A group of environmental activists have been deflating the tyres on vehicles across Greater Manchester in a protest against ‘gas guzzlers’.
Residents in West Didsbury woke up yesterday morning to find that their cars had been deliberately rendered undriveable.
Notes were left on windshields from a group that calls themselves The Tyre Extinguishers.
The group says that large cars, such as SUVs and 4x4s, are ‘a disaster for our climate’ and describes them as ‘unnecessary and pure vanity’.
They have also targeted the more planet-friendly electric and hybrid cars, saying they are ‘still polluting, dangerous and cause congestion’.
The notes read: “We have deflated one or more of your tyres. You’ll be angry, but don’t take it personally. It’s not you, it’s your car.”
Deflated tyres in West Didsbury. Credit: Supplied
It went on to say: “You will have no difficulty getting around without your gas guzzler, with walking, cycling or public transport.”
Those who have been affected by the movement have blasted it as ‘ridiculous, irresponsible and so dangerous’.
The Tyre Extinguishers have been criticised for their ‘narrow-minded’ approach, which indiscriminately targets large vehicles without considering their use.
Several people whose businesses rely on their cars have been left stranded, and others have pointed out the consequences if there were an emergency.
The notes left by The Tyre Extinguishers. Credit: Fran Cruse
Fran Cruse, director of local business FC Comms, said that several cars along her road were targeted this week.
She spotted the flyer on her car when she was heading out to catch a tram at around 6am.
She said: “Our neighbour’s tyres were completely flat, and that’s just a normal car – it’s not even an SUV or a 4×4.
“My brother-in-law’s vehicle got done too, and he uses it for work. He works a manual job, he can’t just be getting on the tram with loads of building materials!
Carly Bateman also had her tyres deflated. Credit: Instagram @bodybybates_
“It’s just ridiculous, irresponsible and it’s actually so dangerous. If that flyer had fallen off our windshield, [my husband] would have got in our car and driven on the motorway with a flat tyre.
“I get that cars are bad for the environment, I’m in no way disputing that, but this way of going about it isn’t getting the message across, it’s just p*ssing people off.
“There’s no regard for why people have cars. Some people have kids and need space for car seats and prams, some are carers who need to carry equipment, most people have these vehicles as a necessity.
“It’s so narrow-minded to assume otherwise.”
Tyre Extinguishers stuck last night in Didsbury, Manchester, disarming multiple SUVs.
— The Tyre Extinguishers (@T_Extinguishers) March 23, 2022
Carly Bateman, who runs the entertainment company Carmina (her team of performers pop up at events and venues across the globe), said she also left for work to find her tyres deflated.
Speaking on Instagram, she said: “Now I understand the point of the message. I do care very much about climate change, which is why I’m getting the tram, which is why I don’t eat meat. I don’t really eat much dairy.
“So I care about s**t and I’m doing my f***ing bit.
“But I have a 4×4 car because I run an entertainment company and I’m 5’2” and I can’t carry everything!
“Like don’t get me wrong, I get the point and I get there’s a lot that needs to be done for climate change.
“But don’t you think that’s really irresponsible? In terms of, like, you don’t know whose tyre you’re letting down.
“It could send someone into a panic attack. If there was an emergency and I needed the car and then my thing’s gone and it delays things. What if I was pregnant and going into labour?
“Like find something else to do. And pick on the right people. I’m doing my f***ing bit.”
Featured image: Carly Bateman
News
‘Dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture goes on public display in Greater Manchester after fears it was lost
Emily Sergeant
A long-lost masterpiece of Victorian silverwork has been saved and is now on display to the public in Greater Manchester.
Anyone taking a trip over to the National Trust’s historic Dunham Massey property, on the border of Greater Manchester into Cheshire, this summer will get to see the ‘dazzling’ sculpture called Stags in Bradgate Park – which was commissioned by a former owner in a defiant gesture to the society that shunned him.
The dramatic sculpture of two rutting Red Deer stags, commissioned in 1855 by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, was said to be an ‘act of love and rebellion’.
It also serves as a symbol of ‘locking horns’ with the society that ostracised him over his marriage to a woman considered ‘beneath him’.
“This isn’t just silver – it’s a story,” says James Rothwell, who is the National Trust‘s curator for decorative arts.
“A story of a man who fell in love with a woman that society deemed unworthy. When the Earl married Catherine Cox, whose colourful past was said to have included performing in a circus, Victorian high society was scandalised. Even Queen Victoria shunned the couple at the opera and local gentry at the horse races in Cheshire turned their backs on them.”
Modelled by Alfred Brown and crafted by royal goldsmiths Hunt & Roskell, Stags in Bradgate Park is a meticulously-detailed depiction of nature, and was considered a ‘sensation’ in its day.
Showing the rutting deer positioned on a rocky outcrop with gnarled hollow oaks, it graced the pages of the Illustrated London News, was exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862, and at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 – both of which were events that drew millions of visitors.
A ‘dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture has gone on public display in Greater Manchester / Credit: Joe Wainwright | James Dobson (via Supplied)
The silver centrepiece was the celebrity art of its time, paraded through streets and admired by the public like no other.
Gradually over the years, some of the Earl of Stamford’s silver collection has been re-acquired for Dunham Massey, and this particular world-renowned sculpture, thought to be lost for decades and feared to have been melted down, has miraculously survived with its ‘dramatic’ central component being all that is left.
“The sculpture is not only a technical marvel, with its lifelike depiction of Bradgate Park’s rugged landscape and wildlife, but also a dramatic human story key to the history of Dunham Massey,” added Emma Campagnaro, who is the Property Curator at Dunham Massey.
“It speaks of nature, of craftsmanship, and of a couple who chose each other over status and what others thought of them.”
The sculpture has now gone on display at Dunham Massey from Thursday 26 June.
Featured Image – James Dobson (via Supplied)
News
Lewis Capaldi announces MASSIVE comeback gig in Manchester this year
Thomas Melia
Everyone’s favourite Scottish ballad-maker, Lewis Capaldi, is heading out on tour across the UK, including a massive Manchester date.
Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is ready to tug at our heartstrings again right in front of our eyes as he announces a new UK arena tour.
This huge announcement comes right after his surprise set at the UK’s biggest music event of the year, Glastonbury, where he made a heroic return to the Pyramid Stage just two years after being forced to pull out.
Capaldi is known for writing some of the most notable and emotive hits of the late 2010s and early 2020s, including a long list of anthems such as ‘Someone You Loved’, ‘Bruises’ and ‘Before You Go’.
His monster of a hit ‘Someone You Loved’ has surpassed 3.9 billion views and is the UK’s most-streamed song of all time, so it is safe to say that his presence has been well and truly missed.
To many fans’ delight, the singer has stepped back into the spotlight and is ready to sing his heart out live at a variety of arenas across the UK, including Co-op Live right here in Manchester.
Now, in a post on his official Instagram account announcing this upcoming UK and Ireland arena tour, it’s good to see the Scottish powerhouse hasn’t lost his wit and charm as he jokes, “About time I got back to work.”
These shows are set to be in high demand as the singer has also revealed these upcoming dates, “Will be my only shows in the UK, Ireland or Europe this year! Would love to see ya there.”
On the back of his glorious Glasto return, Capaldi has dropped a huge heart-wrencher titled ‘Survive’ which offers more insight into the struggles and challenges the singer has been facing.
There is no confirmation of whether this new single marks the launch of a bigger project or not, but we can’t wait to scream his hits at the top of our lungs, regardless of when he pays Manchester a visit later this year.
Daisy Jackson -
24th March 2022 
