Survive & thrive

Purpose built and first used as the home of Barton Transport Limited (Bartons) from 1913, The Garage was the official base of a family firm that went on to become, for a time, the largest independent bus operator in Western Europe.

Over the last 15 years The Garage has undergone quite a surprising transformation, and now it’s the atmosphere often compared to the best parts of bohemian London or something from your favourite European city people know it for. It's gaining a reputation as an amazing cultural venue for, well, just about anything you can think of.

Over the last decade, The Garage has hosted anything from Warehouse Parties, Beer Festivals, Indoor and Drive in Cinemas, Modern Art Exhibitions and Food Festivals to Stand-Up Comedy, Silent Discos, Music Festivals, and artisan Markets.

Keep up to date with everything happening at The Garage this year

Janet

Rylands residents have a wealth of outdoor space including water ways, big skies and green spaces to enjoy, and from Spring 2023 onwards we will also benefit from an increase in indoor space with the long-awaited opening of the New Plessey Club.

The new building at the end of Victory Road on the north west side of the Rylands has been provided as part of the requirements placed on the builders of the new housing development that it forms part of.

Beeston Rylands Community Association (BRCA) is a Rylands based charity whose sole aim is to work to improve and enhance the lives of residents living in the Rylands and the surrounding areas. They currently run the Leyton Crescent Community Centre and are delighted to have been given the opportunity to expand their work by taking on the running of this new building.

In late December I was fortunate to have the opportunity to have a sneak preview of the new building, and although there was still plenty of work to do before completion, I was able to see enough to recognise the potential and vast possibilities of the building. What struck me was the expansive nature of the function room, along with lovely modern kitchen and bathroom facilities, and obviously all is wheelchair and pushchair friendly.

The new building has a function room big enough for the largest of social event hire, and perfect for ambitious community activities. There is also a comfortable sized meeting room. BRCA intend to ensure it compliments rather than competes with the publicly and privately owned community spaces already available within the Rylands.

Amanda Claire Millington Development Officer for BRCA explained that Leyton

Crescent centre will remain the perfect space for community groups like The Friday Club, Support Through Sport, Kung Fu, Fitter Sitters, Kids Parties and the like, and the Plessey Club will offer something more for adults in the community.

The space will be available to private and group hire, and whilst it’s unlikely to host sequined ballroom dancing, or the crowning of Miss Plessey like its predecessor, it will host a variety of events scheduled by BRCA to offer something for everyone, including games nights, live comedy, musical acts etc.

For further updates, keep an eye on social media posts by BRCA.

To have your say on what you’d like to New Plessey Club to offer, you can contribute to their online survey at: forms.gle/t8sqqsxV5EC415Fd8 JS