The news is finally out - Stockport has been announced as Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2023.
Stockport will hold the title for the next 12 months, following the footsteps of Bury, which was Greater Manchester’s first Town of Culture in both 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, and Stalybridge, which held the title in 2022.
The town has been chosen by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which is providing a £50,000 grant to support arts and creativity in the borough. It’s hoped the move will help Stockport Council build on its existing cultural strategy of supporting the local economy, connecting communities and promoting health and wellbeing.
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Announcing the news at Stockport’s Hat Works earlier this week, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham told the audience: "This year, we just want you to shine in that spotlight that we've given you.
“It’s about where you're going and the amazing talent you've got to celebrate right now. Someone once said 'you're Brooklyn to Manchester's Manhattan' and I think that's a pretty good place to be.”
Stockport’s bid was underpinned by four elements, which they hope will celebrate arts and creativity in the broadest sense, as well as the town’s diverse cultural heritage: Stockport Makes, Stockport Moves, Stockport Sounds and Stockport Tastes. In recent years, art battles, street parties and home-grown amateur dramatics have already set the tone for what’s to come, and a full cultural programme for 2023 will soon be revealed.
Stockport’s year as Town of Culture also coincides with a number of major public redevelopments in the town including a £1bn regeneration of the town's centre. Progress continues with the Town Centre West regeneration and the refurbishment of the iconic Hat Works, as well as the cutting edge digital arts opportunities to be opened up through the £2.6m Stockport Creative Campus Cultural Fund, and the development of the £14m Future High Street Stockroom discovery centre.
Stockport’s Town of Culture Programme will be announced throughout the year, but in the meantime we've taken a look at some of the best things to see and do in the borough.
Stockport Market
Standing in Stockport’s Market Place, the market has a rich and colourful history which dates back to the Saxons. The beautiful Grade II-listed ‘Glass Umbrella’ roof was erected in 1861, with the surrounding Market Place then home to dungeons, but today, it’s occupied by over 30 traders selling a huge variety of goods - from unique artworks created by Kate O'Brien, and fresh produce from Wally’s Fruit & Veg, to delicious bakes from Polish bakery Sticky Fingers.
Foodie Friday
As we’re in the vicinity, it only seems right to give a shout out to Stockport’s award-winning street food event. On the last Friday of every month, locals and visitors alike make the pilgrimage to the Market Place to soak up the festival-like atmosphere of Foodie Friday with its tasty food courtesy of stalls like I Knead Pizza and Oh Mei Dumplings and thirst-quenching beverages served up from the likes of Baker’s Vaults, Remedy Bar and The Arden Arms.
Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery
The gallery has a long history of exhibitions from some of the world’s very best artists. Today the gallery boasts an extensive exhibition series, which gives emerging artists a chance to showcase their work. Current exhibits include: the Stockport Photographic Society 131st Annual Exhibition; Supply/Request, which uses artistic and archaeological practices to explore the choices made by ordinary people during the Holocaust; and Strange Constellations, a glimpse into the surreal world of painter and illustrator Shaun Lowndes. Outside, you’ll also find the Stockport War Memorial, which was opened by HRH Prince Henry on 15 October 1925 - it serves as a lasting reminder of those who lost their lives during World War I.
Stockport Plaza
First opened in 1932 as a Cine-Variety venue mixing films and live shows, the Plaza Cinema was restored in the early 2000s. Inside the stunning Art-Deco surroundings, you can watch performances from some of Britain’s best comedians, as well as musicals, plays and tribute bands, and there’s also a schedule of live screenings from Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. The theatre also does afternoon tea upstairs if you really want to make a day of it.
Krazy Races
Taking place this Sunday, Stockport is preparing for a bumper weekend, which will see both a Second World War Lancaster bomber flyover and a series of soapbox races. The Krazy Races event is set to bring thousands of people to Stockport town centre, as 30 teams take their soap boxes for a spin down the 350-metre course passing local landmarks like the Plaza. The family friendly event will also feature a giant digger, the Robinsons Brewery horses to keep children entertained, and street food stalls.
Etherow Country Park
Lying at the heart of the Etherow-Goyt Valley, Etherow Country Park was one of Britain’s first country parks and is one of the most widely visited parks in Stockport. Boasting around 200 acres of green space, made up of woodland, lakes, and an impressive waterfall, it’s a beautiful place for a leisurely stroll. As well as fishing and pond dipping, there’s a sailing and model boating club, and at the far end of the park you’ll come across the Keg Pool, originally built as a fishing lake but today it’s where you’ll find a variety of birds and animals.
Bramhall Hall & Park
To the south of Stockport in the leafy neighbourhood between Bramhall and Cheadle Hulme lies a restored Tudor manor house set in 70 acres of landscaped parkland. The half-timbered mansion was expanded and adapted over hundreds of years between the 14th and 19th centuries and was once home to the Davenport family. Take a look inside and you’ll see up close the magnificent 16th Century wall paintings, Elizabethan plaster ceiling, and the Victorian Kitchens and Servants’ Quarters.
Air Raid Shelters
Carved into the sandstone cliffs, the intriguing network of underground tunnels offer visitors a unique insight into life in wartime Britain. Opened in 1939, the shelters were the largest purpose-built civilian air raid shelters in the country and accommodated as many as 6,500 people during the Second World War. Take a walk through the labyrinth of tunnels, take an state-of-the-art audio tour and learn about what life beneath Stockport’s streets was like during World War Two - and don’t forget to pick up a memento from the shop.
Visit the Old Town for food, drink and shopping
In recent years, the town’s food and drink and shopping provision has come on leaps and bounds. In the market for some new garms? Then check out Top of the Town Vintage, 20th Century Stores and Old Town General Store. Likewise, if you’re looking for books and records, Rare Mags and SK1 Records are well worth a visit. Food wise, it has to be Sticky Fingers, Yellowhammer or Hillgate Cakery for baked treats. A short stroll up Lower Hillgate and you’ll also find the acclaimed Where The Light Gets In, Blossoms-fronted Bohemian Arts Club and authentic Southeast Asian noodle house, Mekong Cat. And that’s really just scratching the surface.
Hat Works
If you’ve travelled on the Manchester to London train, you’ll have spotted the iconic Hat Works chimney from the Viaduct. The Stockport landmark is the town’s official museum of hats and is spread over two floors in a stunning Grade II-listed Victorian Mill. Discover the grizzly history of the fur trade, see Victorian hatting machines in action and make sure to pop in the café upstairs for a brew. The Gallery of Hats is still under construction and the museum is currently only open for booked tours of the factory floor, but they’ll soon be introducing a family friendly tour when it reopens with a whole new look and feel.
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