Our first Manc of the Month instalment of 2022 is dedicated to Figen Murray, a woman who puts peace first despite her own world being shattered by the Manchester Arena attack.
Monday 22 May, 2017, was a day that devastated and changed Manchester forever.
The attack at the Manchester Arena killed 22 innocent people, and sent shockwaves of grief throughout the region.
Those who lost loved ones on that dark day will never forget what was taken from them on that night.
That grief could so easily have turned into anger – but Figen Murray, whose son Martyn Hett was killed at just 29 years old, has chosen to embrace and champion peace instead.
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Figen Murray with son Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena attack
She has recently stated: “One thing I learnt over the past 4.5 years is that there will never be a place in my heart for hate.
“The world is full of wonderful and amazing humans & recognising this has been massively healing. The darkness will never overshadow my life.”
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2022 started in a big way for Figen.
The inspirational campaigner and educator was named on the New Year’s Honours list and appointed OBE, recognised for her services to counter terrorism.
Figen Murray.
Since the tragic death of Martyn, Figen has tirelessly fought to make venues safer.
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Her Martyn’s Law campaign has led to the rapid progression of the Protect Duty, a new piece of legislation that would see certain public places required to be prepared for, and protected against, terrorist attacks.
In a witness statement as part of the Manchester Arena enquiry, Figen said: “The idea for Martyn’s Law came about at the end of 2018.
“My husband had been given two concert tickets for a singer that he likes. The tickets were for 2nd December 2018 in a Manchester theatre. I had not been out and about since Martyn’s death and this was the first time that I ventured into Manchester and into the city life in a long time.
“On attending the venue, I took my smallest handbag with me to enable any bag search to be carried out quickly. When we got to the theatre we walked in and nobody even asked for our entry tickets. We walked past members of staff who were in conversation with each other and took a seat.
We went on Saturday with some of Martyn's friends. It is definitely beautiful. It will be nice when spring adds a touch of colours to it. It is a good place to go and contemplate. I am also sad Manchester needs a memorial. But it is what it is. Nobody can bring them back😔 https://t.co/TTl2GwX9gz
“During the show, I got very tearful as I was astounded by the fact that we had just walked in. Naively, I had until then made the assumption that security checks at public venues were now run of the mill after the Manchester Arena Bombing.”
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She told ITV News: “Absolutely everything I do since Martyn died is purely for the purposes to avoid other families from going through what we as a family have gone through, and are going through and will be going through for the rest of our lives.”
It’s just one example of how this influential woman channels her energies into making the world a safer, more peaceful place.
Before the 2017 terrorist attack, Figen was actually a counsellor and life coach.
Martyn Hett.
She had dedicated her entire career to listening to people, and helping them to build a happier future.
Since making the decision to leave counselling, Figen has embarked on a new challenge, and completed a Master’s degree in Counter Terrorism from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
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She graduated with a distinction (naturally), and said: “This one’s for you, Martyn!”
These are all big, impactful moves – but Figen’s mission for peace trickles down to something much smaller too.
She also knits teddy bears, each one given its own identity and background story, which she sells on Depop.
One of these ‘peace bears’ even made its way into the arms of New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, shortly after the Christchurch mosque shootings that killed 51 people.
Figen says that ‘every grown up should own a teddy bear, as people often forget to have fun and let their hair down once in a while when they grow up.’
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She left one particularly special bear, known as Jordan Bear, on a train in brown paper bag, with clear instructions that he should see the world.
The little blue creature has now passed through dozens of hands and countries – including a little holiday with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
On top of all this, Figen regularly visits schools, colleges and universities to try and instil kindness and tolerance.
She said in a blog post for Educate Against Hate: “I hope to create a positive framework for young people, so they embrace each other’s differences rather than fear them.
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“I want young people to have hope for a kinder future and I want to prevent other families from going through the same pain that we did.”
All of us Mancs have heard the expression ‘Be More Martyn’ by now.
Maybe we should all be a little more Figen too.
About Manc of the Month
We all know that Manchester is home to some special people, some born here and others drawn here, and after a bumpy two years that effectively amounted to one big lockdown, it’s these special people that have inspired and led us through the tough times – so we decided to start a series that shines a light on those who should be celebrated.
Following on from our ‘The Mancs of the Year’ feature towards the end of 2020, Manc of the Month officially kicked off in July 2021, with Marcus Rashford MBE, Manchester’s mural king Akse P-19, the local chef feeding the region’s vulnerable families Mary-Ellen McTague, and Manchester’s groundbreaking new Council leader Bev Craig among previous honourees.
Feature
Inside Great Northern Market, the huge new food hall at Manchester Airport T2
Daisy Jackson
There’s a brand-new food hall in Manchester, and you won’t believe where this beauty is… it’s only at Manchester Airport (!).
The food hall craze has travelled all the way to Terminal 2, bringing a whole host of kitchens for you to enjoy before your flight.
You can tuck in to everything from full breakfasts and brunches (with the obligatory 7am pint, because time isn’t real in an airport), to burgers and street food.
Essentially, you can travel around the world before you’ve even boarded the plane.
It’s all part of the terminal’s wider £1.3bn transformation, which now includes a first-of-its-kind market hall-style food and drink offering, with six kitchens around a central dining area, plus a Gooey kiosk and a takeaway hatch.
Behind the scenes, Great Northern Market is powered by a community of Northern talent. All menus have been crafted by Manchester-born executive chef Amy Tomkinson.
Here are all the new traders who have moved in to the Great Northern Market.
Gooey
This one surely needs no introduction – Gooey is one of Manchester’s top (and most popular) bakeries, famed for its chunky cookies, fluffy doughnuts, and cinnamon buns.
It’s the first thing you’ll see as you enter the Great Northern Market, a pretty tiled kiosk with its signature neon sign overhead.
As well as fresh bakes and their limited-edition specials, this is the spot to grab a pre-flight coffee too.
La Casita
This Mexican street food spot has been created with the help of Madre’s Sam Grainger, and is serving a menu of burritos, loaded nachos, and salads.
A highlight is the beef birria nachos – authentic Mexican corn tacos loaded up with refried beans, pink pickled onions, guacamole, cheese sauce, salsa norteña and jalapeños.
Nashville Hot House
There’s another local name involved with Nashville Hot House – Yard & Coop have brought their fried chicken prowess to Manchester Airport.
At the Great Northern Market, you’ll find classic buttermilk chicken burgers, a spicy little K-pop thigh burger, and chicken tenders.
There’s also salt and pepper loaded fries and absolutely loads of different dips.
Napoli Street Pizza
There’s been a real lack of pre-holiday pizza at Manchester Airport until now.
Napoli Street Pizza makes its Neapolitan pizzas using a a 55% hydration method, and a biga dough that is fermented and used to create the dough daily.
There are loads of different flavours to choose from, like a hot honey and pepperoni, plus flatbreads, Caesar salads, and more.
Kouzina
Kouzina is importing flatbreads from Greece for the most authentic possible souvlaki experience, like a lamb kofta souvlaki with chopped tomatoes, pink pickled onions, cucumber, zhoug, tahini, garlic mayo, and coriander.
You can also order big salads here, mezze platters, halloumi fries, and flatbreads with dips.
You’ll feel like your in Santorini before you’ve even stepped on the plane (… okay, that might be a stretch).
Black Iron Grill
Smash burgers and skin-on fries are up for grabs at this next Great Northern Market trader, Black Iron Grill.
These burgers are served in glazed brioche buns, with melt-in-your-mouth beef patties topped with a number of different options.
You can also order a side of mac and cheese or some filthy fries loaded with crispy bacon bits, crispy shallots, and garlic mayonnaise.
Palms Cafe
Last but not least – and definitely not something we thought we’d ever see in Manchester Airport – is Palms Cafe.
They’re whipping up big bowls of ramen, and other noodle dishes, with toppings like satay chicken, sweet chilli king prawn, crispy tofu, pulled Korean beef, crispy fried chicken, and miso roasted sweet potato.
Noodles include hearty ramens, katsu curries, Pad Thai, and sides like prawn crackers.
Gig Review | Mika shines at the AO Arena in Manchester on the first night of his world tour
Aimee Woodcock
Mika’s Manchester stop on his ‘Spinning Out’ global tour was a vibrant, high-energy celebration of all things pop.
Not happy with just walking on stage – this is Mika we’re talking about – he made his entrance on a spinning hamster wheel, bathing the AO Arena in kaleidoscopic lights.
Opening with ‘Modern Times’ and ‘Eleven’ from his latest discography before leaning into one of the classics, ‘Relax, Take it Easy’, the atmosphere inside the packed arena felt charged.
His stamina was something that stood out from the get-go, delivering every track with that signature Mika flair, accompanied by choreography and a live band that matched his energy – no mean feat.
The production leaned heavily into colour and movement, with swirling visuals and playful stage design that mirrored the tour’s theme of motion and momentum with nods to themes of LGBTQ+ rights.
Working through this current album, and after a quick outfit change, we were treated to an a cappella intro to another classic, ‘Lollipop’ with Mika dressed in a full pink suit (and shoes).
Between songs, Mika’s easy rapport with the crowd added warmth and intimacy to the arena-sized performance.
He shared anecdotes and playful banter, encouraging the crowd to sing along, uniting the fans.
Highlights included a rendition of ‘Grace Kelly’, which sparked one of the loudest reactions of the night, and a heartfelt performance of his more reflective ‘Happy Ending’ offered a welcome contrast to the glittering pop anthems.
Daisy Jackson -
28th January 2022 
