Trending

Manchester’s giant glowing moustachioed Santa will be back next week

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 9th November 2021

Manchester’s giant illuminated Santa is heading back to the city centre next week.

The festive figure stands at 12 metres tall, weighs in at a whopping 2.3 tonnes, and is powered by thousands of LED light bulbs.

The massive character replaced the city’s beloved Zippy in 2019, after the iconic figure was sold off by Manchester City Council.

Our new giant Santa sits on a huge illuminated present, and sports a twirled moustache.

Though the city’s Christmas mascot has previously been a centrepiece of the Manchester Christmas Markets, this year Santa will stand away from the main festivities.

ADVERTISEMENT

He’ll instead take up a position at St Peter’s Square as part of the council’s trail of light sculptures.

Other sculptures on the trail will include a twinkling Manchester bee, a huge Christmas tree made from recycled materials, and a traditional nativity scene in St Ann’s Square.

ADVERTISEMENT
Manchester’s giant illuminated Santa is heading back to the city centre next week / Credit: Geograph (David Dixon)

The build of Giant Santa will begin on Monday 15 November ahead of his switch-on later that week.

The rest of the light trail will be illuminated from Friday 12 November when the Manchester Christmas Markets return to the city centre.

Councillor Pat Karney, Manchester’s Christmas spokesperson said: “Santa is eager to return to his favourite city and to ensure that Christmas is safe and fun for everyone.

ADVERTISEMENT

“He wants to make sure that everyone in Manchester has a wonderful Christmas. We tree-mendously hope you go down to see him, if you miss him yule be sorry.”

Featured Image – Manchester City Council

Trending

Free roses are being handed out at a Manchester train station this Valentine’s Day

Danny Jones Danny Jones free roses Manchester Victoria train station

In an effort to spread the love this Valentine’s Day, free roses are being hands out to commuters at a Manchester train station this week.

Add that to the ever-growing list of why we absolutely adore this place.

Not everyone is coupled up come the most mush day of the year, nor do they need to be – self-love, Galentine’s and even just a whoelsome pint or two with the boys – but it’s nice to see Greater Mancs going out of their way to make things nicer for each other.

In our eyes, in a relationship or otherwise, this day is just about sharing the love with everyone and if you happen to arriving or leaving Manchester (excuse me, why would you ever?) from Victoria station this Friday, you could be in for a lovely little surprise.

Credit: María Valadez (via Pexels)/Parrot of Doom (via Wikimedia Commons)

The brains behind the touching little gesture is the city’s legendary live music and entertainment space, AO Arena.

Although many arrive at the venue via the Trinity Way Tunnel on the other side of Arena, the AO is already directly attached to Victoria by a simply set of stairs, meaning you can arrive in the city centre via train or tram and arrive directly at your destination.

It’s also one of the busiest stations in the North West, so for commuters looking to start the day with a little love, whether that be to treat their significant other, brighten a colleague’s day or just make themselves feel good, these roses are set to be handed out on Valentine’s Day morning.

100 of the most romantic flowers will be up for grabs from 8am at Manchester Victoria Station on a first-come, first served basis, naturally, Simple as that – but it gets better…

There is also an exciting chance to win a handful of surprises, including free tickets to a show at the arena, which will be given away with a select few lucky roses. 

This year marks an extra special milestone for the AO Arena, as they are celebrating thirty years of spreading joy in the city as Manchester’s longest standing large music venue.

With that in mind and tying together the arena’s history and love for entertainment, each rose will be individually wrapped in a special 30th birthday edition print.

This design features the names of all artists and acts who have performed there over the last three decades; consider it just a small token of AO‘s love and affection for 0161, wrapped in nostalgia. 

Happy Valentine’s Day, Manchester – you’ll always be ours x

Read more:

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

Images — Judy Dean (via Flickr)/María Valadez (via Pexels)/Parrot of Doom (via WikiCommons)

Trending

Hundreds turn out for dying guide dog’s final walk along Blackpool seafront

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Walk along Blackpool seafront

Hundreds of people and their pets gathered on the Blackpool seafront for a terminally-ill guide dog’s final walk.

‘Ginger prince’ Labrador retriever Ian had been working hard guiding his owner, Mark, through the world and providing him with the independence needed to take on each day, and was not long off his retirement and getting to spend the rest of his days in a loving home.

One Ian got to around 10, he was set to hang up his harness and go on to live with his former Puppy Raiser, Gemma Fairhurst, along with her family and her other guide dog pups in training, so that Mark would still get to keep in touch with Ian and Ian would get to pass on his wisdom and teach the youngsters how it’s done.

But sadly, this plan won’t become a reality, as Ian was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Hundreds turned out for a dying guide dog’s final walk along Blackpool seafront / Credit: Gemma Fairhurst (via GoFundMe)

Vets told Mark and his wife Kerry around Christmas 2024 that Ian would sadly only have four-eight weeks to live.

Once Ian’s owners got in touch with Gemma to tell her the devastating news, she knew she had to do something to honour and celebrate him – and ultimately, raise funds for Guide Dogs to name another puppy Ian once he’d passed.

So, Gemma and Mark planned one last special walk for Ian along the Blackpool Promenade – the place he called home.

More than 200 people and 80 dogs joined in the walk / Credit: Sarah Summerton (via Guide Dogs)

“He’s led such a wonderful life and brought happiness to Mark and Kerry, but also to everyone that he’s met,” Gemma explained in her fundraiser.

“For me, he’s changed my life, and in many ways, he’s saved my life. He gave me the strength to carry on and he’s given Mark love and support that cannot be measured… so I’d like to raise the money it takes to name another guide dog, and the most perfect name I can think of is Ian.

“The cost to sponsor and name a guide dog is £5,000, so that’s what I’m trying to raise.”

The ‘big old doggy walk’ took place this past Sunday (9 February) from 2pm, and was open for any and everyone who would like to come along… and come along they did, as more than 200 people and 80 dogs arrived to walk along the seafront.

The walkers all contributed towards the ‘5,000 steps for £5,000’ target, with Ian leading the way at the front and being pushed along in a special troller by Mark and Gemma.

For the last leg of the journey, Ian even got out of his stroller and walked along the Promenade himself, with the walkers creating a guard of honour for him.

Ian’s story touched the heart of so many people across the North West, that Gemma absolutely smashed her target of £5,000, and at the time of writing, has raised more than £7,230 to name another guide dog puppy Ian.

Read more:

Gemma said she’d been ‘overwhelmed’ by the support she’s received, and that people from all over the region turned up – including other guide dog puppies she raised in the past.

You can donate to the fundraiser here.

Featured Image – Sarah Summerton (via Guide Dogs)

More Trending

KSI Dillon Danis fight Manchester

Sport

KSI reveals the names who turned him down before booking Misfits fight in Manchester

Noel Gallagher slams Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime show as nonsense

Audio

Noel Gallagher says he had to ‘switch off’ Kendrick Lamar’s ‘nonsense’ Super Bowl performance

Travel & Tourism

Blackpool named the UK’s ‘most romantic’ place for a getaway

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches