Two young lads have recreated their hometown of Stockport in the ever-popular video game Minecraft and it looks absolutely incredible.
Showing some pretty admirable teamwork, brothers Elliott, 13, and Ted, 10 – both from Heaviley – joined forces with their dad Paul and spent over two months building some of Greater Manchester borough’s most iconic landmarks as part of a new interactive gaming experience.
Paul Jones runs children’s party business TechTruck, which usually offers a mobile gaming cafe experience from the back of an adapted van, but due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions, he had to come up with a new way of providing the unique service.
And he did so by moving it online, opening up opportunities for residents in Greater Manchester and beyond.
Paul and his two sons developed a new game based on a book called The Puzzle Cube.
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Using characters and locations from the story, children play together online in a Minecraft world to complete a series of challenges, while a TechTruck host guides them through the world of the Puzzle Cube to search for clues and solve the cryptic riddles, with plenty of familiar landmarks along the way too.
The games have already proved to be popular, with recent parties having connected friends from Muscat, the United Arab Emirates and the UK via the online events.
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Speaking on his adapted business venture, Paul said: “We have a gaming business where we do children’s parties, but due to lockdown we’ve had to shut up shop in March and in the summer we realised the only way we could carry on would be to do it online.
“That way we could still offer the parties during lockdown.”
He continued: “My sons Elliott and Ted are massive Minecrafters, especially my eldest son, he’s Minecraft crazy and he’s helped me out in a huge way,”
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“The game itself, you follow clues based on a book called the Puzzle Cube, and as you go around the world, you find lecterns that offer clues and hints about where to go to next.
“Once you reach the end of a section you are given a piece of a puzzle that you throw into a hopper.
“My son has coded the game so that once you throw the piece into the hopper, you get transported to a different place [and] there’s a bit of VT over Zoom that then explains the next part of the story and then you continue somewhere else.”
TechTruck
“In [The Puzzle Cube book], there are two children who are trying to find their way back,” Paul explains, “and we were influenced by wanting to recreate part of the book in our game.
“We know Stockport, my sons see the Viaduct all the time, so they could pretty much build it from memory.
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“At the moment we have the pyramid, the viaduct, and then we’ve got the Plaza which you can actually go in. One of the clues is to go where the actors get changed to in the game you have to go all around the theatre, back stage into the little dressing room which gives you the next clue.
“We’ve also got the factory, which is a disused cotton mill based on Houldsworth Mill in Reddish.
It’s got all the looms, but they aren’t working any more [so] you’ve got to find your way around the mill to the top floor to find the next clue.”
TechTruck
TechTruck
There’s no denying that the game has been a labour of love for the Jones’, taking several months to create and still being a work in progress.
But they’re not stopping yet, as a second game is already in the pipeline.
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Paul added: “We’ve put hundreds and hundreds of hours in. It must have taken since the start of summer until October and it’s still being worked on now, so a really really long time.
“The games are an hour long each, but we’ve found that people who have been on parties with friends have gone on to book a session for themselves [and] we don’t want people going through the same experience a second time, so we are building game two at the moment.
“We’re hoping to include the church, the old infirmary and the marketplace in this one, but the world is our oyster really and we are open to ideas for what’s next.”
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TechTruck parties – which are recommended for ages between seven to 11 – can be booked online, with 60-minute events for up to 10 children setting you back £99.
You can find more information and book yours here.
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‘Hairy men’ needed to play soldiers in returning major fantasy TV series
Thomas Melia
A huge TV series has issued an urgent casting call for, very specifically, ‘hairy men’ to play soldiers.
The exact show hasn’t been named in the casting call, but it’s definitely a major returning fantasy, and is reportedly House of the Dragon, the hit Game of Thrones spin-off.
This big on demand show is set to start filming in just two months’ time, meaning anyone considering shouldn’t wait to apply.
There are a list of key characteristics candidates should have if hoping for this role, including a great work ethic and a professional attitude, something all Mancs like to think we have.
The job description states that no prior acting experience is required, one of the only other things you need to be good at is waking up early (well that’s me out).
Most importantly, headhunters are looking for individuals to take on that have one big factor in common… lots of hair.
On the official website where you can submit your headshots and photos, you will find a mood board filled with ranging hairstyles that fit the desired look the show is going for.
Just one example of a long-haired man who fits the criteria for the returning series.Another similar hair style choice to the guide from the casting call.Credit via Unsplash
Most of the pictures on the site range from long curly locks to big bushy beards – it’s a shame Santa will be back in the North Pole by now.
All candidates must have grown-out hair, ‘overgrown scruff to longer beards’, this means no short, back and sides, or any ‘modern fades’ as stated by the casting team.
If the rumours are true and this turns out to be a shoot for House Of The Dragon, it would be great to see even more Northern talent feature in this show.
It wasn’t too long ago that fans and Mancs alike realised that actor Olivia Cooke, who plays Lady Alicent Hightower, was a local lass herself, born not too far away in Oldham.
One final and important note is that anyone who is likely to apply must make sure they’re 18+ and have a right to work in the UK.
Filming will take place across North Wales and the South East from March onwards, with rate of pay roughly £140-£300+ per day (depending on hours worked).
To apply for a chance to feature in the returning major fantasy series, you can do so by visiting the site HERE.
Greater Manchester set to be battered by ‘impactful’ heavy rain and wind this week
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester is set to be battered by some heavy rain and wind this week, according to the Met Office.
While things have seemed surprisingly more settled for the time of year over the last week or so, with clearer skies and chilly winter mornings being fairly commonplace, all that will change very soon, as the Met Office has forecasted that the UK is set to be battered by some ‘impactful’ heavy rain and strong winds as the week goes on.
Low pressure systems will bring a more ‘unsettled’ spell of weather, with a severe weather warning for wind issued for certain parts of the UK.
Today is expected to be filled with grey skies and light rain here in Greater Manchester, with cloud covering much of the rest of the country, and other outbreaks of rain elsewhere, whereas on Wednesday, the focus of rain will shift to southern England instead.
The weather looks set to turn more unsettled during the forthcoming week 🌧️ 🌬️
Thursday is where it’s set to take the biggest downturn though, as a front bringing heavy rain moves eastwards through the day, and it’s us here in North West England that are expected to see the highest accumulations too, with 20-30mm could falling over the hills, and some hill snow even possible over the Scottish mountains too.
A deep area of low pressure will also have ‘deepened rapidly’ by Thursday, bringing ‘strengthening winds’ to western parts of the UK along with it overnight, followed by more heavy rainfall.
Greater Manchester is set to be battered by ‘impactful’ heavy rain and wind this week / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“A very deep area of low pressure will bring a very unsettled, potentially disruptive, spell of weather to the UK through Friday and into Saturday,” explained Chris Almond, who is the Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist.
“Winds will begin to strengthen on Thursday night, with the peak gusts forecast through Friday in Northern Ireland and western Scotland. The wind will also be accompanied by heavy rain bringing some unpleasant conditions to end the week.
“We have issued a Yellow weather warning for wind, and with several days before the impactful weather, the forecast details are likely to be fine-tuned during the week, so stay tuned to your local forecast and keep up to date with Met Office warnings.”