A father who was left paralysed following the Manchester Arena attack has taken his first steps since the incident.
Bolton-born football agent Martin Hibbert – who was the closest casualty to the bomb blast to survive – suffered 22 shrapnel wounds and was left paralysed from the waist down when he and his teenage daughter were among the hundreds injured in the terror attack following an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on 22nd May 2017.
But with the power of technology, he has been able to walk for the first time.
Martin has been able to take his first steps since the attack thanks to the help of an exoskeleton – a wearable machine that helps people with spinal cord injuries to move.
He shared touching footage of the remarkable moment with his followers Twitter, with the inspiring caption: “Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come.
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“Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won and all the fears you have overcome.
“Dream. Believe. Achieve.”
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Whenever you find yourself doubting how far you can go, just remember how far you have come. Remember everything you have faced, all the battles you have won and all the fears you have overcome…
He also spoke to ITV Granada Reports about the impact and significance of the moment, and his decision to share to footage with the public, admitting that: “To be stood up straight was mentally amazing [and] I wanted that video to inspire people.
“Technology is changing on a daily basis, and there are hopefully big changes coming in research for spinal cord injuries.”
Although taking his first steps since the attack is undeniably one of the most important achievements Martin has made, this isn’t the end of his journey, as next June, he is preparing to scale Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for a very worthy cause.
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He is aiming to take a Paralympic torch to the top of Africa’s highest mountain in an epic 10-day expedition, and in doing so, he hopes to raise £1 million for the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA).
Now a wheelchair user, Martin will ride a custom-built handbike for the challenge – which he said he was inspired to do after learning that only one in three people with spinal cord injuries receive treatment at specialist centres.
“I want to turn an appalling act of terror into a force for greater good.” Martin said.
Martin is preparing to scale Mount Kilimanjaro to raise £1 million for Spinal Injuries Association / Credit: SIA / Cloud Force Marketing / Sam Manton
Martin had originally planned to take on the challenge this past September, but it was sadly postponed due to the pandemic, and so he is instead scheduled to set off for Tanzania on 2 June 2022.
He will scale the mission alongside a trustee from SIA, two nurses who helped him recover from his injuries, and his two best mates.
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Since his recovery, Martin has worked with the SIA as a trustee to offer “hope, confidence and practical skills” to other people paralysed by spinal cord injury, and now wants to “give something back” to the charity after they’ve helped him “live a fulfilled life” over the last four years.
“The money raised is my way not just to thank SIA for everything it has done for me but to make sure it can reach the thousands who remain in urgent need,” Martin said.
“Without them, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Martin will ride a custom-built handbike for the challenge / Credit: SIA / Cloud Force Marketing / Sam Manton
Keen to show your support? All donations towards Martin’s target of raising £1 million for the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) can be made via his official GoFundMe page here.
A popular Manc streetwear brand is hosting a big festival to mark their fifth birthday
Danny Jones
Popular Manchester streetwear and footwear brand, CLINTS Inc., is hosting its first-ever festival to mark five whole years in fashion – and it’s going to be big.
The highly sought-after clothing and sneaker make started out from a bedroom in Moston and is now a premium label in British urban, skating, UK grime and hip-hop culture, having been worn by many famous names and welcoming even more through the door of their Deansgate shop.
Located in the ABC Buildings on Quay Street next to Spinningfields, the flagship CLINTS store opened back in 2022 and is much more than a place to buy some new drip: it’s a place that showcases art, music, and a whole sub-sect of shopping beyond just skate silhouettes and trendy trainers.
As hack as it might sound to some, wearing this brand comes along with immersing yourself in the wider style and scene; the very same scene being celebrated in tandem with their fifth birthday.
Not to tease you more than the company already has, but as you can see, details are scarce.
There is no lineup or even location for this festival… only a date.
CLINTS Fest (the inaugural one, at that) will take place on Saturday, 6 September – presumably at or around the 21-23 Quay Street site, but who knows?
Fans of the brand can sign up for the mailing list for the latest details, and pre-sale tickets are also available now, with a couple of clicks on the website revealing that the event is set to start at 12 noon and wrap up around 10:30pm.
If you’re interested, you can register your interest HERE.
Credit: The Manc Group
While you can expect the festival to be packed to the rafters with die-hard followers of all things CLINTS and streetwear, they’re not the only local indie holding a special one-off this month.
In fact, this weekend, a fellow trainer specialist who is still just starting out life in the fashion game but is already making waves reminiscent of their contemporaries.
Here’s hoping this is just the beginning of the journey and they’re the next Manc brand to become a national success story.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/CLINTS Inc (via Instagram)
Manchester
This Manchester bar serves a bottomless cheese fondue with endless beer and wine
Georgina Pellant
There’s a bar in Manchester serving a bottomless cheese fondue with endless wine and beer, and it honestly sounds like the perfect treat.
While it might scream cosy winter night in, with a huge outdoor terrace, The Mews is also a firm favourite during the summer months.
Add in a board of melt-in-the-mouth charcuterie, springy pieces of garlic sourdough and a host of crunchy cheese biscuits, and you’ve got yourself the ideal afternoon if you ask us.
But there’s more. Alongside all that cheese and meat and bread, included in the price of The Mews’ bottomless fondue, cheese lovers can also enjoy 90 minutes of non-stop drinks.
Bottomless cheese fondue at The Mews on Deansgate in Manchester. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
Costing £37.50 each, included in the deal is a huge pot of melted Italian Fontina cheese served with homemade garlic croutons, sourdough crackers, and slices of British charcuterie.
You’ll also get to enjoy an hour and a half of endless pints of house pilsner and carafes of red or white wine to enjoy alongside.
Serving up to six people, the bottomless cheese fondue is available only when you pre-book, so make sure to get in touch ahead of your visit to let The Mews know that you’re coming.
If you’re not on the sauce, you can opt for the cheese fondue alone. Without the booze, it’s quite a bit cheaper at £25 for one, and £2.50 on top for any additional people who want to get stuck in.
Housed up on Deansgate Mews, just behind the main hustle and bustle of Deansgate, there’s plenty of space inside as well as a large, secluded terrace that is quite the suntrap (when the Manchester sun is shining).