The UK’s largest festival of history and culture is returning later this year, and there’s thousands of free events on the lineup.
Following what was a smash-hit success, both here in Greater Manchester and nationwide, when it was here last year and over the three decades prior, the National Trust‘s ‘Heritage Open Days’ are back by popular demand in a couple of months time, and means loads of top attractions in the UK will be open to visit for free from this autumn.
‘Heritage Open Days’ are run by thousands of local organisations and volunteers, and they’re all about bringing people together to celebrate their culture, community, and history.
From historic houses, factories, and museums, to music halls, formal gardens, and graveyards, countless of places and spaces across the country will be open to the public again from this September, all without having to spend a penny.
‘Heritage Open Days’ is back by popular demand later this year / Credit: Paul Harris & Chris Lacey (via HODs)
Not only that, but thousands of other intriguing events, activities, and fun new experiences are on the lineup too, all centred around this year’s theme, ‘Routes – Networks – Connections‘.
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You can expect workshops, talks, hidden spaces, walks, family-friendly activities, and so much more.
Just a some of the experiences Brits can make the most of during this year’s 10-day festival include the chance to explore the history of Joseph Whitwell through the paths and waterways at Hollybush Conservation Centre in Leeds, with a self-guided tour celebrating his legacy in Yorkshire as the world’s largest forced rhubarb producer, and even the unique opportunity of going behind the scenes of helicopter emergency medical services at the East Anglian Air Ambulance base to discover how every second counts when saving lives.
How about discovering “a castle that’s not a castle, on an island that’s not an island”?
Well, you can do just that by venturing across the causeway to The Holy Island of Lindisfarne in Northumberland to discover the magic of Lindisfarne Castle – with a garden designed by Gertrude Jekyll blooming with summer flowers, 19th-century industrial lime kilns, and shoreline walks.
“The scale and diversity of Heritage Open Days is just incredible,” explained Liam Montgomery, who is the Marketing & Projects Manager at Heritage Open Days.
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There’ll be thousands of free events and activities to get involved with across the UK / Credit: Paul Harris (via HODs)
“Every year, thousands of passionate people help visitors to make doorstep discoveries and connect with history and heritage in every part of England.
“This year though, it will be extra special, as we will celebrate three decades-worth of stories and all the brilliant people and places that have made it, and continue to make it, all possible.”
‘Heritage Open Days’ will be running from 6-15 September this year, and you can find out more about this brilliant UK-wide event here.
Featured Image – Paul Harris (via HODs)
What's On
Manchester venue to host General Election ‘all nighter’ with results streamed live onto a big screen
Emily Sergeant
A General Election ‘all nighter’ where the results will be streamed live onto a big cinema screen is happening in Manchester next week.
Are we about to see the end of 14 years of Tory rule? Could it be a night to celebrate for Labour? May the Lib Dems, the Greens, and ever-growing raft of independent parties across the UK gain themselves some new constituencies? And, most importantly, will Count Binface finally grab that seat in the Houses of Parliament?
All these questions will (hopefully) be answered on General Election day next Thursday 4 July.
And if you fancy following along with all the action live from the second the polls close right through to the final results being revealed, then there’s a popular city centre venue hosing an ‘all nighter’ watch party event especially for it.
Happening at Cultplex – which is one of Manchester‘s favourite indie cinema venues, tucked away inside GRUB in the Green Quarter – politics fans will want to make sure they get themselves down there from 9:30pm sharp so they can grab a seat ahead of the exit polls and make their way through the many, many hours of crushing and dramatic announcements.
A full bar, a stocked-up supply of snacks, and “monumental amounts of coffee” will be on offer as the results are beamed live in 4k onto the venue’s full-sized cinema screen.
In a bid to try and keep everyone awake during the dull moments, the event will have its very-own host throughout the night, and, apparently, there’s also plenty of audience interaction planned too – including polls to enter, and optional tasks to complete, like putting in letters of ‘no confidence’ in the presenting skills of the BBC’s leading political figure, Laura Kuenssberg.
A Manchester venue to host General Election ‘all nighter’ with results streamed live onto a big screen / Credit: Lauren Hurley | Jessica Taylor (UK PARLIAMENT – via Flickr)
There’ll also be a second screen showing all the memes and ‘hot takes’ from social media too, so you won’t miss a thing.
And if you’re one of the brave souls who’s signed up to count the votes at the nearby AO Arena, then you can grab your first pint for free, if want to swing by the venue after your watch has ended.
Fancy it then? Tickets to Cultplex’s General Election 2024 LIVE are now on sale at a ‘pay-what-you-can’ rate, with a suggested donation of £6, and 100% of all ticket sales will go directly to the Trussell Trust.
Onda – inside Manchester’s most in-demand pasta kitchen as it opens its first restaurant
Daisy Jackson
Onda, the modest pasta kitchen that suddenly got so popular it was almost impossible to reserve a table, has branched out and opened its very first restaurant.
They grow up so fast.
The team behind the restaurant had been operating as a pop-up since spring 2023, first from the Exhibition food hall and then later at New Cross on the edges of Ancoats.
It was here in their second location that Onda suddenly hit the big time and found wildly viral fame, thanks to its tiramisu drawer.
Bookings went absolutely wild, to the point that people were waiting entire seasons to bag a seat.
It makes sense then that they have taken the chance to upscale their operation, and it’s time for Onda to open its very first proper restaurant.
They’ve taken up a unit at Circle Square, where similarly popular neighbours include Federal Cafe Bar.
The space is huge, and flooded with natural light, with an open central kitchen where customers can watch the magic happen.
Inside the new Onda restaurant in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Onda is founded by chef Sam Astley-Dean, who, along with his team, carefully makes all their pasta and pizza dough from scratch daily.
The tiramisu might have sent their popularity sky-high, but the quality and prices here prove that it deserves every bit of success coming its way. This place is not a novelty.
Dishes are reasonably priced and include spagetthi with garlic and breadcrumbs for £9 and pici with pecordino and black pepper for £9.50.
Pasta and pizzetta dishes at Onda in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
The menu then goes up to a scallop and Cornish crab agnolloti for a still-very-reasonable £15.
Along with the pasta, there’s a menu of pizzetta, with the option to amp up your crust with a generous showering of parmesan.
And it would be remiss of you to leave this place without having a scoop of their homemade tiramisu, scooped out of that refrigerator drawer that put Onda on the map in the first place.
You can book a table here, or walk-ins will be available from July.
Emily Sergeant -
10th June 2024 
