A whopping 515 tonnes of carbon is saved right here in Manchester each year thanks to a “visionary” decarbonisation scheme.
Manchester’s very-own Science and Industry Museum is currently delivering a sector-leading programme of decarbonisation across its city centre site that is “harnessing green technology” to heat its historic spaces, and the project is aiming to place zero carbon technologies at the heart of the visitor experience, all while creating a sustainable museum for the future.
Work has now started to transform the museum’s environmental sustainability, improve energy efficiency, and lower carbon emissions across the site, supporting its goal to become carbon neutral by 2033 and Greater Manchester’s goal to become carbon neutral by 2038 – which is 12 years ahead of the national target.
The museum says this has been made possible thanks to a £4.3 million award from the government’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
So, how did this revolutionary scheme begin then? And how does it work?
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Well, in the 1800s, a well was constructed in the lower ground floor of the world’s first railway warehouse -the museum’s Grade I-listed 1830 Warehouse – to harness the power of the ground water, and this natural resource is now being utilised by the installation of a new water source heat pump network, which includes boreholes.
Using the natural resource of the ground aquifer and a borehole drilling rig – which is 12 metres tall and weighs 32 tonnes – an extraction borehole is currently being drilled 85 metres into the ground in front of the Grade II-listed Power Hall, and a re-injection borehole is also being drilled in the Lower Yard to a depth of 135 meters.
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The water will then be extracted and directed to the 1830 Warehouse and Power Hall down a network of pipes, where the ground source heat pump will use the water to heat the buildings.
Upgrades to the Power Hall roof include fitting a sustainable form of insulation, which is the size of a premiership football pitch / Credit: Jason Lock / Science and Industry Museum
The museum says a painstaking exercise of temporarily removing the listed cobbles is currently underway, allowing for pipes and cables to be fitted in new trenches underground, and that all the work on this historic site is being delivered with care and attention by working with specialists to ensure that the heritage of the buildings and the public spaces are preserved.
Other environmental measures currently being undertaken at the museum include a new electric boiler, and upgrades to the Power Hall roof and windows – including fitting a sustainable form of insulation, which is the size of a premiership football pitch.
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All the work the museum is delivering aims to save 515 tonnes of carbon per year, site wide.
“This is a visionary project where the original and modern meet,” explains Sally MacDonald – Director of the Science and Industry Museum.
“We want to create a sustainable museum for the future and inspire our visitors, the future generations of engineers and innovators – with the story of the next industrial revolution, powered by green energy.
The scheme is turning the Power Hall into a landmark symbol of the past, present, and future of industry / Credit: Science and Industry Museum
“The museum includes the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station and the world’s first railway goods warehouse in the heart of the world’s first industrial city, alive with science and innovation today.”
Edward Clark – Programme Manager at Salix – added: “”We are extremely excited about the project works taking place in the Science and Industry Museum, including the series of building upgrades taking place in the Grade II listed Power Hall [and] the installation of a new substation is a key milestone within this project, which results in increased carbon savings.
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“The new green technology will be on display in the Power Hall for visitors to see alongside the Historic Working Machinery.”
Featured Image – Jason Lock / Science and Industry Museum
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Manchester United agree record streaming deal for new Amazon documentary TV series
Danny Jones
Manchester United have officially agreed a record sporting TV deal for a brand-new documentary TV series on the Amazon Prime Video streaming service.
That’s right, Man United are getting the All Or Nothing treatment.
With the Red Devils finishing the 2025/26 season much stronger than they started it, they’re now set to invite a film crew into the dressing room and the newly refurbished Carrington training complex for the upcoming campaign.
Although there have been many United documentaries over the years, everything from big budget and smaller indie projects to fan-made, this new show looks set to give a more exclusive present day peak behind the curtain of the club’s modern-day set-up than ever before.
While it remains unclear whether or not this past term’s exploits – be it the drama of the Ruben Amorim era, or the upturn under Michael Carrick – are set to be included, as the official announcement teases, the Amazon series will provide behind-the-scenes MUFC throughout the 26/27 term.
There was an opportunity to accept this kind of coverage shortly after INEOS invested in the business, but Amorim put a rather public kibosh on the offer to preserve the backroom’s privacy and prevent any unnecessary intrusion.
Understandably, a lot of people agree with the decision, especially given the team was not just in another state of flux but at a crucial turning point under their then-new boss.
Taking a more old-school manager approach, it may have been seen as a sensible step, but it wouldn’t have mattered either way, as the Portuguese head coach (who now looks set to join AC Milan) was eventually sacked after just over a year in charge.
Nevertheless, many supporters are still reticent about the prospect of lifting the lid on an organisation that has famously seen plenty of turbulence. The fan base will just be hoping for a season to remember for the right reasons while the cameras are running for a reportedly record
Really not a fan of this – I wonder what someone like Carrick thinks of this? Additional scrutiny and pressure in his first full season as Head Coach.
The two most recent Premier League champions, Arsenal and Man City, have both seen seasons of Amazon’s now well-known docuseries before going on to win landmark titles, so perhaps it could be a good omen; who knows?
Conversely, Sunderland – who were infamously selected as one of the first subjects of this all-access kind of series – arguably ended up putting more unnecessary spotlight on their struggles.
As for those under the All Or Nothing umbrella, Spurs, Juventus and even the German international have also served as examples of how the big payout may not always be worth the bad press, with all three having gone through plenty of trials and tribulations in and around the respective versions airing.
Let’s just say that, reportedly ‘record’ sums or not, this could still go one way or the other…
While it’s still unclear as to the actual figure Manchester United will be taking home as part of the package with Amazon, this is yet another example of the steady Americanisation of association football, starting with the NFL and ice hockey before now drawing even wider audiences to the beautiful game.
Luxury steam train dining experiences are back running through Greater Manchester this summer
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s heritage railway is back hosting one of the most unique fine dining experiences in the region this summer.
It’s no secret that East Lancashire Railway is known and loved for its immersive events that give rail enthusiasts and curious Mancs the chance to step back in time by hopping on one of the historic Pullman-style carriages and ride a steam train through the picturesque Greater Manchester countryside.
Wizards, Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs, and Peppa Pig-themed train rides are just a few of the events that have been entertaining families in the region over the last few years.
But for the grown-ups, how does getting the chance to tuck into a four-course luxury meal sound?
East Lancashire Railway’s ‘Red Rose Diners’ are back this summer / Credit: ELR
That’s right, the Red Rose Diners are here to stay this summer.
Described as being ‘the ultimate first class foodie experience’, ELR’s Red Rose Diners are unlike any other fine dining affair on offer in our region, as passengers are not only treated to a proper fancy feast while they’re aboard, but also to polished panelling, luxurious seating, and crisp linens too.
Running on selected Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout the summer months, the experience starts with a glass of fizz and then stretches over an almost three-hour train journey through the picturesque Irwell Valley.
It includes a four-course dinner with complimentary sparkling wine, followed by tea or coffee and after-dinner chocolates.
They’re described as being the ultimate first class foodie experience / Credit: ELR
Each party has their own personal waiter tending to them throughout the course of the evening, so you can fully relax knowing every aspect of your experience will be catered for to the highest of standards.
Fine dining not really your thing though? Don’t worry, as ELR has a handful of other special experiences in the calendar for the summer as well – including Afternoon Teas, Lancastrian Lunches, and even wine tasting and comedy nights, so there’s something for everyone.
Emily Sergeant -
24th September 2021 
