The Egyptian Room and Oldham Art Gallery

Nestled in the heart of Oldham’s town centre, The Egyptian Room is a new(ish) food hall with a diverse range of independent food stalls offering a range of cuisines.

The contemporary food hall is set within an architecturally stunning setting – the Grade II listed old Town Hall, which retains its historic charm and original features. The food partners include Ply Loves Pizza (pizza and pasta dishes), The Last Stop (burgers), Wings of Power (burgers), Tuk Tuk ((Cambodian and Asian Kitchen) and Seacoles (Caribbean).

There is seating for 150 people with both indoor and outdoor seating and a mezzanine area. The venue has only been open since November, and for some of us the service was a little slow. On the whole it is a great addition to Oldham and we shall definitely return.

We then visited The Lights exhibition at Oldham Art Gallery. Over the last ten years, Grundy Art Gallery in Blackpool has developed a special interest in artists who use light as a material within their work. In addition to an annual light themed exhibition each autumn, Grundy has also been adding light based art works to its collection.

A selection of works from Grundy’s collection was presented in Oldham for the first time. The exhibition takes its title from the shorthand for how the Blackpool Illuminations are referred to locally.

A few of us went on to Billington’s for coffee and cake. This is a very impressive venue, very welcoming to members of the LGBT+ communities.

More photos can be seen here.

Argentina’s president called all LGBTQ+ people paedophiles. Now he’s getting sued

Javier Milei, the Argentinian President, took his “war on woke” to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last week in a fiery speech declaring that LGBTQ+ “gender ideology constitutes plain and simple child abuse. They are paedophiles.”

“The mental virus of woke ideology is the great epidemic of our time that must be cured,” Milei said. “This is the cancer we need to get rid of.”

The attacks on LGBTQ+ people accompanied a restatement of the Argentinian president’s longstanding assaults on feminism, immigration and the fight against climate change.

Milei wrapped his far-right agenda in language cribbed from his fan and fellow warrior in the fight against “woke”, President Trump.

“It is essential to break these ideological chains if we want to usher in a new golden age,” Milei said, echoing language used in Trump’s inauguration speech.

To illustrate what he called a direct link between LGBTQ+ “gender ideology” and its harmful effects, the Argentinian leader used the example of a gay couple in Georgia arrested last month for abusing and prostituting their young adopted sons to a paedophile ring. He also falsely claimed that 5-year-old children regularly undergo sex-transition surgeries.

“I want to be clear when I say abuse,” Milei said. “This is no euphemism.”  

In response, Argentinian Congressman Esteban Paulón, a longtime LGBTQ+ rights activist, filed a criminal complaint against the president, arguing Milei employed discourse that promotes negative stereotypes and encourages violence against the LGBTQ+ community.

“Milei radicalises hate speech based on lies and fabricated truths. He raises harmful stereotypes against the LGBTQ+ community, which generates fear and anguish in our communities. We have filed a criminal complaint, understanding that his statements constitute several crimes aggravated by his presidential investiture.”

Paulón said LGBTQ+ families are living in fear as a result of Milei’s selective and unfounded claims.

“There are fathers and mothers afraid of being denounced for allowing their children to express their gender identity. LGBTQ+ couples fear that their children will be taken away from them,” he said. “This type of discourse activates ultra-conservative groups that politically support Milei, but do not reflect the feelings of the majority of Argentine society.”

Following the speech, LGBTQ+ activists and human rights groups in Argentina have organised a march under the banner, “For a country without hate,” scheduled for 1 February in the country’s capital, Buenos Aires.

February is LGBT+ History Month

In 2025 Schools OUT is celebrating its 50th year and 20 years of UK LGBT+ History Month.

The 2025 UK LGBT+ History Month theme is: Activism and Social Change.

Schools OUT was delighted to launch the UK LGBT+ History Month 2025 theme from Conway Hall, London – a place steeped in history from the conference of doctors that led to the founding of the NHS, to speakers such as George Orwell.

Summary of LGBT History Month Events – 2025

• Saturday, 1 February – 12.00pm – 4.00pm – LGBT Foundation Community Café – Digital Café Takeover
• Monday, 3 February – 5.45pm – 8.00pm (Doors open at 5.00pm) Lights, Camera, Pride! – Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month – Free film – Manchester Central Library, St Peter’s Square, Manchester M2 5PD
• Tuesday, 4 February – 8.00pm – The Big Gay Pub Quiz Takeover – Contact Theatre, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6JA – Free
• Wednesday, 5 February – 7.00pm – Queer AF Comedy Night – Contact Theatre, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6JA – Free
• Friday, 7 February – 1.00pm – 2.00pm – Alan Turing’s Manchester – Lunchtime Lecture – House of Books and Friends, 81 King Street, Manchester M2 4AH – £3 (Ticket Only) – £20 (Book and Ticket)
• Saturday, 8 February – 1.15pm – 3.45pm – LGBT+ History Month archive exploration & guided gallery tour – People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3ER
  • Concession tickets: £11.44 / Free
  • Explore the theme of activism and social change through delving into the museum’s incredible archive collection and joining a guided gallery tour.
• Saturday, 8 February – 7.00pm – Queer as Cupid Cabaret – Contact Theatre, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6JA – Free
• Thursday, 13 February – 7.30pm – LipService presents Funny Stuff Derby Hall @ The Met, Market Street, Bury BL9 0BW – Tickets £18
• Thursday 20 & Friday 21 February – 7.30pm – Shadowed Dreamer
  • 53Two, Arch 19, Watson Street, Manchester M3 4LP
  • Tickets £10 Full Price / Pay What You Can – Not Including Booking Fee
  • ​Shadowed Dreamer: A story of survival, determination and belief.
• Thursday, 27 February – 8.00pm – LOUD Cabaret
  • The Box @ The Met, Market Street, Bury BL9 0BW
  • Tickets: £11 standard / £9 subsidised / £13 supporters (inc fees)

Please check websites – you will need to have a ticket for the free events.

A Secret Love: The Timeless Love Story of Terry Donahue and Pat Herschel

In 1947, two women from different worlds met in Canada, beginning a love story that would span over seven decades. Terry Donahue, a star player in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), and Pat Herschel crossed paths, and the connection between them was immediate.

The love story began when Pat, in a bold and heartfelt move, handed Terry a note that read, “I’m a reader of books, but I’ve never read anywhere where a woman loves another woman. I hope you feel the same way, too.” This simple yet profound note marked the beginning of a journey that would see them through nearly 72 years of love, commitment and resilience, despite the challenges of their time.

Throughout their years together, Terry and Pat faced significant societal pressures, especially during an era when LGBT+ relationships were not widely accepted. Their love remained a closely guarded secret from most of their family and friends for 70 years. They lived quietly in a Chicago suburb, building a life together, and enduring the trials of a world that often did not have room for their love. Terry’s courage eventually led her to reveal the relationship to her niece, marking the beginning of a new chapter of openness for the couple. Their love, which had been hidden for so long, became a testament to their strength and devotion to each other.

In 2020, the world learned about their incredible love story when the documentary A Secret Love was released, bringing their journey into the spotlight. The film captured their 70 years together, the emotional challenges they faced, and their eventual decision to marry after decades of commitment. It also highlighted the difficulties of end-of-life care as Terry faced health issues. The documentary not only touched hearts worldwide but also sparked important conversations about love, identity, and acceptance.

Through their story, Terry and Pat inspired millions and left behind a lasting legacy of love that transcended time, showing that true love, regardless of circumstances, is always worth celebrating.

Twilight Men

André Tellier’s second novel was launched on 27 January 1931 by Greenberg, New York as a 338-page volume. It flew through at least seven prints and sold over 40,000 copies. The novel is a clichéd and dramatic story of the queer experience.

After the deaths of two loves, Armand moves from France to face New York City and self-discovery. A woman hired by his acrimonious father tails him, although her attempts to seduce him break way to a unreturned infatuation. After Armand drifts through the city, he finally finds community in the artistic queer scene, where he receives support as a poet and as a man who loves other men. However, the nights of drinking, drugs, and naivete drag him into ruin.

The first US edition (1931), first UK edition (1933), and second US edition (1948) all contain different texts.

Comte Edmond de Rasbon visits Josef Bironge on 2 June, the birthday of de Rasbon’s illegitimate son, born of a dead lover, who has spent the past eighteen years raised as Bironge’s nephew.

Previous visits had disappointed the Comte; the boy, Armand, is weak, quixotic, and of no calibre to succeed his father as a businessman. When Armand enters, he expresses his love of nature and poetry, then asserts against de Rasbon’s challenges that he intends to learn through travel and imagination. As a rude parting gift, de Rasbon gives Armand a necklace belonging to his mother and calls him womanish. Armand and Bironge return to their country estate.

There, Armand contemplates de Rasbon’s insults. His life in the estate has fostered an extreme naivete in him, and the derision he encounters confuses him. Before he leaves Paris, de Rasbon strikes a deal with his mistress, Marianne Dodon. If she can seduce Armand and redirect his dreamy path, he will buy her any diamond necklace. She courts Armand into having tea with her days later, and their conversation about women concludes when the pair have sex. Dodon falls in love; Armand returns home with a bitter, violent feeling of disgust.

Armand falls in love with his visiting cousin, Lucien de Rasbon. Lucien attempts to guide Armand towards accepting sex and women for an easier life, but Armand rebuffs and stands by his mutual love for Lucien. When Armand tries to visit Lucien at night, he finds the door locked – Lucien is dying of tuberculosis and refuses to let Armand catch it. They spend several months in London, where Bironge’s health begins to fail too, and Armand meets his new tutor, Jean Mareau.

While Jean resists Armand’s loving advances at first, he eventually relents to comfort Armand – particularly in the wake of Lucien and Bironge’s sudden deaths. Lucien’s body returns to Paris while Jean takes Bironge to be interred at the country estate, so Marianne joins the lone Armand in London. Although he warms to her as a friend, her incessant prodding about love eventually angers him, and in a retort she tells him that the Comte is his father. They part and Armand grows closer to Jean. However, in an attack of self-loathing and sexual shame, Jean tells Armand he loves him before leaping out of a window and killing himself. With no one left, Armand resolves to go to New York.

On the ship to Manhattan, a rich woman offers Armand a place to stay in Manhattan. Before long, he realises that her generosity is tied to her attraction for him, and that she sponsors artists to use them as odd showpieces at parties. Armand flees her house and meets a man feeding the ducks in Central Park. Stephen Kent introduces himself as a fellow literary-minded denizen of Greenwich Village. Armand warns Stephen that most people despise him for his queerness, but Stephen nonchalantly accepts him and offers him a place to stay. From then on, Armand lives on 146 Washington Square South with Stephen and meets fellow Greenwich artists.

Marianne sends a letter shortly after. A year has passed since she last saw him in London, and she meets him at dinner to discuss the past. Armand makes it clear that he regards her as a friend – he has Stephen to guide him now, and Don to love. The indulgent and irreverent manners of Don occasionally grate on Armand’s shy politeness, but Don introduces him to the strongest features of queer nightlife. They visit John Wright’s club in the East Forties where Armand meets and observes other queer men, including Pedro Mecardi, a talented pianist.

Stephen watches with dread. Although his encouragement was once enough to encourage Armand into successfully publishing poetry, his influence over Armand wanes. Don and Marianne pull Armand away from Stephen’s love, and Armand chooses alcohol, morphine, and spite over security. During a party, Armand uses Stephen’s old drag clothes and runs into the street with them; he’s swiftly arrested. The other artists pool resources, but Stephen’s phone call to the judge is what frees Armand. Judge Adrian Ware quickly seduces Armand in the aftermath with his maturity and flattery.

Armand buys his own studio and separates himself from Stephen, Don, and the other Greenwich artists. After Marianne threatens that she will die without him twice, Armand allows her to move in with him as a sister – still, she ends up commiserating with Stephen instead over their Armand-related grief. Alone but devoted to Adrian, Armand basks in the judge’s disproportionate affection and languishes under addiction. Marianne intervenes by telling Armand that Comte de Rasbon is in New York, and Stephen warns Armand that Adrian is romantically unfaithful, like many gay men.

Armand confirms Adrian’s betrayal at John Wright’s club – Pedro Mecardi is Adrian’s newest acquisition. From then on, Adrian accepts no contact from Armand, and Armand retreats deeper into morphine. Stephen forces Armand to move back in with him, but despite his best attempts, Armand’s reliance on the drug does not wane. Suddenly, Armand takes up writing again, and just as suddenly vanishes. Comte de Rasbon had sent Armand an invitation to meet.

Armand arrives and asserts his independence from his father. However, the Comte declares that Marianne told him of how Armand had ruined himself, and he will not allow it any longer. All the money that brought Armand to New York was not Bironge’s but de Rasbon’s, and he will institutionalise Armand until he dies. Armand selects a candlestick from the mantle and strikes de Rasbon on the head with it. As de Rasbon bleeds on the floor, Armand flees. Withdrawals and paranoia hurry him through the city and away from help. He buys a room along the Hudson, reflects on murder and his old friends, and takes the last of his pills to sleep. Hours later, Marianne calls Stephen and tells him de Rasbon has been killed.

The next day, Adrian calls and reports that Armand was found dead of a morphine overdose. A letter was found on the body, and Adrian instructs Stephen to tell the investigators that he knows nothing about Armand at all. Before the police come, Stephen enters Armand’s room and collects his poetry together. There’s a knock on the door.

Bolton Steam Museum

We set off from Manchester Victoria by train to Bolton. Just outside the Train and Bus Interchange is the Olympus Fish and Chip Restaurant – an award winning, upmarket family run business offering best quality fish and chip meals – and more. Sadly, today we were not serenaded by the resident pianist, but it was still an enjoyable visit.

We then made our way to Bus 125 for the short journey north west to Chorley Old Road.

Bolton Steam Museum has the largest collection of working textile mill steam engines in the country. It is operated entirely by volunteers. The steam engines drove the cotton mills providing power for the Industrial Revolution.

The volunteers demonstrated some of the engines operating by electric drive, but there are ten “steam” days per year.

Wendy worked her wonders in the small tea room serving us teas and coffees, which rounded off our visit.  

More photos can be seen here.

80 Years Since Auschwitz Liberation

The Auschwitz concentration camp was operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II. Auschwitz is the site of the Nazis’ Final Solution to the Jewish question – the largest mass murder in a single location in history.

Soviet troops entered the camp on 27 January 1945, a day commemorated since 2005 as International Holocaust Memorial Day.

Please watch this short film about the Nazi persecution of gay men, lesbians and trans people. Up to 15,000 men were deported to concentration camps.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1629130389670268928

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Holocaust Memorial Day

The theme for this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day is For a Better Future.

Open Day Marking Holocaust Memorial Day

Manchester Jewish Museum, 190 Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester M8 8LW

Sunday, 26 January – 12.00pm – 4.00pm – FREE entry

Book tickets here.

“The Prosecutor” by Jack Fairweather

The Prosecutor is the new book from the bestselling, costa prize-winning author of The Volunteer.

The true story of a gay Jewish lawyer who returned to Germany after WWII to prosecute war crimes, only to find himself pitted against a nation determined to bury the past.

At the end of the Nuremberg trial in 1946, some of the greatest war criminals in history were sentenced to death, but hundreds of thousands of Nazi murderers and collaborators remained at large. The Allies were ready to overlook their pasts as the Cold War began, and the horrors of the Holocaust were in danger of being forgotten.

In The Prosecutor, Jack Fairweather brings to life the remarkable story of Fritz Bauer, a gay German Jew who survived the Nazis and made it his mission to force his countrymen to confront their complicity in the genocide. In this deeply researched book, Fairweather draws on unpublished family papers, newly declassified German records, and exclusive interviews to immerse readers in the dark, unfamiliar world of postwar West Germany where those who implemented genocide run the country, the CIA is funding Hitler’s former spy-ring in the east, and Nazi-era anti-gay laws are strictly enforced. But once Bauer lands on the trail of Adolf Eichmann, he won’t be intimidated. His journey takes him deep into the rotten heart of West Germany, where his fight for justice will set him against his own government and a network of former Nazis and spies determined to silence him.

In a time when the history of the Holocaust is taken for granted, The Prosecutor reveals the courtroom battles that were fought to establish its legacy and the personal cost of speaking out. The result is a searing portrait of a nation emerging from the ruins of fascism and one man’s courage in forcing his people – and the world – to face the truth.

Same sex marriage

It’s a decade since the first same-sex marriages were performed in England and Wales. What have they meant for LGBT+ people?

Most people of our generation never thought we would get married. As a gay man or woman, we did not even think a wedding was a possibility. Then, in 2014, same-sex couples in England and Wales finally won the right to be legally married.

Ten years on, the Church of England still does not perform same-sex weddings, although it will allow blessings. 

Peter McGraith and David Cabreza were the first same-sex couple to marry in the UK. They got married just after midnight on the first day that same-sex marriage became legal. Peter is not a fan of the institution but says equal marriage was nevertheless an important step towards full equality.

Thai activists prepare for country’s marriage equality law to take effect

Thailand’s marriage equality law is set to take effect on 22 January.

The country will become the first one in Southeast Asia – and the third in the continent after Taiwan and Nepal – to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples.

Thai MPs passed the marriage equality bill on 15 June 2024, by a 210 – 180 vote margin. Four lawmakers abstained.

300 same-sex couples are expected to marry in Bangkok on 23 January, the day marriage equality becomes possible.

A report that YouGov, a global public opinion and data analytics company, published last July found 32 percent of respondents expressed happiness about the marriage equality law, while 18 percent felt proud and 14 percent were hopeful. The report noted that support for marriage equality was greater among women (81 percent) than men (67 percent).

After the law’s passage, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin called it a “significant step” for Thailand. “Equality and equity have become concrete in Thai society,” he said, adding he was hopeful that gender diversity would be fully accepted.

Thavisin also highlighted the government’s commitment to equal rights for LGBTQ couples. He stated the marriage equality bill would give them “the exact same equal rights” as heterosexual couples.

LGBT news from Russia

Russian clubgoers have been fined for dressing “too gay” as part of the country’s ongoing crackdown on LGBT+ people and expression.

After a raid on a nightclub in Tula, about 120 miles south of Moscow seven men were charged with “trying to arouse interest in non-traditional sexual relations”. They included a man who wore “pink socks” and “an unbuttoned kimono.” Other offending wardrobe items included a crop top, black leather shorts, and fishnet stockings. A judge ruled their clothing was “’inconsistent with the image of a man with traditional sexual orientation” and fined the men.

Two of the men were ordered to pay fines of 50,000 rubles (approximately £400), more than the average monthly salary in Tula.

Russia’s crackdown on LGBT+ people has expanded dramatically over the last several years. In 2022 all forms of LGBT+ organisations were criminalised. In 2023, the Russian Supreme Court declared the “international LGBT movement” to be an “extremist” organisation, which was backed up the following year with a decision labelling the “movement” to be “terrorist”.

At least 131 cases of “LGBT propaganda” charges were brought to Russian courts in 2024, with fines ranging up to 200,000 rubles (approximately £1,600).

Free books

Free books on nearly any subject you can think of are all over the internet, ready to be downloaded, read, and shared. I’m new to this, so I did a bit of research. Here are some sites with free books covering a wide variety of subjects:

Google Books – https://books.google.co.uk/

I found “The Making of Americans” by Gertrude Stein. I already have the hardback book which is 974 pages, but the ebook is 1731 pages!

OpenCulture – https://www.openculture.com/freeaudiobooks

On this site I found James Baldwin’s “Fifty Famous Stories Retold” as a free mp3 to stream or download.

Project Gutenberg – https://www.gutenberg.org/

Under the Top 100 EBooks I found “Cranford” by Elizabeth Gaskell, and other books by E M Forster and Oscar Wilde.

There are other sites to try:

Internet Archive, Subbook, ManyBooks, BookBub, OpenLibrary, Free-ebooks, Bookboon, PDFBooks World, Obooko, O’Reilly and E-BookLobby.

Elizabeth Gaskell House

Elizabeth Gaskell’s House in Manchester is the former home of the famous author and her family.

Her novels include Mary Barton, Cranford, North and South and Wives and Daughters and are enjoyed on television, stage and radio.

Her husband, William Gaskell, was an Unitarian minister at Cross Street Chapel, charity worker and pioneer in the education of the working class. He was himself a writer and poet, and acted as the longest-serving Chair of the Portico Library from 1849 to his death in 1884.

Their beautifully restored family home has spectacular period rooms for visitors to enjoy. The House, combined with the story of Elizabeth Gaskell as a writer, public figure and private person, provides a unique and engaging experience.

We browsed the books in William Gaskell’s study and sat where Elizabeth sat to write, overlooking her beloved garden. The majority of the furniture and objects can be touched and used, providing a very rare hands-on experience.

We stood on the same doorstep as many of Elizabeth’s famous friends, such as Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte.

After a fascinating visit we went down into the Servants’ Hall where the Tea Room and shop are located. We enjoyed freshly brewed tea and coffee and delicious cake served in style on vintage china.

More photos can be seen here.

• Important notice: our tickets are valid for 12 months until 14 January 2026. If anyone wishes to visit again within the next year, there will be no charge, providing you make it clear when booking that this is a revisit and take the original ticket (which I will retain).

No one should be left lonely this winter

(reprinted from Diva Magazine)

Ella Gauci learns more about how isolation can affect queer older people at this time of the year.

Nestled in the cosy interior of The Eel Pie pub in Twickenham, something rather remarkable is happening in front of my eyes. With tea and cake dotted around, a group of older LGBTQIA people have gathered here today for a very special celebration: the anniversary of the Rainbow Café, their monthly meet-up group.

Carol Horne, wellbeing services manager at Age UK Richmond, asks if anyone has any words of reflection. Vito, one of the founding members, rouses the group with a powerful speech about the power of connecting on shared history and culture. As applause erupts around her, I try to control the tears welling up in my eyes.

The Rainbow Café is more than just a monthly get-together. It is all part of Age UK Richmond’s scheme to spearhead the fight for introducing better initiatives targeting older LGBTQIA people across the country. Especially in winter, the Rainbow Café offers everything, from a friendly face to a warm place to stay for a few hours.

Last year Age UK found that 1.4 million people over the age of 65 would be eating their Christmas dinner alone.  While typically associated with jolly family memories, tinsel and trays of stuffing, Christmas – and winter on the whole – is often the hardest time of year for LGBTQIA older people.

John, another founding member of the Rainbow Café, has felt this loneliness acutely. Despite the smile on his face, he admits that winter can be hard for people without family or children. “The people from this generation have face a lot of stigma,” Aydee Burke, communications and community fundraising manager at Age UK Richmond, tells me. “Now, they’re at the age where it feels more normal (to be LGBTQIA), but it’s still a massive step for them to (come to us) because of what they lived through. It used to be a crime to be LGBTQIA. Things are changing now, and we have to lead the way on that.”

For many older LGBTQIA people this Christmas, the holiday itself may feel like an exclusive club they don’t have access to. Kate, a volunteer at LGBT Foundation’s Pride In Ageing programme, started working with their team in Manchester to offer her advice to others about how to live as a single older LGBTQIA person.

“There’s great sadness when Christmas comes along,” Kate explains. “It’s like we can’t be ourselves anymore. Once you’re out, it’s very hard to go back into the closet. It brings home to you how painful it is to be rejected by family. One of the ironies is that Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of somebody who was all-inclusive. Commercial Christmas is geared towards heterosexual families. If you don’t have close friends, it brings it home to you just how lonely it can be.”

The Pride In Ageing programme offers support, events and advice for older LGBTQIA people. Helping to connect and amplify their voices is a vital part of this work.

“A lot of older LGBTQIA people are not out where they’re living”, Lawrie Roberts, LGBT Foundation’s Pride In Ageing manager, tells me. “That can be extremely isolating. Some people may have experienced discrimination where they live, especially those in care homes. It can be a really challenging time for people.”

And it’s not just isolation that LGBTQIA older people have to contend with. Heating, transport and a lack of LGBTQIA-focused events during winter can leave people feeling trapped inside their homes. “It’s like the gay world closes down for the winter”, Kate laments. “Everything just slows down and stops.”

But LGBT Foundation is determined to change that. They recently hosted a talent show, teaming up their Pride In Ageing scheme with a local youth group. Out of the performers on the day, the youngest was14, and the oldest was 84.

Their helpline is also open every day of the year, including Christmas, offering a lifeline for people who may not have anyone to talk to this year. Across the country, older LGBTQIA people are coming together to combat loneliness. But they shouldn’t have to do it alone. In the same ways that they fought for the rights we now enjoy, it is our duty to fight for their right to connection, warmth, joy and – in the case of the Rainbow Café – a lot of cake.

1853 Restaurant

1853 will reopen from Wednesday 22 January 2025 for lunch service, with bookings available going forwards every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during term time from 12.00pm to 12.45pm.

The lunchtime menu comprises of small plates, of classic and contemporary dishes, delicious desserts and modern starters. The menu changes on a regular basis.

To make a lunch reservation, please email 1853@tmc.ac.uk

1853 Restaurant – Evening Events for 2025

Guest Chef Event – Dnata Catering (First Class Airline Catering)

Wednesday 22 January – Arrive for 6.00pm to dine for 6.15pm – £30.00 per head

Afternoon Tea with 1853

Wednesday 29 January – Arrive for 4.45pm to dine for 5.00pm – £14.00 per head

1853 theme event – Indian Cuisine Night

Wednesday 5 March – Arrive for 6.00pm to dine for 6.15pm – £18.53 per head

1853 theme event – Easter Themed Night

Wednesday 19 March – Arrive for 6.00pm to dine for 6.15pm – £18.53 per head

Afternoon Tea with 1853

Wednesday 26 March – Arrive for 4.45pm to dine for 5.00pm – £14.00 per head

Guest Chef Event – Dave Ashton and Zoe Wesson – Hilton Manchester

Wednesday 14 May – Arrive for 6.00pm to dine for 6.15pm – £30.00 per head

Afternoon Tea with 1853

Wednesday 21 May – Arrive for 4.45pm to dine for 5.00pm – £14.00 per head

1853 theme event – French Cuisine

Wednesday 4 June – Arrive for 6.00pm to dine for 6.15pm – £18.53 per head

1853 theme event – Mexican Night

Wednesday 11 June – Arrive for 6.00pm to dine for 6.15pm – £18.53 per head

To book your table email 1853@tmc.ac.uk

Free Special Showcase Concert at The Bridgewater Hall

Young musicians and singers from the Greater Manchester and Blackburn with Darwen Music Hub present a special concert performance of Neil Brand’s evocative ‘Wind In The Willows’, and Malcolm Arnold’s ‘Peterloo Overture’ (Choral Version), featuring new words written by Sir Tim Rice.

Over 150 young musicians will be joined by actor David Threlfall as Badger, Musical Director Stephen Threlfall, and actors from Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts.

Date: Sunday, 16 February 2025

Doors open: 2.00pm

Performance: 3.00pm – 5.00pm

Venue: The Bridgewater Hall, Lower Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3WS

To book your free tickets to this event, please contact us here