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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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These are Manchester’s favourite takeaways, according to Deliveroo

The Manc The Manc

When it comes to finding the best takeaways in our area, we don’t mess about – and neither does Deliveroo.

The original restaurant-quality food delivery service is celebrating eight years in Manchester this summer – and after nearly a decade of championing independent eateries, the team has noticed that when it comes to ordering in we Mancs are creatures of habit.

According to new insights published by the food couriers, Manchester locals can’t get enough of Salford’s sell-out smashed burgers, with the Burgerism Meal Deal being the most popular dish in the city.

Other top orders include Egg Fried Rice from Oodles and Margherita pizza from Rudy’s, followed by 8 Boneless Pieces from Wingstop and – last but not least – the OG Kebab from German Doner Kebab (GDK).

However, when it comes to local favourites, biryani, ice cream, and cookies all top the list of the most searched-for dishes in Manchester, with searches for biryani rising by 39% in the last two months. 

Image: Burgerism
Image: Burgerism

Finding also discovered that Friday night at 7pm is the most popular time for Mancs to order on Deliveroo, with more orders being placed in central Manchester, Chorlton and Withington than any other neighbourhood.

Since its launch in Manchester eight years ago, more than 4,000 local restaurants have signed up to the platform.

Deliveroo has created work for more than 5,900 people in the city and surrounding areas, with the majority of these being the Deliveroo riders who deliver your food which is cooked fresh to order and brought to your door within 30 minutes.

Read more: Nando’s launches new Fully Loaded Chips as part of limited-edition summer menu

Deliveroo has also remained committed to supporting local businesses in Manchester, with 60% per cent of its restaurant partners being local independent restaurants, creating new revenue streams for homegrown culinary talent. 

Burgerism, Zumuku Sushi, and Proove Pizza are the top three small businesses that have been supported by Deliveroo over the past eight years.

Across these eight years, Deliveroo has become a city staple, with the top neighbourhood for restaurant orders being Central Manchester, whilst in second and third spots are Chorlton and Withington, respectively.

American cuisine has been a consistent favourite for all Manc orderers over recent years, alongside German, Mexican, Greek & Thai. 

Read more: Police confirm body of man, 31, who disappeared after leaving Stockport pub has been found

And that’s not all, Deliveroo data can also reveal Central Manchester is the neighbourhood that orders the most burgers, whilst Hulme is the city’s vegan capital, and residents in Salford can’t get enough of wings.  

Daniel Soile, City Manager for Manchester, said: “Our whole team here at Deliveroo is delighted that our rapid growth in Manchester over the past eight years means that customers have more choice, restaurants are able to increase their revenue, and riders have the opportunity to choose well-paid, flexible work.”

Featured image – GDK

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80s-themed Miami Beach cinema to open on Manchester rooftop this summer

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

Backyard Cinema will be back in Manchester this summer, creating a Miami Beach rooftop experience that will transport people back to the 1980s. 

The immersive cinema experience, which debuted in the city centre last autumn, is going to be taking over the roof of Depot Mayfield again.

This time, the industrial space will be transformed into Miami Beach, using 30 tonnes of sand and signature palm tree cocktails to create the UK’s largest pop-up beach.

Ian Brown may have famously said that ‘Manchester has everything but a beach’, but all that’s about to change from 5 July. 

The summer-long series will include cinematic parties and screenings of major summer blockbusters, plus sing-alongs and loads more, all with sand between your toes and ultra-comfy seats. 

Backyard Cinema Miami Beach. Credit: Supplied
Backyard Cinema Miami Beach. Credit: Supplied
Backyard Cinema Miami Beach. Credit: Supplied

To fit with the theme, the unforgettable cinematic experience will include 1980s-era classics like Dirty Dancing, Grease, and Back to the Future, plus other hits like Top Gun: Maverick and Pulp Fiction.

Then some of the summer’s most hotly-anticipated releases, including Barbie, The Little Mermaid remake, and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will all be on the bill. 

Every Friday night, there will be recurring Dirty Dancing Beach Parties where guests can dance along to the iconic soundtrack, with special surprises designed to fully immerse everyone into the world of the 1987 film. 

Super Sing-alongs will actively encourage audience participation, singing your heart out inhibition-free to feel-good film soundtracks, featuring Grease, Mamma Mia and The Greatest Showman. 

Backyard Cinema Miami Beach. Credit: Supplied
Backyard Cinema Miami Beach. Credit: Supplied

Backyard Cinema’s Miami Beach will whisk ticket-holders away to the sunshine state, where you’re greeted by staff in the art deco Miami Beach Hotel and palm tree cocktails at the Flamingo Beach Bar. 

It’s all taking place at Broadwick Live’s landmark Depot Mayfield, the former railway dating back to 1910, with original railway tracks, platforms, ticket office, waiting room and cast iron roof structure transformed into a spectacular summer cinema experience. 

Backyard Cinema, which first began in founder Dominic Davies’ own backyard, has already enjoyed huge success and garnered a fan following in London as well as in Manchester last winter. 

Dominic, founder and creative director said: “After the huge success of our Winter season we are super excited to bring our smash-hit Miami Beach to the roof of Depot Mayfield. We are going to take people back to a retro 80s Miami full of glitz and glamour and create the closest thing to a Summer Holiday in Mayfield.”

Backyard Cinema Miami Beach will open at Depot Mayfield, M1 2PY, on 5 July. Tickets are available on Fever with prices starting from £9.50.

Featured image: Supplied

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