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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Almost Famous announce they are closing their Withington restaurant in candid statement
Danny Jones
The unfortunate hospitality news just keeps coming, it seems, as Almost Famous have announced they will soon be closing their Withington restaurant.
A staple of the Manchester foodie scene for over a decade now and with a growing empire across the North, the ‘dirty burger’ pioneers aren’t just one of the most recognisable restaurant names in Greater Manchester, they’re tastemakers and have been for years.
However, unlike the OG site in the Northern Quarter which first began blowing burger fans away back in 2012, their Great Northern Warehouse venue or their locations in Leeds, Almost Famous‘ Withington site simply isn’t working.
In truth, their most recent restaurant and fifth all-told had been struggling for a while and it was only back in May that they were thanking customers for helping them ‘pull through’ a rough patch, but it seems they’ve sadly slumped back into being quiet and can no longer continue in this fashion.
Explaining in the lengthy and clearly emotional statement, beloved owner Beau Myers wrote: “Announcement (sad sh***y one, sorry).
Sorry to say we will be closing the Withington branch of Almost Famous. It’s not working, we’re not busy enough and it’s dragging us down.
“Really sorry to disappoint you guys, we’ve tried and we’ve pushed and you’ve been amazing for supporting us, this just isn’t the one. Sometimes you have to hold your hands up, admit you f****d up, learn from your mistakes limit the damage and move on.
“We got sucked in with perhaps the most beautiful site ever in the wrong location (for us). It really is/was my fav[ourite] famous and I’m gutted it’s closing, it looks the coolest, we had the staff party there this year. I wish some of the art wasn’t straight on the wall so we could take it with us.”
Almost Famous Withington will be closing after their final dinner service next weekend. (Credit: The Manc Group)
They go on to add: “We will be closing after service on Sunday 22nd (next weekend). Please come down and say goodbye and enjoy this beautiful place one last time before it goes forever. There will be drinks and tears and laughs.
Having visited the particular branch a few times ourselves not only in a work capacity but in our own personal time, we can confirm the Withington restaurant had a special charm to it and we’re also very sad to see it go.
It goes without saying that the comments were filled with support, with one person writing, “This is so sad I’m so sorry: you’ve tried really hard. Sad loss for Withington”, and another adding, “Always sad when a place with friendly staff, serving good food, good drinks and at a reasonable price doesn’t make it… onwards and upwards.”
RIP Almost Famous Withy — we hope you come back one day soon and we’re sure the whole team will bounce back stronger than ever no matter what comes next for the much-loved brand.
The hearing over Manchester City’s 115 FFP charges will officially start next week
Danny Jones
After more than a year of speculation as to when proceedings will finally start, it has been confirmed that the hearing regarding Manchester City and their 115 FFP charges is set to begin next week.
Man City were first slapped with the laundry list of alleged breaches of FFP (financial fair play) and failure to comply with Premier League rules on profit and sustainability (PSR) back in February 2023, but little movement on the case has been reported since then.
In that time, they also won the coveted Treble and their record-breaking fourth league title in a row; meanwhile, the club have continued to deny all claims of rule-breaking.
However, it has now been revealed that City‘s hearing will now kick off on Monday, 16 September.
BREAKING: The hearing over Manchester City's 115 charges will start on Monday 🚨 pic.twitter.com/9ujOCryVMF
As explained in various reports, given the extended nature of the claims made against the Manchester side, it is estimated that the case could run on for up to two months if not longer.
Furthermore, it is thought a decision isn’t expected to arrive until spring 2025 – again, this is simply due to the number of charges brought up over the best part of a decade.
In case you need a refresher, the allegations levelled at Man City date back to 2009 and concern a supposed nine years of financial irregularities, as well as subverting UEFA FFP rules.
Some of the accusations made against them also include failing to cooperate with the European football body and the Premier League, as well as offering ‘secret contracts’ so as to pay one particular manager a larger sum than what they recorded in their financial statements.
The final verdict, whenever it is reached, will be handed down by an independent commission and City will still be able to make an official appeal.
It goes without saying that were they to be found guilty, it would be the biggest financial scandal in English football history and could be seismic for the future of money in the sport and regulations surrounding ownership, which have already grown tighter following the charges being issued.
And in case you needed a more detailed refresher on what exactly they are being tried for and what the possibilities are regarding punishment if found guilty, here’s a quick rundown:
The Manc -
14th July 2021 
