A lasting archive of the tributes left by locals to Queen Elizabeth II following her death is to be created in Manchester.
Since the announcement of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s passing on 8 September 2022, a sea of flowers left by mourners had been growing daily in St Ann’s Square in the heart of the city centre – and now, Manchester City Council has announced that all of these heartfelt and moving messages are to be preserved for future generations.
All of these messages will become part of a special city archive, which will also include the city’s Books of Condolence.
With the State Funeral having been held on Monday, and the 10-day period of national mourning having now drawn to a close, the Council has explained that the messages will be carefully removed from the floral tributes by a team of volunteers who will then preserve them for the archive.
The flowers themselves will then also be removed for eventual composting.
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A lasting archive of the tributes to Queen Elizabeth II is to be created in Manchester / Credit: Manchester City Council
“The death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is something that has been felt by the whole nation, and not least here in Manchester where we recognise and thank her for her support to the city during times good and bad,” explained Cllr Bev Craig – Leader of Manchester City Council.
“It’s clear from the messages left in remembrance of her both in our Books of Condolence and with the many floral tributes, that Her Majesty holds a special place in the hearts and minds of many Mancunians and that she will continue to do so.
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“We plan to hold onto those thoughts and feelings on behalf of the city in a special archive so that generations from now our children, our grandchildren, and their children, will be able to look back and see for themselves exactly what our longest-serving monarch meant to Manchester, the country, and the world.”
The flowers will be removed early on Wednesday morning and composted.
The compost will be kept and used for a special planting project in Memory of The Queen. pic.twitter.com/uKyF1XvBjr
HM Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 on 8 September 2022.
During her reign, she served as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth – undertaking an important symbolic and unifying role as a head of state, spanning numerous geographical regions, cultures, and religions.
She was not just the longest-reigning British monarch in history, but she was also the first-ever monarch to reign in the UK for 70 years.
Admired for her duty and dedication to the role, her remarkable life will be remembered by all.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
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I’m A Celebrity line-up announced for brand new all-star series in South Africa
Daisy Jackson
The all-star line-up for I’m A Celebrity… South Africa has been announced, with some massive Manchester celebs taking part.
The brand new show is due to air in April and will see some of the series’ most memorable campmates heading to a new setting in South Africa.
Names involved include Bolton-born boxing legend Amir Khan, Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan, and Happy Mondays legend Shaun Ryder.
And that’s just part of the first wave of celebrity contestants – more famous faces will take part in I’m A Celebrity… South Africa, entering the camp as the series goes on.
The new series will ‘push them to their limits and test them like never before’, ITV has said, promising bigger and tougher challenges and an even harsher environment.
Also taking part from the launch episode will be Diversity star Jordan Banjo, TV presenter Carol Vorderman, Olympian Fatima Whitbread, former royal butler Paul Burrell, ex-England cricketer Phil Tufnell, and supermodel Janice Dickinson.
ITV said: “Whilst nodding back to the Australian jungle, I’m A Celebrity…South Africa is a uniquely different series so viewers can look forward to lots of unexpected twists and turns.”
The trailer also shows the celebs taking part in pre-recorded challenges, taking on everything from nasty food to terrifying heights.
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa will air on ITV1 and ITVX from April 2023.
Featured image: ITV
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Commentator Arlo White shows off what the Old Trafford gantry walk looks like
Danny Jones
Ever wondered what it’s like to be up in the gantry in a football stadium, say, Old Trafford? Well, we certainly have.
You see the odd shot of the commentators sat there on the telly from time to time but it never really gives much away either and, at some venues, it’s quite a ways up there. There’s a little bit of allure behind these mysterious parts of footy grounds that most fans will never get to see.
After hours of mindless scrolling on the social media app, we stumbled across the well-known sports commentator‘s channel where he’s been showing off what it’s like to go in the gantry and one of them is his long walk to crow’s nest up at the Theatre of Dreams.
As it turns out, Arlo’s been doing these videos for a couple of years now, revealing how the gantry looks not only at Old Trafford but other big Premier League grounds too, such as down the road at the Etihad, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Tottenham Hotspurs’ sparkly new ground and many more.
Another reason we found ourselves stuck on his TikTok for so long was also because of the other behind-the-scenes details he reveals too, even shedding light on how he prepares for games: note-taking, data sheets, how keeps himself warm up there during those cold nights on comms and so on.
Emily Sergeant -
21st September 2022 
