Wythenshawe FM 97.2

Corrie Legends Les Dennis and Connor McIntyre Opened this years Christmas Markets as well as The Ice Village attraction which is brand new to Manchester this year featuring 250 tonnes of hand carved ice sculptures, ice bars, Santa’s grotto and an ice rink – the Ice Village has something for all the family.

Set against a backdrop of snow-covered trees and twinkling lights, there is lots to see and do at the Ice Village. Wrap up warm and visit the Christmas elves hard at work in the Ice Cavern or see Santa in his Grotto. There’s plenty to enjoy for both children and adults and the Arctic Bar is the perfect place to indulge in a festive drink or two. Enjoy arctic games, find a range of unique gifts for loved ones and grab a bite to eat or drink at the traditional Christmas market stalls. You can also get your skates on and practice your moves on the Ice Rink. Our immersive ice experience is a guaranteed great day out for the whole family.

Ice Village Manchester is open daily from 11am to 9pm,  9th November 2018 to 5th January 2019. The Village is fully wheelchair accessible with the exception of the woodland area. A range of food and drink will be available on site. Please note, no food is allowed inside the Ice Cavern or Santa’s Grotto.

The Ice Village are closed on Christmas Day, Boxing day and New Year’s Day.

Get your tickets now for the Ice Village, Santa’s Grotto and the Ice Rink: www.icevillage.co.uk

Here’s a little taster of inside the village

Greater Manchester Police, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, and other organisations, have joined forces in the Treacle campaign to help Halloween and bonfire night revellers have fun and stay safe.

Advice about organising safe ‘trick or treating’, plus information about firework and bonfire safety and the law regarding fireworks, along with educational display materials, are all available on the following website: www.safe4autumn.com

Here are some tips from the website on staying safe and having fun, under the heading, ‘Halloween Safety Advice.’

Halloween can be a lot of fun for children and young people, but it can also be distressing and intimidating for some residents. If you are going ‘trick or treating’ please respect and consider others and follow these top tips to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable time:

DON’T

• Go alone – ‘trick or treating’ is more fun and safer if you go in a small group with friends and family.
• Go into houses – stay on the doorstep where the responsible adult can see you.
• Play pranks that may damage property – this could result in arrest and a criminal record.
• Demand money or intimidate people – Halloween can be a night that some residents dread, so be respectful and polite.
• Don’t throw eggs or flour – it’s classed as a criminal offence and you will be arrested!

DO

• Look out for Treacle posters – These will let you know whether ‘trick or treaters’ are welcome at a house or aren’t.
• Take extra care crossing roads – more accidents happen to children in the dark.
• Go with an adult – get a responsible adult to go with your group to help in case you have any problems.
• Dress to be seen – wear light, reflective clothes or carry a lamp or torch so that drivers and your responsible adult can see you.
• Respect people’s rights – be polite, don’t go out too late, ring or knock only once, and be prepared to take ‘no’ for an answer.

For more information on Halloween and Bonfire night safety, including links to organised fireworks displays go to www.safe4autumn.com.

Reviewer Ian Robert Hills Wythenshawe FM 97.

Just down the road 55 years ago the Beatles made their first TV appearance at Granada TV Studios to record two performances for ‘Scene at 6.30’ on Wednesday 14 August 1963. They performed ‘Twist and Shout’ and ‘She Loves You’.

‘Beatlemania’ is still alive and kicking with the audience’s reaction to ‘Let it Be’ at the Opera House in Manchester. The audience was singing, clapping and dancing from the start as the cast sang 40 of the Beatles greatest hits.

The show opens with four old-style TV sets showing films and adverts from the 1960s to set the scene and the mood.

The curtain rises on the Cavern Club, where it all started for the Beatles, and we move on to the Royal Variety Performance in 1963 where the Beatles played such hits as ‘She Loves You’ and ‘Twist and Shout’ and where John Lennon famously said: “For our last number, I’d like to ask your help; the people in the cheaper seats, clap your hands and the rest of you, if you’d just rattle your jewellery.”  That did not stop the Queen from making them Members of the Order of the British Empire in 1965.

We follow the Fab Four on their first US tour in 1964 and hear more of their greatest hits. We move swiftly through the live gig era which ended for the Beatles in 1966 and we then find ourselves in 1967 with Sergeant Pepper and the cast wearing the iconic uniforms as they play songs from the legendary album.

Act Two was an imaginary reunion concert held on John Lennon’s 40th Birthday on October 9^th 1980. We had more of the Beatles greatest hits, including ‘Hey Jude’, ‘Let It Be’ and ‘Here Comes the Sun’.

I thought it was a brilliant concept to see stage performances of their later songs which were only performed in the studio. We also get to hear solo songs from Paul McCartney (Emanuele Angeletti), George Harrison (John Brosnan), John Lennon (Michael Gagliano) and Ringo Starr (Ben Cullingworth) who showcased their singing and musicianship, not forgetting, on keyboards, Musical Director, Michael Bramwell. It was FAB.

Combining the sets with back projection, including some original footage, lighting, sound and costumes take you from the 1960s through to the 1980 brilliantly.

This is as near as you will ever get to a Beatles concert. If you are, like me, a child of the sixties, it will take you back when all you needed was love, and a little help from your friends.

‘Let it Be’ is on at the Manchester Opera House until Saturday 27th October.

To buy tickets, go to atgtickets.com or phone the Box Office O844 871 7615.

Andrew Fender, Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) ex-Chair, has been given the Judges’ Special Award at the Global Light Rail Awards.

Only bestowed at the judges’ discretion, the award is given to individuals and organisations that have made a significant difference to a city, region or the wider light rail industry.

Andrew Fender received the award for being one of the main advocates and driving forces behind Greater Manchester’s Metrolink, the UK’s largest light rail network. The award recognised his commitment and dedication which helped develop Metrolink from a single 31km line between Altrincham and Bury in 1992 to today’s 97km network that carries 42 million passengers each year.

Andrew Fender served as a Manchester councillor between 1977 and 2018 and was the Chair of TfGM from 2011 to 2018. He also chaired the Rail Study Group which initially developed the ambitious plans for Metrolink.

Daniel Vaughan, TfGM’s Head of Metrolink, said: “It’s no surprise that Andrew is known as ‘Mr Metrolink’. From its inception and delivery, to its development and expansion Andrew was there every step of the way, tirelessly advocating, persuading and negotiating.

‘Our trams are now an essential part of tens of thousands of people’s daily lives and they’ve helped ensure residents across our city-region can benefit from Greater Manchester’s continued growth. A large part of this is down to Andrew’s tenacity, vision and passion and this award is a welcome recognition of a career dedicated to delivering the public good of public transport.’

Alongside the Judges’ Special Award, TfGM and MPact Thales (MPT) were highly commended in the Best Environmental & Sustainability Initiative and Technical Innovation of the Year categories for their joint utilities and traffic management work on the Metrolink Trafford Park Line (TPL) extension.

KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM), the company that operates Metrolink, was highly commended in the Outstanding Engineering Category for its gigabit ethernet (GBE) resilience project to improve the network’s IT resilience.

Reviewer Ian Robert Hills WFM 97.2

The English National Ballet ‘Manon’ danced its way to Manchester Opera House on UK tour

Sixty world-class dancers performed alongside a full orchestra in one of the most acclaimed story ballets, created in Britain by Kenneth MacMillan with music by Jules Massenet.

The story of Manon is as romantic and intense as Romeo and Juliet. Manon is a young woman living in 18th-century France who has been promised as a mistress to an older gentleman. When she falls in love with a penniless student, she is faced with a stark choice. Cue a tale of love, decadence, and greed.

[Picture: Joseph Caley and Alina Cojocaru in Manon – by Laurent-Liotardo]

This is a truly spectacular ballet, full of fire and passion. The final duet between the two lovers is one of the most heart-breaking things you’ll see on stage this year.

In the opening scene in Paris, set in the courtyard of an inn, we are immediately drawn to the differences in the classes. The locals are dishevelled and dirty, dressed in rags, and this is in stark contrast to the gentry and aristocrats who are getting drunk on champagne and living in grand style, wearing rich, expensive, heavy, embroidered outfits. This portrayal made me think no wonder the French had a revolution and guillotined their monarchy and aristocracy.

At one point a wagon full of prostitutes is dragged across the stage – a fate awaiting Manon. We move next to Madame’s gaming and whore house where Manon persuades her young lover to cheat Monsieur GM at cards to run away with his money.

Manon ends up being deported as a prostitute to the French colonies and she is followed by her lover. They escape into the swamps, where she dies in her lover’s arms, with only the use of dry ice to create the illusion of a swamp.

The dancing was not only exciting but beautiful to watch. The two lovers, Manon  (Alina Cojocaru) and Des Grieux (Joseph Caley), were perfectly matched. English National Ballet dancers are some of the finest in the world and a joy to watch.

This is only the second time in 30 years that ‘Manon’ has been performed in Manchester.

The combination of beautiful sets, costumes, lighting, the orchestra and sixty dancers offered a once in a lifetime experience for the audience.

English National Ballet, ‘Manon’, is now on UK tour. For more information about this production go to: ballet.org.uk/production/manon

For information about performances at Manchester Opera House and to book tickets go to: atgtickets.com

MORE than 1,200 apprenticeships could be created through funding targeted by the Greater Manchester regional authority to help smaller businesses and to support priority sectors such as digital and health and social care.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) will be using almost £4 million of funding available after three schemes (the Youth Contract Expansion, Greater Manchester Apprenticeship Grant for Employers and Greater Manchester City Deal) came in under budget to support the creation of apprenticeships in the city-region.

It will also be used to build on the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham’s ambition to create a UCAS-style application process to support young people to make informed career choices about all routes, including apprenticeships. 

The Small-to-Medium Enterprise (SME) Apprenticeships Support Package will help smaller employers that have yet to engage with apprenticeships and require an incentive and support to do so.

The scheme will work with at least 1,500 employers to create at least 700 new apprenticeship opportunities by using levy transfers, grants and workforce planning advice to remove barriers.

 The funding will also be used to support apprenticeships and skills growth in priority areas, such as digital, health and social care, finance and construction to create a minimum of 500 high quality apprenticeship opportunities.

The GMCA says it will facilitate partnerships in these priority sectors between employers and apprenticeship and skills providers to create a pipeline of talent that meets employer needs.

An element of the funding will be used to expand the work of BridgeGM, which links businesses to schools to give young people a high quality interaction with the world of work and help them gain valuable careers’ education.

This links with the development of the UCAS-style system, which will make technical education such as apprentices more accessible and improve their perception.

Councillor Sean Fielding, Leader of Oldham Council and GMCA lead for Education and Skills, said: “We are determined here in Greater Manchester to make sure our young people are equipped for life and also that there are good jobs available for people to progress and develop, and we can’t achieve either of these goals without apprenticeships.

 “It is not just about apprenticeships though, it is about the right apprenticeships for the right people and this is why these programmes are so important. Around 80 per cent of apprenticeship opportunities in Greater Manchester are with small-to-medium enterprises and we need to work with these employers to give people the best chance to start or develop their career.’’

American Airlines AA1980 LAX- Los Angeles to MAN-Manchester has landed at the Opera House with the musical Rock of Ages.

Review by Ian Robert Hills, Wythenshawe FM 97.2, 25th September 2018.

Here we go again – the smash hit musical is back in the UK.

Rock of Ages is an LA love story lavished with over 25 classic rock anthems. It’s a musical which invites you to lose yourself in a city and a time where the dreams are as big as the hair and, yes, they can come true.

Starring Kevin Kennedy as ‘Dennis’, Zoe Birkett as ‘Justice’, Danielle Hope as ‘Sherrie’, Luke Walsh as ‘Drew’, Lucas Rush as ‘Lonny’, Andrew Carthy as ‘Franz’, Vas Constanti as ‘Hertz’ and Rhiannon Chesterman as ‘Regina,’ this hilarious musical comedy will have you singing and laughing along with its epic songs, including ‘We Built This City’, ‘The Final Countdown’, ‘Here I Go Again’, ‘Can’t Fight this Feeling’ and ‘I Want to Know What Love Is,’ played loud and proud by an awesome live band.

We arrive at the The Bourbon Room on Sunset Boulevard in 1984 which is based on clubs like the Starwood, the Viper, the Whisky A Go Go and the Rainbow Bar and Grill. The Rainbow became well known as a hangout for rock musicians and their groupies. Motörhead frontman Lemmy was a regular visitor.

The musical tells the age-old story of boy meets girl, loses the girl and finds the girl again. Here our hero Drew (Luke Walsh) is eking out a living in the The Bourbon Room club and dreaming of being a rock star. He falls for Sherrie (Danielle Hope), newly arrived from Kansas in search of stardom herself, but she has a fling with the narcissistic lead singer of rock giants Arsenal, Stacee Jaxx (Sam Ferriday). The romance is dead before it begins.

Club owner, Dennis Dupree, (Kevin Kennedy) faces his own fight as ruthless German developer, Hertz Klineman, (Vas Constanti), is hindered by his son Franz (Andrew Carthy) as he seeks to demolish the Strip and replace it with a shopping mall.

The plot is simply a vehicle for hit after hit, with narrator Lonny (Lucas Rush) holding it all together brilliantly with cheeky charm.

Classic rock songs, like ‘We Built this City’ and ‘Don’t Stop Believing,’ are belted out brilliantly by the cast, with some given light-hearted treatment; Sherrie (Danielle Hope) and Justice (Zoe Birkett) duetting on ‘Harden My Heart’ was especially well done.

Throw in the rock chicks, California backdrops, and some enjoyable tongue-in-cheek dance routines, and you have over two hours of frolicsome fun. Not to be missed.

Rock of Ages is on tour. For information about where to catch the musical in other parts of the UK go to the website: atgtickets.com/shows/rock-of-ages

Lowry Theatre, Salford, 4th September 2018  

Review by Ian Hills, Wythenshawe FM 97.2

Early Doors, based in a Stockport pub, showing at the Lowry Theatre, is a night of good humour and laughter.

A BBC 2 sitcom from 15 years ago with a cult following, turned into a stage show, would seem a risky business but, with writers Craig Cash (the co-writer along with Caroline Aherne of ‘The Royle Family’ fame) and Phil Mealey at the helm, they have recreated The Grapes Pub, where the TV show was based, filled it with many of the original characters, and written an updated, two-hour live version.

The action of the 12 BBC 2 televised episodes from 2003-2004, where the lives of characterful regulars of The Grapes revolved around landlord, Ken, and his live-in mother and daughter, who rarely left the bar, was considered at the time to be well above your average sitcom.

Transferring from a TV sitcom series to a live stage production and retaining its early reputation was certainly achieved with fine performances from the cast who stayed true to the original TV series. They most certainly did. It was a wonderful, warm, feel-good celebration of the characters which stayed true to the original but never took itself too seriously.

Like the TV show, the story revolved around Ken, played with mastery by John Henshaw, and, like the TV show, the script sparkled with great one-liners and belly-laughs, so well written and timed to perfection, that the audience hardly had time to recover before being hit with another funny line.

From the moment Ken (the wonderful John Henshaw) opened the doors, on what was a clever, multi-layered version of the pub designed by Liz Ashcroft, to Roddy Frame’s ‘Small World’ TV theme tune, the audience knew they were in for a treat as each well-known character was warmly recognised. When the two ‘bent coppers,’ Phil and Nige, played by James Quinn and Peter Wight, walked on, the show’s catchwords, ‘crime won’t crack itself and evidence is the new buzzword, Ken,’ were fondly repeated by the cult followers in the audience.

It would not be fair to single out any performance, but Lisa Millett was brilliant as Debbie; Craig Cash and Phil Mealey were spot-on as Joe and Duffy, and the barbed banter between cleaner, Winnie (Joan Kempson) and Ken’s mum, Jean (Judith Barker) was very funny.

Also noteworthy was Nick Birkinshaw, as Tommy who suffers from IBS (Irritable b****r syndrome) as the resident misery old guy sat in the corner. Eddie and Joan soundalikes, Freddie and June (Neil Hurst and Vicky Binns) and Ken’s daughter, Mel (Laura Woodward) all contributed, as did Ken’s love-interest, Tanya, played with appropriate annoyance at Ken’s romantic shortcomings by Susan Cookson.

Without giving too much away, Ken’s daughter, Mel, sets up a meeting between Ken and Tanya in the pub which leads to a musical finale which was a joy to watch and earned a well-deserved standing ovation.

Even if, like this reviewer, you have not seen the TV series, go to see this. It is heart-warming, full of fun, and you will ache from laughing. Trebles all round to the Regiment.

The show will soon move from the 466-seat Quays theatre into the 1,730-seat Lyric theatre next door.

Early Doors runs until Saturday 22 September at The Lowry Theatre in Salford.
For tickets phone: 0843 208 6000 or book online at: thelowry.com/events/early-doors2.

There will  be a performance at Manchester Arena on Thursday, 4th October 2018.

Review by Ian Hills Wythenshawe FM 97.2

1960’s Liverpool music history sails along the Manchester Ship Canal and docks at the Lowry Theatre, Salford Quays.

CILLA – THE MUSICAL is the new spectacular and heart-warming musical adaptation of the critically-acclaimed hit ITV television series by Bafta Award winner, Jeff Pope. It tells the extraordinary story of the teenage girl from Liverpool whose dreams of stardom lead to her becoming one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers of all time.

It’s an introduction by a young John Lennon to music mogul Brian Epstein that changes Priscilla White’s life forever. By the age of just 25 she would be known as singer and TV Star Cilla Black, a Number One selling artist at the forefront of the 1960s British music scene.

 The musical score is the ultimate soundtrack to the 60’s including Cilla’s greatest hits Anyone Who Had a Heart, Alfie, Something Tells Me, Twist and Shout by the Beatles, California Dreamin’ by The Mamas and The Papas and many more.

Set in arches of the Cavern Club, Liverpool, we meet Cilla (Kara Lily Haworth), The Beatles, The Big Three and Gerry and the Pacemakers with Brian Epstein, Andrew Lance, Bobby Willis, Carl Au and the rest of the cast to tell Cilla’s story “The girl from Scotty Road.”

Kara Lily Hayworth was discovered in open auditions from over 2,000 hopefuls. Robert Willis, Cilla’s son and Executive Producer, chose her at the final audition in the real Cavern Club in Liverpool. She brings the tenacity, confidence and superb vocals from being a classically-trained singer to the stage. Her performance is not just an impersonation but her own interpretation of Cilla’s songs; Cilla’s warmth and presence comes through.

Gary McCann’s set is a collection of theatre stages, TV and recording studios and domestic interiors, contained by a series of brick proscenium arches found in the original Cavern Club. This is where we meet Cilla’s friends, Mum and Dad, George Martin and Burt Bacharach.

Scott Alder’s rousing musical direction keeps the hits coming and, even before the finale, it has the audience on its feet, joining in with the singing and dancing.

This show is a must-see for Cilla Black fans and 60s music lovers.

CILLA – THE MUSICAL is at the Lowry Theatre Salford until Saturday 1st September and then on UK tour.

Tickets are available from The Lowry Pier 8, The Quays, Salford M50 3AZ.    

Phone: 0843 208 6000 or go to the website www.thelowry.com/events/cilla-the-musical.

Volunteers at WFM 97.2 would like to say a big thank you to residents of M22 and M23, and beyond, who have supported Wythenshawe’s community radio station in recent supermarket tokens’ appeals and bag packing fundraising events.

Shoppers at Tesco Extra in Baguley, Tesco Metro in Northenden, Asda, and its satellite outlets, responded to the usual tokens’ appeals and Tesco Bags of Help and Asda’s Community Awards have come to the rescue of the radio station which needs over £10,000 to refurbish ageing studio equipment gifted to the station back in 1998.

Customers at Tesco awarded WFM second place in their token drops in the box, for a magnificent award of £2000!  Asda customers at Civic voted the station into first place and an award of £500.

WFM fundraising spokesman and Bigger Breakfast presenter, Mike George said: ‘‘In the 10 or more years I have been at the station, and having worked in the communities of Wythenshawe for more than 20 years, at Sharston Youth Club initially, then Rackhouse Community Education, and finally the Birtles Adult Education Centre before retiring in 2007, I have always believed that you always get back what you put in. We, as volunteers, give our all, and these recent supermarket awards by the people are a demonstration of the support we have from the residents of M22 and M23.

‘‘Words fail me on just how generous people in Wythenshawe can be – here are two words – THANK YOU!”