You can plunge headfirst into the incredible world of our senses at a new immersive museum exhibition in Manchester next year.
Back by popular demand after a successful run over these past two years, but with a fresh new adventure lined up for 2025, Operation Ouch! is coming back to Manchester, and this time around, you can journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
The major new exhibition for children and families, which is titled Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You, will be premiering at the Science and Industry Museum early next year.
Visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.
You’ll get to enter Dr Chris’ brain headquarters through his giant ear, making sure to dodge the earwax, before venturing through the five senses of touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste with loads of hands-on science experiences, as well as discovering some of the secret senses that help us with our balance, know when it’s time to sleep, and even when to go for a wee.
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This is your chance to joke around inside a giant eyeball, get stuck in with interactive games, and even find out about how our sensory experiences can vary from children who are living with disabilities.
Operation Ouch! returns to Manchester with new world-premiere immersive exhibition/ Credit: Science Museum Group
Video appearances from Dr Chris, Dr Xand, and Dr Ronx from the hit BBC children’s TV series, Operation Ouch!, will pop up throughout the exhibition to help visitors understand more about the science behind the fun.
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Steven Leech, who is the Curator of Exhibitions at the Science and Industry Museum, said: “From sight and sound, to some lesser-known senses, our bodies are truly sense-sational. Our brains rely on our senses to help us understand and explore the world around us, and in this exhibition, you will take part in an epic experiment that is bursting with brilliant brain science.
“Just like our previous Operation Ouch! exhibition, Brains, Bogies and You will offer a playful experience that builds confidence in young people who want to explore science.
It’s opening at the Science and Industry Museum early next year / Credit: Science Museum Group
“It’s going to be a fantastic exhibition, so get ready for the trip of a lifetime and come and get stuck into the science inside all of us.”
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More “delightfully disgusting details” about the exhibition’s return to Manchester is expected to be revealed very soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You will open at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester city centre on 14 February 2025 and will run until 4 January 2026 – with tickets priced at £10 each and now on sale.
Manchester’s beautiful King Street Townhouse hotel has turned into a festive paradise
Daisy Jackson
King Street Townhouse is far and away one of the best and most beautiful hotels in Manchester, and it gets even more magical at this time of year.
The boutique hotel in the heart of the city centre, right by Albert Square, has been decked out with twinkling lights and a huge tree ready for the festive season.
And there are loads of reasons to pop in to King Street Townhouse this winter, even if you’re not staying overnight in its stunning hotel rooms.
There’s a seasonal twist on its legendary afternoon tea, which features playful and nostalgic twists on classics like a Baileys eclair, a cranberry scone, and a spiced winter berry and white chocolate cake that’s topped with a tiny gingerbread man.
There’s also a festive high tea, which features mini turkey and cranberry burgers and sage, onion and chestnut sausage rolls.
Festive afternoon tea at King Street TownhouseFestive fizz and bar snacks at King Street Townhouse
After work, you can pop in to King Street Townhouse to unwind with their festive cocktails and bar snacks, including classic winter drinks like mulled wine and hot toddys, but also a Mrs Claus (rose liqueur, Tanqueray gin, cranberry juice and milk), Campfire Mule (whiskey, lime, maple syrup and ginger beer) and Winter Wonder (vodka, apple juice, elderflower, egg white, cinnamon syrup and nutmeg).
And the hotel’s stunning rooftop South Terrace is open for drinks throughout November and December as it transforms into a Festive Cocktail Bar.
There’ll be live music on 1, 8 and 15 December, with performances setting the soundtrack to your festive evening.
There’s a full winter lunch menu that’s perfect for work lunches or catching up with friends, featuring dishes like steak sandwiches, beef and bone marrow burgers, Caesar salads and brown crab hand-rolled cavatelli.
Food and drinks at the King Street Townhouse’s restaurant The Tavern
And for snacks while you’re enjoying the festive atmosphere, there are delights like Pollen sourdough and focaccia, savoury bread pudding with goat’s cheese, and Cobble Lane charcuterie.
For the best celebration of the season, round up your loved ones for a night in the King Street Tavern, which has its classic British fare on offer with a little seasonal flare.
Hand raised game pie, stuffed cornfed chicken, and Lyme Park venison, plus a full grill menu and delicious desserts like carrot cake and a baked apple and almond tart.
To find out more and book your visit to King Street Townhouse this winter, head HERE.
Beloved Manchester Italian restaurant unveils big refurb
Thomas Melia
Much-loved Italian restaurant Italiana Fifty-Five has just unveiled a beautiful refurbishment at one of its Manchester sites, along with a new menu of fresh, handmade pasta.
Gone is the famous yellow colour palette of this Italian eatery as they swap in a sophisticated and regal turquoise blue at their Liverpool Road restaurant.
This establishment is known for its impressive shop-window pasta making stations where you can see your food prepared live in-store and while walking past outside the venue.
They’re continuing their foodie legacy serving carby creations, like a flaming cheese wheel pasta where staff blowtorch the cheese to ensure it’s as melty as possible.
One of the biggest menu highlights at Italiana Fifty-Five is the cappellacci, which comes in two equally gorgeous forms and much like its English translation, emulates tiny hats.
These cute little plates come in two delicious stuffed pairings – the burrata, combined with a tangy tomato and beef filling, and a salmon with cream sauce and fresh lemon for a match made in heaven.
Beloved Manchester Italian restaurant Italiana Fifty-Five unveils big refurb. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Italiana Fifty-Five as it unveils a new look on Liverpool Road. Credit: The Manc Group
How can you think of anything more ideal than a table full of hearty and home-comforting meals than one that also features an array of beautiful sides?
Usual delights like the burrata on a bed of rocket, tomato and finished off with a balsamic vinegar glaze area great addition to your already faultless food.
Cheesy garlic pizza bread is quintessential when dining in an Italian restaurant, and Italiana 55’s lovely flavour-packed favourite is a go-to when ordering here.
The Liverpool Road restaurant also has a tonnata pizza which uses toppings that are an exact ingredient breakdown of the Mediterranean sauce, which it shares its name with.
In photos: Italiana Fifty-Five has undergone a refurb. Credit: The Manc Group
What better way to wolf down some incredible Italian feasts than with some perfectly paired alcoholic offerings like the classic Aperol spritz, trusted espresso martinis and a selection of fine wines.
Their menu is staying as tasty as ever with their delicious pizzas and pastas, with the new fresh pasta menu available at their restaurants on Liverpool Road and in Didsbury.
Emily Sergeant -
26th November 2024 
