A love letter to Manchester: Mancsy paints Valentine’s Day mural at Corn Exchange
Corn Exchange is unveiling a special mural for Valentine's Day this year: A memorial to Manchester featuring famous faces of the city we've "all fallen in love with".
Corn Exchange is unveiling a special mural for Valentine’s Day this year: A memorial to Manchester people we’ve “all fallen in love with”.
Painted by local artist Mancsy, ‘Messages from Manchester’ the mural can be found next door to Salvi’s restaurant – adorned with inspired words and famous city faces from codebreakers to comedians.
Emmeline Pankhurst, James Joules, Les Dawson, Tony Wilson, Alan Turing, Rowetta, Caroline Aherne and Foo Foo Lamar were selected for the mural following a social media poll in which people were asked to put forward names of their Mancunian heroes.
A QR code can also be seen alongside the painting – offering passersby the opportunity to make a donation once they’ve posed for a pic, with all proceeds going to We Love Mcr Charity.
Corn Exchange / Image: Wikimedia Commons
Mancsy said he was “thrilled” to get involved with the Valentine’s Day project.
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“I’m very excited to be helping the residents of Manchester beat the lockdown blues and bring some positivity to the city,” the artist added.
“I really wanted to convey in my art the history of Manchester, showcasing the people that made it great, as well as give people hope that the city will soon be buzzing again soon with little motivational quotes.”
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Liam Mooney, General Manager at Corn Exchange Manchester, said: “In previous years, the Corn Exchange has been filled with couples enjoying romantic meals on Valentine’s Day.
“With lockdown making things very different this year, we wanted to celebrate by showing our love for Manchester with our very own love letter to the city and its amazing residents throughout history.
“That’s why we partnered with an iconic local based artist to create a mural that can inspire and delight city residents during their daily walks or while they run essential errands.
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“We can’t wait to see the reaction on social media and hope to raise some funds to support the amazing work of We Love MCR in the process too.”
Most restaurants in the area are currently closed under national lockdown rules, but a handful of Corn Exchange community members are still open for collection and takeaway.
These include Salvi’s Deli – which is selling a wide variety of Italian produce and coffee – and Vapiano and Gino D’Acampo Restaurant for food orders.
News
Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street
Daisy Jackson
An arrest has been made after a teenage boy was found unresponsive on Market Street in Manchester city centre.
Detectives believe that the boy, 14, was approached by seven males who stole a designer jacket from him.
Following the altercation, he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Thankfully, the teenager is continuing to recover well.
Detectives from Manchester City Centre Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that an 18-year-old male was arrested yesterday, Thursday 20 February.
He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury of GMP’s City Centre Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We hope the victim can continue his recovery following what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him.
“Officers are fully investigating all aspects of this shocking incident that has left a man with serious injuries in hospital.
“Our work doesn’t stop here, we are continuing to investigate this incident and information from the public plays an incredibly important role in our investigations and I ask that the community keep talking to us and keep sharing their concerns with us so our teams can act.”
If you have any information, contact GMP 101 or 0161 856 4305 quoting log 2854 of 16/2/25.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials
Emily Sergeant
Trials are currently underway to see if comedy could be an alternative to antidepressants as a way to reduce NHS costs.
UK tech company Craic Health has secured important funding for its ‘comedy on prescription’ project that’s aimed at helping the Government work with the comedy industry, communities, and organisations on comedy-based social prescriptions in the hope that they can solve financial struggles within the NHS.
The groundbreaking scheme uses stand-up shows and workshops to help people who are isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.
Craic believes comedy is an ‘untapped opportunity’ to improve health and wellbeing, and has a goal to make comedy easier to access, so that it can help communities experience its mental health and social benefits.
To achieve this, the company has started trialling Comedy-on-Prescription experiences in the UK – starting in London, with the potential for expansion – which includes things like curated comedy panel game show events and workshops, and general stand-up comedy shows at some of the capital’s world-famous venues.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Mental health issues like loneliness, isolation, and stress are more common than ever,” the company explains.
“So much so that it’s projected that by 2030, mental health problems, particularly depression, will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, [but] in this challenging world, comedy stands out as a universal language that breaks barriers.
“Research shows that comedy and laughter have powerful effects – they bring people together, create positive connections, and make life more enjoyable.”
Craic Health says that social prescribing, of which Comedy-on-Prescription is a part of, is all about inclusivity, which makes it making it suitable for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Its focus is on personalised support, tailored to individual needs and preferences.
The Manc -
11th February 2021 
