Pip Lev
Pip Lev is an interactive developer at the Guardian. They previously contributed as Pip Burkett
May 2026
April 2026
Abandoned BritainIt once hosted Eric and Ernie and a boxing kangaroo – now it’s all pigeons and decay. How did Hulme Hippodrome fall so low?It showcased the biggest stars of the day, including Stan Laurel, Harry Houdini, Morecambe and Wise and Shirley Bassey, before becoming a bingo hall, a church and a squat. It was almost turned into flats. What next for Manchester’s forgotten music hall?
Abandoned BritainThe Welsh church claimed by spiders and ivy: what do Britain’s derelict churches say about our health and happiness?Half of the most important buildings in the UK are churches and, even when congregations fall away, they are vital community hubs. But many, including beloved St Tyfrydog’s in Wales, which closed in 2020, are decaying. Can they be saved?











