Mythic Reinvention: 50 years of Costume and Craft draws on the theatre’s vast 25,000 piece costume archive, collated over five decades of performances, including costumes worn by Dame Helen Mirren, Don Warrington, Andrew Garfield, Sir Tom Courtenay, Maxine Peake and Suranne Jones.  

Curated by award-winning set and costume designer Leslie Travers, the exhibition gives a unique insight into the artistry that helps reinvent stories for every new generation and shows how costume can still hold up a mirror to how we live today. 

It was a privilege to explore the carefully exquisite exhibition through decades of talent being explored and placed together to create a beautiful space. Following the red rope around the theatre, pieces have been placed to complement each other and showcase designs from multiple productions.  

As time has changed society, the exhibition collates different costumes and accessories to showcase how theatre has developed alongside society, highlighting how different generations have used costume art for storytelling. It is both fascinating and thought-provoking to see how this art has been used to portray society over half a century of change.  And as curator Leslie Travers explains, this look at the past also holds with it a glimpse of the future: 

“We are exhibiting costumes which we will reuse and reimagine,” he says. “It’s been thrilling going through the history of this incredible building and in the craft that has gone into costume. The costume is intrinsic within the production and its space especially with its 360 immersive experience. Even if you haven’t seen the shows the costumes are just beautiful to look it. It is inspiring to feel that new generations are coming into theatre and to show them that they’re a part of this history”.  

Walking around the exhibition, there is work from multiple productions including pieces from The Rivals dated back to 1976, which is the first production to be performed at the venue. Being able to walk around the pieces and experience the details in front of you reveals something of the time and effort put into the productions. Garments from Romeo and Juliet, in 2005, starring Andrew Garfield and Gugu Mbatha-Raw are displayed alongside those from the theatre’s 2023 production, starring Conor Glean and Shalisha James-Davis showing the development of design and craft in approaching the same Shakespearean text. 

The exhibition also explores how the costumes work within the theatre’s immersive in-the-round staging to bring characters to life, where details are viewed up close by an audience watching the actors from every angle. Throughout the exhibition there is clear representation of this with explanations to how the costume department uses this to their advantage.  

Alongside this, the exhibition is immersive with the option to wear headphones to listen to artists talk about working at the Royal Exchange and to hear stories from those who created the garments in front of you. When walking around it feels as if you are stepping into a magical wardrobe and the environment only enhances this. Being able to watch videos from artists involved and to hear their voices enables a wider understanding of the process of theatre and costume design that is bound to entrance theatregoers, designers and fashionistas alike. 

Mythic Reinvention: 50 years of Costume and Craft, a free exhibition at The Royal Exchange Theatre, runs from 16 September to 15 November 2026. 

The post Mythic Reinvention: 50 years of Costume and Craft - Review appeared first on Quays Life.

I fall into that bracket. Jersey Boys is a musical I’ve seen several times and each time it comes around I still can’t wait to see it again. It opens with ‘December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)’ and that’s what millions of people have been leaving the theatre feeling at the end.

This current UK tour is the show’s 20th anniversary production. After two decades does this musical, that has won 57 major awards across the world, including Best New Musical at Broadway’s Tony, London’s Olivier and Australia’s Helpmann Awards, still live up to the hype?

The strength of the story is what sets this musical apart from many others. Writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice spent hours with the real men behind the wild stories, merging their recollections to tell the previously unheard true story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, using the band’s catchy hits as a backdrop to chart their journey from the back streets of New Jersey to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame heroes.

We all love a rags to riches tale, and this one has so much action along the way. There’s gang crime, links to the mob, gambling, prostitution, family breakdown, drugs, tragedy, and at its core a fiercely held belief in New Jersey loyalty. As Nick Massi wryly comments: “Sell 100 million records and see how you handle it”. It’s heavy stuff in parts but that is just one side. This is a show packed with the roller-coaster of life’s emotions and even the smaller roles such as Aidan Carson as an exuberant young Joe Pesci bring a depth of interest and humour to the overall experience.

If you’ve seen it before, the staging is Klara Zieglerova’s original design. It is a simple set made up of a base of multi-layered steel platforms that easily doubles as the fire escape on a Newark tenement and the rigging of a concert stage which comes realistically to life with huge overhead screen projections as the band take to the stage.

It’s a slick show packed with hit after hit, including ‘Sherry’, ‘Walk Like A Man’, ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’, ‘My Eyes Adored You’, ‘Let’s Hang On (To What We’ve Got)’, ‘Bye Bye Baby’, ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’, ‘Working My Way Back to You’, and ‘Rag Doll’.

Of course, even such solid foundations could falter without a strong cast to bring the characters to life. Luke Baker wows the audience as Frankie Valli, growing convincingly from a 16-year-old kid conned into crime to a confident, slick-suited superstar; making us believe in and feel for Valli as a world-famous singer with a soaring falsetto voice as well as a human being with all his vulnerabilities and flaws. His star quality shines and rightly gets a full standing ovation at end.

But this is by no means a one-man show, and much of its strength comes from the rich depth with which all four band members are drawn, each telling the story from their unique perspective. Lewis Kennedy as bass-player Nick Massi brings relatable humanity and humour to a figure who could easily be cast into the shadows as the ‘Ringo’ of the band. Carlo Boumouglbay convincingly adds a glimpse into the dark New Jersey underworld as the wide-boy guitarist Tommy DeVito with Mafia links; while Toby Miles captures both the relative innocence and sensible business-head of young whizz-kid songwriter and keyboardist, Bob Gaudio. When the four take to the stage concert-style, the audience erupts as if seeing the real thing and the atmosphere is electric.

There is so much richness in this show, it’s easy to see why audiences come back over and over again. This UK Tour is as good as it ever was. If you’ve not seen it before, go. If you have seen it before, go back. It has all the drama of Hollywood wrapped in constant stream of nostalgic, uplifting hits. Two decades on it is still the hottest ticket in town.

Jersey Boys is at the Palace Theatre, Manchester from 7-19 September before continuing on tour. Age guidance: 12+, parental guidance advised. Jersey Boys contains genuine New Jersey language which may not be suitable for younger audiences. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult (18+).

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In a world engineered to keep us distracted, overstimulated, and perpetually “on,” there’s something almost rebellious about choosing to walk instead of scroll. No notifications. No algorithm deciding what you see next. Just your legs, the ground, and whatever thoughts decide to surface. It sounds too simple to matter. And yet walking may be one of the most quietly transformative things you can do: for your mind, your relationships, and your sense of who you are.

This isn’t just exercise. It’s moving meditation, therapy session, and adventure rolled into one, and it’s available to almost anyone, almost anywhere, starting the moment you step outside your door.

The Therapeutic Power of Walking

Walking does wonders for both your mind and emotions. The steady, rhythmic pace can quiet a busy brain, letting thoughts settle and clarity emerge. And this isn’t just a nice feeling, it’s backed by a growing body of research into the psychological benefits of the activity.

Many therapists now build walking directly into their sessions, drawn by the benefits of pairing gentle movement with conversation and reflection. The left-right pattern of walking, known as bilateral stimulation, is thought to help the brain process emotion and reduce stress, almost like a built-in release valve for whatever you’re carrying.

Take that walk into nature, and the effects intensify. Green space, fresh air, and the feeling of earth underfoot all work together to ground you in the present moment. Instead of spiraling into worries about the past or future, your senses lock onto the sights, sounds, and smells around you. That mindful state is exactly what makes it so hard to find peace indoors and so easy to find outside.

Join a Renowned Walking Journey

For those craving something more immersive, tackling a famous long-distance walk can be genuinely life-changing. These aren’t just long hikes; they’re pilgrimages of self-discovery, shared with a global community of fellow walkers chasing the same thing.

Spain’s Camino de Santiago is the best-known example, drawing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year to its historic paths. What makes it special isn’t just the scenery; it’s the shared purpose. Strangers become companions almost instantly, bonded by sore feet and a common destination.

Different routes suit different appetites. The classic Camino Frances remains the most popular, but plenty of alternatives offer their own flavour. Routes like the beautiful Portuguese Way from Tui, for instance, offer a different view of the pilgrimage, winding through charming villages and lush landscapes. And because many of these organised walks handle the logistics (accommodation, luggage transfers, route planning), your only real job becomes the walking itself: step, breathe, reflect, repeat.

Building Bonds on the Trail

There’s no setting quite like a long walk for strengthening a relationship. Put a friend, partner, or family member next to you on the trail, and the usual distractions of daily life simply vanish. No screens. No chores. Just hours of open, uninterrupted time.

Conversation flows differently under those conditions — drifting easily from lighthearted observations about the scenery into deeper territory: life, dreams, fears, decisions you’ve been avoiding. The shared physical effort, and the small triumph of reaching each day’s destination, builds a sense of teamwork that’s hard to replicate anywhere else.

And the bonding doesn’t stop with people you already know. On popular long-distance trails, you become part of a temporary, ever-shifting community; meeting people from all over the world, each carrying their own story and their own reasons for walking. A shared meal at day’s end, a comparison of blister stories, a word of encouragement to a struggling stranger. These small moments create connections that feel surprisingly deep, and often turn into some of the most cherished memories of the whole journey.

Moments of Reflection and Growth

The extended time and mental space of a long walk is tailor-made for reflection. Day after day, as you settle into the rhythm, your mind begins to unwind, finally processing the thoughts and feelings that got shoved aside during the busyness of ordinary life.

Free from the constant ping of emails, news alerts, and social feeds, you get to actually hear your own inner voice again. That quiet can lead to real insight, solving a problem, making a decision, or simply seeing your life from a new angle.

There’s growth, too, in pushing your limits. A multi-day walk is a physical and mental challenge in equal measure. Some days your muscles will ache and you’ll wonder if you can keep going, and pushing through those moments builds a resilience and self-belief that outlasts the trip itself. Reaching the final destination brings a sense of accomplishment that reaches far beyond the walk. You learn you’re stronger and more capable than you assumed, and that lesson tends to stick around long after the boots come off.

Perhaps the biggest lesson of all: progress doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes moving forward just means holding a steady pace and trusting yourself to keep going. Every mile is another chance to practice patience, adaptability, and perseverance; small victories that quietly reshape how you handle challenges everywhere else in life. Even the hardest journeys become manageable once you stop staring at the whole distance and just focus on the next step.

Bringing the Experience Home

The good news is that none of this has to end when the trip does. You can bring the spirit of the trail into everyday life and hold onto that sense of peace and connection long-term. The key is to treat walking as an intentional practice, not just a way to get from A to B.

Start small: set aside 20 or 30 minutes a day. Leave your phone behind, or at least put it on silent, and give your full attention to your surroundings and your own thoughts. Explore parks and local trails you’ve never bothered with before. You might be amazed at what’s hiding a few streets from home. Turn a weekend walk into a shared ritual with friends or family, and let it become something you look forward to rather than a chore to check off.

By carrying the core principles of the trail — mindfulness, connection, simple movement — into your daily routine, you can keep finding the same calm and clarity you discovered out there on the long road.

The path to connection and solace is often as close as the door right outside your house. It doesn’t start with a grand plan. It starts with the decision to take the first step.

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For anyone discovering The Brown Suite for the first time, what is the show?

Nahum: “The Brown Suite is a dance-theatre work inspired by the music of James Brown, Etta James and Sam Cooke. It’s set in a social space in 1970s New York and follows six friends over the course of one night – the relationships, the joy, the tension, the flirtation, the conflict and everything that happens when people come together in a space where they can really be themselves.”

Darius: “At its heart, it’s about people. The music gives us the landscape, but the characters and their relationships drive the piece. We wanted to create something that feels alive and familiar – where you recognise the energy of being in a room with your friends, but also see how quickly that energy can shift”.

Nahum: “What we didn’t want was a tribute act –  six songs and a nostalgia trip. The moment you walk in, you’re a seventh person at that gathering. You know these dynamics because you’ve lived them: the friend who’s had one drink too many, the couple pretending they’re not a couple, the person quietly holding the whole room together. One night, six people, and by the end you know exactly who they are to each other”.

How would you describe who you are as artists and the work you create together?

Nahum: “We’re both dancers and choreographers, but I think what BlacBrik is really interested in is the intersection of the forms we love – ballet, contemporary, jazz, funk, African diasporic movement, social dance. Not any one of them on its own, but what happens where they meet”.

Darius: “Because each of those forms already tells a story in its own way – ballet has a certain relationship to line and restraint, social dance has a relationship to individuality and call-and-response. We’re interested in what it means when a character can move between those languages, because that tells you something about who they are, not just how well they can move”.

Nahum: “So it’s not decoration. The form a character moves in is part of the storytelling – it’s part of the language of the show, the same as the music or the setting”.

You started working with Fundamentally Dance when you performed Death of the Bachelor at Ballet Nights 007 in London. How does it feel to be touring your very own full-length work across the UK with The Brown Suite today?

Nahum: “It’s honestly quite surreal. We performed a six-minute excerpt of Death of the Bachelors at Ballet Nights 007, so going from that to creating a full-length work and then seeing it travel around the country is a huge step”.

Darius: “There’s also something really special about the fact that the relationship with Fundamentally Dance grew from that first performance. We’re not just presenting a bigger version of what we did before – we’ve had the opportunity to develop our language, our storytelling and our ideas on a much larger scale”.

Nahum: “And ultimately, getting to see audiences experience something that started as conversations between the two of us is probably the most rewarding part”.

Darius: “Six minutes, you can hide behind a strong idea and good stamina. A full evening asks something different of you –  pacing, restraint, knowing when to let a scene breathe. That’s been the real education”.

How has James Brown’s music been present in your life?

Nahum: “James Brown has always felt bigger than just music to me. There’s something incredibly physical about it. You don’t just hear James Brown – you feel the rhythm in your body.

“Actually, my relationship with his music goes back further than any ofmy professional training – I auditioned for my vocational ballet school dancing to James Brown. So in a strange way, he’s been part of every serious step I’ve taken as a dancer, not just this show”.

Darius: “And there’s such a huge range within his music. There’s aggression, humour, sensuality, vulnerability, swagger and joy. That range gives you so much to work with as a performer and choreographer”.

Nahum: “There’s a reason his music has had such an enormous influence on dance and popular culture. The rhythm demands a physical response, and for us that became a really important starting point for the work”.

What ideas, experiences or conversations have sat at the heart of your work on The Brown Suite?

Darius: “One of the biggest things has been community – what happens when people create a space for themselves. We were interested in social spaces and what they can mean beyond simply being somewhere to go out”.

Nahum: “We were also interested in relationships. Friendship, attraction, competition, vulnerability, masculinity, femininity – all those little negotiations that happen between people when they’re together”.

Darius: “And we didn’t want to romanticise the period. There’s joy in the piece, but there’s also fracture. The social world we’re creating can be beautiful and complicated at the same time”.

Nahum: “A lot of our conversations kept coming back to who holds the room and who’s holding themselves together while they do it. Six friends means six different jobs in that dynamic – the peacemaker, the instigator, the one everyone’s protecting without saying so. We wanted the choreography to carry those roles even in the moments where nobody’s speaking”.

Darius: “It was important to us that the fracture felt earned, too – not a twist for the sake of drama, but the kind of thing that’s been sitting under the surface of a friendship group for years before it finally comes out on a night like this one”.

You have a very diverse training. Is The Brown Suite the place where you are able to bring all your different movement knowledge together?

Nahum: “Definitely. Both of us have moved through quite different worlds as dancers, and I think this piece gives us permission to bring those experiences together without having to choose one”.

Darius: “Ballet and contemporary technique give us certain tools – line, strncture, weight, space, precision. Then there are the social and African diasporic movement traditions that bring rhythm, groove, individuality and a different relationship to the music”.

Nahum: “We’re not interested in simply putting those things next to each other. The exciting part is what happens when they actually influence one another”.

Darius: “Practically, it means a dancer might hit a classical line one beat and let it collapse into something completely social and loose the next, without a seam. That’s not a trick – it’s how people actually move when they’re comfortable in a room, half showing off and half just existing”.

To create this new piece with Fundamentally Dance, where did the work begin, and how did you turn that starting point into movement? What have you learnt from each other?

Darius: “A lot of it began with the music and the world we wanted the audience to enter. We weren’t starting with choreography for choreography’s sake. We were asking: who are these people? Where are they? What happened before this moment? What happens when the music changes?”

Nahum: “Then the movement grew out of those questions. Sometimes it starts with rhythm, sometimes with a character, sometimes with a relationship between two people. The choreography becomes a way of revealing what’s happening underneath”.

Darius: “Working together has also taught us how different our instincts can be – and how useful that difference is. We don’t always approach a problem in the same way, but that usually pushes the work somewhere neither of us would have arrived at alone.

What is the best creative advice you have received?

Nahum: “One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received came from Mark Baldwin OBE – trust your instincts. You can learn from everybody, and you should, but eventually you have to make decisions based on what you actually believe in”.

Darius: “And don’t be afraid to edit. Sometimes the hardest thing is knowing when something isn’t serving the bigger picture, especially when you’ve become attached to it”.

Nahum: “You have to be willing to let the work change. The first idea isn’t necessarily the final idea”.

Where do you tap your inspiration from? What is your favourite film?

Darius: “Inspiration comes from everywhere – music, people, architecture, fashion, photography, film, conversations. Film especially, because a director can build a whole world for you without anyone ever explaining how they feel”.

Nahum: “We actually properly align on this one –  we’re both completely obsessed with Quentin Tarantino. Kill Bill is probably the film we’d both put at the top. It’s not just that we love it, it’s that we love what he does –  the storytelling isn’t always linear, it moves between mediums, animation drops in and out, and the music is so specific to every moment”.

Darius: “The soundtrack does half the storytelling in his films. That’s something we think about constantly with The Brown Suite – how specific a piece of music can be to a character or a moment, not just a mood”.

What do you hope audiences carry with them after experiencing The Brown Suite?

Nahum: “I hope they leave feeling something. Hopefully they’ve laughed, danced in their seats, maybe recognised something of themselves in one of the characters”.

Darius: “I also hope they leave with a sense of the power of social spaces – the importance of having places where people can gather, connect, express themselves and simply exist together”.

Nahum: “And ultimately, I want them to remember the people. The music is iconic, but we want the audience to care about these six people and the night they’ve just experienced. If they leave wanting to talk about what happened between them, then we’ve done our job”.

Darius: “lf they’re still arguing about who was right and who was wrong on the drive home, we’ve done our job twice over”.

The Brown Suite is at the Opera House Manchester on Friday 23 October 2026

The post Inside The Brown Suite: BlacBrik’s Nahum McLean and Darius Drooh on James Brown, friendship and the power of social spaces appeared first on Quays Life.

At the time, Elaine, born in Bolton, was simply a single mum trying to navigate the overwhelming early days of motherhood while breastfeeding her baby daughter, Jessica. But from those difficult beginnings came something extraordinary.

Determined that no mother should ever feel as isolated as she once had, Elaine set out to create a safe and supportive space for women struggling with feeding, confidence and the emotional realities of becoming a parent. What began as one mother wanting to help others soon grew into something far bigger than she could ever have imagined.

Driven by compassion, grit and an unstoppable belief in the power of community, Elaine secured funding to launch a breastfeeding support project in Blackburn with Darwen, offering mums practical help, emotional reassurance and evidence-based advice at a time when many felt they had nowhere to turn.

That small grassroots initiative would later become Families and Babies (FAB) — a life-changing organisation now supporting thousands of families across the country.

After leaving behind her career as a mortgage adviser, Elaine retrained as a La Leche League Trainer and began building a network of peer supporters, many of whom had experienced similar struggles themselves. Together, they created a service rooted in empathy: home visits, late-night phone calls, hospital ward support and a listening ear whenever it was needed most.

FAB grew into a nationwide charity with 120 of staff and more than 150 volunteers, supporting over 8,500 families every year across some of the UK’s most disadvantaged communities. To date FAB has supported 250,00 families.

But while the organisation has thrived, Elaine’s mission has remained beautifully simple — making mothers feel seen, supported and never alone.

Elaine’s story is Chapter Nine in ‘The Empowerment Effect’ Volume Two written by Sarah Hulme & Co. Sarah is founder of the women-only networking community COVEM and the book amplifies the stories of 24 remarkable women “where adversity became fuel and resilience shaped leadership.” Launched on this year’s International Women’s Day – which happens to be Elaine’s birthday; it sped straight to number one in the ‘Amazon’ book charts.

Elaine has since become part of the COVEM community and holds her COVEM meeting in Parbold Lancs.

Elaine tells me that she received a letter announcing that she had been chosen to become a ‘Member of the British Empire’ in November last year “The Christmas post was in full swing, and the letter had been delayed. I had only 24 hours to respond to say I wished to accept the honour!”

So how was the day at Windsor Castle.?“I was very nervous especially when it came to recipients leaving their families to be briefed in how the ceremony would unfold and what we required to do,” says Elaine. “I needn’t have worried, we were taken through the whole process, in a welcoming and warm way. Once we had been taken through every step we were escorted into the beautiful banqueting room. Our families had already been seated behind us, and we recipients were called by name one by one to receive our insignia from HRH Prince William Prince of Wales. Being told by His Royal Highness that his wife Catherine was very interested to hear of my work was one of my proudest moments ever. Joining my husband, son and fiancé following my Investiture was an emotional moment for us all. I rang my daughter Jessica who was at home with our first grandchild, Noah, to tell her all about it!”

Elaine’s passion for helping families extends far beyond breastfeeding support. Elaine has championed inclusive infant care, encouraging fathers, grandparents and partners to feel connected and confident in those precious early weeks of a baby’s life.

And despite receiving national recognition, including the Prime Minister’s Points of Light Award, even winning eBay Business of the Year and now an MBE, Elaine remains deeply connected to her community roots.

This year Elaine will become the President of the Turton Rotary Club 2026. She will be their first female president in their history.
Elaine Edwards has become far more than a charity founder. She is proof that one person’s difficult experience can become the spark that changes thousands of lives.

Through kindness, determination and an unwavering belief in the strength of women supporting women, Elaine hasn’t just helped transform services for families across the UK — she has helped transform the experience of motherhood itself.

Elaine joins the increasing number of people who have received recognition for transforming other people’s lives and communities for the better. There are however many unsung heroes and unless they are nominated for an honour, they have no chance whatsoever of being chosen.

So how can we nominate that special person? I asked Melanie Bryan OBE DL, Chair of the Reward and Recognition Committee at the Greater Manchester Lieutenancy for her advice.

“The great thing,” Melanie says, “is that anyone can nominate anyone for an honour and I really do mean anyone. The youngest recipient so far was just nine years old, and the oldest was over a hundred.

“The process is simpler than you might think. You can do it online at gov.uk/honours, or download a form if that’s easier.

“One thing to remember is that the Honours Committee probably won’t know your person. So it’s important that you help them to understand why your person is so special. The Committee wants to know about the difference they make in people’s lives and all the reasons why they are so outstanding at what they do.

“The key thing is to draw out why they stand out from anyone else. Facts and figures really help with this. You could talk about how many people they have helped. Or how many years they have volunteered for. Or how far their impact reaches. This type of evidence makes your nomination stronger.

“You’ll also need two letters of support from people who can speak about your person’s achievements in their own words. So do have a think about who’d be best placed to do this.

“Oh, and one very important golden rule, you must keep it a secret! The process is completely confidential, and your nominee can’t know they’re being put forward. Apart from anything else, you really wouldn’t want to spoil that amazing moment when they open that letter!

So if you’re reading this and thinking about somebody you think is worthy, perhaps that quietly dedicated volunteer who just gets on with it, the one your community simply couldn’t do without, then please do them the honour of making a nomination.”

The post Bolton mum’s MBE journey: how Families and Babies grew from one woman’s struggle into a national charity appeared first on Quays Life.

In 2022 I wrote in Quays Life about the amazing story of the Gorton Monastery, and the equally amazing fact that in 1863 a handful of Belgian Franciscan monks, managed to commission one of the leading architects of the day to design and build the imposing church and friary on Gorton Lane Manchester. The architect was Edward Pugin, whose father Augustus was the architect for the Houses of Parliament.

I wrote about the wish of The Trust custodians working hard to reinstate an organ after the original one, installed in 1888, was stripped out and sold for scrap when the Monastery was sold to developers. Then the certain serendipitous set of events of 2020 when Elaine Griffiths OBE, CEO of the Monastery Manchester, received a letter from David Emery, the treasurer and organist at Patricroft Methodist Church in Eccles, Salford. The church had closed, and the Monastery was being offered their organ at no cost other than paying for the removal and installation in the Monastery’s organ loft. Remarkably the Patricroft church organ was made by Wadsworth, the same firm who made the Monastery’s, it was only a few years older and similar to the one the building had lost.

The Monastery of St Francis and Gorton Trust had set up the Wadsworth Organ Appeal to raise £100,000 to cover the cost of dismantling, repairing, reconfiguring, and rebuilding the Victorian instrument which has almost 1,000 pipes. The team at Quays Life were delighted to receive news recently that thanks to generous sponsorship and donations the organ is back where it belongs! It has been lovingly restored, repaired, re-configured, rebuilt and updated to its full glory for future generations to enjoy.

The Monastery Trust marked it’s 30 years of restoration and community impact with a special anniversary celebration recently.
Held in the striking surroundings of the Great Nave, the evening will bring together music, dancing, food and community, celebrating three decades of transformation from a derelict Franciscan friary into one of Manchester’s most distinctive heritage and events venues.

Since 1996, The Monastery’s charitable trust has led the restoration of the Grade II* listed building, creating a space that now hosts a wide range of cultural, wellbeing and community-focused activities throughout the year.

The anniversary event featured live music, dancing, a licensed bar and a traditional hot pot supper, which offered guests the opportunity to experience the building in a relaxed and celebratory setting.

CEO Elaine Griffiths told us about this milestone celebration: “It was a celebration of the people who have supported the Monastery over the past 30 years. What was once a building at risk has become a place of welcome, connection, peace and purpose for so many. We’re proud to have marked this moment with our community and looking ahead to the future.”

So what does Elaine envisage for the next 30 years? “The next 30 years – a fascinating thought! We are currently working on our 30th Anniversary projects and events that are supported by a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. One of the very important things we need to do to future proof the Monastery heritage buildings is to replace the 20-year-old boilers and heating system with something much more efficient. We’re also exploring ways of making the building more environmentally sustainable and have carried out a comprehensive carbon management plan to inform all these major decisions.

“In the immediate future we are creating a new Wellness Wing in the first-floor suite of rooms of the former Friary that will be launched over the summer. This means that we will have qualified holistic therapists and wellbeing practitioners running their clinics and being based here all the time. There will also be therapy rooms, workshop spaces, meeting and training rooms available for hire.

“In terms of the wider vision the Trust wants to ensure that the Monastery thrives and continues to be loved, cared for and well used by the local community. This can only be achieved if we continue to generate a successful income through commercial venue hire for special events, conferences, concerts and weddings.

“We currently share our building with Manchester Camerata Orchestra who are driving forward the music and health agenda through their innovative dementia work with the Music Café, Music in Mind and Music Champions as well as delivering world class Monastery concerts and performances on a regular basis.

“The team from Mentell, the men’s mental health support charity moved in with us in June. They deliver our weekly Wednesday Men’s Group, and we will be doing so much more together in the future too with our daily Hour of Silence, Healing Garden and sacred spaces around our heritage site we are increasingly creating a sanctuary atmosphere and hopefully a long-term place of peace and purpose that is very much aligned with the original Franciscan values”.

I thanked Elaine for this snapshot of the future; I am sure the Belgian Franciscan monks would too. As is with all the finest CEOs I am sure Elaine and her team have many more plans in the making, but those plans are for another day and the decades to follow.

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Deciding which airport to use proved difficult, and one I believe travellers intending to visit the museum should think carefully about. Belfast City Airport is less than half an hour from Belfast itself, while Belfast International Airport is much further away. The beautiful marina in the Titanic Quarter provides a quieter and more leisurely atmosphere than the busy city, just a mile or so away, but a world apart.

With just 24 hours available for our visit, we chose the Titanic Quarter because, after all, we were travelling there to visit the world-class visitor attraction, which now boasts four exciting new galleries within the Titanic Experience. Titanic Belfast is located on the very spot where the famous ship was designed and launched.

I wondered what the difference would be post-2023 compared with the previous 10 or more years since Titanic Belfast first opened its doors.

From initial research, it was evident that much had been added, enhanced, researched and showcased.

The refreshed experience introduces ‘The Pursuit of Dreams’ as a new theme and combines immersive new technology with an original maritime heritage collection and the authentic Titanic story to deliver an enriched and emotive experience. Other new experiences include ‘Never Again, Ballard’s Quest’, and ‘The Lasting Legacy’.

Judith Owens MBE, Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast, said: “After years of planning, we are delighted to have launched what I believe is Titanic Belfast’s most emotive visitor experience to date. Three galleries have been reimagined and we reopened with four new themed spaces showcasing never-before-heard stories of the hopes and dreams of passengers, a collection of artefacts being displayed in Northern Ireland for the first time, and an original music score which beautifully encapsulates the stories and emotions throughout.”

So, on a sunny morning in April, we entered the iconic six-floor building, showed our pre-booked tickets to a team member at the door, picked up our ‘ Tour Headphones’ and began the self-guided “Titanic Experience”.

The story begins with a much older story, showing how Belfast became a shipbuilding champion, known as ‘Boomtown Belfast.’

We learned that the Titanic was built by the Harland and Wolff shipbuilding company in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Commissioned by the White Star Line, construction took place between 1909 and 1912, employing over 15,000 workers to create the largest and most luxurious ocean liner of its time. The ship was built in response to competition from the rival Cunard Line and was considered the most technologically advanced ship in the world.

The immersive experience enables visitors to be at the epicentre of the amazing sights and sounds surrounding the building of the Titanic.

A previously unknown series of five very rare photographs of Titanic’s launch in Belfast on 31 May 1911 are now on display. These images were taken by a local businessman and capture the hull moving down the slipways, the great gantry, and the launch platform. Later in the day, my husband Bob and I were to stand on the very same slipway.

Soon, with more understanding of why Titanic came to be, we stepped into the real magic as the Titanic Experience began to bring the story of RMS Titanic to life using immersive technology combined with original maritime heritage.

Titanic was launched from Belfast on 31^st May 1912, left Belfast on 2^nd April. On Wednesday 10 April 1912, shortly after noon, RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton’s White Star Dock on her maiden voyage to New York.

Her commander was Edward J. Smith, RD, RNR, who had arrived early that morning in preparation for the Board of Trade muster at 8am. As Commodore, or Senior Captain, of White Star, he often commanded the newest vessel in the company and was the highest-paid ship’s captain in the world in 1912.

While Titanic was making her way from Southampton to Cherbourg, her tender ships SS Nomadic and SS Traffic were already at the harbour, ready to ferry passengers out to the luxury liner. Nomadic transported first- and second-class passengers, while Traffic ferried third-class passengers. Nomadic is still docked outside the Titanic building, the only White Star ship in existence and as a doyenne of the sea, has her own amazing stories to tell.

The Titanic Experience continued to surprise as we turned the corner to be invited into  electric cars which took us a thrilling and immersive journey through the shipyard and bows of the ship.

Soon we reached ‘The Sinking’. We saw a backlit double-height wall listing the names of all the passengers onboard Titanic on that fateful night, detailing whether they were lost or saved. Positioned prominently in front of those names was a Titanic life jacket, the first of the new artefacts now on display: an original Fosbery lifejacket recovered from an unknown Titanic victim. Only twelve lifejackets remain in the world out of a total of more than 3,500 that were onboard the ship. No records exist of the original wearer of this lifejacket.

The Ship of Dreams gallery allows visitors to embark on a reflective journey exploring the hopes and dreams of those impacted by the famous ship. We saw floor-to-ceiling projections depicting the dreams of the people who built her, those who sailed on her, and those who were heading to New York to start a new life.

Next were the large tumbling dominoes, showing the chain reaction of events which caused Titanic to sink and the measures later put in place to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. RMS Titanic sank with loss of more than 1,000 lives at 2.20am on the 15 April 1912.

One of the stories visitors hear concerns the missing binocular-box keys, which limited the vision of the lookout in the crow’s nest. The original keys for the binocular box on RMS Titanic are now on display. These keys belonged to Second Officer David Blair, who was reassigned just before Titanic’s maiden voyage. Due to his hasty departure, he inadvertently kept the keys in his pocket, including the one belonging to the binocular box. Lookout Fred Fleet, who survived, later told the official inquiry that if they had had binoculars, they would have seen the iceberg sooner. When asked how much sooner, Fleet replied: “Enough to get out of the way.”

Having the opportunity to delve into witness testimonies from the British and American inquiries and hear first-hand accounts of what happened onboard Titanic on that tragic night provides incredible insight into the sinking of the vessel and the ships endeavouring to reach her as quickly as possible.

For decades, Titanic lay on the seabed, surrounded by mystery, until we passed through “The Void” — the period of years when the ship was missing — before following Dr Robert Ballard’s quest to fulfil his lifelong dream of discovering the wreck of Titanic.

We were able to learn where his inspiration came from, hear about the top-secret US Navy mission that led him to search for Titanic, understand the challenges of covering such a vast area in a short space of time, and witness the moment the team shouted: “It’s a boiler!”

The entire setting is fully immersive, with projections programmed in sync with a fully lit centrepiece scale model of the ship that transforms with each sequence. A bespoke musical score further elevates the visitor experience in this stunning space.

We then descended the staircase to a stunning collection of original Titanic artefacts on display, including the sheepskin coat worn by Titanic stewardess Mabel Bennett and the black-enamelled walking cane, complete with an electric light installed in the handle, which belonged to first-class passenger Ella White.

The artefacts are all of great historical significance and certainly evoke powerful imagery. They help visitors make emotional and human connections to the stories of Titanic’s passengers and crew, and this certainly happened for us when we saw the world-famous violin belonging to the ship’s heroic musician, Wallace Hartley.

We found this a particularly poignant moment, as my husband’s late father was a celebrated violinist, and we were grateful that fate never took him onboard Titanic, whereas fate did take Wallace Hartley there. His story remains one of bravery and honour.

A gift from his fiancée, Maria Robinson, the violin is German, circa 1880, with a tail plate bearing a silver hallmark from Chester, 1910, engraved with the words: “For Wallace on the occasion of our engagement from Maria.” As one of the rarest and most iconic objects of the twentieth century, this violin bears testimony to the courage and spirit of the bandsmen who brought hope and comfort until the very end. Their actions inspired the popular expression “And the band played on”, used to describe bravery in the face of adversity.

Also on display is a two-page letter from Wallace Hartley’s friend and fellow musician, who wrote: “Jolly good luck, old chap. Would give more than a trifle to be with you. Don’t forget to drop me a line at 61 Lea Road. Bon Voyage and Bon Santé, Bill.” The letter and other personal belongings, along with a letter from Hartley’s father, were recovered with Hartley’s body by Mackay-Bennett.

It is an emotional experience exploring the different themes surrounding the designing and building of the ship, the dreams and optimism of people journeying towards a new life in America, the tragedy and stories of those who were lost, and the long journey towards discovering the wreck many decades later.

This world-leading visitor attraction definitely needs to be experienced in person, but hopefully this article gives readers a flavour of what is truly an incredible experience.

As we departed ‘The Ship of Dreams’ and entered modern times, we could immediately see how the significance of the Titanic story has impacted Belfast and captured the world’s imagination through film, theatre and literature. One opportunity as we left the exhibition was to strike a pose and capture our very own ‘Jack and Rose’ photo moment on the bow of the ship. For us, however, that felt impossible after such an evocative visit.

The £4.5 million investment has been fully funded through the Titanic Belfast Gallery Refreshment Fund, which was established when the building opened as part of the commercial operator agreement and is held by the charity owner, Maritime Belfast Trust.

For further information on the new Titanic Experience, visit Titanic Belfast

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Beyond the Main Attractions

Every major city has its list of must-see attractions. While they’re often famous for a reason, they only tell a small part of the story. The real magic of a place is often found in the smaller, less-publicised spots that locals frequent. Instead of spending your entire trip queueing, consider dedicating time to exploring alternatives. A great way to start is by researching less-touristy things to do before you even pack your bags. Local blogs, independent magazines, and even specific social media hashtags can be treasure troves of information.

Think about what you enjoy doing at home. Do you love a good independent bookshop, a quiet park, or a bustling market? Chances are, your destination city has wonderful versions of these that aren’t in the guidebooks. Ask for recommendations from your hotel staff or a friendly barista. Sometimes, the best advice comes from a simple conversation. It can be more rewarding to find a beautiful local church than to fight the crowds at a world-famous cathedral. Many cities have spots that locals consider tourist traps, and they often have much better alternatives just around the corner.

Discover Hidden Neighbourhoods

To get a feel for a city’s authentic character, you have to step outside the central tourist zone. Every city is a collection of unique neighbourhoods, each with its own distinct personality, history, and vibe. Exploring these areas is like visiting several different towns within one trip. You’ll discover architecture, shops, and cafes you would never find in the city centre, helping you discover the soul of a city.

Before you go, pull up a map of the city and look beyond the immediate centre. Look for green spaces, interesting street patterns, or areas along a river or canal. These are often residential areas with a strong sense of community. Once you’ve identified a few promising spots, do a little online digging. Search for “neighbourhood guide to” wherever you want to go or look for blog posts about the hidden gems of whichever city you’re visiting.

When you arrive, the best thing you can do is simply walk. Wander down side streets, pop into small shops, and grab a coffee at a local cafe. Pay attention to the details: the style of the houses, the plants in the gardens, the notices on community boards. This is where you’ll find the true spirit of the city. You’ll not only see a different side of your destination but also support small, local businesses in the process.

Where to Stay for True Immersion

Your choice of accommodation greatly impacts your travel experience. While a hotel in the heart of the tourist district offers convenience, it can also isolate you from the city’s everyday life. To truly immerse yourself, consider staying in a residential neighbourhood. This doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice comfort or style. Many of the most interesting and vibrant areas are now home to fantastic boutique hotels that offer the best of both worlds.

Staying in a neighbourhood like Williamsburg in New York, for example, gives you a completely different perspective on the city than staying in Times Square. You can start your day with a coffee from a local roaster, browse independent shops, and end your evening at a neighbourhood bar filled with residents. Imagine swapping a crowded tourist hub for a trendy area where finding a chic Brooklyn hotel with a pool puts you right in the heart of local life, not just next to it. This approach allows you to establish a temporary ‘home base’ and see the city through the eyes of a local. You’ll find yourself falling into the rhythm of the neighbourhood, whether it’s the morning bakery run or the quiet buzz of the evening.

Engage with Local Arts

A city’s culture isn’t just housed in its grand national museums and opera houses. The artistic soul of a place is often most vibrant on a smaller, more accessible scale. Engaging with the local arts scene is a fantastic way to connect with the creative pulse of your destination. This means looking beyond the major institutions to find the grassroots culture that thrives in every city.

Start by looking for independent art galleries, which often showcase emerging local artists. These spaces are typically free to enter and provide a much more intimate viewing experience than a sprawling museum. Street art is another powerful expression of local culture. Many cities have incredible murals and installations hidden in plain sight. You can often find self-guided walking tours online or simply keep your eyes peeled as you explore different neighbourhoods.

For evening entertainment, skip the stadium tour and seek out a local music venue. You might discover your new favourite band playing to a small, enthusiastic crowd. Community theatres, poetry slams, and open mic nights are also brilliant opportunities to see local talent and meet people. Check local event listings websites, university notice boards, or the flyers posted in cafes and pubs to see what’s on during your stay.

Mastering Public Transport

Navigating a city using its public transport system is one of the most effective ways to feel like a local. It’s more than just a cost-effective way to get from A to B; it’s an experience in itself. You share a space with residents going about their daily lives, you see parts of the city you’d miss in a taxi, and you quickly get a sense of the city’s scale and layout.

Before your trip, do a bit of research. What is the main transport system? Is there a travel card you can buy, like London’s Oyster card or the Navigo Découverte in Paris? Understanding the basics of the ticketing system will save you time and stress. Most cities now have excellent transport apps that provide real-time information on schedules and routes, which are invaluable for planning your journeys on the go.

Don’t be afraid to try different modes of transport. The underground or metro is often the fastest, but buses, trams, and even city ferries can offer a much more scenic route. A bus journey through residential neighbourhoods can be a fascinating, informal tour. Pay attention to the unwritten rules and local etiquette. Watch how people queue, where they stand on escalators, and how they interact with drivers. Adapting to these small social cues is a key part of blending in and travelling with confidence.

Experiencing a city like a local is about shifting your mindset from that of a consumer of sights to that of a curious observer. It’s about finding joy in the small, everyday moments and creating a personal connection with a place that goes far deeper than a photograph.

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More Than Just Destinations

Before you even glance at a map, the first thing to do is figure out the vibe of the trip. Is this going to be a chill beach escape, an action-packed adventure, a deep dive into culture, or a big party weekend? Getting everyone on the same page about the trip’s main goal helps avoid any mismatched expectations, especially if you want to create an unforgettable trip. Talking about different group trip options early on really helps set the pace and style. A quick poll in your group chat can be an easy way to see what everyone’s thinking. Questions like “What’s one thing you absolutely want to do?” or “How much downtime do we want?” can show you what truly matters to each person.

Setting the Right Mood for Travelers

Once you’ve got that vision sorted, managing group dynamics is important for keeping a positive atmosphere. Even the closest friends can have totally different travel styles. Picking a relaxed go-to person for logistics can smooth out decisions without anyone feeling like they’re stuck to a strict schedule. A great complete guide to group travel will always put communication first. It’s also smart to build some wiggle room into your plans. Schedule a bit of independent time so introverts can recharge and extroverts can go exploring. This balance makes sure that being together feels like a choice, not a chore, which in turn makes the moments you do share even more special.

Planning Memorable Group Celebrations

Often, group trips revolve around a special occasion, like a big birthday, a promotion, or a stag or hen party. For these kinds of trips, it’s a must to plan at least one standout event that really celebrates the moment. This becomes the main highlight of the trip, the thing everyone will be talking about for years. For example, if you’re celebrating in a lively city, someone in the group might even look for the “best nightclub near me San Diego Gaslamp” to find just the right spot. Booking reservations or tickets for this main event ahead of time takes away stress and builds excitement.

Why Entertainment Elevates Group Journeys

Beyond just one big celebration, adding unique entertainment throughout the trip really makes the whole experience better. These activities create those inside jokes and shared stories that just sightseeing often can’t. Instead of simply visiting a market, why not sign up for a local cooking class? Instead of just lounging on the beach, book a catamaran cruise for the afternoon. These interactive experiences get people laughing and engaging with each other in fresh ways. It breaks up the usual sightseeing routine and gives the group a common goal, helping to build teamwork and friendship.

Budgeting for Unforgettable Moments

Money is often a tricky subject on group trips. To avoid any friction, create a clear budget that covers more than just the basic travel and accommodation costs. Make a separate category for “group fun” – this could include show tickets, a special dinner, or a guided tour. Agreeing on this amount beforehand means no one feels pressured to overspend in the moment. Using apps like Splitwise or Tab makes tracking shared expenses easy, without the awkwardness of constantly asking for money. When you budget for the fun stuff, everyone can relax and truly enjoy those special moments without financial stress.

Ultimately, the perfect group trip isn’t so much about where you go, but more about how you experience it together. By focusing on the mood, the moments, and the memories, you’ll craft a journey that strengthens bonds long after you’ve unpacked.

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Did you know for example that ‘Scotland’ was in Manchester? That the area of Angel Meadow – tucked quietly away behind Shudehill – was the place where Irish immigrants settled in the city after fleeing the potato famine?  Or that on a Saturday night you could win a bounty if your dog killed the most rats in the ‘rat pit’ of the local tavern?

Such nuggets of information form the backdrop to Dean’s tours which tell the story of Manchester’s rise as the first industrial city and the particular role Irish immigrants played in it. He is not the first to retell the story of ‘Cottonopolis’ but what sets apart Dean’s casting of events off from others is the way he weaves personal stories – including his own family’s – into the rich tapestry of a well-known history.

Engels described Manchester during the industrial revolution as ‘hell on earth’, meticulously detailing the wretched living conditions of workers living in slums such as Angel Meadow. The name Angel Meadow derives from its once pleasant vista looking out over verdant fields, a grimly ironic twist given the industrial hellhole it later became.  Dean relates how swine herders in the city would drive their pigs up into north Manchester to forage before returning to the city at dusk, and how the well-to-do chose the area as a salubrious neighbourhood before it was engulfed by industry. The former large houses of the rich were quickly turned into dosshouses for the downtrodden by rapacious landlords cashing in on the need by large Irish immigrant families for housing of any kind.

Angel Meadow is now represented by the park and the area known as St Michael’s Flags. Gravestones can still be seen to this today of families and a startling reminder of the times is witnessed in the tender ages of the children – as many as 9 in some graves –  buried before their time by parents, such was the infant mortality rate. They were the lucky ones, Dean tells us, with the majority of people being buried in unmarked mass graves, corpses literally piled up on top of the other. Dean relates that the skeletons of such forgotten bodies  would often rise to the surface of the park and young children would play football with the skulls. Not sure what they used for goalposts…

Angel Meadow park was also the venue for often-fatal bare knuckle fights on Sunday morning, started the night before in one of the local hostelries and continued the day after. At one particular fight between two toughs (both one-armed for some reason), it was reported that one assailant ‘bit’ off the hand of the other. Different times, as they say.

Hunger and random violence sums up what life was like for residents of Angel Meadow. Dean recounts a story of one poor soul who died from burns after he was engulfed in flames, pursued as he was by a neighbour with a lamplight who set him alight following a drunken altercation with his sister. The guilty party received just five months for manslaughter, but was later sent to jail for five years for stealing lead pipes. As Dean reminds participants on the tour, the Victorians prized property above human life.

The tour ends with a reminder of the prominent role that the Co-op (Cooperative Wholesale Services or CWS as it was known) played during this and later eras. The area around Angel Meadow is stacked with former CWS buildings, such as the tobacco factory, many of which have been repurposed for flats and residential living. Also noteworthy are the various ‘ragged schools’ which adorn the neighbourhood for children of the poor.

Dean’s tour of Angel Meadow is full of rich detail about the city’s industrial heritage and he is a natural raconteur, warm and witty and an illuminating guide. His latest book about Manchester’s Victorian gangs, The Scuttlers (think the city’s answer to Peaky Blinders), will no doubt cement his reputation as a keen observer of municipal history.

And if you want to know why Scotland is in Manchester, you’ll just have to take the tour yourself.

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