News

A family fun day where kids can try out science experiments and cool technology is coming to Stockport

They're even subsidising ticket costs where possible for those struggling as a result of the cost of living crisis.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 7th February 2024

An action-packed family fun day where kids can try out science experiments, get to grips with cool technology, learn how different machines work and more is coming to Stockport town centre and the tickets are super affordable.

Make Stuff is a series of free coding, making and tech events for both adults and young people brought to locals by homegrown innovation organisation, MadLab, who are kicking off their 2024 programme of activities with a festival right here in Greater Manchester.

Taking place across two different dates at Stockport Central Library this month and then again in March, no experience is necessary — just roll up and get the whole family involved with fun stuff to do for people of all ages.

With over 20 activities to choose from, including the experience of 1000 watts of bass power buzzing through your fingers, watching a dancing alien oobleck (corn flour), creating laser-blaster sounds with a slinky; making robot chickens or ‘auto-strummer’ using upcycled computer guts and so much more.

science activities for kids greater manchester
technology for kids greater manchester
Credit: Make Stuff

Arriving at Stockport Library first on 10 February with a second event on 9 March, each festival aims to create a space where knowledge and enthusiasm can be shared and judging by everything they’ve got going on, they both look like they’re going to be a fantastic day out.

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As well as offering all manners of science and tech-curious Mancs the opportunity to learn things learn the basics of soldering, crafts, coding and discover the joy of making stuff in general.

Guests can also learn how sound waves work, play a mechanical violin, connect their friends to an electrical circuit to learn about their own frequencies and even discover amazing hidden sounds in everyday objects. There will also be pop-ups from Noisy Toys and Manchester Metropolitan University.

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MadLab themselves have been helping inspire the next generation into the world of digital and creative exploration through tech, art, design, marketing and more since 2016 and offers a range of engaging experiences throughout Greater Manchester communities.

coding for kids manchester
Make Stuff x MadLab events Greater Manchester
Credit: MadLab

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Brought to life with funding from Greater Manchester Combined Authority secured as part of the UK government’s wider ‘Levelling Up’ agenda, MadLab has gone on to win the ‘Best Tech for Good Project’ at the Big Chip Awards in 2017, as well as ‘Volunteering Team of the Year’ and ‘Best Community Space’ at the Spirit of Manchester Awards the following year.

With Make Stuff itself having a bit of a break during and after the pandemic, they’re now back in full force for 2024, planning over 100 events this calendar year in their adopted hometown of Stockport alone.

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The Make Stuff family fun days take place on Saturday, 10 Feb and Sat, 9 March at Stockport Central Library (Wellington Road South, Stockport, SK1 3RS) from 11am-3pm, you can grab your tickets for the first event HERE and the March date HERE.

Admission is just £5 (refundable) and if you cannot afford a ticket, please email [email protected] with your name and postcode and they will be in touch. Legends.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Make Stuff x MadLab

News

Kendal Calling drops massive line-up for 2025 festival, including Courteeners and The Prodigy

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Kendal Calling has revealed its 2025 festival line-up. Credit: Nat Argent

Kendal Calling has just revealed the line-up for its 2025 festival, as it gears up for its 20th year partying in the heart of the Lake District.

Courteeners, Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy and Kaiser Chiefs will all top the bill next summer, along with dozens more incredible acts.

The hallowed fields of Lowther Deer Park will be filled with brilliant live music, art installations and loads more between 31 July and 3 August.

Also on the bill will be Sophie Ellis-Bextor, The Last Dinner Party, Travis and The Wombats, plus Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, The K’s, Lottery Winners and Maximo Park,

Kendal Calling has confirmed that its 2025 edition will bring together more than 80 incredible acts to celebrate the festival’s 20th birthday.

A major headliner – especially for those of us in Manchester, will be Manc band Courteeners, who had an unforgettable debut at Kendal Calling back in 2019.

Kendal Calling 2025 line-up has been revealed
Kendal Calling 2025 line-up has been revealed. Credit: George Harrison
Kendal Calling 2025 line-up has been revealed
Kendal Calling 2025 line-up has been revealed. Credit: Nat Argant

They’ll be back with their new album beside them, Pink Cactus Cafe, but are still to sure deliver a brilliantly nostalgic indie set of hits like Not Nineteen Forever and Are You In Love With A Notion.

Courteeners’ Frontman Liam Fray said: “Our set in 2019 was electric and was, so I’m told, one of the biggest singalongs Kendal Calling has ever witnessed.

“So it goes without saying that we can’t wait to get back on the main stage, playing to 40,000 of you lovely lot. And as if that wasn’t enough, we’ve got 20 years of Kendal to celebrate, too. It’s going to be massive.”

Also headlining Kendal Calling 2025 will be Fatboy Slim, a dancefloor pioneer behind songs like Praise You, Right Here, Right Now, and The Rockafeller Skank.

The festival will be gearing up for a rave too with The Prodigy also topping the bill – the Firestarter techno group are one of the most influential electro groups ever to emerge from the UK.

Kendal Calling 2025 line-up has been revealed. Credit: Jess Huxham
Kendal Calling 2025 line-up has been revealed. Credit: Jess Huxham

The Prodigy are continuing the legacy of Keith Flint, now driven by Howlett and longtime member Maxim, reigniting their longstanding and loyal fanbase and introducing their sound to fresh ears and audiences.

Leeds favourites Kaiser Chiefs will be delivering an anthemic indie rock set filled with crowd-pleasing hits like I Predict A Riot, Everyday I Love You Less and Less, and Ruby.

The Last Dinner Party will make their Kendal Calling debut in 2025, after being named BRITs Rising Star 2024 and scoring a #1 debut album with Prelude to Ecstasy.

Legendary Scottish rockers Travis are heading to Lowther Deer Park, ready to perform anthems like Why Does It Always Rain on Me?, plus very special guest and long-time part of the Kendal family, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls who’ll bring folk-punk charm to the stage.

Frank Turner said: “I first played Kendal Calling all the way back in 2009, and they’ve had me back five times since, and now again for 2025, so I think they must like me.

“Which is a relief, because I bloody love them; the quintessential independent UK festival, great vibes, great people, great music, year after year. I’m beyond flattered to be there for the 20th instalment; long may they reign.”

Kendal Calling is back in the Lake District for 2025. Credit: George Harrison
Kendal Calling is back in the Lake District for 2025. Credit: George Harrison

Queen of the dance floor Sophie Ellis-Bextor is heading to Kendal Calling, plus Skindred with their reggae-metal sound, indie favourites Maximo Park, Wigan legends The Lottery Winners, indie icons Scouting For Girls, and soul queen Corinne Bailey Rae.

On the comedy front, Jason Manford will be delivering a side-splitting set.

The so-far-announced Kendal Calling 2025 line-up also features The K’s, Reverend & The Makers, The Pigeon Detectives, Daniel Bedingfield, Pixie Lott, Tim Burgess with the Royal Northern College of Music Orchestra, Inspiral Carpets Alfie Templeman, The Big Moon, The Royston Club, Nieve Ella, Lindisfarne, The Skints, and Sports Team.

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And Kendal Calling’s late-night offerings will keep attendees grooving until the early hours. Mr Scruff promises to take fans on a journey of his genre-blending mixes, dynamic mashups from DJ Yoda and the freshest live dance from local act Lowes.

Thom Rylance of The Lottery Winners said: “Kendal Calling was our first proper festival, many years ago. And I think we’ve played it every year since. Except maybe one year, and I’m sure everybody said that was the worst year in history.

“I’ve had some of my most emotionally overwhelming moments of pride on stages in that field. Core memories I’ll never forget. The first festival that ever took a chance on our band, for that we’re forever grateful. Weird to say a festival feels like a homecoming show, I know, but it really does.”

The Streets at last year's Kendal Calling. Credit: Nat Argent
The Streets at last year’s Kendal Calling. Credit: Nat Argent

Scouting For Girls said: “We’re absolutely buzzing to be asked back to Kendal Calling for their 20th anniversary. The crowds are always insane! Plus we are a band who love any excuse for a party so we’ll be bringing out all our big hits when we get onstage. A beautiful festival in a stunning location with a wonderful crowd – Cannot wait!!!!”

Andy Smith, Kendal Calling co-founder said: “I can’t quite believe that we’re about to celebrate twenty years of Kendal Calling.

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“From humble beginnings welcoming 900 party goers to Kendal’s Abbot Hall, to an astonishing 40,000 of you who turn out every year to revel in the sheer joy and excitement of the perfect party, a glorious gathering in the fields of Lowther Deer Park – wow.

“Reflecting on the journey so far, the moments made and the community created, it really is quite emotional and remarkably special. It’s also the perfect excuse for our biggest party to date! Let’s come together to celebrate 20 marvellous years, joined by headliners Courteeners, Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy, Kaiser Chiefs and so many more.

“These are some of my favourite acts ever and I was thinking just last night, it might be Halloween but it feels like Christmas! I’m so excited to see you all next summer in the place we love to call home – the fields.”

Tickets for Kendal Calling are already on sale now, with more than 70% of tickets already sold. You can sign up to the pre-sale HERE.

The full line up (with more to come) for Kendal Calling 2025 can be found HERE. 

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Featured image: Nat Argent

News

Northern Rail confess that they still use fax machines to contact train crews

Danny Jones Danny Jones Northern Rail still uses fax machines

In a quite staggering moment for the public transport sector, Northern Rail has confessed that it still uses fax machines to communicate with train crews across the network.

Nope, not an April Fool’s but, rather fittingly, it is Halloween and this is pretty scary stuff to hear in 2024.

Yes, as unbelievable as it might sound, part of the reason that Northern trains have been so poorly run in recent years, leading Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham to call an emergency meeting this past Wednesday, is because they still rely on faxes to communicate between train crews.

The alarming revelation was made public after the transcript from Burnham’s and the Northern mayors’ meeting with the Rail North Committee was shared online, in which one official said that many problems arise “because the tools we use to get information and messages to our crew rely on faxes, amazingly.”

A simply flabbergasting statement of admission from the rail network which had come under even more fire than ever of late following swathes of trains being cancelled across the region.

Burnham had already called out the company for delivering an “embarrassing” and “part-time service” but things have only got worse since he called the meeting itself.

On Thursday night, yet more trains were cancelled – some even mid-journey between the likes of Manchester and Sheffield, with passengers finding out before conductors in some instances (members of The Hoot and The Sheff team can vouch for that) – causing even more bedlam at the station boards.

Another local based in Gatley, Stockport who spoke to us following last night’s “laughable” service told us how they had to make alternative arrangements to get home after their next 10 trains were cancelled.

Naturally, the Bee Network pioneer wasted no time in calling for Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Department for Transport to intervene as, at present, the state of trains in the North as a whole is simply untenable.

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It very much feels like an ‘if you don’t laugh you’ll cry situation’ but commuters have been stuck with these simply unnaceptbale conditions for far too long.

Other details from the meeting included that not only do Northern employees still train crew members to communicate over their rotas or to book time off via fax machines, but that despite assuring they want to get rid of them they state it can’t be simply replaced due to current reliance and union rules.

It’s claimed that the rail firm has so far been unable to successfully update the network-wide communication system because of the legacy agreements that remain between Northern train drivers and their union ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen).

Elsewhere, with the Labour Party having announced a number of cuts, tax increases and other financial changes as part of their first budget in 14 years, Burnham has at least managed to secure Greater Manchester’s locally-controlled £2 bus fare while most of the country are set to lose it.

Greater Manchester to survive key public transport cut as government prepares to scrap bus fare cap
Northern Rail might be stuck with fax machines but the Bee Network is thriving.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — El Pollock (via Geograph)/Jon David Houghton/Tumi-1983/(via WikiCommons)

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