Two young lads have recreated their hometown of Stockport in the ever-popular video game Minecraft and it looks absolutely incredible.
Showing some pretty admirable teamwork, brothers Elliott, 13, and Ted, 10 – both from Heaviley – joined forces with their dad Paul and spent over two months building some of Greater Manchester borough’s most iconic landmarks as part of a new interactive gaming experience.
Paul Jones runs children’s party business TechTruck, which usually offers a mobile gaming cafe experience from the back of an adapted van, but due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, he had to come up with a new way of providing the unique service.
And he did so by moving it online, opening up opportunities for residents in Greater Manchester and beyond.
Paul and his two sons developed a new game based on a book called The Puzzle Cube.
Using characters and locations from the story, children play together online in a Minecraft world to complete a series of challenges, while a TechTruck host guides them through the world of the Puzzle Cube to search for clues and solve the cryptic riddles, with plenty of familiar landmarks along the way too.
The games have already proved to be popular, with recent parties having connected friends from Muscat, the United Arab Emirates and the UK via the online events.
Speaking on his adapted business venture, Paul said: “We have a gaming business where we do children’s parties, but due to lockdown we’ve had to shut up shop in March and in the summer we realised the only way we could carry on would be to do it online.
“That way we could still offer the parties during lockdown.”
He continued: “My sons Elliott and Ted are massive Minecrafters, especially my eldest son, he’s Minecraft crazy and he’s helped me out in a huge way,”
“The game itself, you follow clues based on a book called the Puzzle Cube, and as you go around the world, you find lecterns that offer clues and hints about where to go to next.
“Once you reach the end of a section you are given a piece of a puzzle that you throw into a hopper.
“My son has coded the game so that once you throw the piece into the hopper, you get transported to a different place [and] there’s a bit of VT over Zoom that then explains the next part of the story and then you continue somewhere else.”
TechTruck
TechTruck
TechTruck
TechTruck
“In [The Puzzle Cube book], there are two children who are trying to find their way back,” Paul explains, “and we were influenced by wanting to recreate part of the book in our game.
“We know Stockport, my sons see the Viaduct all the time, so they could pretty much build it from memory.
“At the moment we have the pyramid, the viaduct, and then we’ve got the Plaza which you can actually go in. One of the clues is to go where the actors get changed to in the game you have to go all around the theatre, back stage into the little dressing room which gives you the next clue.
“We’ve also got the factory, which is a disused cotton mill based on Houldsworth Mill in Reddish.
It’s got all the looms, but they aren’t working any more [so] you’ve got to find your way around the mill to the top floor to find the next clue.”
TechTruck
TechTruck
There’s no denying that the game has been a labour of love for the Jones’, taking several months to create and still being a work in progress.
But they’re not stopping yet, as a second game is already in the pipeline.
Paul added: “We’ve put hundreds and hundreds of hours in. It must have taken since the start of summer until October and it’s still being worked on now, so a really really long time.
“The games are an hour long each, but we’ve found that people who have been on parties with friends have gone on to book a session for themselves [and] we don’t want people going through the same experience a second time, so we are building game two at the moment.
“We’re hoping to include the church, the old infirmary and the marketplace in this one, but the world is our oyster really and we are open to ideas for what’s next.”
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TechTruck parties – which are recommended for ages between seven to 11 – can be booked online, with 60-minute events for up to 10 children setting you back £99.
You can find more information and book yours here.
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Bryan Mbuemo transfer saga looks to finally be over as Manchester United agree deal with Brentford
Danny Jones
In one of the biggest transfer sagas of the 2025 summer transfer window, it looks like Manchester United have got their man, as an agreement with Brentford FC is in place and a move for Bryan Mbuemo looks to be a done deal.
Following weeks and weeks of speculation, minor nudges back and forth in the market, it has now been reported that French-born Mbuemo is heading to Man United, having made it apparent that Old Trafford was his desired destination for some time.
Having initially entered a bid of around £45 million before bonuses last month, the west London club stuck to their guns and appear to have got their overall asking price for the player.
According to Ornstein, a trusted transfer source and ever-reliable journalist, United are expected to pay Brentford an estimated £65m for Mbeumo’s signature.
However, with add-ons of approximately £6m, the attacking midfielder’s total price comes out at more than £70m, making his a fee a sales record for a now established Premier League side who have become known as a ‘feeder/selling club’ with excellent recruitment.
It is also said that MUFC and INEOS have arranged for a payment structure that will see the transfer funded over the course of four-year instalments, with a contract valid until 2030 and the option to extend by a further 12 months.
Well-known for using the so-called ‘Moneyball‘ model to their success in recent years, Mbuemo was signed by the Bees back in 2019, when they were still in the Championship, and he cost just £5.8m from ES Troyes AC – also a club record signing at the time.
Fast forward just a few seasons, not to mention 121 goal contributions in all competitions (28 of those coming last season alone), and he’s been deemed worth about 12 times that amount.
Here are just a few reasons why they’ve been after him.
"He's a player who likes to attack space!" 🔥
With Bryan Mbuemo Manchester United-bound, what can we expect from the winger? 👀 pic.twitter.com/ebmG8scUBy
Still just 25 years old, it’s fair to say he fits the balance of age and experience that the club are looking to recruit, as well as boasting a profile that suits the system Ruben Amorim is looking to deploy with his ever-shifting squad.
At least on paper, anyway.
Meanwhile, outgoing deals are still expected to be completed before the end of the summer window, with key first-team players like homegrown Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and loanee Antony all still expected to depart.
A petition has been created to make Prestwich’s Oasis-inspired ‘Aldeh’ sign permanent
Danny Jones
We love how Greater Manchester, the UK and, indeed, the whole world have been gripped by Oasis fever – even brands like Aldi, who recently renamed one of their local shops ‘Aldeh’ in honour of Oasis and Manc accents everywhere; in fact, there’s even a petition to make it permanent.
And it’s already starting to gather some steam…
That’s right, the Aldi in Prestwich – or ‘Aldeh’ as we shall hopefully refer to it from now until forever – has seen not just local shoppers in and around Bury, but Oasis fans and even just curious Mancunians visit the location to see it for themselves.
In case this silly but oddly satisfying bit of news somehow passed you by, here it is in all its (What’s the Story?) Morning Glory:
A slightly caricatured and over-the-top impersonation of the most Gallagher-esque voice ever? Maybe. Fun to record? Definitely Maybe.
The sign itself has stood outside the branch located near Heaton Park for just over a fortnight now in honour of the Live ’25 reunion gigs and has drawn plenty of attention.
As described by the creator of the petition, Ella Curtis – a Manchester native herself – “photos of the sign went viral, because it tapped into something meaningful: pride in where we’re from, and in what this city has given the world. In short, Prestwich got its own Blue Plaque.”
Simply entitled, ‘Make “Aldeh” Permanent: A Tribute to Manchester’s Musical Legacy’, you can find a lengthy and surprisingly inspiring explanation detailing why the petition matters down below.
“1. A Tribute to Manchester’s Cultural Legacy
Manchester’s contribution to music – and to British culture more broadly – is unmatched. Oasis gave the world BritPop and helped define a generation. The ‘Aldeh’ sign reflects that heritage in a way that feels authentic, local, and proud.
2. A Source of Local Pride
As a proud Mancunian, I’ve seen the reaction firsthand. The sign has brought a real sense of community, joy, and identity to the area. People stop to take pictures, to smile, to talk. In a time when towns often struggle to feel distinctive, this simple change has sparked something genuinely positive.
3. A Cultural Landmark in the Making
In just a short time, the sign has become a local attraction and even a landmark – a destination for fans. It is a symbol and reminder of how we, as Mancunians all came together to celebrate one of the biggest reunion concerts from one of the world’s biggest bands happening right on our doorstep!
The ‘Aldeh‘ sign might have started as a temporary campaign, but it’s come to mean something more – to this city, to its people, and to anyone who recognises the power of music and place.”
Of course we’ve signed it. (Credit: Screenshot via Change.org)
Already listed on Google as a ‘cultural landmark’, even boasting 5-star reviews, Aldi themselves have responded by saying: “Boss said we also need 10,000 likes and a comment from one of the Gallaghers.”
It’s your time to shine, folks – we’ll worry about the two later.
The ‘Aldeh’ petition page ends with a simple but moving message: “Sign if you agree – let’s make ‘Aldeh’ a lasting part of Manchester’s story.”
Listen, it’s very rare that you see a city, a country and arguably the entire world taken over by a collective obsession and unified love of music and art; with that in mind, you best believe we’re right behind this.
And if you fancy tacking the ‘Aldeh’ sign onto a tour of important Oasis heritage sights in 0161, then look no further.
Emily Sergeant -
19th January 2021 
