Families will be able to “tumble down the rabbit hole” and be transported to Alice’s Wonderland at RHS Garden Bridgewater this month.
The Royal Horticultural Society is partnering with Macmillan Publishers to celebrate 150 years of Alice in Wonderland – bringing a series of themed events to the RHS Gardens in Worsley for the summer holidays.
The £44 million garden attraction – located off Leigh Road in Worsley – opened its gates to the public earlier this spring, and is set to take inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s iconic novel for August.
Visitors can view the new garden through the eyes of Alice, meet their favourite characters, and enjoy performances, storytelling, minibeast hunts, planting and craft workshops, and so much more.
The classic stories Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There have been reimagined for contemporary audiences by multi-award-winning illustrator Chris Riddell.
ADVERTISEMENT
There’ll also be a range of Alice books and merchandise available to buy from the Garden Centre on site, too.
Here’s a full list of what’s happening.
ADVERTISEMENT
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQx8nABAA5E/
Wonderland Wednesdays
28 July – 25 August
You can immerse yourself in another world on Wonderland Wednesdays by enjoying a picnic with your favourite characters, dressing up in your best mad hatter hat, taking part in competitions, and tucking into wonderful treats in the café.
Alice and Friends
24 July – 1 August
ADVERTISEMENT
Not only will there be theatre performances throughout the day on Monday 26 and Tuesday 27, you can also see which Wonderland characters you can find in the woodland, and then join in with themed crafts (Wednesday 28 July) or planting workshops (Thursday 29 and Friday 30 July).
Relax with Alice-themed family yoga (Saturday 31 July at 11.30am), or get immersed in storytelling (Saturday 24, Sunday 25 July and Sunday 1 August from 11am).
Looking Glass Beasts
9 August – 15 August
Alice meets all sorts of weird and wonderful creatures on her trip through the looking glass, but what can we find in our world?
You can see real-life birds of prey with Wild Wings Birds of Prey on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 August from 11am – 3.30pm, and get up close with fantastic creepy crawlies with ZooLab on Monday 9 and Thursday 12 August from 11am-4pm.
ADVERTISEMENT
Wonder-Landscapes
16 August – 31 August
Head out on your own Wonderland adventure and take part in Alice-themed crafts on Wednesday 25 August.
You can also discover the fascinating world of cacti and succulents at Cactus World Live on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 August – with displays and family activities on offer to get you growing at home.
The £44 million attraction is the first RHS Garden to be located in an urban area / Credit: RHS Garden Bridgewater
Speaking ahead of Alice in Wonderland’s arrival to the garden this summer, Richard Green – Head of Site at RHS Garden Bridgewater – said: “We’re thrilled to be bringing the gardens to life with Chris Riddell’s amazing interpretation of Alice in Wonderland.
“We know this will resonate with members and visitors – especially families -and add a new dimension to their garden visit.”
ADVERTISEMENT
“We are delighted to be working with the RHS again and that the team has chosen Chris Riddell’s Alice as the inspiration for their summer theme in this anniversary year,” added Alyx Price, Associate Publisher at Macmillan Children’s Books.
“Alice is all about curiosity and discovery, and this can all be explored in a fun and engaging way in the RHS’ beautiful gardens.
“It will be a wonderful visit for all ages.”
You can find more information about Wonderland: Summer Holiday Activities via the RHS Garden Bridgewater website here.
Featured Image – RHS Garden Bridgewater
What's On
New CGIs released of Hilton’s fancy 144-bedroom hotel in Wigan town centre
Emily Sergeant
Some new CGIs have given us a sneak peak inside Hilton’s fancy 144-bedroom hotel soon to open in Wigan town centre.
In case this is the first you’re hearing of the development, Wigan Council announced back in March 2024 in collaboration with its development partner Cityheart that it had signed a franchise agreement with world-renowned hotel brand, Hilton, for a stunning six-storey Hampton by Hilton hotel pop up right in the heart of Wigan town centre, just off Market Street.
The new venture forms part of the Greater Manchester town’s £135 million redevelopment of the former Galleries Shopping Centre – which was approved in July 2023.
The hotel will be located directly-opposite the bus station entrance of New Market Street, and is within 500 yards of both town centre train stations.
It’s being called ‘one of the most important elements’ of the Galleries masterplan.
New CGIs have been released of Hilton’s fancy 144-bedroom hotel in Wigan town centre / Credit: Supplied
As well as the 144 bedrooms – with ‘accessible’ rooms to be built on each accommodation level – the new hotel will also house a gym overlooking the new square, a main reception area and dining space on the ground floor, meeting and conference rooms, and secure parking will be available for guests.
Dozens of staff are expected to be employed at the new hotel – which the Council says will provide a range of job opportunities for local residents.
Once complete, the hotel will form part of the exciting new town centre neighbourhood providing a new Market Hall and food court, more than 400 homes, bars, restaurants, and leisure uses, all designed to celebrate Wigan’s proud heritage and unique identity.
The new venture forms part of the Greater Manchester town’s £135 million redevelopment / Credit: Supplied
“It’s great to see the progress of this exciting Hampton by Hilton development, which not only plays a role in Wigan’s regeneration, but continues to strengthen our footprint in the North West,” commented Paul Blackmore, who is the Vice President of Development at Hilton UK & Ireland, as the CGIs were released this week.
“The ambition shown by Wigan Council and Cityheart to create a dynamic new hub for retail, leisure, business and living truly resonated with us, and we look forward to welcoming guests when the hotel opens in late 2027.”
Construction work will start on site in October 2025, with an expected opening of the new hotel in winter 2027.
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
Trafford Centre reveals Halloween events lineup with ‘nerve-shredding’ rides, creepy crafts, and more
Emily Sergeant
Spooky season is nearly upon us, and the Trafford Centre has now announced its lineup of Halloween activities to get stuck into.
With not long to go until schools across Greater Manchester break up for half term, and with Halloween within touching distance, the major shopping centre has revealed an exciting collection of events that’ll be happening over the next couple of weeks – and there’s activities for people of all ages.
From creepy crafts, to hair-raising rides and eerie evening entertainment, there’s something for every brave soul.
Back by popular demand from 25 October is the Halloween Fair, which will pop up outside The Great Hall featuring nerve-shredding rides, a spine-tingling atmosphere, carnival vibes, and loads more, right through until 2 November.
Brand new for 2025 is Fright Night at the fair, which is a truly immersive scare experience for daring teens and adults.
The Trafford Centre has revealed its Halloween events lineup for 2025 / Credit: Supplied
Fright Night will bring three evenings of pure horror from 30 October – 1 November, as creepy characters roam the fairground once the sun’s gone down.
For families wanting half term fun but looking for a gentler kind of magic, there’s a chance to join characters Wanda Web and Jack O’Lantern for some creepy crafts like relaxing pumpkin decorating, eerie face painting, and making your own witches and wizards hats to take home.
The legendary Big Wheel will also be returning for the festive season so you can ascend into the misty night sky high above the Trafford Centre for eerie nighttime views.
And to top it all off, Gandeys will be bringing back the fan-favourite ‘Spooktacular’ for 2025.
There’ll be ‘nerve-shredding’ rides, creepy crafts, and loads more to get involved with / Credit: Trafford Centre
“Halloween is one of the most exciting times of year for us at Trafford Centre, and this year’s lineup is bigger and better than ever,” commented Simon Layton, who is the Centre Director at Trafford Centre.
“From spine-chilling rides and late-night scares to pumpkin painting for the little ones, we’ve created an experience that everyone can enjoy. We can’t wait to welcome families, friends and thrill-seekers alike for a Halloween celebration like no other.”
Emily Sergeant -
2nd July 2021 
