THING OF THE WEEK
A LOAD OF QUACK… It has certainly been a good week for ducks weather-wise. Such was the extent of the deluge in Manchester – where the puddles are more like lakes – a waddle of ducks set up camp in a decidedly soggy Parsonage Gardens to enjoy the incessant downpour. The birds enjoyed themselves for a few damp days before making a sudden disappearance on Thursday when the sun finally decided to show its face.
PITCHING IN… Right now, she is busy helping England progress at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, but Manchester City left-back Alex Greenwood is also making a difference closer to home. The Bootle-born footballer is leading a project to refurbish sports pitches in her hometown so that future generations of talent have somewhere to hone their skills. “Bootle is where I’m from and I’m proud to have grown up here,” she said. “Fortunately for me, I was spotted at a young age, but I know there is talent out there that hasn’t because of a lack of opportunities to play.” Greenwood is due to receive the Freedom of Sefton later this year, which will hopefully be the second most important title she wins in 2023.
CAP-TIVATING TRAVELS… Oh, the places a Place North West cap will go! We’ve been enjoying seeing our hats pop up on social media this summer. Kuits Solicitors’ Adam Hymes and DAY Architectural’s Caroline Taylor both took theirs to Valencia, while ING Media’s Lauren Teague rocked hers a bit closer to home at the T20 Finals at Edgbaston. Our very own Danny Coetsee completed the travelling hat-trick, wearing his cap while trout fishing. Where will we be spotted next?
BEE DIFFERENT… Poison chalice or the opportunity of a lifetime? Some have suggested that the three runners-up in the competition to win the mandate to redesign Piccadilly Gardens might be breathing a sigh of relief. LDA Design, which was victorious, certainly doesn’t see it like that. The firm’s Manchester lead Mark Graham said he was “thrilled” and looking forward to creating a space that is “strongly Mancunian”, which can only mean one thing: plenty of bee insignia.
- Credit: SG Photography
- Credit: SG Photography
- Credit: SG Photography
- Credit: SG Photography
NEST… Basement space at Bruntwood SciTech’s Glasshouse at Alderley Park has been transformed into a subterranean nest for workers. Design studio SpaceInvader was tasked with coming up with a solution for the 15,000 sq ft space, which was once a toxicology lab when Astra Zeneca still owned the Cheshire complex. A lack of natural light presented a challenge to the designers but that did not put them off. “Rather than giving us a brief, [Bruntwood] simply asked, ‘What can be done here?’” said SpaceInvader founder John Williams. “Our response was to find the light within the dark and seek to transform the feel completely.” Williams said the enclosed feeling of the space could be spun as a positive, and set about designing a “cosy hideaway” that focuses on employee wellbeing. The Nest features co-working space, meeting rooms, and a yoga studio. “It was the kind of challenge we love,” Williams said.