Little Mancs will get the chance to discover how Manchester has kept the world moving through a range of transport-themed activities this half term.
With the next school holidays right around the corner on Monday 30 May – Friday 3 June, Manchester’s very-own Science and Industry Museum in the heart of the city centre is making sure the region’s children are kept entertained, engaged, and educated as always through a number of dedicated hands-on workshops and activities.
Kids will be given the chance to design and make their own moving machines, before putting their creations to the test to see how fast and far they go.
They’ll also be given the chance to hear some of the inspirational stories of the Museum’s historic site and the vehicles that passed through there, including the famous Stephenson’s Rocket – a “legendary locomotive” that was built to run on the world’s first inter-city passenger railway line, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
There’s even some brand-new ‘Curiosity Stops‘ throughout the museum too, and you can join the Museum’s team of expert Explainers on journeys through air, on land, and even in outer space to discover special science secrets.
You can discover how Manchester has kept the world moving through a range of transport-themed activities / Credit: Science Museum Group
Constructed in 1984, the unique moving sculpture is the last work by one of Britain’s best loved artists, sculptors, and famed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang creator, Rowland Emett, and it was saved for the UK after being purchased for the Science Museum Group Collection with support from Art Fund, the Science Museum Foundation, the Friends of the National Railway Museum and private donors.
It means visitors to the Museum this half term can see two scenes from the work of art telling the story of a journey aboard the imaginary ‘Far Tottering and Oyster Creek Railway,’ based on one of his cartoons.
You’ll be treated to “cogs whirring, characters toasting teacakes, and catching butterflies”.
A Quiet Afternoon in the Cloud Cuckoo Valley / Credit: Science Museum Group
The half term is also the perfect time to check out the Museum’s free interactive gallery, Experiment, which is designed for the whole family to enjoy together and has recently just undergone a revamp to add some new interactive elements – including the chance to experience heat vision with a thermal camera, play with magnetic art, and throw some shapes to tell stories with a shadow wall.
You can also build sturdy bridges and tall towers, make music with your body, try to see through walls and find out how you can shake hands with yourself, test your senses, flex your superpowers, and discover whether or not you’re strong enough to lift a car with one hand.
You can even play songs on musical pipes, and get creative with glow-in-the-dark art.
The half term is also the perfect time to check out the Museum’s free interactive gallery, Experiment / Credit: Science Museum Group
There’s also plenty of fun activities designed especially for younger visitors aged 5 and under.
There’ll be an interactive reading of You Can’t Take an Elephant on A Bus by Patricia Cleveland-Peck on the agenda, as well as cConstruction Packs, high-vis jackets, hard hats, and wooden tools available to borrow so that little ones have everything the need need to ‘work’ around the museum.
Discover how Manchester has kept the world moving with our fun-filled, transport-themed activities this half term. 🚂🚗🛸
Aspiring artists can get their work displayed on one of the biggest digital screens in Manchester
Danny Jones
Are you a budding artist looking to get your work seen or know some who is? Well, you might want to pay attention because there’s an opportunity to have your creation seen by countless passers-by and on one of the biggest displays in the entire UK over at the Printworks.
If you’ve passed through the much-loved hospitality and leisure complex over the past year or so, you’ll have noticed their roof is now no longer a roof at all, really; the striking ceiling is now a constantly moving image and the largest of its kind in all of Europe.
Meaning that anyone who got their artworks on there would effectively be securing one of the biggest displays and public installations on the continent.
As Printworks themselves put it: “This isn’t just a screen; it’s an artistic stage viewed by millions of visitors every year, with the power to turn a single artwork into a 360-degree sensory experience.”
With that in mind, they’re giving one lucky individual the chance to grab the spotlight and see their creative expression plastered on the 1,000m² wraparound LED canvas.
“Supporting emerging talent and seeing fresh, creative perspectives is always inspiring, and I can’t wait to see what these young artists bring to the table! It was so surreal seeing my artwork on the digital.”
Past installations have included the ‘Spaces Up-Above’ exhibition by world-renowned light artist, Rupert Newman, as well as an International Women’s Day showcase by Heitzman herself, as a fellow Manchester-based creative.
In case you need a better idea of the sheer scale of this screen and why this is such an exciting opportunity for up-and-coming local artists, here’s how they celebrated Oasis returning to Manchester for their Heaton Park reunion gigs this week:
Synchronised with sound and added motion effects, the competition is now open to students who are currently enrolled in college, university or art school.
Better still, you don’t even have to be from or based in the area to take part – this is a nationwide competition hoping to spotlight the best talents in the UK.
All you have to do to enter this exciting competition in Manchester is simply provide Printworks your details and upload your artwork of choice HERE by Sunday, 3 August.
Nostalgic ready-to-drink Breezer makes UK return after a decade
Daisy Jackson
An iconic ready-to-drink favourite has launched back into the UK – oh yes, Breezer is back.
First launched in the 1990s, Breezers – then pitched as an ‘alcopop’ – were a staple on dancefloors and at barbecues right across the UK.
And now Bacardi has decided to bring these delicious, fruity, easy-drinking bottles back to British shores.
There are three new flavours to try as Breezers return to your fridges – Zesty Orange, Zingy Lime, and Crisp Watermelon.
And Breezer launched back into Manchester last night with a suitably memorable party, turning a spot in the Northern Quarter into a corner shop.
The ‘local Cornerbop’ was stacked with your usual essentials, plus shelf after shelf of these colourful glass ready-to-drink bottles.
Inside the Breezer ‘Cornerbop’ corner shop in ManchesterBreezer is back, in three new flavours
The Breezer relaunch party saw Tarsza and Rennie Peters spinning nostalgic anthems with a modern twist at a pop-up party in a corner shop.
Steve Young, business unit director for Bacardi in the UK & Ireland, said: “We know there is a lot of love for Breezer in the UK, and we are confident a new generation of consumers will fall in love with the new Breezer.
“RTDs are booming, however, the Flavoured Alcoholic Beverages category could do with a bit more excitement. By bringing back Breezer we’re definitely putting the fruity taste into FAB.”
The iconic ready-to-drink classic is back – and better than ever.
Emily Sergeant -
27th May 2022 
