As Manchester Museum gears up to reopen its doors following a huge revamp, one of its new exhibitions has been listed as one of the must-see UK attractions of 2023 by The Guardian.
The museum’s Golden Mummies of Egypt exhibit, a one-of-a-kind cultural experience offering visitors a rich perspective on beliefs about the afterlife, will open later this year following a huge £15 million makeover of the historic building.
Featuring more than 100 objects and eight mummies, it has just finished a hugely successful tour across the USA and China and will be displayed in a brand-new Exhibition Hall on the museum’s ground floor next month.
Opening on 18 February, it has been developed and produced in partnership with Nomad Exhibitions and explores Ancient Egyptian customs and culture around death and what lies in wait afterwards.
All exhibits come from a time when the country was part of the Greek and Roman world (c. 300 BCE-200 CE), showcasing over 100 objects from Manchester Museum’s world-leading Egyptology collections.
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Considered to encompass some of the most significant Ancient Egyptian artefacts in the UK, the project aims to challenge old Victorian notions of Ancient Egypt and reimagine the period through a contemporary lens.
Image: Manchester Museum
Keen to state that the exhibit won’t just be about gold and grandeur, non-intrusive science is being used to explore the intricate wrappings of ancient mummified bodies and how the art of mummification may have been part of a belief that transformed the body into the divine.
As part of its multi-million transformation, the cultural institution is adding a modern two-storey extension, a new entrance, and inclusive facilities like a Changing Places toilet, picnic area, prayer space and quiet room.
Esme Ward, Manchester Museum Director, said: “We are extending the building, making room for more joy and learning and evolving into the museum Manchester needs.
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“Galleries and exhibitions will showcase the best of the museum’s historic collections, as well as addressing the urgencies of the present day.
“We can’t wait to reopen our doors.”
Feature image – Manchester Museum
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Cult US sustainable clothing brand Reformation to open in Manchester city centre
Emily Sergeant
Cult US sustainable clothing brand Reformation is set to open its doors in Manchester very soon.
Since it was first founded in Los Angeles all the way back in 2009, Reformation has gone on to become one of the largest sustainable womenswear brands on the planet, and is now known and loved for making beautiful, timeless apparel and accessories that aim to ‘inspire confidence’ across life stages and occasions.
Operating on a business model that pairs a smart approach to merchandising with a responsive supply chain, Reformation now operates more than 70 retail stores across the US, UK, Canada, and France.
At the heart of the Reformation story is a genuine commitment to ‘doing things differently’.
Since day one, sustainability has been woven into everything the brand makes – from the eco-certified fabrics and responsible factories, to its famously transparent sustainability reports.
Currently, Reformation has five UK stores to its name – but, it may come as no surprise to fans of the brand that they’re all in London.
That’s why the news of this new Manchester opening is such a big deal.
Set to be the label’s first UK store outside of the capital, Reformation has secured a prime spot on King Street in the heart of the city centre, and although there’s no confirmed opening date as of yet, if the shop windows saying ‘Summer 2026’ are anything to go by, we can only imagine it’ll be very soon.
“For Manchester, it’s a landmark moment, and for King Street, it’s the latest signal that this is one of the UK’s most exciting retail destinations,” a spokesperson for King Street said in a statement.
Stay tuned for details on opening dates to be announced in due course.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Andy Burnham to begin rolling out new ‘everyday fixes’ for Brits amid cost of living crisis
Emily Sergeant
A series of ‘everyday fixes’ to help combat the rising cost of living crisis are soon to be rolled out nationwide.
Kicking off with two measures today, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced that he plans to ban retailers from making ‘misleading’ claims to customers about discounts.
The Government says shoppers have ‘increasingly complained’ about outlets artificially inflating prices to give a false sense of value, such as increasing prices only to then immediately advertise ‘discounts’ to make savings look larger than they really are, which goes on to create an uneven playing field for honest competitors.
The Prime Minister also wants to see an end to so-called ‘subscription traps’, where people find it hard to cancel their subscriptions, and contracts are automatically renewed at a higher cost.
Set to come into force in January 2027 and saving people an average of £14 a month for every unwanted subscription, the changes will mean businesses will need to provide clearer up-front information, regular reminders. and a ‘much easier’ exit to contracts.
Andy Burnham to begin rolling out new ‘everyday fixes’ for Brits amid cost of living crisis / Credit: gov.uk | Piotr Cichosz (via Unsplash)
A new 14-day cooling-off period will also be introduced to let consumers cancel after a trial or long-term contract renews.
Certain charitable memberships, like the ones for cultural and heritage organisations for example, will be excluded from the new subscription rules due to the fact they have a unique role in preserving the nation’s history, landscapes, and cultural collections.
The Prime Minister says he is ‘determined’ to use every chance he gets to restore fairness and take pressure off people.
“I know people are sick and tired of rip-off discounts and subscription traps,” Andy Burnham said. “Westminster has got used to telling people that everyday hassles like this are just part of life, but I don’t think that’s right, especially when the cost of living continues to weigh heavily on so many people’s lives.”
Georgina Pellant -
2nd January 2023 
