Here at OperaWatch offices in Northern Soul Towers, the staff are giddy with excitement. After a surreal visitation by the spirits of past, present and future, I have granted them a few extra days off ...

As we approach the end of 2024, we’re looking back at the things that have brought us immense comfort during the year. For the team at Northern Soul, books were once again a source of great joy, and ...

Since publication in 1952, when it won the Carnegie Medal for outstanding children’s book by a British author, Mary Norton’s The Borrowers has been constantly in print. Its popularity has spawned ...

When chatting to Frank Skinner, it’s impossible to resist the topic of football. I skirt the issue of whether it will ever come home for England, turning instead to his beloved West Bromwich Albion ...

As the dawn of a New Year draws ever closer, it’s traditional to draw up a list of resolutions. Whether it’s spending more time with family, learning a new skill or losing the Christmas weight, we are ...

Talking to Anna Appleby, the creative force behind Norrisette, is a giddy delight. Arguably Manchester’s most distinctive electronic pop artist, her conversational synapses trigger firework ...

The problem with Manchester is that, in its rush to define itself, it can be quick to paper over its cracks, over the contradictions which lend the city its character. This pride in its contrarian ...

Sometimes, it can be hard to know where to turn. For all the gains made through the steady promotion of greater mental health awareness over the past few years, culture’s messaging remains decidedly ...

In Manchester, when, precisely, does Christmas begin? Is it Christmas when the city’s illuminations are switched on? Maybe the festive season begins with the appearance of the Christmas markets? Or ...

“Ey up!” shouts Pete McKee as I pick my way through boxes and wires at ...

Talking to Anna Appleby, the creative force behind Norrisette, is a giddy delight. Arguably ...

These days, more often than not, we protest about something by signing an online petition. We ...