The F1 2026 season continues with the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend after Mercedes’ George Russell sealed pole position in Australia

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The Formula 1 2026 season is well underway and there are some major changes on the to Sky Sports’ TV coverage. Mercedes’ George Russell secured pole position in Melbourne last week, with the drivers now in Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix.

Ahead of the season, Sky Sports revealed plans to launch what it describes as ‘cutting-edge broadcast innovations’ for its F1 coverage. Fans will soon be able to view an immersive sidebar for TV viewing each race weekend that will display Race Control, in-race standings and a Recap – or replay – feature.

Other standout features of the sidebar include dedicated driver and team pages, enhanced data, explainers and improved homepage navigation. Viewers can also stream onboard cameras for every driver – complete with team radio messages – during each race weekend.

The new features will be rolled out later this year at no extra cost to Sky Sports customers on Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Sky Q devices, with a launch date to be confirmed. F1 fans who don’t currently have Sky access can subscribe from £35 per month for the broadcaster’s flagship Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle.

This includes coverage of every practice, qualifying session and race live from every race weekend this season. The package includes nine Sky Sports channels, around 100 regular TV channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Disney+.

Sky’s discounted Formula 1 package

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£49

£35

Sky

Get Sky Sports here

Formula 1 fans can watch every practice, qualifier and race live with Sky’s Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle in an introductory deal that saves £336.

As well as nine Sky Sports channels, this includes around 100 regular channels and free subscriptions to Netflix and Discovery+.

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There’s also an option to the £42 Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle, which comes with 35 extra channels and will soon include Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu at no extra cost from March. Sky customers can add Sky Sports F1 to their existing subscription package as a rolling monthly subscription drops from £20 to £15 with a special offer.

Virgin Media customers can get Sky Sports channels too with the provider’s £52.99 Sport bundle, which comes with more than 200 channels, 362Mbps fibre broadband and Netflix. A caveat to both Sky and Virgin’s deals is that prices may change at least twice during the 24-month contracts, including the usual April price increase.

Sky touts itself as the ‘ultimate destination’ for F1, with the new features joining existing coverage such as Pit Wall Live, The Grid Walk, The F1 Show and the returning The Notebook. The latter airs post-qualifying and post-race on Saturdays and Sundays, respectively, to deliver analysis and the latest updates from the paddock with reporter Ted Kravitz.

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Announcing the changes, Sky said: “Sky Sports is preparing for one of the most highly anticipated F1 seasons in recent years. With viewership increasing year-on-year, 2026 promises to be even bigger with new cars and rule changes coming into play.

“Featuring an expert line-up, cutting-edge broadcast innovations, and the only place to watch live coverage of all 24 races, Sky Sports remains the ultimate destination for Formula 1 fans in the UK and Ireland.”

Wrexham host Premier League Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round tonight in the biggest fixture at the Racecourse Ground since Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds became owners almost five years ago.

The Welsh side have surged from English football’s fifth tier to the second with three successive promotions and are now lying sixth in the Championship, pushing for a place in the Premier League via the play-offs.

Wrexham went into administration in 2004, and for years the club survived on volunteer labour. A week before the season kicked off, fans would turn up to paint, sweep and fix locks on the turnstiles.

They toppled Nottingham Forest earlier in their FA Cup run, but facing eight-time winners Chelsea is another step up in class.

Liam Rosenior has only lost three games since taking over at Stamford Bridge, all of them to Arsenal, but Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over Aston Villa was a marker of progress after some sloppy dropped points.

Chelsea will be mindful of a Champions League last-16 tie against PSG this week, as well as the pressing priority of qualifying for that competition via a top-five finish in the Premier League.

Win tonight though, and Rosenior will be three games away from a major trophy which would go some way to ingratiating him with a sceptical Chelsea fanbase. Romeo Lavia is back for Chelsea, but Rosenior will not risk wingers Estevao and Jamie Gittens.

Wrexham were part of one of the FA Cup’s greatest upsets when they beat Arsenal in the 1992 third round, when Mickey Thomas scored a famous free-kick.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said: “When you go around the Wrexham area, the game most supporters will speak about is that Arsenal game, and this is our chance now to make some more memories for our supporters in the FA Cup.

“We did that with a great game against Nottingham Forest that went to a penalty shoot-out, and then obviously the Ipswich game. We’ve earned the right to have this kind of prestigious draw against Chelsea.

“We’re on a good run, and we’ve done well at home. It’s all about bringing our best performance to the table on Saturday night.”

Full team news on the way shortly.

Charmaine Hayward-Barnett, 35, was also jailed for six weeks for 20 shop thefts carried out across Harrogate over two and a half months. The town’s magistrates said she had a “flagrant disregard for people and their property”.

They made a two-year criminal behaviour order banning her from all Co-op, Sainsbury’s, Morrison Daily and One Stop shops in the town. She must pay £130 compensation.

There are nine Co-op stores, five Sainsbury’s, two Morrison Dailys and four One Stop shops in Harrogate.

Hayward-Barnett, of Woodfield Square, Harrogate, pleaded guilty to all offences. She stole:

From the Co-op: fruit worth £29.95 on January 4, fruit worth £38.40 on January 11, crisps worth £17.50 on January 17, crisps worth £8 on January 19, laundry products and groceries worth £31 on January 26, biscuits worth £9.25 on January 29; fruit worth £20 also on January 29, crème ages worth £40 on January 31, tea-bags to a value unknown on January 31, mini-eggs worth £46 on February 4, mini-eggs to an unknown value on February 5;

From Sainsbury’s: meat worth £41 on November 22, meat, salmon and potatoes to an unknown value on December 1,

From Morrisons:  laundry products worth £20 on November 24, burgers worth £5 on November 25, meat worth £45 on December 4,

From One Stop: chocolate and other food items worth £56 on December 27, meat worth £29.35 on December 29, toothpaste worth £34.80 on December 20,

From Superdrug: cosmetics worth £86 on December 19.

Statistically, attending a weekly worship service is a remarkably safe thing to do. Global annual attendance totals many billions; the number of people killed in attacks on individual houses of worship in any given year is generally less than a few hundred.

But an ambush Thursday targeting one of the nation’s largest synagogues — the latest in a spate of recent attacks targeting religious buildings — has intensified fear among clergy and worshippers worldwide.

Here is a list of some of the notable attacks that have occurred on houses of worship in the past 15 years.

United States

March 12, 2026: A man armed with a rifle rammed his vehicle into a major reform synagogue in a Detroit suburb and was fatally shot by security. The attacker drove through a set of doors and into a hallway where something in the vehicle ignited, a sheriff said. In the minutes after the attack, smoke billowed from the synagogue, which also houses an early childhood center. No one was injured.

Sept. 29, 2025: An ex-Marine smashed a pickup truck into a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church in Michigan, opened fire and set the building ablaze during a crowded Sunday service and then was fatally shot by police. Four people were killed and eight wounded.

Aug. 27, 2025: Two children were killed and several others were injured in a shooting during Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis. The shooter, who authorities say died of a self-inflicted gunshot, was a former student at the parish’s school.

Oct. 27, 2018: Eleven Jews attending services at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh were fatally shot by a white supremacist with a history of antisemitism. The gunman, Robert Bowers, faces execution after his conviction on multiple federal charges.

Nov. 5, 2017: A family feud is believed to have prompted the deadliest mass shooting in modern Texas history. Twenty-five people, including a pregnant woman, were killed at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.

June 17, 2015: A young man walked into a Bible study session at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and killed nine people. The victims included the senior pastor, Clementa Pinckney. The shooter was an avowed white supremacist who is awaiting execution after his conviction on multiple federal charges.

Aug. 5, 2012: Six people at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in the town of Oak Creek were shot to death by a 41-year-old white supremacist who had discussed a racial holy war. One of the injured victims died in 2020 from his head wound, becoming the seventh fatality.

Australia

Dec. 14, 2025: A father and son fatally shot 15 people at a Hanukkah festival on the famous Bondi Beach. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the massacre an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the nation.

Dec. 6, 2024: As part of a wave of antisemitic attacks, a synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed. The building was heavily damaged, and a congregation member was injured. Australian authorities have accused Iran of directing that attack.

Congo

July 27, 2025: Several dozen people were killed in Congo’s Ituri province when rebels stormed a Catholic church during a vigil and opened fire on worshippers.

Egypt

Egypt reeled in November 2017 from the killing of more than 300 people in a startlingly grisly militant attack on a mosque in northern Sinai frequented by Sufis, followers of a mystic movement within Islam. At that point, Egypt’s military and security forces had already been waging a campaign against militants in northern Sinai.

April 9, 2017: Suicide bombers struck hours apart at two Coptic churches in northern Egypt, killing more than 40 people and turning Palm Sunday services into scenes of horror and outrage. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility and vowed to continue attacks against Christians.

Britain

Oct. 2, 2025: An attack on a synagogue in Manchester, England, by a knife-wielding assailant left two congregation members dead. According to police, it was carried out by a man who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.

June 19, 2017: A man drove a van at pedestrians near a mosque in London as worshippers were leaving after prayers. One man died; a dozen others were injured. The attacker was sentenced to at least 43 years in prison. A judge said he had been radicalized by far-right and Islamophobic propaganda online.

France

Oct, 29, 2020: Three people were killed in a stabbing attack at a Catholic basilica in the French Riviera city of Nice. A Tunisian man charged with the attack was later sentenced to life imprisonment without parole, France’s most severe sentence possible.

July 26, 2016: Two assailants slit the throat of an 85-year-old priest after staging an attack on a Mass at a Catholic church in Normandy. The attackers were killed by police as they left the church. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Germany

Oct. 9, 2019: A right-wing extremist tried to shoot his way into a synagogue in Halle on Yom Kippur while broadcasting the attack live on a popular gaming site. After failing to open the building’s heavy doors, he shot and killed a woman in the street and a man at a nearby kebab shop. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.

March 9, 2023: A former member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses opened fire during a service at a Witnesses hall in Hamburg, killing six people and then himself. Nine other people were wounded.

Oct. 18, 2023: Assailants threw two Molotov cocktails at a synagogue in Berlin. The firebombs burst on the sidewalk next to the building, and two people who had approached the synagogue with them ran away with their faces covered. The attempted arson shortly after Hamas’ attack on Israel drew strong condemnation.

New Zealand

March 15, 2019: A white supremacist gunned down worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch during Friday prayers, killing 51. The attacks prompted new laws banning an array of semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. They also prompted global changes to social media protocols after the gunman livestreamed his attack on Facebook. The assailant was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, the first time the maximum available sentence had been imposed in New Zealand.

Norway

Aug. 10, 2019: A white nationalist Norwegian, Philip Manshaus, killed his Chinese-born stepsister and then drove to a mosque in an Oslo suburb where three men were preparing for Eid al-Adha celebrations. He fired rifle shots at the mosque’s glass door before being overpowered by one of the men.

Syria

June 22, 2025: A suicide bomber opened fire and then detonated an explosive vest inside a Greek Orthodox church near Damascus filled with people praying, killing more than 20 and wounding dozens, state media reported.

It was a very different Palace line-up than started for Glasner in October. Former captain Marc Guehi joined Manchester City in January, while the arrivals of Strand Larsen, Evann Guessand and Brennan Johnson – all of whom started – infused new energy, but none were influential enough.

61 North Bondgate is believed to have been built in the late 19th or early 20th century.

However, it has been significantly altered over the years and has stood empty since 2017.

Due to structural concerns, the owner, The Auckland Project, submitted a proposal to tear it down.

Plans were given the green light by Durham County Council on March 10.

Demolition is to take place on weekdays between 8am and 6pm, and Saturdays between 8am and 2pm.

No public objections were made to the plans.

As the US-Israel war against Iran is well into its second week, with no sign of ending, it is having ever wider global ripple effects. Beyond severe consequences for the world economy, the political and diplomatic fallout has also had a significant impact on Europe.

Europe is being forced to address the consequences of two wars of choice that are not of its making: the Trump-Netanyahu war against Iran and Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine. The European Union is increasingly straining to maintain unity as its institutions and member states struggle to align their interests confronted by such an unprecedented situation.

Divisions at the top of the EU institutions are increasingly playing out in the open. The EU is drawn between trying to maintain at least a minimum of transatlantic cohesion to keep the US on side in its confrontation with Russia, and its defence of an equally minimal pretence that international law still matters.

The result is mixed messaging on the US-Israeli war against Iran. Commission president Ursula von der Leyen was first clearly at odds with the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, before being contradicted by the commission’s executive vice-president Teresa Ribera and EU council president António Costa.

Such public spats between top EU officials are highly unusual. In fact, one of the least expected and most remarkable developments over the past four years since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has been the extent to which the European Union has changed and yet remained broadly united.

The EU’s response to Russia’s aggression was – uncharacteristically – one of breaking several taboos and at high speed. First, Brussels provided EU funds to non-member Ukraine for military equipment and training its armed forces. Over the past four years, the EU has risen to become Ukraine’s most important supporter. Second, and as significantly, the EU embarked on the process of making the development of Europe’s military capabilities a core future priority for Brussels. For a bloc whose core philosophy is focused peace through economic integration, this, too, was unheard of before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

These changes would not have been possible without the support of key member states, many of whom have abandoned longstanding and often highly cherished traditions as well.

Critically, this has been led by Germany and France, the EU’s two largest powers. In Germany, the then-chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Zeitenwende (turning point) speech just days after the war started triggered a fundamental rethink about the country’s relationship with Russia which had undeniably turned from a potential partner to an openly hostile adversary. This paved the way, among other things, for the sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU.

Scholz’s succcessor, Friedrich Merz, completed Germany’s geopolitical repositioning with his commitment to a European defence identity that will ultimately be independent from the US. This reflects an acknowledgement that the transatlantic pillar of US security for Europe has become too fragile under Donald Trump to continue to provide a dependable safety net for the continent.

The French embrace of European strategic autonomy may have been less surprising than in the German case. However, Paris recently announced concrete steps to expand its nuclear weapons arsenal and extend the French nuclear umbrella to eight European allies. This is a significant shift in doctrine. It will see nuclear-capable planes of the French air force stationed abroad for the first time.

Berlin’s participation in this scheme breaks another major taboo in Germany, while British participation is a clear indication that EU defence thinking has become more flexible. The idea of a “coalition of the willing” that includes members of both the EU and of Nato breaks with the traditional division of labour between them. It has the potential of providing a new anchor of European security that could overcome the rigidity of EU and Nato structures, including their dependence on consensus decisions.

All of these, and other, shifts in the EU’s geopolitical awakening have come at a cost, however.

European disunion

A longstanding row between Hungary and Slovakia, on the one hand, and Ukraine, on the other, over Russian oil deliveries via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline has significantly escalated. Budapest has vetoed the delivery of an agreed €90 billion (£77 billion) loan to Kyiv and threatened to block new sanctions against Russia.

There is now also an open debate in Brussels – principally between some member states and the European Commission – on at least the timing, if not the broader prospects, of Ukrainian accession to the EU.

None of these challenges will quickly disappear, nor are there easy answers to them. The idea of the heart of the European project – that economic integration and investment in a rules-based liberal international order would make the continent safe – turned out to be naive.

First, Moscow’s willingness to disrupt the international relations of Europe by force dealt a serious blow to the idea that the EU’s combined power could sufficiently constrain a revisionist and expansionist Russia. Second, and perhaps even more sobering, Washington’s willingness to stake a claim for the acquisition of Greenland, initially not ruling out the use of force, threatened the territory of Denmark, a European Nato ally and EU member. This at once cast the dependability of the transatlantic alliance into a whole new, and unwelcome, light.

The EU’s age of innocence is now over. Trump and Putin have delivered major shocks to the political psyche of European leaders. While this continues to be a painful process, Europe as a whole cannot afford a breakdown in the hard-won consensus over the need to support Ukraine and invest in its own defences. This would have serious negative consequences for the continent’s ability to survive in a world in which once-established rules of state conduct are rapidly dismantled.

After four years of war and more than a year of Trump 2.0, the EU has shaken off the conception of being a “civilian power”. But reshaping the current chaos into a new order that is once again conducive to the European project will require hard work for Europeans to be seen as being geopolitically relevant.

Jeff Blair died in hospital having suffered serious injuries in what has been described by his employer as “a shocking and horrendous incident” on Dent Street in Shildon.

The Northern Echo understands that the 55-year-old former police officer was working at the time of the attack shortly after 1pm on Tuesday (March 10). He died shortly after arrival at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Jeff Blair, 55, died following a suspected assault in Dent Street (Image: DURHAM POLICE)

Robert Davies, 49, of Dent Street, Shildon, was arrested on Tuesday. He has tonight (Thursday, March 12) been charged with murder, possession of an offensive weapon, and affray.

He has been remanded in custody to appear at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court tomorrow, March 13.

Jeff, a former Durham Constabulary police officer, had worked as a response PC across the south of the county for 22 years before retiring in 2017.

Police searching drains on the scene today (March 12) (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Detective Chief Inspector Sharon Alderson, who is leading the investigation, said: “This has been a deeply upsetting incident which has caused a great deal of shock to the local community.

“Our thoughts are with Jeff’s family and all those who knew and loved him at this difficult time.

“We will continue to have a police presence at the scene, and I’d like to thank the public and nearby residents for their patience, understanding, and cooperation while we work to establish exactly what has happened.

“We are keen to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has any information that could help the investigation and has not yet spoken to us.”

Dent Street, Shildon (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

A spokesperson for HM Courts and Tribunals Service said earlier: “Our thoughts and condolences are with Jeff Blair’s family, friends and those who worked with him.

“This was a shocking and horrendous incident. Violence against our hardworking staff is completely unacceptable, and we are providing support to our colleagues affected by this tragedy.”

It is understood a review into working practices will now take place to decide whether further protections are needed for bailiffs.

A police van and police car were still in place at the cordon on Dent Street this afternoon (Image: ANDY FUTERS)

Following his death, Jeff’s family paid tribute to him, saying: “Jeff was a much-loved son, brother, father, partner, uncle, and good friend to many.

“His ability to apply humour and laughter to any situation and lighten the mood will be irreplaceable to our family.

“We are devastated to lose Jeff in such tragic circumstances, and he will be forever missed and remembered always, with much love and affection.”

Darlington Storm Basketball Club said Jeff was a former player, coach and committee member.

In a tribute shared on social media, the club said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this very traumatic and troublesome time.”

Durham County Council is set to approve the changes as part of plans to make tenancies “fairer and more flexible” for plot owners. 

Vehicles, parts and caravans are currently banned, but a transition rule allows tenants who already have a caravan to keep it until their tenancy ends or the caravan becomes a hazard.

The proposals follow a public consultation carried out by the local authority earlier this year, which received 343 responses from the public. 

Nicola Lyons, cabinet member for stronger communities and belonging, said: “Your feedback has helped to shape these proposals, which we believe will result in fairer and more flexible tenancy agreements that not only reflect modern growing practices, but the need to ensure allotments remain tidy and productive.”

Cabinet members will be asked to agree to several changes to its allotment policy, transition rules and tenancy agreements at a meeting on Wednesday (March 18). 

Also included in the proposals are plans to reduce the minimum cultivation level from 75 per cent to 50 per cent, including what is grown in greenhouses and polytunnels. 

The qualifying period for co-workers to automatically gain the tenancy of a plot if the lead tenant gives it up would be reduced from five years to three.

Demand for allotments remains high in County Durham, with more than 2,300 people on the waiting list.

Meanwhile, the current ban on cockerels due to noise nuisance is set to be lifted. 

Cllr Lyons added: “Allotments are valued community assets, providing a space for people to grow their own food and experience the health benefits of time spent outdoors. They also bring families together and create a sense of connection among people of all ages.

“We know how much allotments mean to people; that’s why we were so keen to hear from tenants and anyone with an interest in allotments before making any changes. I would like to thank everyone who took part in the consultation.

When Nicky Chance-Thompson first visited the Piece Hall in Halifax, it was in a ‘terrible state of disrepair’. Today it’s the town’s ‘golden goose’ welcoming some of the biggest names in music

A huge 66,000 square foot open-air courtyard, Halifax’s Piece Hall is unlike anywhere else in the world – and that’s a fact. This Grade-I listed Georgian cloth hall is the only one of its kind, but that’s not the only thing which makes this stunning tourist attraction so special.

As well as being a piece of history, it’s very much grounded in the present as one of the North’s major music venues hosting some of the biggest names in the world. This year the line-up includes Madness, The Kooks, David Byrne and CMAT to name but a few.

Another string to its bow are the Christmas markets it puts on every festive season, which welcome thousands of visitors. Oh, it’s also worth mentioning that it’s home to a diverse range of independent shops, cafes and bars which operate all-year round.

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A 40-minute train ride from Manchester, Halifax has become a popular destination for Mancunians, whether it’s for a market visit or to head to an open-air gig in the summer months. The Piece Hall has played a huge part in that success.

It recently welcomed its 20 millionth visitor and it’s on track for a surplus of £300k this financial year. Not bad considering that just under 10 years ago it wasn’t even open to the public.

Over the last couple of decades the Piece Hall has been transformed from a tired, unused space into an engine for economic growth and a major tourist destination. One of the masterminds behind its transformation is the current CEO of the Piece Hall, Nicky Chance-Thompson.

Nicky moved up to Yorkshire in 2006 from London as her husband’s family is from Halifax, and the Piece Hall was one of the first buildings he took her to as it was somewhere his family were connected to because of the markets.

At the time the Piece Hall was in a “terrible state of disrepair”. Nicky had been working on major projects across the world in her day job and she thought the piece hall could really do with some TLC, “it wasn’t a place where people would visit or hang out”.

In 2010 Calderdale Council was awarded funding by the Heritage Lottery fund to restore and redevelop the Piece Hall with restoration beginning in 2014. Funding also came from the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation.

Nicky describes this move by the Council as a “brave decision” at the time, given the austerity measures of 2010-2012. “I think they thought that this could be a really valuable asset, which needs to be nurtured, cherished and protected. If done correctly it could be a catalyst for regeneration in the area – a bit like what Covent Garden has done in London.”

Initially Nicky was a trustee, balancing the role alongside her day job working in major infrastructure projects across the USA, Europe and the UK. In 2017 the CEO left the business and Nicky was brought in as the interim CEO thanks to her skillset with the goal of creating a plan to get the building open.

Realising the mammoth task at hand, eventually Nicky quit her day job and took a “significant pay cut” in the process and gave up dreams of buying a property in France, which meant she could “get this marvellous building open again”.

The Piece Hall officially opened on August 1, 2017 – fittingly on Yorkshire Day. Since then – in Nicky’s words – it’s gone “from strength to strength” and now welcomes some of the biggest names in music. In fact the Piece Hall has become so renowned as a music venue that artists actually ask to play there, rather than the other way round.

She told the M.E.N: “This year we’ve got our biggest music series yet with 42 concerts of high calibre acts, including Johnny Depp and Hollywood vampires, Empire of the Sun, who are my personal favourite this year – and I believe they’re only doing three shows, one of which is the Piece Hall.

“We’re not seeing these types of the acts of this calibre performing at other venues of a similar capacity elsewhere, certainly not at the scale that we’ve got with a capacity of 6,000. Obviously Manchester can pull in these big names because you have these big venues, yet we’re managing to do it and actually break even or make money.

“We’ve got a great partnership with Live Nation and I work closely with Daniel Cuffe and Peter Taylor [who founded Cuffe & Taylor, now part of entertainment company Live Nation], we share the same dream and the same vision. For example, they agreed to allow our tenant bars to remain open when the concerts are taking place allowing them to benefit from the gigs. They understand that community is so important to us.”

Of course, it helps having such a unique building to offer, which drives “curiosity”, as Nicky puts it. “The Piece Hall was kind of known as a hidden gem and people hadn’t heard of it – so there’s this interest to see this amazing building. It’s a beautiful building and to experience music here, in this space, is quite ethereal and magical.

“You get goosebump moments here, where you’re standing in history, in this phenomenal building, listening to your favourite bands – in my case Duran Duran. But whoever that may be, you still get that same feeling.

“It’s almost like this place was built for concerts, because it’s got this kind of amphitheatre feel to it. The sound is unbelievable, it echoes and bounces.”

The Piece Hall isn’t just known for its music scene, every winter it holds Christmas Markets for the course of five to six weeks. “These bring in around 300,000 people, and the markets are almost like stepping back in time. It feels like a Dickensian film, especially when it’s snowing, it’s really beautiful and we’ve got high quality producers too. As a series of market towns, it’s in our DNA to love markets, and we’ve been told we’re rather good at them now.”

Naturally running a building as unique as the Piece Hall comes with its challenges, and the biggest one is “balancing the books”. Nicky highlights that the building is very expensive to run, but they do not rely entirely on public funding, instead operating at a model which is around 70 per cent commercial and 30 per cent public funding.

Unlike other historic buildings, the Piece Hall doesn’t charge for entry due to the shops and facilities within, and it doesn’t have a car park which is another way of generating revenue. “We’re not the only ones that feel this pain, but we try to be as self-sustaining as we can, and I believe that we have been over time. But it would be madness to suggest that we could be self-sustaining without public funding – for example there are other cultural assets out there which don’t generate 300,000 visitors [like the Piece Hall], charge entry and receive £90,000 of government funding,” Nicky said.

“You’d say, well where’s the national funding for this important asset that’s doing two things: it’s preserving this marvelous building for future generations and creating economic and socioeconomic uplift for the area.

“But it’s not just about the money, it’s also about opportunity. We have the Academy which takes on young people and nurtures creative skills, we deliver events, we’re extending into TV and film – so on that basis, you could argue that if you want this to be a regional and cultural asset it will always require some level of public funding. The question of where from will always be asked, and that’s very much an ongoing debate.”

Nicky explains that even though the Piece Hall puts on these huge music events, they also bring huge costs such as the infrastructure and security. Even the weather can have an impact as the better it is the more likely people will spend in the bars.

She added: “I think the challenge going forward is recognising that this is Halifax’s golden goose, and you want to preserve the golden goose that’s doing these wonderful things for the economy, then you need to support it. It’s always going to require some formal support in the future. Obviously when we set out with these plans all those years ago the world was a very different place back then, so we need to adapt. Will we ever be self-sustaining? No, but we can always strive to minimise the pull on the public purse as much as we can.”

Transforming a local landmark and attracting visitors doesn’t just benefit the building itself, it has repercussions for the wider economy, as well as boosting civic pride, as Nicky explained: “I think a lot of people in Halifax are proud of the Piece Hall, they love and cherish it, and they’re proud of what we’re doing. There are a few voices of discontent, but I think that happens with any success story and there’s always a difference of opinion of how it should be run and how it should be used. We’ve got a sustained high street because of the Piece Hall – Lloyds Bank have stayed here, M&S have stayed here, so that shows that we’re sustaining employers in the area.”

The Piece Hall is part of a huge tourism boom in the Calderdale region which has also benefitted nearby towns like Hebden Bridge and Todmorden, boosted by TV writer Sally Wainwright’s creations such as Gentleman Jack, Happy Valley, Last Tango in Halifax and Riot Women. According to Visit Calderdale, in 2024 the region welcomed 7.179 million day visitors, worth £469.86m to the local economy. “These have all given a sharp focus to the area, we’re really rich in history, rich with interesting stories and there’s a lot which is yet to be told,” Nicky explained. “Cultural assets like these create a sense of place, create narrative, and create stories that people are fascinated by, which means you get tourism.”

One thing which is clear is Nicky’s passion for the Piece Hall, no doubt a key part in its success. “I’m aware of the responsibility we have and we take this very seriously, but looking after this building is a side of life which is about fun. We’re creating magic for people, memories, experiences and allowing them to enjoy this building – which is the only one of its type left in the world. It’s like our Eiffel Tower.

“I believe it deserves more spotlight, that’s what our next ambition is.” Nicky indeed has big plans; she travelled to India last year as part of a delegation following Keir Starmer’s visit, focussing on businesses with a common interest with India – which the Piece Hall has through its history with trading cloth and textiles. Nicky was invited to speak about the topic of culture and heritage, discussing the role of people and culture as a unifier. “If we’re going to be a world-class destination, we need to ensure that we are engaging and having relationships with other parts of the world.”

The Piece Hall’s transformation offers a blueprint for other ‘unloved’ historic buildings across the North and Nicky has been invited to share her expertise elsewhere. She added: “I’m often invited to go to places to help them understand their strengths and how they can play into them. I think Andy Burnham once said he’s not envious of anything in Yorkshire except the Piece Hall – which is a bit naughty but we’ll take the accolade.

“I think the sense of place is the really important thing, you need to ask what’s important to the people, what are the stories of the place? When you prioritise that you’re reinforcing the community. Many places have lost that social infrastructure – I’m very envious of places where there’s a strong sense of community. I think Liverpool is a good example of this, they have a strong sense of who they are, and they’re proud of it. Some of that has been carved out of adversity, but some of that has also been carved out of a love of place – and we need to start doing more of that in the UK.”

Nicky reveals that they do see a lot of visitors from Manchester, but they’re keen to encourage even more. “The Piece Hall is just a part of their heritage as much as it is the heritage of the people of Halifax. Own it, be proud of it. Many of the artists who perform here are Manchester artists and they love it. Johnny Marr said to me that this is all people talk about, The Charlatans, they love it here. We have some great independent traders who are working really hard to make this a wonderful attraction and a really wonderful place to come.”

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