A free exhibition celebratingchildren’s books including The Gurffalo, Zog, Stick Man and Room on the Broomis coming to Salford in time for the summer holidays.
The major new exhibit, which will celebrate author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler’s award-winning partnership, will open at The Lowry arts centre this summer.
Entitled Julia and Axel – Thirty Years of Favourite Stories, it will bring to life some of the best-loved characters in contemporary children’s fiction.
Kicking off in July before running through to the end of the year, those heading down can look forward to exploring an interactive “Storybook room”, as well as discovering snippets from the animated reimaginings of The Gruffalo, Zog and Snail and the Whale.
The exhibit will also explore how Julia and Axel have collaborated over the years to create some of the most beloved characters in modern children’s fiction.
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From the terrible tusks and terrible claws of the Gruffalo to the Witch, her cat, and her very tall hat, and Stick Man on his journey home to the ‘family tree’, the pair’s eccentric characters have captured the hearts and minds of children around the world.
The exhibition will open on Saturday 22 July at The Lowry and run to Monday 1 January 2024, giving families plenty of opportunities to visit over the course of the year.
Julia Donaldson says: “I am delighted that we are working in partnership with The Lowry on this exhibition and that they are celebrating 30 years of Axel and me working together. It is exciting to be able to share some ‘behind the scenes’ secrets with our young readers and to show what happens before a finished book is in their hands.
“I hope that it will help them to feel creative and to start writing and illustrating their own stories, so that we have new picture-book creators in the future.”
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Axel Scheffler says: “I find it hard to believe that it is 30 years since Julia Donaldson and I did our first picture book together with A Squash and a Squeeze. So much has happened since then and many children have now enjoyed our stories over the years.
“I am very pleased that The Lowry is hosting this special celebratory exhibition and that it will give families the chance to discover more about my illustrations and Julia’s writing.”
Michael Simpson, Director of Visual Arts at The Lowry, says: “This is a unique celebration of the creative partnership of Julia and Axel, whose stories and pictures are loved by children and grown-ups alike. We want every family to think of The Lowry as the place to go for a great day out.”
The son of a famous British sports presenter has signed for Sale Sharks
Danny Jones
Sale Sharks have confirmed yet another new signing, and this one happens to come from a noteworthy sporting pedigree, as he’s actually the son of beloved British sports presenter and ex-athlete Gabby Logan.
And if you know your stuff, you’ll know that this also makes him the grandchild of Leeds footballer and Wales international Terry Yorath. Quite the professional little family tree, eh?
That’s right, the former rhythmic gymnast household name’s teenage son, Reuben Logan, is the latest acquisition by the local rubgy union side who have been busy lining things up for the next campaign.
Still just 19, he’ll join Sale Sharks at the start of next season.
𝙒𝙀𝙇𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙀, 𝙍𝙀𝙐𝘽𝙀𝙉
We are delighted to announce Reuben Logan will be heading up North for the 25/26 season!
Confirmed on Tuesday, 8 April, Reuben Logan – still just 19 years old – joins from Northampton Saints after having already impressed as a union youngster and on the international front too.
While he has represented England at youth level, he has since switched allegiances and is currently considered one of the hottest prospects in the Scotland U20s.
Coming through the ranks of Midlands Central Academy, he enjoyed his junior minutes at Wasps RFC before they ultimately fell into administration back in 2022.
Now heading for Greater Manchester ahead of the 2025/26 Gallagher Premiership, he’s the latest to join the squad following the arrival of other talents like Raffi Quirke and more, including one rather large figure indeed.
His mum, Gabby – a recognisable face on BBC Sport for nearly two decades now – did kind of get ahead of herself and let the news slip in a recent interview.
We’ll let her off, though, as she had some lovely things to say about our region and spends plenty of time over in MediaCity already.
“Sale have a young squad and I know a lot of the lads from playing international rugby. I know they’re all getting chances to play in the first team and that’s really exciting for me.
“I’m a physical ball carrier with the ability to create space and get the team on the front foot, and I think my style suits the team really well.”
As for gaffer Alex Sanderson, he went on to recognise his undeniable physical attributes, adding: “He’s 120kg and he’s a physical specimen, but he used to be a winger so he’s got wicked feet too. He can add to our game in terms of our power, and we can help him develop his skills and his game.”
Featured Images — Sale Sharks/Gabby Logan/Northampton Saints (via Instagram)
Salford
Popular classic car boot sale to return to MediaCity this summer
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s popular classic car boot sale is returning this summer, and there’ll be loads of vintage gems.
After venturing to the North for the first time in its history last summer, proving to be a smash-hit success with retro fashion-loving crowds, the Classic Car Boot Sale is set to return to MediaCity once again this July.
It’s all sounding set to be a vintage, pre-loved, and classic car enthusiast’s ‘paradise’, and it’s even being described as being ‘a festival in its own right’.
The hugely-popular event – which has been held bi-annually in London since 2011 – assembles more than 150 of the finest vintage and sustainable fashion, accessories, and homewares traders from across the UK, and gathers them all in one location so thousands of shoppers, collectors, and petrol heads can fill their boots.
The event is a celebration of nostalgia, style, and sustainability, where classic cars, vintage and secondhand fashion, and a diverse music lineup all come together.
There’ll also be an array of independent street food served from vintage vans across the two-day event too, alongside the unmissable Bus Bar, delivering non-stop tunes spanning lots of genres – with a special nod to the 90s, as Manchester gears up to welcome Oasis back home.
Promising to be the ultimate vintage shopping experience, the unmissable Charity Super.Mkt will also be making a return with a pop-up raising money for a number of different charities, including the RSPCA, British Heart Foundation, and Emmaus.
The Classic Car Boot Sale is returning to MediaCity this summer / Credit: The Classic Car Boot Sale (via Unsplash)
New for this year is the Best in Show Catwalk, where the best dressed attendees are picked out to show off and chat about their outfits.
“We couldn’t be more excited to bring The Classic Car Boot Sale back to MediaCity for its second year,” commented Wayne Hemingway MBE, who is the founder of HemingwayDesign and co-founder of The Classic Car Boot Sale, ahead of the event this summer.
“MediaCity is a fab location for an event like this, and we can’t wait for the people of Manchester and Salford to dive into this unforgettable experience again.
“With Oasis performing across the city that same weekend, it’s the perfect time for music lovers to immerse themselves in Manchester’s electric atmosphere.”
The Classic Car Boot Sale will be taking over MediaCity on 12 and 13 July, and you can find out more information about how to get involved here.
Georgina Pellant -
24th April 2023 
