Manchester gym shares moving tribute to personal trainer Archie Vokes, who died in French avalanche
'Even if you had only had the chance to speak to either of them briefly you would have instantly known how kind-hearted, caring and loving they both were.'
The gym where Archie Vokes, 22, worked has shared a moving tribute to him after he was killed in an avalanche in France.
Archie was a personal trainer at FORM, based just outside Manchester city centre in Salford, before his tragic death last week.
He and his mother Kate, 54, both died after an avalanche swept through an off-piste ski area around Saint-Gervais, near Mont Blanc.
They were found by mountain rescuers Thursday afternoon, and later named as the mother and son from Manchester.
Kate was a director at Bruntwood and the sister of Bruntwood SciTech chief executive Chris Oglesby, and a well-loved and well-respected figure in the city.
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She was also a familiar face around the FORM gym space where her son worked.
FORM has now shared a moving tribute to the pair, describing them as ‘kind-hearted, caring and loving’.
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Kate and Archie Vokes, both from Manchester, who tragically died in an avalanche in France. Credit: Family handout
The gym wrote in a post on Instagram: “We are heartbroken to share the tragic news that coach Archie and his mother Kate tragically lost their lives.
“Both Archie and Kate were adored by the team and many members of the gym. You may have been lucky enough to have known them well, but even if you had only had the chance to speak to either of them briefly you would have instantly known how kind-hearted, caring and loving they both were.
“The love lost for Archie and Kate will never go away but the love for our team, members and what we do at FORM will only grow stronger.
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“More than ever we are so grateful for the support and love that we have from everyone and over time we will find ways to use this to help heal.”
Several more people have shared their own tributes in response to FORM’s statement about the late Archie Vokes.
One person wrote: “I was so sorry to hear the news and the immeasurable loss for their family. The photo shows Kate and Archie exactly as they were. Archie was so personable and at the same time unassuming about his own talents. Kate was an incredible force for good in the north west region. A huge loss.”
Another said: “Such awful news. Archie was a lovely man and always had a smile for everyone when they walked in the gym. Sending love and hugs to all of you.”
Someone else shared: “Awful news. Archie was a brilliant person to have around the gym. Always took the time to say hello and ask me how I was doing every time I was in. Will be missed.”
Multi award-winning musical Hadestown is coming to Manchester on its UK tour next year
Emily Sergeant
Multi award-winning musical Hadestown is heading out on tour next year, and of course it’ll be stopping off in Greater Manchester.
The Tony and Grammy Award-winning production is currently playing its third smash-hit year in London’s West End, but once 2027 rolls around, Hadestown is embarking on its first-ever tour of the UK and Ireland, and tickets are officially set to go on general sale this morning (5 June).
If you’re unfamiliar with this modern-day classic, Hadestown takes you on an unforgettable journey to the underworld and back, intertwining two mythic love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone.
Described as being a ‘deeply resonant’ and ‘defiantly hopeful’ theatrical experience, audiences are invited to imagine how the world could be.
We're coming, songbirds. The journey underground begins February 2027.
Having been seen by over six million people, streamed by nearly a billion, and adored by fans around the world, critics have called this record-breaking musical ’the most exhilarating ride’… and once you watch it for yourself, it’s not hard to see why.
Hadestown will be taking to the stage at the Lowry in Salford next March, arriving in the city on Tuesday 9 March and running through until Thursday 11 March 2027.
Other northern cities the production will be visiting on its upcoming tour include Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle, Liverpool, Hull, and Chester, while there’s many other major locations on the list before it closes in Sunderland in mid-November 2027.
Multi award-winning musical Hadestown is coming to Manchester on its UK tour next year / Credit: Marc Brenner (Supplied)
While the production is touring, the critically acclaimed West End run will still continue at London’s Lyric Theatre, more than eight years after its sold-out debut at the National Theatre in 2018.
Hadestown will be at the Lowry from Tuesday 9 – Thursday 11 March 2027.
The White Hotel is a go-to haunt for Mancs seeking a late-night (or indeed, all-night) dance, with a packed programme of music running year-round.
The independent arts venue opened inside a former garage in Salford, just outside Manchester city centre and in the shadow of HMP Manchester.
Not only has The White Hotel defined Greater Manchester’s modern nightlife scene, but it’s become known globally as one of the best underground nightclubs on the planet.
Known for its raw DIY atmosphere and boundary-pushing line-ups, the Salford venue up there among the UK’s most respected club spaces.
But despite ‘continuing to draw full houses’, The White Hotel will close in January, according to The Guardian.
Ben Ward told the paper that the venue has found itself in a flood-risk zone, saying: “Basically, it’s a swamp.”
He added that it was better ‘to go out on our own terms, long before we became a museum’.
When The White Hotel opened in 2015, they planned to stick around for a year, then move to LA – but now a decade on, it’s cemented itself on Manchester’s club scene.
The area where The White Hotel stands will become a wetland park.
Neither artistic director Austin Collings nor Ward are ‘sentimental about losing the premises’, The Guardian wrote, quoting Ward as saying: “It’s come as a surprise that it’s lasted this long anyway.”
Daisy Jackson -
2nd January 2024 
