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Spiritual
Spiritual events happening in Macclesfield and the surrounding areas.
If you have an event or meeting you want publicised here then please email us via the contact form
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Wed25Jun2025Fri01Aug2025
Cheshire East Ranger Service have organised a host of events for July.
Wednesday, 25 June – Introduction to Climbing at Windgather Rocks
A chance to experience the thrills of climbing in this introductory climbing session with Moorland Adventure. Suitable for anyone over the age of 9. Booking and payment in advance is essential. Cost £20.
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Meeting point: Windgather Rocks, Side End Lane, Kettleshulme, SK23 7RF (SJ995777)
Leaders: Moorland Adventure
Information: 01625 573615
(Healthy walk – Event / Partnership event / Places limited – please book in advance / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / There is a charge for this event)Thursday, 26 June – Evening Meditation and Deep Rest in Nature at Tegg’s Nose – June
Join Amanda, from Lets Step In, for a soothing evening in nature with beautiful views at Tegg’s Nose Country Park for meditation and deep rest.
Unwind as the day slows and nature prepares for night. Surrounded by the stunning countryside you’ll be guided through a series of nature-based meditation practices ending with deep rest. Awaken your senses, come into the present and connect with nature to soothe your nervous system, support your mind and nourish your whole self. Setting you up for a restful night’s sleep.
Suitable for beginners and beyond.
We’ll gather in the car park and walk together to where we’ll spend the session. I’ll be sprinkling in learnings about meditation between the practices and helping you with your practice throughout. Bring a cup to enjoy tea and conversation at the end or continue to sit in silence and take in the views. This is space for you to use as you need.
Booking and payment in advance is essential. Cost £12.
Time: 6.45pm to 8.15pm
Meeting point: Tegg’s Nose Country Park Visitor Centre, Buxton Old Road, Macclesfield, SK11 0AP (SJ950733)
Leader: Amanda from Let Step In
Information: Email Amanda from Let Step In
(Car parking charge / Easy walking grade / Healthy walk – Event / Partial accessibility – level or ramped access / Partnership event / Places limited – please book in advance / Please leave your dog at home / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / There is a charge for this event)Tuesday, 1 July – Outdoor Fitness Class at Astbury Mere Country Park
Are looking for a fitness class during the week that’s outside and you can bring your child?
Open to everyone even if you are wanting to add extra training to your week or wanting to get fit after having a child in a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere. No matter what fitness level you are the class can be tailored to suit all abilities.
The sessions vary each week depending on numbers and the weather. They can include full body toning, cardio sessions, core work and flexibility.
Suitable for anyone over the age of 18. No booking necessary, just turn up and pay as you go £6 per person.
This event repeats every first Tuesday morning of the month.
Time: 10:00am to 11:00am
Meeting point: Astbury Mere Country Park, Sandy Lane, Congleton, CW12 4FR (SJ846627)
Leaders: Personal Trainer Kelly Morley
Information: 07803 245590 or email Kelly Morley
(Car parking charge / Children must be accompanied by an adult / Healthy walk – Event / Partnership event / Please leave your dog at home / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / Refreshment stop, opportunity for refreshments / There is a charge for this event)Tuesday, 1 July – Green Helpers Macclesfield – 1 July
The Bollin Valley Partnership Rangers have teamed up with the Green Spaces for Wellbeing initiative for a new series of sessions in Macclesfield!
Join us to help make Macclesfield Riverside Park an even more wonderful place for people and wildlife. We have lots of hands-on activities planned across the park to enhance its natural feel and boost biodiversity. Think meadow creation, planting trees and hedges, litter picking, bulb planting and much more.
This is an ongoing programme throughout the year, so you can sign up at any time. The programme is fully funded which means there is no cost for you. For adults 18+. Sign up for 6 sessions with the option to extend to 12 sessions later.
Due to the nature of these activities, these sessions are suitable for people with moderate/good physical fitness and mobility. Unfortunately, they are not wheelchair accessible.
BOOKING ESSENTIAL.
THIS EVENT REPEATS EVERY TUESDAY IN JULY.
Meeting point: Macclesfield Riverside Park Visitor Centre, Beechwood Mews, off Manchester Road, Tytherington, Macclesfield, SK10 2SL
Time: 1pm to 3pm
Leaders: Green Spaces for Wellbeing and the Bollin Valley Partnership
Information: Email the Everybody Healthy Team or ring 01270 685589
(Healthy walk – Event / Moderate walking grade / Partnership event / Places limited – please book in advance / Please leave your dog at home / Please wear suitable boots and clothing)Wednesday, 2 July – Balsam Bash Three
The third in a series of annual Himalayan Balsam bashing events. Help us to manage the threat of this invasive plant in the Bollin valley and get the ‘bashing bug’! This one is in the Bowdon area with help from Friends of Bowdon Bollin and Trafford Wildlife Trust.
Please bring thick gardening gloves along and we recommend you wearing long sleeves and trousers. Suitable for anyone over the age of 8.Time: 10am to 1pm
Meeting point: Bow Green Farm, Bow Lane, Bowdon, WA14 3BY
Leaders: Bollin Valley Partnership Ranger Emma Houghton and Friends of Bowdon Bollin
Information: 01625 374790
(Children must be accompanied by an adult / Ideal for families and accompanied children / Partnership event / Please leave your dog at home / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / Strenuous walking grade / Wildlife walk – Event)Wednesday, 2 July – Fancy a Paddle – Three
A chance to learn a little bit about canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding on the beautiful Rudyard Lake. The event is delivered by Moorland Adventure. Full instruction equipment and buoyancy aids will be provided.
Booking and payment in advance is essential. All participants must be older than 8 years old and be “water confident”.
Cost £20 per person. Minimum of 4 attendees required for this event to take place.Time: 7pm to 9pm
Meeting point: Rudyard Lake, Rudyard, ST13 8RN (SJ950580)
Leaders: Moorland Adventure
Information: 01625 573615
(Car parking charge / Partnership event / Places limited – please book in advance / Please leave your dog at home / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / There is a charge for this event)Tuesday, 8 July – Introduction to Climbing at The Roaches
Another chance to experience the thrills of climbing in this introductory climbing session, with Moorland Adventure. Suitable for anyone over the age of 9. Booking and payment in advance is essential. Cost £20.
Meeting point: The Roaches, Roach Road, Nr Leek, Staffordshire, ST13 8UB (SK00416212)
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Leaders: Moorland Adventure
Information: 01625 573615
(Children must be accompanied by an adult / Healthy walk – Event / Partnership event / Places limited – please book in advance / Please leave your dog at home / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / There is a charge for this event)Wednesday, 9 July – Wildflowers and butterflies of Jacksons’ Brickworks Local Nature Reserve
A leisurely morning walk enjoying the wildflowers and butterflies of the reserve. The wildflower meadows look superb at this time of year and include several different species of orchid. A slow-paced walk of around 1.6km (1 mile).
Booking and payment in advance essential. Adults £7.50, children 16 or under go free.
Time: 10am to 12pm
Meeting point: Jacksons’ Brickworks Car Park, Pool House Road, Higher Poynton, SK12 1TY (SJ945844)
Leaders: Cheshire East Council Countryside Ranger Pete Dowse
Information: 01625 383700
(Bring binoculars if you have them / Children must be accompanied by an adult / Easy walking grade / Healthy walk / Event / Ideal for families and accompanied children/ Partial accessibility – level or ramped access / Places limited – please book in advance / Please leave your dog at home / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / There is a charge for this event / Wildlife walk – Event)Thursday, 10 July – Flowers in the Grass
Come along for a morning stroll around the wildflower pastures and meadows of Dane-in-Shaw Pasture Site of Special Scientific Interest and also through the woodlands of the Biddulph Valley Way, enjoying the summer wildflowers and chatting about some of their uses and folklore.
Booking and payment in advance essential. Adults £7.50, children 16 or under go free.
Time: 10am to 1pm
Meeting point: Henshall Hall Drive (park on road just before canal), Congleton, CW12 3TA (SJ876622)
Leader: Cheshire East Council Countryside Ranger Carolyn Sherratt
Information: 01477 534115
(Children must be accompanied by an adult / Moderate walking grade / Places limited – please book in advance / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / There is a charge for this event / Wildlife walk – Event)Wednesday, 16 July – Fancy a Paddle – Four
A chance to learn a little bit about canoeing, kayaking and paddleboarding on the beautiful Rudyard Lake. The event is delivered by Moorland Adventure. Full instruction equipment and buoyancy aids will be provided. Booking and payment in advance is essential. All participants must be older than 8 years old and be “water confident”.
Cost £20 per person. Minimum of 4 attendees required for this event to take place.
Time: 7pm to 9pm
Meeting point: Rudyard Lake, Rudyard, ST13 8RN (SJ950580)
Leaders: Moorland Adventure
Information: 01625 573615
(Car parking charge / Partnership event / Places limited – please book in advance / Please leave your dog at home / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / There is a charge for this event)Thursday, 17 July – Macclesfield Bioblitz 2025
This is the annual ‘Bioblitz’ at Riverside Park. In partnership with the Mersey Rivers Trust, join experts discovering the birds, wildflowers, minibeasts and water life that can be found within the park.
Drop-in activities throughout the day include butterfly walks, pond and river dipping, environmental art and wildlife stands in partnership with Mersey Rivers Trust.
Suitable for anyone over the age of 5.
Time: 10am to 2pm
Meeting point: Riverside Park Ranger Centre, Beechwood Mews, Beech Lane, Macclesfield, SK10 2SL (SJ914745)
Leaders: Bollin Valley Partnership Ranger Emma Houghton and the Mersey Rivers Trust
Information: 01625 374790
(Bring a packed lunch / Bring binoculars if you have them / Children must be accompanied by an adult / Easy walking grade / Ideal for families and accompanied children / Partial accessibility – level or ramped access / Partnership event / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / Refreshment stop, opportunity for refreshments / Wildlife walk – Event)Thursday, 17 July – Evening Meditation and Deep Rest in Nature at Tegg’s Nose
Join Amanda, from Lets Step In, for a soothing evening in nature with beautiful views at Tegg’s Nose Country Park for meditation and deep rest.
Unwind as the day slows and nature prepares for night. Surrounded by the stunning countryside you’ll be guided through a series of nature-based meditation practices ending with deep rest. Awaken your senses, come into the present and connect with nature to soothe your nervous system, support your mind and nourish your whole self. Setting you up for a restful night’s sleep.
Suitable for beginners and beyond.
We’ll gather in the car park and walk together to where we’ll spend the session. I’ll be sprinkling in learnings about meditation between the practices and helping you with your practice throughout. Bring a cup to enjoy tea and conversation at the end or continue to sit in silence and take in the views. This is space for you to use as you need.
Booking and payment in advance is essential. Cost £12.
Time: 6.45pm to 8.15pm
Meeting point: Tegg’s Nose Country Park Visitor Centre, Buxton Old Road, Macclesfield, SK11 0AP (SJ950733)
Leader: Amanda from Let Step In
Information: Email Amanda from Let Step In
(Car parking charge / Easy walking grade / Healthy walk – Event / Partial accessibility – level or ramped access / Partnership event / Places limited – please book in advance / Please leave your dog at home / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / There is a charge for this event)Saturday, 19 July – Tegg’s Nose Butterfly Walk
Family wildlife walk around the top of Tegg’s Nose Country Park to look for and learn more about some of the park’s resident butterfly species and, if we are lucky, seeing the scarce local speciality, namely, the Wall butterfly
Booking and payment in advance essential. Adults £7.50, children 16 or under go free.
Time: 11am to 1pm
Meeting point: Tegg’s Nose Country Park Visitor Centre, Buxton Old Road, Macclesfield, SK11 0AP (SJ950733)
Leaders: Tim Ward and Julia Harding from Butterfly Conservation and Cheshire East Council Countryside Ranger Martin James
Information: 01625 374833
(Bring binoculars if you have them / Car parking charge / Easy walking grade / Healthy walk – Event / Ideal for families and accompanied children / Places limited – please book in advance / Please leave your dog at home / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / Refreshment stop, opportunity for refreshments / There is a charge for this event / Wildlife walk – Event)Saturday, 19 July – Bats at Tegg’s Nose
Bats are one of the UK’s most misunderstood animals. Come and dispel a few myths and find out more about these fascinating creatures as we take a short stroll in Teggsnose Wood and alongside Teggsnose Reservoir.
Bring a torch. Booking and payment in advance essential. Adults £7.50, children 16 or under go free.
Time: 9pm to 10.30pm
Meeting point: Tegg’s Nose Country Park, Buxton Old Road, Macclesfield, SK11 0AP
Leaders: Cheshire East Council Countryside Ranger Martin James
Information: 01625 374833
(Children must be accompanied by an adult / Easy walking grade / Ideal for families and accompanied children / Places limited – please book in advance / Please leave your dog at home / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / There is a charge for this event / Wildlife walk – Event)Sunday, 20 July – Tegg’s Nose Bilberry Pick
Healthy, organic, tasty and free. Bilberry, blueberry, blaeberry, whin; whatever you want to call them they grow wild all over Tegg’s Nose Country Park and all you have to do is bring a container and get picking.
Totally Wild UK, will be on hand to explain the best places to look and will provide more information about where to source great local food. They’ll also be showing you how to make your own bilberry jam!
There is no charge to join us to pick bilberries during the event but if you would like to participate in the jam making, please book a place for the event so we can ensure we have enough jam pans and sugar.
Please bring your own 200ml jar as we will not be providing these!
Cost for jam making £1.00 per person. Suitable for anyone over the age of 5.
Time: 1pm to 4pm
Meeting point: Tegg’s Nose Country Park Visitor Centre, Buxton Old Road, Macclesfield, SK11 0AP (SJ950733)
Leaders: Cheshire East Council Countryside Ranger Martin James and Totally Wild UK
Information: 01625 374833
(Car parking charge / Children must be accompanied by an adult / Ideal for families and accompanied children / Moderate walking grade / Partnership event / Places limited – please book in advance / Please leave your dog at home / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / Refreshment stop, opportunity for refreshments / There is a charge for this event)Wednesday, 23 July 2025 to Friday, 25 July 2025 – Moorland Adventure Summer Kids Activity Club – Week One
A great way to experience some varied exciting activities in the countryside with local experts Moorland Adventure! Each day focuses on different activities and will give you a taste of adventure! Suitable for anyone between the ages of 8 and 16. Booking and payment in advance is essential. All day 2 participants must be “Water confident”.
Day 1 – Wednesday 23rd July – Climb and Abseil at Tegg’s Nose
Day 2 – Thursday 24th July – Canoeing, Kayaking and Paddleboarding at Rudyard Lake
Day 3 – Friday 25th July – Bushcraft and Tree Climbing at Tegg’s NoseCost £38.50 per day.
Activities run from 9.00am to 4.00pm but to allow for maximum flexibility, you can drop off your child from 8.30am and collect at any time between 4.00pm and 5.00pm.
Book your places before the 9th of July for a 15% discount – use coupon code summer15-2025-1 when booking your tickets.
Please bring a packed lunch and drinks with you each day.
Days 1 and 3 Meeting point: Tegg’s Nose Country Park Visitor Centre, Buxton Old Road, Macclesfield, SK11 0AP (SJ950733)
Day 2 Meeting point: Rudyard Lake, Rudyard, ST13 8RN (SJ950580)Time: 8.30am to 5pm
Leader: Moorland Adventure
Information: 01625 573615
(Bring a packed lunch / Car parking charge / Partnership event / Places limited – please book in advance / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / There is a charge for this event)Monday, 28 July 2025 to Friday, 1 August 2025 – Moorland Adventure Summer Kids Activity Club – Week Two
A great way to experience some varied exciting activities in the countryside with local experts Moorland Adventure! Each day focuses on different activities and will give you a taste of adventure!
Suitable for anyone between the ages of 8 and 16. Booking and payment in advance is essential. All day 2 and 4 participants must be “Water confident”.
Day 1 – Monday 28th July – Archery and Orienteering at Tegg’s Nose
Day 2 – Tuesday 29th July – Canoeing, Kayaking and Paddleboarding at Rudyard Lake
Day 3 – Wednesday 30th July – Climb and Abseil at Tegg’s Nose
Day 4 – Thursday 31st July – Canoeing, Kayaking and Paddleboarding at Rudyard Lake
Day 5 – Friday 1st August – Bushcraft and Tree Climbing at Tegg’s NoseCost £38.50 per day.
Activities run from 9.00am to 4.00pm but to allow for maximum flexibility, you can drop off your child from 8.30am and collect at any time between 4.00pm and 5.00pm.
Book your places before the 14th of July for a 15% discount – use coupon code summer15-2025-2 when booking your tickets.
Please bring a packed lunch and drinks with you each day.
Days 1, 3 and 5 Meeting point: Tegg’s Nose Country Park Visitor Centre, Buxton Old Road, Macclesfield, SK11 0AP (SJ950733)
Day 2 and 4 Meeting point: Rudyard Lake, Rudyard, ST13 8RN (SJ950580)Time: 8.30am to 5pm
Leader: Moorland Adventure
Information: 01625 573615
(Bring a packed lunch / Car parking charge / Partnership event / Places limited – please book in advance / Please wear suitable boots and clothing / There is a charge for this event)Full details of the Cheshire East Ranger website HERE
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Thu03Jul2025Sun09Nov202584 Plymouth Grove, Manchester, M13 9LW
A bold new exhibition is set to open at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House this summer that introduces a new view of the author and her work (Thursday 3 July to Sunday 9 November). I’ve Never Read Elizabeth Gaskell follows a residency completed by three young writers who have spent the spring months being inspired by Manchester’s only literary house. The writers are Georgia Affonso,Princess Arinola Adegbite and Guruleen Kahlo and the project has been supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with The Writing Squad and Manchester City of Literature.
I’ve Never Read Elizabeth Gaskell will be an immersive exhibition that flows throughout the Georgian villa, with the writers’ words illuminating the experience. Georgia, Princess and Guruleen have spent a great deal of time at the house, including in the dining room where Elizabeth wrote – to enjoy the views across the garden and warmth of the sun, and because she didn’t have her own study like her husband. This focal point is where the narrative begins. Creatively the approach is very contemporary, with the aim of engaging new visitors to the house who, like the writers, might also be discovering Elizabeth’s fascinating story for the first time. There will be author ‘profiles’, ‘biogs’ and QR codes to connect to the work, alongside the objects that have inspired the writers.
In her short stories Guruleen slices through the history of the house; from the laughter of a family home to the present day. And within it themes of equality, motherhood, loss and transformation are tenderly woven. Guruleen says, “when I discovered that Elizabeth wrote short stories herself, partly because of the interruptions from the children and everything happening around her, the idea really called to me.” In the stories we meet Elizabeth the author, wife, mother and mistress and see the turmoil that goes with this as she contemplates the contrast with her husband’s quiet study space and navigates the necessities of running a busy house, whilst meeting writing deadlines. There is much that will resonate with readers.
The stories are a reminder of the demands that Elizabeth encountered and also hint at why her legacy has taken time to embed; her papers destroyed after her death at Elizabeth’s own instruction and the house later abandoned. Guruleen is completing her final year at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she is studying English and Creative Writing. “I’ve loved the experience of being in the house” she says “It feels so different to any other historical house or museum. I’ve been able to sit at the very table that Elizabeth wrote at and interact with the house as if the Gaskell’s have just gone away.” Guruleen is from Birmingham and now lives in Manchester.
In Georgia’s writing she overlays a personal experience of what could have been a barrier to her becoming one of the writers in residence, which is that she had mixed memories of visiting historical properties as a child and found the experience suffocating. But those reservations have been dismissed thanks to “how warm and welcoming the house feels to me”. And so in her play we are taken on a house tour. The inspiration for this comes from her time spent with the volunteers, whose insights, gossip and myths she has found intriguing. But this isn’t the only house tour, with glimpses of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House run in parallel with the tour of the house of a lost loved one against a narrative that weaves the two worlds.
The surroundings that Georgia writes about are observed in painstaking detail and the emotions they evoke are vivid, just as they are in Elizabeth’s writing. Visitors will be able to listen to Georgia’s play in audio as part of the exhibition experience, which for Georgia continues a journey that has already seen her work commissioned by BBC Radio 4, having completed a degree in Music and Drama from the University of Manchester (2016). Georgia is from Oxfordshire and now lives in Manchester.
In Princess’ poetry you can feel the connection to Elizabeth: the person, the author. There is empathy with her fellow writer and a recognition of the different roles that Elizabeth needed to play in her life. “Elizabeth was middle-class and she didn't have to write about working-class people” says Princess, “but she cared about writing about working-class people, and enslaved people. And learning about that, her belief in those topics, was really interesting to me as someone who comes from a very marginalised background but also cares about people that don't look like me.”
Elizabeth was writing over 150 years ago, but in Princess’ words the commonality is clear: ‘we must be many women’. And, from not having read or known about Elizabeth in her poetry she finds ‘Each of her words are rooms I can rest within. How language opens becomes a door I can walk through.’ Princess has written seven poems which visitors will be able to experience in areas of the house that reflect their inspiration and themes, including the garden that Elizabeth’s writing table overlooks. Prior to being a creative writer and performer, Princess studied English Literature at the University of Liverpool. She is from Salford and now lives in Manchester.
Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865) lived at the house on Plymouth Grove from 1850 to 1865 with her husband William and daughters, Marianne, Meta, Florence and Julia. Her life saw her attending grand social events like the opening of The Great Exhibition (1851) and hosting visitors including Charles Dickens and Charlotte Brontë. But Elizabeth also was an observer of the working classes in ‘miserable living’ conditions and ‘crowded dwellings’ and the position of women in society, who she wrote about in novels including North and South and Mary Barton. Elizabeth not only wrote to bring about the social justice that she believed in, but was actively involved. She set up early forms of soup kitchens, ran sewing classes during the strikes of the Cotton Famine, and helped young unmarried women who had been imprisoned because of their circumstances.
Supporting the project’s aims and aspirations is a steering group made up of volunteers and trustees. 20% of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House trustees are aged 18-25 and 10% of its volunteers. A third of the staff team is under 30.
Young Trustee of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, Rose Palmer, says, “It’s been thrilling to see Elizabeth’s story and the house through the eyes, words and emotions of our writers in residence. Elizabeth was an absolute trailblazer and it’s this spirit that has connected her to Georgia, Princess and Guruleen. I hope that through their work more people will be intrigued by Elizabeth and come along to the house to experience her world. I’ve Never Read Elizabeth Gaskell is the perfect exhibition through which to make that discovery.”
Georgia, Princess and Guruleen are all part of The Writing Squad, which seeks to nurture the next generation of writers and has been mentoring them throughout their residency. Manchester City of Literature is also a project partner, which through its work celebrates Manchester’s literary heritage, creativity and voices, both within the city and internationally.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is open every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11:00am to 4:30pm. Entry is £8.50 for adults and free for children under 16, when accompanied by an adult. Tickets are valid for 12 months from purchase and can be pre-booked via www.ticketsource.co.uk/elizabeth-gaskell-house. For further information visit www.elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk
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Sun06Jul2025Sun09Nov2025Elizabeth Gaskell's House, 84 Plymouth Grove, Manchester M13 9LW
A bold new exhibition is set to open at Elizabeth Gaskell’s House this summer that introduces a new view of the author and her work (Sunday 6 July to Sunday 9 November). I’ve Never Read Elizabeth Gaskell follows a residency completed by three young writers who have spent the spring months being inspired by Manchester’s only literary house. The writers are Georgia Affonso, Princess Arinola Adegbite and Guruleen Kahlo and the project has been supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with The Writing Squad and Manchester City of Literature.
Elizabeth Gaskell 1832
I’ve Never Read Elizabeth Gaskell will be an immersive exhibition that flows throughout the Georgian villa, with the writers’ words illuminating the experience. Georgia, Princess and Guruleen have spent a great deal of time at the house, including in the dining room where Elizabeth wrote – to enjoy the views across the garden and warmth of the sun, and because she didn’t have her own study like her husband. This focal point is where the narrative begins. Creatively the approach is very contemporary, with the aim of engaging new visitors to the house who, like the writers, might also be discovering Elizabeth’s fascinating story for the first time. There will be author ‘profiles’, ‘biogs’ and QR codes to connect to the work, alongside the objects that have inspired the writers.
In her short stories Guruleen slices through the history of the house; from the laughter of a family home to the present day. And within it themes of equality, motherhood, loss and transformation are tenderly woven. Guruleen says, “when I discovered that Elizabeth wrote short stories herself, partly because of the interruptions from the children and everything happening around her, the idea really called to me.” In the stories we meet Elizabeth the author, wife, mother and mistress and see the turmoil that goes with this as she contemplates the contrast with her husband’s quiet study space and navigates the necessities of running a busy house, whilst meeting writing deadlines. There is much that will resonate with readers.
The stories are a reminder of the demands that Elizabeth encountered and also hint at why her legacy has taken time to embed; her papers destroyed after her death at Elizabeth’s own instruction and the house later abandoned. Guruleen is completing her final year at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she is studying English and Creative Writing. “I’ve loved the experience of being in the house” she says “It feels so different to any other historical house or museum. I’ve been able to sit at the very table that Elizabeth wrote at and interact with the house as if the Gaskell’s have just gone away.” Guruleen is from Birmingham and now lives in Manchester.
In Georgia’s writing she overlays a personal experience of what could have been a barrier to her becoming one of the writers in residence, which is that she had mixed memories of visiting historical properties as a child and found the experience suffocating. But those reservations have been dismissed thanks to “how warm and welcoming the house feels to me”. And so in her play we are taken on a house tour. The inspiration for this comes from her time spent with the volunteers, whose insights, gossip and myths she has found intriguing. But this isn’t the only house tour, with glimpses of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House run in parallel with the tour of the house of a lost loved one against a narrative that weaves the two worlds.
The surroundings that Georgia writes about are observed in painstaking detail and the emotions they evoke are vivid, just as they are in Elizabeth’s writing. Visitors will be able to listen to Georgia’s play in audio as part of the exhibition experience, which for Georgia continues a journey that has already seen her work commissioned by BBC Radio 4, having completed a degree in Music and Drama from the University of Manchester (2016). Georgia is from Oxfordshire and now lives in Manchester.
In Princess’ poetry you can feel the connection to Elizabeth: the person, the author. There is empathy with her fellow writer and a recognition of the different roles that Elizabeth needed to play in her life. “Elizabeth was middle-class and she didn't have to write about working-class people” says Princess, “but she cared about writing about working-class people, and enslaved people. And learning about that, her belief in those topics, was really interesting to me as someone who comes from a very marginalised background but also cares about people that don't look like me.”
Elizabeth was writing over 150 years ago, but in Princess’ words the commonality is clear: ‘we must be many women’. And, from not having read or known about Elizabeth in her poetry she finds ‘Each of her words are rooms I can rest within. How language opens becomes a door I can walk through.’ Princess has written seven poems which visitors will be able to experience in areas of the house that reflect their inspiration and themes, including the garden that Elizabeth’s writing table overlooks. Prior to being a creative writer and performer, Princess studied English Literature at the University of Liverpool. She is from Salford and now lives in Manchester.
Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865) lived at the house on Plymouth Grove from 1850 to 1865 with her husband William and daughters, Marianne, Meta, Florence and Julia. Her life saw her attending grand social events like the opening of The Great Exhibition (1851) and hosting visitors including Charles Dickens and Charlotte Brontë. But Elizabeth also was an observer of the working classes in ‘miserable living’ conditions and ‘crowded dwellings’ and the position of women in society, who she wrote about in novels including North and South and Mary Barton. Elizabeth not only wrote to bring about the social justice that she believed in, but was actively involved. She set up early forms of soup kitchens, ran sewing classes during the strikes of the Cotton Famine, and helped young unmarried women who had been imprisoned because of their circumstances.
Supporting the project’s aims and aspirations is a steering group made up of volunteers and trustees. 20% of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House trustees are aged 18-25 and 10% of its volunteers. A third of the staff team is under 30.
Young Trustee of Elizabeth Gaskell’s House, Rose Palmer, says, “It’s been thrilling to see Elizabeth’s story and the house through the eyes, words and emotions of our writers in residence. Elizabeth was an absolute trailblazer and it’s this spirit that has connected her to Georgia, Princess and Guruleen. I hope that through their work more people will be intrigued by Elizabeth and come along to the house to experience her world. I’ve Never Read Elizabeth Gaskell is the perfect exhibition through which to make that discovery.”
Georgia, Princess and Guruleen are all part of The Writing Squad, which seeks to nurture the next generation of writers and has been mentoring them throughout their residency. Manchester City of Literature is also a project partner, which through its work celebrates Manchester’s literary heritage, creativity and voices, both within the city and internationally.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is open every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11:00am to 4:30pm. Entry is £8.50 for adults and free for children under 16, when accompanied by an adult. Tickets are valid for 12 months from purchase and can be pre-booked via www.ticketsource.co.uk/elizabeth-gaskell-house. For further information visit www.elizabethgaskellhouse.co.uk
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Thu10Jul2025Sun27Jul2025Buxton
The award-winning Buxton International Festival is an annual celebration of world-class opera, music, books and jazz with over 160 events to choose from every summer.
Here are five reasons to make Buxton your ‘go-to’ summer festival for 2025 (10-27 July).
1. Buxton – the beautiful spa town sits in heart of Derbyshire’s Peak District, worth a visit in itself. All the festival’s events are within easy walking distance of each other.
2. Operas Galore – In 2024, Buxton staged five new operas in four days and was nominated for an International Opera Award. 2025 sees a yet more impressive plans:
- Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet, conducted by Adrian Kelly with the Orchestra of Opera North
- A double bill of Leonard Bernstein’s Trouble in Taihiti and Francis Poulenc’s La Voix Humaine, a Buxton International Festival and Norwich Theatre production
- Opera Zuid production of Mozart’s The Impresario
- La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers, a Vache Baroque production
- Shorts – four brand new 20-minute operas by composers
Jasper Dommett, Martin Green and Carmel Smickersgill
3. Jazz Weekender Tickets – Jazz Weekender tickets for just £175 offering 12 world-class gigs varying from jazz, blues, funk and Latin, plus an Oscar Peterson extravaganza. Stand-out artists include Ineza, Graham Clark Quartet, Emily Masser Quartet, Trio JDM, Baiana, Alan Barnes with an all-star band, Dean Stockdale Quartet, Emma Rawicz Quartet and Xhosa Cole Quartet.
4. Books – 33 book talks including Diane Abbott MP, Baroness Lola Young, Petroc Trelawny, Ben Macintyre and Jonathan Sumption.
5. Classical Music – World-class concerts every day from artists including Steven Hough, Imogen Cooper, Benjamin Grosvenor, Tallis Scholars, English Concert, Simon Keenlyside and Sarah Connolly.
Box Office – Tel 01298 2072190
Booking office opens at 10am on Tuesday 15 April 2025
Become a BIF Friend for Priority Booking, from just £36 per year.
Website – http://buxtonfestival.co.uk
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Sat26Jul20257:30 pmThe Pump Room, The Crescent, Buxton, SK17 6NH.
The Ensemble will play programme for Echoes of Art and Earth in the sunken bath in Buxton’s historic Pump Room.
The programme features pieces by contemporary composers who have been inspired by sculpture, imagery and environment.
Founder member and flautist, Tim Ward, said, ‘We have played in some fantastic venues including Manchester Art Gallery, The Lowry and Buxton’s own Devonshire Dome but we have never played in a bath before! You should also listen out for the blown bottles and whirly-tubes in one of our pieces, so do come and enjoy the buzz of the festival with us!’
Head over to Buxton on the evening of Saturday 26th July, at 7.30pm and enjoy something different.
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Sat23Aug2025
The Macclesfield 1261 Festival commemorates the 764th anniversary of the granting of the town charter in 1261.
But it’s not just a commemoration, it’s a key cultural event – a celebration of the town’s creativity and its communities.
To encourage community involvement and enrich the festival experience, Macclesfield Town Council are providing a funding stream, enabling local individuals, businesses, and groups to apply for financial help to contribute unique and engaging activities.
Macclesfield Town Council are offering up to £250 to use towards a project for the festival. Funding can be used to:
- Host live music performances in bars, cafés, or public spaces.
- Create costumes, props, or stage designs for performances.
- Organise live art displays or installations in shops and other venues.
- Support any other innovative and engaging activity that contributes to the festival atmosphere.
Activities should be free to access but revenue can still be obtained in usual ways by eg. cafe’s, shops etc.
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Fri29Aug2025Sun31Aug2025Chatsworth House, Bakewell, GB DE45 1PP
Chatsworth Country Fair is one of England's most spectacular annual outdoor events. Held in the 1000-acre parkland surrounding Chatsworth House, tens of thousands of visitors from all over the country join us for a memorable family day out.
Enjoy three action-packed days of thrilling Grand Ring entertainment, inspirational cookery masterclasses, food, shopping and plenty of have-a-go activities, including a vintage fun fair, children's climbing wall, bungee trampoline and much more.
Book before 30 June 2025 and save up to 20%.
Book tickets HERE
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Sat27Sep2025Macclesfield Rugby Club, Priory Park, Priory Lane, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 4AE
Lace up, stroll out, and tuck in!
Exercise, meet new friends and enjoy a pie and a pint with East Cheshire Hospice’s Pie and Pint Walk.
A 5 or 10 km countryside adventure, starting and finishing at Macclesfield Rugby Club. Whether you’re a seasoned rambler or a weekend wanderer, this is the perfect way to enjoy the great outdoors – and earn a well-deserved pie and pint at the finish line (beer for over 18s, soft drinks available too!).
Choose your route, grab your mates, your family – even your four-legged friends (on leads, please!) – and help raise vital funds for your local Hospice. Every step you take helps take care for patients and families across our community.
- Well-behaved dogs are welcome but there are multiple stiles on the route which some dogs may struggle with.
- Sadly, the walking route is not accessible for wheelchairs or pushchairs.
Sponsorship
As your entrance fee only covers the cost of the event, we do ask that everyone tries to raise at least £50 of sponsorship. Every penny raised really does make a huge difference in helping us to continue to provide care in your local community. Download a fundraising pack full of handy tips and ideas to support your fundraising and click here to make your own Pie & Pint JustGiving page.Alternatively if you would rather not raise sponsorship, please consider choosing the option to add a £50 donation when you book your place.
More info HERE
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Fri21Aug2026Sun23Aug2026Rode Hall, Scholar Green, Cheshire ST7 3QP
The work we create at Wild Rumpus - be that large outdoor festivals and events, or more intimate creative interventions, invite people out of the real world and into fantastical wonderlands where anything can happen! Just So Festival is our most spectacular, technicolour celebration of this imaginary world, and for 2025 we have taken a pause, a moment to reconnect with its creative vision and to dream up what comes next.
This summer the woods, parkland and lakesides at Rode Hall - home to the festival, will be quieter, waiting patiently for the curious inhabitants of the Wild Rumpus world to emerge once again from between the trees in the joyous burst of magic, performance, circus, music, dancing and community.
We're relaunching Just So with fresh, glittering eyes. Right now as summer is almost upon us, we're busy dreaming, conjuring and distilling the essence of Just So, watching that special, iridescent wonder take shape as Just So Festival 2026.
We can't wait to see you!
Pre sale tickets are available now - sign up for access HERE to join in 2026 as the fantastical world unfolds!
