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Coronation Street legend Hilda Ogden has been recreated from flowers at The Royal Exchange in Manchester

It’s part of the Manchester Flower Festival this weekend.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 26th May 2023

A floral tribute to Coronation Street great Hilda Ogden has appeared in the heart of Manchester this week. 

The iconic soap character has been recreated from flowers, grasses and other plant life, down to her ever-present hair curlers. 

The floral Hilda is in position at The Royal Exchange this week, ready for the Manchester Flower Festival. 

The beautiful building will also be hosting a Bee Trail treasure hunt for the occasion on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 May. 

Friends, families, couples and any other fun-seekers are invited down to solve the clues and find the bees, with prizes up for grabs like a £100 voucher to spend at French Connection, Afternoon Tea for Two at Annies, a £50 floral bouquet from Royal Exchange Flowers, a meal for two at Pastan, vouchers from TGI Fridays and Michaels coffeehouse, and gifts from Hotel Chocolat, L’Occitane, The Body Shop and Sostrene Grene.

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All you need to do is come along, pick up an entry form from one of the above-mentioned participating stores and get stuck in.

The floral Hilda Ogden at the Royal Exchange. Credit: The Manc Group
The Royal Exchange is taking part in the Manchester Flower Festival
The Royal Exchange is taking part in the Manchester Flower Festival. Credit: The Manc Group

The entire city will burst into colour with blooms installed all over our shops and streets for the late May bank holiday weekend. 

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You can find the floral Hilda in the Royal Exchange Arcade from today.  

The Coronation Street sculpture has been created by Royal Exchange Flowers, the stunning little florist that opened in the building earlier this year. 

She stands in a garden of late spring flowers, alongside an armchair where people can capture a selfie, with hair fashioned from various grasses wrapped around curlers underneath her head scarf and her tabard recreated from a mosaic of fresh flowers including orchids, craspedia, thistles, Limonium and chrysanthemums. 

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Anyone who snaps a selfie with Hilda, then posts it on Instagram tagging @royalexchangemanchester (you need to follow the page too), could win a £50 voucher to spend at The Royal Exchange. 

How to take part in the Bee Trail for the Manchester Flower Festival

  1. Grab an entry form on the day from any of the participating outlets*
  2. Each of the clues will, when solved, direct you to a specific outlet. 
  3. Once there, locate the hidden Bee picture and note its unique number down on the entry form next to the store or eatery’s name.
  4. Once you’ve completed the Trail, fill in your contact details and hand your entry form back in to one of the participating stores so that you will be entered in to the draw.
  5. Keep your fingers crossed that you’ve won a prize! 
  6. Winners will be drawn and notified within two weeks of the closing date. 

Participating outlets: French Connection, Annies restaurant, Pastan, Royal Exchange Flowers, L’Occitane, TGI Fridays, Michaels coffeehouse, Hotel Chocolat, The Body Shop and Sostrene Grene.

The Royal Exchange Manchester Bee Trail runs all day on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 May. 

And don’t forget your Hilda selfie for an extra chance to win! #HildaSelfie

Featured image: The Manc Group

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You can get a mobile massage treatment in your office – just like us

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

We’d like to introduce you to the pioneering personalised service offering massage treatments on the move at practically any location including direct from your office – including to those of us here in Manchester.

In a world where you can get practically anything delivered straight to your door, it wasn’t going to be long until some genius invented a way to get a massage from the comfort of your own office.

And that genius is none other than, Ruuby.

Named ‘London’s first digital beauty concierge’, Ruuby have been pampering the nation’s capital for almost a decade before branching out to further locations.

Ruuby beauty services UK
The gorgeous set up provided by Ruuby
ruuby massages UK
Look at that lovely branding on the towels.
They did wonders with our otherwise plain downstairs office space. (Credit: The Manc Group)

In October 2024, the company expanded beyond its domestic reach in the likes of the capital, the Cotswolds and Surrey into Europe, making its first mark Switzerland: the perfect country for both luxury and essential beauty treatments with a tailored experience.

The month following saw the group moving up North and all the way to Manchester, where people can now book professional treatments best suited to them, right on their doorstep.

If you’re feeling sceptical still, you can take it from us here at The Manc; we couldn’t tell you how relaxing and comforting these massages are.

There are a range of treatments available and we opted for two bespoke massages, a sports massage and a deep tissue massage.

Each experience is suited to your personal needs meaning each massage therapist will be able to fine-tune their relaxation abilities to what benefits you best.

After choosing the bespoke massage that I felt would work best for me, I went into this with no prior massage experience and I came out feeling taller, broader and more refreshed. Highly recommend.

ruuby manchester
Mid-day office massage? Yes, please.
ruuby office massages
How relaxing. What a shame you have to go back to work after!
Credit: The Manc Group

My masseuse guided me throughout the whole process and we soon discovered that I was able to tolerate much harder pressure than I thought which helped release tension I didn’t even know I had!

The same applies to how firm you’d like your session to be, as the masseuse can help with a brief overview of your time together, but the amount of pressure you like is down to personal preference.

It’s not just massages either: there’s everything from waxing, nails and hair to physio and IV drips; how about getting Marbella ready in less than an hour with a spray tan service set up wherever you are?

As Ruuby is a mobile and remote work environment, there are a number of at any time up and down the country, meaning your next beauty slot could be as little as an hour away, find out more HERE.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image – The Manc Group

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An award-winning Manchester cocktail bar is serving a Tiny ‘Tini martini cocktail flight

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson An award-winning Manchester cocktail bar is serving a Tiny ‘Tini martini cocktail flight

Martini cocktails are one of the world’s most iconic and stylish cocktails, and come in a lot of different shapes and sizes, despite classically being made with only a few ingredients. 

If you’re still dipping your toes into the world of the vodka martini cocktail, or if you’re a super fan always eager to try a new take on this beloved drink, can we introduce you to the ‘Tiny ‘Tini’ flight?

This clever creation is as photo-worthy as it is delicious – three miniature martini cocktails, served perfectly chilled in ‘flight’ form on a tray in one of Manchester’s very best bars, Blinker. 

The Tiny ‘Tini has been launched by legendary vodka brand GREY GOOSE to celebrate the resurgence of vodka martini cocktails (vodka is one of the core ingredients, the other is typically vermouth). 

Blinker, which was earlier this year named the 22nd best cocktail bar in the UK, is already famed for its menu of vodka martini cocktails , so was a perfect choice for the GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini collaboration. 

Here, they’ve created three different miniature takes on the classic cocktail- the house martini cocktail, made with GREY GOOSE vodka, house vermouth, orange bitters and an olive; the Spanish Gibson, with sherry and onion brine (if you’re a fan of savoury cocktails, this is the one for you); and the champagne martini cocktail, with GREY GOOSE vodka, champagne cordial, Lillet Blanc and orange bitters (a gateway martini cocktail for the uninitiated). 

Each of the three perfectly sized drinks is served in a special frosted miniature martini cocktail glass and is the perfect size for flavour exploration – while also staying perfectly chilled down to the last sip.

The Grey Goose Tiny Tini martini cocktail flight is available at Blinker in Manchester
The Grey Goose Tiny Tini martini cocktail flight is available at Blinker in Manchester

Best of all, the Tiny ‘Tini flight also makes vodka martini cocktails that little bit less intimidating. 

Lexa Ulijaszek, UK Ambassador for GREY GOOSE commented: “When it comes to the vodka martini cocktail, size does matter for some. 

“Sometimes a full-sized martini cocktail can be a little bit too intimidating. Or over the course of great conversation between friends, the final sip of your drink may not be as superbly chilled or balanced in taste as the beginning. 

“As a result, the offer of a ‘sip sized cocktail’ is gaining traction across many of the UK’s most influential bars.

“A sip size GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini is the perfect solution – beautifully crafted, expertly chilled, elegantly served with rich taste. A flight of three petite drinks allows you to responsibly enjoy the perfection of the ‘first sip’ of a martini cocktail while also experiencing a range of unique flavours.

“The trend is very much a UK-wide affair, with some of the best bars across Manchester, Edinburgh and London all serving the GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini – ushering in a brand new and bold ‘sip sized’ era for the vodka martini cocktail.”

The GREY GOOSE Tiny ‘Tini flight at Blinker in Manchester costs £12 and is available until 30 April.

Sip responsibly.

Read more: Blinker – The award-winning cocktail bar in Manchester serving retro Breville toasties

Featured image: Supplied

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