When YA novelist, Melinda Salisbury set herself a goal to reconnect with nature, she lived a fast-paced urban lifestyle, renting a room in a shared house with no garden, and her lengthy commute into London left little time for country escapes. ‘The...
It’s Christmas Eve and two young children find themselves home alone after their police officer mum is called to investigate a robbery in the neighbourhood. No, this isn’t another spin-off from the popular 1990 kid’s movie Home...
There’s a magic in children’s classics that can’t be explained by the story alone. The wise, Professor Kirk reminds us of this towards the end of The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe on stage when he talks about a certain look we recognise in those...
After a four-year absence, family Christmas funfair, Winter Wonderland is back at EventCity with even more rides and shows than before. Throughout December the 22,000sq m exhibition space has been transformed into an indoor theme park with more than...
Global connection and love of our planet are the messages at the heart of this year’s Lightwaves festival at Salford Quays. The free 10-day arts festival features an illuminated trail of 12 original art works, starting with a huge globe on the water...
Everybody knows Postman Pat’s bright red van. Now fans can see it for real as some of the original sets and props from the popular animation series go on display for the first time. To mark the 40th anniversary of the children’s TV favourite...
Nutcracker! was the first big hit for choreographer, Matthew Bourne and his New Adventures company. Thirty years on it still feels edgy, encapsulating the inventiveness and energy Bourne’s work has become synonymous with over the years. This is...
During the first UK lockdown of 2020 all the actors and entertainers, often esteemed so highly as celebrities, were suddenly sent home to sit on their sofas like so many of us. It was a reality check that these famous faces weren’t vital to the...
Dire Straits’ bassist, John Illsley is among the speakers at this year’s Louder than Words festival. Illsley was a founding member of the rock band, along with his close friend and lead singer, Mark Knopfler remaining in the line up from...
Jez Dolan, stand-up, lecturer and expert on Polari, has joined forces with writer and tour guide, Joshua Val Martin to create Double-Ender, a fast-paced double bill of monologues sharing stories about Queer people in a rapidly changing Manchester...
Carmel Thomason