Sportswear giants Nike, size? and the We Love MCR Charity are launching an exclusive new rendition of the classic Air Force 1 to celebrate and support the City of Manchester.
The new collaboration pays homage to the Manchester ‘Worker Bee’.
The well-known ‘Worker Bee’ has been an emblem for the city since the Industrial Revolution and a symbol of Manchester’s hard work, resilience and unity.
As part of the launch, footwear company size? is donating 10% of sales from the Nike Air Force 1 Manchester shoe to the We Love MCR Charity and its ‘Manchester’s Rising Stars Fund’, which helps ambitious young Mancunians from disadvantaged backgrounds take their next steps to success in work, qualifications and entrepreneurship.
The Air Force 1 Manchester design has a premium leather and suede upper – featuring a neutral colour palette of tan and brown tones, with a sail midsole and a grey outsole – and, in a nod to the bee and the city of Manchester, the tongue is decorated with a honeycomb-like mesh, and sits alongside an embroidery of the ‘0161’ area code.
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The iconic silhouette is finished off with the ‘Worker Bee’ motif on the lateral as a way of celebrating everyone who is proud to call themselves Mancunian.
Nike / size? / We Love MCR
Speaking on the release of the shoe, Councillor Tommy Judge – Lord Mayor of Manchester and Chair of We Love MCR Charity – said: “This fantastic initiative unites Manchester’s iconic Worker Bee with a world-class product.
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“It is our greatest brand collaboration so far, by far”
“The funds we raise from every pair bought means we can support young Mancunians from disadvantaged backgrounds to fulfil their potential. Our Manchester’s Rising Stars Fund awards grants to ambitious young people, to help them take their next steps to success in work, qualifications or entrepreneurship.
“With this help from size? and Nike, we can give a leg-up to even more talented young people looking to succeed in Manchester.”
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Nike / size? / We Love MCRNike / size? / We Love MCR
Fancy getting your hands on a pair?
With only 3,000 pairs of the shoes up for grabs, the Nike Air Force 1 Manchester size? exclusive – priced at £130 – will be open for raffle entry to reserve a pair from 8am on Sunday 15th November.
This must be done via the size? ‘launches’ app, which you can download here.
The raffle will then officially close at 8am on Thursday 19th November, and the lucky chosen raffle winners will then be given access to purchase a pair of these limited-edition trainers.
To find out more about We Love MCR Charity’s ‘Rising Stars Fund’, and how your purchase of the exclusive Nike Air Force 1 Manchester can truly make a difference to those who need it, head on over to the We Love MCR Charity website here.
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Review | Midsomer Murders comes to Manchester for a satisfying Opera House adaptation
Hollie Wells
‘The Fuzz are here!’ – also known as the well-known duo, Detective Chief Inspector Barnaby and Detective Sergeant Troy. As ever, they’re here to solve the murder of orchid-loving, elderly lady Emily Simpson in the seemingly sleepy county of Midsomer…
Manchester’s historic Opera House played host to the first ever stage production of Midsomer Murders: ‘The Killings at Badger’s Drift‘ last night.
With a busy, full audience of fans of the original novel by Catherine Graham and the acclaimed ITV staple. There was a hum of anticipation to see the timeless tales unfold.
Excitingly, the role of Barnaby in the stage play is under the trusted care of Daniel Casey, who is best known as DS (Detective Sergeant) Troy in the prior television adaptation of Midsomer Murders between 1997 and 2008.
Casey’s comfort and wealth of experience with these narratives comforted the audience from the outset. In a purposely complicated plot, Casey grounded the performance and was the throughline in the show.
‘The Killings at Badger’s Drift’ is a good, light-hearted, mid-week show, with an enjoyable concoction of eccentric characters and the perfect ‘whodunnit’ plot, which keeps you intrigued and entertained throughout its roughly two and a half hour duration.
Even those more than familiar with Misdomer tales and the most typical murder mystery format will still get plenty of enjoyment out of it.
The engaging use of multi-role actors received a great response from the audience, particularly the moments between Barbara Lessiter and Dickie Whitley; all of their interactions were performed with fabulous comedic timing by Chandrika Chevli.
The elements of comedy throughout made for a lovely evening at the Opera House. This was not solely through the actors, either: the use of mechanics within the set of this stage-play allowed for multiple moments of physical comedy, and this was a strong motif throughout.
A rotation of impressive transitional sets also aided in transporting the audience to the infamous village and crime scenes, allowing one to be absorbed in the story and successfully converting Midsomer Murders from page to screen to stage.
Running for only three days from Wednesday, 27, until Saturday, 30 May 2026, with matinee shows available throughout.
One must act fast to join the detective duo and catch the killer before it’s too late!
Festival-goers urged to stop taking wheelie bins full of booze
Daisy Jackson
Festival-goers have been warned not to take wheelie bins full of alcohol to festivals with them this summer.
The warning has come ahead of this year’s Download Festival, which takes place next month and kicks off the summer’s biggest run of festival dates.
But a major train operator has said there have been incidents in the past of passengers trying to travel to festivals with wheelie bins and luggage trolleys.
Passengers have had to be reminded that wheelie bins are not permitted on board, and they should instead only carry as much luggage as they can comfortably carry.
The warning comes from East Midlands Railway, one of the key services that will whisk people to Download Festival between 10 and 14 June.
Customers returning from the festival are also encouraged to use boot-cleaning brushes provided at stations to help remove mud before boarding trains.
Philippa Cresswell, customer experience director at East Midlands Railway, said: “We’re encouraging customers to travel light.
“Last year, some festive goers tried to board services with wheelie bins or festival trolleys full of beer. While it might seem like a great idea for getting your supplies to the festival, it just isn’t safe or possible to bring them onboard train services.”
Festival-goers urged to stop taking wheelie bins full of booze
EMR has also warned customers to plan journeys in advance, with engineering work taking place at various locations on the Midland Main Line, near where Download Festival takes place.
She continued: “We’re advising customers travelling to Download Festival to plan their journeys in advance and be aware that essential engineering work will affect services across the weekend.
“As a result, some services will be reduced or amended, and passengers should check before they travel and allow extra time.”
Emily Sergeant -
13th November 2020 
