THING OF THE WEEK
ROUNDHEADS VS CAVALIERS… If you find yourself suddenly surrounded by Parliamentarians and Royalists in Nantwich this weekend, never fear: it’s only a re-enactment. This Saturday will see the Battle of Nantwich, which took place in 1644, re-enacted by a team of volunteers, with the troops due to parade through the town at 1pm. The original battle saw nearly 10,000 parliamentarians led by Sir Thomas Fairfax take on a royalist force besieging the town. It wouldn’t be fair to spoil the outcome: you can find out what happens at 2pm tomorrow. Alongside the battle, there will also be Morris dancers, a hog roast, artillery demonstrations, and 17th century music, alongside a whole plethora of other historical and traditional entertainment.
SQUARING UP… Let’s face it, property folk aren’t always the greatest at coming up with catchy names for their buildings. Naming no names, but some seem like they’ve been put through a random word generator, or are chock-full of shoehorned-in “heritage” references. So it was quite refreshing to see this week that Renaker’s Owen Street scheme has been named in a “does-what-it-says-on-the-tin” way: it’s now going to be known as Deansgate Square. It’s at the bottom of Deansgate, and it has a square. Makes sense really. The four-tower development includes nearly 1,500 apartments in buildings ranging between 64 and 38 storeys in height, and includes 2.7-acres of public realm.
KEY PRINCIPLES… Everton FC are on the charm offensive with their proposal to build a new stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, issuing 11 “key principles” to guide and organise the feedback they’re inviting from fans. Consultation’s all very nice, but as with all mission statements it can look a bit empty once you apply the “if you’d never say the opposite, it’s meaningless” rule. For instance, Principle 1: “Our Fortress”, enforcing that Everton plans to win every home game. Well, you’d hope they were never planning to lose. And Principle 2: “We want our new stadium to feel like home” – nobody sets out to create an alien environment, even retail park developers. Thirdly, “a platform for growth” – as opposed to “a diving board to relegation”? Come on, folks.
FOODIE FRIDAY… Manchester’s latest pop-up food and drink space is now open for business. Hatch, located under the Mancunian Way on Oxford Road, forms part of Bruntwood’s wider Circle Square development and includes five independent operators. These include poutine experts Blue Caribou Canteen; Jamaican takeaway Eat & Sweet; vegan taco emporium El Marchador; coffee specialist Takk; and craft beer and brewer Öl Brewery Bar. Hatch is operated and managed by the same team behind Afflecks Palace, also owned by Bruntwood, and there are plans for further expansion at the site. Toby Sproll, head of Bruntwood retail said: “We have plans to set up a regular events and entertainment programme, and to introduce retail from February. It’s key for us to keep things fresh so people can enjoy something new on a regular basis here at Hatch.”
LONDON TO THE LAKES… Carlisle airport has announced it will start flights to London, Belfast, and Dublin this summer, the first time the airport has welcomed commercial flights for more than 20 years. The last airline to fly commercially to London from the airport was Lakeside Northwest in 1993, and the airport is currently used for private flights, flying schools, and military flights. The airport’s owner Stobart Group said the plans would help to boost tourism in the region, and expects to begin commercial services in June this year. Work has already started on a new terminal building and improvements to the runway, and both will be ready to welcome the first arrivals in early summer. Interested in Cumbria? Book on our Cumbria Development Update on 27 February here
