Totally Stockport Magazine Issue 5

Issue 5

Summer in Stockport Lisa Stansfield Dinosaur Day SHOPPING

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DINING

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BUSINESS

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WHAT’S ON

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NEWS

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Welcome Does anyone else feel like we have gone straight from winter to summer and missed out on spring this year?

Just when we thought a snowy Jack Frost had been frozen out by the warmer spring days, so it popped back. It’s like winter was really mad and kept storming out of the room and then coming back yelling “and another thing!”

But it seems a lot like spring is catching up with summer. We’ve already had the hottest May Day Bank Holiday on record so let’s hope the weather is just as kind for the next two bank holiday weekends so that everyone can explore, enjoy and discover all that Stockport has to offer, inside and out. Flip over to pages 6 & 7 and stay up to date with the latest summer shades.

8-9 12-13

But whatever the weather, a warm colourful welcome always awaits from the Plazaettes over at the beautiful Stockport Plaza, art deco at its finest.

Headed by Stockport’s own star of stage and screen, Paul Day stopped by to chat to Ted Doan, discover more on page 12.

Merseyway’s Good Friday event attracted huge crowds and lots of colourful hats. Visitors took to the stage and paraded their bonnets in the HATwalk Show – who can you spot in the crowds on page 8 & 9?

Last year’s BIG Day Out introduced the Maker’s Market to Stockport who loved it so much they are now back every month. Over 70 of the area’s best artisans and creatives, including mouthwatering street food, are spreading out across the Market Place – browse the stalls for yourself over on pages 14 & 15.

This year the Totally Stockport team plan to bring you more even bigger and better outdoor events and one totally Jurassic date for your diary is Saturday June 9th. In partnership with Merseyway Shopping Centre and the Light Cinema, may we present a Totally Dinosaur Takeover Day – there’s no escape from the Jurassic giants as they tip-toe across Stockport town centre – see page 21 for a full, fun day out.

Many new businesses have chosen to open in Stockport – find out who’s new in Stockport (and who is planning to join them) on our news pages and check out a rare find at Rare Mags on page 25.

We hope you enjoy our latest magazine keeping you up to date with all that is happening in Stockport over the spring and early summer. If you would like to share your own news and views of our town, please email info@totallystockport.co.uk or call 0161 244 9896

20-21

4-5

News

6-7

Fashion

8-9

Wear a Hat Day

10-11

Lisa Stansfield

12-13

Ted Doan

14-15

Makers Market

16-17

Map

18-19

BID News

20-21

Future Events

22-23

Business

24-25

Rare Mags

26-27

The Gym

28-31

What’s On

The Makers Market is coming to town

It’s not Summer yet!

Reviewing Hatstock and the Hatwalk show

Been around the world and back in Stockport

At the helm of The Plaza for 15 years

Now in Stockport every month.

The Town Navigator

Your Business Improvement District

Dinosaurs, beer and cars!

Planning for Stockport’s future

A cool new, specialist shop on Hillgate

The latest opening at Redrock

A listing for the next three months

Get In Touch If you have a story, news or an event in Stockport Town Centre why not drop us a line? www.totallystockport.co.uk paul.taylor@totallystockport.co.uk Tel: 0161 244 9896

26-27

@totallysk

Totally-Stockport

News New Businesses in Beckwith House

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veryday Loans and Green Monkey have both recently moved into Orbit’s refurbished Beckwith House on Wellington Road South.

Businesses Embrace Change in Stockport

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conomic Growth in Stockport has revealed that the town has the fastest growing economy in the North West of England.

The latest report from Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) revealed that Stockport was the top location in the North West in terms of GVA growth during the last quarter of 2017 and is expected to once again register growth of 1.3%.

Business investment in Stockport is at an all-time high, with deals on over one million square foot of commercial space completed during the past 12 months. Creating 2,060 new jobs and ensuring another 952 stay in Stockport for the future, the news comes as the town continues to undergo an exciting £1 billion transformation that reinforces its position as a leading business location.

ronment to facilitate the growth we want to achieve.”

Independent AV business Green Monkey has also moved into Beckwith The UK’s largest branch-based lender House from its former base in Reddish. of unsecured loans to sub-prime bor- The move means convenient travel for rowers moved its Stockport branch employees, easy access to Merseyway from the Market Place to the property shopping centre and Redrock as well on Wellington Road. as use of The Hub at Regent House, a shared working space and breakout area.

Managing Director Elizabeth Downing decided to relocate Green Monkey after delivering the business’s most successful year in 2017 and to support growth.

Currently working across corporate, education, hospitality and public sectors, Green Monkey has established a strong customer base locally.

Rhys Owen from Orbit (centre) with Jon Wiggins, Commenting, Elizabeth MD (left), and Paul Brady, Divisional General said: “Beckwith House Manager of Everyday Loans is ideally located for the range of exciting new amenities on offer and The team opted for the new 2,337 sq public transport links which will help us ft office accommodation to help to with recruitment in the future.” deliver an ambitious business plan for 2018.

Beckwith House is providing office space for a team of five who head up the dayto-day running of the Stockport operation – part of a 64-strong national network.

Jon Wiggins, Managing Director of Everyday Loans, commented: “Beckwith House is the perfect space to base our operations from.

It is a professional enviThe Green Monkey team enjoying their new office in the town centre

Rhys Owen Rhys Owen, Leasing Director from Orbit Developments in Stockport, describes the positive shift in perceptions of the town which is attracting new businesses into the centre.

“We have all seen the physical change in and around Stockport town centre over the last two years, but we have also seen a marked shift in perceptions of the place as a base for aspiring businesses. Our latest customers have come in from all corners of Greater Manchester and Cheshire while existing businesses are also enjoying growth, expanding into new office space to cope with increased demand.

“The Council’s inspired “Stockport. Change Here” campaign has started to redefine the living and working experience and showcases the range of town centre amenity open to employees to take advantage of.

“This is all being played out against an ongoing commitment to improved access planning, transport and job investments, a growing out-of-hours leisure and entertainment economy and the great outdoors offer of the wider Borough right on the doorstep.

“Becoming a BID (Business Improvement District) and the work of the BID team at Totally Stockport has added further momentum to changing perceptions of Stockport and given businesses an insight of what the change will look like.

“Work on guiding and signposting people around the various ‘quarters’ of the town will help people and businesses experience all Stockport has to offer – now and in the future.”

Orbit Developments have 12 properties in Stockport town centre including serviced, leased and managed workspace ranging from self-contained properties to 1 person office suites. www.orbit-developments.co.uk

News

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Stockport’s First Food & Drink Trade Show Wednesday 20th June

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tockport based Foodsync is getting set to host Stockport’s first Food & Drink Trade Show which is expected to attract 500 visitors throughout the day.

Taking place in the historic Market Place, the event will showcase the region’s great food & drink offering, celebrating the best in local provenance and bringing together great food and drink products in one place to help the hospitality sector thrive.

The Market Place, Stockport 10am – 4pm Trade Show 5pm -7pm Drinks Reception & Awards (Hosted

by Robinsons Brewery & Stockport Business Awards) Information for Visitors The event is free to attend for trade visitors in food service, hospitality, caterering, cafes, guest houses, hotels, restaurants, take-aways, pubs, retail outlets, delicatessens, farm shops and

There will be lots of opportunities for traders to meet local producers, suppliers, service and support agencies that can help them keep their businesses ahead in the game, creating lasting connections and building stronger and more resilient supply chains.

grocers, supermarkets, and independent stores.

Food influencers and people with a desire to set up a food and drink business are also welcome.

Visitors can sign up via Eventbrite Information for Exhibitors The show will include small and regional food & drink producers within a 60-mile radius of Stockport. Exhibitors will have the opportunity to meet new customers and tell their stories about their products direct to local buyers.

The Conversations include Stockport’s own award winning chefs: Sam Buckley, Where The Light Gets In (WTLGI) - how he’s developed his supply chain, how he builds relationships with suppliers.

Matt Nutter, Allotment - the rise of veganism and creating a business in Stockport.

Foodsync will be curating a number of industry relevant conversations and ‘drop in’ sessions where 50+ exhibitors will be showcasing professional services and suppliers as well as producers offering tempting tasters.

For more information contact Jo McGrath at Foodsync - jo@foodsync. co.uk

The Cream of Stockport

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tockport is attracting some tasty new businesses and one of the latest to arrive on Prince’s Street and Redrock is Creams Café. The 1950’s retro style diner has brought it’s Americana style to Stockport.

Creams has created its own wide range of Sundaes, Waffles, Crepes, Smoothies, Juices and Desserts indulging in flavours that can only be experienced at Creams.

Owner of Creams Barry Marshallsay said: “Creams is a great place to visit any time of the day and we attract all age groups. The soft play area is very popular with children up to 6 years

of age and especially popular with parents and grandparents!

“The Creams story is one of passion, commitment… and big flamboyant desserts. It took many years of research and tasting gelato, waffles and crepes to perfect the concept. The first Creams opened in 2008 and soon had queues stretching out of the door. Since then, the café has grown from strength to strength, fought off hordes of copycats and become a High Street favourite. We’re proud to have given the world some of the best desserts known to man – but we’re even more proud of our commitment to diversity.

People matter more to us than anything else and we open our arms to everyone both as customers

and in our café teams. We are very colourful and offer lots of variety - a bit like our desserts really!”

Creams Café offers a huge selection of Sundaes including Bubble Gum and Chocolate & Toffee inspired recipes; big American style waffles; crepes and cookie dough.

Barry added: “We want every visit to Creams to be an indulgent adventure for the senses and we see our desserts as ‘every day celebrations’. Once you’ve experienced Creams desserts we reckon you’ll be looking to celebrate something – anything! – every day.”

Creams is open every day from 10am to 10pm.

Shades of Summer You know those sunglasses you’ve been wearing for the last three years? Well it’s time for a change. After all, the Summer is definitely here and it’s here to stay. We promise.

Mothercare

George Pig sunglasses £7

Vision Express

Ted Baker Sunglasses £89

Superdrug

Ducati DA5006 Prescription compatible Sunglasses £196.80

Specsavers

Kids’ Sun RX 21 Sunglasses For prescription only £64

Sportsdirect

Fendi BX99 Sunglasses £70

Topman

Gold Metal Ferris Round Sunglasses £12

George @ ASDA

Tortoiseshell Print Sunglasses £4

Fashion

7

H&M

Brown and petrol sunglasses £6.99

Matalan

Watermelon Sunglasses Case £4 Heart Shaped Apple Sunglasses £4

River Island

Pink mirrored lens cat eye sunglasses £14

Claire’s

Round Mod Sunglasses £7

Debenhams

Ladies brown ‘Abbie’ sunglasses by Radley £60

River Island

Pink mirrored lens cat eye sunglasses £14

New Look

Pink Marbled Mirrored Lens Sunglasses £8.99

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Events

Wear a

Over at HatWorks, Wear a A Hat Day was celebrated with ‘Hatstock,� where families could pop in and make their own headwear, either by simply stapling and decorating a piece of card or by tackling an altogether more adventurous project.

Hat

Da

ay

Events National ‘Wear A Hat Day’ in aid of Brain Tumour Research took place in March but as Stockport is the home of all things hat-related, the town went that extra mile in recognising it.

Merseyway hosted ‘Hats Off’, featuring a canopy of illuminated top and bowler hats suspended from the centre’s ceiling, coupled with individual ‘selfie’ hats throughout the centre.

The installation provided a spectacular backdrop for the centre’s Easter event on Good Friday in which children of all ages could take part in a range of free workshops including hat making, balloon sculpting and face painting, while families could undertake a Hat Hunt by following a themed trail through the centre to win prizes.

09

At the end of the day, the Easter Bunny led a parade around Merseyway in which the kids could show off their hat creations while a panel of judges deliberated on which were the best. In the end, Gracie Roberts’ spectacular creation was deemed worthy of first place and the prize of a Children’s Pizza Making Party at Pizza Express Redrock.

Lisa Stansfield is back. It’s nearly three decades since her breakthrough year of 1989, but the Rochdale songstress has lost none of her drive or enthusiasm. She came to Stockport to talk to Imagine FM and revisit an old haunt...

As everyone knows, you’re from Rochdale but are you familiar with Stockport?

I’m very familiar with Stockport. I did a pantomime at the Davenport where I played Cinderella and I loved it. I didn’t really want to do panto, but I’ve done lots of things so I thought I’d give it a try. And I recorded a lot of stuff in Stockport, I used to do jingles and backing vocals. You’d be amazed at I what I recorded in Yellow 2 and Strawberry. And I love the Hat Museum because I love hats!

When you started out, who were your influences?

My mum had a big soul collection but I really loved the Motown stuff - Diana Ross and The Supremes, Marvin Gaye and when I got a little bit older, my sister got into Chaka Khan and she just blew me away. And my mum and her friends used to have these lairy parties where the women were in maxi dresses and there were Party 4s and vol-au-vents and Black Forest Gateaux... and to me that was the most exciting childhood. So all that music stuck with me because I associated it with having a wonderful time.

For you it all began with the Evening News’s ‘Search For A Star” Yes, at the Talk Of The North in Eccles. I think it’s flats now. But what was funny was that I won that competition and do you know who came second? Shaun Ryder’s dad! He was very annoyed that he was beaten by 14 year old girl!

And it was Johnny Hamp from Granada who picked you up...

I won that talent show and Johnny Hamp was the entertainment producer for Granada and he asked me if I wanted to do some TV work, so obviously, I said yes but I ended up doing variety shows and even at 14, I realised they

Lisa

Interview

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Stansfield

were pretty naff. So I got offered a job as a presenter on Razzmatazz which was based in Newcastle and I loved that. I did it for a year but again, I was thinking ‘I want to be singing’. That’s what I always wanted to do.

It still amazes me thinking back that I did have a brain in my head at that age and that I really was thinking about my career.

You then formed the band Blue Zone with two lads you’d known from school and I remember hearing your first single, ‘On Fire’ and before I could go and buy it, it got pulled.

Yes, there was the disaster at King’s Cross Station, it was awful. So we knew it would be in bad taste to have that record out there.

But I always think everything happens for a reason and if that song had been a massive hit, I could have had a completely different life, but I’m glad things happened the way they did. Then we put the second single out “Thinking About His Baby” and it started to sell really well which we thought was strange because we weren’t hearing it on the radio.

Then we realised that the B-Side, “Big Thing” was being played in the clubs. And that was when we realised that that was the sort of music we were really good at. We wrote it in an afternoon and probably thought it wasn’t that good because we’d done it so easily but I think it came easily because that was what was really inside us.

Then you had the huge hit “People Hold On” with Coldcut, was that the big breakthrough?

Yes, that was a massive foot in the door. Half a leg. From then it was, ‘this is what we do best so let’s redo everything’. But it was also ‘let’s do everything under my name’ which was horrible because I didn’t want to be solo. I’d always been a cocky little thing but

I always had my two fellas behind me and I suddenly had to go strutting down the street on my own, But I’ve got used to that now.

So when your first solo album, Affection came out, your world changed..

It really did. You cannot prepare yourself for something like that happening to you. You could spend your whole life waiting for that moment and you can never be prepared.

Moving on to 1992 and you’re asked to do the Freddie Mercury tribute concert at Wembley, where you sing ‘I Want To Break Free’ with a hoover and curlers, what are your memories of that?

It was a completely ego-free day for everybody. Everyone wanted to make it the best it could be because we were doing it for Freddie Mercury and although it sounds corny, it really was like he was watching it, seeing if everything was alright. And I knew that no one in that audience had come to see me so I was just thinking “It’s not your show, baby, have some respect.” It was wonderful.

When you hear your songs on the radio, are you the sort of artist who thinks “yes, that was okay” or do you find fault in them?

I’m the sort who’d rather not judge it. I trust other people’s opinions. Things that I would cringe at, other people don’t seem to notice. I think everyone’s overly critical of their own thing so if other people really like it, it’s because they’re not listening to the tiny little things that I am.

What are your favourite songs to sing and do you still get a buzz from singing the hits?

There is one song that we’re doing on this tour that we haven’t done for ages but was always one that we did as an encore and that’s “It’s Got to be Real” which was never a

single but it’s always really worked live. I love singing that live.

You’ve been doing some acting, Northern Soul was a great film and it looked like fun to make...

It was. I’ve known the director Elaine Constantine for years - she comes from Bury - so she asked me if I wanted to be in it and I volunteered to play the mum because I thought I could play a real, proper Northern mum.

Bringing it up to date, the latest single is ‘Billionaire’ - unmistakably Lisa Stansfield.

It’s a sort of ‘be careful what you wish for’ message, because if you’ve got all the money, all the riches and no one to share it with...

Well I wouldn’t want that.

Is recording easier now? Is there less pressure?

We’ve always been like that, to be honest.

We’ve always thought ‘don’t make music for other people’. Your should never do that.

It’s the same when you’re cooking food, if you don’t really like it, why would you expect anyone else to eat it?

The album has some real nods to the early days, to the late 80s, is that intentional?

Well I’ve been saying that it’s like the first two albums have had a baby and this is the grown up child with its own mind and its own personality but the same genes.

If we put you back in the mind of the 17 year-old Lisa Stansfield, do you think you’ve surpassed her ambition?

I think if my 17 year-old self met me now, she’d be completely amazed. She’d say “I knew I could do it, but I didn’t know I could do it that good!”

Ted Doan Managing The Plaza

Interview

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“I’ve never known anyone have such passion for a building as you had when you were showing us round” This is comedian Mark Steel talking about Ted Doan in his Stockport episode of Mark Steel’s In Town. Ted has been the General Manager of The Plaza for the last 15 years and has become a familiar figure in the town, last seen within these pages in full panto costume on stage at the Merseyway Christmas light switch-on. We sat down with Ted in the delightful environment of the Plaza’s stunning art deco Café

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ed Doan arrived at Stockport Plaza in 2003, making the journey from Oxford to a town with which he was already familiar, having previously had a spell at The Davenport Theatre.

By this time The Plaza had been saved from potential demolition and was trading under the auspices of the Stockport Plaza Trust, the group of volunteers who had saved the building in the first place.

“The Plaza had reopened in 2000,” explains Ted, “and I think the team realised that it was a very viable business but that they could do with having a general manager on board.”

The first thing Ted says he did on arrival was to make a cup of tea, which is Ted-speak for sitting down with the staff and picking their brains. It was clear that the Trust had been doing a great job but Ted had been brought in for a deeper level of expertise, “No one was doing anything wrong but I had a lot of experience in things like programming and I had a relationship with a lot of promoters. And I looked at the sales areas and what suppliers we were using.

“Basically, I had the luxury of time to do it. But saying that, they’d done a fantastic job, they’d opened the venue, they were trading successfully and they had people like the late, great Ken Dodd supporting The Plaza. In fact he had contacted the Trust and offered to put shows on. He was a wonderful, lovely man who eventually became one of our patrons.”

If you didn’t know better, you’d be forgiven for thinking that when The Plaza reopened in 2000 it did so fully refurbished and back to its former glory but far from it. From the 1960s to the 1990s it traded as a bingo hall and much of that era was still in evidence, “Although it was up and running, I was lucky enough to arrive before the restoration planning really began. The venue’s always had the ‘wow’ factor but back then it didn’t really have the ‘WOW!!’ factor. So it was an honour to come in at that point and see the transformation happen.

Sitting in the beautiful art deco café now, it takes a stretch of the imagination to picture how it must have looked 18 years ago. It was just a bar, with a fake ceiling, boarded-up walls and bingo hall furniture. So the restoration began in earnest after the venue had been saved and reopened and it’s been a long but rewarding process since then.

One of the highlights for Ted came after the bulk of the restoration had been completed, “I think the biggest part was in 2009 when the majority of the restoration was actioned but we don’t like to relax here, so soon after that we thought we’d put in replicas of the original seats and then we thought we’d put the circle back to how it should have been.”

And even now, they’re not stopping, “It’s not entirely complete but we’re very close. The central dome has two cleaners lights in it which were installed at some point and they need to come out and the dome itself needs to be re-silvered. That will be a big scaffolding, shut-the-place-down job.”

If you’ve visited the Plaza’s extremely informative website - and you should - you’ll have seen the quantity, quality and variety of events staged here, not just in the main auditorium but also in the Café (or The Green Room as it’s known when hosting events). Once again, this is down to Ted, “Basically the role of General Manager means you manage every aspect of the business. The glorious thing is that we are now trading exactly as we did on the opening day. In 1932 they had films, they had a lot of stage, they would do events in the cafe and we’re doing all that again. It’s about variety and different styles. And events - we do a lot of weddings, private hires and cultural events.

A lot of the time if you look in the brochure and it seems there’s nothing on, there is. There could be a Persian or a Vietnamese or Tamil concert.”

The day after we sit down with Ted, “Silence of the Lambs” is scheduled for a showing - a not atypical example of the sort of films shown at The Plaza, “We show a lot of classic films - it could be a Margaret Lockwood or a Gloria Swanson and we get big audiences. But we will show what we call the modern classics too. Films that were released in the 90s, 80s, 70s, 60s. We send shout outs on social media saying “tell us what films you’d like to see” and we get inundated.”

But of course in this day and age, if someone wakes up wanting to watch Silence of the Lambs, they can be watching it on their computer in ten minutes, a point with which Ted readily agrees.

“They can yes, or they’ll have it on DVD but you’re not seeing it on a big screen and we’re giving people what is probably their one and only chance to see it on a big screen, as it was meant to be seen.

What other cinema is going to show it? “ And such one-off showings are incredibly popular, “We can have a few hundred which is fantastic or we can be full. [The Plaza can seat 1,314 people].

We recently showed Mrs Henderson Presents [A 2005 comedy starring Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins] and we were full. We were turning people away. My passion is watching the audience and I can stand there and think ‘this is what it would have been like in the 1930s, with film after film full to the rafters. It’s wonderful.”

Another speciality of the venue are live broadcasts of events taking place in other theatres, be they London, Stratford or wherever. These broadcasts are picked up by “our own little Jodrell

Bank” on the roof and either shown live as they happen or captured and shown “as live” at a later date. In the Plaza programme such events are listed as ‘Encore’ events.

Most people will be familiar with The Plaza through attending the Pantomime and needless to say, this annual extravaganza takes some planning, “At the moment we are in countdown to Sleeping Beauty which starts at the end of November for about five weeks. We’re planning the Panto launch in July where we’ll get all the guys down and launch it to the press. And pretty soon we’ll start thinking about next year. The 2019 Panto will be on sale when Sleeping Beauty starts.”

The Panto runs at about 95% capacity “unheard of” as Ted describes it. “But I’m a pantomime addict,” he freely confesses, “I love pantomime.

As a kid I’d go and see as many as I could and on my nights off from here over Christmas, I go and see a pantomime.”

Much of what Ted clearly enjoys in his role is the fact that The Plaza is entirely true to its heritage.

The idea that it has not so much been refurbished as reborn, a suggestion that takes Ted back to 1932, “You imagine this, an industrial, smoky town with rows and rows of terraced houses - to suddenly walk into this opulent palace was amazing.

And it was affordable for all classes, you didn’t need to be chaperoned. And we’re impressed by the building now but in those days it must have been stunningly impressive.”

Famously, the original Compton organ is still in situ and only four other cinemas in the UK can make such a claim. There is also an old Kalee 8 projector in the site, one of only two in the World.

“It’s not very often, but we do occasionally use it.

It’s a disc to reel, so you put a record on - that’s the soundtrack - then start the film and hope they marry up. We use it on special occasions, heritage open days or Behind The Scenes Tours which we do every month or so. And those are great, people get to see the Compton and the backstage areas and they get to walk on the same stage as people like Micky Rooney and Blossoms.

An article about The plaza cannot end without fully acknowledging all the people who keep the place running. “In any other town this probably wouldn’t have survived. There’s a community here and there was a passion for this building. The people of Stockport saved this venue. And almost all the team are volunteers, from the people on the doors to the people who sell you your tickets and they received the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2014 and we’re blessed to have such an amazing volunteer base and to have such an amazing community that support us.”

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Events

Make

Events

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n Saturday 10th March the renowned Makers Market arrived in Stockport Market Place for the first of their monthly appearances in the town. Scheduled for the second Saturday of every month the market got off to a promising start, despite some pretty miserable weather, with plenty of people turning up to examine the food and craftworks on offer. Fast forward to May 12th and the third event - which was blessed with sunshine and warmth - clearly demonstrated that word has got around and the Market has found an appreciative home in Stockport. And don’t forget, the regular Stockport market traders - both indoor and out - are still there as ever.

Dates for 2018 Saturday 9th June Saturday 14th July Saturday 11th August Saturday 8th September Saturday 13th October Saturday 10th November Saturday 8th December 10am – 4pm

erMs arket comes to town!

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Last year businesses in the town centre voted for a Business Improvement District, adding to over 200 successful BIDs already operating in the UK. Since then, the team at Stockport’s BID have been working to create a vibrant, sustainable town centre for everyone to enjoy.

g n i t h g i l h g i H

s ’ t a h W xt?

s ’ t r o p k c o t S h o t sp o t s

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Totally planning for the future Totally Planning for the future Totally Stockport is totally committed to deliver on its promise to attract more people into the Town Centre, more regularly.

It is easy to discover all that Stockport has to offer with the help of the vibrant town centre map, an up-to-date navigator for everyone and a guide to find the best in shopping, eating & drinking, leisure, visitor attractions and parking.

The BID team aim to create a sustainable Town Centre by working with partners to provide greater choice; to address empty shops by supporting and encouraging new businesses; to establish a cleaner and safer environment and to assist with easier parking. Overall it is the aim of Totally Stockport to improve the ‘Stockport Town Centre Experience’, for everyone.

t a e r g e r o M

events!

Totally Stockport are planning more great events for 2018 to attract more people into the town centre to see all the great positive changes that are taking place in Stockport.

The BIG Day Out was a big hit and working with our partners at Merseyway, The Light Cinema and Makers Market, Totally Jurassic Dinosaur Takeover Day on Saturday June 9th is set to be Stockport’s Biggest Day Out so far - family fun and entertainment for everyone of all ages.

Town Ce nt re

App

The Totally Stockport App is ready to promote businesses in the town centre, enticing shoppers with special offers.

Free to download, it is available on the App store and on Google Play - start looking for your offers today.

e e r F y l l a To t ng pa rk i

Totally Stockport are introducing Totally Free Parking to the town centre.

Shoppers and visitors who pre-register on the website - www.totallyfreeparking.co.uk - will receive a pass entitling them to park on the 6th floor of Heaton Lane Car Park for up to 4 hours for free!

Tackling empty properties

& Helping start-ups

Saving you money wit h Mee rc a t

BID

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Ne w visit or

During the term of the BID Totally Stockport is looking to establish a business incubator unit to help young start-ups to get established in Stockport. We want to encourage independent businesses to grow, thrive and stay in Stockport. We want to support them to take the next step into a retail environment adding to the wonderfully quirky businesses that give Stockport its unique personality.

Keeping y o u fre e t ed with

c o nne c

Totally Stockport have been working to save BID levy-payers money through the Meercat Joint Procurement Scheme. Savings of over £25,500 have already been identified with participating levy-payers saving more than their bid-levy contribution.

C usto m er

Wi-Fi Servi ce h o tsp o ts A wa rds

Free town centre wide WiFi is coming.

Soon visitors will be able to browse and buy in just a few steps. They can keep an eye on the latest offers, news or sports results. Keep in touch while you are out, everyone can benefit: retailers, businesses, shoppers and visitors alike. Town centre Wi-Fi keeps people connected, encourages them to stay longer, take advantages of the opportunities that the digital age presents and improves the overall Stockport experience.

Great customer service will ensure that customers keep coming back. Totally Stockport’s Customer Service Awards for BID Levy payers will help deliver excellent service and happy customers. Totally Stockport are offering free workshops to help with staff development. We’ll be in touch soon to tell you more.

C re a t i ng

a safe r

t r o p k c o t S

Totally Stockport is working with partners to increase the number of officers in Stockport to improve security. The presence of more officers in the town centre can enable crime to be dealt with quickly, making us feel safer and more secure and deterring would be perpetrators.

wegoebs slivie!t e Discover Your Town Centre www.totallystockport.co.uk

Christmas Yes, it’s only the summer and you can choose some cool shades on our fashion pages, but we are already planning Christmas 2018!

Last year Stockport shone brighter than ever before and this year we are working with Merseyway and Stockport Council to deliver an even BIGGER Stockport

Christmas Experience.

Totally Stockport is committed to improving the offer in Stockport and building a town with a great future, a town centre that people are proud to call their own.

It is the BID levy that enables these projects to be delivered and achieve these aims and, if you are a BID Levy Payer, it is important that we hear your ideas too.

To find out more about Totally Stockport, to share your ideas and to get involved with any of the projects, email the BID Manager: paul.taylor@totallystockport.co.uk

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Events

lassic C Vehicles Fair

Sunday 12th August Stockport Marketplace Stockport’s Classic Vehicles Fair will once again be returning to the Marketplace where it will provide a spectacular backdrop to that month’s Vintage Village. The event has proved increasingly popular, with over 3,000 people turning out for last year’s sunsoaked event. As with all things related to Vintage Village, there will be bags of entertainment as well as a spectacular collection of classic cars, motorbikes and who knows what else?

The Stockport Beer and Cider Festival 2018 is set for 31 May to 2 June at Edgeley Park. Get the dates in your diaries and buy your tickets now!

Thursday Night: King of Rome a 4-5 piece band hailing from Nottinghamshire. The guys play an energetic brand of Folk, Americana and Celtic music as well as their own songs.

Expect to see guitar, mandocello, fiddle, accordion, bass and cajón plus gritty vocals.

The Festival has a new highly deserving festival charity, Stockport Cerebral Palsy, which provides a wide range of activities and support for local adults with physical and/or learning disabilities and autistic spectrum conditions.

Friday afternoon and Friday Night: Leaf Promotions Showcase. Since Leaf’s first ever event in 2005, they have developed a reputation for fusing together the finest original musical talent from across all genres to create truly memorable gigs. Leaf will be providing a mix of acoustic acts. The full line up will be announced nearer the time on their social media pages (www. facebook.com/leafpromotions/).

BEERS AND CIDERS At the time of writing the beer and ciders are still being ordered but as usual a wide range of interesting and exotic drinking is promised.

Beers from as near as Stockport town centre, Bredbury and Reddish, from both sides of the Pennines in Lancashire and Yorkshire and as far as the North East and London as well as further afield will be in the offering along with bottled beers from across Europe and the America.

The Festival is encouraging local home brewers through a competition, with the prize of brewing their beer in collaboration with a local commercial brewer. Along with other new beers you can try the winning brews on the Festival’s innovative Bar Nouveau.

The Festival is rightly proud of having one of the widest ranges of exciting ciders and perries of any UK Festival with ciders from as close as Dunham Massey all the way to the West Country and South Wales.

ENTERTAINMENT PREVIEW Once again the festival has put together a great selection of music to keep you entertained.

Saturday afternoon: The Chanteuse. The Chanteuse will be performing songs from the oeuvres of Serge Gainsbourg, Edith Piaf, Françoise Hardy, Barbara and Jacques Brel. The band will also throw in a few Django Reinhardt-inspired gypsy jazz numbers for good fun and good measure!

Saturday Night: Baked A La Ska. Baked A La Ska are the “heavy heavy sound” of Manchester, a super charged 11-headed ska monster brought together by keyboardist and wizard Mr John Ellis, fronted by a trio of singers: Frank “The Skank”, Tommy Robot and Kuntri Ranks, who combine with the soft lilt and harmonica magic of Robin Sunflower. Baked A La Ska also feature one of the tightest rhythm sections in Manchester with the “chops to make you drop”.

Advance Ticket Sales You can pay cash on the door for entry to all public sessions during the festival, but if you’d like to beat the queues and get priority entrance, as well as details of our other events, please book an advance ticket here: www.stockportfestival.org.uk/tickets

Events

JuDraayssOicut

A

It’s going to be a totally packed fun FREE Jurassic adventure when Dinosaur Takeover Day hits Stockport.

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tockport is set to go totally Jurassic as a herd of prehistoric reptiles gets ready to take giant steps into the town centre for Dinosaur Takeover Day on 9th June.

For 160 million years, dinosaurs ruled the Earth and now they are back ready to strut their huge stubby toes around Redrock & Prince’s Street, Merseyway & Mersey Square and St Peter’s ‘Jurassic’ Square.

Over at The Light Cinema at Redrock, catch a screening of the brand new film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom at The Light Cinema (costs apply), keep an eye out for the roaming Velociraptor and win a goodie bag - there are 10 goodie bags up for grabs every hour from 10am.

Packed full of fun and entertainment for all the family, Dinosaur Takeover Day is completely *free for everyone and includes a Dinosaur Park complete with Jurassic jeep, walkabouts from Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptor and Dino babies.

Plan your Dinosaur Takeover Day Out 10.30 11.00 11.15 11.30 11.45 12.00 12.30 1.00 1.00 1.15 1.30 1.40 1.45 2.00 2.15 2.30 3.00 3.15 3.30

T Rex Walkabout in St Peter’s Square T Rex Walkabout in Merseyway Velociraptors Walkabout at Redrock Andy Day’s Dino Show in St Peter’s Square Trolls Show in Mersey Square T Rex Walkabout in Merseyway Velociraptors Walkabout at Redrock Dino Babies in Merseyway Velociraptors Walkabout in Mersey Square T Rex Walkabout in St Peter’s Square Velociraptors Walkabout at Redrock Dino Babies in Merseyway Trolls Show in St Peter’s Square Andy Day’s Dino Show in Mersey Square Velociraptors Walkabout at Redrock T Rex Walkabout in Merseyway T Rex Walkabout in St Peter’s Square Velociraptors Walkabout at Redrock T Rex Walkabout in Merseyway

On stage to entertain the crowds with an exciting show will be children’s presenter Andy Day and the ever-popular colourful Trolls are back with their unique song and dance display. The Dinosaur grill will be serving tasty food, to satisfy even dinosaur-sized appetites.

Flintstones! Meet the Flintstones!

A Dinosaur Day Out wouldn’t be complete without the Flintstones: Fred’s incredible stone wheeled ‘footmobile’ will be rolling around Mersey Square alongside the easier to navigate, and slightly more modern-day, rides of the kiddie’s fairground.

Dinosaurs won’t be patrolling the Market Place but you will find the Makers Market where over 50 stalls will be packed with something for everyone: a selection of unique creatives, creators, makers, designers, producers, bakers, musicians and artists. *does not apply to screenings at The Light cinema

And as if all those walking dinosaurs aren’t enough, the film **Jurassic World - Fallen Kingdom is showing at The Light cinema Jurassic World - Fallen Kingdom screening times for June 9th 2D 10.00 13.00 16.00 19.00

3D 11.00 14.00 17.00 20.00

Kids £8.45 Student & Senior £8.95 Adult £10.95 Family Ticket £33.80

**Released on June 6th, tickets on sale from Saturday 21st April - Everyone can receive 10% off ticket price if they book online

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Stockport First glimpse of transport interchange revealed

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tockport’s bus station is set for a multi-million pound makeover into a modern transport interchange. This is part of the town’s radical transformation to make it a great place to live, work, play, connect and invest.

Once complete, the interchange will be more than just a transport hub – it will bring a new park for people to enjoy, new homes and improved connectivity links between the interchange and the train station to our town centre too.

The first glimpse of what the interchange could look like has just been revealed and residents have the chance to give Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Stockport Council their thoughts on the planning application, ahead of its submission later this year.

To find out more about these plans and how you will be able to have your say, please visit: www.tfgm.com/stockport-interchange

Ambitious Vision for Town Centre Living

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ur town centre is quickly becoming seen as an exciting, attractive place to live, with new homes and improved public spaces for everyone to enjoy. But we don’t want to stop there.

The Council has a bold and ambitious vision for the whole of our town centre, and we want Stockport to become the town centre residential location of choice in South Manchester.

Work turning this into a reality has already begun. The scaffold is up at the White Lion and the footings are in at Covent Garden with more to follow as sites become available.

By bringing new high quality homes, open spaces and amenities to the heart of Stockport, the town centre will quickly become home to a vibrant community enjoying everything our town’s transformation has to offer, including Redrock, the offices at Stockport Exchange and new shops and restaurants opening in both Merseyway and the Market Place. Stockport is a great place to live, work, play and connect.

A Town

Business

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of Investment and Opportunity

Council launches ‘We Love Stockport’ Campaign

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tockport is a fantastic place to live, work and visit - let’s all pull together to make it even better.

A new environmental campaign ‘We Love Stockport - Be Proud of Where You Live’, is calling on all local people, community groups, businesses and schools to play their part, alongside ourselves, in helping keep where we live clean and tidy.

Residents have already told us they take pride in their environment and communities, but that they want to do more to help improve them further by working together to remove unnecessary waste and litter that are blighting our streets.

There’s lots of ways we can all get involved from organising litter picks to making recycling a priority in our homes.

For more information visit www.stockport.gov.uk/environment

Rare Mags 24

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n the last two issues of Totally Stockport we have featured the openings of the Tramp hair salon and Hillgate Cakery and we return to this little patch of Lower Hillgate to meet the most recent arrivals: Martin Wilson and Holly Carter who have opened Rare Mags at number 17.

As ever, we begin by asking why they choose Stockport and Martin explains, “I’m originally from Stockport and we made it our home about a year and half ago. When we decided to open the shop, it seemed like a good idea to get in on the ground floor in an area that’s getting quite a lot of attention at the moment.”

Holly, born and bred in Lancashire, has a clear recollection of her first impressions of Stockport a couple of years ago... “It reminded me of my first visits to Manchester when I was 15 or 16 and we had to get the bus home from Stevenson Square and it was terrifying. It was properly desolate and intimidating but at the same time quite interesting, with weird niches and strange architectural themes. And when I first walked around Stockport parts of it reminded me of that. You walk up Rostron Brow and the building is incredible and it’s derelict! It’s really exciting, all the buildings and spaces that Stockport has. There’s loads of opportunity.”

Owners Martin Wilson and Holly Carter

“Every time you start something like this,” continues Martin, “you’ve got to hope you’re getting in on a level where it’s affordable but not too early.” And he thinks the signs are good, “every time I walk past a shop that has been historically empty, there’s activity: people moving timber in and the lights are on... It could be really, really good. I think with a few good decisions now and in two, three, five years, this could be quite the area.”

Prior to opening, Rare Mags ran a Kickstarter campaign to generate, as Martin explains, “both funds and interest.” As an incentive to contribute, the pair commissioned seven local artists to create some Stockport scenes, prints of which were exclusively available through Kickstarter. They will also be working with these artists on an exclusive line of greetings cards.

Needless to say, the magazines stocked in the shop are not ones you’d be able to grab from WH Smith before jumping on the train to London. Holly cites her favourite as Apartamento, an “off-kilter” interiors magazine, while Martin opts for The Modernist “They’re Manchester-based, they’re great guys and they make unlovable architecture lovable.”

Now the shop is up and running, the couple are actively speaking to other people to find out what they would like to see on the shelves. There are lots of titles that most people will not have come across before but you shouldn’t let that put you off. The magazines might be considered niche but they cover a wide range of subjects, including a nice collection of Foodie titles: “to represent the current cultural dynamic of the town” as Holly puts it.

There’s certainly a community developing amongst the recently arrived, independent traders in this part of town. “All the other businesses around here are incredibly friendly.” says Holly. “You arrive in the morning and everyone’s in the street having a natter and while we were working on the shop Simon from Hillgate Cakery was bringing us coffees to help us through. We’re now talking to the other businesses about possibly doing late night Thursdays together” Martin adds, “We want to push the events side of things, I think we’d be mad not to. You can’t just see a shop as a retail space during shop hours, it’s got to be a community based thing where you can invite a variety of different people in.”

For now, make sure you pop in the next time you’re in the area and if there’s nothing on the shelves that appeals to your tastes, have a chat with Martin or Holly. They might well unearth your new favourite magazine.

17 Lower Hillgate, Stockport SK1 1JQ www.raremags.co.uk

New Business

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New Business

TheGYM at Redrock

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he latest addition to the Redrock development has been The Gym which, conveniently for its members, sits immediately below the car park. It’s a huge, open-plan space with an impressive collection of equipment and a striking facade. The man charged with launching The Gym in Stockport is Grant Sneddon and we began by asking him about the philosophy behind how The Gym operates?

“What we try and do is break down the barriers that prevent people from exercising and we see those as Time, Cost and Availability. In terms of time, we’re open 24 hours a day, every single day. So it doesn’t matter what shifts people work or when they want to come, we’re always open. With cost, we offer a very competitive rate, just now we’re £13.99 a month and regards availability, we’re no contract so people can come and go as they please. If they’re a regular Gym user they can just let the direct debit run in the background so they can use it as much as they want and if they want to cancel it or they’re moving away, it’s no problem. And we’ve found that if we make it very easy for people to cancel, a lot of them come back to us. Also regards availability,

General Manager Grant Sneddon

we have nearly 130 Gyms in the UK and we’ve introduced a new membership scheme which would allow our members to access all of them.”

What sort of classes do you offer here?

We have a mixture of classes to suit all abilities and it doesn’t matter which class you choose, there are options within each that are suited to your fitness level. So it’s not like “this class is hard so only the seasoned athlete can train in it” Everyone can train in them and there are instructors there to make sure that you are working within your own level of intensity. So we have circuits, with have High Intensity Interval Training, Power Yoga, Box Fit, Legs, Bums & Tums, Core Classes and Combat Aerobics where you exercise to music. It’s a good variety and as the membership grows we will be able to add more staff which will mean we can offer more classes. As it is now, over one night we might have 100 people taking part in one particular class, so that’s potentially hundreds of people a night getting active, getting moving and enjoying it while they’re doing it.

New Business How would you sell The Gym to someone who’s possibly reached middle age and hasn’t really exercised for years?

As part of your membership everyone gets an induction session and three starter sessions. The induction is an explanation of how to use the equipment safely and the sessions after that are based around what that person actually wants to achieve. We’ll give them different exercises to do that suit them and we’d recommend mixing classes in with the gym equipment so for someone who’s never exercised before a great place to start would be something like Power Yoga. It’s flexibility based, which is perfect for someone who is very sedentary in their job. Everyone has something that niggles and Power Yoga is brilliant because you get a workout - your heart rate increases as the session goes on because you’re supporting your own bodyweight in certain poses but it’s not high intensity. Plus, it targets the areas that most people with a sedentary lifestyle need to target - flexibility and an improved cardio level of fitness.

Experienced gym users would probably want to know about the sort of equipment you offer.

We have an extensive free weights area with lifting platforms, bench press stations, squat racks and plenty of dumbbells. We’ve got 15 free weight benches as well, so there’s lots to go around, even if people are coming in at peak time. We have 45° leg presses, up to four resistance machines, three leg press, four lat pull down, two leg curl, two leg extensions...

On your Facebook account you are always quick to reply to feedback, you must consider this an important part of running the business?

We think that being no contract makes us the stand-out business in our industry and that puts the pressure on us to show that we’re listening to our members. We need to act on feedback where we feasibly can or they will cancel and go elsewhere and in my opinion, that’s the way it should be. The pressure should be on us to provide a great product and a great service so

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that people want to stay with us and keep their membership running. So if people have suggestions about the content of classes, the timing of classes, we’ll listen. Someone recently asked for different attachments for cables and it was a small thing for us as a company to order them in but it might make a big difference to that person’s workout. Where we can act, we do. Social media has been amazing for us and we always aim to answer people within 24 hours of their message or comment.

The first thing you notice about the gym is that it’s very open plan...

We look to create a space that people don’t get intimidated by, something that’s nice and bright, fresh and modern. So that people enjoy coming here.

We’ve only been open a few weeks but we already have a maintenance guy who will come in and touch up the paintwork and so on, so this place should look as good in year five as it does in year one. It should always look fresh, vibrant and ready to use. We also have very good contracts with our equipment suppliers in terms of maintenance, so if there’s a problem with a machine, they have to come out within 48 hours to fix it.

Clearly none of your members will have an issue with parking...

Yes, there are 500 spaces above us and it’s fully managed by NCP. It’s really well lit and there’s always two Redrock security guards on site so it’s a nice, safe, secure place. I think you have to have a facility like that for a 24 hour Gym. And during the times that the car park charges apply, our members get two hours free but as you might imagine, a lot of our members come outside office hours so after 6pm it’s free anyway. Even at the absolutely busiest times there will be about 200 free spaces and what works well is that with all the other tenants of Redrock, our peak time is their quiet time. The cinema and the restaurants are busy Friday, Saturday Sunday night and that’s our quietest time. I think Redrock and Stockport Council have nailed it in terms of the selection of tenants.

s ’ t a h W On Until 30th September 2018

Strawberry Studios ‘I Am in Love’

Exploring Strawberry’s rich heritage and commemorating 50 years since the studio first opened. Now updated and extended! Tue to Sat: 10am to 5pm Sun: 11am to 5pm Admission: Free Sun 27th May 1.00pm

GRIMMFEST Presents: Class of ‘82 (18)

Stockport Plaza Manchester’s resident horror & cult movie experts, GRIMMFEST, are taking it back to the year 1982 for their next all-day movie marathon at the Stockport Plaza, celebrating some of the greatest horror gems of that year.

1.00pm: Xtro 3.00pm: Creepshow 5.30pm: The Thing 7.45pm: Friday 13th Part 3 (3D) £22 for a day pass Thurs 31st May - Sat 2nd June

Stockport Beer & Cider Festival

Edgeley Park See Page 20 for full details.

Fri 1st June 10am

Business Advice Surgery

Stockport Central Library Receive expert advice from a qualified Business Adviser from PeoplePlus.

Free Sat 2nd June at 7.30pm

Arrival - The Hits of Abba

Stockport Plaza Arrival is an international, multi award-winning show that has sold out around the world since 1995.

This high energy show features the vast catalogue of hits loved by many generations including “Mamma Mia”, “Dancing Queen”, “Waterloo”, “Super Trouper”, “Voulez Vous” and many more.

Sat 2nd June 10.30am - 4pm AND Sun 3rd June 11am - 4pm

Tue 5th June 10:30am - 6pm (And every Tuesday)

Hat Works You will learn: blocking techniques, joining crown to brim, edging, trimming. For beginners and improvers alike. £125

Stockport Central Library To mark National Volunteers Week, Stockport Central Library are holding an Open Day which will be attended by a variety of partners offering a wide range of volunteer opportunities.

Millinery: straw boaters

Sat 2nd June 12pm - 2pm

iPhone Photography Workshop Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery Join eminent iPhone photographer Adrian McGarry for two hours of instruction, practice and inspiration.

Guaranteed to raise your smartphone creativity.

Early bird offer: £15 Otherwise: £20 Sun 3rd June 11am - 5pm

Reduction Lino Cut Print workshop

Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery In this workshop, you will learn how to make a small edition of a three or four reduction colour linocut. You will be taught how to prepare the block, transfer your image, cut the surface away, mix ink, ink the block, register and print. £60 Sun 3rd June

Book & Record Fair

Stockport Market Hall Books, Records and Ephemera, there will be live music from local band Pigs Can Fly Free after 10am £5 at 9am Tue 5th June 1:30pm - 3:30pm (And every Tuesday)

Mindfulness colouring for adults

Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery Life is stressful so why not take some time to relax and put your focus elsewhere for a while. Come and colour in some beautiful designs that you can take away with you.

All materials provided or you may bring your own books to colour in.

Volunteer open day

Tue 5th June 6pm - 7.30pm

Fostering open evening

Stockport Town Hall If you’re interested in fostering, learn about what it takes to become a foster carer, the different types of fostering and the specialist scheme.

You will also hear about the fostering process, how to become a foster carer and you will be given the opportunity to speak to an existing Stockport foster carer about their experiences of fostering.

More info: 0161 474 3400.

Tue 5th June 7:45pm (And every Tuesday)

Stockport male voice choir rehearsal

Church Hall behind St. Joseph’s church, Tatton Street off Petersgate Stockport £60 per annum but free until you decide to join.

Phone Colin on 0161 439 7331 or Stuart on 0161 494 1631

Wed 6th June 7.30pm - 10pm

The Petersgate Tap Open Mic

Pop along to listen or read your own or another author’s poetry or prose.

19 St Petersgate Thu 7th June 7.30pm - 10pm

Crystal Chords rehearsal

(And every Thursday) Stockport Masonic Guildhall A dynamic award-winning chorus which enjoys performing and competing at home and abroad. They sing a cappella (unaccompanied harmony) and belong to the Ladies Association of British Barbershop Singer Pop along for a free taster session.

Thu 7th June 11am - 12.30pm AND 2pm - 3.30pm

Meet the archaeologist

Stockport Museum An opportunity to speak to an archaeologist in the museum.

Handle and interpret real archaeological items and ask questions.

Fri 8th June 1pm - 1.30pm

Object of the Month: Cigarette Cards

Stockport Museum Meet in the browse area of the museum at 1pm to enjoy this examination of an item from the museum’s collection

An Essential Art History at Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery

13th May: Introduction (free) 27th May: Middle Ages 10th June: Renaissance 24th June: Dutch painting, Mannerism and Baroque 1st July: British painting in the 18th and 19th century 29th July: From Rococo to Romanticism 12th August: Impressionism 26th August: The 20th century and Us The series features eight sessions, stretching from the Middle Ages to the present; they are interactive, dynamic and engaging, and have been designed by art historian Sara Riccardi to create connections between the past and the present, highlighting in a chronological overview the threads linking together centuries of artistic production.

Each session costs £20

What’s On

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All the big events in and around the centre of Stockport up until the end of August. Keep up-to-date with what’s going on at www.totallystockport.co.uk

Fri 8th June 9pm - 1am

Night Owl Soul Club

Stockport Guildhall, 169-171 Wellington Road South The Ballroom plays the best Tamla Motown, Soul Disco and Jazz Funk.

The En-Suite Room playing great Northern Soul tunes with Dj’s recreating the magical age of Wigan Casino and the Twisted Wheel. £5 Members £7 non members Sat 9th June From 10.30am

Dinosaur Takeover Day All Around Stockport See page 21 for full details

Stravinsky Pulcinella Suite, Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paginini and Shostakovich Symphony No. 9 £11 adults, £9 concessions, £5 students, children under 16 free Box office: 07947 474574

Free admission Guided tour £5

Cafelito, 20 Railway Road SK1 3TB Live original acoustic showcase.

An action packed session of arts and crafts with the emphasis on fun and age and ability appropriate crafts. Dress to get messy. Crafts suitable for 2 to 5 years. £7 (max of two accompanying adults free)

Sun 10th June 10am - 4pm

16th - 23rd June 7.30pm

Fri 22nd June 7.30pm

Stockport Covered Market Hall Vintage clothing and accessories for men and women, vintage jewellery, homewares, decorative items, textiles, luggage, furniture, curios and collectables.

Garrick Theatre An improbable comedy depicting the bungling and nonsensical goings-on in the life of Lord Arthur Savile on his journey to the altar. Based on the short story by Oscar Wilde.

Booking Line: 0161 480 5866

Stockport Plaza For the first time, Absolute Bowie will take audiences on a trip that presents all his best-loved personas in all their glory. Performed by a world class five-piece band (six with added saxophone!), this brand new and unique concert features three sets and more costume changes than any other show. A true extravaganza of the wonder that is Bowie’s work.

Vintage Village

Tue 12th June 10am - 5pm

Sat 9th June 10am - 4pm

Makers Market

Stockport Market Place Browse Stockport Market and ‘The Makers Market’ where you will be spoilt for choice – a selection of unique creatives, creators, makers, designers, producers, bakers, musicians & artists.

Sat 9th June 2pm - 4pm

Fragments textile workshop

Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery In response to the ‘Fragments’ exhibition, come and make a fabric or paper collage based on fragments of your own memories, feelings and writing. Attendees will go home with a small piece of art suitable for framing.

Suitable for ages 13 and above.

Booking essential.

Free Sat 9th June 7.30pm - 9.45pm

Stockport Symphony Orchestra

Stockport Town Hall An all Russian concert including

Thu 14th June 7.30pm - 10pm

Acoustic evening at Cafelito

Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime

Half term crafty makes

Sat 16th June 7.00pm

Wed 13th June 10.30am - 1pm

Stockport Plaza To celebrate the 40th birthday of Stockport Schools’ Brass Bands former members are reuniting. The evening will start with a performance from the current bands with the finale being a massed piece with 100 bandspeople on stage.

Stockport Musuem Pick up a craft bag and find everything you need to make something that is linked to one of the exhibitions.

Suitable for ages 3 and above.

Drop in during normal visiting hours. £1 per craft bag

Felt crown and brim blocking workshop

Hat Works A felt blocking workshop, running for 5 weeks. This class is designed for the more advanced sewers and students who have attended Millinery courses. £125 Wed 13th June 1.30pm - 4pm

Tea Dance in the Town Hall

Stockport Town Hall an afternoon of Ballroom and Modern Sequence dancing in the magnificent Town Hall Ballroom £2.60 Thu 14th June 5pm - 9pm

Museum Lates

Hat Works A chance to visit the museum after hours, explore the hat collection and take a tour of the factory floor.

Drinks and snacks will be available in the café area.

Stockport Schools’ Brass Bands Reunion

Sat 16th June 10am - 4pm

Pastel painting workshop

Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery Stockport based pastel artist Paul Pigram will guide students through the process and techniques of this medium. All materials will be supplied. £45 Tue 19th June 10am - 5pm

Half term crafty makes Stockport Musuem As 12th June

Thu 21st June 6.30pm

Deco at Dusk

Stockport Plaza A Behind-the-Scenes tour with an indulgent difference, starting with a drinks repeception in the auditorium Fri 22nd June 10am

Mad Hatters art & crafts club Hat Works

Absolute Bowie

Sat 23rd June 10am-4pm

A Beginners Guide to Felt Making

Hat Works A full day workshop to introduce you to the art of felt making.

Booking essential. £25 Sat 23rd June 8.00pm

Count Arthur Strong

Stockport Plaza Arthur takes us back on a journey through his early career. Using the latest technology and all that. Comedy genius. 16+ Sun 24th June 2pm-3pm

Strawberry Studios Exhibition guided tour Stockport Museum Join historian Dr Peter Wadsworth on a free guided tour of the Strawberry Studios exhibition.

Free Mon 25th June 12pm-1pm

Lunchtime Wurlitzer Organ concert

The organist for this month is the talented Bryon Jones. £2.10

s ’ t a h W On Fri 29th June 6pm - 9pm

Fri 13th July 1pm - 1.30pm

Stockport Market Street food, craft ales, live music and hundreds of people.

Stockport Museum Meet in the browse area of the museum at 1pm.

Foodie Friday!

Object of the Month: Coal

Sat 30th June 2pm - 4pm

Fri 13th July 9pm - 1am

Stockport Museum Join local expert David Kelsall for a fascinating talk about the 6th Cheshire Regiment as WW1 drew to a close.

Booking essential. £7.50

Stockport Plaza Filmed and recorded over multiple shows the concert movie includes never before seen special effects along with an exclusive insight from the band in the introduction.

The 6th Cheshire Regiment in 1918

Sun 1st July

Book & Record Fair

Stockport Market Hall Books, Records and Ephemera, Free after 10am £5 at 9am Wed 4th July 8.00pm

Sarah Millican: Control Enthusiast

Stockport Plaza Sarah Millican is not a control freak, she’s a control enthusiast. She even controls her own insults, see? Do you arrange the nights out? Are you in charge of passports on holiday?

Then so are you!

Sun 8th July 10am - 4pm

Vintage Village

Stockport Covered Market Hall Vintage clothing and accessories for men and women, vintage jewellery, homewares, decorative items, textiles, luggage, furniture, curios and collectables.

Mon 9th July 7.30pm

The Ladyboys of Bangkok ‘Wonder Women Tour’

Stockport Plaza Celebrating 20 diamante decorated years, The Ladyboys of Bangkok’s ‘Wonder Women Tour’ takes Britain’s number one cabaret show to a new level. Definitely one not to be missed.

On Screen: Muse: Drones World Tour

Sat 14th July 10am - 4pm

Makers Market

Stockport Market Place Browse Stockport Market and ‘The Makers Market’ where you will be spoilt for choice – a selection of unique creatives, creators, makers, designers, producers, bakers, musicians & artists.

Sun 15th July 1pm - 3.30pm

Hatting walk

Using huge projection photos and original film footage, this 50th Anniversary Celebration also features a full live band performing all the hits including ‘Mrs Robinson’, ‘Cecilia’, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, ‘Homeward Bound’ and many more.

Wed 18th July 7.00pm

RSC Live Screening: Romeo & Juliet

Stockport Plaza Set in a world very like our own, this Romeo and Juliet is about a generation of young people born into violence and ripped apart by the bitter divisions of their parents.

Sat 21st July 1pm - 2.15pm

Stockport Carnival

Woodbank Park Join the colourful parade through the town centre and fun day at Woodbank Park.

For more information or to volunteer to help out visit: www.stockportcarnival.com

Hat Works Walk in the footsteps of Stockport’s hatters with hatting expert Sue Lea. This guided walk takes in the key sites and characters that played a part in Stockport’s hat trade.

Sensible shoes recommended. £8

Sun 22nd July 2.30pm - 5pm

Tue 17th to Sat 21st July

An Evening with The Cast of Harry Potter

China Plates and Pearl Earrings

Hat Works Stockport’s brand new, independent theatre company: Viaduct Theatre are taking part in the Greater Manchester Fringe with this bitter-sweet comedy which will once again be performed at Hat Works.

Ticket information can be found at the company’s website: www.viaducttheatre.co.uk Thu 19th July 7.30pm

The Simon and Garfunkel Story Stockport Plaza

Lancastrian Theatre organ trust concert

Stockport Town Hall With organists David Shepherd and John Mann £9 Mon 23rd July 7.00pm

Wed 25th July to Fri 28th July 10.30am - 4.30pm

3 day Millinery Summer School

Hat Works Immerse yourself in 3 whole days of millinery. A perfect opportunity to really hone your skills, try a new technique, tackle a more challenging project or take your work in a new direction. Students will aim to make 1 felt hat and 1 straw hat over the course of 3 days. £180

Sunday 29th July 9am to 11am Stockport Pride

Marketplace A free festival celebrating equality and inclusion. Loads of entertainment including musicians and drag queens. There will also be local community groups and charities, as well as plenty of food and drink.

The organisers have been working closely with the local lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans community, including PLUS People Like Us Stockport (LGBT Social Group), The Proud Trust and LGBT Foundation to make this, the second Stockport Pride, the best it can be.

The event will be family and dog friendly.

Stockport Plaza Get up close with some of the Harry Potter Cast, as they talk about their time on the movies.

There will be a Q&A session after the event.

Tue 24th July 10am - 5pm Then through the Summer

Summer crafty makes

Stockport Musuem As 12th June Check website for a full list of dates.

Fri 27th July 6pm - 9pm

Foodie Friday!

Stockport Market Street food, craft ales, live music and hundreds of people.

What’s On

31

All the big events in and around the centre of Stockport up until the end of August. Keep up-to-date with what’s going on at www.totallystockport.co.uk

Sat 11th August 10am - 4pm

Sun 29th July 2pm - 3pm

adults £2.

Booking essential

Stockport Museum Join historian Dr Peter Wadsworth on a free guided tour of the Strawberry Studios exhibition.

Meet in the museum browse area.

Free

Tue 7th to Sat 11th August

Strawberry Studios Exhibition guided tour

Sun 5th August

Book & Record Fair

Stockport Market Hall Books, Records and Ephemera, Free after 10am £5 at 9am

Makers Market

Romiley Operatic Society Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Stockport Plaza For their 100th production Romiley Operatic Society present Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, based on the 1968 film version of Ian Fleming’s children’s book and featuring an unforgettable score by the Sherman Brothers.

Thu 9th August 11am - 12.30pm (and every Thursday in August)

Sun 5th August 11am - 5pm

Silkscreen printing workshop

Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery In this workshop you will be taught the basics of silkscreen printing using water based inks and pastels.

You will start with the basic mechanic of screen-printing and you’ll soon be making prints by the mono-silkscreen method.

The class is suited for complete beginners or artists wishing to refresh their knowledge.

Suitable for ages 16+.

Booking essential info: aquatint@hotmail.co.uk.

Tue 7th August 11am - 12.30pm

Family tour at the Hat Works

Hat Works Find out all about Stockport and its famous hats on this popular tour for families. Try your hand at making a piece of felt and see if you would have made it as a hatter.

Suitable for children 6+ Children £5, accompanying

Try it out Thursday

Stockport Market Place Browse Stockport Market and ‘The Makers Market’ where you will be spoilt for choice – a selection of unique creatives, creators, makers, designers, producers, bakers, musicians & artists.

Sun 12th August 10am - 4pm

Classic Vehicles Fair

Stockport Market A classic car and motorbike spectacular, running alongside the Vintage Village.

See page 20 for more information

Hat Works Try your hand at a range of crafts with skilled facilitators helping you along. Activities will include: printing, quilling hat design and felt jewellry.

Suitable for ages 4+ Booking essential. £5

Sun 12th August 10am - 4pm

Thu 9th August 7.30pm - 10pm

Thu 16th August 11am - 12pm

Acoustic evening at Cafelito

Cafelito, 20 Railway Road SK1 3TB Live original acoustic showcase.

Fri 10th August 9pm - 1am

Night Owl Soul Club Stockport Guildhall As Fri 8th June

Fri 10th August 1pm - 1.30pm

Object of the Month: Basaltware Teapot & Creamery Stockport Museum Meet in the browse area of the museum at 1pm.

Free

The Air Raid Warden will be in the Museum for you to chat to.

Look at and handle authentic items and ask questions.Free Thr 23rd August 7.30pm

The Story of The Beach Boys

Stockport Plaza The performers of this extravaganza express, Beach Boyz Tribute Band deliver a stunning show of technicolour harmonies.

Sun 26th August All Day

Roughleys Bike Show St Petersgate

Vintage Village

Stockport Covered Market Hall Vintage clothing and accessories for men and women, vintage jewellery, homewares, decorative items, textiles, luggage, furniture, curios and collectables.

Crime and Punishment at Staircase House

Staircase House Discover gruesome deeds and how the guilty were punished.

This is an interactive visit to Staircase House for the family.

Suitable for ages 7+ Adult £5, Concessions £3.75 Children under 16 free Tue 21st August 11am - 12.30pm AND 2pm - 3.30pm

Meet the Air Raid Warden Stockport Musuem

A festival of bikes and music that raises an admirable amount of money for charity.

Fri 31st August 6pm - 9pm

Foodie Friday!

Stockport Market Street food, craft ales, live music and hundreds of people.

Key contact details The Hat Works

Wellington Mill Wellington Road South Stockport SK3 0EU 0161 474 2399

The Plaza

Mersey Square Stockport SK1 1SP 0161 477 7779

Stockport Central Library

Wellington Road South Stockport SK1 3RS

Air Raid Shelters 61 Chestergate Stockport SK1 1NE 0161 474 1940

Stockport Museum Staircase House 30 Market Place Stockport SK1 1ES 0161 474 4444