A brand new ’21st-century library’, learning centre, café and events space is coming to Stockport town centre later this year and we thought we’d take a quick look at the exciting project.Let’s start with what and where it is exactly, shall we?
Being sold to the public as not just a new modern library but a learning hub and ‘discovery’ centre, StockRoom is the upcoming government-backed community development inspired by similar multi-use spaces like the Storyroom over in Chester.
Set to open up along the busy strip of Merseyway Shopping Centre right in central Stockport and spanning across a 47,000 sq ft space with several floors just next to the H. Samuel jewellers and other vacant units where the likes of Next used to be.
The concept is to deliver an “innovative space for creativity, discovery and inspiration” but boiled down to the basics, it will serve as a new home and sister site for many of the activities and resources currently housed within the Central Library, as well as a place for people to meet, study, hone skills, relax etc.
How this little stretch of the high street looks now.How it’s set to look in the coming months.A surface look at Stockport’s new library, learning centre and free public space. (Credit: Stockport Council/AEW Architects)
How much is costing?
With kid’s play areas and a dedicated children’s library, a “high-quality” bistro offering and IT facilities; a multi-faith prayer room, arts and crafts zones as well as spaces for live music, entertainment and special events, this place isn’t coming cheap.
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Using funding predominantly for the UK’s nationwide Future High Streets Fund, which totals over £1 billion, the StockRoom was initially priced up at approximately £14.5 million when it first signed off back in December 2021, but has since seen costs shoot up as a result of inflation.
While projections rose to nearly £22m last year, after negotiations with contractors and an injection of some more funding from Stockport Council, the figure is now thought to be closer to £16.5m. Still a big and pricey project, nonetheless.
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The build is being designed by Manc architecture firm AEW. The new Stockport library will also offer food and drink.Credit: Stockport Council/AEW Architects
When is it opening?
Now, although there is no firm opening date for StockRoom yet, it has now been slated for an autumn opening date, with adjacent units like the old Next and the former 64,000 sq ft M&S site across the road set to be redeveloped by Greater Manchester property firm, Glenbrook, later this year too.
There are suggestions that the Council could permanently move the town’s main library to the new learning-based location if it proves popular with SK locals when it launches and were residents willing to back such a proposal.
With the vacant BHS department store also set to be redeveloped in the near future, the face of Merseyway is set to look very different very soon.
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The current Merseyway tunnel area will become the entrance.The latest CGIs of how the main space could look.Credit: Stockport Council
With Stockport being named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture in 2023 and having once again been named one of the best places to live in the North West this year, the regeneration of the old Cheshire town and now thriving business, foodie and creative hub is making an exciting time to be in SK.
If you take into account all of the other new developments from apartments and hospitality venues to public spaces like StockRoom, the town is already looking very different than it did a few short years ago.
On the sporting side of things, the latest plans to upgrade and expand Stockport County‘s home ground will no doubt prove massive for the local community and surrounding Edgeley area, in particular.
High School Musical at Lowry, Salford – a night spent reliving our childhood | Review
Amy Williams
What a night spent reliving our childhood.
Now, I don’t want to exaggerate or seem biased, considering this is one of my favourite film trilogies of all time, but this could be the best stage show I’ve seen in a long while.
We all know how High School Musical goes, right? Set at East High, we follow Troy and Gabriella (the star basketball player, and the geeky new girl) who meet over New Year, and then become ‘star-crossed lovers’ when back at school as they’re part of two different ‘cliques’.
The duo mess with the ‘Status Quo’ when they audition for the school musical. But will they stick to what they know? Or become stars of the stage? I’m sure you know the ending.
High School Musical is currently on stage at Lowry, Salford / Credit: Matt Crockett (Supplied)
From the costumes and the characters, to the memorable songs (there’s actually 52 songs in this production, including a mega mix at the end), they’ve kept right to the script of the films – and that’s exactly what we wanted to see.
Of course, the biggest throwback of them all is Kaycee Stroh – who originally featured as Martha Cox in the film trilogy – taking the role as Ms Darbus, and she was just as incredible as we expected her to be. And to see her do the iconic dance in the finale was unbelievable, 13-year-old Amy was screaming.
Also featuring Jason Donovan as Coach Bolton, Tobias Turley as Troy, Leonor Correia as Gabriella, Caitlin Tipping Sharpay, and Luke Bayer as Ryan, it was a proper impressive cast all round.
It’s a night to properly relive your mid-00s childhood / Credit: Matt Crockett (Supplied)
There was crowd interaction right from the off, as they taught the crowd a cheerleading routine to be included later in the show, plus for the finale, they had the lyrics on the big screen too so everyone could sing-along.
If we could go and see this show every single night, we would – it is absolutely brilliant.
Fontaines D.C. announce massive return to Manchester on new European tour
Daisy Jackson
Fontaines D.C. have just announced their biggest headline tour to date, including a massive arena gig here in Manchester.
The wildly popular Irish rock band are set to play a whopping 20 arena shows across Europe and the UK this autumn.
The tour has been announced in celebration of their upcoming fifth studio album, Dopamine Chamber, which is set for release this October.
Fontaines D.C. will hit the road just five days after the album drops, kicking off their European tour in Lisbon on 21 October.
Then they’ll make their way over to the UK, with shows in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow, Birmingham and London.
Fans in their home country of Ireland are told to stay tuned for live news very soon.
As we speak, Fontaines D.C. are warming up to play one of the country’s biggest festivals, with headline slots at Reading & Leeds Festival.
They’ve already released Marianne, the first single from their new album, and frontman Grian Chatten says of the album: “The album itself is a dopamine chamber. You step inside and we test these different mind- or mood-altering pieces of music on you.”
The new record has been recorded between London, the English countryside, and Palermo, where Chatten recorded vocals in a makeshift booth built from mattresses and cushions.
He said: “There’s a poignant sense of us being on the brink of some other kind of form of humanity, or non-humanity.”
Tickets will go on general sale at 10am on Thursday 3 September, with pre-sale live from 10am on Tuesday 1 September.
You can access tickets for Fontaines D.C. in Manchester HERE.
Fans who pre-order Dopamine Chamber from the official store by 6pm on Monday 31 August will gain access to the UK pre-sale.
Fontaines D.C. UK tour dates in full
Friday 20 November – Liverpool, UK – M&S Bank Arena
Saturday 21 November – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
Sunday 22 November – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Tuesday 24 November – Leeds, UK – First Direct Bank Arena
Wednesday 25 November – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Danny Jones -
14th March 2024 
