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Plans for a huge new water park resort with swim-up bar just over an hour from Manchester
This looks very proper good
There’s plans for a huge new water park resort, complete with hotel, zip-line and pool with a swim-up bar, just over an hour’s drive from Manchester.
Plans for the new water park resort could be submitted to Derbyshire County Council as soon as April for the new development.
Public consultation on the proposals is now underway with construction estimates coming in at around five years by developers Hillcrest (Crich) Limited.
The resort called ‘Amber Rock Resort’ would take over the derelict 44-acre Crich Quarry just north of the Derbyshire village.
The resort will feature a giant indoor water park as well as a 166-bed hotel, 148 straw bale lodges – seven of which will float on the quarry lake – and 210-holiday apartments.
Some of the quarry faces will be turned into climbing walls. There will also be a zip-line running across the site from a viewing platform on the top of the quarry. Visitors can also expect a bowling alley, shops, a restaurant, swim-up bar and a sports hall.
The waterpark will be built across two levels and feature the usual waterslide, raft ride, lazy river and outdoor pool as well as the rather tropical addition of a swim-up bar.
The website hosting the consultation reads: “Combining a mix of eco-friendly accommodation and exciting leisure activities, our vision for Amber Rock will restore the old quarry set within this beautiful rural backdrop, preserve its heritage, and boost the local economy.
“We want the Amber Rock resort to become an asset for the community.
“The Amber Rock resort will actually increase the environmental value of the area through improved biodiversity and added landscape amenities.
“Celebrating the unique features and history of its location, Amber Rock will also preserve the local environment and protect the community for years to come, ensuring the site will never be used for mineral extraction or future industrial use.
“Plus, a unique mix of leisure activities suitable all year round, making it a destination with the community at its heart and somewhere to create unforgettable memories.
“Amber Rock’s diverse facilities will actively encourage longer stays to reduce the number of day trips, while specific check-in/check-out times will be applied to reduce effects of peak traffic flow. We’ll also arrange various shuttle buses to transport guests to local attractions.
“Our vision is also about restoring this beautiful setting. Carefully designed to blend into the stunning rural landscape, and to be constructed using locally sourced and sustainable materials where possible, it will deliver minimal visual impact beyond the quarry.”
The project will be built using many of the materials from the quarry itself and generate 200 jobs. The resort will also have 100 full-time and part-time staff once open.
The developers explain that extensive work has been carried out to assess the impact of traffic on the village of Crich itself, the nearby tramway village and Sherwood Foresters Monument.
Who’s looking forward to this?
What's On
Huge ’80s vs ’90s music festival featuring Vengaboys, 911, Five and more coming to Manchester
The ultimate event for pop music nostalgia
All your favourite music acts from the ’80s and ’90s are set to make an epic comeback at a new music festival here in Manchester.
Now, there’s no disputing that the music born from these two decades is perhaps the best and most iconic the world has to offer – so the idea of an entire music festival built upon it sounds a little too good to be true, doesn’t it?
The ‘80s V ’90s Festival will be taking over the Bowlers Exhibition Centre where a number of iconic acts from the (you guessed it) 1980s and 1990s will be going head-to-head to put on the show of your lives.
Bowlers Manchester / Facebook
Nostalgic artists confirmed for the line up include the Vengaboys, Five, Limahal, Chesney Hawkes, 911, Lee Latchford Evans, Andi Peters, Samantha Fox and Gary Davies.
Throughout the event, guests will be able to meet and greet the artists, so make sure you get an old school poster ready to sign for those real ’80s and ’90s vibes.
And this line up isn’t the only blast from the past in store for the event – there will also be a number of vendors in attendance who will be selling retro garms and goods.
@vengaboys / Instagram
Sound good?
Well, luckily for you tickets are on sale now! To buy your own, head here.
The festival will be taking place at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre on Saturday January 29th, 2022 between 2pm – 11pm. All guests must provide valid ID proving they are over the age of eighteen.
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You can now spend the night at a haunted museum sleeping in a bodybag
This experience is not for the faint-hearted…
Calling all horror fans: You can now spend the night sleeping in a bodybag in an actual haunted museum.
Held at the Haunted Museum and Spirit Shop Stoke in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, the popular Ghost Hunters of Stoke team will be giving keen ghost-hunters the opportunity to partake in their very own ghost hunt.
They are offering visitors guided tours, tarot card readings, a seance and spirit board sessions and haunted sleepovers – with the chance to sleep in an actual bodybag, too.
Ghost Hunters of Stoke on Trent / Facebook
The museum boasts ghostly artefacts from all over the world, including a poltergeist mirror containing the spirit of a ‘little girl and a shadow person’ and a replica of the famous Annabelle Doll.
Business owners and long-time ghost hunters Craig Longson and Jason Dean wanted to create somewhere that could put Stoke-on-Trent on the map as a paranormal destination.
Craig told Stoke on Trent Live: “I’ve always wanted to open something like this… We took on the building five weeks ago, and a lot of hard work has gone into turning it into what you see now. We want to give people the wow factor.
“Whether you’re part of an investigations team, or a member of the public, there will always be team members on hand to help. We’ve got the most advanced equipment from all across the world, so we can give everyone the ultimate experience, all under one roof.”
Ghost Hunters of Stoke on Trent / Facebook
Lead investigator Justine Farley also added: “With the space that we’ve got, we’ve got the opportunity to change things up quite regularly, if we want to. As we get new artefacts, we can move things around and add new things. Our team have also got such unique ideas so we can keep things fresh.”
And for any skeptics out there, the ghost hunters themselves claim to have witnessed genuine paranormal activity in the building. Craig said: “Occasionally… It depends what happens. If you’re in a pitch black room and you see something or feel something.”
Justine added: “We’ve all felt that shiver from the top of your head, all the way down to your toes. When we’ve witnessed things like the pram moving on our live video, it made us all go completely cold. It’s a heavy pram, with metal wheels. Witnessing something like that is just amazing.”
You can find out more about The Haunted Museum and Spirit Shop on Facebook, and also keep up to date with the latest investigations from Ghost Hunters of Stoke-on-Trent on Facebook and YouTube.
What's On
The Cube Live Experience is coming to the Arndale if you’re up to the challenge
Know anyone who could take this on?
A live experience version of the hit ITV gameshow The Cube is set to land at Manchester’s Arndale, new plans have revealed today.
First airing back in 2009, The Cube sees contestants complete a variety of physically and mentally challenging tasks from within a 4m × 4m × 4m perspex cube in order to win a top prize of £250,000.
The show has proven to be a huge hit among viewers at home and now, they will get the chance to compete in the famed cube themselves.
Urban Playground
Urban Playground, the entertainment complex nestled within the Arndale, has announced that The Cube Live Experience will be coming to the shopping centre for guests to partake in their very own gameshow.
The Cube Live will feature a whole array of the most popular games and challenges from the original TV series, and will allow teams of up to four to compete as both single and two players.
According to Urban Playground, participants will have to ‘overcome extreme nerves and intense pressure’ to take on the ‘deceptively simple’ tasks.
Urban Playground
The Cube Live will also come with its very own Cube Bar for participants to enjoy a celebratory drink after their challenge (or one to soften the blow of being defeated by a Cube, in some instances.)
While it is known that The Cube Live Experience will definitely be located in the Arndale, further details surrounding the exact location and opening date are yet to be revealed.
But to be the first to hear news and updates on the opening date and ticket sales, register your interest here.
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