50 residential streets throughout Salford are set to be visited by a “spectacular” new moving art installation next week.
And it sounds like it’s going to be absolutely mesmerising.
Organised by Salford City Council, ‘Mystery Bird’, which is a new moving art installation already being described as “spectacular”, will travel along 50 residential streets in Eccles from Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 January, and will make its way through the historic Salford market town, taking in the sights of the Peel Green, Barton, Winton, and Patricroft communities along the way, all before before arriving in the town centre.
Residents along the route will be visited by an illuminated bird cage with a magical soundscape, and will get to experience a magical projection of the birds escaping across homes and buildings.
This impressive new installation is also about celebrating birds as a symbol of hope and freedom, and is made to be seen by an audience of all ages, abilities, and accessibility.
Running for five consecutive nights, ‘Mystery Bird’ will visit a different area of Eccles each evening from 5-7:30pm, starting with Peel Green on Tuesday 23 January, then Winton on Wednesday 24 January, Patricroft on Thursday 25 January, and Barton on Friday 26 January.
Visitors to Eccles town centre will then be treated to a magical pop-up ‘Mystery Bird’ moment on the Saturday, as the birdcage will spend around half an hour positioned outside St Mary’s Church to create a “stunning visual” for passersby.
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The birds will sweep around on to the church and surrounding building to create “a beacon of light” at the heart of the town.
A ‘spectacular’ new moving art installation will travel through 50 Salford streets next week / Credit: Chris Payne (via Salford City Council)
“Mystery Bird is an exciting project all about bringing people together,” commented Councillor Hannah Robinson-Smith, who is the Executive Support Member for Culture, Communications, and Strategic Priorities at Salford City Council.
“Communities in all corners of Eccles will be involved when this illuminated artwork travels down designated streets, and culminate with a projection of birds in the town centre.”
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Cllr Robinson-Smith says ‘Mystery Bird’ is “another fantastic reason to be proud of Eccles”.
She added: “[We want people to] visit Eccles town centre and all it has to offer, and it’s an opportunity to have an incredible cultural experience for free.”
‘Mystery Bird’ will run from Tuesday 23 – Saturday 27 January all throughout Eccles, and you can see the full schedule and find out more about the event here.
Featured Image – Chris Payne (via Salford City Council)
What's On
Huge vintage home show to take over historic Manchester building next month
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most historic buildings is set to host a huge home show full of vintage finds next month.
The Vintage Home Show is taking over Victoria Baths for their second event of the year.
For anyone looking to add a retro touch to their homes, this is a chance to feast your eyes on a carefully-curated collection of furniture, homeware, ceramics, artworks, vinyl records, and more stocked by more than 60 knowledgeable sellers in a welcoming atmosphere amid the empty Grade II-listed swimming pool.
Planning to renovate in a vintage style? Or looking for one missing piece of the puzzle? This event can help you track down that something special for your home.
From one-off minimalist pieces, to mass-market retro and kitsch classics, with prices for items starting from as little as £1, you’ll have the chance to shop the collections of dozens of quality independent dealers from right around the UK, all under one historic roof.
Browse a selection of vibrant stalls featuring pieces spanning from the mid-century decades to the bold brightness of the 1990s, and everything in between.
No matter what your budget, you’ll find that gorgeous something to suit your impeccable taste.
Once you’ve finished shopping everything you need to transform your home, you can stop off at Victoria Baths’ on-site cafe to treat yourself to a selection of cakes, savouries, pastries, and soup, as well as both hot and cold drinks.
A huge vintage home show will be taking over the historic Victoria Baths in Manchester next month / Credit: Vintage Home Show
The Vintage Home Fair will take over Victoria Baths on Sunday 5 October, kicking off from 10:30am for keen shoppers after ‘Early Bird’ entry, while ‘Standard Entry’ starts at 11am and runs through the day until 3:30pm.
Due to popularity, the event will be operating a timed ticket entry process, that way organisers can manage the numbers of visitors in the building at any one time to allow everyone a chance to see everything.
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Tickets are now on sale, priced anywhere from £2 to £6 depending on the time you go, so you simply need to arrive anytime within your allocated hour and stay as long as you wish.
Rochdale will be hosting its FIRST EVER comedy festival later month
Thomas Melia
There’s a comedy festival making its way to Rochdale for the first time ever, and it’s taking place over 10 days this autumn.
Rochdale is preparing for barrels of laughter, as the borough is about to host a comedy festival as part of its events programme for being crowned Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025-26.
The line-up features some well-renowned names in thecomedy world, many of whom have received awards and recognition along the way.
You can expect appearances from Lou Conran, who features as a regular support act for Sarah Millican, Tez Ilyas, from ‘Man Like Mobeen’, and TV comedy legend Mick Miller. There’s even some Britain’s Got Talent alumni in the form of last year’s finalist Alex Mitchell and 2017 semi-finalist Jonny Awsum.
Tez Ilyaz, Lou Conran and Brennan Reece are just some of the acts listed for Rochdale Comedy Festival / Credit: Supplied
Edinburgh Festival favourite Patrick Monahan will be performing along with English comedian of the year Rob Mullholland, Aaron Wood – named by Rolling Stone UK as one of the 12 rising comedy stars to see at the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, and comedy musician Alex Camp.
The lineup also includes Robin Ince, co-host and creator of Sony Gold Award winning BBC Radio 4 series The Infinite Monkey Cage, and a whole host of other stand-up acts who are all gearing up ready to make Rochdale giggle.
“Us northerners are famous for our sense of humour and there’s a big appetite for comedy,” commented Councillor Sue Smith, who is the cabinet member for communities and co-operation at Rochdale Borough Council.
Rochdale Comedy Festival has an array of comedians taking part including Jonny Awsum and Daisy Earl / Credit: Supplied
“I’m happy to see Rochdale Comedy Festival launching during our year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture.
“It will bring together communities and give new comedians a chance to shine.”
So whether you’re in need of a cheer up, or you’re a comedy aficionado, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to crack a smile at Rochdale Comedy Festival, as it’s happening across 10 days from 26 September to 5 October in various venues across the Greater Manchester borough.
Emily Sergeant -
17th January 2024 
