Altrincham Town Hall has been saved after the building came under threat of being ‘disposed of’ and being sold off to the highest bidder, with a nearby cultural organisation swooping in at the 11th hour to rescue the much-loved local space.
The town hall — which has served as a venue for weddings, parties, funerals and community meetings for decades — was set to fall into private hands and be sold off to a nursery group after Trafford Council said it had become too expensive to run.
However, a glimmer of hope was given when the authorities opened up the tender to businesses and community organisations in the area following a petition signed by more than 2,000 Altrincham residents over the past few months.
As confirmed on Tuesday, 19 March, the council confirmed that the bid was won by local group Oyez Arts, who will now be taking over the 25-year lease on the Jacobean building which dates all the way back to 1901.
According to Altrincham Today, Oyez Arts’ vision for the venue is to transform it into a completely new arts centre, working with local artists and creatives on a wide range of activities, as well as continue to be a space where people can meet, commune and ‘thrive’.
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Speaking to the local outlet, co-founder Jo Cushing said: “We are excited to bring Oyez to Altrincham. Oyez literally means ‘Hear Ye’, it’s an official town hall cry and we love that it represents a call to gather our community as well as a celebratory shout-out.
“Our events will make the Town Hall buzz with life and bring something new for everyone. We believe, together, the possibilities are endless.”
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The other half of the team, Jodie Saint, added: “The vision is to turn it into a lively hub of arts activity, including performances, book clubs, film clubs, nit and natters, that kind of thing. We want to appeal to as wide an audience as possible across the community.”
Better still, not only will the building still remain in public use but the pair are also hoping to launch a community share offer later this year (similar to the plans that helped locals back Stretford Public Hall in 2017) to help fund some necessary renovations.
Celebrating the local retention of the space, Council Leader Tom Ross said there were a number of “excellent bids” but that they are delighted for Oyez to be chosen as the winner — as are we.
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We’re buzzing for the Alty natives who fought so hard to keep it going and we look forward to many more years of Altrincham Town Hall being an important local and creative hub for the community.
A new community arts group is to take over the lease at Altrincham Town Hall, Trafford Council has announced.
Oyez Arts will provide Altrincham with a new arts centre, working with local creatives to provide a wide range of arts activities.
Featured Images — Altrincham Today/Trafford Council/Altrincham Town Hall (via Facebook)
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Major travel warning issued ahead of Manchester Pride this bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
A major travel warning has been issued ahead of the upcoming bank holiday weekend.
Of course, Manchester Village Pride returns to the city centre this weekend from Friday 28 to Monday 31 August – with four days of music, live performances, and entertainment taking place to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and of course, the annual Pride Parade will be taking to the streets from 12pm on Saturday too.
Starting at midday on Liverpool Road, the Pride Parade will travel through the city centre via Deansgate, Peter Street, Oxford Street, Portland Street, and Whitworth Street, all before arriving in the Village and closing out at around 4pm.
Pride may be the biggest event in Manchester this weekend, but given the fact it’s a bank holiday too, it’s by far the only thing happening.
A major travel warning has been issued ahead of this bank holiday weekend / Credit: TfGM
As thousands of visitors gear up to visit the city in the next few days, travel warnings have been issued by Manchester City Council and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), as road closures are in place and major traffic congestion is expected across the city centre.
For the celebrations to all take place as safely and seamlessly as possible, a full list of road closures and parking suspensions have now been published.
Drivers are advised to avoid travelling into the city centre by car if possible, particularly on Saturday, and should use other modes of transport – such as buses, trams, and trains – instead to best avoid all the closures.
But for those who do need to drive, they’re being strongly advised to ‘allow plenty of extra time’ for their journeys and check routes before setting off.
🏳️🌈 On Saturday [29 August], it's the #PrideParade so you'll see plenty of rainbows in the city centre.
To allow the parade to take place: – There will be road closures in place – Some buses may operate on diversion – Trams in the city centre may experience minor delays
Wherever possible, drivers are advised to park on the same side of the city as their route, as travelling across the city to reach a car park could add additional time to the journey.
“Plan ahead if you’re travelling over the bank holiday weekend,” Manchester City Council said in its travel warning.
“A number of other major events are taking place across the city, including live events at Wythenshawe Park and Manchester United’s first home game of the season, which are likely to increase demand on tram services and roads in and around the city centre.”
You can find out everything you need to know about Manchester Village Pride here, and see the full list of road closures here.
Featured Image – TfGM
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Aldi on Market Street is officially open again, with a major upgrade
Daisy Jackson
Good news for literally everyone in the city centre – Aldi on Market Street is BACK after a major upgrade.
The supermarket in the Manchester Arndale has been closed for what feels like an eternity (okay, three weeks) while it was given a refurbishment as part of Aldi’s Enhanced Project Fresh initiative.
The closure had left some shoppers less than impressed, with locals previously taking to social media to say it had ‘ruined my f***in day‘.
But after weeks of waiting, the Market Street branch is now back open, and Aldi says there are plenty of changes for shoppers to discover.
The revamped store has been given a new floor layout, upgraded refrigeration and repositioned departments, all designed to make navigating the shop a little easier.
Having popped in this morning, we can confirm that the aisles feel significantly less claustrophobic than they did previously.
One of the biggest additions is a brand-new in-store bakery, alongside expanded chillers and an enhanced fresh produce section.
Buzzball BiggiesThe new Aldi bakery on Market StreetAnd magnums of Aldi’s own chicken wineLoads of new self checkoutsThe aisles feel much wider and calmer in the new Aldi Market Street
There’s also a larger food-to-go chiller, while the freezer section has been redesigned with easy-to-browse freezers.
And for anyone who has ever found themselves trapped in a city-centre supermarket queue, Aldi has also introduced an improved queuing system for its self-checkouts, with the changes intended to ease congestion during the busiest periods.
Store Manager Mark Strickland said: “We thank our customers for being patient during this period of closure and we hope the improvements we’ve made to the store create a noticeably better experience for our shoppers.
“The new floor, upgraded refrigeration, and repositioned departments now make shopping at Aldi Arndale easier and more comfortable than ever.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming back familiar faces and new customers to showcase what we’ve achieved.”
The makeover forms part of Aldi’s wider investment programme across its stores, including the rollout of updated CO₂ refrigeration systems.
According to Aldi, the carbon reduction from the completed programme will be equivalent to the amount of energy used to heat more than 6,500 homes.
So, while Mancs might have had to survive without their Market Street Aldi for a little while, there’s now a shiny new reason to head back into the Arndale.
Danny Jones -
19th March 2024 
