Dear readers — there’s surely no denying now that Autumn is upon us. The leaves in their swathes might still be green but the sky is coloured round the edges.
But don’t worry. Here to brighten your day is The Mill’s Monday newsletter. Today we dispatch from a landlocked oyster festival. We prophesy on Manchester’s growth. We’ve got a call-out about a specific episode of Peppa Pig. We bring good tidings about ice hockey. Read on for all of that.
Bridgewater Hall celebrates turning 30 with its biggest season yet
Since September 1996, Bridgewater Hall has welcomed millions of visitors, countless world-class performers and become a centre of Manchester’s cultural scene.
And its 30th season is expected to be its biggest yet. The celebrations kick off later this month with an anniversary concert by Manchester’s leading performers as they pay homage to the hall’s rich past. Later in the season, the Hall hosts new performances from the Hallé, classic symphonies from the BBC Philharmonic, and an International Concert Series bringing orchestras and soloists from across the globe to Manchester.
Click below to find out more about what will be an unforgettable 30th season at Bridgewater Hall.
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Manchester is your oyster
Over the weekend, we sent freelancer Ruby Martin to dispatch from Manchester Oyster Festival — a landlocked oyster extravaganza in what is debatably one of the least oyster-y parts of the country.
Approximately 3,500 oysters were consumed on Saturday at KAMPUS. There were dense queues for free oysters all night, the caviar stand ran out within two hours, and the shucking competition was cancelled because the oyster sellers were too busy shucking for the insatiable attendees. Less popular was the ‘UK’s first oyster luge’, a small slide made of ice, which was largely ignored.

While most people we spoke to were enjoying themselves, some remarked that it was “less chill” than expected, and others that the festival was simply “screaming for a Bloody Mary stand”. Festival organisers take heed.
If you’re sad you missed the non-stop mollusks — worry not. They’re due to make a comeback sooner than you might expect, with the similarly nonsensical Stockport Oyster Party in October. This is apparently more of a “dance and a boogie” than its Mancunian counterpart. A great night out or a recipe for disaster? Only our digestive systems can say.
Hello! Jack here, thanks for joining us for today’s Monday briefing, which we send out to our (almost) 85,000 free members every week.
These briefings are a way for our writers to start conversations with our paying members about all things Manchester, be that the city’s local plan or Peppa Pig randomly employing the Factory Records logo. It’s not dissimilar to the “town square” social media once promised to provide, just minus the bots, trolls and general anguish.
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24 Hour Porky People
PLEASE BEAR WITH US: we promise we’re not talking about Tony Wilson again.
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