A new photography exhibition that captures life in Stockport during the 1970s has now opened at a local museum.
After a successful run at one of the town’s most prestigious restaurants, Where The Light Gets In, back in June 2021, the exhibition – which is titled The Stockport Collection, and features the work of local photographer Heidi Alexander – has now opened to the public at Stockport Museum, and it’s free for everyone to visit.
The Stockport Collection documents the social history of a particular time, place, and way of life.
The exhibition illustrates the human need for a sense of identity, and of belonging to a working community with a common purpose.
🚨 THIS FRIDAY @ STOCKPORT MUSEUM! 🚨
See Heidi Alexander's evocative images of Stockport Market in a new exhibition. Punters can see the market as it was in the 70s & reminisce about times gone by with objects from the museum collection.
All the images in the exhibition were taken by Heidi Alexander between 1976 and 1977 when she was an undergraduate student at Stirling University and spent a few weekends visiting a friend near Stockport Market.
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Heidi said she was “charmed” by the atmosphere and the characters at the Market, and was inspired to shoot several rolls of film with the Leica M4 camera she inherited from her father.
Decades later, during the first COVID-19 lockdown of early 2020, Heidi rediscovered the long-lost images of a warm and lively community from those visits and started to post them on social media to immediate, enthusiastic, and often emotional reaction of the public.
The images resonated with people online, and proved to be particularly poignant in times of separation and isolation during lockdown.
“The Stockport Collection is an exhibition full of hidden gems which documents the rich history of our town centre,” said Councillor Grace Baynham – Cabinet Member for Highways, Parks and Leisure Services at Stockport Council.
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“With the town centre currently undergoing a period of so much change, it’s fantastic to be able to look back to a snapshot of history captured so brilliantly by Heidi Alexander.
“A must-see for all residents, to get a sense of the atmosphere of Stockport town centre in the late 1970s.”
The Stockport Collection is now on display at the Stockport Museum, which is open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 10am-5pm, and on Sundays from 11am-4pm.
There will also be a book signing Heidi herself on Thursday 4 August from 6pm-7pm at Stockport Museum, with tickets now available for free and need to be booked in advance here.
Peter Kay performed three secret gigs in Bolton to raise funds for the Octagon theatre
Daisy Jackson
For a man who is arguably the most famous comedian in the UK, Peter Kay sure is good at keeping a secret.
There’s been a total blanket ban on content from his shows at the AO Arena (and he’s doing more than 40…), with nothing much in the way of spoilers.
The beloved star’s latest treat that he kept almost entirely under wraps was three stand-up gigs in his hometown.
The chance to see Bolton-born Peter Kay in such an intimate setting is pretty remarkable after his huge achievement selling out arenas across the country.
It was the first time he’s performed in Bolton for more than 20 years, and was all to raise funds for the Octagon theatre.
The chance to grab tickets was only even offered to a select few people, with priority access given to Octagon members and patrons of the theatre. Then whatever was left were offered to those signed up to the theatre’s mailing list, selling out in seconds.
Peter Kay performed brand new material and celebrated the best of Bolton to an intimate audience at the theatre where he used to work on the box office.
The series of performances, sponsored by Carrs Pasties (how very Bolton) raised more than £80,000 for the Octagon, which is a registered charity.
One fan who was there said: “Peter Kay was wonderful. An incredible experience to see such an outstanding warmly funny comedian in such an intimate setting. So proud of the Octagon and what it does for the community of Bolton, both on and off stage.”
Another said: “He was absolutely fantastic, we were so lucky and pleased to be able to watch him yesterday! He’s made December special for many there’s no doubt. Thank you octagon for putting on such a great show.”
Chief Executive at the Octagon, Roddy Gauld, commented: “We had an incredible day on Sunday with three shows by Peter Kay.
“Over one thousand people got the chance to be part of a hilarious, exclusive, and up-close performance with one of Britain’s best loved comedians, here in his hometown. It was a unique experience that Octagon donors and returning customers were able to book.
“We’re a charity and rely upon fundraising. Every pound allows us to create more magical, creative experiences on and off stage for young people and communities in Bolton and beyond.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Peter for his support and to Carrs Pasties, who sponsored the shows. We raised a total of £80k and a big thank you to everyone who came, donated, and joined a memorable event that people will be talking about for years.
“Peter was a member of our Youth Theatre before working in our box office, and his talent and passion for comedy was clear then. So, you never know who you’ll meet when you book a ticket or see a show here!”
You can sign up to the Octagon’s mailing list to be the first to find out about events like this in the future here.
Trailer released for new Netflix drama series starring Michelle Keegan airing in the new year
Emily Sergeant
The first trailer for a new Netflix show starring Michelle Keegan and Joanna Lumley has now been released.
In case you hadn’t heard, the highly-anticipated new crime drama show, which is titled Fool Me Once, is an adaptation of Harlan Coben’s popular novel, and is set to air on the streaming service as soon as 2024 arrives.
But now, the release of the first trailer has proved it looks brilliantly binge-worthy.
How can a dead man appear on a secret camera?
Fool Me Once – a new crime thriller from @HarlanCoben – coming 1 January, starring Michelle Keegan, Adeel Akhtar, Joanna Lumley and Richard Armitage. pic.twitter.com/oSUx44qIyT
The eight-part series follows Manchester-born actress Michelle Keegan’s character, Maya Starn, who is a former special ops pilot struggling with the tragic murder of her husband, Joe, who is played by Richard Armitage.
Detective Sergeant Sami Kierce, who is portrayed by Adeel Akhtar, conducts the investigation into Joe’s death while wrestling with his own hidden truths.
Things start to get interesting though, when she observes via the nanny cam her supposedly deceased husband playing with their baby daughter in her own home.
Meanwhile, Maya’s niece and nephew embark on the journey to seek answers about their own mother’s murder which took place months ago.
But one question remains – could the two mysteries be related?
‘Fool Me Once’ stars Michelle Keegan and is based on a novel by Harlan Coben / Credit: Netflix UK
The first trailer for the show was released by Netflix at the end of last week, and it showcases a star-studded cast with the likes of Dame Joanna Lumley from Absolutely Fabulous, Adeel Akhtar from Sherwood, Emmett J Scanlan from Peaky Blinders, and Dino Fetscher from Paranoid.
The streaming service has unveiled a selection of first look images, showcasing a star-studded cast with the likes of Dame Joanna Lumley from Absolutely Fabulous, Adeel Akhtar from Sherwood, Emmett J Scanlan from Peaky Blinders, and Dino Fetscher from Paranoid.
Filming took place in Yorkshire, where production crews were spotted in the Burdock Way area near the centre of Halifax, but Michelle Keegan was also spotted filming in Manchester city centre back in May.
Emily Sergeant -
25th July 2022 
