A renowned local artist has designed a range of face masks inspired by Manchester in the hopes of giving back to the city he grew up in.
‘Maskchester’ is the collaboration project by artist Justin Eagleton and Lisa Morton – the founder of Manchester-based agency Roland Dransfield PR – and features a selection of face masks showcasing Justin’s bespoke designs.
The masks have been made “by Mancs, for Mancs, for the benefit of Mancs” and are said to illustrate “the great and the good of Manchester”.
Each face covering features unique designs that pay homage to the city, including the Manchester skyline, famous faces and places that make up Manchester’s distinctive culture, a Factory Records-inspired mask, and masks that show support for both Manchester United and Manchester City.
— Justin Eagleton Artist (@JustinEagleton) July 21, 2020
A portion of sales from the initiative will be donated to two worthy local charities – The Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity and Manchester MIND – with the overall aim of “giving back” and putting the city at the forefront of mask-wearing by promoting everything Manchester.
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The release of this collection of bespoke masks comes after face coverings were made a mandatory requirement in all shops and supermarkets in England from 24th July.
Maskchester
Speaking on the motivation behind the initiative, artist Justin Eagleton said: “I wanted to create something a little bit more exciting than the ordinary face masks, which would also have the added benefit of showing some Mancunian spirit.”
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“There has been a great deal of anti-mask rhetoric, so we wanted to do something slightly different that encouraged people to follow government guidance, whilst supporting two hugely important charities that have done so much to support people across Manchester.”
“We do things differently here in Manchester, and these designs show just what makes this city so great.”
Maskchester
Lisa Morton, CEO of Roland Dransfield PR, added: “Following the government announcement around the compulsory wearing of masks, we wanted to launch something that would benefit Mancunians,”
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“Working with Justin has enabled us to create some truly wonderful designs, which embody the spirit of Manchester and what we’re all about here. It’s great to be founding Maskchester in partnership with Justin [and] I can’t think of anybody more suited to the job.”
She continued: “The support we have received from the Manchester public since launch has been great. We’re looking forward to evolving and will be releasing more designs in due course.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CC80ziqHkzv/
Maskchester masks are £10 each and you can get your hands on one here.
Manchester’s big wheel is returning to Exchange Square for the summer… sort of
Emily Sergeant
Manchester is set to reach new heights, as the big wheel that once stood proudly in the city centre is making a comeback this summer.
Well… sort of.
That’s because it’s not quite the same big wheel that many will remember from its glory days in locations like Piccadilly Gardens and Exchange Square throughout the 2000s, and more recently Albert Square during last year’s Manchester Christmas Markets – but it is a big wheel and it’s a big wheel that you’ll be able to hop on for a ride.
Celebrating the launch of its new Cloud Frappuccino blended drinks range, Starbucks’ Summer in the Clouds arrives in Exchange Square next Friday and Saturday (24 and 25 July), inviting people to escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy panoramic views of the city below from a big Ferris wheel.
The two-day takeover will give customers the chance to unlock a ride on the big wheel with the purchase of any Grande or Venti iced drink from participating Manchester city centre Starbucks stores.
Both in participating stores – which in Manchester are Starbucks stores in the Arndale, City Tower Offices, on Market Street and on Fennel Street – and at the Ferris wheel itself in Exchange Square, you can expect complimentary Cloud Frappuccino-inspired candy floss, live music from DJ and presenter Ethan Porte, and a free photobooth with digital and printed photos.
Alongside the big wheel ride, there’ll also be the chance for members to win exclusive Starbucks merchandise across the two days too.
A limited number of additional ferris wheel ride tokens will also be available to win via the fairground-style Plinko game on site.
The new Starbucks Cloud Frappuccino blended drinks range includes a range of bespoke creations like the Strawberry Matcha Cloud Frappuccino, the Brown Sugar Cloud Frappuccino, and the Caramel Mocha Cloud Frappuccino.
With skyline views and summer sips, Starbucks says its Summer in the Clouds is set to be one of Manchester’s must-visit experiences this month.
Starbucks’ Summer in the Clouds arrives in Exchange Square next Friday 24 and Saturday 25 July.
Featured Image – Cédric Dhaenens (via Unsplash)
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Liam Fray says ‘yes’ to Courteeners supporting Oasis on tour amid rumoured 2027 dates
Danny Jones
Liam Fray has said that the Courteeners are ready to “answer the call” if/when it comes to supporting Oasis on their next big live tour, with rumours of dates for shows in 2027 ramping up.
The fellow Manc favourites were heavily suggested as potential support acts for the Live ’25 reunion gigs, but Cast and Richard Ashcroft were ultimately selected as the warm-ups for the world tour.
With that in mind, when asked if Courteeners would be ready to open up for Oasis on their still only hypothetical tour next year, Fray had a very quick answer:
Not to speak for the Middleton musician, but it’s a bit of a no-brainer, really.
As you can see, in a recent interview with Radio X host Johnny Vaughan promoting the indie rockers’ new single, ‘Plus One Forever’, the 41-year-old frontman made it clear that he and his bandmates would bite hands off if the other Liam and/or his brother Noel offered a slot to them.
The younger Gallagher brother definitely had plenty of fun teasing supports last time around, before making some fairly more obvious posts and then seemingly just announcing them on social media according to his own timeline.
LG does what he wants, after all.
As for the supposed ’12 nights at the Etihad Stadium’ reported recently, not to mention all the other sets across the country that would no doubt follow should they come to fruition, Fray could say little else other than simply “Yes” to the prospect.
Joking, “Well, it is from me – I don’t know if someone else has said no!”, there have been no other indications on this front, but it’s safe to say it’d be a huge booking for everyone involved and a HUGE crowd-pleaser; Liam looks to be working on one of his own, elsewhere, too…
The two lead singers have both graced the stage of the Emirates Old Trafford stadium at Lancashire County Cricket Club, as well as Heaton Park, respectively.
Liam noted that he was at Heaton Park himself for that unforgettable summer last year, and also praised Wigan’s very own Ashcroft for being “unbelievable” when he caught him at Wembley. Big shoes to fill. The question is, who would you like to see supporting Oasis on their possible tour dates in the future?
In the meantime, we’ll have to be satisfied with gearing up for the release of the highly-anticipated reunion documentary, with the title and a first trailer now revealed.
Emily Sergeant -
28th July 2020 
