Eat
Go for a nice fresh fish meal on Saturday, that way you can dive into the heavy ol´ Sunday roast with a clean conscience. Livebait in Lloyds House at the corner of Albert Square and Lloyd's Street, has been re-invented under new management and with a new executive chef, Dave Spanner. He's very very good as Confidential reported here.
Drink
To keep up with the fresh and good fish feeling, end the Saturday night with a cocktail at Australasia on Deansgate next to John Rylands Library. Preferably choose one with lots of fruits in it, you know, for the vitamins. Mango Margarita or a Thai Basil and Elderflower cocktail not only sound delicious but downright necessary for oneself during the dark winter months.
Australasia Interior
Concert
The Las Vegas based rock duo, Panic! at the Disco, describe themselves as a vintage big beat outfit with many flavours. Panic! at the Disco comes to Manchester on Friday 27 January, playing at the 02 Apollo. The doors open at 7pm and the warm-up act is the band Me. Tickets are £25, to get your ticket click here. Listen to their Ready To Go to get warmed up for the show, here.
Family
Celebrate the start of the Chinese New Year, The Year Of The Dragon, in the city centre throughout the weekend with family and friends. The festivities start on Friday 27 January with a show by the Chinese Art Troupe at Manchester Central Exchange Auditorium at 7.30pm. On Sunday stalls will be open from 11pm in Chinatown and Albert Square, along with entertainment performances from noon and a fireworks display at 6pm. For more information visit here.
Tour
Confidential´s own Jonathan Schofield hosts a Tour of Uninteresting Objects at 3pm on Saturday. The tour is a stroll around the city, with revelations of things like odd sculptures, mad details and washed up remnants of things inside and outside buildings and undoubtedly a good laugh or two. And who says uninteresting objects aren´t interesting anyways? Book tickets online here or show up at Manchester Art Gallery with six quid in your pocket.
Sports
For those who want something different from football for Saturday there's the National Cycling Centre where UK's premier track racing event, the Revolution Track Cycling Series is taking place. UK's top riders take on each other and gear themselves up for the London Olympics. Tickets start from £7.50, for tickets and information click here.
Film
The Artist is a French romantic comedy-drama film directed by Michel Hazanavicius. The film takes place in 1920s Hollywood where a silent movie actor falls in love with a young actress, but his career takes a hit at the same time when talking pictures arrive. It's filmed in black and white and is without dialogue, and is a sort of homage to the old films. The film won 3 Golden Globe awards and is nominated for 12 BAFTA awards. The film has got great reviews from critics and the public alike, apart from those few who wanted a refund because the sound was missing. View the trailer here.
Last chance to see
This is the last weekend to see Manchester Art Gallery´s exhibition of Ford Madox Brown´s work. The show exhibits 140 works from public and private collections and shows with his work how the artist's rebellion against traditional methods led to a new and original style - check out the power of the picture called The Last of England from the show at the top of this page. The exhibition is divided into 10 themes, moving though Brown's career and also covers the years he spent in Manchester. Tickets are £8, for more information click here. For the Confidential review of the show try here.
Museum
This weekend marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The Imperial War Museum North has several events including Speak Up, Speak Out: Survivor Story (Ideal for ages 14+) on Monday 30 January, 5.15pm. Hear Arek Hersh’s story of his survival during the Holocaust in a special screening of a film about his life, followed by a question and answer session with Hersh himself. Arek was only 11 years old when he was sent to a concentration camp. He was moved from camp to camp as a slave labourer. When he arrived at Auschwitz, Arek realised he was in the queue of people deemed too weak for work and used the opportunity of a commotion to move into the other queue when the SS guards were not looking. This action saved his life. This is just one of many events at IWMN . The IWMN is at The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Manchester, M17 1TZ. 0161 836 4000
