Apparently, more than a third of British mums consider gin and tonics their favourite spirit mixer. As such, it seems only fitting that a bar in Manchester is going to be handing them out for free this Mothering Sunday.
In celebration of Manc mums and everything they do, Manchester bar and arts venue HOME will be giving out complimentary goblets of Agnes Arber Gin and Marlish English Tonic Water on 19 March.
The hub of contemporary theatre, film, art and music has partnered with the award-winning distillers to offer all visiting mothers a glass of the good stuff for one day only.
To enjoy a drink on the house, all mums need to do is turn up and ask – although it is advised they don’t leave it too late, as drinks will be poured on a first-come, first-served basis.
Image: Agnes Arber Gin
Image: HOME
Located on First Street, HOME is known for hosting cool events and pop-ups throughout the year as well as running interesting exhibitions and screening some of the world’s best contemporary and independent films.
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With five cinemas, two theatres, and 500 square meters of gallery space, it is one of the few arts organisations to commission, produce and present work across film, theatre and visual art – and it’s right here on our doorstep.
This Mothering Sunday in Manchester, culture fans will find five very different art exhibits on display from artists such as solo filmmaker Chris Paul Daniels, whose work explores the theme of identity through clips of cultural traditions, procession and ceremony.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a mixture of new films, prints, photographs, painting and sculptural works from artist Nick Jordan; a brand-new solo exhibition exploring the impact of gentrification and the lack of affordable housing in our city from Tara Collette; and an immersive installation from Parham Ghalamdar bringing together new paintings in oil, ceramics and animation.
Cinema fans, meanwhile, can pick from a raft of different film screenings including Llenos de gracia, the story of a rebellious nun who arrives at a boarding school to take charge of an unruly bunch of orphan boys and changes lives with a make-shift football team.
With so much going on at HOME, it’s a great place to spend an afternoon on Mother’s Day and – if you ask us – the offer of a free gin and tonic only sweetens the pot.
Trailer released for new romcom Finding Emily set and filmed all across Manchester
Emily Sergeant
The first trailer for a new romcom that’s set and filmed all across Manchester has been released.
The film, titled Finding Emily, tells the story of a lovesick musician, played by Spike Fearn, who meets his dream girl on a night out, but ends up with the wrong phone number, and so teams up with a driven psychology student, played by Angourie Rice, in a bid to find her.
Together, the unlikely duo spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way.
The film – which is directed by Alicia MacDonald, and based on a screenplay written by Rachel Hirons – is produced by Working Title Films, is set in the fictional Manchester City University, and is due to be distributed by Focus Features and Universal Pictures across the UK and internationally this spring.
The talented ensemble cast groups together big names like Minnie Driver with rising stars like Ella Maisy Purvis, Yali Topal Margalith, and Kat Ronney, as well as other established actors including Timothy Innes and Nadia Parkes.
Filming took place in Manchester between August and September 2024.
The two and a half-minute trailer has been shared with the world today, and when we say it’s a Manc film, we mean it… we quite literally lost count of how many of our city’s famous locations can be spotted in just the trailer alone.
The trailer has been released for new romcom Finding Emily set and filmed in Manchester / Credit: Universal Pictures & Focus Features (via YouTube)
There’s everything from Manchester Central Library and Piccadilly Records, to Canal Street and the Gay Village, the Northern Quarter, the Crown & Kettle pub in Ancoats, and even the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter’s Square featured for all to see, alongside what’ll, presumably, be dozens of other famous locations.
Oh, and not to mention, if you keep your eyes peeled when watching the trailer, you can even see a small clip of Stockport band Blossoms playing a gig in there too.
Finding Emily is set to be released in cinemas across the UK on 22 May, before it debuts in the US on 28 August.
Featured Image – Matt Squire / Focus Features
News
Man jailed following series of ‘violent’ knife attacks in Wigan town centre last summer
Emily Sergeant
A man has been sentenced this week following a series of ‘violent’ knife attacks in Wigan town centre last summer.
Charles McMurray, of Satchel Close in Wigan, appeared at Bolton Crown Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of Section 18 wounding with intent, threatening a person with a bladed article, and threats to kill following a distressing incident in Wigan town centre last summer.
The court heard that McMurray arrived on Wallgate at around 6:33am on 9 August 2025 before entering a taxi office, where he stabbed two men without warning.
The victims fled, and McMurray pursued them towards the town centre.
McMurray then went on to threaten a passer‑by at Wigan bus station and held a knife to the man’s stomach. A short time later, he located the injured victims on Standishgate and assaulted one of them again. Following that assault, he chased after another member of the public with the knife shouting that he was going to kill him.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers arrived shortly after 6:50am and found McMurray in possession of the knife, before he was subsequently quickly arrested at the scene.
McMurray has now been sentenced to nine years and nine months behind bars, which police say is a ‘testament to the brave victims’ who gave their accounts.
Speaking following McMurray’s sentencing this week, Detective Constable Harris from Wigan CID, who led the investigation, said: “This was an entirely unprovoked attack which left multiple victims requiring hospital treatment. McMurray is a dangerous and violent offender who is now safely behind bars.
“Knives have no place on our streets, and we hope today’s sentence shows just how seriously we take knife crime. Our communities should feel safe where they live and work, and we are committed to tackling knife crime to ensure no family has to face their loved ones being harmed.
“It is a testament to the brave victims who not only endured this attack but had the courage to provide detailed accounts together with the impact this has had on them, that we have been able to ensure McMurray has been brought to justice.”
Georgina Pellant -
28th February 2023 
