Our first Manc of the Month instalment of 2022 is dedicated to Figen Murray, a woman who puts peace first despite her own world being shattered by the Manchester Arena attack.
Monday 22 May, 2017, was a day that devastated and changed Manchester forever.
The attack at the Manchester Arena killed 22 innocent people, and sent shockwaves of grief throughout the region.
Those who lost loved ones on that dark day will never forget what was taken from them on that night.
That grief could so easily have turned into anger – but Figen Murray, whose son Martyn Hett was killed at just 29 years old, has chosen to embrace and champion peace instead.
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Figen Murray with son Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester Arena attack
She has recently stated: “One thing I learnt over the past 4.5 years is that there will never be a place in my heart for hate.
“The world is full of wonderful and amazing humans & recognising this has been massively healing. The darkness will never overshadow my life.”
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2022 started in a big way for Figen.
The inspirational campaigner and educator was named on the New Year’s Honours list and appointed OBE, recognised for her services to counter terrorism.
Figen Murray.
Since the tragic death of Martyn, Figen has tirelessly fought to make venues safer.
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Her Martyn’s Law campaign has led to the rapid progression of the Protect Duty, a new piece of legislation that would see certain public places required to be prepared for, and protected against, terrorist attacks.
In a witness statement as part of the Manchester Arena enquiry, Figen said: “The idea for Martyn’s Law came about at the end of 2018.
“My husband had been given two concert tickets for a singer that he likes. The tickets were for 2nd December 2018 in a Manchester theatre. I had not been out and about since Martyn’s death and this was the first time that I ventured into Manchester and into the city life in a long time.
“On attending the venue, I took my smallest handbag with me to enable any bag search to be carried out quickly. When we got to the theatre we walked in and nobody even asked for our entry tickets. We walked past members of staff who were in conversation with each other and took a seat.
We went on Saturday with some of Martyn's friends. It is definitely beautiful. It will be nice when spring adds a touch of colours to it. It is a good place to go and contemplate. I am also sad Manchester needs a memorial. But it is what it is. Nobody can bring them back😔 https://t.co/TTl2GwX9gz
“During the show, I got very tearful as I was astounded by the fact that we had just walked in. Naively, I had until then made the assumption that security checks at public venues were now run of the mill after the Manchester Arena Bombing.”
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She told ITV News: “Absolutely everything I do since Martyn died is purely for the purposes to avoid other families from going through what we as a family have gone through, and are going through and will be going through for the rest of our lives.”
It’s just one example of how this influential woman channels her energies into making the world a safer, more peaceful place.
Before the 2017 terrorist attack, Figen was actually a counsellor and life coach.
Martyn Hett.
She had dedicated her entire career to listening to people, and helping them to build a happier future.
Since making the decision to leave counselling, Figen has embarked on a new challenge, and completed a Master’s degree in Counter Terrorism from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
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She graduated with a distinction (naturally), and said: “This one’s for you, Martyn!”
These are all big, impactful moves – but Figen’s mission for peace trickles down to something much smaller too.
She also knits teddy bears, each one given its own identity and background story, which she sells on Depop.
One of these ‘peace bears’ even made its way into the arms of New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, shortly after the Christchurch mosque shootings that killed 51 people.
Figen says that ‘every grown up should own a teddy bear, as people often forget to have fun and let their hair down once in a while when they grow up.’
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She left one particularly special bear, known as Jordan Bear, on a train in brown paper bag, with clear instructions that he should see the world.
The little blue creature has now passed through dozens of hands and countries – including a little holiday with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
On top of all this, Figen regularly visits schools, colleges and universities to try and instil kindness and tolerance.
She said in a blog post for Educate Against Hate: “I hope to create a positive framework for young people, so they embrace each other’s differences rather than fear them.
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“I want young people to have hope for a kinder future and I want to prevent other families from going through the same pain that we did.”
All of us Mancs have heard the expression ‘Be More Martyn’ by now.
Maybe we should all be a little more Figen too.
About Manc of the Month
We all know that Manchester is home to some special people, some born here and others drawn here, and after a bumpy two years that effectively amounted to one big lockdown, it’s these special people that have inspired and led us through the tough times – so we decided to start a series that shines a light on those who should be celebrated.
Following on from our ‘The Mancs of the Year’ feature towards the end of 2020, Manc of the Month officially kicked off in July 2021, with Marcus Rashford MBE, Manchester’s mural king Akse P-19, the local chef feeding the region’s vulnerable families Mary-Ellen McTague, and Manchester’s groundbreaking new Council leader Bev Craig among previous honourees.
Feature
Hardcastle Crags – the prettiest autumn walk in the North West with a great restaurant at the end
Daisy Jackson
This is the time of year where it’s particularly difficult to drag yourself off the sofa and into the great outdoors.
The weather isn’t quite crisp enough to feel festive and most of us (even the pumpkin spice latte, cardigan-clad crew) are missing the more reliable warmth of the summer months.
But autumn is here, like it or not, and it definitely has its perks.
One of which is the undeniable beauty the season brings.
It’s not just the blazing red, orange, yellow and brown leaves that suddenly take over the green spaces around the UK.
It’s also in the sunsets and sunrises that become so much easier to catch while the days are shorter (you have to admit, the commutes are prettier when they coincide with sunrise).
The riverside walk at Hardcastle Crags. Credit: Unsplash
And there aren’t many places better to soak in all the autumn beauty than Hardcastle Crags, just across the border in West Yorkshire.
The National Trust site sits between Leeds and Manchester and is a popular day trip destination for Mancs, given the trains that run regularly to Hebden Bridge.
A walking route around Hardcastle Crags at this time of year will take you through a landscape of blazing orange trees, babbling streams, and dappled sunlight.
When you catch a golden autumnal day the leaves will crunch underfoot, but even on a soggy day the leaf mulch has its own special kind of beauty here.
There are two walking routes between the main car park and Gibson Mill, a former 19th century cotton mill which is now home to a lovely cafe.
One will take you down to the river, where wooden boardwalks weave right along the water’s edge.
There are even stepping stones you can use to scamper across the river – a great Instagram pic, or just a way to keep the kids entertained for a few minutes.
A walk around Hardcastle Crags in Autumn. Credit: The Manc Group
The other route goes up through the upper woodland, where pine trees loom and you get a great view of the valley below.
For an easy loop, you can do both – a stroll through the trees, a stop for coffee and cake, then return along the river (or vice versa).
But with 15 miles of footpaths, you can explore way beyond that.
The National Trust’s list of walks includes everything from a wheelchair and pram-accessible estate track to peaceful woodland loops, to rocky scrambles and former railway lines.
And when you’re done with Hardcastle Crags itself, there’s a world-class restaurant in the gorgeous town centre itself.
Coin sits in the shell of the former Lloyd’s bank, with exposed brick and massive period windows, and specialises in natural wine and small plates.
When The Manc Eats visited, we found plates of freshly-cut meat and cheese served alongside ice-cold batched classic cocktails, where ‘quality is key, and it shines through on the plate’.
Our reviewer said: “With its higgledy-piggledy stone mill houses, surrounding woodland, hidden waterfalls and treasure-trove charity shops, Hebden Bridge is a popular attraction all of its own for those wanting to venture beyond the city. Coin is simply the cherry on top.”
In celebration of Momo Shop: a Chorlton favourite that has flourished since its rebrand
Danny Jones
It’s not often we go out of our way to hammer home just how staggering we found a restaurant, but after now losing track of the number of times that a member of our team has eaten at Momo Shop in Chorlton and come back near speechless, it deserves more than a review.
We regularly hold ourselves back and resist the urge to talk in superlatives wherever possible, especially because we worry we might be falling into the recency bias trap, but in this instance, we’re going to go out on a limb and fall on our hospitality sword. Well, this particular writer is…
It’s official: Momo Shop Nepali Street Food – for our money, anyway – is up there with one of THE best restaurants in Manchester right now.
And there are plenty of reasons why, not least of all because of the years of practice they have feeding increasingly discerning Manc diners under a different moniker.
Simple but charming – all the focus is on the foodAnd the food speaks for itselfSome of the most flavourful fillings you’ll find in ManchesterBusy any given night of the weekNo review (Credit: The Manc Eats/Momo Shop via Instagram)
If you don’t live in/frequent Chorlton, you’ll be forgiven for thinking that this gaff was a somewhat new addition to Chorlton, but in actual fact it’s been gradually growing a loyal and passionate following for more than seven years.
This is because before the miniamlist rebrand that saw the walls stripped back, the exterior painted blue and cutesy little bits of artwork hung amidst that familiar and atmospheric festoon lighting, Momo Shop was once The Little Yeti.
Its former iteration boasted hundreds of glowing reviews in its own right, which already plated up plenty of stunning Nepalese food, but since switching primarily towards serving a menu primarily made up of momos (Tibetan-style fried dumplings hand-folded into various shapes) they’ve well and truly shone.
Now approaching a full 12 months under the new name, the Nepali street food spot isn’t just one of a relatviely small handful considering how much great South Asian food there is across Greater Manchester, we’d wager it could be the very best representing that Alpine-Himalayan belt in our region.
Our latest visit was genuinely just as good as our first, second, third and so on – take your pick.
From the simply incredible deep fried pork dumplings and the deeply moorish butter sauce that goes with literally any momo filling, to the super traditional buffalo ones that are not only authentic but, come on, where else can you find such a unique meat in these parts? It’s some of the best food we’ve eaten.
And we don’t just mean of late; Momo Shop might genuinely among of the nicest scran we’ve had in ages and it’s no exagerration to say that the first taste we enjoyed from many of these flavours have formed some of the strongest culinary memories we’ve created in quite a while.
It’s also worth nothing that it isn’t just one main snack-sized dish. The chow mein, keema noodles and cheesy chops are showstoppers themselves, and we’ve already booked in again for a 30th birthday celebration purely so we can try those lambs ribs and their take on a shashlick.
Nevertheless, we love the idea of the numerous configurations and concotions by pairing different dumplings and owner Niti Karki gave us some pro-tips of the best duos and even let us in on the trade secret of her go-to combo when she’s hungover. Legend.
Once again, at the risk of sounding too hyperbolic, odd moments have felt like core foodie memories on a par with our favourite all-time meals.
Personally, I’m glad to report that this isn’t just a review: consider this a declaration that Momo Shop has quickly become my favourite restaurant not just in Chorlton but in all of central Manchester, something I haven’t had since the heartbreaking closure of Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun in 2023.
Plenty of varietyDamn straightNiti = absolute iconWe’ll keep your condiment secret forever, Niti…
There might be an element of the almost HakkaPo-esque style drawings, the colour palette and the carefully curated pop-punk, old school emo and post-hardcore playlist that’s over half a decade in the making that makes particualrly partial to this place
But before we wrap up this glorified love letter parading as a ‘review’, we also want to give a special nod to the charming staff and Niti’s mum, specficially, who was too modest to even let us share her picture, but whose wealth of wisdom, influence and experience has clearly inspired Momo Shop’s success.
Don’t be shy, Sue – the only thing more stylish than the food was you, girl. Pop off.
Put simply, we’ll be going back here as regularly as possible until we try every different momo + sauce variation there is, and there’s nothing you can do to stop us.
If you are in the mood for more dumpling excellence, by the way, you might want to check out the unassuming Northern Quarter gem that is Chef Diao.
Daisy Jackson -
28th January 2022 
