Second ALL fm radio show on Ancoats Dispensary

ALL fm group show: The Tuesday Club with Heather Madden and Aidan O’Rourke by Aidan O’Rourke on Mixcloud

Today we recorded the second show following on from the ALL fm radio training course. It should have been live but due to a timetable clash, we didn’t have access to Studio 1. Also, two members of our group were unable to attend today. No matter, fellow student Heather Madden and I recorded the programme in Studio 2 and it has come out sounding fine.

My section starts about 14 minutes and 30 seconds into the recording. And at 19 minutes I read my piece about Ancoats Dispensary.

Here’s my introduction and the draft wording of my piece on Ancoats Dispensary, one of the most interesting conservation projects in Manchester at the moment.

Hello and welcome to the Manchester Update with Aidan O’Rourke, looking at the past, present and future of Manchester.

Later in the programme I’ll be taking a look at a place that for me truly symbolises the spirit of Manchester past, present and future, and I’ll give you a clue, it’s located in Ancoats.

First let’s listen to the first of three Manchester songs chosen by my vinyl collector wife Ann, who’s listening at home! It’s The Smiths and I started something I couldn’t finish.

That was The Smiths with I started something I couldn’t finish.

Few places symbolise the true character and spirit of Manchester more than Ancoats Dispensary.

It’s not a stately home or a concert hall or a grand municipal building.

It’s a former hospital that served the people living in and around Ancoats, the first industrial suburb in the world.

It was mentioned in Elizabeth Gaskell’s book Mary Barton, and painted by LS Lowry in 1952.

In the nineteenth century, the poverty and illness endured by local people were unimaginable to us today.

Ancoats Dispensary helped those communities for 115 years until it closed in 1989.

It stood derelict and was almost demolished until a group of committed local people intervened, with the aim of saving it.

They managed to secure support from a wide range of people and organisations.

I went to their ‘Sharing the Vision’ event last February and was very impressed by what they had achieved.

It was held at Halle St Peters, a building that demonstrates the massive power and potential of regenerating forgotten buildings.

They ran a crowdfunding campaign on Spacehive under the title The Beating Heart of Ancoats.

Thanks to a last minute contribution by a mystery donor, they managed to raise £55,000, releasing a further £770,000 from the Heritage Lottery.

It was an amazing and nail-biting achievement!

Next Monday, 8th of June, they’re holding an exhibition entitled Creating Our Future Histories. It’s at Halle St Peters in Ancoats, and runs from 5.30 to 8pm.

There’s going to be music performances, art and an opportunity to share your thoughts and memories.

So why not go along on Monday 5.30 to 8pm at Halle St Peters? That’s 40 Blossom Street, Manchester M4 6BF, about ten minutes walk from Piccadilly.

And now let’s listen to another Manchester track and the connection is this band played with the Halle, who rehearse at Halle St Peters, the band are Elbow and the song is Reasons for Divorce.
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