Mums&Dads N84, Summer 2024 edition

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Editor Zoe Drobnis Art Editor David Aldred

Issue 84 Summer 2024

Cover: sarahjanekingphotography.com

Published by M&D Publishing Ltd

All rights reserved. Reproduction without the express permission of the Editor is strictly prohibited. The opinions expressed within M&D Magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers, but those of individual writers. The publishers accept no liability of any nature arising out of or in connection with the contents of this magazine.

M&D Magazine, 4 Granville Gardens, Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2SX Tel: 0161 445 5388 editor@mums-dads.co.uk

Disclaimer

The Summer Camps, Clubs, Classes and Festival listings are carefully selected to offer our readers useful information. Although every effort is made to ensure that information is correct M&D cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions. We strongly advise you to check details with the event organisers.

A taste of Turkey by

Paul Wojnicki

“I’m going to tell Miss that I’ve stood on top of a real Roman column when we’re back at school,” my daughter, Ella, announces, as we lower ourselves from a semi-submerged Doric column into the bath-warm mineral waters of Cleopatra’s Pool.

“I don’t think they’re real ones,” I tell her, as we wade past another couple of columns to our right. “They’re probably replicas, and the real ones might be in the museum.”

“Oh.” Ella looks disappointed. “Can we see the real ones later?” “Sure.”

Ella and her brother Harrison spend the next hour frolicking in the crystalclear waters, where Cleopatra and Mark Anthony also splashed around together a couple of millennia ago. I smile as I watch them, but I keep getting distracted by wondering whether these are genuine columns or not. They look and feel like marble, and I don’t think replicas would be made of real marble.

After our session ends and we’ve dried ourselves off, I make a beeline for our guide and ask her the question that’s been bothering me for the last hour.

“Yes, they’re the original columns,” she tells me. “They held a roof above the pools and were part of a temple to Apollo before they fell where they are now.”

I apologise to Ella, feeling silly that I ever doubted the authenticity of the columns. It’s not as though Turkey is short on real ruins after all. But the whole area surrounding Hierapolis -

the ancient city where the pools are situated - is so surreal that it feels almost as though you’re in a dream.

It’s not so much the ruins themselves, as the location, perched above the cotton candy-like terraces of Pamukkale, which lie around a hundred metres from the Cleopatra Pool. The name, Pamukkale, is Turkish for “cotton castle” and once you lay eyes on the oddly formed terraces it’s obvious why Pamukkale got this name.

It’s an unreal landscape of petrified waterfalls, mineral forests and terraced basins filled with luxuriously warm water. It looks like nothing you’ve ever seen before, and I mean that literally. Unless of course you’ve ever been to the - far smaller - Cascate del Mulino in Tuscany, which is the only similar place on earth, and which doesn’t have the added allure of ancient ruins next door.

We spend another hour on the terraces paddling through the pools, toying with the white silt that lies on the bottom and watching fellow tourists making strange poses next to the calcite stalactites or sitting in a shallow river of thermal waters, which Harrison and Ella mistake for a waterslide. Everywhere there is white, and sunlight reflects from it in strange ways, washing out colours as it does so. Then it’s time to move on and explore some of the ancient city of Hierapolis, which is around a 10minute walk away from the terraces.

will take another two and a half hours and by the time we return the onsite waterpark - a common feature at resorts in Kusadasi - will be closed. The kids aren’t happy when they realise this, as they’ve been hurtling down the slides nonstop for the last few days, but I remind them that they’ve been in three pools unlike any in the world today, and they nod in acknowledgment before settling down on the coach. They’re already looking forward to 10am the following day, when they can frolic to their hearts content in more modern surroundings again.

Practicalities

Most package tourists who holiday in the Turkish resort of Kusadasiwhere we are based - visit a different ancient city - Ephesus, and for good reason. It’s the best preserved and most impressive example of a GrecoRoman city in the world, with only Pompei giving it a run for its money. Plus, it’s exceptionally close to the resort of Kusadasi. But only a fraction of those visitors venture as far away as Hierapolis and Pamukkale, which are two and a half hours from Kusadasi by road. For me, Pamukkale & Hierapolis are even more impressive than Ephesus, and the 12,000-seater Roman amphitheatre that sits just above Cleopatra’s Pool is the icing on the cake.

When we arrive at the amphitheatre, there are only around 12 other people besides ourselves. In contrast, the ruins of Ephesus felt like a rugby scrum at times, thanks to the thousands of tourists arriving on multiple cruise ships that day. Admittedly, the amphitheatre at Ephesus is more impressive, it holds 25,000 people and still hosts performances today, but the Hierapolis amphitheatre is impressive nonetheless, with spectacular views of the valleys below, as well as the other ruins of the site.

Our day trip ends with a late lunch and another swim in more thermal pools at a nearby hotel, this time with brown stalactites from the mineral deposits as our backdrop. Then we head back to our hotel in Kusadasi. It

Kusadasi is a popular area on the Aegean, with dozens of high-quality resorts. All-inclusive resorts are particularly popular, some of which are more geared to adults and others to families. We stayed at the Palm Wings Ephesus, which had three large swimming areasincluding an adults-only pool and a fantastic waterpark. There were also a first-class beach and water sports centre, seven bars and beautifully manicured gardens with roaming peacocks.

Trips to Pamukkale can be booked locally in Kusadasi or - for added peace of mind - with TUI. Our trip cost £84 per adult and included travel, entry to the ancient city of Hierapolis, a swim in Cleopatra’s Pool, entrance to the “cotton castle” terraces and dinner, sand entrance to thermal pools in a five-star hotel.

Manchester Histories Festival started in 2009, inspired by the late Professor John Pickstone from the University of Manchester’s Centre for the History of Science and Technology. Since then, it has grown into a much-loved part of the festival scene across Greater Manchester.

The award-winning festival is now back for its ninth edition, with a four-day programme filled with music, performances, talks, showcases, crafts, activities and more, including a vintage bus. The festival is designed for all, which means there are many opportunities for children and adults to get involved for FREE.

This year, the biennial festival is partnered with The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, which turn 200 years old in 2024.

‘Manchester Histories Festival is in its ninth year and has grown and grown. It involves a huge number of local groups... it brings all the communities together. There’s dialogue and new discoveries, it’s a really terrific time.’ Professor Michael Wood OBE

• Sunday 9 June (11am - 7pm):

Free family-friendly celebration Sunday at various locations. All locations are accessible.

A summer treat for all ages, which will feature craft stalls, live music, comedy, walking tours, talks, exhibitions, and a heritage bus.

There will be a Histories & Heritage Marketplace of over 50 stalls from groups and organisations across Greater Manchester and the North West that celebrate, preserve, and explore our histories and heritage, located indoors at the Whitworth Hall, and nearby in Alan Gilbert Square. Everyone is invited to join in the Many Hands Parade, presented by choreographer Ruth Jones.

From 2pm - 4pm come and make a 'hand on a stick' with professional craft artists and learn a simple dance with professional dancers (no experience required), then take part in the parade from 4.30pm to 5.15pm. Expect to learn some interesting historical facts about the people who have made The University of Manchester shine over the past 200 years. Have a lot of fun and feel a big sense of community. Children are welcome but must be accompanied by an adult.

Take part in a performance created for the street, where you are the star of the show? 16 rpm is presenting The Carpeters, in which a trio of performers with rolled red carpets make their way through the streets, down crowded paths, over obstacles, rolling and unrolling carpets. You are invited to walk, roll, stroll, strut, cartwheel, skate, crawl, or flip along the red carpet to the cheers of the crowd. Events will take place in various locations across Manchester, including the Whitworth, Manchester Central Library, The University of Manchester, and Manchester Met.

Manchester Histories Festival 2024 from Thursday 6 ­ Sunday 9 June: connecting people through histories and heritage

• Thursday 6 June (5.45pm - 9pm): Open Night Launch at Whitworth Art Gallery.

• Friday 7 and Saturday 8 June (11.30am - 3pm):

‘R Histories’ Open Mic Extravaganza! at Manchester Central Library.

For the full list of events from Thursday 6 JuneSunday 9 June visit www.manchesterhistories.co.uk and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed.

* Manchester Histories is a multi-award-winning charity which works collaboratively to reveal, share, and celebrate Greater Manchester’s diverse histories and heritage. Registered Charity No. 1151944

Donations always welcome to keep our shared histories alive. Events listed are correct at time of going to print. Please check the website and social media channels for any unavoidable last-minute changes.

Many

Hands photos:

Lawrence Ghorra

Manchester’s Festival of Libraries . . . .

Wednesday 12 June ­ Sunday 16 June

This event promises to bring a lot of writers, artists, musicians and poets to Greater Manchester’s libraries. A huge part of the programme has been planned with families in mind and is free. Attendees will be able to take part in theatre shows, performances, crafts activities, creative workshops and more. By following The Walking Guide to Your Local Library, you might see the library on your doorstep in a totally different light, or you could use it to

check out a totally new library. Created by Manchester-based illustrator, designer and lecturer in visual communication Oliver East, the guide is intended to creatively connect people to libraries during the journey they make to get there, so that they are brimming with inspiration when they arrive. This is a great activity to go with kids, and you can pick up a free copy of the guide from any library in Greater Manchester or access it digitally.

As part of the fun, performances of Hidden Shadows will be happening at a number of libraries between Wednesday 12 and Saturday 15 June. Artist Rachel Riggs will be using the shadow puppets which emerge from old books, comics and magazines to create interactive sculptures which will put in a show! These will be accompanied by stories which Rachel has collected from the archives of Bury, Salford, Oldham and Tameside libraries, and the imagination of the young people she has worked with.

Libraries are family friendly by nature, but during the Festival of Libraries there’s even more to discover for those visiting with children, including Lego building sessions, comic workshops and messy play. Also fun days are being organised at various libraries on Saturday 15th, while Sunday 16 June becomes Sunday Funday for Manchester Central Library, which is using the occasion to mark its 90th birthday with crafts, face painting & fun activities taking place from noon to 4pm.

Little HOME

Friday 2 ­ Sunday 4 August and Saturday 10 ­ Sunday 11 August

Get creative at Little HOME, the funfilled family festival jam-packed with free and ticketed events, which is taking place at HOME this August.

Little HOME invites families to embark on an adventure filled with interactive performances, hands-on workshops, and endless fun for all ages. Discover the magic of storytelling with immersive theatre performances, enjoy spectacular circus acts, get stuck into arts & crafts at HOME’s Creativity Corner, and let your imagination soar with engaging games and activities.

With both indoor and outdoor events, Little HOME is the ultimate summer festival for the whole family.

Venue: HOME, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester M15 4FN.

Summer camps, clubs and classes

July - August

Tennis Holiday camps

Ages 6 - 8 years and 9 - 16 years. Mini Tennis and Junior Tennis holiday camps are very popular and a huge amount of fun. The children not only boost their tennis skills, but improve all round fitness, co-ordination and social skills.

The Northern Club, Palatine Road, West Didsbury, Manchester M20 3YA Tel: 0161 445 3093 www.thenorthern.co.uk

8 July - 14 August

Summer camps at WGS

Withington Girls’ School is hosting a variety of exciting activities for children offered by both Withington and Activate Camps, starting from the 8th July. Activities include creative writing, theatre, and sports, ranging from multi-sports to specialised courses in netball and lacrosse. Wraparound care is available before and after the camps and there is no extra charge when booking the Withington’s multi-sports camp.

Withington Girls’ School, 100 Wellington Road, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6BL www.wgs.org/news-events/summer-camps

22 July - 29 August

Holiday camp at Chorlton Park Primary School

CREATE GROUPS (arts & crafts, science experiments, food creation, themed workshops, character visits, adventure nature trail, construction play, imaginative play) are open to children from the age of 3 years and 6 months, whilst our SPORTS GROUPS (football, dodgeball, archery, basketball, hockey, cricket, mini-tennis, mini-golf, hoop ball, lacrosse) are available to children from 5 years old. Children can attend both groups until they are 11 years old. Chorlton Park Primary School, Mauldeth Road West, Chorlton, Manchester M21 7HH Tel: 0161 726 5022 www.schoolofplay.org.uk

22 July - 30 August, 5 August - 30 August

We Are Adventures

Discover the joy of extended outdoor adventures at these holiday clubs! You can book a spot for a single day, an entire week, or the entire holiday season, brimming with exciting escapades. Each day promises a fresh adventure, ranging from mastering campfire cooking and survival skills to delving into bushcraft and trying hands at archery.

St John’s RC Primary School, Chepstow Road, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 9SN Trafford Ecology Park, Lake Road, Manchester, M17 1HB www.weareadventurers.co.uk

22 July - 30 Aug (various date for each venue)

Rocket Holiday Camps: Stage, Solve & Sports

These camps are run in three venues. Each

venue has three separate areas on-site allocated for different activities.

STAGE (gymnastics • dance • musical theatre • singing • performing arts • cheerleading and more) SOLVE (problem solving games • treasure hunts - fort buildings - quizzes nature trails • team building games • arts and crafts • letter and number games • orienteering)

SPORT (football • basketball • dodgeball • cricket • hockey • netball • tennis • badminton • volleyball • benchball • ninja kids • obstacle courses • captcha the flag).

Children are free to swap between the three areas throughout the day.

Chorlton High School South, The Sports Hall, 451 Mauldeth Rd W., Manchester M21 7SX.

Sale Grammar School, Marsland Rd, Sale M33 3NH

St Ambrose College, Hale Rd, Hale Barns Altrincham WA15 0HE www.rocketholidaycamps.co.uk

22 - 25 July,

29 July - 1 Aug; 5-8, 12-15, 19-22, 27-30 Aug

Holiday Tennis Camps in Sale

The camp offers a wide range of activities both inside and out for children ages 4 – 14. Great fun throughout the day with games aimed at individuals and also within groups to play team games! Early drops and late pick-ups are available. The coaches organising the camp are DBS cleared, first aid trained and have a lot of expertise working with children of different ages and abilities. Indoor provision is available in case of bad weather.

Sale Sports Club, Sale M33 2DE

24 - 26 July, 28 - 29 August

Echo Academy: summer holiday workshops

Echo Fest in July will be Blue Peter inspired with TV presenting workshops, dances from around the world, costume design, music performance and crafting activities. During The Lion King workshop in August children will join in dance, drama, music and crafting activities that will lead to a mini performance at the end of two days. Both workshops are for children ages 5-11. Alderley Edge School for Girls, Wilmslow Rd, Alderley Edge, Cheshire SK9 7QE www.echoacademy.co.uk

24 July - 30 August

Outdoor holiday club

Venture Out is passionate about the outdoors. Many of their activities are taking place at the small centre in Stockport which is by the bank of the River Mersey within the grounds of Burnage Rugby Club. They however introduce participants to the nearby areas of the Peak District, Lancashire and Yorkshire hills and the vast canal network, for walking, mountain biking and canoeing. It’s completely outdoors, regardless of the weather.

Children can come for a day, a week, multiple weeks or parts of different weeks.

This small and friendly club has limit of 40 kids per week, with a ratio of at least 1 group leader per 10 children. A programme of activities is a mixture of team building, nature handicrafts, outdoor sports, bushcraft, forest school, nature games, and canoe trips.

Burnage Rugby Club, Varley Park, Battersea Road, Heaton Mersey, Stockport SK4 3EA. T: 07905 851299 - Ian (best between 3 & 5:30pm) www.venture-out.co.uk/outdoor-holiday-club

29 July - 2 August, 5 August - 9 August SciTech holiday club

Whole week of amazing science and technology! Each day your child will experience one of the five amazing science projects from chocolate making to rocket building. They will delve into the invisible world of microbiology, will learn how to be a spy, and will be inspired by unique and beautiful ways to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Young scientists are split into age groups so that their experience is based on their ability level.

Baguley Hall Primary School, Ackworth Drive, Wythenshawe, Manchester M23 1LB. Tel: 07427 222732 www.scitech.co.uk

29 July - 2 Aug; 5-9, 12-16, 19-23, 26-30 Aug

Brooklands Tennis Holiday Camp

The camps are open to non-members of the club and they are a great way to introduce children to tennis as the camps are full of fun activities focused around tennis, but also include hand /eye co-ordination and movement. The children spend time outside as much as possible, but if necessary, there are indoor facilities that we can use. Full days and half days arrangements are available. Brooklands Sports Club, Whitefield Road, Sale M33 3NL. e: tenniscoach@brooklandssportsclub.co.uk

29 July - 2 August

RNCM Young Strings Summer School

Young Strings Summer School gives string players between 6 -13 years an opportunity to develop their musical, creative and performance skills in a fun and friendly environment. Daily activities are led by a team of experienced RNCM tutors and include string orchestra, chamber music, Dalcroze Eurhythmics, choir and some creative activities.

Manchester High School for Girls, Grangethorpe Road, Manchester, M14 6HS Tel: 0161 907 5200 www.rncm.ac.uk

July 29 - 23 August

Fun Fest Stockport - Bramhall

Children can choose from a menu of over 50 different activities including Pottery, Messy Mayhem, Beauty School, Football, Cupcake Heaven, Mad Science, Harry Potter experience, Mission Impossible and many seasonal activities. There is something for everyone!

Queensgate Primary School, Bramhall Stockport SK7 1NE. Tel: 07570270839 bramhalloffice@funfestholidayclub.co.uk

29 July - 2 August, 5 - 9 August, 19-23 August

Stagecoach Performing Arts: Summer Schools

The summer school workshops are designed for 4 to 6 years old children and will be running in different venues across Cheshire and Manchester. The children will rehearse between Monday and Friday to create a show in just one week. Friends and family will be invited to watch the show on the final day. You don't have to be a regular Stagecoach pupil to attend the workshop.

Chorlton High School South, 451 Mauldeth Road West, Manchester M21 7SX

St Simon’s Primary School, Bosden Avenue, Hazelgrove, Stockport SK7 4LH Handforth Youth Centre, Old Road, Handforth, Wilmslow SK9 3AZ www.stagecoach.co.uk

5 - 9 August

Noodle Performance Art - Summer Camp

Five days of musical theatre, themed dance, drama, arts and crafts, and fun for children ages 5 - 14. Cost: £32.50 per day or £150 for the week.

St George’s Scout Hall, Altincham, Cheshire WA14 4DS. Tel: 07769 155591 or email cat@noodleperformancearts.com www.noodleperformancearts.com/cheshire

8 - 13 August 2024 - Part 1, 13 - 18 August 2024 - Part 2

Chetham’s Piano Summer School

Chetham’s International Piano Summer School brings world class and legendary musicians to a vibrant, supportive community in central Manchester. Housed in the magnificent, safe grounds of the UK’s largest specialist music school, this inspirational annual festival offers unprecedented facilities, including over 130 pianos and practice/teaching rooms, the magnificent Stoller Hall, en-suite bedrooms and stunning medieval architecture juxtaposed with modern facilities.

Suitable for pianists, who are around grade 5 and under. We welcome children of all ages, accompanied by a parent or guardian. If applying as a non-resident the accompanying parent is FREE of charge.

Chetham’s School of Music, Manchester Tel: 01625 266899 or 07814 989913 www.pianosummerschool.com

Summer camps at WGS

Noodle Performance Art

Summer adventure awaits at Jodrell Bank

Jodrell Bank is a home to the UK’s largest radio telescope and a site of inspiring, hands-on learning for all ages! It is open Tuesday to Sunday (plus Mondays during the school holidays).

Jodrell’s interactive exhibitions provide a stimulating experience for visitors of all ages. From exploring the mysteries of black holes to understanding the mechanics of our solar system, the exhibitions at Jodrell Bank offer an engaging and informative adventure for the whole family.

Curious Kids: Solar System Spectacular (exclusive to school holidays)

The newest show in the hugely popular Curious Kids series; set your coordinates for Jodrell Bank and prepare to blast off on a tour of the galaxy with Jodrell’s amazing Explainer team! Featuring mind-blowing experiments and tricky trivia to test your science skills, this show will entertain, inspire, and teach you all about the incredible forces in our Universe. NB tickets for Curious Kids are allocated on a first come, first served basis and early arrival is recommended.

Fun family festivals

charities, and Didsbury Traders will be selling the best local produce and treasures from the local businesses.

www.didsburyfestival.co.uk

8 June

Sale, M33 7XS

16 June, from 12 noon

Sale Lions Charity Father’s Day Fete and Family Fun Day Father’s Day family fun day with bouncy castles and fairground rides. Free Entrance. Worthington Park, Cheltenham Drive, Sale M33 2DQ

8 June

Didsbury Festival

From much-anticipated carnival procession, which travels through the village down to Didsbury Park, to live music, talks and stalls, there’s something for everyone at Didsbury Festival. Stallholders include local and national

Poynton Party in the Park

This year’s event will be headlined by disco superstars Odyssey performing live in the concert and will also feature lots of new and exciting additions including traditional Funfair rides for all ages, alongside an extended showcase of the amazing local food and drink in the area. Festival organisers hope to raise funds for Poynton Rotary to enable them to continue supporting local charities and community groups in our area.

www.poyntonparty.com

15 June 13:00 - 16:30

Mobberley Rose Queen Procession & Festival

The Festival starts with the main road through

Exhibition: Time is Running Out (16 May-7 July) From the Institution of Civil Engineers comes a new exhibition asking the big questions about our changing planet, from “where will our energy come from?” to “what can we do to end waste?” This interactive exhibition invites audiences into the conversation and encourages those of all ages to draw their own conclusions.

Dome Shows: The Great Solar System Adventure!

New for summer 2024, prepare for an out-of-thisworld adventure in a brand new Dome Show at the Jodrell Bank planetarium! Join ‘The Great Schiaparelli’ on a space-time adventure within his Observatorium, exploring the wonders of our Solar System on a breathtaking tour that reveals just how precious our home planet really is.

Annual Passes

Book online at jodrellbank.net and get unlimited return visits for 12 months.

It’s truly an unforgettable experience for the entire family. Get ready to embark on a non-stop cosmic adventure filled with education, entertainment, and exploration! Don’t miss out on this celestial extravaganza. Let the wonders of the universe unfold before your eyes.

Visit: jodrellbank.net

Mobberley closed for an hour whilst a large procession of bands, floats and the Rose Queen’s retinue walk through the village. The procession then gathers on Hall Bank field for the audience to watch a medley of dances and celebrations. An honorary float to mark the centenary of the historic Everest climb by George Mallory and Andrew Irvine in 1924 will be a special feature in this year’s procession.

Mobberley Victory Hall Memorial Club, Town Lane, Mobberley, Knutsford, WA16 7JQ

15 June 11:00 -16:00

Woodford Summer Fair

It's a great family day out - fairground rides, face-painting, makers market, burgers, bouncy castle, wraps, ice-cream, Rock Choir and so much more. Entry is free.

Woodford Community Centre, Chester RoadWoodford, Stockport, Cheshire SK7 1PS https://woodfordcom.com

30 June 10:00 - 16:00

Summer Family Fun Day

Enjoy some wholesome family fun at The Monastery to celebrate the summer at this community event for all generations, from gran & grandad to children of all ages, please grab the whole family and come on down for children’s funfair, vintage bus, music, stalls, local community groups, arts and crafts, face painting, tombola, raffle, and a whole lot more. Entry, is completely free but The Monastery is always very grateful for donations to the campaign to replace the Monastery’s long lost 19th century Wadsworth organ.

The Monastery, 89, Gorton Lane, Manchester, M12 5WF. www.themonastery.co.uk

6 July 16:00 22:00

Festival on The Field

Family friendly events, live music, big screen TVUEFA 24, artisan food, live entertainment on stage, 80s, 90s, 00s music.

Large marquee for all weather scenarios. Carnival Field , Wilmslow, Cheshire , SK9 5NG www.wilmslowswaybetter.co.uk

7 July 11:00 - 16:00

Wilmslow Community Show

Activities, lots of which are free - animal arena, music, food, art, dog show, car show, cooking demonstrations, trade and community groups. Not to mention donkeys and birds of prey! Carnival Field, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5NG www.wilmslowswaybetter.co.uk

20 July

Macclesfield Festival

This event always has lots going on in the kids zone including super hero shows, princess shows, dinosaurs, pony rides, inflatables, zorbing, magic shows, dance shows, talent shows, costume groups including Disney, Star Wars and Transformers characters, face painting, glitter tattoos, stilt walkers, magicians, pirate shows, toy stalls and a giant funfair packed with rides. The main tent plays house music and is hosted by local DJ and resident Rob Thurston. For dance music lovers - dance tents have always been a highlight of the festival.

Food court features cuisine from around the world including Greek, Asian, Thai, Spanish. A fireworks finale caps off a memorable evening. Macclesfield RUFC, Priory Park, Priory Lane, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 4AF www.macclesfieldfestival.co.uk

Trigger warning: death, cruelty and controversy

Ralph Fiennes, best known to some as the sadistic Nazi commandent Aemon Goeth in Schindler’s List, and to most as the noseless sadistic dark wizard Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise, recently spoke out against the trigger warnings which appear before every film, TV show or theatre performance we see, saying;

“... I think the impact of theatre should be that you’re shocked and you should be disturbed. I don’t think you should be prepared for these things and when I was young, [we] never had trigger warnings for shows.” I have to say that as a child who grew up in the 80s, an actor, and a children’s drama teacher, I wholeheartedly agree.

When I was five, I was plonked in front of the television to watch Watership Down, which was rated U at the time, and which my parents believed was about fluffy bunnies on an adventure. What I actually watched was a 70s animation about rabbits tearing each other’s throats out, being eaten by dogs, and getting caught in snares, to name just a few memorable scenes. I would say that I was fairly traumatised, along with many others of my generation - just 40 years later, in 2023, the movie was reclassified as a PG.

After that, I wouldn’t sleep with the light off, refused to go outside alone after dark to feed my own pet rabbit (he was a vicious bugger to be fair), and

had a genuinely irrational fear of wild rabbits, coupled with an odd fascination with all things related to the movie and book, which I read years later.

Would my parents have sat me down alone had there been trigger warnings? Possibly not. But what I did gain at a young age was an insight into our landscape, the effect we as humans have on our environment and our countryside, and that nature is cruel.

With that in mind I move on to something that I have encountered a few times since starting Noodle: parents asking us not to allude to death as their child has developed a fear of it. Usually children start experiencing these feelings around the age of four or five, when they seem to get a feeling for their own mortality. But should we really steer clear of the issue when it’s the only certainty in life, other than taxes - especially since we never have a problem telling kids how expensive life is.

This is where Disney is a real force. They are masters at dealing with the subject of death. I’d say that most people’s first experience of this kind of grief would have come from a Disney movie. Bambi’s mother, Mufasa in the Lion King; blimey, I used to cry my eyes out over the scene in Dumbo where he visits his mother in elephant prison and she wasn’t even dead!

These movies serve a real purpose, to allow

by Cat Allen Director of Noodle Performing Arts, Cheshire

children to experience the emotions they will have to deal with in later life, and offer a fantastic platform for parents to talk to them about how they are feeling and why. The characters affected by the loss of a friend or family in these movies usually grow themselves from the experience, showing that life must go on and we get stronger as we face its challenges - not that I expect many children to have to navigate herds of wildebeest rampaging through South Cheshire. Shying away from the subject and wrapping them in cotton wool leaves them illequipped to deal with those feelings.

Fiennes point that theatre and film are designed to shock is entirely valid. Performance has always been a vehicle for driving a point home, whether historical, political or social. You may have heard of Bertold Brecht, a German playwright who fled to the USA at the outbreak of WW2. He is credited with developing theatre as a political tool, to educate and motivate the audience to react. At drama school we performed one of his plays ‘Fear & Misery In the Third Reich’ (clearly not a comedy). It’s a selection of scenes depicting life in Germany in the late 1930s, everything from the Jewish wife packing to go away for a ‘few weeks’ at her German husband’s request, to the young lad mentioning over dinner that he told his Hitler Youth leaders his dad didn’t agree with all the Fuhrer’s policies. Cue the knock at the door and suddenly, dad’s gone.

We researched the era at a Holocaust museum and library in Golders Green and they invited us to perform for an anniversary during which a number of Holocaust survivors were in the audience. The play was ‘in the round’, meaning the audience are seated in a circle, looking in on the action. I caught the eye of a lady struggling to hold back a cough, as the minute she lost the battle the two SS guards patrolling the auditorium descended on her row and remained there watching her intently for a good few scenes. At the end we did a Q&A with the audience and were told the atmosphere created was chillingly similar to that which people living through it had felt at the time.

Triggering? No doubt. But if someone can survive the horrors of Auschwitz - something none of us have or hopefully ever will endure - and can sit through that, then maybe we should credit ourselves and our children with a little more robustness and give the trigger warnings a miss. After all, life doesn’t have them.

Is it a smart move to ditch the ‘smart’ phone?

by Jennifer McCloskey

reference to smartphone users who stagger around like zombies, oblivious to the risks around them. Parents understandably worry about children making their own way home from school but I, personally, would be less worried about my child if they didn’t have a smartphone zapping their attention at road crossings.

age-appropriate risk-taking. Luckily for us parents raising children in the UK, a movement dedicated to these norms already exists - Smartphone Free Childhood - and the government is fully behind phone-free schools, having recently issued guidance to help schools that don’t already ban phones during the school day.

“What’s in a name?”, asked Juliet, despairing of the feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. A lot, actually. Charlie Brooker renamed the smartphone the ‘black mirror’ in his Netflix series of the same name, referring to the ominous reflection one sees once the device is turned off, forcing an individual to confront the reality of how long they've been staring at a screen. If the name seems a little bleak, consider this question: if societal pressures were absent and you were given other options for keeping in touch with your child, do you think it is a smart move to give an 11-yearold a smartphone? Given that 97% of 12-year-olds in Britain owning a smartphone, no one would blame you if your immediate answer wasn’t no. It may feel like an impossible task to go against the tide, but the tide is well and truly turning. In 2024, 77% of parents of primary age children back a smartphone ban for under-16s, 83% of parents say that smartphones are harmful to children, and 96% of people think the minimum age for social media should be 16 rather than 14. And the tide is turning for good reason.

In 2010, the public didn’t know smartphones and social media had so many harmful effects, but the tech leaders clearly had an inkling that smart

tech wasn’t conducive to producing smart kids. As early as 2012, Steve Jobs admitted: “we don’t allow the iPad in the home, we think it is too dangerous.” Founder of Snapchat, Evan Spiegel, only allowed his seven-yearold 1.5 hours of screen time a week.

Bill Gates didn’t allow his four children to have smartphones until they were 14 and the founder of The Waldorf, the most sought-after school in Silicon Valley, stated, “tech leaders send their children to the school because keeping them away from tech cultivates the attributes they like to see among their staff - creative thinking, resourcefulness and perseverance.”

When you stop to consider what a smartphone actually is, is it really surprising that those in the know restricted its use by their own children?

Johann Hari, author of Stolen Focus: Why you Can’t Pay Attention, reminds us that smartphones are not really smart tools, but devices designed to “hack and invade our attention”. In the ‘attention economy’, the longer Instagram or TikTok can keep you on their site, the more data they can gather and the more targeted adverts they can put in front of you.

With the average 8 - 12-year-old spending up to 5 hours per day on devices, a plethora of new words have arisen to expose our smartphone obsessions. In 2015, the Youth Word of The Year in Germany was Smombie, a

In contrast to 2010, by 2024, the evidence against smartphones for children has become overwhelming. In his book, The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt points to a litany of shocking statistics: between 2010 and 2024, major depression among teens went up by 145% among girls and 161% among boys, self-harm incidents in 13-16-year-olds increased by 78% for girls and 134% for boys, and suicides among 10-14-year-olds increased by 134% for girls and 109% for boys. Haidt urges us to take that last statistic on female suicides and cross-reference it with tech developments in case you think the link isn’t there: the oldest members of Gen Z began puberty around 2009 which coincided with the spread of highspeed broadband, the arrival of the iPhone, and the ‘like’ and ‘retweet’ buttons. The trend of increasingly posting images of oneself after smartphones got front-facing cameras (2010) and Facebook acquired Instagram (2012) greatly expanded the number of adolescents posting carefully curated photos for peers and strangers to judge. It’s not just the toxic conditions of social media that are contributing to this mental health crisis amongst teenagers; Haidt aptly names smartphones ‘experience blockers’. Since the daily average time spent with friends down by 65%, an experience blocker, rather than a smartphone, feels a much more genuine name. Black mirrors, smombies, experience blockers. Smartphones no longer seem so smart to me. But what can parents do in a world in which the government is not doing enough, and tech companies are trying to keep children hooked? Haidt has four suggestions: no smartphones before 14, no social media before 16, phone free schools, and more outdoor play and

Smartphone Free Childhood is a national movement to empower parent communities to establish new norms around smartphones in their area, a movement in which I am actively involved. I joined my region’s WhatsApp group then, having had a few conversations in the playground, set up a WhatsApp group for my children’s primary school. (Disclaimer: the irony of a WhatsApp group to encourage smartphone-free childhoods is not lost on me but I needed to share the research, share alternatives to smartphones and share next steps!) I’ve also begun to practise a bit of what I preach by going smartphonefree every Sunday (it is absolutely my favourite day of the week) but I’m well aware there is a difficult journey ahead and that the matter is complicated. Children with diabetes who use continuous glucose monitoring, for example, need access to a smartphone within 10 metres of them for their parents to be able to check on their blood glucose remotely. Until a different solution is arrived at, parents of these children may understandably feel differently about no smartphones for under 14s.

Furthermore, talking to other parents about smartphones can be tricky. Everyone wants to do the best for their children, and no one wants their child to feel left out. Societal pressure is real. Some parents will tell you that you can’t put the genie back in the bottle, but we have challenged norms and protected our children in the past: after 100 years of driving, doing so without a seatbelt was banned in 1991; after centuries of smoking indoors, it was banned in 2007. We can change the norms and we can see smartphones for what they really are. Now, who fancies a game of snake on a so-called dumb phone?

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Igniting curiosity in boys aged 2-11

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