New drone footage of the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester has been released, and it shows the impressive “scale and ambition” of its current multi-million-pound restoration project.
The new drone footage – which gives an aerial view of the site to outline the huge footprint of the museum, and most-notably show the work being delivered on the Power Hall roof – was captured by by David Bewick at Boca films, and has been assembled into a short film which is now available to watch on YouTube and the museum’s social media platforms.
The film also shows some of the repairs being made to other parts of the museum, and future plans for the significant heritage site.
In case you didn’t already know, the Science and Industry Museum in the heart of Manchester city centre is currently undergoing a “critical” programme of restoration works, which will eventually reveal some exciting new spaces and perspectives for visitors to enjoy, play, and learn in once it reopens to the public.
The restoration work currently ongoing is aiming to transform the Grade I and Grade II-listed Victorian buildings that make up the seven-acre city centre museum site.
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See the immense scale of our seven-acre restoration programme in this short film.
Explore our historic site from new heights with inspiring drone footage and take a closer look at revolution in progress.
— Science and Industry Museum (@sim_manchester) June 21, 2022
The works will create improved gallery experiences, which include the iconic Power Hall – where the term Northern Powerhouse was actually coined – and the 1830 Station and Warehouse, which are some of the world’s earliest railway buildings.
The museum is also creating new connections through to The Factory – a landmark new cultural space in the city opening next year – and the River Irwell and beyond, all with the aim of “enhancing the sense of place” in its vibrant quarter of Manchester.
A number of outdoor areas are also being planted, according to the museum, with colourful new schemes to encourage biodiversity and indoor and outdoor areas for families.
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The Science and Industry Museum is currently undergoing a “critical” programme of restoration works / Credit: Science Museum Group
“This is a very exciting time,” explained Sally MacDonald, director of the Science and Industry Museum.
“We have the honour of occupying some truly exceptional buildings, which are in urgent need of restoration and we are working with specialists and taking great care to transform them, addressing historic issues to conserve important details, but also looking to the future to ensure our buildings are sustainable and provide the best experiences for visitors.”
She continued: “We’re sorry if the work causes disruption, but we are sure that the final results will be well worth it, as more visitors from our local communities and beyond can enjoy the museum and continue to be inspired by the wonder of science and industry.”
The museum remains open to the public while the restoration works are taking place / Credit: Science Museum Group
“What can be achieved here will bring lifelong benefit to everyone who lives in and visits the city and it can transform the site into a place that not just explores ideas that change the world but a museum that can itself change people’s worlds through wonder and play, and inspire curiosity, confidence, and skills,” she added.
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The Science and Industry Museum remains open to the public while restoration works are taking place, with several exhibitions and experiences to make the most of.
Manchester’s free summer picnic is coming back to Oxford Road
Danny Jones
Manchester’s free ‘Summer in the City Picnic’ is returning to the Oxford Road Corridor later this year, promising plenty of live music and entertainment, family-friendly fun, outdoor activities and lots more.
Coming back to Circle Square for the second time, the now annual and completely free city centre festival will set up for its sophomore edition right on Symphony Park.
Surrounded by numerous local businesses located within the thriving Bruntwood SciTech and Vita Group neighbourhood, this mini-district is once again set to draw in crowds from all over Manchester.
With that in mind, get your coolers, picnic baskets and blankets ready: it’s time for some alfresco fanfare.
Kicking off next month for one day only, Circle Square‘s ‘Summer in the City Picnic’ 2.0 will get underway pretty much from the outset, with the organisers promising a full day of festivities.
Visitors can look forward to an even more jam-packed schedule than last year, with creative workshops and interactive experiences, DJs right through to the evening, alongside roaming steel drum performances and even silent disco adventures, just to name a few.
Other events include: sip and paint sessions, pop-up mini golf and basketball shoot-outs; ‘foot pool’, a seasonal bouquet bar, as well as a dedicated picnic space for dogs, complete with bespoke pup portraits. Adorable.
2025 saw plenty of furry friends steal the show and become local celebrities for the day, and we’re sure ’26 will be no different.
The long picnic tables will once again take centre stage, creating a relaxed space for families and friends to come together over great food from Circle Square’s wide mix of indie restaurants and cafes, such as Gooey, Onda, Hello Oriental, Half Dozen Other, Saffa Soul, North Bar, Monkey Trio and more.
Punters are, obviously, to bring along their own picnic bits, packed lunches and favourite scran, but it’s nice to have the option of treating yourself to stuff on-site.
Better still, Circle Square’s proximity not only to Oxford Road train station, but the St Peter’s Square tram stop and various bus routes (even Piccadilly isn’t really that far) means that this is super accessible for anyone interested – not to mention that it’s completely free and open to all members of the public.
Taking place on Saturday, 8 August, we hope to see you there and hopefully with the sun shining.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures/Jody Hartley (supplied via SH Comms)
News
UK set for another ‘potential’ heatwave next week after warmest June on record
Emily Sergeant
England could be heading towards another potential heatwave early next week, the Met Office has revealed.
While it’s obviously true that temperatures this week have returned to average for the time of year, bringing largely settled conditions for many, once next week rolls around, some parts of the country could be heating up once again – with the Met Office revealing what Greater Manchester residents should prepare for.
For the early part of next week, temperatures will definitely rise and perhaps reach what are considered heatwave conditions for some.
But if this is the case, the forecast suggests that it’s ‘unlikely’ to reach the high temperatures and humidity of last month’s heat, and the North West won’t be getting the worst of it.
The potential of next week’s heatwave comes after last month was officially declared the UK’s warmest June on record.
After a week of respite from the heat, high pressure moves in this weekend, dominating many southern and central areas for the next 10 days.
A defining feature of the month’s heatwave was the ‘exceptionally warm’ overnight temperatures, with frequent ‘tropical nights’ helping to drive the highest average June minimum temperatures on record.
Giving an insight into what’s to come as we head into the weekend, Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Tony Wisson, explained: “Toward the weekend, high pressure will continue to build in across most of the UK as it extends from the Azores. This will lead to more settled, warm or very warm conditions for many, especially across England and Wales, though some rain may still affect the far north.
“The forecast for this weekend suggests that temperatures could approach high 20s°C across parts of England, perhaps 30°C in parts of the southeast, with values of mid to high 20s°C in Wales.
“Although a return to heatwave conditions is looking increasingly likely for some areas, the likelihood of such extreme high temperatures or high levels of humidity as last week is currently low.”
Emily Sergeant -
22nd June 2022 
