Stalybridge is set to take centre stage this year after being named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2022.
Nestled in between the scenic hills of the Peak District, but within easy reach of the rest of the city-region, Tameside Council says that this prestigious accolade “shines a light on the many attributes of the post-industrial town”.
Tameside is known for having a canalside setting, plenty of heritage buildings to its name, and a rich mix of independent businesses.
The new ‘Town of Culture’ title – which is awarded by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), and comes with a £50k grant – will enable Stalybridge to build on its “existing vibrant programme of cultural activity”, according to the Council, and bring “further exciting opportunities” for residents and visitors.
The title aims to build a “lasting legacy” for the town.
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Tameside Council – which led the submission for the award, working in partnership with The Bridge Cultural Consortium – said the ‘Stalybridge Town of Culture Programme 2022’ will “complement” existing work that’s currently taking place as part of the Stalybridge Heritage Action Zone and the Town Centre Challenge.
One of the key features in the bid that won Stalybridge the prestigious title was the idea of developing a cultural programme for 2022 that will promote projects enabling people to slow down, connect with the local environment, and celebrate its cultural value, with activities and events like artist-led walks and trails, community growing projects, and outdoor theatre and storytelling.
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These will tie in with existing cultural highlights in the town, such as the popular monthly Street Feast event, the Council says.
Speaking on the awarding of the accolade, Cllr Leanne Feeley – Executive Member responsible for Culture at Tameside Council – said: “I’m so proud for Stalybridge and our local community to receive this recognition.
“We already know what a fantastic, vibrant and creative place Stalybridge is, but this is an opportunity to showcase our town’s amazing cultural identity even more widely.
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“Stalybridge’s cultural legacy spans the decades – it is the birthplace of the world’s oldest brass band, the Stalybridge Old Band, it’s the place where the iconic First World War song ‘A Long, Long Way to Tipperary’ was written, it’s a key location in the film ‘Yanks’ featuring Richard Gere and it is where Beatrix Potter would often write and draw while visiting her family at Gorse Hall.
“In the present day, it’s still a hive of cultural activity, hosting events such as the recent Royal Exchange’s The Den project and the ongoing and resoundingly successful Street Feast, and the Town of Culture title will allow us to build on this heritage and the wonderful work already taking place, while also creating new opportunities and a new tale in the town’s story.
“It’s a really exciting way to start 2022 and I look forward to what will follow.”
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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You can step inside a fashion show with Vogue’s immersive ‘Inventing the Runway’ show in Manchester
Thomas Melia
A Vogue immersive show titled ‘Inventing the Runway’ has arrived Manchester, and it’s even co-created by Anna Wintour herself.
Ever fancied learning more about the fashion world? Well, now’s your chance to hear everything you need to know from global fashion leaders and lifestyle magazine Vogue.
The Anna Wintour-approved immersive experience comes alongside the announcement of Factory International‘s Winter lineup, which features another new event all about voyaging to the moon.
Vogue: Inventing the Runway incorporates interviews, visual media and more to help attendees visualise fashion shows of the past, present and future.
Visitors will be surrounded by incredible visuals on all sides (including underfoot), fully stepping inside the world of high fashion.
As well as understanding how fashion shows became the pinnacle of a designer’s vision, this runway-themed display also includes looking back at iconic moments of fashion and pop culture.
‘Inventing the Runway’ by Vogue is focusing on outfits worn by models and A-listers alike, with narration from the one and only Cate Blanchett.
A glimpse inside Vogue: Inventing the Runway. Credit: The Manc Group
You can expect to see curated pieces by significant creative minds in fashion history like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and lots more.
Throughout the Vogue experience, as well as coming visually face to face with fashion, you will also hear a soundscape that perfectly reflects this innovative industry with a fusion of classical and pop music.
This fashion exhibition uses the same Lightroom technology behind the impressive David Hockney experience that opened back in December.
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue said: “At Vogue, we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves.”
“This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first-hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”
You can experience Vogue’s ‘Inventing the Runway’ immersive show from 18 December to 10 January.
Find out more information and grab your tickets HERE.
Record 37.5 million journeys home for Christmas expected before the big day
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being told to prepare for long queues, as a record number of festive trips are predicted across the UK ahead of the big day.
With the festive season generally known to make the roads nationwide busier than usual, travel warnings have now been issued to all those making Christmas getaway trips for the holidays – with an annual study by the RAC and INRIX suggesting that 37.5 million journeys are planned before Christmas Day arrives.
With Christmas falling mid-week again this year, the figures are suggesting that drivers are keen to set off early to avoid what will be an undoubtedly frantic coming weekend on the roads.
Around 18% of getaway journeys are expected to be made today and tomorrow (Wednesday 17 and Thursday 18 December, respectively).
But, the RAC expects the main wave of festive journeys to start this Friday (19 December) with a whopping 3.6 million trips planned, before this escalates even further to 4.1 million on Saturday (20 December).
A record 37.5 million journeys home for Christmas are expected before the big day/ Credit: Highways Agency (via Unsplash)
The figures predict this will be the busiest Saturday of any Christmas getaway period since its records began in 2013.
Approximately 3.5m journeys are then expected on Sunday (21 December), while a further 5.3 million trips are set to take place at some point between 19 and 21 December, although drivers haven’t decided what day they’ll travel yet.
According to the RAC’s research, there will then be a slight lull in festive trips at the start of Christmas week – with Monday and Tuesday being normal working days for many people – however, volumes of traffic could be at their highest since COVID on Christmas Eve when 4.2 million getaways are expected, making it the single busiest day for getaways over the period.
When it comes to the best and worst times to travel over the festive period, the research has revealed that the times to avoid when travelling along major routes will be from 4:30pm onwards, with queues of more than half an hour expected in Manchester on the M60 clockwise from J7 Altrincham to J18 for the M62 for Leeds.
On the two busiest days over the getaway period – this coming Saturday (20 December) and Christmas Eve – the RAC and INRIX are advising drivers to expect lengthy delays on major roads between 11am and 7pm, as this is when most journeys will be made.
After the big day, drivers are expecting to make 4.6 million journeys on Boxing Day and 4.1 million on Saturday 27 December, as they travel home or continue their celebrations elsewhere.
Emily Sergeant -
20th January 2022 
