Mancs are being given the chance to name an actual real life snake after their snakey ex this Valentine’s Day.
If you cast your mind back to a couple of years ago, you may remember their was a local waste disposal company giving bitter Greater Manchester residents the option to have their ex’s name printed on the front of a wheelie bin, and obviously, people thought it was absolutely hilarious.
But if a wheelie bin wasn’t quite enough for you, then how about a snake instead?
Valentine’s Day can be just as much about celebrating the loves in our lives, as it is a chance to reflect on all the bad eggs who’ve been and gone, and be glad they’re a firmly a thing of the past – and now, as bizarre as it may sound, SEA LIFE Manchester is putting is giving you an opportunity to put those thoughts into action.
That’s because, the marine life attraction is letting disgruntled lovers and broken-hearted singles name one of its corn snakes after a not-so-special someone.
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SEA LIFE Manchester is home to three female and two male corn snakes, which means everyone can get involved with the naming activity, and make sure their ex is… hiss-tory, if you will.
Mancs can name a snake at SEA LIFE Manchester after their ex this Valentine’s Day / Credit: SEA LIFE Manchester
One of the most popular species to own as pets in the UK, and typically docile creatures – which some might say is a fitting feature of their ex – corn snakes have a lifespan of around 10-15 years, and while this sadly means they are often abandoned or handed over to rescue centres, it does also mean that you’ll be able to visit your newly-named snake for years to come.
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All five of SEA LIFE Manchester’s corn snakes have either been rescued by the RSPCA, or donated by those unable to look after them anymore, and the attraction says it’s “proud” to have been able to offer these slippery serpents their forever home, even if they will now be named after estranged exes.
“Valentine’s Day is one of the most miserable days for singletons,” admitted Jenn McDonough, who is the General Manager at SEA LIFE Manchester, “So we’re giving people who are unlucky in love a new reason to celebrate by naming their former lovers after snakes.
“If you want to heal your heartbreak or release some unresolved anger, then now is the perfect time to get revenge.”
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Fancy it then? To be considered for a the chance to name a hissing reptile and cement your ex’s sneaky status, then all you’ll need to do is head on over to the SEA LIFE Manchester website and simply submit the name of your former snakey partner.
The five winners will be selected at random by SEA LIFE Manchester staff, with the most popular names set to be released on the attraction’s social media platform soon.
Manc music legends James announced MASSIVE hometown show
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester music legends James have just revealed a massive hometown show here in the city centre as part of a landmark domestic arena tour.
Daisy bucket hats at the ready.
James is arguably the epitome of what it is to be the understated, underdog British band; they’ve gone about the business of making quality music somewhat quietly for several decades now, but they’ve had a fresh wave of interest over the past year or so
Having opened up for the likes of Catfish and the Bottlemen’s comeback shows, not to mention playing multiple big festival slots in recent months alone, they’ve now announced a huge run of UK arena shows – and nowhere does a James crowd quite like us Mancs.
Details have been announced for our 2026 UK arena tour, and we’re delighted to be joined by very special guests @dovesmusicblog with tickets going on general sale this Friday at 9:30am. Access the ticket pre-sale on Wednesday via our official store: https://t.co/DwpGrAUESZ NBL x pic.twitter.com/A4CWVpCooL
Announced as part of the celebrations around their Nothing But Love ‘best of’ LP, which pulls tracks from James’ whopping 18 studio albums, the new run of UK arena shows in 2026 follows on from numerous noteworthy shows this calendar year.
In addition to the aforementioned outdoor gigs, like their stunning sold-out night at The Piece Hall in Halifax – not too far from frontman Tim Booth’s hometown in Yorkshire – the indie veterans also celebrated a huge landmark in 2025.
Surpassing the milestone of 40 years as a band, with a lineup that’s remained largely intact and only really grown in terms of live session players and touring bandmates.
The new “definitive” greatest hits record also includes two brand-new songs in ‘Wake Up Superman’ and ‘Hallelujah Anyhow’, both of which are produced by Leo Abrahams, who worked with the band on their long-awaited number one album Yummy in 2024 – a feat loooong overdue if you ask us.
As evidenced by the sheer amount of new material they continue to put out and the almost non-stop touring, they remain one of the most prolific artists in the country. FACT.
You can see the rest of James’ upcoming tour dates, including a healthy number of Northern stops in the likes of Liverpool, Leeds and more.
James UK arena tour dates 2026
Fri 2 Birmingham Utilita Arena
Sat 4 Leeds First Direct Bank Arena
Tues 7 Aberdeen P&J Live
Wed 8 Glasgow OVO Hydro
Fri 10 Newcastle Utilita Arena
Sat 11 Liverpool M&S Bank Arena
Mon 13 Cardiff Utilita Arena
Tues 14 Nottingham Motorpoint Arena
Fri 17 London The O2
Sat 18 Manchester Co-op Live
With James returning to Manchester for their Co-op Live arena debut next April, along with a sensational support slot from fellow local legends, Doves (I know, how lucky are you lot?!), you can bank on this one selling out quickly.
General admission goes on sale this Friday, 10 October at 9:30am, so you’d better be ready to grab yours in a flash.
You can find the ticket link HERE, and we’ll see you in the crowd for a good ol’ singalong.
Featured Images — Ehud Lazin/Press shots (supplied)
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Electronic icons Kraftwerk announce first Manchester gig since 2017
Danny Jones
Pioneering German band Kraftwerk have announced their first UK tour since 2017, with fans having to wait almost a decade for another Manchester gig.
Thankfully, they’ll be heading back down the Autobahn and across the channel for a return to our shores soon enough with a long-awaited list of British and Irish live dates.
Kraftwerk remains one of the most groundbreaking groups in the electronic scene to this day, having paved the way for generations of new artists to keep experimenting with the genre in the 50+ years since their formation.
Heading back to Manchester early next year, die-hards will no doubt snap these tickets faster than you can say ‘Das Model’.
For anyone unaware of these veritable legends of electronica and the world of alternative/Euro-synth pop, Kraftwerk formed all the way back in 1970 and went on to shape the modern music industry, bridging the gap between music and the digital age.
Best known for tracks like ‘Computer Love’, ‘The Robots’, ‘Pocket Calculator’ and the aforementioned on named after the national motorway network, they spearheaded futurism in the musical landscape from the outset.
It seems only fitting, therefore, that their upcoming highly anticipated return to the UK comes as part of their ‘Multimedia’ tour.
While they have played a number of live shows all over the globe this year, including an extensive run in the US, next spring will be our domestic visit from Kraftwerk in nine long years.
Credit: Press shot (supplied)
You can see the full list of UK and Ireland tour dates – including a handful of Northern gigs – down below:
Spanning a total of 15 UK dates, as you can see, there will also be tickets to see Kraftwerk nearby in the likes of Liverpool and with our mates over in Sheffield.
Kraftwerk legend Ralf Hütter famously played a set inside our city’s velodrome at the National Cycling Centre for Manchester International Festival (MIF) back in 2009, and has collaborated with the event on multiple ocassions.
In fact, that very performance was seen as a turning point for MIF, so the Manc Kraftwerk connection speaks for itself; O2 members can obviously get pre-sale, but general admission tickets go live from 9am this Friday, 10 October.
Emily Sergeant -
9th February 2024 
