Several Mancs were caught by surprise yesterday by the sight of a group of totally naked people having a pint in a local beer garden.
The group of four were spotted having a drink outside the New Union Hotel on Canal Street, with not a scrap of clothing between them.
They were later seen cycling around the city – including a pair on a tandem bicycle – and grabbing a takeaway from McTucky’s in the Gay Village.
The duo on the tandem, known as the Free Wilders, are actually on a pretty epic bike ride across the UK for a very worthy cause.
Colin and Sadie in Edinburgh
The Free Wilders at the beginning of their journey
Credit: Supplied
Colin Unsworth and Sadie Tann are naturists, and advocates for rewilding, the basis of which is that nature can look after itself if ecosystems are properly restored.
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They’re currently cycling the massive distance between John o’Groats and Land’s End to raise money for charity, and doing it all starkers.
During their stop-over in Manchester, Colin said they had a ‘great reception and positivity from the people of Manchester’, a section he’d been looking forward to all along.
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On their JustGiving page, which has currently raised almost £2000 for both Rewilding Britain and mental health charity Mind, they say they chose to do the ride naked to help spread their message.
They wrote: “If you’re reading this it is most likely because of the attention that this challenge will get. If we just ride the LEJOG in cycling gear, no one will notice our message. But also, we’re going to have a scream.
“We are going to visit rewilding farms and projects along the route and stop for parties wherever we can. This is a celebration of our future and of body freedom.”
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They advocate for the mental health benefits of naturism in a world that treats nudity as ‘humiliating’.
The Free Wilders say: “We grow up in a world that expects us to be ashamed of our bodies as though there is something so bad, so hideous that there are few things more humiliating than being seen naked.
“This is reinforced by images that sexualise nudity and tell us that without a magazine perfect body, we have something to hide and be ashamed of. We are breaking free of that. Non sexual nudity should be celebrated and seen as normal!”
If you want to join in with the Free Wilders, you can follow along on Facebook to join in with a leg of their cycle from John O’Groats to Land’s End.
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You can also donate to their JustGiving page here.
Featured image: Free Wilders
City Centre
New stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House to arrive in Manchester this Halloween
Emily Sergeant
A brand-new stage adaptation of a bestselling horror novel and TV series is coming to Manchester this Halloween.
Following the critically acclaimed Netflix hit series that introduced a new generation to the eerie masterpiece, author Shirley Jackson’s famous The Haunting of Hill House is being turned into a brand-new stage adaptation later this year, and will be taking to one of Manchester’s most iconic stages at the spookiest season of all.
Written by Olivier and BAFTA award-winner Stef Smith, and directed by Martin Constantine, the new production is set to conjure the iconic supernatural thriller on stage.
It will be making its world premiere with a UK tour this autumn, stopping off in several major towns and cities along the way.
If you’re unfamiliar with the story, The Haunting of Hill House follows a group of daring investigators who take on the mystery of Hill House, before their curiosity quickly descends into fear.
A new stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House is coming to Manchester this Halloween / Credit: Supplied
“The Haunting of Hill House is one of the greatest supernatural novels of the last hundred years and to have the chance to adapt it for the stage is a true privilege,” explained writer Stef Smith, as the UK tour was announced this week.
“I find Shirley Jackson’s world intoxicating, thrilling and gut-wrenching.
“I believe there is something so deeply theatrical at the heart of Hill House. From the spooky, to the surreal, through heartache and hope. I hope that our cast of characters will take the audience along for a ride quite unlike anything else. Above all we will examine that the biggest horrors are usually human.”
The brand-new stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House will arrive in Manchester and take to the stage at Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 27 October right through to Halloween itself (Saturday 31 October 2026).
The full cast and creative team for the new production is set to be announced shortly, so keep your eyes peeled.
Tickets go on pre-sale tomorrow at 10am, before general sale begins on Friday (20 February), again at 10am, and you book your place here.
Featured Image – Supplied
City Centre
Adults-only ‘after hours’ event returns to Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum next month
Emily Sergeant
A popular adults-only ‘after hours’ event is returning to Manchester next month.
Fancy releasing your inner child? If you need an excuse to leave the little Mancs at home, then one of Manchester’s most visited museums might have just what you’re looking for, as the Science and Industry Museum has announced that its popular After Hours event especially for adults is returning for one night only next month.
You’ll get to celebrate the energy that ‘sparked a revolution’ with an evening of interactive games, live music, and unique experiences as you explore the Museum once it’s closed for the day.
It’s your chance to be among the first to explore the newly re-opened Power Hall: The Andrew Law Gallery after dark, and experience the sights, smells, and sounds of engine-driven ideas that started in Manchester and went on to change the world.
An adults-only ‘after hours’ event is coming to Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum next month / Credit: Science Museum Group
The Museum’s permanent galleries and displays will also be open after hours, so you can get hands-on with science in Experiment, meet mighty machines in the Textiles Gallery, and discover Manchester‘s rich legacy of industrial innovations, creativity, and world-changing ideas in Revolution Manchester.
You’ll also be embrace your inner child with free access to the brand-new world premiere exhibition Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos, which just opened last week in time for half term, and of course, indulge your playful side in Power Up – with more than 150 consoles to choose from in the ultimate gaming exhibition.
Especially for this particular evening, you can look forward to some very special one-off events, as well as the chance to take part in a whole host of high-energy interactive games.
There’ll be an ‘unforgettable’ performance from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Viola, celebrating all things power with a spectacular combination of violin and vocals, as well as a set from musician Mike Cunningham who’ll light up the evening with bold and colourful LED drumming inspired by the sounds of Manchester’s industry and creative spirit.
And of course, as this is an adults-only event, the museum’s events bar will be popping up on the night, and will be serving up a wide range of wines, beers, and non-alcoholic drinks to wet your whistle while you’re looking around, with some delicious food to accompany too.
Daisy Jackson -
14th July 2022 
