A couple who went on their first date in a Bury town centre pub more than 30 years ago will have a piece of the venue’s history forever after being gifted it’s sign by The Rock shopping centre.
Debbie and Sean Newell, of Bolton, went on their first date at The Flying Shuttle pub on January 24th 1986.
Earlier this year Debbie, 48, contacted The Rock to ask if the couple could have the sign, to mark the start of their romance all those years ago.
She said: “Every time I go past with the children I tell them that’s where I met their dad – and every time they say ‘yes we know!’ I took a photo of it and I just thought, I would really love to have that sign and give it to Sean as a surprise.
“It’s a piece of history and I’m so happy we’ve got it. We don’t know exactly where we will put it yet, but it is going up on the wall in the house. The children think it’s really romantic. We’re so excited to take it home.”
The couple who married in 2002 have three children, Luke, 23, Emily, 19 and Eve, 14.
Sean, 50, added: “We met while working at John Kay Builders’ Merchants. Debbie was an office junior and I was an apprentice. Bury was always a good place to go out, Debbie lived in Tottington and I lived in Radcliffe so it was a great place to meet. We went to The Flying Shuttle many times over the years.”
Recalling the first date, Debbie said: “I remember Sean being 10 minutes late and thinking I’d give him another five minutes before leaving. When he arrived I just remember knowing right away he was the one – and as they say, the rest is history.”
The pub, which was hugely popular in its heyday has been closed for five years and is now owned by The Rock shopping centre. It will eventually be demolished to make way for further development.
Arnold Wilcox-Wood, Centre Director at The Rock, said: “When we received the enquiry from Debbie we were only too happy to help. We’re sure The Flying Shuttle was home to many first dates over the years and it’s wonderful to meet a couple who still treasure that first visit to the pub. We’re thrilled to be able to give them a small piece of history for them to forever remember that first date.”
** OUR EGGSPERIMENTAL EASTER WORKSHOPS ARE NOW FULLY BOOKED **
However, there’s still free activity on the day which you don’t need to book for – Join the Tower FM team and don’t miss your chance to win an incredible science party for up to 20 children each day- plus there’ll be entertainers, chocolate giveaways and so much more!
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Get ‘Eggsperimental’ with free family fun at The Rock this Easter
Is there a budding young scientist in your house or a lover of all things space?
Then there’s the perfect free event just for them at The Rock over the Easter weekend.
The shopping centre is hosting two days of free and fun Eggs-perimental activities on Friday 30th March and Saturday 31st March.
Over the two days there’ll be a series of ‘Eggs-traterrestrial (Space) and Eggs-plosive (Chemistry) workshops hosted by Mad Science.
The workshops are suitable for children aged between 5 and 11 years old and will be held in a covered marquee at the shopping centre.
Activities will include egg themed experiments with children learning about gravity and having their own egg with different materials to protect it when falling from different heights and egg themed experiments with children learning about mass and elements – there’s even an experiment where a whole egg is sucked in through the small hole of a bottle intact.
There’ll also be chocolate giveaways and the chance for visitors to enter a competition to win a children’s party hosted by Mad Science.
The centre will be joined by space and science themed characters and on Saturday 31st March The Band and Corps of Drums of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers (Lancashire) will be playing.
Pre-registration for the workshops is required and can be online here.
Arnold Wilcox-Wood, Centre Director at The Rock, said: “We know finding ways to keep the children entertained can be tricky, that’s why we’re hosting these free workshops. They promise to be both fun and educational. We’re expecting it to be busy so please register for your place online.
“Once you’re here there’s plenty on offer for a full day out – we have a number of family-friendly restaurants and are home to a cinema and bowling alley. Plus there’s Easter chocolate for our visitors too. We look forward to welcoming you over the Easter weekend.”
The Rock made sure that mums were the centre of attention at its special Mother’s Day event.
The shopping centre teamed up with Tower FM for a day of free family fun at the centre on Saturday – including voucher giveaways, a sunflower planting station and a free pamper zone.
Radio competition winners were invited to take part in the centre’s take on Higher or Lower in its ‘Pots of Love’ game where shoppers guessed if the plant in the next pot was higher or lower than the previous one.
Georgia Farrance from Bolton, Chloe Evans from Bury, Coral Goulding from Bolton, Kirsty Lawlor from Bolton and Craig Tanter from Stetford had all nominated their mums in the radio competition and were invited to collect their £50 voucher to spend at The Rock.
They could then take their chances to gamble the money in the Pots of Love game to win upto £250.
Georgia Farrance walked away with £150 vouchers and Chloe Evans with £100 in total. The rest of the winners left with their £50 stake.
The game was then opened up to the general public where more than £300 of vouchers were given away to lucky winners.
Meanwhile there was a hugely popular free sunflower planting station where children could plant a sunflower and write a special message on the pot before taking it home for mum for Mothering Sunday.
And running at the same time was a free pamper zone for mums – including a nail station and beauty station with free treatments being offered throughout the day.
The centre was also joined by The Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour Charity who offered free Mother’s Day card making and crafts, raising £73 through donations.
And Bury College were on hand giving away flowers to visitors to the centre.
Arnold Wilcox-Wood, Centre Director at The Rock, said: “We really wanted to make sure that mums felt special when visiting The Rock this weekend and we’re thrilled so many people were able to make the most of our free activities – the pamper zone and sunflower station were very popular – and it was great to see so many winners walking away with vouchers for our stores.”
The Rock is pulling out all the stops to make sure mums are the centre of attention this Mother’s Day.
We have teamed up with Tower FM for a day of free family fun at the centre on Saturday 10th March 2018 – including voucher giveaways, a sunflower planting station and a free pamper zone.
Listeners to the radio station who register online at www.towerfm.co.uk have a chance of winning £50 in vouchers to spend at The Rock if they’re called back and answer the phone with ‘Mum’s the word’.
They’ll then be invited to the centre to collect their voucher, where they can take a chance on The Rock’s Pots of Love game – a higher or lower game, where shoppers guess if the next plant is higher or lower than the previous one – where they’ll have a chance of walking away with up to £250 to spend at The Rock.
The Pots of Love game will also be open to shoppers visiting on the day with a range of spot prizes and vouchers up for grabs.
Meanwhile from 11am-3pm there’ll be a free sunflower planting station where children can plant a sunflower and write a special message on the pot before taking it home for mum for Mothering Sunday.
Running at the same time is a free pamper zone for mums – there’ll be a nail station and beauty station with free treatments being offered throughout the day, on a first come, first served basis.
Arnold Wilcox-Wood, Centre Director at The Rock, said: “This Mother’s Day weekend we really want to make mums feel special so we hope they’ll visit to enjoy our pamper station and that the children enjoy planting a sunflower to take home. This free activity is open to all our shoppers and is our way of helping them celebrate the important women in their lives.
“Plus, The Rock is the perfect shopping destination to buy your mum that something special or take her out for a meal in one of our many restaurants.”
A lucky couple got more than they bargained for when they went shopping at The Rock – by walking away with a trip to Paris.
Peter and Jenny Seal, from Edenfield, bagged the romantic trip to the city of love after taking part in the shopping and leisure destination’s ‘Love is in the Air’ competition.
Throughout the day on Saturday (10th February), shoppers were invited to the ‘Love Booth’ in pairs, where one person answered a series of questions and how many they answered correctly determined how long the second person spent in the booth where the aim was to grab the golden ticket.
Anyone who grabbed a golden ticket was entered into the draw and invited back to the draw being made at the end of the event.
The couple, who have two children, were chosen at random and were met by applause by the other finalists when the draw was made. Peter said: “I’m delighted!” And Jenny added: “I’ve never been to Paris, I’ve always wanted to go. I can’t believe we won.”
A host of other prizes were given away throughout the day and shoppers were also treated to bags of chocolate hearts handed out by The Rock’s stilt walking King and Queen of Hearts.
Arnold Wilcox-Wood, Centre Director at The Rock, said: “Love was certainly in the air at The Rock this weekend – it was wonderful to see so many visitors having fun in the competition and enjoying the treats being handed out by our stilt walkers. There’s still a couple of days to go until Valentine’s Day so if you’re after last minute gifts, outfits or the perfect place for a date, we’ve got you covered.”
Shoppers visiting The Rock are in with a chance of winning a trip to the city of love this Valentine’s Day.
We are running a ‘Love is in the Air’ competition in conjunction with Tower FM on Saturday 10th February, where the top prize is a trip to Paris for two.
Visitors to the centre are encouraged to head to the ‘Love Booth’ in pairs, where one person will answer a series of questions and how many they answer correctly will determine how long the second person spends in the booth.
Once inside coloured tickets will swirl around and shoppers need to try and grab the elusive golden heart ticket – if they do they’ll be entered into a random prize draw to win the prize. There’ll also be other prizes for shoppers who grab other coloured hearts.
The competition runs from 11am-3pm and the winner will be announced on the same day so visitors are encouraged to stick around.
Valentine’s-themed stilt walkers handing out chocolates to shoppers will also be at the centre throughout the day.
Arnold Wilcox-Wood, Centre Director at The Rock, said: “Love is certainly in the air here at The Rock and we’re delighted to be able to give away such a fabulous prize to the city of love and romance. The competition is free to enter so grab your other half, your best friend or a relative and come and have a go.
“And while you’re here there’s plenty of places to pick up a gift for your loved one, find the perfect outfit or head to one of our restaurants for a date.”
Two school pals who clubbed together to open their first restaurant just over two years ago are now opening their second venture here at The Rock.
Ata Mubeen and Luke Rafferty are making the final touches as they prepare to open West Ivy, which they say will offer a dining experience found in places such as Manchester and London but without the city centre price tag.
The duo already own and operate Smoke Yard in Oldham and have enjoyed great success since opening in 2015.
The pair has extended and transformed their unit at The Rock, adding a new bar, toilets, seating and outside lighting. They will officially open on Thursday 25th January.
Ata said: “We believe dining has evolved massively over recent years and it has become such a big part of peoples’ social lives. At West Ivy we believe dining is not just about good food and drink but about the whole experience. That’s why everything we offer is special, from the décor – which incorporates a botanical theme with touches of Italian marble and dim filament lighting – to the music which incorporates Motown, R&B, Blues, Hip-Hop, Soul and Pop. This all creates a great atmosphere, whether you’re popping in for a quick drink or making an evening of it with a booking. And of course the food and drink has plenty of twists from your usual restaurant.”
The restaurant’s menu includes grilled food, smoked food, world dishes and afternoon tea and choices include hanging barbequed skewers, steaks, burgers, halloumi fries, Brazilian curries, exotic salads and more.
The drinks menu features everything from craft lagers, ales and cocktails to artisan coffee, freak shakes and a candy floss prosecco.
Explaining why they’re opening at The Rock, Luke added: “We really loved the look and feel of The Rock especially with its growing restaurant scene. We often come shopping here and could see how busy and alive it is as well as offering high quality retailers that are only usually found in city centres.
“The people of Bury have such a strong and welcoming community which made us want to bring something truly unique to its dining scene.”
West Ivy will be located in The Rock’s leisure quarter close to Frankie and Benny’s and Pizza Express.
Arnold Wilcox-Wood, Centre Director at The Rock, said: “We’re really excited to welcome West Ivy to the The Rock and we’re sure the restaurant will be a big hit with our visitors. This is a great addition to our tenant line-up and complements our leisure offering very well. The pair has had great success in Oldham and we wish them every success here in Bury.”
A lucky shopper is celebrating after winning £1,000 in vouchers following a magical Christmas competition at The Rock.
The shopping and leisure destination marked the launch of its famous land train ‘The Rock Express’ with a morning of festive fun before giving away the prize to Daniel Flynn from Bury.
Following an on air competition with Tower FM – where listeners could win a seat on the first ride of the train on Saturday 2nd December – 15 shoppers were invited to the centre where they took part in a host of games, including Christmas Bingo, The Price is Right and Pass the Parcel, before picking their seat on the train.
Once on board they were told to look under their seat and grab the envelope stuck beneath it – each contained a voucher prize, and the biggest one was for £1,000 of vouchers to spend at The Rock.
The top prize was scooped by 31-year-old Daniel, whose partner Nicole Wood and three children Lilly-Mae, five, Jacob, two, and 11-month-old Cody were watching in the crowd.
There were tears as Daniel opened the prize and cheers from the rest of the finalists – who each won a voucher to spend at The Rock.
Daniel said: “I’m speechless, I can’t believe we’ve won.”
Nicole added: “You’ve made our Christmas – we’re so happy.”
The family were presented with vouchers for stores of their choice and enjoyed a spending spree at The Entertainer, Debenhams, Primark, JD and River Island.
The Rock Express is a free transport service which runs between the Peel Monument (by the Parish Church) and St John’s Square (opposite Costa at The Rock), every day from 10am – 4pm.*
Although this service is free donations are accepted for The Joshua Wilson Brain Tumour Charity.
Arnold Wilcox-Wood, Centre Director at The Rock, said: “The Rock Express is a hugely popular attraction every Christmas and we wanted to mark its arrival in a special way – we’re thrilled to have been able to give away £1,000 in vouchers to Daniel and his family and we hope this will make their Christmas magical!”
The countdown for Christmas in Bury has officially started after thousands of people attended the Christmas Lights Switch On at The Rock.
Our big switch on event in conjunction with Tower FM on Thursday 9th November, featuring a star line up including children’s favourite Mr Bloom from CBeebies and pop sensation 5 After Midnight.
Singers and dancers from The Carol Godby Theatre Workshop and Bolton-singer Emilia also featured in the show, while Santa and his stilt-walking elves mingled with the crowds.
It was an extra special night for Carol Howarth from Bury who won a family trip to Lapland in the centre’s ‘Be Santa, See Santa’ competition. Throughout the evening visitors could have their photo taken wearing a Santa hat and beard at Tower FM’s Santa stations on The Rock.
Just before the lights were turned on Carol found out she had scooped the main prize and was invited on stage to claim it.
Prior to the show starting 10 lucky competition winners were given the star treatment at Debenhams restaurant for a special pre-show party with Mr Bloom and after the show 5 After Midnight met some of their biggest fans.
The event marked the beginning of the Christmas season for The Rock. The centre’s Santa’s Grotto will officially open on Saturday 25th November following the Santa’s Arrival parade in the morning and The Rock Express will return in December to transport festive shoppers around the town until the end of the month.
The Rock’s centre director, Arnold Wilcox-Wood, said: “Our Christmas Lights Switch On has become a firm fixture in the centre’s event calendar and gets bigger and better every year – and this year was no exception. The line-up was a huge hit with the crowd and we gave a way some wonderful prizes throughout the night which were donated by our retailers. The Christmas spirit was certainly alive and well and we were thrilled to see so many families enjoying themselves.”
Our competition to win a dream family holiday to Mexico worth £3,500 has now concluded and we were thrilled to inform Amanda Galvin and family from Walshaw, Bury, that she had bagged the prize for her and her family.
Amanda was picked at random from the hundreds of entries and will enjoy the dream trip with husband Howard, Annie, 10 and Izzy 7, to the dream trip.
The Feeling Hot Hot Hot at The Rock Rock Rock campaign has been running for the past four weeks in conjunction with Key 103 and Thomas Cook. As well as the holiday giveaway we’ve also held smaller competitions each Saturday.
The fun concluded last Saturday (August 19th) when shoppers could have a go on our spin the wheel game to try and win an instant prize. Unfortunately our plans to use the beach for the competition were scuppered by the British weather – but there were still plenty of smiling faces when the prizes were won from the spin the wheel.
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