A new art trail is coming to Manchester next month, bringing with it a total of 51 individual sculptures all designed by talented UK artists.
Designed to show thanks to the NHS and all the keyworkers who have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, it’s been created in partnership with global public art producers Wild in Art – who were also behind Manchester’s popular 2018 Bee In The City art trail.
Aiming to capture the experiences that have connected us all through what has been one of the most challenging periods in modern peacetime, the free-to-visit exhibition has been curated in partnership with creative ambassador and fashion icon Dame Zandra Rhodes.
LeiMai’s “Lockdown” sculpture will go on display in Manchester next month as part of the Gratitude art trail / Image: Leimai Lemaow
Consisting of 51 sculptures, it features work by professional artists and designers from across the UK – including pieces by prominent Manchester-based artists Leimai Lemaow and Nomad Clan.
The trail will also bring to life real-life stories and poems about key workers, narrated by a host of famous voices, and at the end of its UK tour all of the artworks on display will be sold off at auction to raise funds for NHS Charities Together.
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Enclosed by mirrors on two sides, Gratitude creates infinite reflections of the stunning artwork highlighting the endless dedication of all key workers / Image: Gratitude in Art
Sharing her Gratitude art trail design to her Instagram page over the weekend, Manchester-based artist LeiMai told of how Wild In Art asked her to create a sculpture to raise money for the NHS that summed up the pandemic:
“I created this tale of two halves and named it “lockdown”, she shared with her followers.
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“On the front of my sculpture I added the words “See you soon” from a charity print I’d released with @law_magazine during the first lockdown, it shows clapping and smiley faces, we were fine weren’t we?
“We had everything worked out, clapping helps right?… the back that you see reflected in the mirror has the words “sorry I’m having tech difficulties”, sad faces, and unsure clapping hands… was the pandemic ever going to end? Another f’ing zoom meeting when I hate video calls and my internet keeps dipping?
You can visit Gratitude at St Peter’s Square, Manchester from 03-12 September 2021 before it moves on to visit Edinburgh and London. / Image: Gratitude in Art
“Clapping like idiots but 1% pay rise for NHS… seriously? The spiral symbolises this never-ending whirlwind of feelings and asks the question; will things ever be the same again? it’s now on show in Birmingham and will be coming to Manny soon amongst other cities.”
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And Leimai isn’t the only Manchester artist to be asked to get involved in the project. When the art trail lands in the city next month, there’ll also be a piece on display from internationally-acclaimed, queer street art muralist duo Nomad Clan.
Their design, entitled ‘Digital Conscience’, seeks to explore themes of value systems, digital identity, virtual reality and overstimulation in connection to our shared lived experiences of the past year.
In autumn 2021, the sculptures will be auctioned with substantial proceeds donated to NHS Charities Together / Image: Gratitude in Art
Elsewhere, there’ll be further contributions from artists up and down the country – including Scottish fashion designer Pam Hogg with her sculpture ‘Courage’, British fashion and textile designer Kitty Joseph, Andrew Logan with his design ‘Spiral Stardust – Homage to the Alexander Technique’, and leading ceramic artist Kate Malone with her design ‘Life Force.’
Each artist has drawn their own inspirations from the past year, be that from the selfless, endless dedication of NHS workers or the opportunities we’ve been given to reconnect with nature during this forced period of slowing down.
‘Super Stars’, designed by Birmingham artist Edward Luke Thrush, nods to the keyworkers who braved the pandemic when the rest of us stayed at home, whilst Cardiff-based illustrator Matt Joyce’s design ‘The Joy of Pets’ celebrates the furry (and not so furry) companions that have kept us company throughout the trials and tribulations of Covid-19.
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Gratitude has been created by Wild in Art, who also produced the hugely successful Bee in the City trail in Manchester in 2018. / Image: Gratitude in Art trail
As well as showcasing sculptures from artists up and down the country, the trail will also bring to the fore real-life stories and poems about key workers.
These have been brought to life by working with a host of famous voices, including Adil Ray, Hugh Bonneville, Sarah Parish, Norman Cook, Christopher Eccleston, Julie Hesmondhalgh, John Thomson, Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, Shobna Gulati and KT Tunstall.
Visitors to the trail will be able to access these stories through the Gratitude App and website, hearing the experience of doctors and nurses, teachers, railways workers, and more.
Speaking on the new art trail,Charlie Langhorne, Managing Director and Co-founder of Wild in Art said: “Gratitude is set to be a beautiful and striking tribute which celebrates the incredible courage and dedication of the UK’s NHS staff and all key workers and supports the vital work of NHS Charities Together.
“We are delighted to be launching our tour at Paradise Birmingham, after months of hard work from artists across the UK, who have dedicated their time and creativity to help us produce an installation which reflects our endless Gratitude for the care and kindness that all key workers have provided.”
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You can visit Gratitude at St Peter’s Square, Manchester from 3 – 12 September 2021 before it moves on to visit Edinburgh and London. To find out more and grab your tickets, click here.
Work on Greater Manchester’s very own ‘Tebay-style’ motorway service station is finally underway
Danny Jones
You heard us right: the time has come for Greater Manchester to level up its service station game, as work on the long-talked-about Tebay-style venue over in Trafford has finally begun.
Those motorway trips are about to get even better.
We first heard about the vision to provide a brand-new Tatton Services back in March 2022, with the Westmorland Family – known not only for Tebay but the similarly popular Gloucester and Cairns Lodge equivalents – promising to deliver a new top-quality stop-off point in the region.
It’s one that people across the North West have been keeping a keen eye on ever since, and now the dial is finally moving on the major project. You can see more detailed images here:
With the Westmorlands and the official Tatton Estate agreeing a partnership that weighs heavily in the former’s favour, the new services will be located around the M56 near the Bowdon Roundabout in Altrincham.
Bordering the electoral ward of Trafford and Cheshire, it is set to be located between junctions seven and eight of the M6 motorway near neighbouring Millington and Rostherne.
It’s estimated to cost more than £65 million and will be one of the most expensive developments of its kind the country has ever seen, with only the pending Chalfont St Peter station by Extra Motorway Services Group set to be more expensive (approximately £90m).
As per Forecourt Trader, the blueprints include a dedicated 100-room hotel, one of their trademark farm shops that those travelling rave about so much, a petrol station, as well as 40 charging bays for electric vehicles. Service station facilities have come a long way since 1972, when Tebay first opened.
However, while plans are at long last getting underway, it will be arriving much later than expected, with the initial opening date slated for some time later this year; instead, it is now they are now aiming for spring 2028, meaning you’ll just have to make do with the OG for now.
We promise this was purely a coincidence on our way back from Kendal Calling 2026, by the way…
Speaking on behalf of family, the Tatton Services Proposal team, and members of the estate, Westmorland chair Sarah Dunning said in a recent statement on the update: “We’re very excited to bring our proper food offer and ethos to Cheshire.
“From day one, this is about creating something rooted in the local landscape and community. We have committed to working with at least 70 producers within 30 miles of the site – and we hope that number will grow as relationships flourish.
“We’re also creating over 400 skilled jobs for local people, alongside apprenticeships and training programmes designed to build meaningful, long-term careers in the food industry. Our ambition is not only to serve travellers but to create opportunities and lasting value for the communities around us.”
What do you make of the proposed plans for the ‘next Tebay‘?
Major incident declared in response to Greater Manchester wildfires ‘stood down’
Emily Sergeant
The major incident that was declared in response to several wildfires across Greater Manchester has now officially been ‘stood down’.
Nearly a month on from the first blaze breaking out near the popular beauty spot of Dovestone Reservoir in Oldham on 11 July, which then unfortunately went on to merge with a fire at Tintwistle and Swineshaw, prompting a major multi-agency response, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The fire service says it has made the decision to ‘stand down’ the major incident that was declared in response to the fires.
It comes after firefighters worked hard in challenging conditions to contain the fire and prevent further spread across the moorland.
Greater Manchester moorland fires are still burning after more than two weeks / Credit: GMFRS
Specialist wildfire resources, command support units, drone technology, and partner agencies were also deployed over the past month as operations continued across multiple sectors.
While the major incident has been stood down, however, GMFRS says it wants to be clear that the fire is ‘not over’ yet.
Issuing a formal statement on the current situation as it stands, GMFRS said: “Reflecting the significant progress that has been made over recent weeks, the fire is now largely contained and the risk of further significant spread reduced substantially.
“This milestone has only been possible because of the outstanding efforts of firefighters, landowners, and partner agencies and organisations, who have shown incredible professionalism, commitment and resilience throughout a challenging and prolonged incident.
“Whilst standing down the major incident is an important step forward, the incident is not over.
“Fire is still present beneath the surface so firefighters will remain at the scene to monitor and contain any fire spread, while working alongside our partners to support ongoing recovery efforts.”
Georgina Pellant -
23rd August 2021 
