The Manchester Museum that only opens once a week
From 1879 until 1979, 57A Newton Street Manchester operated as a police station. On Tuesdays it relives its past glory as a museum. But this museum is as much about the people inside it as it is about the displays.
Most days as you walk down Manchester’s bustling Newton Street you can easily pass by Greater Manchester Police Museum’s locked doors without noticing it. But on Tuesdays you would struggle to miss a fully uniformed and beaming Mike Heyes.
Mike is welcoming people from as far afield as Amsterdam and the United States into the museum which stands in the original police building occupied by Greater Manchester Police and its predecessors since 1879.
Inside you can find the original holding cells and a magistrate court dating back to 1895. However, what really brings the museum to life is the people inside it. Every volunteer is a former member of Greater Manchester Police and adds their own experiences to the exhibits.
In the magistrate court former bank manager Tim Barnes shows visitors around. Tired of early retirement he took up a new career in forensics for Greater Manchester Police, learning the tricks of the trade on the job. He now spends some of his second retirement volunteering at the museum.
Mike Heyes is a former police search diver. He investigated Manchester’s canals and waterways for many years and, if you can get him talking, he certainly has a story or two to tell. Volunteering gives him a chance to share his tales with the public.
He said: “One day I came down to have a look at the museum and I knew everyone here. It was like being back on the job again!”
The museum has proved so popular with visitors that opening for a second day a week is being discussed. During the school holidays over 500 people can visit the museum in a day.
How does Mike feel about his newfound popularity? He said: “It’s just nice to have the public on our side for a change!”
Greater Manchester police museum is open on Tuesdays from 10:30 to 16:00.
