Manchester City Council says plans for a new attraction in Manchester Town Hall that tells the story of the iconic building and showcases some of its unique treasures and artefacts have taken a big step forward.
And it means visitors can explore hidden spaces on a new tour once it reopens.
In case you’re not up to speed, Manchester Town Hall, which officially opened all the way back in 1877, has been closed since 2018 while the ‘Our Town Hall’ project – one of the biggest heritage schemes the UK has ever seen – is carried out, and the Grade I-listed building is currently being repaired and restored to “safeguard it for future generations”.
As well as this, the building is also being sympathetically-upgraded to modern safety and access standards before it’s set to reopen to the public in 2024.
An important part of the huge restoration project involves ensuring that the Town Hall’s story is told in “an immersive and interactive way”, according to the Council, and this including telling the tales of the people who have played a part in its long history and the treasure trove of objects they have left behind.
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A new exhibition will let visitors explore Manchester Town Hall’s fascinating history when it reopens in 2024 / Credit: Mather & Co
Which is why the Council has appointed Wilmslow-based exhibition designers Mather & Co to create a new ‘visitor experience’ to welcome people back to the once the Town Hall finally reopens.
The 328 sq m ground-floor exhibition space will be free to use with no admission charges.
If all of that wasn’t brilliant enough as it is, there will also be a chance to go on brand-new guided tours to explore some of the town hall’s hidden spaces rarely, if ever, been open to the public before – such as the Victorian police cells, courtyard area, and clock tower.
A new exhibition will let visitors to Manchester Town Hall explore its fascinating history and civic treasures when it reopens in 2024.
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) June 21, 2022
“This new attraction will open up this beloved building as a destination,” said Cllr Luthfur Rahman, lead member for the Our Town Hall project.
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“It will give visitors the chance to explore its fascinating heritage, see more of its collections, and learn the fascinating and sometimes surprising stories behind them. It will be a welcome addition to Manchester’s varied cultural scene and we look forward to sharing more details of what people can see when Manchester Town Hall reopens in 2024.”
Sarah Clarke – Managing Director at Mather & Co – added: “We want visitors of all ages to experience the story of the Town Hall using their senses, through discovery, experimentation, hidden reveals, exploration, and play.
“We don’t want this experience to be a museum, we want to create a memorable experience with personality.”
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
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Hawksmoor issues statement after ‘kicking out’ Tommy Robinson from one of its restaurants
Daisy Jackson
Hawksmoor has issued a statement after a viral video captured far-right activist Tommy Robinson being asked to leave one of its restaurants.
In the video, staff at the acclaimed British steak house told Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – that he would have to go because members of staff feel uncomfortable serving you’.
The supervisor then politely told the party not to worry about the drinks and that they had been paid for, also handing over a business card for Hawksmoor CEO Will Beckett in case they wanted to discuss the matter further.
Robinson was dining in one of the group’s London restaurants with former prominent EDL member Guramit Singh Kalirai who challenged the staff and asked: “Is it because of the colour of my skin?”
The supervisor responded: “No, no, no. We have a duty of care to our members of staff. We like to look after our people, as I’m sure you can understand.”
After the video went viral on X, Hawksmoor went on to share a statement in response, saying that guests and staff ‘felt uncomfortable and complained’.
The statement, signed by CEO Will Beckett, added that the Hawksmoor team has faced ‘a huge amount’ of ‘quite concerning’ fallout from the Tommy Robinson incident.
He added that ‘this was not about politics or beliefs’.
Hawksmoor’s statement reads: “Our focus is always to give the best restaurant experience to the most people possible.
“On Thursday, a public figure was asked to leave one of our restaurants because guests and staff felt uncomfortable and had complained. The party left peacefully and politely on request.
“This was not about politics or beliefs. Hawksmoor is not a political organisation; we’re a group of restaurants. We want to welcome as many people as possible, regardless of background or views, to our teams or as our guests.
“We’re not trying to engage in a public debate. The team has had to deal with a huge amount of fallout from this, some of which is quite concerning. We would like to get back to focussing on looking after those people, and our guests. Thank you to them, and the many of you who have been so supportive.”
Police release footage of missing Manchester man Adeo Alston-Ekpei’s last-known movements
Emily Sergeant
Video footage showing the last-known movements of a Manchester man who’s been missing for three weeks now has been released.
Detectives at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are continuing to search for Adeo Alston-Ekpei, who has not been seen since Friday 16 May.
The 25-year-old was seen in Fletcher Moss Park in Didsbury at around 3pm, before later being seen walking down Kingsway away from Manchester and close to the River Mersey, at around 5.20pm that same day.
Multiple lines of enquiry being explored by police at present, but anyone who believes they may have seen him from around this time, is asked to get in touch.
Adeo is described as being a mixed-race male, with long curly black hair and a long singular dreadlock, and bleached eyebrows. He has a cupid’s bow piercing and a right eyebrow piercing. He also has an ‘AKA’ tattoo on his right wrist, and a ‘24’ tattoo in the right side of his chest.
He was last seen wearing long blue denim shorts, an undone green short-sleeved button-up shirt, and white Adidas trainers.
Friends have also recently set up a public fundraiser to help with the search for Adeo.
Adeo Alston-Ekpei has been missing for almost three weeks / Credit: GMP
“We are dedicated to finding Adeo and getting much-needed answers for his family,” commented Detective Inspector Kelly, from GMP’s Manchester district, as the footage was released to the public this week.
“I would ask any residents around the Kingsway area, and surrounding housing estates off Kingsway into Gately, and who may have dashcam or CCTV footage from around this time, to please check and get in touch if you have any information.
“Likewise, if anyone believes they have seen Adeo, please get in touch with one of our officers. Any information is appreciated and investigated as we continue our work.”
#MISSING | We are continuing to ask for information relating to missing Adeo, who was last seen on May 16.
We have additionally released CCTV footage showing Adeo’s last known movements on Kingsway, Manchester.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 5, 2025
A spokesperson for Adeo’s family described the missing man as ‘kind, funny, and intelligent’ with a ‘huge heart’, but they say he ‘wasn’t himself when he disappeared’.
“He may have come across as agitated, lost, or confused,” the spokesperson admitted. “In his last call to his mum, he was in a very vulnerable state.”
Anyone with any information regarding Adeo’s whereabouts is urged to contact South Manchester CID directly on 0161 856 6051 or 0161 856 6063, or you can use the LiveChat function on GMP’s website and quote log number 838 of 18/05/25.
Alternatively, you can report information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
21st June 2022 
