This beloved Hackney venue is at risk of closure
The Bath House in Hackney Wick could be forced to close following a Hackney Council decision to end its lease.
Sat inside the restored Victorian baths at 80 Eastway, the multi-use, not-for-profit space is a regular host of one of Time Out's top nights out in London, Giant Steps. But it's a lot more than that. The Bath House is home to a cafe, bar and multiple events spaces and studios where people go for things like community-led life drawing classes, ice bath sessions, craft workshops and live music of almost every kind. It describes itself as 'a local institution, fuelled by care and collectivism'.
Now, the Bath House has launched a petition calling on local leaders to intervene in the council's plan. It says that it was made without due process.
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A post shared by The Bath House (@the.bath.house.hw)
On its website, the Bath House wrote: 'This is about more than a building—it's about who gets to shape our cities. The Bath House stands as a living model of what's possible when local people are empowered to lead: a self-sustaining civic hub generating not just public benefit, but deep social wealth.'
At the time of writing, the petition has gathered nearly 4,000 signatures. One signatory said 'I regularly come to London from Oxford just for the ecstatic dances at the Bath House. This community saved me and is a wonderful, healing, fantastic gem,' while another commented 'I can't imagine life without this space. It's been a home and a family for years now. It's an incredibly special places is so central to so many of our community'.
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Time Out
4 hours ago
- Time Out
This beloved Hackney venue is at risk of closure
The Bath House in Hackney Wick could be forced to close following a Hackney Council decision to end its lease. Sat inside the restored Victorian baths at 80 Eastway, the multi-use, not-for-profit space is a regular host of one of Time Out's top nights out in London, Giant Steps. But it's a lot more than that. The Bath House is home to a cafe, bar and multiple events spaces and studios where people go for things like community-led life drawing classes, ice bath sessions, craft workshops and live music of almost every kind. It describes itself as 'a local institution, fuelled by care and collectivism'. Now, the Bath House has launched a petition calling on local leaders to intervene in the council's plan. It says that it was made without due process. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Bath House (@ On its website, the Bath House wrote: 'This is about more than a building—it's about who gets to shape our cities. The Bath House stands as a living model of what's possible when local people are empowered to lead: a self-sustaining civic hub generating not just public benefit, but deep social wealth.' At the time of writing, the petition has gathered nearly 4,000 signatures. One signatory said 'I regularly come to London from Oxford just for the ecstatic dances at the Bath House. This community saved me and is a wonderful, healing, fantastic gem,' while another commented 'I can't imagine life without this space. It's been a home and a family for years now. It's an incredibly special places is so central to so many of our community'.
Scottish Sun
11 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
‘Eerie portal to a lost world' that lies beneath council estate – network of abandoned tunnels left to rot for 60 years
A body was discovered in the tunnels FROZEN IN TIME 'Eerie portal to a lost world' that lies beneath council estate – network of abandoned tunnels left to rot for 60 years A EERIE maze of tunnels left to rot under a council estate has been likened to a "portal to a lost world". They are buried deep beneath a quiet Greater Manchester housing estate, the 1,332-yard tunnel was closed over 60 years ago. 5 The tunnels run under a council estate in Manchester Credit: Facebook 5 One of the refuge points where workers would stand as the train passed Credit: Facebook Known as Lydgate Tunnel, this Victorian-era passage runs between Grotton and Grasscroft in Saddleworth, and was once part of the infamous Delph Donkey line on the London and North Western Railway. Opening in 1856, the tunnel was hailed as a triumph of engineering. The West Yorkshire Advertiser called it 'firmly built' with 'scarcely any vibration' as trains thundered through. But its construction came at a cost. Just a year before opening, labourer Luke Crossby, 31, tragically plunged to his death down an 85-yard shaft. In 1855, the Manchester Courier described how he 'missed the tub' and fell headfirst. His body was found 'much shattered' and the coroner returned a verdict of accidental death. For nearly a century, the tunnel echoed with the sound of steam engines, until the Delph Donkey line was axed in 1955, part of the controversial Beeching cuts that destroyed Britain's rail network. Freight trains rolled through for a few more years, but by 1964, Lydgate Tunnel was sealed off and left to the elements. Now, this creepy time capsule lies hidden beneath homes, fenced off from the public – but that hasn't stopped urban explorers from sneaking in and sharing spine-tingling photos online. Images posted to the Disused Railway Tunnels UK Facebook page show a haunting scene. Car graveyard with 300 classic vehicles abandoned in field goes up for sale – some can be driven straight from lot The tunnel's eastern entrance is bricked up, only accessible through a locked steel door or shuttered window. Despite six decades of abandonment, the brickwork inside is well-preserved. One explorer described it as 'a portal to another long-lost world', while another claimed mist 'hovered in layers… very eerie.' Comments flood in calling it 'spooky,' 'atmospheric,' and a 'forgotten gem.' Local residents shared memories of walking through the tunnel as children. One said: 'I was born just 30 yards from the Grotton end. "Walked it from the age of eight. The alcoves were there to shelter from oncoming trains.' Others slammed authorities for allowing such a 'stunning piece of Victorian craftsmanship' to fall into obscurity. 'All we had to do was maintain it, but instead we abandoned it,' wrote one user. Martin Zero, a content creator with a fascination with derelict buildings shared a video from the depths of the tunnels which has already been watched over 26,000 times. There are growing calls to bring Lydgate Tunnel back to life – not for trains, but for people. Martin pointed out the ventilation shafts and the refuges, which were where railway workers could hide for safety when a train passed through. Describing these refuges, Martin said: 'I think it's impressive. It's quite scary because when you look at that, you get the impression of what you're going through, what surrounds us, and what they've had to tunnel through to get here. 'You get the impression of what they were faced with when they were coming through the tunnel, just rock. I find it quite daunting, to be honest.' One YouTube user commented: 'I travelled on the Delph Donkey every day with my mum to Glodwick Road station in Oldham, where she worked. My dad also caught the train to Platts. "I was born in 1951, and on one occasion mice, bred in Delph for research, and dispatched by the Delph Donkey, escaped from their cages, and caused chaos amongst the passengers.' 5 It has become a hot spot for urban explorers Credit: Facebook 5 A body was discovered soon after the tunnels opened Credit: Facebook
North Wales Live
a day ago
- North Wales Live
The best bathroom in Wales is in a former care home
Refurbishing a bathroom in a heritage property often poses unique technical challenges. When the owner is insisting the result remains in fashion for decades, the list of potential headaches grows for the builder tasked with carrying out the project. for Mike Robson, tackling an intricate conversion in a former care home was to prove the toughest in his four decades of experience. Not only was he asked to restore the period property into a single-family home, his team had to extend and renovate the house. The owners also wanted to converting two first-floor rooms into a spacious bed and bath area. Somehow Mike, of Talbot Green Construction and Landscaping, pulled it off. At an awards ceremony dominated by South Wales builders and architects, his firm collected the "Best bathroom in Wales 2025" accolade from the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) Cymru. Despite the Penarth commission being the most complex bathroom project Mike and his team have worked on, he took it in his stride. He says he doesn't stress: having been in the trade for over 40 years, he's been around long enough to know there's always a solution. Mike said: "I don't get stressed about things - if I wake up in the morning and I'm breathing that's good enough for me! "No matter what problems arise, I can sort them out, they are miniscule compared to what can happen in life." Faced with converting two rooms into a bedroom and and bath ensuite, considerable structural work was needed before Mike could start thinking about the finishings. For this, a load-bearing wall had to be removed to merge the spaces, reports Wales Online. Mike said this required extensive effort. "It's probably the most work I've done on a bathroom," he said. "We had to take down a load-bearing wall to knock the two rooms into one space and then create the ensuite in the former bedroom. "We had to install the supporting steel beam and then take up the whole floor because the joists weren't adequate to take the weight of the bath, water and, obviously, a person. "Also, underneath is a living room which was going to have a chandelier hanging down which weighed a tonne, so we took it right back to basics and bricks." Happily, there wasn't an 'Only Fools and Horses' moment with the chandelier. All the structural specifications were done by an engineer and everthing went to plan. Mike recalled: "All the joists were replaced and strengthened and levelled because, as you can imagine, it's an old building, nothing is straight or level, so it can be a nightmare. "But we have an extremely good bathroom and kitchen fitter called Darren Dauncey - everyone knows him as Daz - and his attention to detail is second to none. "He is extremely good, he can see any problems before they actually arise because of his years of experience." The South Glamoran owners were very understanding of the challenges of knocking around a property more than a century old. True to form the Victorian property "kept throwing curve balls at us", they said, adding: "At every obstacle Mike and the team had a solution. "From first fix to the final finishes their attention to detail was second to none and we could not be happier with the end result." The floor, which houses all the pipes and plumbing, required additional work before the marble flooring and luxury fittings could be installed. The bath in particular posed the greatest challenge. Mike explained: "Getting the first fix plumbing into place was tricky because it had to come from the other side of the room and all the pipes needed to be hidden. So there was chasing out the walls, as well as the joists - the logistics of getting the pipework from A to B. "The bath is actually my favourite part of the bathroom, even though it was the most challenging. We needed to support the floor underneath it due to the weight of the marble floor tiles, the bath itself, the water when it's full and, obviously, a person too. "Then we had to hide all the pipework for the bath, water waste and the stand-alone tap. To look at it, it's just a bath and a tap but from our point of view it was a challenge but a very satisfying one to complete." The bathroom at the far end features a separate walk-in shower, a separate toilet and a sauna. All were positioned on a wall which, while it made construction easier, it was harder to conceal the plumbing. Mike said the house, being an older Victorian property, has high ceilings, and this offered the solution. It allowed the team to create a suspended ceiling to conceal additional items needed for the sleek and uncluttered design that so impressed the FMB judges. "The original ceilings were delaminated lath and plaster," Mike continued. "So an MF grid ceiling was installed, not only giving a new level and solid ceiling but all the extraction ducts and services could be run in the void created." The space for the sauna was prepared, including all the first fix elements, before Cardiff-based BOS leisure arrived on site to install it. Other notable features include marble skirtings and dado rails. Mike, a seasoned builder from Talbot Green, stressed the importance of client communication in successful construction projects. He said: "When starting to put things back together we always ask the client if they are sure they want things exactly to the drawings, such as the location of a plug socket or light switch before we do it. They are the clients and they are going to live in the place. "So we are keen to confirm everything with them that they definitely want things as per the drawings or interior designer specifications." Despite recently earning the accolade for 'best bathroom in Wales 2025', Mike, 61, remains modest, attributing the victory to his team's skill and hard work. He's certainly not looking for online recognition. He admitted: "I'm a dinosaur really, I've never seen a social media page and when I have to turn the computer on I feel like smacking my head against a wall! But I'm really content, I'm always active, I can't just sit still, I've got an allotment and I'm always doing stuff." Yet, Mike's building skills are anything but outdated, as evidenced by the award-winning bathroom. He said: "My aim is that whatever the client needs, I will hold their hand and help them through the process. "But at the end of the day it's their home and I treat that with the greatest of respect. All my clients are a pleasure to work for, I'm very fortunate."
