It’s been a mainstay of the Manchester scene for the last two decades, but it looks as though now is finally the end of an era for Dawsons Music & Sound.
After being forced to temporarily close doors due to “staffing shortages” last month, the huge two-storey, glass-fronted Manchester branch of the iconic musical instrument and consumer audio retail chain – which opened on Portland Street in the heart of the city centre in 2003 – can now be seen empty inside.
The Manchester store was described as the go-to place for musical instruments in the city, and a “mecca to 1000s of customers over the last 17 years” – but recent customers reported “little stock”.
And now, all stock appears to have been removed.
All that seems to be left inside the building are discarded storage units and rubbish, with a sign in the window that reads the parting words “thank you for the music”.
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The Manchester store was described as the go-to place for musical instruments in the city, and a “mecca to 1000s of customers over the last 17 years” / Credit: Reddit (SwissJAmes)
Although no formal statement has been issued by Dawsons regarding closure, members of staff on social media have confirmed that the Manchester branch has now closed down for good, and Google also lists the store as ‘permanently closed’.
A recent post on Reddit sharing a picture of the sign in the window queried how long the Manchester shop had been closed for, with a former staff member revealing that they worked there until this past Monday.
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“Can confirm it’s definitely gone, we’re all devastated,” Reddit user redwards1138 said.
They added that is was “really nice to be part of a shop with such history and connection to Manchester” and said they would do their best to answers any questions that people had about the place.
The former staff member also revealed that a closure seemed imminent as “supplies dried up and [we were] turning people away because we couldn’t fulfil orders, and when other [music shops] seemed on the up, we just weren’t.”
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Despite enjoying online / e-commerce growth during lockdowns, the former staff member believes the closure ultimately boiled down to the fact Dawsons Manchester “weren’t as on it as our competitors.”
Credit: The Manc GroupCredit: The Manc Group
Dawsons Music & Sound was founded in Warrington all the way back in 1898 by John Dawson – a piano tuner, who opened the shop to cater for growing demand from people wanting to buy new instruments.
In March 2019, Dawsons announced it would close its Warrington store, ending its 121-year retail presence in the town, as well as its branches in Altrincham and Huddersfield.
On 20 April 2020, the board of Dawsons Music filed a Notice Of Intent to appoint Administrators (NOI), and KPMG was later appointed financial control of the business as it entered administration, but it was announced a month later that a new buyer for the business – Manchester entrepreneurs Andrew M Oliver and his wife Karen Oliver – had been found, and the company would begin trading under the name Dawson Music & Sound Ltd.
The remaining Dawsons Music & Sound branches are expected to continue trading.
Featured Image – Dawsons Music & Sound
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Salford named one of the most expensive UK cities to rent in
Emily Sergeant
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One of Greater Manchester’s major cities has been named among the most expensive UK cities to rent a property in.
It was just last week that the Greater Manchester town of Swinton was named a ‘property hotspot’ for 2025 by Rightmove, after house prices there increased by nearly 10% on average last year, and now, the city of Salford itself is also being put under the property spotlight.
That’s because the leading property listing platform has highlighted the city as being one of the most expensive for renters in the whole of the UK.
With 2025 set to be a year of relocation for many, Rightmove has looked at rental costs across more than 50 cities in Great Britain in a bid to find the cheapest – and by contrast, the most expensive – places to rent right now.
Salford has been named one of the most expensive UK cities to rent in / Credit: Benjamin Elliott | Pexels
When it comes to the most expensive UK city to rent in, we doubt it’ll come as a shock to you that the English capital of London takes the top spot.
Some of the other expected cities featuring in the top 10 list, according to Rightmove’s research, include Oxford, Brighton, Cambridge, and the Scottish capital on Edinburgh, but a more surprising entry for Greater Manchester residents is the fact that Salford takes up the eighth spot – with an average monthly rental price of £1,739.
Top 10 most expensive UK cities to rent in
London (£2,695)
St. Albans (£2,330)
Oxford (£2,041)
Winchester (£1,985)
Brighton (£1,880)
Cambridge (£1,870)
Chelmsford (£1,857)
Salford (£1,739)
Milton Keynes (£1,641)
Edinburgh (£1,620)
What's happening in the rental market? 🏡
👉 The average advertised rent of properties coming to market outside of London has fallen for the first time since pre-pandemic 2019, dropping by 0.2% to £1,341 per calendar month.
On the other end of the spectrum, the cheapest UK city to rent a property in is Hull, with the average monthly rental price there being £799, while some of the other North West cities featuring in the top 10 include Preston, Lancaster, and Carlisle.
When taking a look nationally, the average advertised rent per calendar month stands at £1,526, as of January 2025 – which is up 4.3% compared with this time year last year.
But Rightmove says that price changes, as well as average rental prices, vary significantly depending on the location.
Take Salford for example, which is one of the most expensive cities for renting, the monthly cost of renting has jumped by 30.5% in the last year, whereas in Dundee, prices have dropped by 3.7% during the same period.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
News
Chester Zoo is giving away more than 30,000 FREE tickets to children
Emily Sergeant
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Chester Zoo is giving away thousands of tickets to local schools to help inspire a new generation of young conservationists.
The UK’s largest charity zoo is on a mission to help nature to “survive and thrive”.
And so, in a bid to do just that, has announced that it will once again be handing out tens of thousands of tickets to schoolchildren for completely free of charge, so that they can explore the zoo up close and learn all about the inspiring work the conservation charity does.
Chester Zoo‘s free ticket scheme has been running since 2017, and has already seen more than 175,000 children get to experience all the wonders the zoo has to offer.
We’re giving away 32,750 FREE tickets to the zoo! 🚨
Schools, nurseries, and colleges across the UK – this is your chance to inspire future conservationists and ignite a passion for helping wildlife thrive! 🌍💚
With the hopes of empowering as many youngsters as possible, and sparking their passion for saving species once again, the zoo has now opened the scheme back up for the 2025/26 season – with a whopping 33,000 tickets available for schools, nurseries, and colleges to claim.
Those who secure tickets will have the opportunity to visit the zoo between this November and February 2026.
Applications are open to any school in the UK that hasn’t already benefitted from the scheme within the last four academic years, while home educators are also eligible to apply as a group through a Home Educators’ Network.
Chester Zoo is giving away more than 30,000 free tickets to children this year / Credit: Chester Zoo
“We’re offering thousands of children the opportunity to experience the wonders of the natural world firsthand at the zoo,” commented Charlotte Smith, who is the Director of Conservation Education and Engagement at Chester Zoo.
“Young people are more concerned than ever about nature decline and climate change, and by working closely with schools across the UK, we can provide them with the skills, knowledge and inspiration to make a real positive difference.”
She added that “every child has the potential to be a future conservationist”.
Places are limited each day to ensure everyone can enjoy their zoo visit – with priority given to schools who have not benefitted from the scheme before.
You can find out more and apply for free tickets here.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd September 2021 
