A miniature children’s village only an hour away from Manchester is now open for your little ones to immerse themselves in.
This is Apple Tree Town, a new role play centre built by sisters Sarah and Nat Peach in Chesterton, just 50 miles down the M6 towards Stoke.
The Biggleton-inspired custom built town (a popular CBBC show) is a fully decked out children’s paradise featuring mini versions of everyday shops and businesses – perfect for your kid to find their ideal career, or just cause carnage in.
It’s home to a supermarket, a bank, post office, hospital (yes, there’s an ambulance), barbers, beauty salon and even a theatre. There’s even a baby-friendly soft play area in the middle of the town.
The centre is aimed at kids between the ages of two and eight, but the sisters say that kids up to the age of ten will also enjoy the experience.
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There’s a cafe for parents to enjoy a cup of coffee or a brew while your kids tire themselves out, giving you ample time to stare at your phone and forget you even have children.
Apple Tree Town
Speaking to Stone-on-Trent Live, mum-of-one Sarah, aged 33, said: “This is a brand new challenge for us. I previously worked with children, so I have experience on that side, but running a business is new for us.
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“We were inspired by the TV show Biggleton – it’s like a miniature village. We thought that something like this would be great for the area – we feel like Newcastle needs an educational, but also fun, play centre.
“Children can come in and role play and decide if they want to be a paramedic, or work at the post office. There’s so many options.
“The centre is best suited for children between two and eight, but we don’t want to put a cap on that. We’ve had nine and 10-year-olds coming and really enjoying it.
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“We’ve also got a baby area, where admission is slightly cheaper, because obviously they can’t enjoy the full centre just yet.
“We’d love for Apple Tree Farm to be a way for children to understand the world around them a bit better, and learn something while they’re playing.”
The experience is fully accessible and will be home to kids’ parties when COVID restrictions allow.
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
You can visit hundreds of historic sites across Greater Manchester for FREE this month
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Heritage Open Day is back in Greater Manchester this September, with its biggest festival ever and more than 6,200 free day trips to choose from.
Organised by the National Trust and Postcode Lottery, these events allow millions of people across the country come together each autumn, to celebrate community, history and you guessed it – heritage.
Thousands of organisations and amazing volunteers across England will be taking part, to deliver outings between the 11 – 20 September, allowing the public to experience new opportunities that they may not otherwise have access to.
What’s more is it’s all completely free.
The festival focuses on celebrating differences and heritage both past and present, encouraging discussion on what it represents today, with 83% of attendees last year saying that their visit increased their pride in their local area.
Annie Reilly, the National Trust’s Audience & Engagement Director, said: “Heritage Open Days opens the door to thousands of extraordinary stories, places and experiences on your doorstep.
“By inspiring curiosity today, the festival helps build a stronger sense of connection, care and action for the future.”
But with so many events to choose from, it can get a little overwhelming to plan your day out – so in no particular order, here are 10 brilliant free experiences in the Heritage Open Days list in Greater Manchester.
1. Pankhurst Museum (AKA The Pankhurst Centre), Ardwick
The Pankhurst Museum will open its doors for free over the Heritage Open Days. Credit: Supplied
Pictured The Pankhurst Centre building in the NHS grounds
This September, you can enter the very home of Emmeline Pankhurst, and explore the parlour where she began the Women’s Social & Political Union (the Suffragette Movement).
This iconic building, central to feminist activism where history was made, is located inside the hospital grounds of our very own Manchester Royal Infirmary. Here you can learn of Pankhurst’s family, the movement itself, experiment with chalk graffiti in the garden and even have a drink in the tearoom.
The museum will be free to the public from 11-4pm on Sunday 13 September and Sunday 20 September to celebrate, as part of this year’s festival.
Now’s your chance to have a nosey behind the scenes, inside that super old theatre on the A6, which has probably gone fairly unnoticed until its recent exciting, VERY orange makeover.
As part of Heritage Open Days, the theatre is celebrating its 125th birthday by opening its doors and offering a rare guided backstage tour to visitors, along with a historical presentation and the opportunity for photos.
This tour is available on Saturday 12 September, on the half hour, between 10.30am-12pm and 1.30pm-3pm.
It’s important to note that due to the theatre being inside an old mill, with many stairs across multiple levels, it is sadly not wheelchair or pushchair accessible.
Pre-booking is not required.
3. Museum of Transport, Cheetham Hill
Fancy a ride on a retro bus? Look no further.
Head on over to this historic Grade II-listed garage, where you can find a collection of more than 80 vintage vehicles including buses, coaches, trams and fire engines
Not only is it home to every kind of bus and tram you could imagine, along with copious amounts of transport related memorabilia but they also have a traditional tea room and museum shop that completely transport you back in time.
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As part of the festival, the museum will be organising rides for visitors to travel in style, on some of the historic vehicles from their collection.
Visit on Saturday 12, Sunday 13, Saturday 19 or Sunday 20 September, between 10am-4.30pm, to get in for free.
4. The Station Agent’s House, Castlefield
Calling all train and interior design enthusiasts.
Forget stalking Rightmove for posh houses – for one weekend only, you can nosey around for free, inside this restored globally historic 19th century house.
This isn’t just any magnificent looking house – no, the site itself is in fact the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway station, where Liverpool Road Station was first developed.
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This very building became home to the first Station Agent, as well as being where the introduction of railway waiting rooms, signals, and tickets began.
Visit across Saturday 12 – Sunday 13 September, between 10-4pm.
While not essential, priority will be given to those that have prebooked, to manage capacity.
5. Rochdale Town Centre: A Heritage Photo Walk, with Ellie Waters
Rochdale Town HallRochdale Town Hall
Think you know your local area? I bet you missed some of these.
You may have once considered yourself observant but think again – test your knowledge and go for a trip down memory lane with Ellie Waters.
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Ellie is set to lead a guided tour, through visual storytelling, amongst the various landmarks within Rochdale town centre.
This experience allows you to see your local history materialise through photographs of the exact areas you visit – some of which you may have walked past a million times without noting their significance.
You must book a slot for this free experience taking place on Saturday 12 September, 11am-1pm. Click HERE for tickets.
6. Wigan Athletic Heritage Museum – with free match tickets
Head on over to Wigan Athletic Heritage Museum to celebrate the beautiful game, swat up on your local team’s history, and be in with a chance of winning some exclusive prizes.
Not only is the museum bursting with memorabilia and steeped in rich football history, but by attending you also gain access to free tickets to the League One fixture, to see Wigan Athletic host visitors Wycombe Wanderers.
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You’re in for an afternoon full of footy – the museum is open 1-2.30pm, followed by kick off at 3pm, Saturday 19 September.
You must register HEREto gain your free digital tickets.
7. Rubbish to Resource – see your recycling in action, Sharston
I think we could all do with learning how to be a bit more green, following this past summer of extreme heatwaves and crazy storms.
Over at the Longley Lane recycling facility, you’re able to gain behind the scenes access to find out what actually happens when we recycle here in Greater Manchester.
The tour will include some indoor interactive activities debunking any recycling myths, along with plenty of time to ask questions to properly understand the importance of looking after our planet.
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Tours are available Wednesday 16 September 2.15-4.30pm and 6-8.30pm, as well as Saturday 19 September 10-12.30pm.
You must book tickets HERE and all children must be 7+ to enter, with all under 18s accompanied by an adult.
Go and have a gander behind the scenes at Manchester’s last working Edwardian heritage pool.
This community-run building dating back to 1911, is bursting with history, from the stunning roof to the stained-glass windows – this isn’t your regular swimming baths.
Head on down Saturday 12 or Sunday 13 September – the tour will run from 2-3pm.
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This experience is for ages 12+ and all under 16s must be joined by an adult.
Over in Northernden is St Wilfred’s church, some 18th century church bells have been in use for the past 275 years – and now’s your chance to hear them too.
During the Heritage Open Days festival, you are invited to celebrate the area’s milestones by attending one of many events including a bell-ringing performance and a cheese and wine event, as well as talks run by local historians on Northenden’s history.
Between Saturday 12 and Saturday 19 September, there are a range of sessions available.
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No booking needed, except for the bell ringing demonstrations on Saturday 12 September.
10. East Lancashire Railway, Bury
Don’t miss your chance to explore unseen areas of the Castlecroft Sheds, where historic locomotives are stored and cared for by a team of volunteers.
This action-packed tour allows visitors to gain an insight into the craftsmanship, care and skill needed to successfully restore these wonderful vehicles.
Each immersive tour also grants you access to a full-line return train journey, starting at Bury Bolton Street Station and will include a two mile walk, so ensure you are wearing suitable footwear.
This is a 16+ event, with tours running, Sunday 13 and Sunday 20 September between 1-2pm.
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Final call for all remaining passengers – tickets must be prebooked HERE, butdon’t hang about – tickets are limited.
The Manc -
2nd June 2021 
