March

There is so much to enjoy in March with first daffodils, wormer sunshine and the general feeling that summer is finally coming back to our parks and gardens. Enjoy Mother’s day, whether it is tea and cakes in Tatton’s Mansion or Mothering Sunday lunch in Lyme Park. Have fun with science during Science and Engineering week. Celebrate the Red Nose Day and be generous!

1 March 11am-5pm

History of toy-making – Artist in Residence.
Come and find out more about the history of toy-making with our exhibition focusing on the work of local toy-maker, Deborah Darling, and unseen objects from the museum stores. Throughout the year we will explore everything from wooden dolls and shadow puppets to soft toys and porcelain dolls. On certain dates Deborah will also be working in the gallery, answering all your questions.
Sudbury Hall and the National Trust Museum of Childhood
Sudbury, DE6 5HT
Tel: 01283 585305

1-5, 8-10 March 11pm – 5pm

Lyme, the End of a Golden Era.
Get closer to the Edwardian story. Explore the lives of the family and the workers.
Price: Adult £11 (House and garden admission), Child £7 (House and garden admission), Family £25 (House and garden admission)
Lyme Park
Disley, Stockport, Cheshire
Tel: 01663 762023

2, 9 and 16 March 11am – 12.30pm, 3pm – 4.30pm

Learning Studio- Wartime Women
As part of our programme of events marking International Women’s Day find out more about the roles of women on the Second World War home front (2 and 16 March) and on the front line (9 March). Create your own wartime women inspired souvenir to take home and keep.
Ideal for all ages.
Imperial War Museum North
Manchester
Tel: 0161 836 4000

2, 16, 30 March 11am-12.30pm 13 April 11am-12.30pm

Saturday Playhouse
Saturday Playhouse offers a range of exciting art activities for young artists and their families. From drawing to print making to model making – there is a different activity each time.
Suitable for ages 5 – 11.
Price: £3.50 (£1.75 Salford residents)
The Lowry,
Salford Quays, Manchester
Tel: 0843 2086000

2, 16 March 2.30pm

The Adventures of Able Seaman Wally Tobin
Find out what a parrot, a coconut and a motorbike have in common. This event includes a special storytelling session revealing the adventures of Able Seaman Wally Tobin and looks at how people from different cultures and countries work together in times of hardship and war.
Ideal for all ages.
Imperial War Museum North
Manchester
Tel: 0161 836 4000

2, 16 March 1.30pm 3, 10, 17 and 24 March 11.30am

What Nancy Did Next
Army in the Second World War. Learn about her wartime experiences away from home and making new friends… especially with a quiet and timid horse called Rufus. In this interactive Family Friendly session, visitors can choose what happens and so each story-telling session will be different. The session uses puppets and multi-sensory resources including sounds and smells.
Ideal for all ages.
Imperial War Museum North
Manchester
Tel: 0161 836 4000

3, 9 March 11.15am, 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm

What A Performance: International Women’s Day
As part of our programme of events marking International Women’s Day, see one of our specially commissioned family friendly performances dramatising stories of wartime adventure. These sessions include the story of a First World War nurse and a female protestor from Greenham Common.
Ideal for ages 5+
Imperial War Museum North
Manchester
Tel: 0161 836 4000

9 March 12:00 – 12:40, 13:30 – 14:10

RNCM in the City
These two short performances, given by the Ricochet Percussion Quartet, offer a variety of sounds and genres – all with an industrial feel. This event is part of RNCM in the City, a series of 40 free performances taking place in 40 different venues across Manchester and Salford marking the Royal Northern College of Music’s 40th anniversary.
Info: www.rncm.ac.uk
Museum of Science & Industry
Manchester
Tel: 0161 832 2244

9-10 March 12am

Mothering Sunday Afternoon Tea.
Treat Mum this year to tea and cakes in Tatton’s Mansion and a visit to the estate’s beautiful 50 acre garden. A table will be reserved for you in Lord Egerton’s Apartment, with stunning views over the Italian terrace and parkland, where you’ll enjoy a selection of sandwiches, freshly baked scones and cakes with tea and coffee. You’ll be welcome to stroll around the award winning gardens during your visit.
Price:£20 pp.
Tatton Park
Knutsford, Cheshire
Tel:01625 374400

9, 23 March 1.30pm

Oskar’s Journey
Meet our charming cat puppet character Oskar and discover his tale of adventure on a journey across a divided city as he seeks out a friend on the other side of the Berlin Wall. This session uses puppets, multi-sensory resources including sounds and smells, and object handling including the chance to see a real piece of the Berlin Wall.
Ideal for all ages
Imperial War Museum North
Manchester
Tel: 0161 836 4000

9, 23 March 2.30pm

Billy’s War
The captivating story of Billy (a charming rag doll character), a young boy from Salford who was evacuated to the countryside during the Second World War. Led by a member of our friendly staff, families will follow the story and learn about life on the home front during the Second World War.
Ideal for all ages
Imperial War Museum North
Manchester
Tel: 0161 836 4000

10 March 12pm – 2:30 pm

A taste of Lyme: mothering Sunday Lunches.
Treat mum to a two course lunch from a special menu of seasonal produce. No booking required.
Price:Adults £12.95, children £6.50.
Lyme Park
Disley, Stockport, Cheshire
Tel: 01663 762023

9-10 March 11am – 3:30 pm

Monster Madness!
A monster has broken in to the gardens and is hidding from the monster hunter! Can you follow the clues and track his footprints through the garden to find where he is?
Biddulph Grange Garden
Grange Road, Biddulph
Tel: 01782 517999

9 March 10:30 – 15:30

Saturday Science
Prosthetics: From Ancient Civilisations to Modern Day Heroes Touch Victorian wooden legs and hold prosthetic hips pioneered near Manchester in this handling session of objects from the Manchester University Medical Museum, which is not normally open to the public. You will be able to delve into the early technology used by the Ancient Egyptians right through to the present-day procedures behind the fantastic feats of physical prowess that we all witnessed during last summer’s Paralympics games.
Museum of Science & Industry
Manchester
Tel: 0161 832 2244

15 March 10am – 10.45am & 11am – 11.45am 12 April 10am – 10.45am & 11am – 11.45am

Under 5s Doodle Tots
Enjoy painting, sticking and making your own works of art in this colourful workshop. No skills or expertise needed in this relaxed and friendly atmosphere where you can spend time with your tot exploring a range of materials and having fun getting messy. Don’t worry, aprons are provided.
Suitable for ages 2½ – 4½ Price: £3.50 (£1.75 Salford residents)
The Lowry,
Salford Quays, Manchester
Tel: 0843 2086000

16th March 10.30 am – 12 noon

Nearly New Sale
Feeding room to satisfy hungry babies and home-made cakes to indulge adults and older children are available.
Run by NCT
Sale Grammar school, Marsland Rd, Sale

16 March 10.30am

Whooossshh!
Manchester based author Vanessa Lees will be holding a Whooossshh story time/alien mask drawing workshop and book signing at Hale Bookshop on Saturday.
Book early to avoid disappointment on 0161 928 1494, www.halebookshop.co.uk

16-17 March 11am – 3:30 pm

Mathmagical!
See what fun can be made through maths! Count and find plants and features in the garden to follow the trail and break the mathmatical code!
Biddulph Grange
Garden Grange Road, Biddulph
Tel: 01782 517999

19 March 10:30 am – 11:30 am

Lyme Walking to Health – Reservoir Walk.
3.6 mile walk. Taking in Bollinghurst Reservoir, the Red Deer Sanctuary and Hawthorn Drive. Keep active and improve your health by joining an experienced Lyme Park volunteer on a guided walk. These easy to moderate walks take in beautiful scenery and explore places in the park that you may not have visited before.
Lyme Park
Disley, Stockport, Cheshire
Tel: 01663 762023

22 March 10am – 10.45am & 11am – 11.45am 5, 19 April 10am – 10.45am & 11am – 11.45am

Under 5s First Steps
Join us for this fun session where your little one can explore their creativity and get active! In this season we will wriggle, jiggle and jump as we explore stories, rhythm and music through our bodies. Everyone welcome, come and have a go.
Suitable for ages 2½ – 4½
Price: £3.50 (£1.75 Salford residents)
The Lowry,
Salford Quays, Manchester
Tel: 0843 2086000

23 March 10:30 – 15:30

Saturday Science
From Steam to Electricity Have you ever wondered how electricity is made or how a wind turbine works? Have you ever asked ‘Is this electrical device safe?’ or wished that you could try on one of those big orange high-vis jackets? To celebrate National Science and Engineering Week come and spend some time with the Engineers of Fiddler’s Ferry Power Station and make a wind turbine model, try on some personal protective equipment and see how the power station works.
Museum of Science & Industry
Manchester
Tel: 0161 832 2244

23 March 11am – 12.30pm, 3pm – 4.30pm

Open Studio: Battling Bugs – Slugs and Snails
Call a truce, whatever your differences, and hear a slimy story of slug, snails and truce time tales. Find out what united the slugs and snails in this funny and inspiring tale of truce and make your own unique artwork inspired by the story.
Imperial War Museum North
Manchester
Tel: 0161 836 4000

24 -29 March 2.30pm

Holiday HotSpots – Rats, Cats and Bees
Find out about the wartime role of rats, cats and bees and make your own souvenir to take home and keep in these special Holiday HotSpot sessions.
Imperial War Museum North
Manchester
Tel: 0161 836 4000

29 March –1 April 12pm – 4pm

Easter Weekend Eggstravaganza.
Hunt the clues to earn your egg with the special Cadburys trail over Easter weekend ples games and activities on the Mill Meadow.
Price: £1 per trail.
Quarry Bank Mill and Styal Estate
Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire
Tel: 01625 445896 or 01625 445845

29,30,31 March 11am – 5pm 1 April 11am – 5pm

Easter Eggstravaganza.
Fabulous family trails, with a special Easter prize. Outdoor games, face painting and fun. House and Garden admission applies. NT members free admission, each trail adittional £1.
Price: Adult £11 (House and garden admission), Child £7 (House and garden admission), Family £25 (House and garden admission
Lyme Park
Disley, Stockport, Cheshire
Tel: 01663 762023

29 March-7 April 12 noon – 12,20pm

Engineer Eric’s Difficult Day
Come along and help our forgetful fireman to start Pender, the Isle of Man locomotive. This comical piece of theatre is set in the atmospheric Power Hall, complete with sights, sounds and smells of working steam engines. It encourages young children to get involved and learn about how a steam locomotive works.
Most suitable for ages 4+ but all ages welcome.
Museum of Science & Industry
Manchester
Tel: 0161 832 2244

29,30,31 March 11am – 4pm 1 April 11am – 4pm

Easter Eggstravaganza.
Cadbury fun days for all the family. Follow the Easter trail in the garden and receive a Cadbury’s chocolate egg as a reward.
Dunham Massey Hall
Altrincham, Cheshire
Tel: 0161 941 1025

29 March-7 April 10:30am – 10:50am

Storytelling
Come and join our Presenters for a fantastic storytelling and play session for under 5s and their carers.
Museum of Science & Industry
Manchester
Tel: 0161 832 2244

29 March 11am – 3pm 1 April 11am – 3pm

Family Easter trails
Follow the Easter trail around the hall and garden and take home a chocolate prize.
Price:£1 per trail
Little Moreton Hall
Congleton
Tel: 01260 272018

30 March-1 April 10.30am – 5pm

The Easter Crafts and Shopping Fair
Packed with home décor and furnishing ideas, arts and crafts and gifts for the family.
Tatton Park
Knutsford, Cheshire
Tel:01625 374400

Animation Workshop 30, 31 March 11am – 3.30pm

Animation Workshop
Ever wanted to be the creator of the next Hollywood animation blockbuster or Wallace and Gromit style television success? Sign up for this free, two day workshop to discover stories of creepy crawly goings-on on the front line and bring the facts to life in your own animated tale. Get expert guidance and use animation techniques to bring your creation to life as an amazing short film.
Ideal for ages 10-14.
Imperial War Museum North
Manchester
Tel: 0161 836 4000

30 March 10am – 1pm

Willow Weaving: 3D Insect Workshop
Join Sarah Gallagher Hayes, willow sculptor and artist and receive expert tuition to create your own beautiful willow sculptures.
Suitable for adults and children.
Price:£35
Book via Sarah on 07889 507348 or email twigtwisters@aol.com
Tatton Park
Knutsford, Cheshire
Tel:01625 374400

30, 31 March 1.30pm

Animals and War (Ideal for all ages)
Puppets and pictures bring to live heroic and heart-warming tales of wartime animal bravery such as the stories of Bonfire the horse owned by poet John McCrae and Simpson and his donkeys.
Ideal for all ages.
Imperial War Museum North
Manchester
Tel: 0161 836 4000

30 March-1 April 10.30am – 5pm

A Beatrix Potter Easter
This bank holiday weekend Tatton plays host to an enchanting Beatrix Potter event with activities taking place across the Park. In the mansion see a charming selection of Beatrix Potter’s finest watercolours and find out what Mrs. Tiggy-winkle gets up to in this big house! There’ll be story telling in the library and down at the farm where there’ll be bundles of family fun. Beatrix Potter was also a farmer and over Easter you can meet our own lovely spring lambs. In the gardens Peter Rabbit is as mischievous as usual and Mr. McGregor as cross! … and there’s even more magic in the Stableyard where Poz the magician will entertain with magic shows and Mr Bimbamboozle will dazzle you with Punch and Judy fun.
Tatton Park
Knutsford, Cheshire
Tel:01625 374400

30 ,31 March 11am – 12.30pm, 3pm – 4.30pm

Open Studio: Battling Bugs – Hot on Hygiene
Thanks to the 1940s Ministry of Information health campaign, we all know ‘coughs and sneezes spread diseases’ and that basic hygiene plays an important part in keeping healthy at home and on the front line. Join us in this special creative session where you can decorate your own wash bag to take home and keep clean.
Imperial War Museum North
Manchester
Tel: 0161 836 4000