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Famous Manchester author's house to be restored, ambitious development plan defies recession threat and local theatre scoops three awards.
Gaskell house to enter new chapter
Manchester City Council has given the go-ahead for the £2.5 million restoration of the house of famous author Elizabeth Gaskell.
The Grade II listed Regency style villa in Plymouth Grove, Ardwick, is where Gaskell penned many of her celebrated novels, including Cranford and Wives and Daughters. The author lived there between1850 and 1865, where she was visited by other great authors of her time, including Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte. The property remained in Gaskell’s family until 1913 and is now owned by the Manchester Historic Buildings Trust.
The house, which has been given permission for a new roof, new drains and lime plaster on the exterior walls among other repairs, will host community events, exhibitions and meetings after its restoration.
Business as usual
Manchester’s redevelopment drive seems to be recession-proof, as plans have recently been unveiled for an ambitious scheme that will transform a prominent site in Manchester city centre.
Under the redevelopment plans, the existing buildings in the two-acre Ramada Complex, at the northern end of Deansgate, will be demolished to make way for a mixed-use development comprising a luxury hotel, residential apartments, offices and shops. A series of pedestrian terraces incorporating restaurants and new public areas along the River Irwell will also be created.
Described as the final piece of the vision to redevelop the city centre following the 1996 IRA bombing, the Ramada Complex scheme will reportedly create almost 3,000 jobs over ten years.
Manchester flexes cultural muscle
Still buzzing from the success of the inaugural Manchester International Festival in 2007, the city now hopes to host a new, permanent base for the Royal Opera House by 2013.
Under a joint proposal submitted to government by the Royal Opera House and Manchester City Council, Palace Theatre on Oxford Street will be refurbished and reinvented into a permanent second home for both The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet at an estimated cost of £80 million.
Subject to the approval of government funding, the new Royal Opera House Manchester will produce and premiere new work at Palace Theatre in a move that is hoped to bring major economic benefits to the city.
Royal Exchange scoops hat-trick of awards
Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre is ending the year on a high after winning three Theatrical Management Association (TMA) awards at a special ceremony in London.
Brenda Blethyn’s performance as Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie took the award in the Best Performance category; Kate O’Flynn won Best Supporting Performance for her role as Mary Tilford in The Children’s Hour; and Mick Hughes clinched the Best Lighting Design gong for his work on The Children’s Hour.
The View gets the party started
The Manchester Evening News Arena is raising entertainment to new heights with the launch of The View.
Sitting high above the arena’s concourse, this new pre-show destination works equally well as an intimately lit dining area for 80 or a standing bar for 200. Either way, this is now the place to eat, drink and be seen before taking in one of the award-winning venue’s shows.
The Rad unveils new-look Alto
Alto Restaurant and Bar at the Radisson Edwardian celebrated a relaunch last month, following a redesign and refurbishment project.
Designer Michael Attenborough has transformed Alto into a stylishly informal space, featuring creamy gold and rich brown colours, lots of leather, Eastern artefacts and statement lampshades.
The menu, devised by head chef Russ Brown, includes homely food like Cottage Pie and Lancashire Lamb Hot Pot, while the bar boasts a large selection of wines and beers.
Jurys Inn clinches national award
The 3-star superior Jurys Inn in Manchester city centre has scooped the Front of House Team of the Year award at this year’s Hotel Cateys.
The awards ceremony, held last month at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel by Caterer and Hotelkeeper magazine, honours the best of British hospitality within the hotel industry.
The Jurys Inn Manchester team were nominated, selected and recognised by a judging panel consisting of their industry peers, beating the Macdonald Bear Hotel in Oxford and the new Yotel in Heathrow to the accolade.