News
Manchester Paul O’Grady mural defaced days after being created
‘It would be great to do it at Battersea Dogs Home so it could live on permanently as a fitting home’
A mural in South Manchester depicting Paul O’Grady has been defaced just days after being created.
The mural appeared on the Fallowfield Loop, under Kingsway, early last week after the announcement that the much loved comedian had died ‘unexpectedly but peacefully’ at the age of 67, on Tuesday March 28th.
Featuring O’Grady’s portrait next to a dog alongside the caption ‘For Paul’, the original artwork was created by artist Manchester Murals, who described it earlier this week as a way of recognising the ‘well-grounded entertainment machine that spanned generations’.
The caption next to the image on the Manchester Murals Facebook page reads: “A mural celebrating the life of Paul O’Grady.
“Paul always seemed like a well-grounded entertainment machine that spanned generations, was one of the nation’s favourite drag artists and through his love for animals, he was an ambassador for Battersea, where he helped raise their profile. Only felt right to include a dog in his mural. Thanks for everything, Paul! Rest well.”
The witty showbiz star who touched the hearts of the nation was known for his love of animals and hosted the popular ITV show For the Love of Dogs. On Sunday April 2nd, people visiting the mural to pay their respects to him discovered the portrait of O’Grady and the dog had unfortunately been defaced.
Speaking to The Manchester Evening News, Artist Chris Moore, aka Manchester Murals, said: “I did this work out of a passion for my art and out of respect for Paul O’Grady who meant so much to people and animals throughout his life. I was instantly driven to create a fitting mural in his honour, and I felt it was only natural to include a dog in that.”
Chris, who said he spent a couple of days working on the project, said he was ‘disappointed’ to learn that his artwork had been vandalised but understood that it’s one of the realities that comes with street art, saying: “It would have been nice for it to last longer. I only finished it on Thursday so it’s not even been three days since it was created.
“I can kind of understand people’s disappointment in that the mural has only lasted as long as it has, especially given how recent his passing was, but, ultimately and unfortunately, this is part of the nature of the street art and mural scene.”
Chris said he has ‘not ruled out’ the possibility of repairing the artwork, but explained he, ultimately, would prefer to now re-home the design altogether. He continued: “I guess, ideally, it’d be nice for it to be rehoused now. It would be great to do it at Battersea Dogs Home so it could live on permanently as a fitting home.”
Since unveiling the artwork on Thursday, Chris, who has also previously created artwork featuring the likes of footballer Phil Foden, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and chef Phil Rosenthal, said he has been inundated with positive messages about the mural this week.
He added: “I’ve spent my adult life in Manchester, I feel an affinity to the city. I’ve been painting professionally for over two years and I’m just trying to build the business and my portfolio to try and turn my passion into a full-time career.
“The response has been overwhelming, I’ve had loads of messages from people asking where it was located as they wanted to visit it with their dogs. I’m really happy that people were able to enjoy it.”
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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