The Science and Industry Museum is gearing up to mark a monumental milestone.
It’s been a long time coming, but in just a few weeks time, it’ll be welcoming visitors back inside one of the UK’s most significant industrial heritage buildings – the Power Hall.
Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery is a free working gallery where visitors can immerse themselves in the sights, smells, and sounds of the engine-driven ideas and industry that started in Manchester and went on to change the world.
Officially set to reopen Friday 17 October, it’s the latest building to open as part of a multi-million-pound regeneration project currently taking place across the Science and Industry Museum to conserve its historic buildings and reveal new spaces for all visitors to enjoy, play, and learn in for generations to come.
When the building throws open its doors, you can expect the return of iconic engines – including some that will be running for the first time in more than a decade – alongside a whole host of new interactives, perspectives, and people stories that reveal the innovation of Manchester’s industrial heritage.
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Originally built as a shipping shed for the world’s first inter-city steam powered passenger railway, Power Hall is Grade II-listed building of ‘global importance’.
It was the building that the museum first opened back in September 1983, when it became home to one of the UK’s largest collections of historic working engines.
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Power Hall temporarily closed in 2019 to allow for urgent repair works to be carried out, as well as a ‘pioneering’ de-carbonisation project to reduce the building’s carbon emissions, and a reimagining of its displays, interpretation, and visitor experience.
The Science and Industry Museum has finally set its grand reopening date for iconic Power Hall / Credit: Science Museum Group
But after more than five years, it’s now thundering towards its reopening, and is bringing a train load of working machinery, hands-on interactives, and brand-new stories to discover along with it.
“This is a hugely significant moment for our museum and for Manchester,” said Sally MacDonald, who is the Director of the Science and Industry Museum.
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“Power Hall symbolises the city’s innovation, creativity, and resilience, and we are overjoyed that visitors will soon be back to enjoy all the amazing objects and stories on display. Ideas that began in this city have impacted people and places across the world and shaped life as we know it, and Power Hall showcases this in a very physical way.
“Our colleagues who first set up this gallery in 1983 knew that science and engineering have always been crucial to Manchester’s success and future growth.
The Grade II-listed Power Hall closed in 2019 for urgent repair works / Credit: Science Museum Group
“Many people have told me that the Power Hall was inspirational for them as children, and I hope now it can inspire a new generation of inventors and technicians.”
Sally added that she wants to say a ‘massive thank you’ to the museum’s fantastic collaborators, partners, and funders for helping them to create this ‘must-see’ Manchester experience.
She concluded: “Of course, thank you to our visitors for their patience and sustained interest while Power Hall has been closed.
“I speak on behalf of everyone at the museum when I say we can’t wait to welcome you back.”
Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery will reopen on Friday 17 October, and visits are free and included as part of a museum ticket.
Featured Image – Science Museum Group
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Price caps and standardisations to be introduced for vet care in UK following major investigation
Emily Sergeant
Reforms to the veterinary industry to help pet owners better navigate the vet services market are set to be introduced this year.
After an independent inquiry group recently found that the current system is leaving pet owners ‘in the dark’, with a lack of information to help make informed decisions leading to weak competition and high prices, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has this week concluded its investigation into veterinary services for household pets in the UK.
The final report green-lights a package of measures to make the market more competitive, easier to navigate, and more responsive to pet owners’ needs.
It outlines the final remedies and recommendations, which together, will transform the market.
Remedies and recommendations in the report range from price caps and standardisations, through to upfront cost transparency.
We’ve set out major reforms to the UK’s veterinary sector now our market investigation is complete.
Our reforms will help pet owners better navigate the vet services market and will start coming into force later this year.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) March 24, 2026
Practices will soon be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options – so pet owners know up-front how much certain services are expected to cost.
They’ll also have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business, and provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more (including aftercare costs), plus an itemised bill.
Written prescription fees are set to be capped at £21 for the first medicine, and then £12.50 for any additional medicines.
Price caps and standardisations are set to be introduced for vet care in UK / Credit: Pxhere
There’s also set to be changes to the complaints process, as practices will now be required to follow a transparent, accessible, in-house complaints process, and engage in mediation where disputes cannot be resolved.
The CMA says an ‘unprecedented’ response from both the public and the sector has helped to shape the final report.
The next step is for the Government to respond to the report formally – with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, commenting: “We are grateful for all the work of the Competition and Markets Authority, and we will respond to the report and set out next steps for our proposed reforms in due course.
“This Government is focused on helping families save money on vet services by improving transparency and choice around pricing, so the public can make informed decisions about their pets’ care.”
Featured Image – Pxhere
News
Police release footage of Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest by hiding under a bed
Emily Sergeant
Police have released unseen footage of a Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest and justice by hiding under a bed.
David Dale Thompson, of no fixed abode, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (18 March) where he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of residential burglary at an earlier hearing.
The 43-year-old was caught early last year (15 January 2025) following proactive patrols by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) neighbourhood officers across Rusholme and Moss Side, who were in the area due to a high number of reports of burglaries in the weeks prior.
While on patrol, police spotted Thompson ‘acting suspiciously’ while riding a bike just before 5pm, and once officer subsequently followed him to a property on Boscombe Street, before calling for more officers to attend.
After gaining entry to the address, officers suspected something was wrong when they entered one of the rooms, and after lifting up the bed, they found Thompson hiding in the storage compartment attempting to evade arrest.
GMP has now released footage of the moment Thompson was caught.
Speaking following Thompson’s sentencing last week, Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald, of GMP’s Manchester Central Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: “This was a fantastic example of proactive policing, which has resulted in a serial offender now behind bars.
“We know how devastating a burglary in your own home can be and this shows our commitment to tackling them head on.
“If you have any information or concerns about neighbourhood crime in your area, make sure you speak to us. In the meantime, we have officers on regular patrols in areas that need us the most.”
Emily Sergeant -
25th September 2025 
