News
New plans to transform the Piccadilly Gardens wall and pavilion have been unveiled
The Pavilion building could soon be getting a whole new lease of life…
Nearly two years on from the demolition of the much-hated ‘Berlin Wall‘, the neighbouring pavilion building in Piccadilly Gardens is set for a massive transformation.
Back in 2014, Legal & General Property acquired One Piccadilly, the huge office block on Piccadilly Gardens that includes a series of restaurants and cafes on the ground floor, plus the notorious Piccadilly Pavilion found by the bus station.
The pavilion also included the infamous ‘Berlin Wall’, a free-standing concrete slab which was demolished at the end of 2020, much to the joy of Mancunians far and wide.
Despite the demolition of the wall, however, the pavilion has remained in the same dreary state and, to this very day, remains unloved and resented by those who unlucky enough to pass it by every day.
SpaceInvader
But now, Legal & General have unveiled their plans to modernise and renovate the remaining Pavilion building, with them enlisting the services of architects SpaceInvader to inject a new lease of life into it.
SpaceInvader were the ones who re-designed the interiors of One Piccadilly itself, and they will now be turn their attention to the pavilion, where they are allegedly looking to ‘enliven’ the current design with an art installation across the southern wall.
Read More: Piccadilly Gardens used to be home to a huge ‘lunatic asylum’
According to Place North West, the main part of the proposal would see the roof connecting the two parts of the pavilion, designed by Tadao Ando, removed to create two separate buildings.
The scheme also aims to create better permeability, and make access to the gardens more visible and inclusive, according to a planning statement by Savills.
SpaceInvader
Overall, the scheme aims to create better ‘permeability’ and to make access to Piccadilly Gardens more visible and inclusive.
Sadly the scheme is still under development and is yet to be approved, though we can only hope that 2022 will be the year we see a better and improved Piccadilly Gardens.
This comes just months after the council announced that Piccadilly Gardens would be the centre of a massive £25M landscape and design competition, which will invite urban design and landscape teams from across the globe to present their ideas for the regeneration of the area.
The council said it wants Piccadilly Gardens to be a ‘special place with a strong sense of identity, welcoming and uniquely-Mancunian, and one that allows for the flexible hosting of events.’
We’re pleased to announce that Proper Manchester is rebranding as Finest City Guides.
As part of this change, the Proper Manchester brand, including its social media channels, will transition to the Finest City Guides name.
This is a rebrand of the existing platform rather than a new or unrelated business. The same team behind Proper Manchester will continue to operate Finest City Guides as we develop the platform under its new identity.
Previous name: Proper Manchester
New name: Finest City Guides
Our social channels and other brand assets will be updated to reflect the Finest City Guides name as part of this transition.
More from Finest City Guides coming soon.
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.
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