Work has begun to make Manchester’s iconic Albert Square even “bigger and better” amidst plans to transform it as part of the Manchester Town Hall restoration project.
Over the years Albert Square has become a popular meeting point for protests and also the Christmas markets, but in recent times it has been boarded up for a long time whilst restoration work on the town hall takes place.
The first ground was broken on the square today, Monday, 25 October, as redevelopment work finally gets going to reconfigure it and improve safety – removing the cobbles that have for so long given it its Victorian character, as well as the need for the concrete barrier that has surrounded it for several years.
Plans for the site intend to give neighbouring bars and restaurants the chance to set up continental al fresco seating areas, as well as reduce clutter, improve lighting and provide better infrastructure for events by making the building more accessible.
Its aforementioned cobbles will be replaced with granite sett paving, with yorkstone paving offering a route around. The granite sett has been specially chosen to reference the Victorian cobbles whilst removing any potential ‘trip hazards’.
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The restoration of Manchester’s gothic town hall is currently the biggest heritage project taking place in the UK – and the redesign of the square is another important part of it.
Work has begun to make Manchester’s iconic Albert Square even “bigger and better” / Credit: Manchester City Council
The square’s redevelopment has been brought forward so that it can be completed next year, so as to not hinder the recovery of neighbouring bars and restaurants already hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The site will not be fully finished, however, until 2024 due to other work going on behind the hoardings.
Cllr Bev Craig – Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council – said: “Albert Square is the civic heart of Manchester – a place where people come together to celebrate, socialise and commemorate.
“These works will create a bigger and more flexible events space but also a more pleasant environment and cleaner air all year round.
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“We believe that when it’s finished the transformed Albert Square will be one of the finest civic spaces in Europe, helping to create and support good jobs for Manchester people.
“We’re already seeing the first of these benefits, with apprenticeships being created for local people during the construction phase.”
Featured Image – Mark Andrew via Wikimedia Commons
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Met Office reveals what Greater Manchester can expect from ‘extreme’ heatwave this week
Emily Sergeant
The Met Office has given an indication as to what Greater Manchester can expect as the ‘extreme’ heatwave arrives this week.
In case you hadn’t heard, Amber Extreme Heat warnings and heat-health alerts have been issued by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) from Monday through to Thursday this week – with temperatures widely exceeding 35°C nationwide, and in some areas – particularly on the south coast – potentially even reaching 38°C.
Temperatures are expected to rise ‘quickly’ this morning (22 June) and are forecast to reach 34°C in southern parts of England.
The heat will build further into Tuesday, with highs of 37°C forecast for southern England and 35°C southeast Wales. The peak of the heatwave is now forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures are expected to climb to 38°C.
But by Friday, conditions will be less hot – with highs of 33°C forecast across eastern areas.
⚠️⚠️ Amber weather warning issued ⚠️⚠️
Extreme heat across parts of central and southern England and Wales
Heatwave conditions in the UK are met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with temperature values meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold for that location.
Overnight temperatures will also be very high, with widespread ‘Tropical Nights’, where the temperature does not drop below 20°C, forecast especially in urban areas, while humidity is also set to be a factor, making this heatwave ‘even more impactful’, the Met Office has warned, with heat stress a ‘danger to all’.
Despite all these weather warnings and forecasted temperatures though, it seems that the northern parts of the country – especially the North West – are missing most of the extremely hot conditions.
“The exception for the hot conditions is further to the northwest in the coming days, which will see more near-average temperatures,” the Met Office said in a statement, adding that we are also expected to see more ‘unsettled’ conditions too – with rain and thunderstorms forecast at various points throughout the week, although this could change.
Current forecasts indicate that the peak temperatures for Greater Manchester this week will be on Wednesday and Thursday, with highs of 33°C to be reached in the city centre.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Tom Crabtree, said: “The forecast heatwave is developing into an impactful severe weather event, with record breaking June temperatures and very high humidity.
“The combination of heat and humidity will be oppressive and bring impacts across society from public health and infrastructure, to power and water supplies.”
Featured Image – Milo Kaye (via Unsplash)
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What people are wearing at Parklife 2026 – ruffles, cowboy boots, football shirts and bandanas
Clementine Hall
Parklife weekend is here, which means festival fashion is back, and Manchester has absolutely delivered on its outfit trends once again.
Every year in the fields of Heaton Park, thousands of ravers flock to Parklife festival for the biggest party of the year.
And of course, you can’t attend a festival without wearing a fire fit and boy oh boy have we seen some.
Gone are the days when you’d throw on a t shirt and jeans to a festival, and although you may see a few tracksuits and flimsy rain ponchos (we are in Manchester after all), the people of Parklife are dressing to impress this year.
Images: The Manc Group
The main theme of the weekend is…ruffles.
We’re talking ruffled shorts, ruffled boots, ruffled skirts – if you can ruffle it, the Parklife people are buying it. We’d say the vast majority of girls are wearing ruffled hot pants, and we are absolutely here for it.
Another trend is not practical in the slightest but of course looks absolutely fab, and that is cowboy boots.
Images: The Manc Group
We dread to think of the blisters that are going to crop up after the weekend, but as the old saying goes…beauty is well and truly pain.
You may mistake yourself for being at Coachella due to the amount of girls absolutely rocking a bandana this year, a trend which is both stylish and practical with the sun blaring down on Heaton Park this weekend.
And last but not least, maybe it’s the World Cup fever but we’ve spotted both boys and girls sporting football shirts and looking class whilst doing so.
Images: The Manc Group
All in all, Parklife weekend is flooded with fashionistas this year but are we surprised when Manchester is a hive for the coolest cats in the game? We think not.
There’s also a couple of pop-ups onsite this year for if you’re looking to level up your fit, including Suzy Loves Milo selling vintage garms and The Mothership providing all the perfect accessories.
Georgina Pellant -
25th October 2021 
