Sackville Street

An indicted hero: honouring Alan Turing as a gay man failed by society | Pride Month 2024
Alan Turing (1912-1954) was a mathematician, computer scientist and codebreaker whose work at the British Intelligence Service was instrumental in breaking the German Enigma machine and curtailing WWII. Despite the contributions to his country and the mathematics community, Turing was ultimately criminalised for his sexuality, with homosexuality remaining illegal until 1967, 13 years after his […]

Halloween Special: Through the UMISTs of time – Sackville’s spooky past
Picture the scene: a mist (or should that be a UMIST?) hangs low over an old city churchyard. Men and boys are busily digging pits in the earth, in search of the deceased who have lain in rest here for close to a century. In total, they will uncover and move thousands of bodies – but why? Read on to learn more about The University of Manchester’s ghoulish history.

Godlee Observatory – Sackville Street’s best-kept secret
At the top of Sackville Street Building is a little secret – and it’s something all of us in Manchester have a share in. Next time you walk by, look up. You might just spot the white dome that is home to the Godlee Observatory. This tiny window to the stars has been at the […]