??? Living by candlelight in a crumbling block of flats

By Damon Wilkinson

Hello,

At first glance it appears to be an abandoned building site. Outside, piles of rubbish litter the overgrown grass.

The entire building is covered in scaffolding. Cracks can be seen in the walls and large gaps wide enough to fit your hand through run alongside the main window.

The dilapidated block of flats on Baguley Crescent on the outskirts of Middleton is not fit to live in. In fact it was condemned last year after a fire. And last month the electricity was cut off.

But despite that, a number of residents, some elderly and in poor health, remain in the dangerous and crumbling three-storey building. They’re living by candlelight, unable to cook or heat their homes, relying on friends and family to bring food and even sleeping in their cars.

They shouldn't be there, but they say they have nowhere else to go. Among them is 68-year-old Tony Henry. "We have nowhere to go," he said. "They need to put the electric back on and give people time to make arrangements to move.

"But nobody knows what's going on. It's wrong, it's shameful. They shouldn't be treating us like animals in a pen. I can’t handle it, it’s too much."

The reasons how and why the building was allowed to fall into such disrepair are complicated and unclear. The freeholder, a company based in south west London, says the individual leaseholders have legal responsibility for the maintenance of the block.

The leaseholders we’ve been able to speak to say attempts have been made to carry out repairs, but the work has been delayed because tenants are still living there.

And, as we’ve already heard, those tenants say they’ve got nowhere else to go. You can read the full report here…??

Locals only

We’re going to visit another estate just up the road in Rochdale now. That’s because, in a Greater Manchester-first, outsiders have been banned from Freehold.

As part of a crackdown on drug-dealing and anti-social behaviour, police have issued what’s known as an open space closure order on all 19 blocks of flats. It prohibits access to the estate to anyone other than residents.

Police say it will prevent people from congregating in open spaces, including ‘stairwells, landings, bridges and near bin chutes’. Anyone who breaches the order faces arrest. Tom George has more here..

Gathering pace

Hundreds of people have already signed a petition backing the M.E.N. campaign for mandatory prison sentences for anyone who breaches protective orders. As we heard in yesterday’s newsletter, it comes on the back of the horrific murder of Caroline Gore by her abusive former partner David Tiptrot at her flat in Wigan.

Domestic abuse charities, Wigan council and MPs are also backing the campaign. And now the Government has responded to our calls.

A spokesperson said: "This government has a mission to halve violence against women and girls in 10 years. We are going further to protect victims of domestic abuse, which is why we are launching a pilot for new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders later this month in police forces and courts including in Greater Manchester.” You read more about our campaign and sign the petition here…

‘I wish we could do more’

After opening last year on the main road through Levenshulme, Bia Cafe Bar quickly became known for its Irish fry-ups and home-made soda bread. And now it’s getting a reputation for something else - helping local families and pensioners struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.

Owner Maeve Fox is serving up free porridge breakfasts for schoolchildren throughout the week, as well as free cups of tea for older people. “Quite a lot of people are currently having to choose between heating their homes or feeding their families,” Maeve tells the Manchester Evening News.

“So, it was just a case of trying to ease some of the pressure on them. I wish we could do more.”

Penny for the Guy?

In Barnsley, where I grew up, scavenging for wood for the bonfire is known as ‘bunnywooding’. In Oldham, penny for the Guy used to be called ‘cob-coaling’, and kids would take their guy door-to-door in a wheelbarrow while singing the cob-coaling song. This November 5, nostalgia writer Lee Grimsditch has been remembering Bonfire Night traditions of years past. From terrifying public information films to kids being allowed to buy fireworks,? this is sure to jog a few memories.

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Weather etc

Wednesday:?Mist changing to overcast by late morning, 15C.

Roadworks:?There’s a 50mph speed restriction due to long-term roadworks on M6 in both directions between J10 (Croft Interchange) and J26 (Orrell Interchange).

Manchester headlines

Crash appeal:?The family of a grandfather who was killed when a car crashed into his motorbike has made a fresh appeal for information to bring the 'dangerous' driver to justice. Bruce Huskie, 55, from Stockport, was riding along Tiviot Way near the town centre at around 6am on Saturday, September 7, when he was involved in a collision with a car. Read more

City delay:?Manchester City were forced to land later in Lisbon than they wanted to because of stormy weather in the Portuguese capital ahead of their Champions League clash with Sporting tonight. City were expected to conduct media activity with Pep Guardiola and Bernardo Silva around 7.10pm, but that was pushed back by around an hour because the Blues were stuck in the air. More here

Oasis scammers:?New analysis has revealed that Oasis fans who fell prey to scammers during the scramble for tickets for next year’s reunion tour lost on average ￡346 each.

Worth a read

A dad who had four inches of his penis 'chopped off' after being diagnosed with a rare cancer has told how the operation has ‘strengthened’ his relationship with his wife. Patrick Howard was told he had an 'aggressive' and terminal form of penile cancer. He recalls joking to his wife Laura, 59, by saying: "Surely they’re not going to chop it off?" But after having the procedure at The Christie he says their ‘strong’ marriage is now stronger than ever. And he’s shared his story to? encourage other men to be open about these ‘important’ topics.

Contact Us

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