An appeal has been launched to find a new permanent site to house a recreation the iconic mural of Ian Curtis in Manchester city centre.
It comes after significant public backlash when the original mural of the late Joy Division singer on Port Street in the Northern Quarter – which was the work of renowned Manchester-based muralist, Akse – was painted over by an advert promoting the debut album of Moston-born rapper Aitch earlier this month.
The original mural of the music icon – who took his own life in 1980 – was put up for World Mental Health Day in 2020, and was commissioned to raise awareness and money for charities Manchester Mind and Help Musicians.
But without warning, Manchester locals and music fans discovered a few weeks back that the mural had been covered by an advert commissioned by Amazon Music to promote the 22-year-old rapper’s debut album ‘Close To Home’ – with graffiti saying ‘Money, money will tear us apart again’ and ‘Adverts over suicide awareness’ daubed on the wall in angry red paint soon after.
Even Aitch himself condoned the promotion once he found out the mural had been covered, explaining that it was “the first time I’ve heard of this” and that himself and his team were working to get it fixed as there was “no way on earth would I want to disrespect a local hero like Ian.”
The album artwork and graffiti was then painted over in black shortly after the rapper got involved.
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An appeal has been launched to find a new permanent site for the recreation the iconic mural of Ian Curtis after it was painted over by an Amazon Music advert for Aitch’s debut album / Credit: The Manc Group
But now, Councillor Pat Karney from Manchester City Council has confirmed that the owner of current site wants to continue to use it for advertising purposes, which means a new home is needed for the Ian Curtis mural recreation – and so, an appeal has been launched.
Cllr Karney told BBC Radio Manchester yesterday that the new mural could become “a major tourist attraction”, and that Aitch and his management have been “very keen to help us out”.
He explained: “It would be silly to put the mural back up there because it could be taken down again quite quickly and we’d go through the same routine, so we want a permanent site and I’m putting out an appeal for a building owner in the Northern Quarter.”
“If they could contact me about it, that would be excellent,” he concluded.
Another section has ‘Adverts over suicide awareness’ painted on in angry red paint.
The original Ian Curtis mural on Port Street, and the advert it was replaced by / Credit: Unsplash | The Manc Group
Amazon Music apologised for the advert.
A spokesperson for the company said: “As part of our efforts to promote Aitch’s new album we asked our ad agency to create a mural in his hometown of Manchester, but unbeknownst to us or to Aitch, the wall agency chose for the new artwork already had a mural on it – one honouring the late Ian Curtis.
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“As soon as we learned of this we ordered the production to stop, and are working with Aitch to restore or replace the original Ian Curtis mural as soon as possible.
“Our apologies to all who are justifiably upset.”
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The cheapest Christmas Markets in the world for mulled wine have been revealed
Daisy Jackson
The most affordable Christmas Markets for drinking mulled wine have been revealed – and Manchester is nowhere in sight.
With Christmas markets across Europe preparing to welcome millions of visitors, festive fans looking to enjoy a warming cup of glühwein without breaking the bank might want to take note of the latest findings.
Festive experts at Christmas Tree World have analysed mulled wine prices at Christmas markets around the world to discover where visitors can enjoy the seasonal favourite for less.
Topping the rankings is Brussels’ Winter Wonders, where mulled wine is available for as little as £2.14 – about a third of the price of a mulled wine at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
Cologne Cathedral Christmas Markets and Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik share second place, with starting prices of just £2.56.
Other European favourites also feature prominently in the rankings. Budapest’s Christmas Market at the Basilica takes fourth place, with mulled wine costing £3.19, while Prague’s Old Town Square Christmas Market comes in sixth at £3.55.
Germany makes another strong appearance, with Dresden’s Striezelmarkt and Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt (which handily just launched new direct flights from Manchester) both offering mulled wine for £3.85.
Meanwhile, Vienna’s Christmas World rounds off the European entries in ninth place, with prices starting at £4.28.
For those planning a festive adventure further afield, Tokyo’s Christmas Market also makes the top five, with mulled wine costing £3.22.
However, not every destination offers such a bargain. Across the Atlantic, New York City’s Winter Village takes the title of the most expensive market in the study, with mulled wine costing a rather less festive £11.74. Chicago’s Christkindlmarket isn’t far behind, charging £8.80.
Manchester Christmas Markets start on Friday 6 November – we’ll see how our prices stack up then.
Sir Ian McKellen pays emotional tribute to long-time friend and fellow northern actor Sir Patrick Stewart
Emily Sergeant
Sir Ian McKellen has paid an emotional tribute to his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, following his death.
Sir Patrick Stewart – who was born and bred in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and is best-known for his theatre work alongside an illustrious 60-year screen career, taking on prominent roles in franchises such as Star Trek and X-Men – sadly passed away at the age of 86, with his death being announced publicly yesterday evening (29 October).
And now, his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Ian McKellen, has paid tribute.
Sir Patrick and Sir Ian shared the stage together countless times over their decades-long careers, but also famously starred alongside each other in the X-Men franchise, and subsequent Marvel movies, as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Magneto.
The tribute, shared across Sir Ian’s social media platforms, reads: “Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.
“We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions.
“My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in ‘Star Trek’. “But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
“Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did, for not just his devoted Trekkies, but film and theatre audiences who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (‘X-Men’ of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin.
“But he never forsook his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.”
Emily Sergeant -
1st September 2022 
