A new photography exhibition that captures life in Stockport during the 1970s has now opened at a local museum.
After a successful run at one of the town’s most prestigious restaurants, Where The Light Gets In, back in June 2021, the exhibition – which is titled The Stockport Collection, and features the work of local photographer Heidi Alexander – has now opened to the public at Stockport Museum, and it’s free for everyone to visit.
The Stockport Collection documents the social history of a particular time, place, and way of life.
The exhibition illustrates the human need for a sense of identity, and of belonging to a working community with a common purpose.
All the images in the exhibition were taken by Heidi Alexander between 1976 and 1977 when she was an undergraduate student at Stirling University and spent a few weekends visiting a friend near Stockport Market.
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Heidi said she was “charmed” by the atmosphere and the characters at the Market, and was inspired to shoot several rolls of film with the Leica M4 camera she inherited from her father.
Decades later, during the first COVID-19 lockdown of early 2020, Heidi rediscovered the long-lost images of a warm and lively community from those visits and started to post them on social media to immediate, enthusiastic, and often emotional reaction of the public.
The images resonated with people online, and proved to be particularly poignant in times of separation and isolation during lockdown.
“The Stockport Collection is an exhibition full of hidden gems which documents the rich history of our town centre,” said Councillor Grace Baynham – Cabinet Member for Highways, Parks and Leisure Services at Stockport Council.
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“With the town centre currently undergoing a period of so much change, it’s fantastic to be able to look back to a snapshot of history captured so brilliantly by Heidi Alexander.
“A must-see for all residents, to get a sense of the atmosphere of Stockport town centre in the late 1970s.”
The Stockport Collection is now on display at the Stockport Museum, which is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am-5pm, and on Sundays from 11am-4pm.
There will also be a book signing Heidi herself on Thursday 4 August from 6pm-7pm at Stockport Museum, with tickets now available for free and need to be booked in advance here.
The UK’s biggest fashion thrift market returns to Manchester this weekend
Emily Sergeant
A huge pop-up fashion fair full of vintage, pre-loved, and small business clothing is back in Manchester this weekend.
Clothes Cycle is the UK’s biggest curated second-hand clothing market.
With a focus on championing sustainable clothing and helping fashion fans find a gem they’ll treasure forever, each pop-up market organised by the student-led initiative sees dozens of carefully-curated sellers offering a wide range of styles and items – including plus-sized, gender-neutral, male and female – come together all under one roof.
Taking over the unique space inside the historic Victoria Baths this Sunday (12 May), Clothes Cycle will welcome more than 100 different sellers showcasing everything from bargain vintage finds and designer pieces, to pre-loved wardrobes and picks from local small businesses.
Organisers say the Manchester event will be a combination of in-person thrift shopping, a filtered car boot sale, and the best of sustainable high street stores.
Sellers on the day will be offering up something for everyone on every budget.
With plenty of bargains under £5 up for grabs, you can expect to find vintage clothing of all kinds, alongside the best of streetwear, y2k, retro, archive pieces, luxury brands, current trends, and handmade clothing if you head down on the day, as well as bags, shoes, jewellery, and lots of other accessories.
The UK’s biggest fashion thrift market returns to Manchester this weekend / Credit: Clothes Cycle Markets
If that wasn’t enough, there’ll also be vendors selling home decor, art and prints, greeting cards, plants, ceramics, and so much more, as well as tooth gem and nail art stalls to get involved with.
There’ll even be three DJs blasting out tunes in various rooms throughout the day.
And if all that shopping gets you a bit peckish, there’ll even be some of the city’s best-loved independent street food vendors pitching up to serve a wide range of mouthwatering grub – including pizza, burgers, dumplings, gyros, streak sandwiches, and ice cream, alongside freshly-brewed coffee, and other alcoholic drinks and cocktails.
Clothes Cycle is coming to Victoria Baths in Manchester on Sunday 12 May from 11am-5pm, and tickets are now on sale from £5 online or on the door – with several concessions and VIP ticket options also available.
Dozens of life-sized animatronic dinosaurs are descending on Heaton Park again this summer
Emily Sergeant
Dozens of life-sized animatronic dinosaurs are set to take over the grounds of Heaton Park once again this summer.
Manchester will become the closest thing to Jurassic Park in real life in a couple of months time.
Back by popular demand after proving to be a smash-hit success when it was here last year, our region will transform into “a palaeontologist’s playground” once again, as around 40 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs are descending on the popular park to give dino fans of all ages the chance to get up close and personal with the big beasts.
Dinosaurs in the Park will arrive in Greater Manchester from mid-July and stay until early August, with dinosaurs expected around every corner.
Just as they did last year, visitors can expect an “an educational and enjoyable day out for the whole family” this summer.
Among the dozens of dinos which have all been designed with “meticulous attention to detail” are well-known favourites such as the Stegosaurus, Triceratops and Velociraptor, as well as the lesser-known Dilophosaurus, Kentrosaurus, and Hypacrosaurus.
Explorers will be able to make their way through Heaton Park‘s interactive trail made up of dozens of moving dinosaurs, all while solving puzzles and making the most of a range of hands-on activities along the way.
Dozens of life-sized animatronic dinosaurs to descend on Heaton Park this summer / Credit: Dinosaurs in the Park
There’ll be a palaeontologist tent so you can learn all about dinosaur behaviour, habitats, and the fascinating process of fossilisation, and a ‘Dinosaur Dentist’ section where kids can have a go at brushing the teeth of a T-Rex, while the ‘Dino Dig Pit’ will give young explorers a chance to unearth ancient fossils at an interactive dig site.
Not only that, but there’ll also be a ‘Fun Zone’ with lots of other free attractions and thrilling fairground rides, and a ‘Food Zone’ where explorers can either grab a well-earned bite to eat from the food court or use the space for a picnic after a day of hard work.
Dinosaurs in the Park is “an educational and enjoyable day out for the whole family” / Credit: Dinosaurs in the Park
Dinosaurs in the Park will be taking over Heaton Park from Friday 19 July – Sunday 4 August 2024.
Tickets are now on sale and cost adults and children over three £12 each, while a family ticket costs £46 for a group of four, and children under three go free – and, if you book any time slot after 3pm, you’ll get 20% off your ticket price too.