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Beloved Ian Curtis mural painted over by Aitch advert – and even Aitch is annoyed

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 17th August 2022

The much-loved Ian Curtis mural in Manchester, which was commissioned to raise awareness for mental health, has been covered over by an advert for Aitch’s new album.

The decision has been met with fury across the board – including Aitch himself.

And early this morning, the new painted advert on Port Street has already been defaced.

Graffiti saying ‘Money, money will tear us apart again’ has been daubed on the wall, in a reference to the Joy Division song Love Will Tear Us Apart.

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Another section has ‘Adverts over suicide awareness’ painted on in angry red paint.

The original Ian Curtis mural
It’s now been replaced by an advert for Aitch’s album
Credit: Unsplash / The Manc Group

The original mural was commissioned by Manchester festival Headstock, hoping to honour the late Ian Curtis – who died by suicide in 1980 – and raise money for charities Manchester Mind and Help Musicians.

Since the Aitch advert went up, Headstock has spoken out to say: “Absolutely gutted to see our Ian Curtis mural painted over. Such a shame when @AmazonMusicUK had pretty much any other wall in Manchester to choose from. Especially when it was created by @Akse_P19 to raise mental health awareness in support of @GiveUsAShout #mentalhealth.”

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Graffiti now covers the Aitch advert on Port Street. Credit: The Manc Group

Aitch himself, whose debut album Close to Home is due for release this week, has promised to have the mural fixed.

The young rap star wrote: “It’s come to light that the iconic Ian Curtis mural on Port Street has been painted over with my album artwork.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of this, me and my team are getting this fixed pronto. No way on earth would I want to disrespect a local hero like Ian.”

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Fellow Joy Division star Peter Hook said he was ‘very sad’ that Ian had been painted over, and later thanked Aitch for his ‘great gesture’.

Mural artist Akse, who was behind the initial art piece, said it ‘doesn’t take much common sense’ to know that the mural shouldn’t have been painted over.

He wrote: “So my mural of Ian Curtis based on the original photograph by @philippecarly has been painted over to promote the release of a new album, personally I don’t have anything against hand-painted advertising as this is how I make a living, but this mural was painted in collaboration with @headstockuk and supported by @manchestercitycouncil and @sweetnothingmcr to raise awareness for Mental Health and support @giveusashoutinsta a free text messaging services to help people with mental health issues.

Angry red graffiti has already covered the wall in the Northern Quarter.
Credit: The Manc Group.

“It had become a cultural landmark and meant so much to people from Manchester and beyond; it doesn’t take much common sense to understand that this mural should have remained for what it represented and stood for.”

Other people have said on Twitter: “Absolutely disgusted to hear the @akse_P19 Ian Curtis mural in Manchester has been painted over. It isn’t important what has replaced it but simply that it has been replaced.

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“This should have been a tribute to a legend for as long as that building remained. Angry ain’t close.”

Someone else wrote: “Disgrace he’s been painted over, ought to be a permanent Manchester monument and a national reminder to look out for mental health.”

If you’re struggling with mental health, know that you are never alone – you can reach out for support in Greater Manchester through these brilliant charities.

  • Manchester Mind – An organisation that has supported people in Manchester for over 30 years. Most services are now available over the phone, by email or video call. The number is 0161 769 5732 and the opening hours are Monday – Friday, 10am -2pm.
  • The GM Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust – The local NHS helpline is open 24/7 which you can call any time, day or night, if you feel your mental health is beginning to suffer: 0800 953 0285.
  • Andy’s Man Club – A group dedicated to starting conversations about mental health, assuring people that it’s ok to talk. You can contact them by email on: [email protected].
  • CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably supports people via phone and webchat. You can call 0800 58 58 58 or speak to a support worker online. Open 5pm – midnight.
  • Samaritans – The Manchester & Salford Samaritans offer emotional support by telephone and email. The phone lines and email support are available 24/7. Call 116 123 or visit the website.

Featured image: The Manc Group / Unsplash

News

Avanti West Coast given six-month contract extension – but told to ‘drastically improve’ services

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Avanti West Coast has been granted a contract extension for a further six months, despite being continuously branded “unacceptable” by government ministers, local leaders, and countless customers.

The company has been given until 1 April 2023 to continue running the West Coast Main Line from London to Glasgow by the Department for Transport (DfT), but has been told that it needs to “drastically improve” its services if it’s to stand any chance of having the contract extended further beyond that date.

The rail firm has been responsible for operating the route from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston since December 2019, but notably took the decision to slash its timetable “until further notice” and temporarily suspend ticket sales over the summer.

Avanti said at the time that it would continue with with “a reduced service”, with train frequencies between the capital and Manchester being reduced to as few as one per hour, rather than the usual three.

Since the reduced timetable came into operation, some passengers travelling on the services reported scenes of chaos – including instances of “fights” over seat reservations.

The move was, understandably, met with widespread backlash and criticism, with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham being particularly vocal about it, and most-notably calling the move “nothing short of a disgrace”.

Mr Burnham said yesterday that he would not accept a service below two trains per hour.

Avanti West Coast has been granted a contract extension for a further six months / Credit: Avanti West Coast

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also said this week that Avanti should be stripped of its contract, claiming that the West Coast Main Line service was “simply not good enough”, and he knows how “frustrating” it is as he uses those trains himself.

Even with all of these critiques taken into account though, Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has announced the contract extension for the rail operator, but added that the operator has been put on an improvement plan, and that the DfT would “consider Avanti’s performance” once the extension comes to an end.

The government has previously said it would keep all options on the table – including the option for non-renewal of the contract.

“We need train services which are reliable and resilient to modern day life,” Anne-Marie Trevelyan said in a statement addressing the renewal.

“Services on Avanti have been unacceptable, and while the company has taken positive steps to get more trains moving, it must do more to deliver certainty of service to its passengers, so we have agreed a six-month extension to assess whether it is capable of running this crucial route to a standard passengers deserve and expect.”

The rail operator has been told to “drastically improve” its services / Credit: Network Rail

The improvement plan will see a swathe of new drivers trained, recruitment of other train crew members, a timetable recovery plan, and a “significant, sustained, and reliable increase” from about 180 trains to 264 trains per day on weekdays.

These will be implemented as the new and retrained drivers “become available”, the DfT added.

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Avanti says the West Coast Main Line contract extension will allow it to focus on restoring services that passengers “rightly expect”.

“We are committed to working closely with government and our partners across the industry to deliver a successful railway that serves the needs of our customers and communities,” said Graham Sutherland, CEO of FirstGroup, which part-owns Avanti.

“The agreement allows our team at Avanti West Coast to sustain their focus on delivering their robust plan to restore services to the levels that passengers rightly expect.”

Featured Image – Avanti West Coast

News

Nurses across the UK say ‘enough is enough’ as they begin vote on strike action over pay

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Hundreds of thousands of NHS nurses nationwide have now begun casting their votes on whether to strike over pay.

This is the first ever UK-wide ballot by the history of the nursing industry’s largest union.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has this week asked 300,000 nurses if they want to begin a campaign for industrial action for the first time in its 106-year history – with the union urging its members to vote in favour of striking, and the union’s general secretary calling this a “once-in-a-generation chance” to make real change.

The vote comes amid warnings that nurses are leaving the profession in record numbers, and are unhappy with working conditions, staff shortages, and ultimately, pay.

The RCN said new analysis by London Economics found that pay for nurses has declined at twice the rate of the private sector in the last decade.

Their real-terms earnings are said to have fallen by 6%.

The RCN wants nurses to be given a pay rise in line with the rate of inflation – which is currently at a 40-year record high of 10.1%.

“Across the board, it’s unacceptable,” the RCN said on the opening of the ballot.

“We’re campaigning for a pay rise of 5% above inflation to overcome a decade of real-terms pay cuts, support nursing staff through the cost-of-living crisis, and recognise their safety critical skills [as] only by paying nursing staff fairly will we be able to retain existing and recruit new nursing staff to the safety critical roles they do.”

The union is urging its members, including those across Greater Manchester, to “make your mark on history” by voting for strike action.  

RCN General Secretary & Chief Executive Pat Cullen said the nation’s nurses are “understaffed, undervalued, and underpaid”.

Nurses across the UK say ‘enough is enough’ as they begin vote on strike action over pay / Credit: gov.uk

Calling on members to cast their votes, Ms Cullen said: “For years, our profession has been pushed to the edge, and now patient safety is paying the price.

“We can’t stand by and watch our colleagues and patients suffer anymore.   

“Though strike action is a last resort, it is a powerful tool for change, and we must demand that change. Enough is enough.

“I urge you to vote ‘yes’ in this ballot.” 

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She continued: “This is a once in a generation chance to improve your pay and combat the staff shortages that put patients at risk. Governments have repeatedly neglected the NHS and the value of nursing. We can change this if together we say ‘enough is enough’.

“Record numbers are feeling no alternative but to quit and patients pay a heavy price. We are doing this for them too. I have spoken with hundreds of you directly in recent weeks – it’s clear we need urgent change.

“Nursing is the best job in the world. Protect it with your vote.”

Featured Image – UKHSA

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