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Blue Peter is launching a FREE book club for kids at Manchester’s Central Library

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 8th May 2024

Blue Peter is launching a book club for kids right here in Manchester later this month, and it’s free for everyone to get involved with.

Book-loving mini Mancs are in for a real treat in a couple of weeks time, as the iconic BBC children’s TV series is partnering with Manchester Libraries and The Reading Agency for an exciting new project called ‘Blue Peter Book Club Live’.

Officially kicking off at the Central Library in the heart of Manchester city centre next Saturday (18 May) Blue Peter Book Club Live is set to be a “fun-filled event” that’s open to all.

Not only will kids get to discover a whole host of “brilliant books” and “celebrate the joy and adventure of reading” with guest authors Eve Ainsworth, and the Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho, but there’ll also be the chance to meet Blue Peter presenters Abby, Joel, and Shini, along with Henry the Blue Peter Dog, at the free event too.

CBeebies presenters George Webster and Gyasi Sheppi will also be there to take families on some “enchanting escapades” with magical story time sessions.

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Creative crafts, masses of books, and the opportunity to meet some classic book characters like Alice, the Mad Hatter, Willy Wonka, Peter Pan, and more, are also set to make the library “come to life”.

Blue Peter is launching a free book club for kids in Manchester / Credit: BBC & The Reading Agency

The Blue Peter Book Club ‘Badge Trail’ also launches on the day too, and it challenges children to discover special Blue Peter badges on display in 12 different cultural venues across Manchester – with a bonus badge in the Blue Peter Garden in Salford, and some exciting prizes up for grabs.

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Beyond the launch event, a series of ‘Book Hunt events will also be coming to “unexpected settings” in Manchester’s parks and open spaces throughout the summer too, and schools across the Greater Manchester region can also join in with Blue Peter Book Club Live by using activity packs and reading resources developed by The Reading Agency to create a “nationwide celebration”.

Ahead of the event next weekend, Councillor John Hacking, who is the Executive Member for Skills Employment and Leisure at Manchester City Council, has called Blue Peter’s new book club a “magnificent initiative”.

Blue Peter Book Club Live will kick-off with a launch event at Manchester Central Library / Credit: Ricardo (via Flickr)

“We are thrilled to be hosting this exciting book event alongside our partners in the iconic Central Library,” Cllr Hacking commented.

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“The book club is a magnificent initiative to inspire a love of reading and creativity to get our children engaged and excited by books, and this launch event is one that families with young children will not want to miss.”

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Find out more about Blue Peter Book Club Live on the BBC website here.

Featured Image – gov.uk (via Flickr)

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Manchester’s new real-life Pac-Man experience is coming soon and you can grab early bird tickets

Danny Jones Danny Jones Real-life Pac-Man experience Manchester

Manchester already boasts a whole host of interactive games bars and activity destinations to boast, but we feel pretty confident in saying that there are very places on the planet where you can find a place to play a real-life version of Pac-Man.

First announced back in October and now scheduled to debut in March 2025, the Pac-Man Live Experience is the newest addition to Manchester’s growing entertainment scene and it’s promising to be a popular one too.

This brand-new life-sized immersive experience plunges players into the nostalgic world of the iconic video game we all know and love, only instead of using joysticks on an old-school arcade machine, they’ll physically sprint, dodge, and chomp their way through a maze.

Although the launch itself is still a few months away, the team behind this ingenious idea are getting ready for the frenzy and putting early bird tickets on sale ahead of opening day.

Credit: Concept Image (supplied)

So how does it work?

Good question: participants can gear up in a PAC vest and step into the role of the instantly recognisable yellow chomper, collecting power pellets, dodging the classic ghost characters – BLINKY, PINKY, INKY, and CLYDE – and racking up points on their way to victory.

Guided through an epic 12-level adventure, players will be led by the ‘PAC-MASTER’: a lively gameshow host who serves as commentator and referee; players will also be accompanied by immersive in-game effects like sound bites, lighting, and haptic (vibration) feedback to elevate the experience. Cool, right?

The striking Arcade Arena will feature two massive PAC-MAN courts projected onto the floor, while dynamic visuals transform the walls, fully immersing participants in the retro arcade universe. There’s no need for headsets either, so players can embark on a multi-sensory adventure, seamlessly blending the real world with augmented reality.

Created by Tom Lionetti-Maguire, the CEO and Founder of Little Lion Entertainment – the same team behind The Crystal Maze Live Experience, Tomb Raider, and Chaos Karts to the likes of London and more recently Manchester –

The whole thing has been brought to life in partnership with Bandai Namco Entertainment, lending the proper licensing to make the experience feel both fun and authentic. It’s the real deal.

Credit: Supplied

Early bird tickets for Pac-Man Live Manchester

If you’re not sold on playing a human-sized, real-life game of Pac-Man in a huge augmented-reality arena right here in Manchester then we don’t know what to tell you, to be honest – all we know is that we’ll be first in line when it arrives.

The Pac-Man Live Experience comes to the Arcade Arena on 22 March next year in line with the game’s 40th anniversary, and they’re inviting players of all ages and providing engaging gameplay for younger participants while delivering a nostalgic throwback that parents and grandparents will cherish.

Better yet, if you book during the early bird window, you can access discount ticket prices from just £25 per person too.

Early bird tickets go on sale at 12 noon today (Thursday, 21 November) – you can grab yours HERE.

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

Featured Images — Supplied

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Blood Brothers at Palace Theatre, Manchester – a timeless classic

Greg James Greg James Sean Jones and Joe Slight in Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman

Bill Kenwright’s production of Blood Brothers surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End making it one of only three musicals ever to achieve that monumental milestone – and now it’s visiting us here in Manchester.

“Oh Bright New Day”, Blood Brothers has just landed back at the Palace Theatre. This musical written by Willy Russell is a British piece of theatre that is a staple in the musical theatre tapestry of our country. 

For anyone who is unfamiliar with this iconic story, it is an emotional tale of two twins who are separated at birth and grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with the most fateful of consequences.

The story’s central character, Mrs Johnston is the linchpin in this whole story and carries us through the show.

This role has been played by many superb women over the years including Mel C, Kiki Dee, Barbara Dickson and nearly all of the Nolan Sisters. This time, Mrs Johnston is performed by Vivienne Carlyle who provides a lovely maternal performance. 

The other two lead roles are Mickey and Eddie, played by Sean Jones and Joe Sleight respectively.

These are really complex roles to play as the actors have to portray the characters from early school years to grown adults.

The cast of Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman
The cast of Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman
Sean Jones, Gemma Brodrick and Joe Slight in Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman
Sean Jones, Gemma Brodrick and Joe Slight in Blood Brothers in Manchester. Credit: Jack Merriman

Sean Jones has been playing the role of Mickey now for nearly 25 years and so he is no stranger to this character. And I must say, he still fantastically plays the part, even when playing young Mickey, and the show really takes off when he enters the stage.

Joe Sleight is someone who I had not seen in the role of Eddie before and he gave just as strong a performance as Jones. He offered a real contrast to his counterpart with a really beautiful, touching performance. 

The whole ensemble did a gorgeous job of helping to carry these characters throughout the musical, showing a real flair for multi-roling and beautiful musicality in the group numbers too. 

Something which elevates this already gripping story though is the music. There are many recurring musical motifs throughout the show that on the surface may come off as repetitive but they offer perspective on how things can evolve and change over time.

Of course the song though that everybody is perhaps familiar with is the power ballad, ‘Tell Me It’s Not True’. This is the climax of the show and what a climax it is. There’s not a dry eye in the house when we reach this point of the story, I can assure you! 

So, whether you are returning to watch this show again, perhaps know the story from studying it in English GCSE or seeing it for the first time, it will always be an absolutely timeless classic.

Blood Brothers is on at the Palace Theatre in Manchester until Saturday 30 November. Tickets are available HERE.

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Featured image: Jack Merriman

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