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Marcus Rashford mural messages damaged in rain – but Council ‘has a plan’
"It will take a bit longer than we thought, but it's okay - we've got this."
Some of the thousands of heartfelt messages left on the Marcus Rashford mural have been damaged during last night’s heavy rain.
But Manchester City Council has insisted they “will be fine”, and that it has “a plan”.
After the Akse-created mural in Withington dedicated to the Manchester United and England star was abhorrently defaced following England’s loss to Italy in the final of Euro 2020 on Sunday 11 July, encouraging messages of support soon began to appear in at attempt to cover up the graffiti and take a stand against racist abuse.
The mural was subsequently restored by the original artist the following day – but the messages kept on coming.
While the glorious sunshine over the last week meant that the messages have remained mostly unharmed, Manchester City Council confirmed on Wednesday that it would be carefully removing them this morning (23 July) ahead of a forecasted change in the weather at the weekend.
There were fears that the messages would disintegrate and be lost forever if they aren’t removed in advance of the prolonged rain expected in the area from Saturday.
An unexpected downpour arrived on Thursday evening, but the council took to social media to confirm a plan was in place to preserve the messages.
Providing an update on Twitter yesterday evening, Manchester City Council said: “Hey Manchester – things got a bit damp tonight here at the Marcus Rashford mural in Withington, but don’t worry we have a plan!
“Everything will be safely moved in the morning and carefully preserved. It will take a bit longer than we thought, but it’s okay – we’ve got this.”
Council representatives have also urged the public not to touch the messages, stating: “…if you’re passing by the mural tonight, please have a look – but please leave everything in its place for us to sort.”
A message written on a chalk board at the mural itself also read: “Please don’t touch. The tributes on this mural will be fine [and] they will still be removed as planned.”
Manchester City Council announced its plan to preserve the messages earlier this week – with every note collected by Manchester Art Gallery and Central Library Archives+.
MA students from the Institute of Cultural Practices at the University of Manchester are also standing by, ready to help with collecting the messages and documenting the process.
Wherever possible, messages will be removed individually, but due to the amount of adhesive tape that has been used to fix tributes to the mural, it is more likely that whole sections will have to be lifted and packed on site, and then carefully separated later.
After their removal, all the messages will be transported to Central Library’s archives department for safekeeping.
All partners involved will then decide how best to make them more widely available.
It is hoped that by preserving the messages, they can be made available for education and public display in the future as an important and permanent reminder of just what a significant moment in the city and country’s cultural history this has been.
Rashford himself will also have a say in what happens to the messages and how he would like them to be used.
Featured Image – Twitter (@ManCityCouncil)
News
Bury primary school teaching assistant jailed after pleading guilty to child sex offences
Emily Sergeant
A teaching assistant from Bury has been sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple sex offences against a ‘vulnerable’ young boy.
Terri Cook, of Masefield Avenue in Radcliffe, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court last week, where she was sentenced after pleading guilty to eight charges of sexual offences.
The sentencing came after officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Child Protection Investigation Unit (CPIU) began in ‘intense’ investigation into Cook back in September of last year after a member of the public reported seeing her out with a young boy.
The subsequent investigation showed that she had been grooming and manipulating the young boy into engaging in a sexual relationship with her.
Police found numerous messages on Cook’s phone where she had been inciting sexual communications with the boy and holding indecent images of him, and she was also found to have been buying him expensive items, like jewellery and clothing, for a period of more than nine months.
During a powerful statement read out in court, the young boy was described as being ‘extremely kind and caring’, with his mum adding: “Despite experiencing traumatic events earlier in his life, he continued to be positive and compassionate. He smiled every day and made us all laugh.”
Cook was sentenced four-and-a-half years in prison for eight charges of sexual offences.
Speaking following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Adam Stanfield, from GMP’s Bury CPIU, said: “This case was a horrific example of calculated abuse of power, and Cook targeted a vulnerable child who put his trust in her.
“Grooming is a form of manipulation that can leave lasting emotional and psychological damage, and our priority remains protecting young people and supporting victims as they recover.
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“This sentencing also emphasises our unwavering commitment to protecting male victims. They can be victims too and I urge anyone who believes they may have been through anything similar to please report to us.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
The richest people in the North West have been revealed, featuring Harry Styles, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, and Gallaghers
Daisy Jackson
The Sunday Times Rich List has been published today, revealing the wealthiest person in the North West to be Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
The annual list highlights the richest people in the UK, often filled with famous faces and business moguls.
This year, the 350 individuals on the list hold a combined wealth of £783.5 billion – that’s about a quarter of the UK’s total annual GDP.
The Sunday Times Rich List also highlighted other North West figures, such as Harry Styles, the Issa brothers, and Tyson Fury.
Other famous faces from elsewhere in the UK include Sir Elton John, Lord Lloyd-Webber, Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, JK Rowling, Charlotte Tilbury and Sir Lewis Hamilton.
It found that Sir Jim Ratcliffe – chemicals magnate, Ineos CEO, and Manchester United shareholder – still tops the list regionally despite falling revenues and a £515.7 million loss.
Mohsin and Zuber Issa are fourth on the list of the wealthiest in the North West – the Blackburn billionaire brothers founded the EG Group petrol stations, and acquired the supermarket giant Asda.
Betfred brothers Fred and Peter Done come next, with an estimated net wealth of £3.6bn.
Property developer and Renaker founder (Renaker is behind the Deansgate Square towers) Daren Whitaker saw his wealth grow by £100m in a single year.
Elsewhere on the list are Liam and Noel Gallagher, making their Sunday Times Rich List debut at £375 million.
Michael and George Heaton, the British brothers behind the Represent streetwear brand, paid themselves minimum wage for a decade before selling a stake and making £18.5m each.
Robert Watts, compiler of the Sunday Times Rich List, said: “This year’s Rich List is a tale of two exoduses. One in six of the individuals and families who appeared on the list two years ago don’t feature this time.
“Many foreign billionaires who have been living in the UK have also dropped out because they have moved away. We have also seen a sharp rise in the number of British nationals now resident in Dubai, Switzerland and Monaco. As UK nationals these people remain on our Rich List — wherever they now live.
“These two exoduses pose challenges for the UK economy and its public finances. Will more of the wealthy now set up or grow their ventures overseas and in doing so create fewer jobs here? How much tax — if any — will Rachel Reeves’s Treasury be able to extract from those affluent Brits who have now left the country?
“For nearly 40 years the Sunday Times Rich List has analysed the fortunes of Britain’s most affluent people. We believe understanding where wealth lies and where it is being accumulated is a vital part of a functioning democracy.
“Over the years our research has told us a lot about our country, charting the way a generation of largely self-made entrepreneurs overtook the old money of the landed gentry.
“This year’s edition shines a light on fortunes made from artificial intelligence, driverless cars and crypto-currencies as well as baby milk, make-up, hoodies and other everyday items. We know many of our readers find those rags-to-riches stories of entrepreneurs who started out with little more than a laptop and an idea particularly inspiring.”
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Featured image: Netflix
Emily Sergeant -
23rd July 2021 
