THING OF THE WEEK
GOGGLES… Manchester City is currently in the process of redeveloping its North Stand. As part of the project, the club has added a technological element to its stadium tour. Fans will pop on a pair of virtual reality goggles to visit “a variety of different City- themed worlds before flying around a futuristic Etihad Stadium and lifting a trophy”.
What those City-themed worlds will look like is not yet known. Perhaps a visit back to the 1956 FA Cup final to – gently – clap Bert Trautmann on the back for a job well done. Or maybe a peek into the dressing room following the completion of the Blues’ famous treble in 2023.
Credit: via Sciontec
RUNNING MAN.. What is it about property people and endurance challenges? In recent months we have shone a light on innumerable feats of human endeavour from Michelle Rothwell’s 188-mile Lake District triathlon to Euan Kellie’s Wanderwalk. Not to be outdone, Sciontec chief executive Colin Sinclair is getting in on the act.
He is planning to run the entire Liverpool City Region in a single day to raise money for local charities. The 50-mile challenge will take Sinclair through Liverpool, Wirral, Halton, Sefton, St Helens, and Knowsley on Friday 5 September and is expected to last 12 hours.
“I’ve taken part in endurance events before, but nothing quite like this,” he said.
“Participating in big organised events, with thousands of others taking part, helps keep you going, chatting with other runners and the marshals, whereas this is going to be 50 miles of relentless solo road running! But I’m excited to get on the road, see the city region from a different perspective, meet this tough challenge head-on, and hopefully raise lots of money for our six LCR charities, before, during and after the run.”
The bus is on loan from Spain. Credit: via LCRCA
GLIDER… If Sinclair does get tired and nobody is looking he could hop on the new glider bus currently hitting the roads across the city region. The futuristic-looking electric vehicle, which bends in the middle and provides 30% more capacity than a double-decker bus, are going to be rolled out across LCR by 2028, according to Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram.
In preparation, the city region has borrowed a glider to test out and could pull up to a bus stop near you very soon. The 18-metre vehicle is on loan from Spanish manufacturer Irizar. It is unknown if there is an option to buy.
Credit: Aldi
ALDEH… Aldi’s neat bit of Oasis-themed marketing will live forever. The Prestwich store was renamed Aldeh in honour of the Manc messiahs who played five gigs at Heaton Park over the last two weeks. Punters loved the nod to the long-awaited reunion, which was one symptom of the Oasis fever that gripped the city over the last fortnight.
Aldi has now decided that the Prestwich supermarket, located a short distance from Heaton Park, will remain as Aldeh for the foreseeable to commemorate arguably the cultural moment of the decade so far.
Nick Park spent time at the Harris as a child. Credit: via Limitless PR
A GRAND DAY OUT… Preston’s The Harris is due to reopen in September and what better way to do so that with an exhibition from one of the city’s favourite sons. Nick Park, the creator of Wallace and Gromit, will unveil The Case at the Museum exhibition once the Harris, which has undergone a £19m refurbishment, finally opens.
Original sketches, sets, and props, alongside interactive exhibits, make up the exhibition, that will analyse the world of stop motion animation and characters including Wallace, Gromit, Feathers McGraw, and Shaun the Sheep. It promises to be a Grand Day Out.
Nick Park, creator of Wallace & Gromit, said: “Growing up, I was always interested in Preston’s history and heritage, and The Harris played a big part in that. As a young inquisitive filmmaker, I spent time there, reading all about filmmaking and animation. The Harris has definitely left a lasting impression on me.”
