently temporarily closed to the public, due to Covid-19 measures (30/04/2020).

Image below - All Saints Church, Barton Upon Irwell, Redclyffe Road, Urmston, Stretford, Manchester, Greater Manchester. Exterior of church and adjacent residence, view from South showing frosted landscaped garden and sun dial. Copyright Historic England.

 Dr Peter N. Lindfield FSA is a Senior Research Associate in the Departments of English and History at Manchester Metropolitan University. He has published widely on Georgian Gothic architecture and design broadly conceived, as well as heraldry and the relevance of heraldic arts to post-medieval English intellectual, cultural, and aesthetic culture. Last year, as part of Gothic Manchester Festival 2019, he co-organised an event at Chetham’s Library Baronial Hall with Professor Dale Townshend titled ‘Faking Gothic Furniture’ (it also features, along with The John Rylands Library, in a previous article by Peter, here). This involved discussing the mysterious George Shaw (1810-76), a local Upper Mill lad who developed an early interest in medieval architecture and heraldry, going on to create forgeries of Tudor and Elizabethan furniture for a number of high-profile individuals and places at the time, including Chetham’s!

Currently Peter is completing his Leverhulme-funded research project exploring forged antiquarian materials in Georgian Britain, and also working on the recently re-discovered Henry VII and Elizabeth of York marriage bed, which itself was the inspiration behind many of Shaw’s so-called ‘Gothic forgeries’.

The Real Cost of Heritage: Preserving our Gothic Buildings

We are all aware of how much it costs to heat, light, and maintain or repair our home, be it anything from a flat through to a detached house to a massive country pile. If we think our domestic heating and maintenance bills are high, the cost of running and maintaining, let alone repairing, historic buildings is almost unfathomably large.

Above - Fig.1: Manchester Cathedral. View from the choir through to the nave. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Most churches in Britain are free to enter and they rely upon donations to help maintain them. Manchester Cathedral (Fig.1), for example, costs over £1 million a year to maintain and keep it open to the public, see here, and entry is for a recommended voluntary donation.

Below - Fig.2: Canterbury Cathedral. View of the vault in the Crossing Tower. © Peter N. Lindfield.

Canterbury Cathedral in Kent (Fig.2) requires around £19,000 a day to keep running, see here—that is a staggering annual figure of nearly £10 million!

Below - Fig.3: Frederick Henry Evans, Westminster Abbey, no.18, platinum print, 1911. RPS.3682-2018. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

In an effort to cover their operating costs and control the number of visitors, some cathedrals and heritage sites that are major tourist attractions have decided to implement entrance fees, including Westminster Abbey (Fig.3) in central London that charges £24 per adult ticket if purchased on the day, though there are arrangements for people attending worship and for parishioners who live in London to gain admission without charge to the Abbey itself. (Please note however, at the time of writing, Westminster Abbey is currently temporarily closed to the public, in terms of Covid-19 guidance)

Below - Fig.4: Benjamin Sir Stone, Palace of Westminster, platinum print mounted on card with hand-written ink notation. E.3764-2000. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

On a wholly different scale is the restoration and refurbishment of the Palace of Westminster, commonly known as the Houses of Parliament (Fig.4). Largely built after the devastating fire of 1834, this Grade I listed seat of government is in desperate need of restoration. The budget for completing this more than decade-long project is currently set at £4 billion!—see here. A video about the restoration programme is available here.

Not all heritage sites have the tourist footfall and attraction as Canterbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey (the current COVID-19 outbreak excepted) to operate and undertake capital projects of restoration or refurbishment.

This is where other schemes to support British architectural heritage comes into play. One particular success story is the Taylor Review Pilot Scheme. Funded by the UK Government Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), and run by Historic England, the £1.8 million Pilot Scheme was open to places of worship (of any faith) in Greater Manchester and Suffolk (see here), starting in 2018 and running until March 2020. This meant that churches in the region perhaps struggling to maintain their historic buildings could crucially benefit. After all, as recorded in the Interim Evaluation of the Taylor Review Pilot here, the number of listed places of worship at the time in Greater Manchester was 331, with the level of those on the Heritage at Risk register standing at 20%. In turn, a number of buildings across the boroughs including Salford, Bolton and Trafford applied and successfully became involved. Following on from the scheme coming to an end on 31 March 2020, a full evaluation will be published later this summer.

What was required to apply to enter the scheme? Further requirements for each site stipulate that it had to be:

• An active place of worship open for public worship at least six times a year
• Listed on the National Heritage List for England (any grade)
• Open (or willing to open) for some form of public access in addition to regular worship times (special considerations potentially given for buildings with security issues or where there are clear health and safety concerns)

With access to experts on maintenance and repair plans, as well as being able to apply for minor repair grants, the scheme supported 27 sites in Greater Manchester. Sites to benefit from this scheme included Monton Unitarian Church in Salford and St Paul’s in Halliwell, Bolton.

Above - Fig.5: Monton Unitarian Chapel, Monton Green, Eccles, Monton, Greater Manchester. General view from South. Copyright Historic England. 

The grade II* listed Monton Unitarian Church in Salford (Fig.5) benefitted from the scheme by securing a grant to help cover the cost of repairs, including a restoration of the Philomena stained glass window. The church is also working with the team on a five-year maintenance and community engagement plan.

Reverend Anna Jarvis, Monton Unitarian Church, Salford said that:

"The workshops that the Taylor Review Pilot has been running have been absolutely invaluable – we have learnt about repair and maintenance issues, community engagement and good governance structures. We are currently converting to a CIO and so the governance workshop gave us a lot of guidance. And Historic England have been brilliant—brimming over with advice, support and enthusiasm—we can't thank them enough."

The grade II listed St Paul’s in Halliwell, Bolton (Fig.6), used funds from the pilot scheme to replace missing roof slates and repair stone copings. The church café was also turned into a ‘Place of Welcome’, helping to create a place for activities and programmes to engage the local community.

Below - Fig.6: St Paul's Church, Halliwell Road, Halliwell, Bolton, Greater Mancherster. General view of exterior from South. Copyright Historic England.

Mandy Rushton, Church Warden at St Paul’s Church, Halliwell, referring to the project, said that:

"The grant has enabled us to complete urgent repairs, make our church watertight and preserve it for future generations. These works would not have been addressed without the pilot scheme and we can now plan the next stage of our maintenance work. The team at Historic England are very knowledgeable and have been friendly and enthusiastic."

Referring to the scheme, the Heritage Minister, Helen Whately, said that:

"I am delighted that so many buildings in Greater Manchester have benefitted from this funding. Our country has a rich and fascinating religious history and places of worship have been at the heart of communities for centuries. The Taylor Review pilot scheme is helping to protect and preserve these important places of worship and keep them central to our communities."

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, also reflects:

"We are delighted that the Taylor Review Pilot has successfully repaired and restored 54 listed faith buildings in its inaugural year. We look forward to continuing to work with local communities nationwide to help maintain some of our most important places of worship."

Through this scheme, the futures of a number of Manchester’s historic places of worship, in need of access to expert consultation and funds to undertake repairs, has been received well and helped secure their futures.

A report of the scheme can be found here.

By Dr Peter N. Lindfield 

Photo credits in the captions 

]]> stuart.aiken@marketingmanchester.com (Visit Manchester) http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/04/the-real-cost-of-heritage-preserving-our-gothic-buildings-b1197#comments1197 Thu, 30 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/blog/read/2020/04/a-virtual-concert-by-northern-englands-leading-classical-musicians-b1198 Some of the north of England’s most high profile orchestras and classical musicians will star in a specially created virtual concert, streaming for the first time on Tuesday 5 May from 7pm. Th..

Some of the north of England’s most high profile orchestras and classical musicians will star in a specially created virtual concert, streaming for the first time on Tuesday 5 May from 7pm.

The online event will mark the third birthday of The Stoller Hall, in Manchester.

The Stoller Hall opened in April 2017, and has been hailed by critics as the UK’s best music venue, acoustically, for classical chamber music.

Currently closed as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, The Stoller Hall will mark its anniversary with the free online concert, hosted by BBC Radio 3 presenter and The Stoller Hall’s artistic director, Tom Redmond.

The concert will feature some of the best classical music created in the north in recent years, alongside performances from global artists such as Soweto Gospel Choir, who are due to appear at The Stoller Hall after the current lockdown.

Manchester Collective’s unique performance of Messiaen's Quartet for The End of Time at The Stoller Hall is among the highlights, alongside a section of Manchester Camerata’s stunning Mozart series.

Celebrating The Stoller Hall’s links to Chetham’s School of Music, the concert includes Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, conducted by Franz Krager in February 2019, the last major orchestral performance at the hall before lockdown.

The concert includes some of the best performances ever staged in The Stoller Hall, alongside new interview footage with musicians who have played there.

Specially recorded conversations with artists, such as Manchester Collective’s Adam Szabo, are aired for the first time, revealing an insight into the full live music experience at The Stoller Hall, while the acousticians who helped create the venue reflect on its design.

Find out more https://stollerhall.com/whats-on/live-stream-the-stoller-hall-birthday-concert/

The online concert will include the following performances:

• Chetham's Symphony Orchestra – Tchaikovsky, Romeo and Juliet – Fantasy Overture, performed at The Stoller Hall 14 April 2020

• Iyad – Khachaturian, Piano Sonata in Eb Mayor: II Andante, recorded at The Stoller Hall

• Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra with members of the Halle - Stravinsky, The Firebird performed at The Stoller Hall 23 April 2017

• Manchester Camerata – Mozart, Piano Concerto No, performed at The Stoller Hall

• Manchester Collective - An Exploration of Messiaen's Quartet for The End of Time, performed at The Stoller Hall December 2017

• Manchester Camerata – Delius, Aquarelles for String Orchestra, performed at The Stoller Hall 17 January 2020. 

• Northern Film Orchestra – The Adventure Continues – Mitchell Gibbs, recorded at The Stoller Hall 25 January 2020

• Ben Holland – Kreisler, Scherzo-Caprice from Recitative und Scherzo-Caprice, recorded at The Stoller Hall

The Science and Industry Museum is currently closed in response to the coronavirus outbreak, but its collection, and the inspirational stories it tells, remain open to everyone.

As part of the Science Museum Group, the world’s leading group of science museums, it has over 325,000 objects in its extensive online collection that can all be explored from home.

Local history

The Science and Industry Museum is located in the heart of Manchester, in the historic district of Castlefield. The museum buildings themselves, as well as the objects they house, tell the story of over 250 years of innovations and ideas that began in the city and went on to change the world. Through the Objects and Stories pages, the secrets of the Manchester’s past are open for everyone to explore.

Enjoying the hustle and bustle of Ancoats might not be possible right now, but through the museum’s blog, readers can learn about the incredible transformation of this once-disreputable district, which transitioned from an unremarkable hamlet to the infamous beating heart of 1800’s industrial Manchester, before emerging as one of today’s most sought-after neighbourhoods.

Some of the Science and Industry Museum’s best-loved spaces are continuing to ignite curiosity online. Take a tour of our Textiles Gallery, which houses original working machinery from Manchester’s cotton mills. Stories from life in the mills, including the child-workers whose feet paced the factory floor in these tiny wooden clogs, can be found on the museum’s website. As can information about the history of the iconic Power Hall, one of the most beloved industrial heritage galleries in the country, and the museum’s ambitious plans for its future.

Science

The clue’s in the name, but the Science and Industry Museum has a plethora of science-related objects and artefacts in its collection to explore. Through its online resources, visitors can also discover more about Manchester’s finest scientists and how the contributions they made helped to shape the world we know, including John Dalton, James Joule and Alan Turing.

The Science Museum Group’s science director, Roger Highfield, has also been writing a series of blog posts exploring the latest thinking around  coronavirus. Every week he focuses on a different topic, including what we can learn from previous pandemics, the scientists fighting the virus and the science behind lockdowns. 

The sun has been making an almost uninterrupted appearance in Manchester lately. Before its closure, the Science and Industry Museum was hosting an exhibition exploring the science behind earth’s closest star and the thousands of years of intrigue it has inspired. Luckily, the exhibition can still be enjoyed through these blogs and this video.

Learning

The Museum also offers support with learning and home schooling through its learning resources website, which hosts a range of games, videos and interactive activities. One of the most popular games among young players is Total Darkness, which challenges children to put their science skills to the test and restore power to their virtual town.

From building bubble blowers to periscopes or learning about anything from magnetism to eco living, there are loads of free resources to support a range of curriculum topics at home.

For advice on getting the most out of the Science Museum Group’s online collection from home, visit this blog.

Bringing together the whole of the Manchester literature scene; from publishers to booksellers, writers to readers and everyone in between, Manchester City of Literature has launched A City Connected.

This new microsite already has 50+ events and activities listed since launching last week, several recurring events, with more content added everyday.

The site can be navigated by searching for information relevant to readers, writers, young people, whether viewers are looking specifically for online events, ways to support publishers by buying books, or daily activities for kids and adults. There’s also a weekly calendar view so you can plan your week, and a full activity feed where you can scroll through what’s on and take your pick.

A City Connects emphasises that reading and writing are social not solitary activities and will allow readers and writers of all abilities, ages and backgrounds to access support and resources.

Check out everything they’re doing on social media via #MCRCityofLitConnects @MCRCityofLit. 

Manchester City of Literature has also developed a series of community projects coming in the next weeks and months, with an aim to further engage the community with literature across Manchester during this time

Find out more about A City Connected.

With its long vistas and lime avenue, its bluebells and air of tranquillity, Southern Cemetery (Chorlton, South Manchester) has been one of my favourite haunts during lockdown. Strange sculptures and broken tombstones, urns and monuments, the interplay of light and shadow in the approaches to the half-derelict West Chapel and the eerie, echoing stillness despite its proximity to Princess Parkway, make it a darkly beautiful place. Open since 1879, it is the burial place of the artist L.S. Lowry, Victorian philanthropist John Rylands and founder of Factory Records Tony Wilson, as well as thousands of mute inglorious Florences, Doreens and Elizas. The almost alive Victorian angels adorning the tombstones beckon the viewer towards their half-legible inscriptions and a forgotten past. So many children taken before their time, ‘sleeping in eternity’, or wives separated from their husbands by early deaths. As Jean Sprackland writes in her fascinating new book These Silent Mansions: a life in graveyards (2020), the otherworldly realm of the dead becomes a treasure-trove of buried memories, ‘the place where the stories are kept’. Contemplating tombstone inscriptions seems prescient in the time of Covid-19 when families are divided by the fear of infection, when illness haunts the home and public spaces seem to offer invisible dangers. Image below: Southern Cemetery 

For the Victorians, contagion was a very real fear. Before penicillin, widespread vaccination and the NHS, diseases such as scarlet fever, tuberculosis and diphtheria were rife. In Victorian Contagion: Risk and Social Control in the Victorian Literary Imagination (2020), Chung-Yen Chen argues that, ‘Contagions are always affiliated with fear larger than death. During epidemics and pandemics, the fears of contagion reveal the tensions and disputes that lurk underneath the surface of harmony, the resentments present in all social relationships’.  Medical and political responses to Victorian cholera epidemics, for example, were inseparable from fears about filth and contamination, from perceptions of abnormality and cleanliness which mapped onto class differences in the cities. Media coverage of the testing, tracing and tracking of the Coronavirus is in some ways reminiscent of the nineteenth-century compulsion to trace the sources of disease and infection back to wider social and economic problems. Image below: Southern Cemetery 

Many mid-Victorian novels and auto/biographical writings dwelt on the management of disease, the inadequacies of medical supplies and the difficulties of quarantining. The sick-room became a significant space within the Victorian household. In the spirit of Florence Nightingale, women’s responsibilities as nurses and superintendents of the sick-room were celebrated. Poets and novelists drew on direct experience of nursing the sick or of mourning dead children in an age of high infant mortality. The ghost stories of the lesser-known Victorian writer Margaret Oliphant, whose eleven-year-old daughter died of fever in Rome, linger on the untimely deaths and sickness of mothers and children. The motherless Charlotte in ‘The Lady’s Walk’ (1882-3) cares for her younger siblings and vividly remembers the anguish of being quarantined from her charges due to scarlet fever. Haunted by a female ancestor, who shares her anxieties about upholding the smooth running of the household, she is a Nightingale figure who wards off infection. In a letter to Charles Dickens in 1850, the Manchester novelist Elizabeth Gaskell wrote that she had been crying all morning for the deaths from scarlet fever of three little cousins in Knutsford. She laments the empty nursery and the childless mother left to mourn, mindful of her own loss of her baby son Willie to the same fever in 1845. Partly written to assuage her grief, her novel Mary Barton: a Tale of Manchester Life (1848) draws on Gothic techniques to sensationalise the deaths of women and children, who succumb not only to the dirty conditions and inadequate sanitation of the industrial city but also to infection within the family.

In nineteenth-century Gothic fiction and medico-political discourses, women are often identified as sources of infection. A poor Irish widow, unsuccessfully begging for charity as she dies of typhus, who then infects seventeen other people in her community is cited as an example in a medical text quoted by the Victorian social commentator Thomas Carlyle in Past and Present (1843). His anti-capitalist point is that charity benefits public health and social cohesion; instead the widow ‘prove[s] her sisterhood by dying and infecting [others] with typhus’. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) Elizabeth fatally infects her adoptive mother, who has attended her sick bed, with scarlet fever. In Frankenstein’s dream, Elizabeth ‘in the bloom of health’ fades into the decaying corpse of the dead mother, ‘the grave worms crawling in the folds of the flannel’. Tuberculosis, another deadly Victorian disease, proved fatal for most of the Brontë family, including the elder sisters, Maria and Elizabeth. Their deaths after studying at Cowan Bridge School were reimagined by Charlotte in the death of the young Helen Burns at Lowood in Jane Eyre (1848). The dangers of contamination and contagion clustering around women, the female body, the family and the crossing of class boundaries come to haunt Gothic narratives in the nineteenth century. Image below: Southern Cemetery 

Intensified within the confines of the middle-class home, the fearful proximity of the sick and the dangers of contagion became part of the legacy of the Victorian age. In her biography of the Brontës published in 1912, the modernist novelist May Sinclair was struck by the ways in which the sickening family had been crammed into the small spaces of the Parsonage bedrooms at Haworth. Isolation was difficult or sometimes impossible in smaller Victorian households. Biographers of the Brontës and visitors to Haworth could not ignore the gloomy churchyard at the bottom of the Parsonage garden (pictured below), its leaning tombstones a visual memento mori. On her visit in 1904 Virginia Woolf imaginatively connects ‘the three famous ghosts’ with their untimely deaths, the ‘dead names’ in the churchyard and the ‘invasion’ of the garden by graves. The proximity of death is an apt symbol of an era characterised by fatal diseases only slowly conquered by advances in medical science.

To look back to Victorian fears about pandemics, quarantining and isolation is to recognise their resonances with our anxieties about nursing the infected and spreading the virus in the twenty-first century. ‘Feelings about contagion are contagions themselves’, suggests Chen, and the climate of fear is palpable: Boris Johnson talks of the disease as an invisible assailant, supermarkets now appear dangerous and unclean, statistics on the news terrify rather than reassure. Yet it’s worth reflecting on struggles against disease in the past and the consolatory ways in which they were recorded, in the ghost stories, autobiographical laments, letters on mourning stationery, on the cryptic tombstone inscriptions and angels with averted eyes in shadowy cemeteries. Creating new narratives of how to deal with a pandemic, embracing charity and community as well as isolation, reaching out to neighbours, has become the new normal. Recording the eeriness of distancing, the terrors of disease and loss as well as the shifting domestic dynamics in our lock-downed homes, is also a necessary recognition of the undeniable strangeness of these strange times, a strangeness the Victorians knew only too well.

Haunt Manchester also interviewed the Writer-In-Residence at Southern Cemetery, Dr Tania Hershman, in a previous article here.

Text and photography by Dr Emma Liggins