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The streets of Manchester city centre will be filled with flower sculptures this summer

Manchester Flower Show is aiming to "bring a buzz back to the city centre" as lockdown lifts.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 19th March 2021

As lockdown restrictions begin to lift, the streets of Manchester will, quite literally, bloom back into life.

The Manchester Flower Show is returning to the city centre once again.

It’s been confirmed this week by CityCo and Manchester Business Improvement District (Manchester BID) that the colourful spectacle – which last took place in 2019 and saw the streets filled with floral installations, including pop-up gardens and vintage cars overflowing with blooms – is back for 2021, after what has been an undoubtedly challenging year.

Organisers have said they hope the event will “help to green the streets” and support businesses as everyone gets back on their feet.

“We aim to bring a buzz back to the city centre.” CityCo and Manchester BID said.

“We want to encourage people to rediscover the city centre in a COVID-safe way and welcome residents, workers, customers, clients, shoppers, eaters, drinkers and culture lovers with a smile”.

The revival of this historic spectacle – which first started life as the ‘Manchester Flower and Produce Show’ in the 1950s in Platt Fields Park, before returning in 2018 – is set to be a celebration of the city.

So, what’s on the cards for this summer’s event then?

Think colourful displays, outdoor dining areas, floral statues, flower fountains, foliage-covered lampposts / railings and more.

Some areas of the city centre set to see floral installations line the streets include Spinningfields, Manchester Cathedral, Stevenson Square in the Northern Quarter, Cutting Room Square in Ancoats, First Street, Oxford Road, Great Northern Warehouse, the Corn Exchange, the Arndale, King Street and beyond.

Twitter – @MCRFlowerShow
Twitter – @MCRFlowerShow

CityCo and Manchester BID are also keen to roll out the event right across Manchester this year, and are encouraging local businesses to get involved where they can.

“It’s all about a collective effort,

“Big things, small things, all coming together to cover as many areas of the city with greenery and colour.

“The more people get involved, the bigger the impact”.

The Manchester Flower Show will take place from Saturday 29th May – Sunday 6th June 2021.

Applications to participate in this year’s event are open until 1st April, and any local businesses keen to take part can find out more via the CityCo / Manchester BID website here.

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British rock and mod icon Paul Weller stars in advert for new Oasis x Bohemians football kit

Danny Jones Danny Jones Bohemians FC Oasis kit collab

The music and football shirt crossovers just keep coming thick and fast – and that’s just Oasis alone, as Bohemians FC have released a new collaboration with the legendary Britpop band, looping in none other than Paul Weller for the grand unveiling.

Bohemians share a strong connection with the Gallagher brothers due to their Irish roots, as do Manchester and the ‘Emerald Isle’ in general.

This, of course, isn’t the first big marriage with a major music act they’ve done, as last season’s third-place finishers in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division famously roped in fellow Dublin giants Fontaines D.C. for a collab that sold out in an instant.

However, it doesn’t get much bigger than Oasis and with the Live ’25 reunion shows now just days away (we can hardly believe it either), Bohemians have decided to hop on the bandwagon too and steal some of that ‘band with the three stripes’ buzz for themselves.

Not to be too keen, but can we have 10 of them, please?…

Is this another instant hit? We’d say so, yeah.

Shot by Jamie Goldrick to the sound of cult favourite Definitely Maybe track, ‘Married with Children’, the Oasis x Bohemians kit reveal video was filmed at Cross Guns Snooker Hall: the oldest snooker club in Dublin City, which still remains an important community cornerstone.

As well as starring UK rock and mod culture icon, Paul Weller, perhaps the best bit about the FAI Cup shirt and this whole partnership is the charitable element behind it.

Just like with their Fontaines shirt, which helped supply medical aid across Palestine, the limited edition jersey will help generate crucial money for two key causes.

The first of which is the domestic non-profit organisation, Music Generation Ireland, the country’s national music education programme, which helps children and young people access vocal and instrumental tuition locally.

Secondly, funds will also be diverted to the Irish Community Care Manchester, located along Stockport Road in Levenshulme – further strengthening the mutual support between us Mancs and our cousins across the water.

You can get a close look at the Oasis x Bohemians kit design down below.

The special edition and highly exclusive shirt is already available, with stock already disappearing rapidly thanks to Bohs die-hards, Oasis fans and footy kit connosieurs alike.

With the Burnage boys getting their seismic comeback shows underway with two nights at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff this Friday and Saturday (4-5 July), before heading for a double bill at Croke Park in Dublin this August, the excitement across the globe is already palpable.

It’s almost like this is a big deal or something…

That being said, everything from never-before-seen exhibitions and official Adidas x Oasis merch stores are popping up here in Manchester and, indeed, all over ahead of their sell-out world tour, which is set to be nothing less than the biggest music event of the decade.

Every single teaser trailer and social media post sends fans bananas, and god knows what the scenes are going to be like when they finally head to Heaton Park for the run of five homecoming nights.

Read more:

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

Featured Images — Bohemians FC (press images/screenshots via YouTube)

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Jason Manford has final word on ‘naughty’ rule that sparked unexpected Village Hotel experience

Danny Jones Danny Jones Jason Manford Village Hotel shared room rule

Local comedian Jason Manford has shared “the last I’ll say on the matter between The People vs The Village Hotel”, after expressing his disappointment over a rule that saw him have a somewhat unexpected experience at one of their locations.

The Salford-born and Stockport-based stand-up was forced to share his room with another individual at The Village in Bournemouth after being told the hotel was fully booked.

Manford‘s room had essentially been resold, which led him to stay in a double with his friend and colleague; however, as explained in multiple videos, not everyone was fortunate enough to secure a last-minute solution.

Still, on the upside, at least they didn’t have to share a bed…

As detailed in the first of three posts seen above, Manford and co. arrived at the hotel late (as is typically the case with any touring comedian, especially a headliner) following his gig at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre on Sunday, 29 June.

The 44-year-old is currently on his ‘A Manford All Seasons’ tour, which saw a flurry of new dates added back in November, and got underway back in February.

Although he assured that the staff did their job and were “lovely” through the whole ordeal, he reiterated that he found the little-known rule “very naughty” and “not on”.

He also mentioned that a doctor who arrived shortly after them at the hotel reception, sadly, had to be turned away from the Bournemouth branch.

Manford went on to add that the hotel manager did apologise for the situation, but as he notes in the clips, the worry is that it could cause even bigger dilemmas if it were a wedding, someone with kids, “or a million different situations that you could have been in which are much more serious than [his].”

Essentially, the duo were just lucky they turned up when they did and said as much.

Despite noting that he’d heard of airlines opting for similar policies in the past, he confessed he’d never come across such a rule in more than “25 years of touring” as a comic.

Echoing his frustration, surprise and concern, musician Georgina Jackson said in the comments: “That is so bad! As a touring lone female musician who uses hotels a lot, what are we expected to do? But the fact is… they don’t really care…

“Thanks for highlighting it, as they might actually start caring when the bookings drop off!
And, I imagine the hotel/town was busy with your audience!! How blinking ironic!!”

The hotel group has since asked the Salfordian funny man to take the very public complaints down, but Manford has refused despite them requesting quite “politely”, insisting that he believes more people need to know about obscure and largely unknown rules like these.

You can see the most recent and final statement on the whole Jason Manford-Village Hotel situation in full down below.

Read more:

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

Featured Images — University of Salford (via Flickr)/Jason Manford (screenshot via Facebook)

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