A book of photographs documenting the human side of Manchester’s lockdown goes on sale this week and it reveals the emotional impact of restrictions on people across the city.
The powerful collection is being published by Manchester-based photographer and designer, Sushil Nash.
Earlier last year, Sushil, 31, collected the images from people across the city after inviting the public to submit their snapshots accompanied by a few words to describe what the image means to them, and was left overwhelmed by the response.
The book features 100 intimate pictures and words which will become a “a collective memory of how this time has affected our lives”.
Sushil started the Stay Home Project by asking members of the public to send in “a photograph you took during lockdown, and a few words describing what it means to you”. He continued: “I left the question quite open, because I wanted to let people interpret it in their own way, and so the responses that came in were really varied,
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“But I think that makes the collection compelling.
“It acknowledges the fact that none of us have just had one singular experience of lockdown – it’s been a real mess of ups and downs.
“It also meant that the submissions are very personal.
“This book isn’t so much about photography – it’s about people’s stories and experiences, so the magic is in how people have reflected on the images they shared.
“It feels quite intimate in that way.”
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The Stay Home Project is supporting Coffee4Craig – a Manchester-based homelessness charity that operates an out of hours drop-in service in the city centre every evening, and offers hot food, showers, food parcels, medical support and mental health crisis intervention for those who need it most – who will be using profits to provide care for the city’s homeless and others in crisis.
Sushil continues: “A cruel irony of lockdown is that it has been painful for everyone forced to stay in their homes, whilst also making life increasingly difficult for those who don’t have a home to stay in.
It’s brought new challenges to those who are already society’s most vulnerable, but I’m absolutely amazed by the work Coffee4Craig is doing to support them,
“So it means a lot to me that my project can be a tiny part of that.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJlwR4As-B1/
Stay Home: Manchester is available to pre-order now for £24.
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Pre-orders will remain open until 31st January 2021 at 11:59pm, with copies set to arrive in February, and you can get your hands on a copy here.
You can find more of Sushil Nash’s work via his website here, and stay up to date via his social media platforms – Twitter and Instagram.
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Manchester crowned UK’s best-value stag do destination for 2026
Emily Sergeant
Prague, Amsterdam, Benidorm, and now… Manchester?
Jetting off to some of Europe’s cheapest capital cities for a boozy night out with your mates before tying the knot is pretty common-place in the world of stag do culture nowadays.
But some new research has now revealed the UK cities that deliver a legendary last hurrah without the price tag, or the need to hop on a plane.
Chillisauce, the UK’s leading hen and stag organiser, has analysed 81,000+ recent group bookings alongside survey feedback from 4,738 stag groups, cross-referenced against live 2026 travel fares, accommodation, and pint prices.
To devise its top 10 list, real price data has been blended with verified group satisfaction to guarantee stags and their pals the best experience.
With the pull of a major city with music, sport, food, and nightlife without London prices, Manchester was crowned the best-value city for a stag do in 2026 overall.
Manchester has been crowned the UK’s best-value stag do destination for 2026 / Credit: Manchester City Council | shawnanggg (via Unsplash)
The average pint runs a little higher in Manchester than the smaller cities on the list, but groups rated the sheer scale and quality of the night out well above the cost, calling it ‘much more affordable than the South of England’ and ‘cheaper than London’.
For a weekend in Manchester, research found that the average cost per person includes £86.36 for accommodation, £36.66 for an activity, £25.08 for a drinks package, £29.35 for a meal, and the average pint coming in at £6.
“We send thousands of groups to Prague, Amsterdam, and Benidorm every year,” said Robyn Davis, Head of Stag and Hen at Chillisauce,”but Manchester keeps delivering nights out that groups tell us beat their expectations.
“There are also those only-in-Manchester touches too, like catching a match at Old Trafford or the Etihad on the same trip.
“Groups describe the locals as up for a laugh and the whole city as ‘built for a stag weekend,’ with a huge number of them already planning to go back, which is the real test of a great destination.”
Other northern destinations on the top 10 list include Newcastle, Leeds, and Liverpool.
Manchester furniture outlet LOFT is hosting a major closing-down sale with up to 70% off
Emily Sergeant
Manchester furniture outlet LOFT is hosting a major closing-down sale with up to 70% off.
Okay, so it’s not technically closing down per se, but the current LOFT premises off Hyde Road near Piccadilly will officially close doors on 30 September, as the business consolidates its operations and relocates to its newly completed headquarters over at Trafford Park.
Unlike a typical closing-down sale, the stock isn’t old or unwanted. Instead, it’s a live snapshot of LOFT’s day-to-day business, and everything must go.
LOFT is known for furnishing properties across the build-to-rent, student accommodation, co-living, private rented, and social housing sectors, and that constant turnover naturally generates surplus – whether it be project overstock, end-of-line pieces or discontinued items making way for new collections.
The move over to Trafford Park is said to be a moment to clear the warehouse ‘completely’ and start the new chapter with a clean slate.
Manchester furniture outlet LOFT is hosting a major closing-down sale with up to 70% off / Credit: Supplied
This means that everything, from sofas and beds, to dining sets, armchairs, and home accessories, must go before the move, with prices already reduced by 50 to 70% below RRP.
Benjamin Hall, who is the Founder and CEO of LOFT, says this is the ‘biggest and best value’ sale the company has ever offered.
He explained: “As we settle into our new home at Trafford Park, we want a completely clean slate. Whether you’re a homeowner after a one-off bargain, or a landlord, agent or developer furnishing multiple units on a budget, there has never been a better time to visit.”
Emily Sergeant -
4th January 2021 
