People walking into work this morning might have noticed something rather out of the ordinary looming large over Manchester’s commuters. Ever seen a ‘sunlight billboard’ before?
The clever idea drummed up by ad giants Saatchi & Saatchi, in partnership with supplement brand Solgar, is the latest effort to try and help people combat SAD (seasonal affective disorder). Yes, it’s real.
Said to be at its worst on so-called ‘Blue Monday‘ – apparently the most depressing of the year – Saatchi and Solgar have teamed up to create these unique sunlight billboards, designed to help simulate the effects of sunshine on passers-by.
Given the time of year, the cold temperatures and customary Manc weather, it can be tough to feel your best self throughout the day, but hopefully, these specially constructed billboards can help.
Credit: Supplied
These giant golden-hued screens do exactly what they say on the tin; as explained in the caption written in the middle of the signs, “basking in the light from this billboard can help boost your serotonin”.
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Manchester isn’t the only place these sunny SAD screens are popping up either: there’s one in the capital’s Westfield Shopping Centre and several in Birmingham as well.
Made using Ocean Outdoor technology, who have digital advertisement boards all around the UK, most famously the iconic Piccadilly Lights in London, these screens are much more than your usual advertising space.
While many people speculate over how real Blue Monday is — there are plenty of other days in the winter that combine the post-Christmas lull with low light, rubbish weather, stretched finances and that overall back-to-work funk — seasonal affective disorder is very real.
Affecting around two million Brits every year, varying from mild in most cases to more severe among those suffering from depression and other mental health issues, the cyclical condition is also said to be four times more likely to occur in women.
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With the way the country is right now, i.e. soaring energy bills and a cost of living crisis, you’d be forgiven for feeling down by default, so it’s good to see companies showcasing uplifting campaigns during this difficult time of year.
Moreover, it turns out us Mancunians could do with them more than most, as we’re reportedly already pretty low energy during the month of January, specifically.
All that being said, for today only, Monday 16 January (a.k.a. Blue Monday), you can make the most of these UV light-emitting billboards. Think of them as giant SAD lamps, like the ones you can buy for your home or the office — or, you know, a much smaller and squarer version of the sun.
Switching on at 4pm when it starts to get dark and lasting until 8pm, locals can stand in front of these sunlight billboards as they emit healthy levels of lux to boost their serotonin and, hopefully, lift their spirits. They’re absolutely free and probably one of the best uses of ad space we’ve ever seen.
We’re sure Blue Monday will brighten up for you in no time.
Six teenage boys arrested following stabbing of 13-year-old in Rochdale town centre
Emily Sergeant
Six teenage boys have been arrested following the stabbing of a 13-year-old in Rochdale town centre over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that officers were called out to reports of a ‘serious assault’ near the Riverside Shopping Centre in central Rochdale on Saturday (29 August), and when they arrived on the scene, they found that a 13-year-old boy had been stabbed.
The young boy currently remains in hospital receiving treatment, while a police investigation into the incident is open and ongoing.
Two teenage boys were first arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article on the same day the incident occurred (29 August), but have since been released on bail.
Officers then made four further arrests yesterday (31 August), again all teenage boys who were arrested on suspicion of assault and possession of a bladed article, with enquires ongoing.
A Section 60 and 60AA ‘stop and search’ authority was introduced in Rochdale town centre following the recent incidents in area and following reports of youths carrying weapons in the locality, and this has now been extended to 3pm today (Tuesday 1 September).
“This was a serious and sustained attack that could have had far more tragic consequences,” explained Detective Superintendent, Richard Hunt .”Our team of experienced detectives is working around the clock to understand exactly what happened, identify all those involved, and secure the strongest possible evidence.
“We will relentlessly pursue every lead available to us and will leave no stone unturned in bringing all those responsible before the courts.
“Community safety remains our absolute priority, and we are committed to ensuring those who seek to bring violence onto our streets are held fully accountable for their actions.”
Can you help? Anyone who witnessed the incident, was in the town centre at the time, or has any mobile phone, CCTV, or dashcam footage, is urged to come forward and speak to police on 101, quoting log 2750 of 29/08/2026, or using the LiveChat function on the GMP website.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
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High School Musical at Lowry, Salford – a night spent reliving our childhood | Review
Amy Williams
What a night spent reliving our childhood.
Now, I don’t want to exaggerate or seem biased, considering this is one of my favourite film trilogies of all time, but this could be the best stage show I’ve seen in a long while.
We all know how High School Musical goes, right? Set at East High, we follow Troy and Gabriella (the star basketball player, and the geeky new girl) who meet over New Year, and then become ‘star-crossed lovers’ when back at school as they’re part of two different ‘cliques’.
The duo mess with the ‘Status Quo’ when they audition for the school musical. But will they stick to what they know? Or become stars of the stage? I’m sure you know the ending.
High School Musical is currently on stage at Lowry, Salford / Credit: Matt Crockett (Supplied)
From the costumes and the characters, to the memorable songs (there’s actually 52 songs in this production, including a mega mix at the end), they’ve kept right to the script of the films – and that’s exactly what we wanted to see.
Of course, the biggest throwback of them all is Kaycee Stroh – who originally featured as Martha Cox in the film trilogy – taking the role as Ms Darbus, and she was just as incredible as we expected her to be. And to see her do the iconic dance in the finale was unbelievable, 13-year-old Amy was screaming.
Also featuring Jason Donovan as Coach Bolton, Tobias Turley as Troy, Leonor Correia as Gabriella, Caitlin Tipping Sharpay, and Luke Bayer as Ryan, it was a proper impressive cast all round.
It’s a night to properly relive your mid-00s childhood / Credit: Matt Crockett (Supplied)
There was crowd interaction right from the off, as they taught the crowd a cheerleading routine to be included later in the show, plus for the finale, they had the lyrics on the big screen too so everyone could sing-along.
If we could go and see this show every single night, we would – it is absolutely brilliant.
Danny Jones -
16th January 2023 
