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There’s a Brexit Escape Room in Manchester and it’s scarily realistic

Leave or Remain?

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Whichever side of the Brexit debate you’re on, the one thing I think we can all be united in is the fact that the whole process has been a complete unremitting disaster, which has not only divided the country, but also made us an international laughing stock. Merry Christmas!

With much of the debate just seeming to centre around people on both sides trying to shout or condescend their opinion into the brains of people with a differing view, a bit of a light-hearted escape from the whole thing sounded fun to me. An escape room, to be more precise. 

Alternate Escapes, one of the residents at the new Pollard Yard, located on Pollard Street next to Wellington Mill – a hub for creative independent businesses housed in repurposed shipping containers, run by a company called Meanwhile Creative – offers themed escape room challenges. The current theme is The Battle of Brexit and there are new themes in the pipeline for 2020.  

Ben Fowler, the man behind Alternate Escapes, explains: “The escape room is about giving people the chance to take a fairly exhausting, serious topic, and enjoy it in a far more light-hearted and satirical way”. 

Before you start you have to pick a side: Remain or Leave. We picked Remain, and you have a quick introduction in a separate cabin to go over the rules.

The set up being that our host is our campaign manager, and he has surreptitiously gained access to our rivals HQ for a short time and in the true spirit of real life Brexit, our objective is to try and gather sensitive, confidential information to besmirch our rivals by seeding their grubby secrets out to the press. 

It’s not really a case of escaping per se, but if you get all the secret documents, you succeed in destroying your rivals credibility, and ultimately win your chosen Brexit outcome. Or you fail, and they win. 

It was at this moment I made a decision. When I was younger, if there was a big football game approaching, I’d often play the game virtually on Fifa beforehand, deciding that whatever the outcome on Fifa would be the outcome in real life in some sort of inexplicable cosmic quirk, with myself at the centre of the universe. 

That’s what I decided would happen with Brexit, 100%, without question. Whatever happened in our Battle of Brexit escape room would manifest in real life. 

Naturally, being an escape room, they haven’t made it easy. In order to get our hands on confidential documents we have to work out access to various cupboards, drawers, cabinets, lockers and rooms by following a series of cryptic clues dotted around, with our campaign manager watching over from our HQ and able to provide clues on a screen occasionally, for which you’re notified by a little gong sound.


One such gong during our session was to dissuade one of our team Danny from trying to hack into a tablet, which we weren’t quite ready to use at that stage as we hadn’t discovered the clue to do so yet. 

While Danny didn’t quite manage to hack into the rival’s profile, he did somehow manage to log out of it completely and, impressively, hack in to the Alternate Escapes chap’s girlfriend’s personal profile, which we quickly were notified wasn’t part of our game, leaving us having to un-hack and re-hack back in when we were ready.  It was some serious espionage. 

I’ve done a couple of escape rooms before, with mixed success and experiences, and this one was well put together, good fun, and actually quite tough. It’s a simple-looking layout at first, but the complexity of it builds out as the game progresses. 

We had waves of being pretty prolific, then hitting a roadblock, with each new discovery greeted with a collective cheer. With actual seconds to spare, we managed to get the last clue and succeed in getting all documents, meaning that we won. 

Therefore, the cosmos has spoken, the outcome of Brexit will be Remain

Then again, if the universe was as aligned around me as I like to think, England would have won every major football tournament since about 1998 based purely on my Fifa endeavours, so I won’t hold my breath. 

To find out more info visit the website here.

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Music legend Stevie Nicks is coming to Manchester’s Co-op Live this summer 

The legendary singer-songwriter is coming to Manchester this year!

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Co-op Live

Legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks is coming to Manchester’s Co-op Live this summer.

The front woman of the iconic band Fleetwood Mac will take to the stage at the brand new arena – set to open this spring – to the delight of her adoring fans on Tuesday, July 9th.

Nicks will perform in Manchester ahead of her upcoming appearance at BTS in London’s Hyde Park on July 12th.

Co-op Live

Speaking about her upcoming show in London, Nicks said: “Anything that draws me back to London – and therefore to England – fills my heart with joy. And to be able to visit and make music… is always a dream come true…”

Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975 along with her then partner and fellow Mac band member, Lindsey Buckingham. 

She introduced to the band her distinctive voice, poetic songwriting, and captivating stage presence, winning over the love of audiences worldwide.

Co-op Live

Her impact on Fleetwood Mac’s success during the late 1970s and early 1980s, particularly with the release of the highly acclaimed album Rumours, solidified her as a musical powerhouse. 

This record sold over 40 million copies worldwide, making it the 5th best-selling album of the 1970s and the 9th best-selling album of all time.

Beyond her contributions to Fleetwood Mac, Nicks has had a significant solo career that further cements her enduring influence. 

Co-op Live

Hits including ‘Edge of Seventeen’ and ‘Stand Back’ showcase her versatility and unique style. 

Her ability to transcend musical boundaries, coupled with her trailblazing role as a woman in rock, has inspired generations of artists.

Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Fleetwood Mac in 1998 and as a solo artist in 2019, Stevie Nicks continues to be celebrated not only for her musical prowess but also as a symbol of resilience and creativity in the ever-evolving musical landscape.

Co-op members will be first in line for tickets at Co-op Live before they go on general sale, including other exclusive benefits – get signed up HERE.

Co-op member presale tickets go live at 12pm on March 20th

General sale tickets go live at 12pm on March 22nd.

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LEGO hosting series of FREE interactive workshops for kids in Greater Manchester

Children will be encouraged to get creative and ‘play unstoppable’

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LEGO & dollyhaul / Flickr

LEGO is set to host a series of FREE interactive workshops in Greater Manchester next month.

From next month, youngsters who love to build things with Lego can take part in the workshops held at the LEGO Toy Shop in Manchester Arndale and LEGO Store at the Trafford Centre, as part of a new campaign aimed at championing and standing up for girls’ creativity.

The LEGO Group wants to encourage kids across Greater Manchester and the rest of the UK to ‘play unstoppable’.

The first in-person ‘Creativity Workshops’ are set to kick start in Greater Manchester for the last two Sundays of April.

The workshops will be held on Sunday April 21st and 28th – with online options available for those who are unable to make it in person.

Aimed at young creators aged 6-12, the workshops are focused on themes such as Entertainment, Space, Imagination and Gaming.

Here, young creators can ‘celebrate their star power’ by building a photo frame to display a picture of an achievement, friends and family, or anything they wish to celebrate. Other builds include a name sign, jewellery stand and more.

dollyhaul / Flickr

Staff at the stores will be on hand to help and guide children as they use their imaginations and build away.

For those children who are unable to make the workshops in-person, there will also be online workshops as part of the ‘Creativity at Home’ series – with the first ones set to be hosted by Strictly’s Dianne Buswell.

These are all about ‘fun and entertainment and decorating your room’ to reflect a piece of you.

The celebrity professional dancer will show children and show families how to create fun LEGO builds to decorate their home with.

Tickets to the workshops are FREE, but make sure to book them in advance on the LEGO as they are expected to be snapped-up fast. For tickets, click HERE.

The online Creativity at Home workshops are available now at www.LEGO.com/Creativity-Workshops.

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Stockport to host FREE cultural weekender festival this month

There will be fun and festivities for all the family

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Stockport Council

Stockport is set to host a free-to-attend cultural weekender filled with parades, workshops, comedy, live music, theatre and much, much more.

The town will be hosting a huge celebration this month as residents can come together for a two-day, fun-packed weekend of cultural festivities and access to must-visit venues, free of charge.

The Stockport Town of Culture Weekender promises fun all ages can enjoy, with more than 50 events lined up across 25 locations.

Stockport Council

Taking place over the weekend of March 23rd and 24th, the Town of Culture Weekender will showcase the incredible variety of culture and creativity happening in Stockport.

Marking the end of its Greater Manchester Town of Culture status with a bang, visitors will be encouraged to explore new spaces while enjoying an event programme packed with live music, art, comedy and history.

Some of the fantastic events visitors can expect include Carnival of the Animals parade, live music, comedy acts, music, theatre and dance performances, sports workshops, gardening, crafts, history tours, free entry to local venues and more.

Stockport Council

The newly opened centre park – a lush greenspace built on the rooftop of the town’s brand new transport interchange – which will play host to several activities planned across the weekend.

Music and dance will also be showcased at venues including Merseyway Shopping Centre, AMP, Petersgate Tap, Magnet, Spinning Top and the Market Place.

Meanwhile, Stockport Library will be providing all the fun for the little ones with a Bluey Day, featuring games and crafts based on the popular animated series.

Stockport Council

A series of walks, tours and activities will also take place across the weekend, including a Hatting Walk and Stockport Music Walk, taking visitors on a fascinating journey through the town’s heritage.

The War Memorial Gallery will also be hosting the Stockport Rising Exhibition, showcasing the works of five local celebrated artists.

For those who are interested in exploring the town’s many attractions, many will be offering free entry for all, including the newly re-opened Hat Works Museum, Air Raid Shelters and Stockport Museum.

Stockport Council

Councillor Mark Hunter, Leader of Stockport Council, said: “It will be wonderful to celebrate the end of our town of culture year with such a big extravaganza in the town centre, with so much to keep the whole family entertained. 

“We hope this event will showcase just what we have achieved this year. It’s been wonderful to see residents and visitors enjoying all we have to offer culturally as a borough, whether going to an event or exhibition, shopping in the town centre or one of our district centres or enjoying a bite to eat.

“With help from everyone who has helped organise Town of Culture, we have facilitated and created a positive impression of the borough and a lasting legacy of creativity in the arts with Stockport Makes and Stockport Sounds, the ways in which we’ve helped residents get active with Stockport Moves and the wonderful cuisine we have on offer with Stockport Tastes.”

Stockport Council

“We’ve shown that Stockport is on the up and the place to be, now and in the future,” he added.

Councillor Frankie Singleton, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Sport at Stockport Council, said: “There will be so much to see and do over the Stockport Town of Culture Weekender. 

“So, save the date and make your way to the Town Centre to enjoy all the fun with your friends and family as we bring the curtain down on a fantastic year in Stockport with the Town of Culture Weekender.”

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