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New £2.3 million Gruffalo & Friends interactive attraction to open in Blackpool

Creators of the attraction say it'll be "an indoor play adventure like no other".

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 22nd February 2023

A new interactive attraction is set to bring the beloved characters from The Gruffalo & Friends to a new home on Blackpool’s seafront this summer.

Merlin Entertainments, Magic Light Pictures, and Blackpool Council have announced that they are to join forces and create the world’s-first ‘The Gruffalo & Friends Clubhouse’ on the seafront at the popular Lancashire resort.

The fan-favourite characters from creators Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s books will be brought to life like never before.

Having been 18-months in the making, the brand-new £2.3 million attraction will bring together six of the best loved stories to create “an indoor play adventure like no other”.

According to the creators of the attraction, families will get to burst through the pages of some of their favourite stories and into a magical 3D world.

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From The Gruffalo’s deep dark wood, to Princess Pearl’s castle in Zog, visitors will be taken on an “adventure of imagination, discovery, and play” as they join their favourite characters, with some of the exciting interactive play zones being inspired by The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Zog, The Snail and the Whale, Room on the Broom and The Highway Rat.

The brand-new attraction will include different play zones suitable for children under 10, with a toddler play area that’s specifically-designed for those under three.

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New £2.3 million Gruffalo & Friends interactive attraction to open in Blackpool / Credit: Magic Light Pictures

“We are incredibly excited to bring some of the UK’s best loved children’s characters to Blackpool,” said Kate Shane – Regional Director for Merlin Entertainments.

“Blackpool is the UK’s number one family seaside resort and this latest partnership with a globally recognised brand will provide compelling new reasons for visitors to come to Blackpool.

“The Gruffalo and other characters from the world of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler will be amongst brilliant company alongside our already strong cluster of family attractions on the resort.”

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Creators of the attraction say it’ll be “an indoor play adventure like no other” / Credit: Magic Light Pictures

She also said the attraction and the significant investment into the town “further supports Merlin’s strategic growth plans”, and will bring even more job opportunities and economic benefit to the local community and wider North West region.

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The new Gruffalo & Friends Clubhouse is set to take shape next door to SEA LIFE Blackpool, and will join Merlin Entertainment’s seven other attractions in Blackpool, as part of the company’s plan to make the town a “destination for families of all ages from both the UK and abroad”

The attraction will open its doors in May 2023.

Featured Image – Magic Light Pictures

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Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into foul-mouthed chaos

Danny Jones Danny Jones Tommy vs Darren Till press conference scrap chaos

The first press conference ahead of Tommy Fury vs Darren Till was held on Tuesday evening and it didn’t take long for the whole thing to descend into absolute bedlam.

Having only been confirmed on Sunday, Fury vs Till will be a homecoming bout for the Wythenshawe-born fighter who is set to headline the first-ever boxing match at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.

With the date set for 18 January, the pre-fight build-up and media frenzy are growing fast and things have already come to ahead in just the first meeting between the two fighters in London this week.

Clearly sharing plenty of bad blood already, while Tommy and Till were engaging in the usual fighting talk, the family patriarch, John Fury, decided to interject and it was at this point that things boiled over.

As you can see, amidst the various insults being thrown around regarding intelligence, boxing ability, Tommy’s older brother Tyson being “battered by [Oleksandr] Usyk”, ‘Big John’ then launches a bottle of water across the table at Till, sparking a hot-tempered on-stage skirmish.

The lengthy exchange features as many expletives as you could imagine, with 31-year-old Darren Till also threatening that he will “bladder” both Tommy and his more established heavyweight sibling Tyson, labelling the entire Fury family “shithouses” as they walk out of the London press conference.

A mixed martial artist by trade who has competed at both welterweight and middleweight in the UFC, Till assured that even if the boxing match isn’t going his way on the night, he will kick [him] square in [the] face”, adding that he’s a “proper fighter” and that Tommy, on the other hand, has no power.

YouTube turned musician and occasional boxer, KSI – the founder of the Misfits promotion who is putting on the event and who Fury beat back in October last year – can also be heard whooping from centre stage and shouting, “Get your tickets!”

Even after the mini-brawl is separated, the foul-mouthed back and forth continues for some time. You can see another angle here:

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This isn’t the first time things have boiled over at a Fury press conference; in fact, it’s not even the first time John Fury, 59, has found himself in the very eye of the storm.

It was only back in May of this year, before his elder son’s title fight against Usyk, that he drew blood after headbutting a member of the Ukrainian’s entourage in another volatile presser.

Meanwhile, the youngest Fury son is preparing first his first fight in over a year, having nearly joined this year’s I’m a Celeb lineup instead.

Tickets for the now highly-anticipated boxing match at Co-op Live, just the second combat sports event to have been held at the arena, are on sale now – you can grab yours HERE. It’s going to be a feisty one.

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

Featured Images — DAZN (via Screenshot)

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Festive Grinch-themed cafes to pop up inside Greater Manchester Primark stores

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Festive Grinch-themed cafes are popping up inside two of Primark’s biggest Greater Manchester stores in the run-up to Christmas.

As the temperatures turn colder by the day, the nights draw in, and the most wonderful time of the year nears closer and closer, it won’t be long before it’s time to snuggle up in our comfies and pop on the first Christmas film of the year – and for some of us, there’s a good chance that first film of choice will be The Grinch.

Whether you prefer the 2000 fantasy comedy starring Jim Carey, or the 2018 animated reboot with Benedict Cumberbatch, it’s undoubtedly a real family favourite.

To celebrate everyone’s favourite grumpy green grouch, Primark has teamed up with Dr. Seuss once again on a Grinch-tastic collaboration.

Festive Grinch-themed cafes have popped up inside Greater Manchester Primark stores / Credit: Supplied

Shoppers can now head to their nearest Primark store to find the largest-ever Grinch collection, with something for the whole family, as well as great gifting options said to be “ideal for getting into the anti-Christmas spirit”.

There’s Grinch pyjamas and slippers for both adults and kids, a Grinch ‘Onesie’ that’s sure to make people green with envy, Grinch drinks cups and mugs, a selection of loungewear and Christmas jumpers for festive dressing, and so much more, as well as whole host of Grinch-inspired outfits and toys for your four-legged friends too.

As part of Primark’s aim to offer affordable choices for everyone, prices for the Grinch collection start at just £1 for accessories, and go up to £24 for adult clothing.

If the return of the Grinch collection wasn’t exciting enough as it is, the all-new Grinch cafes – which are popping up in Primark on Market Street in Manchester city centre, as well as Primark in Trafford Palazzo – are bound to be hit with fans of the furry character.

There’s everything from green waffles and themed milkshakes, to festive toasties, hot drinks, and more on the menu.

With Greater Manchester Grinch cafes set to be open until the end of December, Sarah Jackson – who is the Director of Licensing at Primark, said: “We’re so excited to roll out our amazing cafe experience across a number of our UK locations, bringing a sprinkle of mischief to our customers this festive season.

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“Whether you’re stopping in for a sweet treat or stocking up on pyjamas and gifts for the whole family, we have everything you need to make it a truly unforgettable Grinch-mas.”

Featured Image – Supplied

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