THING OF THE WEEK
COURT OUT… Just when you thought the sun had packed away its hat for the year, it put it back on again this week. The North West was bathed in early-autumn sunshine this week, which lured squinting workers out of their offices into the great outdoors for a bit of bonus vitamin C. All the usual places were jam-packed with salad-scoffing lunch-breakers and some less expected. Among them, the steps of Manchester Crown Court in Spinningfields, which, between 1pm and 2pm makes for a quite spectacular sun trap.
The college closed in 2022. Credit: Google Earth
ISSA PARTY… Having been given a stern telling off by Blackburn with Darwen Council earlier this year for hosting parties and events in the former St Mary’s College lecture theatre in Blackburn, the town’s famous billionaire brothers are seeking to legitimise the gatherings. Moshin and Zuber have applied for permission to change the use of the building to justify the sometimes-noisy functions.
View this post on Instagram
NEW IS BETTER… When it comes to seaside towns, it was not the famous Southern city that claimed the top prize for the best attraction to visit. Seaside Heritage’s Bucket and Spade List, which was decided through public vote, gave New Palace and Adventureland in New Brighton the top spot, triumphing over competitors on the Isle of Wight, Weston-Super-Mare, Blackpool, and more. The New Brighton family arcade isn’t resting on its laurels – plans are in the works to create a museum in tunnels underneath the building. Despite being highlighted for demolition and new-build apartment blocks in a Wirral masterplan, Place understands there will be more news coming from New Palace – so watch this space.
The property has been saved from the wrecking ball. Credit: via planning documents
BLOCKED… Trafford Council has acted swiftly to save a local heritage asset from demolition. The owners of Jawbone Cottage at 273 Davyhulme Road, which dates back to the 18th century, want to knock it down to pave the way for the redevelopment of the site. However, the council has issued the applicants with an immediate Article 4 direction to block the demolition plans within a narrow 28-day timeframe. This will see the building saved but could leave the council open to legal a challenge. Was it worth it?
Deloitte’s Mel Wilson [second from right] with her fellow apprentices. Credit: via Mel Wilson
YOU’RE HIRED… This week has seen hordes of fresh-faced, enthusiastic apprentices start their careers at consultancies across the country. The arrival of 100 youngsters at Deloitte got Mel Wilson, a director at the firm, all misty-eyed and nostalgic. She took to LinkedIn to post a picture of her first day as a trainee at Drivers Jonas in 2007 and recalled feeling “complete intimidation” at the time. 17 years on, and armed with the knowledge of exactly how it feels to enter the lion’s den, Wilson had some words of advice for those just starting: “Don’t forget, everyone had a first day”.
