Harwell Restoration called in to save Rashford messages

Polygon´s subsidiary Harwell Restoration, Europe’s leading document and specialist contents restorer, received a late call up last Thursday as fears grew that torrential rain would forever destroy the hundreds of messages posted on the Marcus Rashford mural in Withington, Manchester.

The now infamous mural created in 2020, was defaced following the England football team’s defeat in the UEFA Euro 2020 Final, prompting the local community to post messages of support for the Manchester United forward.

Harwell arrived early on Friday morning to assist a team from Manchester Art Gallery and remove the messages. Later that day they were all stabilised in specialist freezers to prevent further deterioration. In the next few weeks, they will be transferred to specialist vacuum drying chambers before being returned to Manchester, where they will be kept within the Central Library's archives, for future generations.

Harwell, a long-term supplier of emergency recovery and restoration services to the Manchester Art Gallery, had previously preserved the thousands of tributes left in St Ann's Square after the Manchester Arena attack.

"The team at Harwell is delighted to have been able to assist the community of Manchester once again.  In preserving these messages of support and solidarity, we will help protect a real piece of modern history", says Kathryn Rodgers, Managing Director at Harwell Restoration.

You can find out more about the story and view ITV’s coverage by clicking here https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2021-07-23/marcus-rashford-love-and-solidarity-messages-to-be-saved-despite-rain