Great news for the figurine enthusiasts amongst you as a brand new shop dedicated almost entirely to the world of Funko Pops has just opened up in Stockport town centre.
Be it little toys, vintage coins or something as simple as an eye-catching beer mat or cool glass from a local pub, we all like to collect little bits and bobs here and there, but for lovers of Funko Pops, it’s serious business.
Probably up there with one of the most popular categories of collector’s items in the world of hobbyists, Funko Pops have been huge for over a decade now and even if you don’t recognise the name right away, you’ll almost certainly have spotted them in the likes of HMV, WHSmiths, supermarkets and more.
Now though, for fans of the small plastic statues, you no longer have to only head into the city centre and the likes of Forbidden Planet, Travelling Man or Be More Geek to get a glimpse at the wider collection of Funko Pops available here in the UK as a new store has just opened up in 0161.
Online merchandise retailer Titan Pops UK has been around since 2021, specialising in selling officially licensed Funko Pops, plushies of your favourite TV, film and gaming characters, Pokémon cards and a plethora of other stuff.
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After a few years of building up a regular and dedicated customer base and popping up (see what we did there?) at the local market, the brand has now unveiled its flagship brick-and-mortar shop, putting down roots at Graylaw House on Chestergate over in Stockport – no, not the pub…
Situated as one of only a small handful of dedicated Funko Pop shops in Greater Manchester, local fans will be able to get their hands on popular ranges Star Wars, Marvel, Disney and Pokémon, just to name a few. Trust us, they’ve got plenty.
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Opening for business at the end of March, Titan Pops SK not only boasts some rarer Funko Pop collectables that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else in the ten boroughs but plenty of other merchandise too.
Popular among kids and adult collectors alike, Funko Pops are a much-loved pastime for many and now Stockport locals can get involved.
From t-shirts, Loungefly rucksacks, Tubbz figurines too and a wide variety of other officially licensed merchandise – we’re even talking things like Iron Man soda (cans of fizzy pop to us Northerners) – you’ll find plenty of pop culture goodies to be enjoyed here.
Starting off by opening from 9am-5pm on Saturdays and 10am-4pm on Sunday, as well as late-night shift on Wednesdays from (4:30 until 7pm), they’re the new go-to destination for you Funko Pops fanatics when the smaller selections here in the likes of the city centre have been exhausted.
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They’re even selling off mystery boxes of mixed items for an added bit of fun and excitement.
We always love it when a new opening caters to a niche that people are passionate about and they’re also a local family-run business, so even better. That being said, if you’re into your Funko Pops, now you know where to go find a shedload of them.
Plans to turn Stockport pyramid into Indian restaurant take MAJOR step forward
Daisy Jackson
The vision for Stockport pyramid’s new life as an Indian restaurant and banquet hall has taken a big step forward today – and we finally have CGIs to help bring it all to life.
Royal Nawaab has now been granted planning permission to convert the landmark building into a luxurious restaurant and banquet hall, set to open early next year.
Royal Nawaab has a couple of restaurants in London and is now setting its sights on the north, aiming to create its ‘biggest and most luxurious destination to date’.
The epic project will be geared up to host parties, banquets and huge events.
There are lavish refurbishment plans for the former office building, which looms over the M60.
When it opens, there’ll be a 350-capacity restaurant on the ground floor, plus three premium banquet facilities ranging between 150 and 700 covers.
News of Royal Nawaab’s takeover of the Stockport Pyramid broke last year and the curry house was initially tipped for a 2024 opening, but it seemed like things had stalled until this major step forward.
CGIs shared today show that the Stockport Pyramid will be transformed with luxury details like gold ceilings, marble floors and chandeliers.
Royal Nawaab will turn Stockport pyramid into an Indian restaurant and banquet hall. Credit: Supplied
Mahboob Hussain of Royal Nawaab said: “Living close to Stockport, the Pyramid has always been an iconic symbol of the town for me. It is unique and we are thrilled to be bringing Royal Nawaab Manchester.
“This is definitely not ‘a curry house’. Royal Nawaab will be a destination and will attract visitors from across the UK and beyond to experience the best cuisine in the most stunning of settings.
“The attention to detail is incredible, and I personally have been involved in the plans throughout. It is a dream come true, and I know that anyone that visits will be in awe.”
Cllr Colin Macalister, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration at Stockport Council, said: “We’re thrilled to see the iconic Stockport Pyramid brought back to life with the fantastic Royal Nawaab joining our community! It’s an exciting addition to Stockport’s vibrant food and drink scene, all within one of our town’s most prominent landmarks.
A glimpse inside Royal Nawaab Indian restaurant at Stockport pyramid. Credit: SuppliedRoyal Nawaab will totally transform the landmark building into a luxury restaurant and banquet hall. Credit: Supplied
“Bringing 150 new jobs and working with local suppliers, Royal Nawaab’s arrival is a strong vote of confidence in Stockport’s future as our £1 billion town centre regeneration continues to take shape. We can’t wait to see the Pyramid open its doors again and warmly welcome Royal Nawaab to Stockport.”
Fozia Alharby of Eamar Developments expressed, “Dr. Abdullah Alnaeem, the owner, is delighted to announce that Royal Nawaab will open at the Pyramid in 2025.
“As long-time admirers of the brand and its legacy in the South, we are honoured to play a role in bringing this exceptional destination to Stockport.
“We are delighted to be a part of this project, which will create a premium experience that we believe will resonate with visitors from across the UK and beyond.”
10 of the best music videos you didn’t know were filmed in Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
Manchester is the (self-proclaimed) city of music and as much as us Mancs may be loud and proud about our colourful music scene, it’s also good to know these artists think so too, choosing our city for some of the world’s biggest music videos.
Whether acts have come to lipsync in front of a familiar hometown set, or jetted over here to make the most of our vast landscape and scenery, Greater Manchester is no stranger to music videos.
Some are set in Oldham mansions while others were filmed live in concert, some feature global pop megastars and others star the world’s biggest rappers.
So we’ve rounded up 10 music videos you might not know were filmed right here in Greater Manchester.
10 Manchester music videos
1. ‘Hair’ – Little Mix
Gotta get him out my hair and gotta get down to this Oldham mansion instead as the four girls used this location to film their 2016 smash hit ‘Hair’.
The video sees the X-Factor girl group hosting a sleepover to forget their exes and focus on friendships instead, as they dance and sing around the grand staircase and various rooms inside of Ashcroft House.
Little Mix can be seen tucking into some delicious pizza and they’re clearly big fans of the Italian delicacy, with the homeowner revealing she got to chat with them over a slice or two after filming at midnight.
Not too far from Uppermill, anyone with a spare £2.35 million can snap this property up in a heartbeat and find themselves living in a piece of pop music history.
2. ‘Desire’ – Calvin Harris and Sam Smith
Ever wanted to do donuts at The Brick Community Stadiumin Wigan? Well Scottish DJ and producer Calvin Harris has beat you to it and he’s brought along company in the form of pop recording artist Sam Smith.
The pair are racing round Wigan as well as a few more urban settings in a host of fast cars. A BMW E46 Coupe was the perfect choice for this shot matching the same kit as home team Wigan Athletic.
This car-meet music video was released in 2023 and in true 80s/90s style, much like the instrumental, Harris and Smith dropped a translucent orange vinyl to coincide with dropping the song.
‘Desire’ was the second collaboration for the duo coming five years after its predecessor ‘Promises’ which took the world by storm in 2018.
3. ‘BeFoUr’ – Zayn
It’s not everyday you see a member of One Direction strolling the streets of Manchester, but in 2016 Zayn paid a visit to Miles Platting to create a visual pairing for his latest single ‘BeFoUr’.
Not too far from Ancoats, Malik decided the surroundings of inner city Manchester would be used as a backdrop for the music video, which assisted his debut solo studio album ‘Mind Of Mine’.
There was even a mural of the album, which acted as the music video’s opening shot, painted at this spot to commemorate the filming of the video.
The musician even tried his hand at spray-painting, writing ‘Mind Of Mine’ in graffiti in the same area.
4. ‘Great Pyramids of Stockport’ – Antony Szmierek
This track sees Szmierek discussing the northern landmark while posing right in front of it in all its shining blue-glass glory.
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From Stockport to the stunning desserts of Egypt, the spoken-word poet even got to visit the inspiration behind its British counterpart, the Pyramids of Giza.
5. ‘Perfect Me’ – Blossoms
Staying in Stockport, Manc favourites Blossoms have also shown lots of love to their hometown especially with their visuals.
The music video for ‘Perfect Me’ sees the band stopping off at multiple destinations around the Greater Manchester town including a school, a farm and even a care home.
The Gallagher brother can be seen peering over Manchester city centre from the roof of the Midland Hotel with an additional band arrangement keeping him company.
One of the speakers in the video receives a special feature too, denoting ‘MCFC Spezial’, a nod to his footwear collaboration with iconic brand Adidas.
Famous landmarks like Manchester Central and St. Peters Square can also be spotted in this 2022 video classic, as Liam professes wise words of wisdom followed by ‘Believe me, yeah’.
In his usual parka coat attire, this video is a fully-fledged homage to Manchester and the incredible thriving city it has become.
7. ‘Money Power Fame’ – Don Broco
South Midlands band Don Broco decided to travel north to shoot their video for 2019’s rock release ‘Money Power Fame’.
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Utilising the gas holders as a backdrop right next to Etihad Stadium and Manchester’s newest live music entertainment venue, Co-op Live, it’s a video filled with money, power… and fame.
The boys silhouettes are displayed in front of the large gas holder which had dominated the skyline of the Bradford area of Manchester before demolition commenced this year.
Although they may not be resident Mancs, the band have played our music-filled city over 20 times since their first visit to Satan’s Hollow back in 2009.
8. ‘Lights Out’ – Rick Astley
The King of ‘Rick-rolling’ filmed the video for his 2010 single ‘Lights Out’ right here in Manchester’s AO Arena, directed by none other than comedy legend and British-legend Peter Kay.
This was a milestone song for Astley, not only thanks to the directorial credits but also due to the fact it was his first musical release in 17 years.
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Obviously, the best place to record your comeback single is an iconic UK venue such as AO Arena’s standing section, main stage and rooftop.
The track welcomed its first play at the same venue, joining Peter Kay on his 2010 UK Tour to perform the new addition as well as his classic hits such as ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ (At least we didn’t rick-roll you).
9. ‘Fix You’ – Coldplay
Yes, believe it or not, Chris Martin paces the streets of London before making his way to the home of Bolton Wanderers football club, Toughsheet Community Stadium.
The filming of this video linked to their 2005 tour and two-day residency at the landmark stadium in Bolton, with Martin joining the rest of the band part-way through the video on stage enthralled by a crowd of over 28,000.
This song has reached untouchable levels of success and has become a staple to their touring setlist since its release much like many of their other smash-hit singles, their achievements are never-ending.
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Not too long ago in 2023, they blessed the crowds of Manchester with four back-to-back nights of musical therapy and physical therapy with fans encouraged to use static bikes while watching the show to power the show run.
10. ‘The Way I Are’ – Timbaland and Keri Hilson
The year is 2007, Timbaland has the current music scene hooked and he’s perched up with fellow American singer Keri Hilson to promote their record ‘The Way I Are’ in a basement in… Salford!
It’s safe to say the record producer and performer had the early 2000s pop and R’n’B music scene in the palm of his hands and this track definitely didn’t break that record.
Filmed in a lock-up garage on Chapel Street in Salford, catches Timbaland and Hilson dancing in a spotlight-lit setting in some rather formal office clothing.
The three football players suited and booted doing keepy-uppys were apparently supposed to be stars from that year’s Manchester United lineup, but filming took place at the same time as the FA Cup.
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Honourable Mention
‘Take Me Back To London’ (Sir Spyro Remix) – Ed Sheeran (ft. Stormzy, Jaykae and Aitch)
Ginger-haired pop sensation Ed Sheeran called upon Moston’s own Aitch to add a couple of bars to his Stormzy remix ‘Take Me Back To London’.
The video sees these cheeky chaps chopping it up in a New Moston sandwich shop, indulging in some good scran and cheers-ing their cuppas.
Sheeran started his life in the cosy Yorkshire town of Hebden Bridge just an hour away from the site of this music video and is now one of the best-selling UK artists of all time.
Fans spotted the star mid-filming and although he may not have had a guitar on hand to serenade them, he did in fact stop to take selfies with passers-by.
Music is an integral part of Manchester’s history and it’s great to see our city and its surrounding boroughs being represented throughout time and many different genres.
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Here’s to many more famous faces popping up in and around Manchester to promote their albums!
And to a certain Ms Swift, we’ve seen you filming in Liverpool… why not give this wonderful city a try?
Danny Jones -
11th April 2024 
