An empty retail unit in a popular Oldham shopping centre has been transformed into a pop-up shop full of all things handmade.
With Oldham Council keen to make March “a month of celebration” of the eclectic mix of independents right across the bustling borough, an empty retail unit in Spindles Town Square shopping centre is to begin a new life as a pop-up shop from tomorrow in an exciting collaboration between the local business community and the Council.
The pop-up shop is called ‘Oldham Made’, and will be open all throughout March.
The new store is selling everything from crafts, clothes, and handmade gifts, to locally-brewed beers, and candles sourced from a range of independent businesses across Oldham.
Oldham Council says the idea for the shop was born out of public consultations with residents at the recently-held ‘Big Oldham Conversation’ events, where plans for the Town Centre redevelopments were discussed, and at those meetings, locals said that empty units in the town should be made available for small businesses.
“Now we’ve delivered on that promise,” Oldham Council said.
Speaking ahead of the launch of the new shop tomorrow, Cllr Arooj Shah – Leader of Oldham Council – said: “Oldham Made will showcase the amazing range of talent we have in Oldham, while giving our local entrepreneurs and makers a helping hand.
“By providing a space where small businesses can come together to show off their fantastic range of products, we hope to create a buzz about shopping small and shopping local – but what’s really exciting, is that Oldham Made is just one small part of our plans for Spindles and the regeneration of our town centre.
“It’s just one of the many ways we’re supporting the small and independent businesses doing awesome things in our borough.”
‘Oldham Made’ will be open all throughout March / Credit: The Manc GroupOldham Council keen to make March “a month of celebration” of all the borough’s independent businesses / Credit: The Manc Group
As well as celebrating independents and being full of handmade gifts, Oldham Council says the shop – which has been made possible thanks to funding from the Welcome Back Fund, set up by the European Regional Development Fund and the government – will also feature larger-than-life installations, Instagram-worthy elements, and plenty of exciting product demos for shoppers to get involved with.
From 5 March, visitors to the store will also be able to collect four specially-designed bags for life, and all they’ll need to do is spend £5 in one of the independents, then bring their receipt to the Oldham Made store and exchange this for their exclusive bag.
The Oldham Made shop will be open Monday to Saturday from 9am until 5pm, and you can find more information here.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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Hit theatre production set at a house party to visit Manchester on UK tour
Daisy Jackson
Alright then, 24 hour party people, we’ve found a theatre production you might like the sound of – it’s called The House Party, and it’s set in (you guessed it) a house party.
This smash hit production by pioneering theatre company Headlong is set to land at HOME in March as part of the arts venue’s 2025 theatre season.
It tells the tale of a wild 18th birthday party, where Christine is trying to pick up the pieces of her best friend, a newly-dumped Julie (who happens to be the birthday girl).
Themes of class, power and privilege are all explored with a raw intensity as the cast on stage plough through shots and dive head-first into a night that will change everything they know.
The House Party, which has received glowing reviews from previous showings, is filled with ‘privilege, desire and destruction’.
When it stops off in Manchester, its cast will include Bridgerton’s Sesley Hope as Christine, Synnøve Karlsen (Miss Austen, Last Night in Soho) as Julie, and Tom Lewis (Gentleman Jack, Patience) as Jon.
The ensemble of Frantic Assembly performers includes Ines Aresti, Oliver Baines, Cal Connor, Micah Corbin-Powell, Rachael Leonce, Jaheem Pinder and Jamie Randall.
The House Party is written by Laura Lomas and is a reimagining of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie for today’s generation.
It’s directed by Headlong’s artistic director Holly Race Roughan, who directed the Royal Shakespeare Company’s world premiere of David Edgar’s major new political play The New Real.
The House Party. Credit: Ikin YumThe production will be at HOME. Credit: Supplied
Movement direction will come from Frantic Assembly’s Scott Graham.
Prior to the UK tour of The House Party, Headlong celebrated its 50 year anniversary, including the hit production of A Raisin in the Sun which played nationwide.
The House Party will be at HOME in Manchester between 25 and 29 March, 2025 – you can get your tickets HERE.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff
Daisy Jackson
If you’re not a handy person, when something breaks, the temptation is often to abandon or bin it straight away.
But that’s just not how we’re gonna do it here in Greater Manchester any more, with the return of the annual Repair Week to help you learn valuable repair skills and save money at the same time.
Whether it’s tinkering with your bicycle, fixing up your small tech items, or having your furniture re-varnished and upcycled, there are so many places and people who are on a mission to help you fall back in love with your belongings.
There are even workshops to help you put flat-pack furniture together.
Taking place between 3 and 9 March, Repair Week will be the chance to learn skills, fix your stuff, gain repair confidence and find local fixers.
Events throughout the week (and beyond) will be hosted by community groups, businesses and plenty more.
You can sharpen knives, fix zips, and un-wobble chairs with a little hand from local repair heroes.
JillyGDesign Jewellery in Heaton Moor will fix up your sentimental and special jewellery items, while Rag Revival will help you turn unusable textiles into new creations with basic sewing skills.
There are repair cafes popping up all over Greater Manchester where you can take your belongings.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff. Credit: Supplied
Repair Week will highlight schemes like the Manchester Library of Things, where you can borrow the tools and equipment you need for those repair jobs at home.
During the week you’ll also be able to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the incredible Renew Hub, the UK’s biggest reuse hub, where donated items are brought back to life.
Similarly, you’ll be able to get inside the textile recycling centre run by homelessness charity Emmaus Bolton, where you can choose your own fabric from the scrap store and turn it into a very handy draught excluder to keep costs down and your heat in.
Recycle for Greater Manchester’s Repair Week will take place between 3 and 9 March, with workshops, events and resources to help you revive your belongings.
Emily Sergeant -
28th February 2022 
