The Night of Neon family-friendly charity walk is making its return to light up Salford Quays this February to raise money for The Christienext month.
Always a popular event in the calendar, over 600 enthusiastic participants are set to take to the Quays to have fun whilst raising money for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, supporting the thousands of patients who are treated for cancer at The Christie Hospital in Withington.
Perfect for all ages and abilities to get down and support a great cause, the only requirement (this is a big one) is you have to be glowing! That means flaunting your brightest attire, accessories, and neon costumes – from legwarmers to tutus – make them fluorescent.
This luminescent fundraiser is set to transform MediaCityUK once again on Saturday, 3 February. The event will also feature pre-walk entertainment, including a six-piece roaming band, face painting, glitter artists and more.
Credit: Lindsey Farthing (via The Christie)
The festivities kick off at 6.30pm and will be hosted by XS Manchester radio presenter, Jim Salveson.
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Those taking part will head over to The Lowry Plaza outside The Lowry Theatre and the newly revamped Quayside shopping centre and will have an hour to prepare before the walk commences at 7.30pm.
Once you cross the finish line, each walker will receive a free neon t-shirt, glow wristband, and a Night of Neon finishers medal.
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One of those taking part this year is 48-year-old Lynsey Fraser Jones from Prestwich, who is supporting a cause that has affected her and her family so greatly.
Young Lysney and Iain.Best mates.Iain holding nephew Nico.Credit: Supplied
Her husband Antony Jones and their two sons Nico (11) and Leo (14) will also be walking in aid of Lynsey’s older brother Iain Fraser who died in 2010 aged 36, following an aggressive brain tumour.
“On 4 February 2024, Iain would have been 50 years old – which is also World Cancer Day – so it seems fitting to take part in a fundraising event for the Christie Charity on that same weekend,” explained Lynsey.
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“The Night of Neon seems the right place to celebrate what he meant and continues to mean to me. I can’t tell you how much I miss him.
“A sibling sits in a completely different space in your life to anyone else, they’ve known you forever, from a totally different perspective to your parents, they are the only person who knows exactly where you’ve come from.”
Lysney, Antony and their kids will be proudly walking this year.
A little bit of help goes a long way towards the incredible work The Christie Charity continues to do, providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS can fund.
Fundraisers like The Night of Neon are vital to support existing and new projects such as a new cancer centre in Macclesfield which opened in 2021 and a new world-class transformational research facility which opened in 2023.
In the last year, The Christie helped raise £23 million through over 50,000 supporters with 88p in every pound raised going directly to the patients, ensuring the money donated is spent where patients need it most.
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You can find out how you can take part in The Night of Neon on 3 February HERE; or to simply donate directly to a cause close to all of our hearts here in Greater Manchester, you can do your bit HERE.
Various photos of The Christie charity’s night of neon event. Photographs and consent arranged by Lindsey Farthing in the charity.Various photos of The Christie charity’s night of neon event. Photographs and consent arranged by Lindsey Farthing in the charity.
Influential indie veterans The Wedding Present to embark on 40th anniversary tour
Danny Jones
Influential indie band The Wedding Present are about to begin a big live tour across the UK for their 40th anniversary, and one stop is right here in Manchester.
As boundary-pushing veterans of the genre for the best part of four decades, The Wedding Present have always been one of the most pioneering auteurs of the Northern music scene, and nothing has changed even after all this time.
The Leeds-formed icons are a favourite not only of ours but even more so among our friends over at The Hoot, and with an artistic legacy as strong as Yorkshire’s, that’s saying something.
David Lewis Gedge’s long-standing project rather quietly announced its major retrospective series of live shows back in June – so quiet, in fact, that we missed it until now – but as they gear up for a handful of very special dates, we’d urge Manc gig-goers to give themselves a Wedding Present.
Gedge and co. will be coming to the O2 Ritz in Manchester for just the second show of merely half a dozen confirmed for The Wedding Present 40th Anniversary Tour, having played the venue many times.
In fact, even after visits featuring live configurations over the years, the current lineup played the Ritz as recently as May 2023; the show was met with strong reviews pretty much across the board, and it seemed to signal somewhat of a falling back in love with the crowds of the North.
For anyone unaware of the self-styled ‘semi-legendary band’ (their PR’s words, not ours), The Wedding Present are probably in similar territory to fellow underdogs and Manc natives, James, when it comes to the amount of music they’ve put out over the years, inspiring generations of those who came after.
You might assume we’d name one of their most famous tracks, ‘George Best’, as our favourite, for rather obvious reasons – but you’d be wrong: it doesn’t get much better than ‘Dreamworld’, if you ask us.
Their rich back catalogue encompasses not only so many different eras but also sounds, styles and various other eccentricities; so much so that their multi-genre-spanning music has even produced its own musical.
But before we dive any deeper down into the rabbit hole, let’s get back on track.
Set to play Manchester on Friday, 10 October, The Wedding Present will be kicking off the tour in Bristol at the start of next month.
There are other dates in the likes of Sheffield, Liverpool, Chester, Holmfirth, Buxton, Newcastle and more, but only a few are officially part of the anniversary tour.
Tickets are live as we speak, so if you fancy going along to see them, you can grab yours HERE.
A unique Manchester attraction is offering FREE entry to anyone who shares its ‘birthday’ month
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most unique attractions is offering free entry for two weeks to celebrate its first birthday.
But there’s a catch… free entry is only granted to people born in one specific month.
Museum of Illusions – which is is one of the largest and fastest-growing private museum chains – is celebrating the first birthday of its debut UK attraction in Manchester this September by giving away free tickets to anyone who shares its birthday month.
Since opening on Market Street in 2024, Museum of Illusions has welcomed more than 200,000 visitors through its doors to experience the dozens of mind-bending illusions and interactive exhibits inside, and has quickly established itself as one of the city’s top attractions in what is a very competitive market.
Manchester’s Museum of Illusions is celebrating its first birthday / Credit: Supplied
Loved by locals and tourists alike, the museum blends fun and education for visitors of all ages, and is fully-accessible too, ensuring everyone can enjoy the fun.
Manchester‘s Museum of Illusions is not only the first in the UK, but it’s also the second-largest in Europe, just behind Copenhagen – so yes, it’s a pretty big deal.
To mark the milestone and celebrate its first anniversary, visitors born in September can enjoy free entry to the museum from Monday 22 September through to Friday 3rd October (excluding weekends).
All they need to do to access this offer is show a valid ID when they arrive.
The museum will also be dressed for the occasion too, adding a birthday touch to its already-captivating mix of optical illusions and immersive exhibits.
“Manchester has truly embraced the Museum of Illusions, and we’re so grateful for all the support we’ve had in our first year,” commented Steve Buchan, who is the General Manager at the Museum of Illusions in Manchester.
The unique attraction is offering free entry to anyone who shares its birthday month / Credit: Supplied
“Welcoming over 200,000 visitors in just 12 months has been incredible.
“Free tickets to anyone celebrating their birthday in September feels like the perfect way to give something back. It’s our way of saying thank you for the incredible support, and of course, to invite even more people to experience the fun, curiosity, and wonder the museum brings.”
Is your birthday in September? You can visit the Museum of Illusions in Manchester anytime from Monday 22 September – Friday 3rd October (excluding weekends).
Harry Quick -
17th January 2024 
