One of Manchester’s most historic industrial spaces is set to play host to the RHS’s first-ever indoor gardening show next year.
Depot Mayfield has lived countless lives throughout the decades, but for four days next year, it’s set to be transformed into “an urban grower’s paradise”, as the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced plans to hold a brand-new ‘Urban Show’ for the first time ever.
Manchester‘s former railway station will be filled with small-space gardening inspirationto “encourage and inspire” city residents to grow plants for both indoor and outside areas.
Expected to be ‘very different’ to the RHS’s current roster of Flower Shows that are hosted annually all across the UK, the RHS Urban Show in Manchester will take inspiration from its industrial indoor city centre location by showcasing a range of ‘immersive experiences’ designed for those who live in cities with limited or no outdoor growing space.
The RHS is hosting its first indoor ‘urban’ flower show in Manchester city centre / Credit: RHS
While urban growing will be at the heart of the show, according to the RHS, the influence that horticulture has on interior design, art, wellness, and sustainability is also set to be explored over the four-day event.
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Innovative design inspiration for small city spaces will be accompanied by immersive plant installations, a host of talks, advice and practical workshops, and a carefully-curated selection of plant nurseries that will be selling a huge variety of houseplants and small-space friendly plants.
The RHS says it chose Manchester as the home of its first-ever Urban Show because of the city’s industrial landscape, but also as there’s been so much work done to make the city greener in recent years.
Mayfield Park, and Castlefield Viaduct in Manchester city centre / Credit: Studio Egret West | National Trust
“In recent years, there’s been a real gardening boom,” explained the RHS’s Director of Gardens & Shows, Helena Pettit.
“We believe more young people living in cities are now growing plants, and so we are so excited to be bringing a new RHS Show dedicated to urban gardening to the centre of Manchester next year.
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“The RHS Urban Show aims to bring gardening to a new audience and demonstrate that if you have plants you are a gardener. There is so much great work already happening across Manchester to make it greener, and we are excited to help support this growing movement.
📢 Introducing the brand new RHS Urban Show!
From 18 to 21 April 2024, we will transform Manchester's Depot Mayfield into a botanical paradise brimming with gardening inspiration for city dwellers 🌱
“We want to get even more people living in the UK’s second largest city inspired to grow plants and connect to the natural world.
“With over 80% of the UK population living in towns and cities, the new show will enable more urban dwellers to garden, especially where access to green spaces can be limited.”
The first RHS Urban Show in Manchester will take place from 18 – 21 April 2024.
Tickets for all 2024 RHS Shows go on sale to RHS members first on Monday 21 September, before being available to the general public on Monday 28 September, and you can grab yours here.
Featured Image – RHS
What's On
Chester Zoo is offering £1 tickets to families who ‘struggle to afford’ a festive day out
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo is offering £1 tickets this Christmas to families who may otherwise struggle to afford a festive day out.
Christmas is a time when many of us feel strapped for cash more than ever before, especially for those families on Universal Credit, which is why Chester Zoo is embracing the season of giving by offering thousands of locals the chance to visit the UK’s largest charity zoo for a fraction of the price of normal entry tickets.
The discounted tickets will be available for anyone claiming Universal Credit on visits from today (18 December) right up until New Year’s Eve (31 December), and they’ll need to be booked online in advance.
This brilliant initiative is a new addition to the zoo’s long-running Community Connections Scheme, which aims to reduce financial barriers to visiting for households and community groups.
Chester Zoo is offering £1 tickets to families on Universal Credit this festive season / Credit: Chester Zoo
Tickets priced at £1 will be available to people receiving Universal Credit, including claimants of Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance, and Housing Benefit.
Chester Zoo said the scheme is designed to help families on lower incomes enjoy the zoo during the festive period and connect with nature.
“We know that spending time outdoors and around wildlife can have a really positive impact on people, and we hope this helps more families enjoy a special day out together over the festive period, especially when this time of year can be difficult for many,” commented Charlotte Smith, who is Chester Zoo’s Director of Conservation Education.
“We hope this brightens the season for many more households.”
A maximum of six people per household can attend under the scheme – with children aged 12 months and under and carers admitted free of charge.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
What's On
A candlelit Queen tribute concert is returning to Manchester
Danny Jones
Yes, you read that right: a candlelit tribute concert to the one and only Queen is coming to Manchester city centre.
In fact, it’s coming home, as this wonderful event started right here in 0161 back in 2021.
Concerts by Candlelight themselves host concerts up and down the country at various points throughout the year, but their much-loved ‘Queen by Candlelight‘ special knows all about lighting up Manc venues.
Having since gone on to become an internationally acclaimed live concert experience, we’re glad we still get to see the ‘Princes of the Universe’ on our doorstep.
Credit: Concerts by Candlelight (supplied)
With the likes of Bridgewater Hall and the magical Manchester Monastery all having played host to the promotion on many ocassions, this time Queen by Candlelight is coming to the legendary Manchester Opera House in the new year.
One of our most historic and legendary theatres, it’s only fitting, really, that they be chosen to welcome a night of equally iconic tunes.
But it’s worth reminding more casual fans that these aren’t just British rock and pop anthems; Queen‘s discography is one that still has global recognition to this day.
That’s why this specific show has been taken to virtually every corner of the world, with the incredibly talented cast of singers and musicians delighting audiences in Dubai, Australia, New Zealand and New York, to domestic crowds here in town and down in London’s West End.
‘Queenies’ or ‘Darlings’, as Freddie Mercury used to call them, can expect all the big hits, from ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘We Are The Champions’, to ‘It’s a Kind of Magic’ and ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’ and plenty more from the back catalogue.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store this coming January:
With tickets already flying out fast, we really would recommend securing your seats early before they inevitably sell out.
To quote the promoters themselves, “this spectacular celebration of Queen’s biggest hits is guaranteed to rock you.”
Coming to the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, 6 January, you can book your tickets for Queen by Candlelight right HERE.
And if you’ve never been to one of their candlelit events before, you only need to see how much of a ball we had at their country event earlier this year to find out how much fun they are…
Emily Sergeant -
25th August 2023 
