In an attempt to keep the festive spirit of the city alive, Manchester’s iconic Christmas celebrations have been re-created entirely out of lego.
Welcome to MINILAND.
After the cancellation of the city’s major festive events were sadly announced by Manchester City Council last month due to social distancing measures amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester has added “a little seasonal sparkle” to its miniature build of the city, introducing the much-loved Christmas markets, Santa Dash, ice-rink, and even a carol concert.
Built using 1.5 million LEGO bricks, MINILAND features Manchester’s most famous buildings, including the city’s town hall, Manchester Cathedral, Manchester Piccadilly train station, and of course the world-renowned Christmas markets.
And the festive fun doesn’t stop there either.
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Aiming to brighten the city’s spirits even further, the leading attraction is also inviting all those craving a little seasonal joy to join them in switching on Manchester MINILAND’S Christmas lights at 6.30pm this Thursday 19th November live on Facebook.
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester
Fans will have the opportunity to join LEGO Santa in pressing the button and lighting up the city’s skilfully recreated landmarks with twinkling fairy lights.
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In a tribute to the NHS and support of the city’s virtual Christmas light switch on – which has been postponed until December – Manchester MINILAND even sees three members of the NHS stood in front of Manchester Town Hall, where the Christmas light switch on has historically been staged, ready to press the button.
A model remake of the annual Santa Dash also sees thirteen miniature figures – all wearing the famous red suit and modelled out of giant LEGO candy sticks – race towards the finishing line.
Christmas trees, model snowmen and LEGO decorations all adorn the mini cityscape too.
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LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester
MINILAND Manchester has been impressively created by Master Model Builder James Windle and the project took over 50 hours to create.
He is one of only 25 Master Model Builders in the world.
Speaking on the festive miniature build, Stuart Jarman – General Manager Merlin Entertainments Manchester Cluster – said: “The absence of the Christmas markets and all the annual festivities to which we have become accustomed, whilst entirely necessary, have been felt by all this year.
“We wanted to do our bit to help raise festive spirits and share a little joy.
“What better way than with an alternative Christmas light switch on in Manchester MINILAND where you can get a taste of all that Manchester does best?
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“We would like to invite anyone in need of some Christmas cheer to join us as we stream our alternative Christmas lights switch-on, as well as lighting up Manchester’s landmarks, we will also be unveiling some spectacular festive scenes at MINILAND, designed to celebrate some of the city’s best-loved Christmas traditions.”
You can tune into the MINILAND Christmas Lights Switch-On this Thursday at 6:30pm via the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Manchester Facebook page here.
Trending
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman to step down from Strictly Come Dancing
Danny Jones
Long-serving Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman have announced that they will be stepping down from the beloved reality TV competition after more than three decades between them.
The Strictly team will, of course, ‘keep dancing’, but this still feels like the end of an era.
While Claudia Winkleman only became a joint co-anchor back in 2010 in preparation for the legendary Sir Bruce Forsyth’s eventual retirement in 2014, Tess Daly has been one of the two lead presenters since the hit smash-hit UK show first started way back in 2004.
Boasting a cumulative and incredible 31 years as the respective lead faces on one of the nation’s favourite IPs, Daly and Winkleman released a joint video on their social media pages confirming the bittersweet news.
Writing in the caption on Instagram, the pair said: “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together, and now feels like the right time.
“We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series, and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show.
“They’re the most brilliant team, and we’ll miss them every day. We will cry when we say the last ‘keep dancing’, but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”
Although Winkleman, 53, began as the presenter of the spin-off programme ‘It Takes Two’, it now seems hard to imagine the main show without either of them.
Confirming that they will be departing the British telly favourite at the end of the current series, which is around a month into its 23rd series.
Daly, 56, went on to share a further statement addressing the decision to quit the Strictly lineup after such a lengthy stay on BBC One.
It goes without saying that, much like when ‘Brucey’ left 11 years ago now, the show just won’t be the same without them.
For now, all we can say is thanks for all the memories, and we’d better see them back in the ballroom or popping up for special cameos in Blackpool again one day soon.
What do you make of the announcement, Strictly fans – and who do you think should replace them?
Featured Images — BBC Media Centre/Screenshot (via BBC)
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Morrisons set to close more than 100 brand locations across the country
Danny Jones
UK supermarket company Morrisons is set to close more than 100 specific locations across the UK, including multiple here in Greater Manchester.
Despite still being considered one of the giants of the sector here in Britain, Morrisons is continuing its previously announced ‘restructuring’ by adding a number of other shops to the chopping block.
The chain had already announced that a slate of 50 Morrisons Cafes would be closing earlier this year, but now other brand branches are expected to follow suit.
While their major supermarkets will remain virtually untouched, several Morrisons Daily convenience stores, florists, pharmacies and Market Kitchens, like the busy lunchtime spot on Piccadilly Gardens – but don’t panic: the corner store itself is staying as far as we’re aware.
Fortunately, major mainline Morrisons supermarket locations look to be safe from closing. (Credit: JThomas/Jaggery via Geograph)
Despite insisting the business is in good shape and has a “bright future” ahead, Morrisons‘ chief executive, Rami Baitieh, confirmed that “a minority [of sites] have specific local challenges and in those locations, regrettably, closure and re-allocation of the space is the only sensible option.”
It’s also believed that 35 butchers’ counters and the same number of fishmongers are set to wrap up as part of the shake-up.
You can see the full list of Morrisons Cafes closing down below; thankfully, we Mancs have managed to avoid closures in this particular department.
Morrisons Cafe Locations closing
Bradford Thornbury
Paisley Falside Road
London Queensbury
Portsmouth
Great Park
Banchory North, Deeside Road
Failsworth, Poplar Street
Blackburn, Railway Road
Leeds, Swinnow Road
London, Wood Green
Kirkham, Poulton Street
Lutterworth, Bitteswell Road
Stirchley
Leeds, Horsforth
London, Erith
Crowborough
Bellshill, John Street
Dumbarton, Glasgow Road
East Kilbride, Lindsayfield
East Kilbride, Stewartfield
Glasgow, Newlands
Largs, Irvine Road
Troon, Academy Street
Wishaw, Kirk Road
Newcastle, UT Cowgate
Northampton, Kettering Road
Bromsgrove, Buntsford Industrial Park
Solihull, Warwick Road
Brecon, Free Street
Caernarfon, North Road
Hadleigh
London, Harrow, Hatch End
High Wycombe, Temple End
Leighton Buzzard, Lake Street
London, Stratford
Sidcup, Westwood Lane
Welwyn, Garden City, Black Fan Road
Warminster, Weymouth Street
Oxted, Station Yard
Reigate, Bell Street
Borehamwood
Weybridge, Monument Hill
Bathgate
Erskine, Bridgewater Shopping Centre
Gorleston, Blackwell Road
Connah’s Quay
Mansfield, Woodhouse
Elland
Gloucester, Metz Way
Watford, Ascot Road
Littlehampton, Wick
Helensburgh
Sadly, it seems that plenty of people saw this coming, with early reports of the off-license/corner shop-esque Daily shops following soon after cafes were confirmed to be closing back in March.
Morrisons closing 52 cafes, 17 convenience stores, and potentially 365 people redundant
Just before new NI tax laws kick in from next month
Retail is 10% of total UK employment, a notoriously low margin business
This is where Greater Manchester comes in, as a handful of florists and Market Kitchens in the region are to join the wider collection of closures by the end of the year.
Emily Sergeant -
18th November 2020 
