The beauty of Worsley Woods is something well known round these parts.
Part of a well-trekked three-mile circular walk – often highlighted as being one of the best across Greater Manchester – that also provides you with the chance to stroll along the Bridgewater Canal and take in the picturesque Worsley village and its cultural heritage, you can easily find yourself exploring the rich woodland area of this Salford suburb for hours.
But tucked away in a far corner of the RHS Bridgewater plot is something that’s really worth seeing.
If you know just where to look, then you’ll come across a bunker from the Cold War that may one day blossom into a protected ancient monument.
Sure, it’s not exactly a pretty site – now well camouflaged by graffiti and foliage – but it’s long been a destination for so-called ‘urban explorers’, and in 2009, was also a magnet for thousands of party-goers who attended illegal, underground raves.
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It’s history goes back much, much further than that though.
Dug into hillside in 1951, the bunker was constructed when the potential of a nuclear strike by a Joseph Stalin-led Soviet Russia was deemed to be at its height.
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According to a report by Salford University’s Applied Archaeology Department, it was built by the War Office as an anti-aircraft operations room on land at Worsley New Hall, and was part of a national network of defences, which included an alternative seat of government to the House of Commons underground at Box Hill, near in Corsham in Wiltshire.
In the event of a potential Soviet attack, it was thought the British population could be protected by anti-aircraft guns, and so the country was divided into 33 gun-defended areas arranged in five groups.
The bunker at Worsley was part of this web, with the next nearest at Frodsham.
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The two-storey square structure at Worsley was a main operations room, surrounded by eight reinforced concrete rooms and a viewing gallery and it would have had its own electricity supply and ample space for stores of food, but as nuclear technology advanced during the Cold War, defence policies changed.
It soon became clear a nuclear attack would come not from bombs being dropped by planes, but rather by inter-continental ballistic missiles.
Austerity in the 1950s also led to defence budget cuts.
By 1956, the Worsley bunker was being used as a Royal Navy store, by 1961, it had been transferred to the local authorities as a control centre in the event crisis, and then by 1968, it was closed for good.
Geograph / Anthony Parkes
The story of the bunker doesn’t end there though, as in more recent decades, it has continued to have a varied history.
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Through the 1970s to the early 1980s, it was used by Greater Manchester Fire Service. Then in 1985, it was leased to to the Worsley Rife and Pistol Club who turned it into a shooting range, before Peel Investments acquired it in 2000.
In April 2009, one of several raves were held in the bunker attracting thousands of people.
Due to extensive vandalism occurring at the event, and in the years prior and post, both entrances were eventually blocked up, and it has remained empty ever since.
But when RHS Bridgewater eventually opens in May, the bunker will form part of its estate.
RHS Bridgewater will be the country’s fifth national garden.
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The Worsley Woods plot where the bunker stands was sold by Peel to the RHS, and Salford City Council then put £19 million towards the creation of the garden.
The £44m attraction – which covers 156-acres of land – was due to welcome visitors in July 2020, but just like most things, this was delayed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, although planting and preparation has been in full swing ever since, and it is set to transform the grounds of the former Worsley New Hall when it opens to the public this year.
What’s in store for the bunker in the future then? Well, it doesn’t sound like it’s going away any time soon.
A spokesperson for the RHS said: “The bunker definitely won’t be demolished, as it’s a really interesting part of the site’s heritage.
“There are no firm plans for how it’ll be used just yet, this will be looked at as part of the next phase of garden development from 2022 onwards.”
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You can get the latest updates on RHS Bridgewaterhere.
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Liam Gallagher says he’ll ‘gig in Lidl’ if Co-op Live still isn’t ready – and they sound pretty game for it
Danny Jones
Following the ongoing palaver with Co-op Live, Liam Gallagher has joked that he’d happily play his scheduled gigs in a Lidl if the arena still isn’t ready – at least we think he’s joking…
With Liam Gallagher having been named as one of the first acts booked to play Co-op Live last year, many are now wondering whether the venue will even by June, with the former Oasis frontman set to play four Definitely Maybe 30th-anniversary sets. That being said, he’s come up with a solution if not.
Turns out Liam Gallagher isn’t an Aldi man, he’s team Lidl.
Vintage LG, we’ll give him that.
Obviously a bit of a tongue-in-cheek quip at the venue being sponsored by a supermarket and convenience store chain, it could have been any other competitor that the ever-witty youngest Gallagher brother picked but it somehow made it extra funny that he chose a budget brand like Lidl.
However, with the 51-year-old already having fun with stunts like voicing the tannoys on the Metrolink last year, for instance, we wouldn’t put it past him to take this joke a little further.
Better still, not that we’re getting carried away or anything but Lidl themselves seem pretty keen on the idea too; they even spent the time to build an entire setlist for the fictional show. Fair play.
Liam Gallagher @ Lidl Arena – Setlist:
– Lidl by Lidl – Champagne Superoffer – Super(market) Sonic – The Importance of Being Lidl – Tiger Roll With It – Don’t Look Back in Hanger – Some Might Save
Can you imagine? Liam Gallagher swapping the occasional tambourine shake for beeps from a barcode scanner as he moves back and forth on the conveyor belt. We know it’s absolute nonsense and we definitely shouldn’t be even remotely considering it… BUT it’s the stuff of dreams and strange things have happened.
A lot of stranger things have happened this week alone. As for the latest with Co-op Live, the Chairman and CEO of key-backers Oak View Group, Tim Leiweke, issued a full statement sharing his “sincere apologies”and insisting that they understand “there is work to be done to rebuild your trust in us.”
With the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Peter Kay, The Black Keys and more having their gigs pulled by the venue due to numerous issues, including an air conditioning unit falling from the ceiling, fans are understandably fearful that other upcoming events could face delays or general misfortune.
Much like the venue itself, we imagine we’ll be playing catch-up on this whole saga for the foreseeable, but here’s a recap of the story so far:
Featured Images — Lidl GB/Exit Festival (via Flickr)/The Manc Group
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Gavin and Stacey will return with a 2024 Christmas special for its final episode
Danny Jones
After some pretty big rumblings earlier this year, it’s finally been confirmed that Gavin and Stacey will be returning for a Christmas special this year and what will be its last-ever episode.
The beloved British comedy last aired back in 2019 with their previous Christmas special and fans of the show have been crying out for more ever since.
Well, it turns out they’ll be getting just one more go around the block as co-creators James Corden and Ruth Jones revealed that they have now finished writing their third and final Xmas special which will tie a festive bow on the trio of series which started all the way back in 2007.
Sharing a picture of the script on social media, the pair wrote: “Some news… It’s official!!! We have finished writing the last ever episode of Gavin and Stacey. See you on Christmas Day, BBC One. Love Ruth and James”.
However, what was actually going on was a bit of a red herring as she carefully chose to talk down any notions of another series but didn’t categorically dismiss the potential Christmas special.
In fact, she actually went on to add: “All I can say is, if there was something to say on that front, James [Corden] and I would happily announce it, we would.”
And that’s exactly what they’ve done. Well played, Nessa.
As for details surrounding the final chapter in the Gavin and Stacey story, we have very few details at this stage but fans of the iconic show will already be wondering how they might pick up from where certain threads left off.
Production companies Baby Cow, Corden’s Fulwell 73 and Jones’ Tidy Productions are all behind the special and, given the momentous occasion, it will likely have a primetime slot on the TV guide when it finally rolls around this holiday season.
So get your remotes, baubles and bhunas at the ready because Gavin and Stacey is coming back for one last time and it’s sure to be a TV event that people all across the UK will remember for years to come.