Meet at the Robert Owen statue, Cooperative Bank, Balloon Street, Manchester, M60

This walk will explore Manchester’s radical history including the Cooperative movement, The Clarion newspaper, Marx and Engels, Peterloo, Chartism, The General Strike and rioting in Albert Square. You will also find out what happened the day Manchester was captured by a Scottish army.

The walk will be led by Michael Herbert. Michael has been researching, writing and talking about Manchester’s history for many years. He has an MA in the History of Manchester and is a former editor of the North West Labour History Journal and is currently a Trustee of the Working Class Movement Library. His first book Never Counted Out! The Story of Len Johnson, boxer and communist was published in 1992. His second book The Wearing of the Green: a political history of the Irish in Manchester was published in 2001. He is a regular contributor to the Manchester’s Radical History website radicalmanchester.wordpress.com

More information about the walk: mossley@phonecoop.coop

Cancer Research UK is holding a charity fundraising walk, called Shine Manchester, in and around central Manchester on the evening of Saturday 17th April 2010 and both men and women over 16 years of age can apply to take part.

Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research and their work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has saved millions of lives.

The event is a unique night-time charity fundraising walking marathon that is likely to be very popular in the City.

Participants will raise money by walking a designated route through Manchester passing well known landmarks along the way. Participants will have the option of embarking on the full marathon (26 miles) or 13 mile half marathon.

They can chose from 12 different types of cancer to fundraise for such as Ovarian cancer, Lung cancer, Leukemia or Prostate cancer.

Shine Manchester 2010 will start at Manchester Central (formerly GMEX) at 10.00 pm on the 17th.

The route includes large sections of Manchester town centre and goes as far south as Withington and Burnage and west to the Trafford Centre. The route takes in many of the city’s greatest sites such as Old Trafford, Manchester Town Hall and Cancer Research UK’s The Paterson Institute.

You can apply to take part now and it costs £30.00 per person.

You can also find out much more about the event on the Shine Manchester website where you can learn about the different ways you can raise money for Shine and all the different ways you can get involved.

Following on from last years success, the Spinningfields Winter Ice Rink is better than ever this year and promises an enjoyable day out for all the family.

The fun starts on the 12th November 2009 when the rink opens. It will stay open (except Christmas Day) until 3rd January 2010.

Spinningfields, Manchester’s newest business and entertainment quarter, is located just off Deansgate, Manchester, between Bridge Street, Quay Street and the River Irwell. The Ice Rink is located on Hardman Boulevard.

The organisers of the Spinningfields Christmas Ice Rink promise…..

“……….a winter wonderland complete with dazzling ice rink and exciting new attractions including a magical carousel ride and temporary arctic bar The North Pole..”

The Spinningfields area has lots of places to eat and drink and the temporary winter ‘pop-up’ bar, The North Pole, will also be in Spinningfields this year. The North Pole is the creation of Manchester events organisers, Ear To The Ground, the organisation responsible for the the North Pole bar located outside the Urbis.

Skating sessions last for just under an hour, and ticket prices include the cost of hiring the skates. Organisers recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before your chosen session starts. Ticket prices vary and prices go up a little in the run up to the Christmas period and the dates and some of the ticket prices are as follows:-

12th November to 13th December 2009

Adults (aged 17 and over): £7.50
Senior (aged 60 and over): £6.50
Student: £6.50 (on production of NUS)
Youth (age 13 to 16): £6.50
Child (12 and under): £5
Child (under 5): Free

14th December to 3rd January 2010

Adults (aged 17 and over): £8.50
Senior (aged 60 and over): £7.50
Student: £7.50 (on production of NUS)
Youth (13 to 16): £7.50
Child (12 and under): £6
Child (under 5): Free

Family tickets and other discounts are available.

Spinningfields Ice Rink is closed on 25th December 2009 and has reduced opening times on the 26th December 2009 and 1st January 2010.

You can find a full list of opening times and session times as well as ticket prices and details on the Spinningfields Ice Rink website.

Its now the bonfire and fireworks season and there are a number of safe, family events being organised across Greater Manchester.

As there are so many events going on I have only listed events advertised on the Salford Council and Manchester Council websites. Apologies if you are looking for events in other local authority areas.

Council events are well organised and provide a safe environment for you to get the best out of every event you attend.

So here are details of some of the events going on between Friday 30th October and Friday 6th November in and around Manchester and Salford in November 2009.

Friday 30th October:

Debdale Park – M18 7LJ
Meet at the Event Field. Fireworks: 7.30pm and bonfire starts thereafter
Contact: 0161 223 8278.

Saturday 31st October:

Halloween Magic Garden
Lantern parade and animated magic garden includes a children’s pre-event party.
Parade 5.00-7.00pm Party 3.00-5.00pm
Albert Park, off Great Cheetham Street, Broughton.
Ranger Team 0161 793 4219

Witches Walk
Be afraid…be very afraid. The Witches Walk is back at Blackleach Country Park and it’s scarier than ever with more magic, mystery and mayhem on this popular walk. Please be aware that the trails will be very dark and uneven. 5.00-8.00pm
Meet at the Visitors Centre, Blackleach Country Park, John Street, Walkden, M28 3TD.

Monday 2nd November:

Crumpsall Park – M8 5SA
Family funfair and fireworks event: 6 – 8pm
Contact: 0161 795 2650.

Cringle Park – M19 3SD.
Meet at the Main Field. Family funfair and fireworks event: 6 – 8pm.
Contact: 0161 223 8278.

Tuesday 3rd November:

Philips Park – M11 4DQ.
Family funfair and fireworks event 5.30 -7.30pm – Sportcity (car park 6) http://www.medlockvalley.org.uk
Contact: 0161 223 8278

Brookdale Park – M40 1PE
Family funfair and fireworks event 6 – 8pm
Contact: 0161 795 2650.

Wednesday 4th November:

Boggart Hole Clough – M9 7DF
Family funfair and fireworks event 5.30 – 8.30pm
Contact: 0161 795 2650

Lighting the Legend presents ‘Green Bananas’
An amazing night-time spectacle at a secret location on the Quays. Join the lantern parade to the site of ‘Green Bananas’, a magical story inspired by real events and stories from the working people of the docks. Plus fireworks.
Meet at Fit City Ordsall at 6.30pm

Thursday 5th November:

Heaton Park- MetroLink Bonfire and Firework Display – M25 2SW
Meet at the Papal Fields event site. Firework display and funfair 7.30pm and bonfire 8pm. http://www.heatonpark.org.uk
Contact: 0161 773 1085

Wythenshawe Park – M23 0AB
Funfair and food area 4pm, fireworks 7.30pm and bonfire 8pm.
Contact: 0161 998 2117

Platt Fields Park – M14 6LP
Meet at the show field. Firework display and bonfire 7.30pm.
Contact: 0161 224 2902

Buile Hill Park Bonfire Night
Introducing a fantastic sculptured bonfire with a hidden secret. There will be a magnificent firework display and fairground rides for children.
Bonfire lit at 7.15pm, fireworks 7.30pm, fairground 6.00-9.00pm
Buile Hill Park, Salford, M6 8GL

Peel Park Bonfire, Little Hulton
Traditional bonfire and fireworks organised by local volunteers working with Salford Ranger Team
Bonfire 7.00pm, fireworks 7.30pm
Peel Park, Manchester Road West, Little Hulton, M38 9EG
Ranger Team 0161 793 4219

Friday 6th November:

Irlam Bonfire and Fireworks at Prince’s Park
Bonfire, stunning firework display and children’s fairground rides.
6.00-9.00pm; bonfire at 7.00pm and fireworks at 7.30pm
Prince’s Park, Liverpool Road, Irlam.

For up to date details of bonfire and fireworks events in Manchester and Salford visit the Salford Council and Manchester Council websites.

There are two organised events in Stockport………

Light in the Night – Bonfire Blast – A Stockport Civic Bonfire will be held at Heaton Norris Park sponsored by local charity “Calvary Chapel” on Thursday 5th November, 2009. (Heaton Norris Park, Love Lane, Stockport, SK4 1JA). The schedule for the evening is:-

5:45 pm – Doors open
6:30 pm – Bonfire lit
7:30 pm – Fireworks
9:00 pm – Event over

For more information phone 0161 443 2327 or visit Stockport Council’s website.

Marple Guides and Scouts Bonfire and Firework Display will be held at Brabyns Park, Brabyns Brow, Marple on 7th November 2009.

The schedule for the evening is:-

7:00pm – Bonfire
7:30pm – Fireworks
8:30pm – Finish

For more information visit Stockport Council’s website.

Sometimes there is so much going on in Manchester that you can miss really exciting events and I think Revolution Cycling is one of these events. Revolution Cycling is a new approach to competitive cycling of which Manchester should be very proud of.

For those of you who have not encountered Revolution Cycling before, this is a new style of cycling event in the UK. If you think that cycling competitions are outdoor road races like the Tour de France, then you will find Revolution Cycling very different. Revolution Cycling has been designed to increase spectator appeal and revolutionise the way people think about competitive cycling.

This year, Season 7 will see some exciting developments including team competitions in addition to the more traditional head-to-head racing seen in previous competitions. Revolution Cycling’s website puts it like this……..

Each event includes feature races ranging from revenge matches to pro celebrity events. The racing is fast and the atmosphere is electrifying with non stop action, music and other attractions providing a night at the races for cycling and non-cycling fans alike.

This year’s participants include Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, Victoria Pendleton and Nicole Cooke. Previous seasons have welcomed top road pros such as Gilberto Simoni, Yaroslav Popovych, David Millar and Brad McGee, as well as well known cyclists Franco Ballerini, Rolf Sorensen and Andrea Tafi.

The venue for Revolution Cycling, Season 7, is Manchester Velodrome, (The National Cycling Centre, Stuart Street, Manchester, England, M11 4DQ) and the confirmed dates for Season 7 are:

Saturday 14th November 2009
Saturday 5th December 2009
Saturday 16th January 2010
Saturday 27th February 2010

At the time of writing, tickets are still available and you can find out more about Revolution Cycling and buy tickets for the events at the Revolution website.

If the answer is Yes then Mancunian and Beatle fan Paul Wilde would like to hear from you. Manchester played an important part in the early success of the Fab Four. However, Manchester’s role is not always recognised. Thats why Paul has asked for people to come forward and tell him more about the Beatles in Manchester.

Paul runs the Beatles In Manchester web site which documents the Beatles visits to, and performances in, Manchester. Paul is looking for anecdotes, photographs, printed material and reminiscences relating to the Beatles in Manchester. Manchester gave John, George, Paul and Ringo a number of ‘firsts’ before any other town!

Paul invites people to email their personal stories of any Beatles encounters. This could be something as simple as being in the audience at local venues, seeing them in a hotel or just about any encounter you remember. Paul plans to build up a historical document of the Beatles in Manchester for future generations.

Do you remember the Beatles at the ABC in Ardwick in 1963….? If you missed it, here is a great Pathe newsreel – The Beatles Come To Town – showing the Beatles arrival at the venue and excerpts from the classic concert.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=E_GRLfW9PI4

Please visit Paul’s site TheBeatlesInManchester.co.uk to learn more about the Beatles in Manchester and to see if you can help Paul with his worthwhile project.

This year Manchester’s very own Literature Festival will take place from the 15th to the 25th, October 2009.

Started in 2006, this Festival has grown and grown and now occupies 26 diverse and varied venues across Manchester, including the Cornerhouse (70 Oxford Street
Manchester, M1 5NH), The Midland Hotel (16 Peter St, Manchester, M60 2DS‎), Manchester Buddhist Centre (16-20 Turner St, Manchester, M4 1DZ) and the Urbis (Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, M4 3BG‎).

Writers taking part in this festival include authors from a wide range of genres including Martin Amis, Will Self, Joan Bakewell, Eoin Colfer, Jimmy McGovern, Jeff Noon and Fay Weldon.

While the main festival is on from the 15th to the 25th October, a few events take place outside of the Festival period.

There is a ‘Margaret Atwood Trailblazer’ event on Tuesday 1st September 2009, at Manchester Cathedral (Victoria Street, Manchester, M3 1SX) to launch her new dystopian novel The Year of the Flood. Tickets are still available at the time of writing.

Martin Amis & Will Self will be at the The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama, Cosmo Rodewald Hall (The University of Manchester, Bridgeford St, Manchester, UK, M13 9PL) on Monday 12th October 2009, where they will “debate and share thoughts on the sometimes complex relationship between the world’s great literature and sex.” Tickets are still available at the time of writing.

However, the 10 day Festival commences properly on the morning of the 15th October with a schools only event at Borders, Manchester Fort, (Manchester Fort Shopping Park
Cheetham Hill Road, Cheetham Hill, M8 8EP) successful children’s author Tom Palmer who specialises in football themed novels.

The easiest way to find out whats happening is to visit the Manchester Literature Festival website, where you can see whats on offer, download the Festival brochure and also book tickets for many of the festival events.

Day’s Hotel, is a modern, hotel and conference center located in central Manchester. The Day’s Hotel, also known as the Manchester Conference Centre, is located close to many of the City’s retail, cultural and entertainment venues and is easy to get to by public transport and by car.

The Festival of Fantastic Films is, of course, about the cream of science fiction, fantasy and horror film. Its amazing to think that Manchester has been home to such a prestigious event. There is a great line up of movie personalities scheduled to appear over the three days of the festival, who include Derren Nesbitt, Emily Booth and Jenny Handey.

Top quality film highlights include “Night of the Living Dead 3D”, “Meatball Machine” and “Embodiment Of Evil”. There will also be a diverse range of other films being shown over the course of the festival. Add to this movie related auctions, discussions and panels and you can see why this is so popular amongst fans of the science fiction, fantasy and horror film genres.

Visit the festival website to find out more about whats on during the event, ticket price and directions to the festival location, Days Inn (Manchester Conference Center), in Manchester. fantastic-films.com/festival

The world famous squash tournament, the ATCO British Open Squash Championship will be in held in Manchester from 8th to 14th September, 2009. The British Open has been in existence for more than 80 years and Manchester is proud to host it in 2009.

The competition which lasts from 8th to 14th September features the cream of UK and world wide sporting talent. Top ranking competitors including elite male and female players such as Karim Darwish, Rachael Grinham and Nicol David will take their place amongst other top squash talents in an international line up, to battle it out for the tournament prize.

Some of the early rounds will be held at The Northern, (Palatine Rd, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 3YA), a racket sports venue located in Didsbury, in the south of Manchester. However, the main focus of the action in the later stages of the Open will be the all-glass squash court at the National Squash Centre (Sportcity, Gate 13 Rowsley Street, Manchester M11 3FF) from September 10th, onwards.

For more information about the British Open Squash Championships 2009 and to book tickets for the championship, visit the event website.

CreativeTourist.com describes itself as ‘Manchester’s guide for the creative tourist’, but I think the website will be just as interesting to Manchester’s own arts and culture loving communities, of which there are many.

The website is split into a number of sections including news, features, art, and city guides. There is also a blog, photo-stories, a section called backstory which explains Manchester’s history and an arts news section.

All together I was particularly impressed at the depth and range of arts covered by the site.  The site is developed to a high standard and covers a diverse range of arts media.

The site is edited by journalist Susie Stubbs, who amongst other things, writes the 2008 Manchester Blog Award winning, Travels With My Baby.

Creative Tourist was established by a consortium of 9 museums and galleries who got together to set up a website that promotes Manchester’s creative and artistic soul and its rich historical legacy. The website sums up its aspiration, as follows:-

“”………..We are rightly proud and passionate about this city of ours; we hope that, by reading about some of the things happening here, and finding out more about our outstanding historic collections, you’ll start to feel the same………..”

The nine organisations involved are listed below and they are the most higly respected arts and culture venues in Manchester. They are all well worth including in any visit to the City.

Cornerhouse, Manchester’s centre for contemporary visual arts and film
70 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 5NH

Imperial War Museum North, The northern venue of this group of museums, located in various parts of England.
The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1TZ

The Lowry, which includes theatres and an art gallery that includes the work of Salford artist L.S. Lowry
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ

Manchester Art Gallery, possibly Manchester’s best known art gallery
Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL

The Manchester Museum, A museum that is part of the University of Manchester
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL

Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI), The museum of Manchester’s scientific and industrial past.
Liverpool Road, Castlefield, Manchester, M3 4FP

People’s History Museum, a museum covering the history of working people in Britain, is currently under redevelopment and will reopen in late 2009.

Urbis, Manchester’s innovative exhibition centre of city life.
Urbis, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, M4 3BG

The Whitworth Art Gallery, shows modern and historic collections.
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER

There is a lot to celebrate about Manchester and the arts and cultural scene may well be the best outside London. So a site picking up the best of Manchester’s scene is long overdue.

Although, Creativetourist.com has only been up and running for a short time, it looks like its doing all of the right things.

If you are from Manchester, don’t be put off visiting because the site has been developed for tourists visiting Manchester. The site has lots to offer regardless of whether you are visiting or local.