Manchester landmark Victoria Baths is set to open as a swimming pool again this year.
The beautiful building hasn’t hosted a swimming session in three years but is planning a bumper event to make up for lost time.
The Big Splash will take place in September, complete with supper clubs, fancy dress and giant inflatables.
The Gala Pool at Victoria Baths dates back to 1906 but closed as a swimming baths in 1993.
Victoria Baths will reopen for a swimming event this September. Credit: Steve Allen
To refill and heat the pool now takes 96 hours, or four days, requiring the equivalent of 1500 baths-worth of water.
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Surrounding the Grade II-listed pool itself are 45 individual changing cubicles.
The Big Splash is the heritage venue’s biggest fundraising event of the year and all money raised from the swim tickets goes to protecting the building’s future.
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Inside Victoria Baths
Former swimming pool Victoria Baths
Credit: Steve Allen
For three days only, visitors will have a chance to see the space as it once was, thanks to United Utilities and a team of volunteers.
On the Friday night, there’ll be the chance to have a swim, then join in with a three-course supper club in one of the other former pools, hosted by The Sri Lankan Experience.
Tickets for the swim and supper club event cost £45.
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On the Saturday and Sunday, there will be lane swimming between 8am and 9am (£16 a session), with hot drinks and pastries served in the Tea Room.
Then the pool floats, including the Victoria Baths pink flamingos, will be back out from 9.30am until 4.15pm.
Elsewhere in the building there’ll be guided tours, exhibitions, access to the viewing gallery, choir performances, a kids’ art trail, a ‘Make, Do and Disco’ event, and talks.
Hip Hop Chip Shop will rock up with their food truck too.
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The Big Splash will take place on 9, 10 and 11 September. Tickets go on sale at 11am on Tuesday 5 July. Visit www.victoriabaths.org.uk for more information.
Featured image: Steve Allen
What's On
Huge canal-side charity walk for The Christie will pass local landmarks in Greater Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Mancs are being invited to head out on a huge organised walk along The Bridgewater Canal in the name of charity.
The beautiful route will pass some of Greater Manchester’s most recognisable landmarks, including Manchester United’s home ground at Old Trafford.
It’s all to raise money for The Christie and its world-class cancer centre, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.
The 5km walk will start at Trafford Palazzo and weave its way along the Bridgewater Canal to Castlefield, with entertainment at the start and music, street food and drinks at the end.
The new challenge is the biggest-ever charity event in the waterway’s 260-year history.
Peel L&P, who own and operate the Bridgewater Canal, have organised the charity walk and hope to get more than 500 people taking part on Sunday 4 June, raising tens of thousands of pounds for The Christie charity.
All abilities and paces will be welcome to walk along the route, which has plenty of space and accessible walkways.
The Bridgewater Canal walk will pass sights like Old Trafford. Credit: Unsplash
All money raised through The Bridgewater Way Walk will support The Christie’s pioneering bloods closer to home service.
The service allows patients to book their own appointments online at a time and location that suits them, with 11 convenient locations across Greater Manchester and Cheshire. It cuts down on travel times which can be draining for patients undergoing treatment.
The fundraising walk will take place along the picturesque and historic Bridgewater Canal, the 39-mile waterway that stretches between Runcorn and Leigh.
The canal was constructed more than 250 years ago by the Duke of Bridgewater to transport coal from his mine at Worsley in Greater Manchester efficiently and cheaply to the rapidly expanding towns and cities nearby.
The Bridgewater Canal in Castlefield. Credit: GeographWalkers will start the Bridgewater Canal walk at Trafford Palazzo. Credit: Trafford Palazzo
Notable sites along the walk will include Old Trafford football stadium, Lancashire County Cricket Club’s ground, The Trafford Centre and the Embassy Village site which will be the UK’s largest purpose-built village for rough sleepers, being delivered by Peel L&P and partners.
Anyone who signs up will receive fundraising tips, a sponsorship pack, and a free t-shirt to celebrate participating in The Bridgewater Way Walk in aid of The Christie, as well as a medal once walkers have completed the event.
To help with The Christie charity’s goal to support its bloods closer to home service, the organisers would like to ask everyone who takes part in The Bridgewater Way Walk in aid of The Christie to aim to raise a minimum sponsorship of £50.
Walkers will finish the Bridgewater Canal walk in Castlefield. Credit: Unsplash
Peter Parkinson, director Bridgewater Canal at Peel L&P said: “We are really looking forward to delivering this event in aid of The Christie charity. The Bridgewater Canal is a fantastic location with a fascinating history and is regularly enjoyed by many individuals and communities.
“This will be the biggest charity event to ever take place in The Bridgewater Canal’s history and we are excited to welcome so many new visitors to enjoy our accessible space which encourages wellness, connecting with nature and for walkers to see the iconic Manchester skyline from the canal side.”
Anna McIntosh, major relationships development manager at The Christie charity, said: “We are extremely excited that Peel L&P is creating this event to support The Christie and its Bloods Closer to Home service.
“This type of support means a huge amount to The Christie and funds raised from this event will directly improve services and helps us to support patients by making treatments more accessible in the surrounding area for many years to come.”
Kate Holland, head of charity and community initiatives for The Peel Group said: “We are proud supporters of The Christie charity and the pioneering research and support it provides to those affected by cancer. We wanted to create an event utilising one of Peel L&P’s most historic assets, whilst promoting the health benefits of walking and exercising as well as raising much needed funds for such an important charity to our region.
“We hope that lots of families, friends, teams and individuals feel encouraged to take part in this inclusive event, going at their own pace and enjoying the surroundings of the scenic Bridgewater Canal whilst raising much-needed funds for The Christie to support its services.”
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You can sign up now to take part in The Bridgewater Way Walk in aid of The Christie on Sunday 4 June by visiting the website here: bridgewaterwaywalk.co.uk.
Sign up prices are £15 per adult, £8 per child under 16, £38 for a family (two adults, two children) and £65 for a team of five adults.
Featured image: Supplied
What's On
Fall Out Boy announce massive Manchester gig on upcoming tour – how to get tickets
Daisy Jackson
Fall Out Boy have announced a huge UK and European tour, including a massive gig here in Manchester.
The legendary pop-punk group, who were behind hit songs like Sugar, We’re Goin Down and Dance, Dance, will be heading this way on their headline tour, So Much For (Tour) Dust.
Today, the Grammy Award-nominated noughties rock icons announced 15 dates, including a stop at the AO Arena on 29 October.
The new Fall Out Boy tour is in support of their forthcoming new album So Much (For) Stardust, which is due for release on 24 March 2023.
Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz, Andy Hurley and Joe Trohman surprised fans with a homecoming show in Chicago’s 1000-capacity Metro, which sold out immediately.
They first played the same venue back in September 2002, a pivotal gig in their huge career.
Patrick said on their return: “Twenty years ago, I told my mom I was going to take a semester off [college] because we were headlining Metro and I wanted to see how that would work out…”
Pete Wentz added: “Walking up those stairs is the closest thing this band will have to church.”
The show also featured the live public debut of both Love From The Other Side and Heartbreak Feels So Good, two tracks from the new album.
Fall Out Boy have recently taken part in The Hella Mega Tour, alongside Green Day and Weezer, playing in front of more than one million fans across the globe.
So Much (For) Stardust is Fall Out Boy’s eighth studio album and first since 2018’s M A N I A, which garnered a GRAMMY nomination for Best Rock Album.
Fans who pre-order the new album from falloutboy.lnk.to/store/ will get exclusive pre-sale access to UK and Europe tour tickets, with the pre-sale going live at 4pm on Wednesday 8 February.
General tickets will be available for purchase from 10am Friday 17 February.
Fall Out Boy will be joined by PVRIS and nothing.nowhere. on all European dates.
Daisy Jackson -
4th July 2022 
