After having assembled one of the most beloved chicken empires in the North, Yard & Coop co-founder Carl Morris has now turned his hand to retail with a new kids’ clothing and re-commerce company.
The co-creator and director of the popular Northern Quarter restaurant is now looking to build on his first successful business and expand his portfolio all in one swift step by entering the fashion and re-commerce industries.
Crucially, though, his new venture is founded on two key principles: sustainability and affordability, driven not only by the ongoing cost of living crisis but his experience as a father.
Designed by Morris and co-founder Jake Polhill, CRESS is the kids’ clothing reseller which encourages parents to recycle their little ones’ old items and pass them on to other parents rather than them ending up in the bin.
While many parents obviously donate their children’s old clothes to charity shops, Oxfam statistics still show that in addition to more than two tonnes of clothing being bought each minute in the UK (more than any country in Europe), over 183 million items of kids’ clothes end up landfill each year.
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With that in mind, Morris and Polhill came up with CRESS as a way of creating a platform for parents to not only save money but become part of a community through buying and selling clothes without further damaging the planet.
As stated on their website: “we were sick of the bin bags piling up from well-meaning friends and family, and determined to combat the cost of living crisis.” So, rather than waiting around for a better solution to come along, they decided to come up with one of their own.
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Better still, soon, families across the UK will be able to access the sustainable platform too, where they can shop, swap and sell children’s clothes rather than having to turn to fast fashion.
Credit: CRESS (via Instagram)
Morris told The Manc: “I helped start CRESS after shopping for my dad’s funeral last year and spending a fortune on clothes for my two children, Elsie (3) and Autumn (2), who have not since worn those clothes again having now grown out of them.
“I also noticed that all the items were from China and Turkey and was upset both by the financial waste and the environmental impact for just one day.” As a result, he teamed up with Polhill and digital agency Serotonin to bring their environmentally friendly vision to life.
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He went on to say that he and his team “are incredibly passionate about being the first space, accessible to all families up and down the country, where families can save and make money, and where community is at the heart of what we do.”
The idea is that clothes recycled through CRESS are not just second-hand, they are pre-loved. Furthermore, not only does their business model extend the life of kids’ clothes, but it’s also easier on both the environment and your wallet.
Having kids is already a big financial undertaking, so any way of helping lighten the load and help families with their pennies and pounds during tough times, whilst also helping the environment is a godsend in our books.
CRESS is set to launch in the UK from Friday next week (27 January) and in Australia by April; from there, the goal is to global and help champion a more sustainable culture not just when it comes to kids’ clothing but fashion in general.
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You can find out more information and sign up for exclusive early access to the service and discounts for the beta version HERE.
The best things to do in Greater Manchester this week | 7 – 13 April 2025
Emily Sergeant
The sun has been shining high in the sky, and schools are out for the spring holidays.
Last week was a busy way to end a busy month packed full of all sorts of events and activities, but now that April is here in full bloom, there’s absolutely no shortage of things for the whole family to be getting up to in Greater Manchester – especially as schools across the region are now out for two whole weeks over Easter.
Finding it a bit tricky to pick what to do though?
We’ve chosen a few of the best bits for another edition of our ‘what’s on‘ guide, both free things, and those that’ll set you back a few pennies too, so here’s some of our recommendations.
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Easter Holiday Pass
Oxygen at MediaCity
Monday 7 April – onwards
Easter Holiday Pass / Credit: Jamie McPhilimey
Now that schools are out, families can get themselves one of Oxygen at MediaCity’s Easter Holiday Pass, which gives pass holders the chance to visit the newly-opened £2.5m indoor activity park on any five days of the two-week break for 60 minutes of ‘Open Play’.
Weekends and bank holidays are also included in the pass, so there’s plenty of time to go.
This isn’t just a circus, this is carnival magic at its finest.
Step right up and join the heart of the carnival spirit as Gandeys Circus proudly presents the 2025 Carnival Spectacular.
This is a show like no other… drom uproarious comedy, to breathtaking acrobatics, every act is a feast for the eyes with vibrant costumes, dazzling choreography, and show-stopping performances, making it a full-scale carnival extravaganza that rivals the excitement of any festive celebration.
British Heart Foundation is currently hosting a brand-new pop-up shop and vintage kilo sale, where you can buy clothing and other goods at a fixed price per kilogram, in Stretford town centre.
The charity has taken over the vacant unit next to JD Sports to provide the Stretford community with a charity shop filled with all sorts of vintage goods and thrifty finds.
Visitors will be able to sift through shelves stacked with major brands at bargain prices, making it the perfect way to sustainably stock up on wardrobe staples and revamp ready for spring.
Vue cinemas across Greater Manchester will be screening family-favourite films, and some new releases as well, all throughout this spring holidays… and the best bit? Prices start from a massively-affordable £2.50 a ticket.
Arriving in time for the school holidays, A Minecraft Movie welcomes fans to their favourite cubic wonderland, or the whole family can instead transport themselves into Disney’s reimagining of the 1937 classic Snow White if they’d prefer.
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Also returning to the big screen are some childhood classics like Wallace & Gromit: Curse of The Were-Rabbit.
The Giant Egg Hunt is back at RHS Garden Bridgewater this spring school holidays.
Running from 10am to 4pm daily, and suitable for children aged three and up, visitors are invited to follow the hunt around the Salford-based garden to find the hidden giant eggs, and once you’ve spotted them all, you’ll be rewarded with a free chocolatey treat to take home with you.
This year the trail is more exciting than ever too, because children have a special quest and ‘egg-nigma code’ to crack.
Did you see that one of Greater Manchester’s popular museums has been named the best free museum in the UK?
Now that schools are out for spring, plenty of parents, carers, and guardians across Greater Manchester will likely be looking for a ways to keep the kids entertained and educated while schools are out, and without having to break the bank too.
Luckily enough, Bolton Museum has taken the top spot in a list of the best free museums and galleries to visit in the whole of the UK.
Bolton Museum has been crowned the best free museum to visit in the UK / Credit: Bolton Council
The museum – which is on the Grade II-listed Le Mans Crescent in the town centre, and dates back to 1852 – has been a part of the leisure and education of Boltonians for over 120 years, and is home to one of the largest regional Egyptology collections in the UK, made up of over 10,000 archaeological objects.
There’s also an extensive local history section, with 38,000 objects from the 17th to 20th century relating to Bolton.
How about that Chester Zoo is giving away more than 30,000 free tickets to kids this year?
The UK’s largest charity zoo is on a mission to help nature to “survive and thrive”.
And so, in a bid to do just that, has announced that it will once again be handing out tens of thousands of tickets to schoolchildren for completely free of charge, so that they can explore the zoo up close and learn all about the inspiring work the conservation charity does.
With the hopes of empowering as many youngsters as possible, and sparking their passion for saving species once again, the zoo has now opened the scheme back up for the 2025/26 season – with a whopping 33,000 tickets available for schools, nurseries, and colleges to claim.
Those who secure tickets will have the opportunity to visit the zoo between this November and February 2026.
Even better yet, did you see that Chester Zoo has also recently opened a magnificent new African savannah habitat?
One of the largest habitats of its kind in the UK – spanning an area the size of 17 football pitches (22.5 acres) – Heart of Africa is home to dozens of African species, including giraffes, rhino, zebra, vultures, and meerkats.
There’s also new indoor habitats where you can see smaller species like never before, and even some habitats you can clamber inside too.
Read more about the Heart of Africa here.
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Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You
Science and Industry Museum
Monday 7 April – onwards
Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You / Credit: Science Museum Group
You can plunge headfirst into the incredible world of our senses at a new immersive museum exhibition that’s now arrived at the Science and Industry Museum.
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 giving you the chance to journey through an ear canal covered in gooey wax, squeeze past sticky snot, and delve deeper into how our brains interpret the world.
Tickets to Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You are now on sale, and visitors are being told to prepare themselves for an “epic exploration of the senses”.
Looking for more activities to do with your little Mancs at the Science and Industry Museum during the spring season?
Science shows, sensory activities, and a chance to discover what life is like for animals, are just some of the things you can do at one of the region’s best loved museums, as well as dive into five decades of retro gaming.
The Pac-Man Live Experience / Credit: The Manc Group
Prepare to wakka wakka and chomp your way around a maze, because a brand-new interactive experience has now landed in Manchester, and it’s brought the world of the iconic retro game Pac-Man to life.
This augmented reality game will have you sprinting your way around an ever-changing digital maze, dodging ghosts and collecting fruit as you go.
Costing £26 per person, you’ll be challenged to race your mates around the course in a bid to grab special items and tackle everything in your path, and if you rack up the the most points, then you’ll be declared champ.
An Edible Family in a Mobile Home / Credit: The Manc Group
An exciting new exhibition where all the sculptures inside are made of cakes, biscuits, and icing has now opened in Manchester – and yes, you are encouraged to tuck in.
You’ll be whizzed back in time to the 1970s at An Edible Family in a Mobile Home, down to the retro comedy playing on the telly, and over the coming weeks, members of the public will gradually eat the sculptures until there’s nothing left.
Even the walls at this new genius collaborative creation of artist Bobby Baker and Manchester’s-own Long Boi Bakes are decorated in icing, and it’s open down at Whitworth Art Gallery until 20 April.
Looking to get creative this spring, but without the kids this time though?
Not everyone has little Mancs in their lives, and even if they do, it doesn’t mean you can’t take some time for yourself, so here are two spring activity suggestions to flex those creative muscles across Greater Manchester.
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Bento Cake Workshop
Vanilla Ice Cakes
Bento Cake Workshop / Credit: The Manc Group
How cute is this? We’ve discovered a little workshop over in Chorlton where you can ice, pipe, garnish, and decorate a miniature bento cake just the way you want it, with the help of the experts at Vanilla Ice Cakes.
You can whip up your dream colour buttercream, personalise your fillings, and learn brand-new skills before heading home with this adorable little celebration cake of your own.
At Vanilla Ice Cakes in Chorlton, you’ll sit under the expert eye of owner Fiza, a master baker who’s been in the game for more than a decade, and she’ll guide you (and sometimes step in to help you) as you fumble your way through decorating your own cake.
Sken Studios might just be the most wholesome way to spend an afternoon in Greater Manchester.
Ran by the legend that is Sabira, she’ll guide you through the workshop, teaching you the proper techniques necessary to carve your ring out of wax.
The rings are completely customisable and can feature whatever kind of shape and design you feel most inspired by, then once the workshop is over, your ring is sent off to be cast in either silver or gold and a few weeks later is delivered straight to your doorstep.
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Fancy a pretty spring walk? Who doesn’t.
Some of the green spaces that wrap around Greater Manchester are in their prime right now, and that’s saying something considering they’re pretty spectacular all year round, so it couldn’t be a more perfect time for a spring walk.
We’re talking fields full of daffodils and bluebells and trees dripping with blossom.
Credit: Tess Boland (via Pexels)
Check out some of Greater Manchester’s best spring walks here, and see our round-up of five of the best places to see blossom blooming in our region this year here.
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Featured Image – Jamie McPhilimey | RHS | Chester Zoo
Kids & Family
Jack Grealish dedicates first league goal in 16 months to late brother on anniversary of his death
Danny Jones
Manchester City star Jack Grealish held back the tears following his first Premier League goal in more than 16 months, but not in relief after breaking the duck, because it came on a very emotional day for him and his family.
The Man City and England midfielder opened the scoring in the Blues’ 2-0 win against Leicester City on Wednesday night, bringing an end to his goal drought after a total of 473 days.
But what made it even more special is that the game happened to coincide with the anniversary of his late brother Keelan’s death.
Speaking in his post-match interview after picking up the man of the match award, Grealish was in a noticeably quieter mood than his usual charismatic self before revealing that the day marked the 25th anniversary of his younger sibling’s death.
Jack Grealish dedicates his goal to his late brother on the 25th anniversary of his death ❤️ pic.twitter.com/u3toaqZSuR
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2025
The 29-year-old went on to reveal that the date coincided with Keelan’s passing and acknowledged that it’s “hard on the family but [I’m] happy to score”.
His mum and dad, Karen and Kevin, were up in the stands; it doesn’t need explaining why scoring in that particular moment was so special for all of them.
Clearly stirred by addressing what was a bittersweet occasion, he signed off by adding, “To score and to win was brilliant.”
Keelan Daniel Grealish was just nine months old when he tragically passed away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) back in 2000 – ‘Super Jack’ was just four at the time.
Paying tribute on social media after the game, the comments below his post were filled with love and support.
Besides the goal itself, the former Aston Villa star was keen to reiterate that he was never brought to the club to score bags of goals and “has a lot more to offer” than just hitting the back of the net.
Touching on his Grealish’s game and the tribute to Keelan during his post-match duties, manager Pep Guardiola went on to add: “Jack is an incredible human being; in terms of gestures and for the other people, he’s incredibly generous.
“I didn’t know that [it was the anniversary of his brother’s death]. I can’t imagine how tough it could be for mum, dad, sister, and all the family. It’s good on this day to remember him, I’m pretty sure they remember every single day.”
A lovely moment from a much-loved character around the Eithad Stadium as well as up and down the country. Rest in peace, Keelan.
You can watch the highlights from the game down below:
Three more points on the board for City and a big moment for the Brummy-born midfielder.
Danny Jones -
20th January 2023 
