Things To Do

Emmerdale star Danny Miller to host brand-new family festival in Bolton this weekend

If you know a little'un who loves all things books and storytelling, this one is right up their street.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 2nd July 2024

Stockport-born actor and soap star Danny Miller is hosting a brand-new family-friendly festival in Bolton and it’s kicking off this weekend.

The long-serving Emmerdale face and winner of I’m A Celebrity 2021 is taking his Albert’s Bookshelf series, launched with Capital FM co-host Nigel Clucas back in July 2023, and turning into a daytime festival with fun for all ages.

Set to pop up at Open Air Bounce over in the Greater Manchester borough this Sunday, the first-ever Albert’s Bookshelf Summer Festival will see live readings from special guests, celebrity meet-and-greets and a whole host of activities.

A great one to keep the kids busy with something wholesome this weekend – especially if they’re fellow bookworms.

The podcast and online audiobook format was named after Miller’s son, still just a toddler, and created this time last year as a creative birthday present for the little lad who, like many other mini Mancs and children all over the country, simply loves to read.

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With stories and educational books brought to life with passionate narration from some of the best in the business, Albert’s Bookshelf has become a brilliant resource for kids to learn and immerse themselves in a world of fiction – the importance of which can never be understated at such a young age.

Now though, Miller and Clucas will be expanding their own imaginations and bringing the brand to life in person, with a total of 15 inflatables and bouncy castles, a foam party and much more.

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The hope is to make it not just a special day for Albert and all the other kids coming along but for local families in general. There will also be live appearances from child-friendly performer MC Grammar, as well as comedian and actor Steve Royle.

There’s even staycation raffle prizes for the parents.

what is albert's bookshelf?
Miller and his drive-time partner Clucas.
danny miller online audiobooks
Miller, wife Steph, son Albert and baby daughter Edith.
Credit: Albert’s Bookshelf/Danny Miller(via Instagram)

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With storytelling at the very heart and soul of this wholesome event, the all-dayer is a great opportunity to get kids engaged with literature and reading in all forms.

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Albert’s Bookshelf Festival takes place on Sunday, 7 July, groups can book in for a two-and-a-half-hour morning or afternoon session at the event.

Tickets are just £3.50 for adults, £10.95 for kids ages 1-3 and £13.95 for those aged four and over. You can grab yours HERE.

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

Featured Images — Albert’s Bookshelf (via IG)

Things To Do

Greater Manchester’s quaint canal boat cafe with floating flat whites and unbelievable bakes

Danny Jones Danny Jones Canal boat cafe Greater Manchester city centre and Cheshire

There are a lot of good cafes in and around Greater Manchester but you won’t find many that serve up straight out of a canal boat.

Meet Libby and the ‘Cast No Shadow’ canal boat that is now the foremost river-based coffee and cake shop in our region, and with so many waterways around the 10 boroughs and beyond, you’ve got plenty of opportunity to meet both.

Currently moored up over on a picturesque corner of the Bridgewater Canal in Castlefield, just between the distinct white suspension bridge and The Wharf, this narrowboat cafe has only been up and running since May but has already earned queues of regulars who line up every weekend.

It also just might be one of the most wholesome things we’ve stumbled across in a long time.

Local legend Libby has had this pretty little vessel for three years and the cafe life is still pretty new to her as well, but she’s already nailed a really lovely niche.

You’ll find her serving up coffees freshly roasted right here in Manchester, snacks and soft drinks for the hotter days, as well as plenty of specials depending on the season or stuff going on around her.

Back when Sound of the City 2024 was still going on, we even saw her serving up handy little pots of mac and cheese to gig-goers on the way to Castlefield Bowl to fuel up before a long night of dancing and drinking.

Now that’s just legendary behaviour, if you ask us.

But aside from stunning pistachio lattes, colourful iced coffees and pure cosy vibes being served up right out of her small hatch, you can’t order from this canal boat cafe without grabbing one of the many delicious homemade loafs, cupcakes, cookies and more straight from fellow native The Vakery MCR.

With an ever-rotasting selection of sweat treats and regular favourites that sell-out almost immediately, almost everything baked is vegan, flawless and genuinely so good we couldn’t even tell the difference.

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Complete with her little sausage-shaped companion and sea-furring captain/very laid-back guard dog Bob, and a small terminal so you can still pay buy card like any other shop, we love everything about this little slice of canal and coffee-fuelled life.

She’s previously been spotted in other spots like Altrincham, Macclesfield and various other spots around Greater Manchester and Cheshire, and may very well be moving on to the likes of Ancoats soon, but at the minute she’s found a perfect home and regular customer base in Castlefield.

To sum it all up, Libby is one of the friendlist people you’ll ever meet, the boat is a solar-powered little stunner that’s a welcome addition to the city, everything is reasonably priced and we love that she’s also helping support other local indie businesses like The Vakery.

So, if you’re in the area or are looking for the perfect stop-off on your next Sunday stroll, make sure to swing by to say hello and enjoy the cutest canal boat cafe in the country – we don’t care if there are others, this one’s ours.

The definition of service with a smile.
The real star of the show (sorry, Lib x)
Credit: Canal Life UK (via Instagram)/The Manc Group

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

Featured Images — The Manc Group/Canal Life UK

Things To Do

The Footage pub is set to reopen under a new name following a £1 million transformation

Danny Jones Danny Jones

Not long after quietly closing its doors and being put on the market, beloved student pub and Manc institution The Footage has officially been leased to a new operator and is now set for a truly transformative £1 million makeover – and a new name.

Well, sort of. Technically set to return to its old moniker, The Grosvenor, the bustling pub that sustained university students for years, previously served as a bingo hall and was once the largest cinema outside of London decades before that, the place is going back to its ‘Picture Palace’ roots, at least in namesake.

The Grade II-listed building which was first opened back in 1915 was listed on Rightmove for just £1 last month (no, not a typo) and has now been leased by an independent local operator on the cheap, but is now set to have huge investment pumped into as they prepare to turn it into something entirely new.

Promising to become a cutting-edge hybrid between hospitality and social space, the aim is to create “the ultimate adult escapism experience in central Manchester.”

the footage pub becoming the grosvenor oxford road manchester
The Footage may be no more but The Grosvenor is being reborn. (Credit: Supplied)

Complete with the huge sports screens that were always a staple for the regular Footage crowd, as well as some outrageous new interiors and even a slide to transport punters from the cinema’s original balcony, the vision is very different from just reopening as another newly refurbished pub.

The spacious drinking and dining spot will feature 30 beer taps and a wide selection of sharing-focused food like buckets of wings, loaded pizzas, platters and big burgers, but will also serve as an entertainment hub, with pool tables, beer pong, darts and much more.

Scheduled to reopen this November and stay open from noon until midnight (make that 2am on Fridays and Saturdays), the idea is you can spend all day here and even capture all your memories in the photo booth at the end of the night.

Be it a bottomless brunch, simple after-work drinks with friends, private events or just somewhere to watch the game, the space will offer something for everyone. 

Better yet, they’re making sure to carry on The Footage dynasty and keep the aspects people loved so much intact, starting with those student deals and even offering the most eager of punters some early discounts, offers and even a freebie by signing up to the new website.

Back to the original, as it were. (Credit: Supplied)

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Chris Tulloch, Managing Director and founder of Blind Tiger Inns – the company behind the transformation and existing Greater Manchester venues like The Station Hotel in Altrincham and The White Horse in Irlam, is understandably buzzing about the project.

“The Grosvenor is in the midst of an incredible transformation, and we’re creating something truly special for Manchester. Our vision is to blend the best aspects of a sports bar, social venue, and nightclub into one vibrant, unforgettable space where memories are made.

“As we breathe new life into this iconic building, we’re excited to continue its legacy as a cornerstone of Manchester’s entertainment, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone in to eat, drink and have fun in the adult playground.”

Located on the corner of Oxford Road and Grosvenor St, The Grosvenor is striving to achieve the ‘ultimate hybrid hospitality and entertainment experience’ and provide an unrivalled experience on Manchester’s ever-evolving hospitality scene.

Although there’s no concrete launch date yet, we’re very much looking forward to enjoying The Footage like never before and seeing what goes into £1m transformation when The Grosvenor opens sometime this November.

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

Featured Images — Supplied

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