1. Manchester Bomb Blast
LESSON OBJECTIVE:
To know information about the
Manchester bomb blast and to be able
to write about it

2. You all have a
‘Manchester
bombings Fact Sheet’
with a number of
questions on it.
As I go through the
information, see how
many questions you
can answer!

3. Manchester Bomb Blast
June 1996 a normal
shopping day in
Manchester City
Centre was the
target of an IRA
bomb that sent
shockwaves
throughout the city.
This is how it happened.

4. The Manchester Arndale
Manchester Arndale Centre opened in 1976 and
Centre before 1996
it was the largest of all the Arndale shopping
centres being built across the UK at the time.
Manchester was a very popular place to shop
not just because of the variety of shopping in
the Arndale Centre but also with big name
stores all within walking distance.
Shoppers flocked to the centre every Saturday
and June 15th 1996 was no different. It was
estimated 75,000 to 80,000 shoppers and
workers were in the city centre that day.

5. In the 1970s the IRA had started a UK bombing
Warrington Bomb Scene
campaign. th
20 March 1993
It’s targets were mainly military but over the next
20 years these changed and were aimed at non-
military targets also.
In the 1990s there were devastating bombings of
Warrington (killing two children) and London
causing millions of pounds worth of damage.
The purpose was to attack the UK in the ongoing
‘war’ for Irish independence in the north.

6. At 9.45 am message was The Van outside M&S TV
received by Granada
station and it said that there was a bomb in the
centre.
The van was parked on Corporation Street
between Marks & Spencer’s and the Arndale.
Police recognised the IRA ‘codeword’ and after
spotting the van, began evacuating the area at
10.00 am.
One hour and twenty minutes later the whole of
Manchester was shaken by the largest bomb ever
exploded on mainland Britain.

7. The good work of the police, Damage guards and
M&S: The security
other emergency services made sure most people
were as far away from the blast as possible.
Amazingly not one person was killed however 212
people were injured.
The main cause of the injuries was falling glass from
the buildings surrounding the city. Those that needed
hospital treatment were put on a tram to get to
North Manchester General Hospital or even walked
to the Royal Infirmary near the University.
One pregnant lady was blown 15ft in the air but was
fine!

8. 12 Buildings in the immediate area were severley
damaged including the Arndale Centre andTown
Manchester M&S.
Centre
The Arndale Centre and M&S were drastically rebuilt
however some businesses did not survive the effects.
The Royal Exchange Theatre needed 2 ½ years of
repairs.
The Corn Exchange, famous for it’s second hand
market stalls and boutiques became The Triangle.
It is estimated 40% of the businesses in the affected
area stopped trading as a result of the bomb.

9. Interesting Landmarks!
• The Post Box
• Shambles Square

10. One of the few things left intact and standing was
a post box, near to the passenger bridge between
the Arndale and M&S.
A plaque states:
"This post box remained standing almost
undamaged on June 15 1996 when this areaBox
The Post
was devastated by a bomb.
The box was removed during the rebuilding of the
city centre and was returned to its original site on
November 22 1999“
Next time you are in town see if you can find it!

11. The Old Wellington Inn dates back to 1552 and
Shambles Square Today
with Sinclairs Oyster Bar they are the only Tudor
style buildings that survived the Victorian changes
to the city centre, the WWII bombings and the
1996 bomb.
When the Arndale was built the buildings were
raised nearly 5ft and given concrete supports.
After surviving the bomb with little damage they
were moved brick-by-brick and rebuilt 300
metres in the new Shambles Square next to the
cathedral.

12. Manchester bombing newspaper
report
In your exercise books FIRST,
you need to write a
newspaper report in rough on
the Manchester bomb.
When completed, come and
collect a template from me to
write it up in neat.

13. 1.The bomb was planted by
A) Al Quaeda B) ETA C) IRA

14. 1. The bomb was planted by
A) Al Quaeda B) ETA C) IRA
2. The bomb was planted on the
A) 15th June 1996 B) 15th June 1997 C) 15th June
1997

15. 1. The bomb was planted by
A) Al Quaeda B) ETA C) IRA
2. The bomb was planted on the
A) 15th June 1996 B) 15th June 1997 C) 15th June 1998
3. The bomb was planted on
A) Shambles Square B) Market St C) Corporation St

16. 1. The bomb was planted by
A) Al Quaeda B) ETA C) IRA
2. The bomb was planted on the
A) 15th June 1996 B) 15th June 1997 C) 15th June 1998
3. The bomb was planted on
A) Shambles Square B) Market St C)
Corporation St
4. How many people were killed?
A) 3 B) 0 C) 10

17. 1. The bomb was planted by
A) Al Quaeda B) ETA C) IRA
2. The bomb was planted on the
A) 15th June 1996 B) 15th June 1997 C) 15th June 1998
3. The bomb was planted on
A) Shambles Square B) Market St C)
Corporation St
4. How many people were killed?
A) 3 B) 0 C) 10
5. How many people were injured?
A) 215 B) 312 C) 212

18. 1. The bomb was planted by
A) Al Quaeda B) ETA C) IRA
2. The bomb was planted on the
A) 15th June 1996 B) 15th June 1997 C) 15th June 1998
3. The bomb was planted on
A) Shambles Square B) Market St C)
Corporation St
4. How many people were killed?
A) 3 B) 0 C) 10
5. How many people were injured?
A) 215 B) 312 C) 212

19. What to include in your newspaper
article?
Accurate facts
Description of the day
Who set the bomb off
When it was set off
Where was the bomb
Date
Why did the IRA set it off
Numbers of injured people