The late Dame Vivienne Westwood is being honoured with a “one of a kind” walking tour around her hometown this weekend.
Set to celebrate the talent and legacy of the undeniable fashion and cultural icon – who sadly passed away at the age of 81 late last year – the brand-new dedicated walking tour will take fans around Westwood’s hometown of Glossop where she spent her childhood and show the cultural impact she had on the community
Born in the picturesque Derbyshire town in 1941, Westwood attended school in Glossop and was always known to speak highly of her early years and the rugged landscape of the High Peak, especially around her home village of Tintwistle.
Although Glossop is considered to be the gateway to the Peak District, it’s actually only 30 minutes from Manchester on a direct train to Piccadilly.
No longer cut off from the rest of Greater Manchester and Derbyshire, Glossop is now a thriving town that boasts a number of popular cafes, restaurants, delis, bars, and pubs – making it an excellent place to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.
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The new walking tour, called ‘Too Inspired To Be Tired, is taking place for one-day-only this Saturday 13 May, and is being curated and led by culture expert Martha Camarillo as part of Glossop Creates – a collective aiming to bring together local independent creative businesses and individuals.
With participants encouraged to “dress the part” and attend the walk wearing their most “eccentric, bold, and rebellious outfits” the ‘catwalk’ along Glossop’s High Street will explore Vivienne Westwood’s early years, family, influences, and inspirations, before pondering what might have inspired a girl from a small town to become an international icon and one of the most influential British designers in fashion history.
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‘One of a kind’ Vivienne Westwood walking tour launched around her hometown / Credit: Vivienne Westwood (via Instagram)
“Vivienne Westwood’s persona has always intrigued me,” said walk curator Martha Camarillo.
“It’s all about her – a life filled with intensity and stimulating stories, a woman who always saw beyond what the eye sees, and someone who always wanted to find the heart of the matter and channelled her actions and ideas to the next level with her characteristic passion, and her strong, sharp temperament.
“She had the ability to transform herself and others.”
The Wander Walks: Too Inspired To Be Tired tour will take place on Saturday 13 May, and will start at 3pm by Deggy’s mural on Chapel Street – with tickets costing £5 each.
Science and Industry Museum announces new major exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’
Emily Sergeant
A major new exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’ is making its world premiere in Manchester next year.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos will invite visitors to explore our wondrous Solar System when it launches at the Science and Industry Museum next February.
Fresh off-the-back of the new BBC Children’s and Education TV show, Horrible Science, the ‘thrilling’ new exhibition will encourage visitors to ‘do science the horrible way’, and join both scientists and supervillains to unveil the secrets of space.
The new exhibition will propel families up into space where mystery, intrigue, and rocket-loads of silly and surprising science await. You’ll get to venture through a series of cosmic zones, walk in the shoes of astronauts, explore the life-giving energy of the sun, marvel at mysterious moons, and discover far-off weird worlds.
Left teetering on the edge of our Solar System, explorers will then find themselves staring into the dark depths of space, on the lookout for any extra-terrestrial life that could be staring back.
Whether its sniffing astronauts’ smelly socks, dancing on an alien disco planet, feeling the tremors from a mysterious moonquake, or launching a space rocket, organisers say this new adventure will engage all the senses in a truly immersive experience.
This is the first time Horrible Science has been brought to life as a major exhibition.
The Science and Industry Museum has announced a new major exhibition taking visitors on an ‘epic space adventure’ / Credit: BBC | Science Museum Group
Visitors will get to see familiar characters from the BBC series – like Dr Big Brain, in particular – on their mission to find out more about our fascinating Solar System through interactive experiments, playful challenges, and sensory exploration.
The exhibition is being developed by the Science and Industry Museum in collaboration with producers of the Horrible Science TV show, BBC Children’s and Education, and Lion Television, together with Scholastic, who are publishers of the much-loved Horrible Science book series by Nick Arnold and illustrated by Tony De Saulles.
‘Unmissable’ objects from the Science Museum Group’s world-class space collection will also be on show when the exhibition premieres.
Horrible Science: Cosmic Chaos will open at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester on 13 February 2026 for an 11-month run before heading down to London, and tickets are now on sale priced at £10 – with family discounts available, and under-threes going free.
Manchester Cathedral to host charity Christmas carols service to raise money for local NHS hospitals
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Cathedral will be hosting a charity Christmas carols service to raise money for our local NHS hospitals.
Organised by Manchester NHS Foundation Trust Charity and now in its twelfth year, Christmas Carols in the City will take place in the spectacular surroundings of Manchester Cathedral in a couple of weeks time, and it’s sounding set to be an enchanting experience for the whole family to be involved with this festive season.
The Grade I-listed Manchester Cathedral is one of our city’s most unique buildings, with the Gothic architecture truly being a thing to behold.
Christmas Carols in the City is being described as a ‘great way’ to start the festive season in style.
Hosted by Hits Radio’s Mike Toolan and sponsored by PG Tips, performances on the night will come from local Manchester choirs.
The event is family-friendly and festive fun for everyone, all while raising funds for the Foundation Trust’s family of NHS Manchester hospitals.
Every penny raised from this year’s event will help to build and run a MediCinema on the Oxford Road hospital campus, which will aim to bring the ‘therapeutic magic of the movies’ to patients of all ages cared for by hospitals such as Manchester Royal Infirmary, Saint Mary’s Hospital, Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.
Manchester Cathedral is hosting a charity Christmas carols service to raise money for our local NHS hospitals / Credit: Supplied
With room for wheelchairs, hospital beds, and medical equipment, and supported by dedicated nurses and trained volunteers, the new MediCinema will offer 260 screenings a year of the latest releases, alongside much loved film favourites.
In recognition of the MediCinema Appeal, Christmas Carols in the City will feature some much-loved Christmas movie classics at this year’s concert too.
Christmas Carols in the City will return to Manchester Cathedral for 2025 on Tuesday 11 December, with doors opening from 7pm and tickets now on sale.
Emily Sergeant -
9th May 2023 
