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These historic cottages in Moss Side have been ‘brought back to life’ after a £1.1 million refurbishment

Westwood Cottages laid empty for nearly a decade, but now they are enjoying a new lease on life as affordable homes for the community.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 20th July 2022

A row of historic cottages in Manchester have been transformed and “brought back to life” with a £1.1 million refurbishment.

Westwood Cottages in Moss Side laid empty for nearly a decade, but now they are enjoying a new lease on life as affordable homes for the community after a sympathetic £1.1 million refurbishment project by Salford-based contractors, MC Construction.

The six striking Grade II-listed terraced houses on Raby Street were built all the way back in 1876 as alms houses by industrialist John Robinson in memory of his sister, Edith Marianne Robinson.

They stand as individual dwellings in one block, and are built in Flemish Gothic style.

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The cottages were left vacant almost a decade ago, and sadly, their condition subsequently started deteriorating, and they went on to become a target for vandalism and anti-social behaviour – with many of their original features being removed.

But now, they’ve been given an impressive facelift.

How Westwood Cottages looked prior to the £1.1 million refurbishment / Credit: Peter McDermott (via Geograph)

The cottages are owned by One Manchester, and are in an area of Moss Side which has been chosen by Manchester City Council for regeneration – which includes the delivery of new and suitable housing – and after listed planning permission was granted, MC Construction’s team carried out “a comprehensive programme of internal and external repairs and refurbishments”.

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The cottages have now been returned to use as two-bedroom homes for “affordable rent”.

Each cottage has not only had a complete internal refurbishment, including the installation of a new kitchen, bathroom, boiler and heating system, and a rewire, but additional living space has also been created – with a single-storey rear glazed extension to form a conservatory, which makes the homes more suitable for families.

Historical features like mosaic porch floor tiles and the front doors have also been retained.

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When it comes to the external works, the roof of the cottages has been refurbished, new windows have been installed, and repairs to the brickwork, chimneys and stonework, and landscaping have also been carried out.

MC Construction
MC Construction

“The refurbishment of Westwood Cottages has been a tremendously satisfying project,” said David Lowe – Managing Director at MC Construction.

“Working closely with a number of key stakeholders, we have successfully retained a part of the city’s heritage while giving a new lease of life to this historic building to provide affordable and energy-efficient homes for families in an area where there is a need for this type of accommodation.

Read more: Manchester pledges to build 36,000 homes before 2032 in new housing strategy

“It has been a pleasure working with One Manchester, the city council, and the other parties involved to bring this scheme to a successful conclusion.”

Featured Image – MC Construction

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Sainsbury’s and Tesco become latest retailers to stop selling disposable barbecues

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Sainsbury’s and Tesco have become the two latest retailers to halt the selling of disposable barbecues amid wildfire risks.

The UK is currently in the midst of the second heatwave of the year, with temperatures soaring and a heat-health warning issued by the UKHSA, and now, following a rise in the number of wildfires reported in relation to the warm weather, Sainsbury’s and Tesco have made the decision to stop selling disposable barbecues at all stores.

These two supermarket giants have notably followed in the footsteps of M&S, which confirmed earlier this month that it had taken the “precautionary step” of removing disposable barbecues from sale across the UK.

Read more: M&S praised for removing disposable barbecues from sale over fire risk

Sainsbury’s and Tesco are the two latest retailers to halt the selling of disposable barbecues / Credit: Tesco | Sainsbury’s

Waitrose, Aldi, and other retailers had previously also announced they would no longer stock disposable barbecues due to their “detrimental impact” on the environment and wildlife.

Morrisons, and the Co-op say they do not sell disposable barbecues close to UK national parks.

Confirming the halting of disposable barbecue sales until further notice, also as a “precautionary measure”, a spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said: “Safety is our highest priority and we have made this decision due to the hot and dry weather that we are currently experiencing across the country.

“We will continue to closely monitor the situation and listen to customer feedback.”

The move by retailers comes as fire services nationwide warning of “tinderbox conditions” / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Tesco has also confirmed that its decision to stop selling disposable barbecues is a temporary one, and says it will continue to sell small metal portable barbecues instead – with disposables set to be made available again once weather conditions allow.

Read more: ‘Heat-health’ alert issued across UK this week as temperatures rise

The move by retailers comes as fire services nationwide warning of “tinderbox conditions”.

They have asked people not to use barbecues in the countryside, public greenspaces, and high-risk places – such as balconies and on dry grass – after an increase in the number of call-outs.

Featured Image – Instant BBQ

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Chester Zoo shares video of ‘rare’ baby giraffe falling 6ft to the ground as it’s born

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Cameras and Chester Zoo have captured the moment a rare baby giraffe made its entrance into the world this past weekend.

And it’s fair to say, he certainly burst onto the scene.

In a birth that’s unlike many others and appeared to shock the surrounding long-legged residents, Chester Zoo has shared a video of the adorable new giraffe calf falling more than 6ft onto a bed of soft straw as he arrived into the world, after 14-year-old mum, Orla, gave birth last Saturday at 2:57am – which brought to an end to a 15 month-long (473 day) pregnancy

The incredible CCTV footage also shows the moment the newborn stands up and takes his very first steps and enjoys his first feed – a moment zookeepers say is “vitally important” for the bond between mum and baby.

Chester Zoo’s giraffe team manager Sarah Roffe explained that, while it may sound unusual, this 6ft-high fall is “a really important part of the birthing process” for giraffes, as it’s what helps to break the umbilical cord and stimulate the calf to take its very first breath.

“While tiny in comparison to mum Orla, her new arrival was born already towering above us at 6ft tall and weighing a hefty 72kg,” Sarah added.

She continued: “Following the dramatic birth, it’s vitally important that the calf gets to its feet quickly and ventures over to mum for its first feed, as it’s these precious early moments that help to cement that special bond between the two of them – and that’s exactly what occurred between Orla and her baby only minutes after his birth.

“It’s early days, but so far the calf is looking strong, healthy and very content, which is brilliant to see.”

Keepers at the UK’s biggest charity zoo have named the new male giraffe calf Stanley after Mount Stanley, which is the tallest mountain in Uganda in Africa.

Chester Zoo cameras captured the moment a rare baby giraffe made its entrance into the world / Credit: Chester Zoo

Uganda is where the zoo’s conservationists are fighting to boost giraffe numbers.

Right across Africa, giraffes are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – which is the world’s authority on the state of the natural world – and although Rothschild’s giraffe numbers are now increasing due to conservation efforts, fewer than 2,500 remain in East Africa.

Read more: Chester Zoo to stay open after hours so you can see the nocturnal animals

As their habitats have been lost to make way for mining, urban development, or agricultural farming, as well as poaching for their skin, tails, or meat, Rothschild’s giraffes are now considered one of Africa’s most at-risk mammals.

However, Chester Zoo says that in some parts of Uganda – where the zoo and its partners are actively working – numbers are steadily on the rise, and it’s thanks to decades of conservation efforts.

Keepers have named the new male giraffe calf Stanley / Credit: Chester Zoo

“Having a healthy new calf on the ground here at the zoo is therefore fantastic news for the threatened species breeding programme that’s boosting numbers in conservation zoos like ours,” added Mike Jordan – Director of Animals and Plants at Chester Zoo.

“In tandem with the breeding programme, our team of giraffe experts have been helping our long term partners… to protect, monitor and, in some cases, translocate giraffes from one area of Uganda to another.

Read more: Rare ‘handsome’ tiger arrives at Chester Zoo to save his species

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Just over two decades ago the number of giraffes in Kidepo Valley National Park was in single digits, but with these conservation efforts it’s now a protected reserve that’s home to more than 70 adult Rothschild’s giraffes, with calves being born year on year.

“This is just one of the many successful conservation stories that our charity zoo is proud to be part of and really shows that there are good people out there fighting to save species from extinction.”

Featured Image – Chester Zoo

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