Manchester’s historic Air and Space Hall is set to close – with the Science & Industry Museum confirming today that it will no longer lease the building.
Lower Campfield Market has been used as a museum space since the 1980s – housing cars, bikes and aeroplanes “that got industrial Manchester moving”.
The building was originally owned by the North Western Museum of Science and Industry in 1985 and then by the Science Museum Group in 2012. But now the Air and Space Hall is closing its doors – with the building being passed back to the local council.
Repair and investment work on the hall has been described as “substantial”, with the building presenting “real challenges in the sustainable display of historic objects”.
The museum has said vacating the lease is the “responsible” thing to do.
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Director of the Science & Industry Museum Sally Macdonald said: “The decision to vacate our lease has not been easy but it’s the right thing to do for our visitors, the building and the city.
“Since the Science Museum Group took on the Science and Industry Museum in 2012, we have been working hard on an extensive and intensive programme of urgent repair and conservation work to the buildings the museum inhabits so we can continue to inspire visitors with ideas that change the world.
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“As a charity we have invested significant resource to maintain and repair the Air and Space Hall since we have taken on its stewardship, however historic buildings do have a complexity of issues that date back many decades.”
Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said that “new activities” would be introduced into the Lower Campfield Market building to help support the city’s economic recovery from COVID-19.
He stated: “The Council welcomes the significant investments which are being made to improve the Science and Industry Museum across the heritage buildings that the museum owns. We recognise that to thrive and continually attract visitors museums need to evolve over time.
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“Working with Allied London, we are developing proposals to refurbish both Upper and Lower Campfield Markets to create and support jobs. These will be brought forward in due course.”
The majority of the bikes, planes and cars at the Air and Space Hall will be moved to new locations around the UK and returned from loan to their home organisations.
The RAF Museum’s spectacular Avro Shackleton will travel to its ‘spiritual home’ at the Avro Heritage Museum in nearby Woodford, Stockport – the site of A.V. Roe & Co Ltd (where it was originally made by Manchester-born inventor Alliot Verdon Roe).
Manchester remains home to a number of transport museums, including Greater Manchester Transport Museum, Bury Transport Museum, Avro Heritage Museum, Runway Visitor Park and North West Museum of Road Transport.
The museum is currently in the process of investing £11.3million in the Power Hall, due to reopen in 2023, as well as £3m repairs to the 1830 Station and 1830 Warehouse.
Featured image: Wikimedia Commons
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Hawksmoor issues statement after ‘kicking out’ Tommy Robinson from one of its restaurants
Daisy Jackson
Hawksmoor has issued a statement after a viral video captured far-right activist Tommy Robinson being asked to leave one of its restaurants.
In the video, staff at the acclaimed British steak house told Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – that he would have to go because members of staff feel uncomfortable serving you’.
The supervisor then politely told the party not to worry about the drinks and that they had been paid for, also handing over a business card for Hawksmoor CEO Will Beckett in case they wanted to discuss the matter further.
Robinson was dining in one of the group’s London restaurants with former prominent EDL member Guramit Singh Kalirai who challenged the staff and asked: “Is it because of the colour of my skin?”
The supervisor responded: “No, no, no. We have a duty of care to our members of staff. We like to look after our people, as I’m sure you can understand.”
After the video went viral on X, Hawksmoor went on to share a statement in response, saying that guests and staff ‘felt uncomfortable and complained’.
The statement, signed by CEO Will Beckett, added that the Hawksmoor team has faced ‘a huge amount’ of ‘quite concerning’ fallout from the Tommy Robinson incident.
He added that ‘this was not about politics or beliefs’.
Hawksmoor’s statement reads: “Our focus is always to give the best restaurant experience to the most people possible.
“On Thursday, a public figure was asked to leave one of our restaurants because guests and staff felt uncomfortable and had complained. The party left peacefully and politely on request.
“This was not about politics or beliefs. Hawksmoor is not a political organisation; we’re a group of restaurants. We want to welcome as many people as possible, regardless of background or views, to our teams or as our guests.
“We’re not trying to engage in a public debate. The team has had to deal with a huge amount of fallout from this, some of which is quite concerning. We would like to get back to focussing on looking after those people, and our guests. Thank you to them, and the many of you who have been so supportive.”
Police release footage of missing Manchester man Adeo Alston-Ekpei’s last-known movements
Emily Sergeant
Video footage showing the last-known movements of a Manchester man who’s been missing for three weeks now has been released.
Detectives at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are continuing to search for Adeo Alston-Ekpei, who has not been seen since Friday 16 May.
The 25-year-old was seen in Fletcher Moss Park in Didsbury at around 3pm, before later being seen walking down Kingsway away from Manchester and close to the River Mersey, at around 5.20pm that same day.
Multiple lines of enquiry being explored by police at present, but anyone who believes they may have seen him from around this time, is asked to get in touch.
Adeo is described as being a mixed-race male, with long curly black hair and a long singular dreadlock, and bleached eyebrows. He has a cupid’s bow piercing and a right eyebrow piercing. He also has an ‘AKA’ tattoo on his right wrist, and a ‘24’ tattoo in the right side of his chest.
He was last seen wearing long blue denim shorts, an undone green short-sleeved button-up shirt, and white Adidas trainers.
Friends have also recently set up a public fundraiser to help with the search for Adeo.
Adeo Alston-Ekpei has been missing for almost three weeks / Credit: GMP
“We are dedicated to finding Adeo and getting much-needed answers for his family,” commented Detective Inspector Kelly, from GMP’s Manchester district, as the footage was released to the public this week.
“I would ask any residents around the Kingsway area, and surrounding housing estates off Kingsway into Gately, and who may have dashcam or CCTV footage from around this time, to please check and get in touch if you have any information.
“Likewise, if anyone believes they have seen Adeo, please get in touch with one of our officers. Any information is appreciated and investigated as we continue our work.”
#MISSING | We are continuing to ask for information relating to missing Adeo, who was last seen on May 16.
We have additionally released CCTV footage showing Adeo’s last known movements on Kingsway, Manchester.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 5, 2025
A spokesperson for Adeo’s family described the missing man as ‘kind, funny, and intelligent’ with a ‘huge heart’, but they say he ‘wasn’t himself when he disappeared’.
“He may have come across as agitated, lost, or confused,” the spokesperson admitted. “In his last call to his mum, he was in a very vulnerable state.”
Anyone with any information regarding Adeo’s whereabouts is urged to contact South Manchester CID directly on 0161 856 6051 or 0161 856 6063, or you can use the LiveChat function on GMP’s website and quote log number 838 of 18/05/25.
Alternatively, you can report information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The Manc -
14th July 2021 
