Scenes filmed in the Cresta Court Hotel in Altrincham featured in an episode of Coronation Street earlier this week.

The Church Street hotel hosted cast members including Lucy Fallon (Bethany Platt) and screen mum Tina O’Brien (Sarah Platt), with Mikey North (Gary Windass) and Ellie Leach (Faye Windass).

The crew and actors filmed in the venue’s Townfields restaurant and bedroom accommodation for two days in September, with the episode airing on Monday.

(l to r) general manager Paul Hindley, Julia Cooke, Hannah Silgram, Tony Thompson, Polly Coulson, Asen Berbatov, Lucy Fallon, deputy general manager Scott McDonald, Ellie Leach, Nico Bonjourno, Sian Livesey and Mikey North

“We were thrilled that ITV Granada chose to use us for location filming,” said Paul Hindley, general manager of the Best Western-owned hotel.

“It created quite a stir in the local community and a real talking point for guests and conference delegates. Nothing quite beats bumping into your favourite Corrie star whilst attending a training course at the Cresta Court!

“All the cast and crew were a pleasure to have with us and we have had great feedback following this week’s episode featuring the Hotel. We look forward to welcoming them back again in the future.”

More scenes from Monday’s Corrie, filmed at the Cresta Court:

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If your New Year resolution is to try something new, The Cinnamon Club in Bowdon has the perfect answer.

This Sunday, a new six-week course of dance classes gets underway – so if you’ve ever wanted to learn ballroom and Latin American dancing, now is the time.

Run by a team of experienced and qualified instructors, you’ll learn the basic steps of the waltz, tango, jive and cha cha – all dances made hugely popular by Strictly Come Dancing.

Dancing classes at The Cinnamon Club in Bowdon

The beginners’ course starts this Sunday, January 8th, at 6pm. Classes for intermediates and advanced dancers follow at 7pm and 8pm.

Neil Hughes, owner of The Cinnamon Club, said: “At the start of a new year, these beginner classes are perfect for people who’ve always wanted to give dancing a whirl.

“We have lots of people signed up already, and you’ll all be in the same boat. It’s great fun, and a fantastic way to start your journey into Latin American and Ballroom dancing”.”

For more details, visit Cinnamon Dance or contact ballroom@thecinnamon.club or ring 0161 926 8992.

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The season finale of hit BBC One drama Sherlock is to be screened at Altrincham’s Vue Cinema.

The concluding episode of series four, Sherlock: The Final Problem, will be shown on January 15th at 8.45pm.

The feature length special will be preceded by 15 minutes of exclusive footage.

Written and created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss and inspired by the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in the iconic roles of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.

Sherlock: The Six Thatchers was the most watched programme over the festive season, across all channels, with 11.3 million viewers tuning in, according to consolidated viewing data issued today.

The 90-minute episode, which aired on New Year’s Day 2017, achieved a consolidated audience share of 37.8%.

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A new term of choir sessions begins at The Cinnamon Club in Bowdon tomorrow.

Described as “uplifting, social and great fun”, there are three choirs and all voices and abilities are welcome.

The daytime choir takes place every Wednesday between 1 and 2.30pm, while the evening choir lasts from 8 to 9pm. Both sing “soulful and jazzy” music.

Each session is accompanied by a pianist and occasionally a band, and led by Clare Morel from The Music Place. For newcomers, the first session is free.

There’s also the Vibrant Voices choir, made up of people living with dementia, Parkinson’s, stroke survivors and their carers, which meets every Wednesday between 2 and 3.45pm.

Members of the Vibrant Voices choir

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Altrincham animation company Factory has started work on the second series of Clangers.

Once again narrated by Michael Palin, the CBeebies show has proved a big hit for fans old and new, and has won a series of awards, including a BAFTA for Best Pre-School Animation.

The 26 new 11-minute episodes will air later this year and will all be made at Factory’s studios on the Altrincham Business Park in Broadheath.

One of the Factory team at work on the Clangers set

“We are over the moon to welcome the Clangers back to CBeebies. This beautiful programme has an enduring magic that enchants todays audience, and the warmth and kindness of Clangers are both comfort and examples to us all!” said Jackie Edwards, head of BBC Children’s acquisitions and independent animation.

Peter Firmin, one of the creators of the original series, and Daniel Postgate (son of series co-creator Oliver Postgate) remain actively involved as executive producers for the new series.

The famous Clangers slide whistle being recorded

“We’re delighted to have a new series of Clangers in production and we’re excited to be working once more with the incredibly talented team that brought to life the magic and kind nature of the show,” added Jeremy Banks, CEO of rights holders Coolabi Group.

The show was revived last year, 46 years after its initial debut, and has been a critical and ratings hit.

Alongside Clangers, Factory also makes other Children’s BBC hits including Scream Street and Strange Hill High, as well as satirical ITV show Newzoids.

More of the Clangers characters

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Hale Barns has doubled for somewhere altogether grittier over the past few days as a production crew descended to film scenes for a new drama set in London’s criminal underworld.

Hale Barns Garage, on Hale Road, has been used as a location for upcoming TV series Snatch, a spin-off of the Guy Ritchie-directed film of the same name.

This new 10-episode series, produced by Little Island Productions, arrives on Sony’s Crackle streaming service from March 17 and features Harry Potter star Rupert Grint.

Watch a trailer for the TV spin-off of Snatch:

Also starring are Skins alumni Luke Pasqualino, Mission: Impossible II actor Dougray Scott and Gossip Girl’s Ed Westwick.

The original 2000 movie featured an ensemble cast including Benicio del Toro, Vinnie Jones, Brad Pitt and Jason Statham.

Despite being set in London, much of the filming for the 10-episode series has taken place in and around Manchester.

Hale Barns Garage, which doubled for scenes from Snatch this week

Although there was no sign of Grint – who plays con man Charlie Cavendish – in Hale Barns this week, but he was spotted filming for Snatch in the Northern Quarter last August.

A number of fight scenes were filmed in Hale Barns this week, emphasising the extent to which this series is not one for all the family.

Watch some of the filming taking place in Hale Barns this week:

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Two of south Manchester’s most exciting unsigned bands are set to appear in a special show at The Cinnamon Club as part of Independent Venue Week.

Knutsford five-piece Educated Risk and Sale band The Claremonts will feature in a one-off gig at the Bowdon venue this Saturday, January 28th.

It’s all part of Independent Venue Week, a week-long celebration of local live music that’s supported by Arts Council England and involving 130 venues across the UK.

Saturday’s event is being held at The Cinnamon Club in Bowdon

Saturday’s gig, for which tickets are just £5, has been organised by regular Cinnamon Club promoter Abi Richardson.

She said: “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to have such up and coming talent right on our doorstep and I hope people will come out and support them for the small price of £5, it’s all about the local bands and the local venue and above all, making live music affordable and accessible to all ages.”

Educated Risk have recently recorded their debut EP ‘Rewind’, which is available now on iTunes and Spotify.

Watch their first official video here:

The Claremonts, meanwhile, formed in early 2016 and count The Smiths, The Stone Roses and Pixies as influences. They played the acclaimed Blackthorn Festival in July and released their debut single, Roll The Dice, in October.

Listen to it here:

Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess, who is this year’s Independent Venue Week Ambassador, said: “These venues and bands need our support and the best way you can do that is by having a night out. Lots of venues are closing – we definitely need to stick together and stop this happening.”

And Inspiral Carpets legend Clint Boon added: “Abi Richardson has been doing some wonderful work over the last few years putting on some great bands in Bowdon. You’d normally have to travel into the city to see gigs of this calibre.”

Tickets are on sale here.

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A professional performance artist has launched a new drama and singing school for budding musical theatre stars in Altrincham.

Little Voices, part of the award-winning national franchise, will provide drama and singing lessons to children aged 4 to 18 in small groups of six to eight pupils. It will be based at  St Georges Parish Centre on Church Walk.

It’s been set up by Ali Vale, who has worked in major international and West End shows, as well as dancing tango alongside Madonna in Alan Parker’s movie ‘Evita’.

She’ll be joined by Altrincham-based tutors, Liz Simmons and Kate Nelson, who are both professionally trained.

Little Voices was originally set up 10 years ago by professional singer Jane Maudsley

Children work towards L.A.M.D.A. Musical Theatre and Communications Examinations, in which Little Voices has a 98% success rate.

Jane Maudsley, the professional singer who founded Little Voices 10 years ago, said: “We’ve long been planning a presence in Altrincham but we had to wait patiently for the right location and the right person to become available. Ali, Liz and Kate are the perfect trio of experienced teachers to launch what we see as a keystone operation for our business.”

Ali Vale, of Little Voices South Manchester, said: “We welcome children of all ages from the South Manchester area including Altrincham, Timperley, Hale, Hale Barns and Bowdon.

Liz, Ali and Kate from Little Voices South Manchester, together with founder Jane Maudsley (second right)

“We’re very excited to launch and provide an opportunity for local youngsters to get inspired by musical theatre, learn new skills and equip them with social confidence as they develop into young adults.”

The classes launch with three age groups:

• Mini Voices – lessons are 30 minutes and designed for 4 to 7 year olds
• Little Voices – lessons are 45 minutes and designed for 7 to 12 year olds
• Voices – lessons are 45 minutes and designed for 12 to 18 year olds.

A no obligation free trial is being offered to local children on February 22nd – parents should apply via www.littlevoices.org.uk/locations/altrincham

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The Stamford Orchestra, Altrincham and Hale’s very own professional orchestra, are to play two special concerts at St Peter’s Church in Hale.

The orchestra will play both concerts on Saturday February 25th – a performance of Provokiev’s Peter and the Wolf for families at 3.30pm, and then an evening concert at 7.30pm to include Mozart’s Don Giovanni overture and his Symphony No.35 (Haffner), as well as a second performance of Peter and the Wolf narrated by Simon Royce.

The Stamford Orchestra was founded in 2015 by principal oboeist Andrew Pettitt and conductor Thomas Davey with the vision of bringing orchestral music of the highest standard to the people of South Trafford. It has already played a number of concerts at Altrincham’s Market House.

Davey said: “The audience following we have achieved is quite breathtaking; ever since the Stamford Orchestra’s first concert in July 2015 we have achieved sell-out audiences.

The Stamford Orchestra has played a number of concerts in Market House

“We are aware of the difficulty of travelling in and out of Manchester late at night in order to hear high quality classical music so we decided to set up the area’s own orchestra. We are keen to stress to our audience that the Stamford Orchestra is their orchestra, in their local area – it gives them a great sense of ownership and I’d like to think that is reflected in the consistently high audience numbers.”

The orchestra, which is made up of members of the North West’s professional orchestras, has raised over £12,000 during the last two years for charity, donating ticket proceeds to MacMillan Cancer Support, UNICEF, Oxfam, Barnados, Syria Relief, Music for Kenya and Reverse Rett.

This will be the orchestra’s first family performance, and Pettitt said he hoped it was the first of many.

“We want to really involve the children by having them not just sit right in front of the orchestra but also in amongst the players, during the performance, so they can really experience the music by being really close to the players!”

Tickets are available here or by calling 0333 666 3366.

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A harrowing short film created by an Altrincham Grammar School student has claimed first prize at an Oscar/BAFTA qualifying film festival in the United States.

Lifeline, a 10-minute short written and directed by Sam Jones when he was just 17, has played at film festivals around the world including the Rhode Island International Film Festival – an Oscar qualifying event – and also featuring at the recent BAFTA qualifying London Short Film Festival 2017.

Funded by the British Film Institute – Sam received a grant from the BFI for the ‘most promising filmmaker with the most raw talent under 25’ when he was only 16 – Lifeline has attracted rave reviews from UK Film Review, calling it “one of the best shorts of the year”.

Sam, who has always lived in Altrincham, said: “Without giving away any plot spoilers, Lifeline follows a woman who finds herself in a desperate situation and is forced to do something drastic to provide her son with one final lifeline.

Watch Sam’s award-winning Lifeline here:

“Inspired by a conversation I had with my mum, it took six months to write Lifeline alongside studying for my A Levels. It was all filmed in Manchester, in the restored Victorian swimming pool, Victoria Baths, which was more recently used in the BBC’s Peaky Blinders.

“The film was possibly my biggest challenge yet. There was a fantastic cast and crew of 40 people who all helped make the film possible. I loved seeing it all come together on set – from writing the script at home to seeing it become a reality on set – it was so surreal for me.

“I really admire the work of Danny Boyle – I think the way he crafts his stories is fantastic, utilising the power of film at every moment.”

Lifeline premiered in front of more than 400 people at the NFT1 BFI Southbank cinema last year, before playing at film festivals in the USA, Belgium and the UK.

On winning the first prize at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, Sam said: “I’m so happy to screen at such a respected film festival for filmmakers.
Thousands of short films are made every year – they are the starting point for filmmakers. Many filmmakers create short films with the aim of progressing into the world of feature films. This is my ultimate goal really. It is my hope that recognition from such festivals will help push me further in this direction!”

To see more of Sam’s work, visit his website.

Writer and director Sam Jones on the set of Lifeline

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There are still tickets available for The Secret Garden, a “beautiful, lyrical and magical” musical that’s showing at the Altrincham Garrick theatre all this week.

Based on the 1911 novel of the same name by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the musical’s script and lyrics are by Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman, with music by Grammy-winning songwriter Lucy Simon, sister of Carly.

It premiered on Broadway in 1991 and ran for 709 performances, winning three Tony awards.

The Secret Garden is running at the Altrincham Garrick until Saturday

Set in the early years of the 20th century, it tells the story of Mary Lennox, a young English girl born and raised in the British Raj who is orphaned by a cholera outbreak when she is 10 years old.

She is sent away from India to Yorkshire to live with relatives she has never met, but her own personality blossoms as she and a young gardener bring new life to a neglected garden, as well as to her sickly cousin and uncle.

The Garrick has assembled an award winning team of director Joe Meighan, musical director Mark Goggins and set designer Barry Purves, along with a talented cast of actors, singers and technicians.

The Secret Garden is set in the early 20th century

Despite being a huge hit in the United States, The Secret Garden musical is little known in this country and the showing at the Garrick is thought to be the only one in the UK this year.

Tickets are available from the Garrick box office on 0161 928 1677 or book online on the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse website (not mobiles).

More pictures from the show:

Photography: Vishal Sharma

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The Cinnamon Club celebrates its 14th birthday this Friday – and the Bowdon venue is putting on a special night to mark the occasion.

Five-piece The Alphabets, who toured internationally in the 60s and 70s with the likes of James Brown, Tina Turner, Jimmy Cliff and Wilson Pickett, will be bringing their classic mix of soul, funk, reggae and ska to Altrincham for a night of unforgettable live music.

And we have 20 tickets to give away to the first 10 couples to email abi@thecinnamonclub.net with Altrincham Today in the subject line.

The Alphabets are performing live at The Cinnamon Club this Friday

It’s a great chance to experience The Cinnamon Club and see why it is regarded as one of the best-loved live venues in the region.

Owner Neil Hughes and music promoter Abi Richardson continue to put on an ever-changing weekly programme of music.

From jazz to pop, blues to Americana, the dance floor regularly attracts over a hundred people for the regular swing nights, while the dark and moody Lounge – with black and white photos of the jazz greats adorning the walls – is like a 1930s Speakeasy.

Over the 14 years, it’s been home to over 1,000 gigs, 1,000 parties and 300 weddings.

Don’t miss out this Friday – see The Alphabets live at The Cinnamon Club’s big birthday bash.

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Theatre returns to the Altrincham Garrick next month with a six-night run for an Edwardian drama that was ranked by the Royal National Theatre as one of the top 100 plays of the last century.

Written in 1912 by Githa Sowerby, Rutherford and Son was a huge initial success before dropping out of sight – but it was revived in the 1980s and has since been performed in the West End, Broadway and at the Royal Exchange in Manchester.

It will run at the Garrick from Monday April 3rd to Saturday April 8th, with tickets available now.

Rutherford and Son is set in an industrial town in the north of England, a few years before the First World War.

Mr Rutherford is a widower, but his house is far from empty: also living there are his spinster sister and his three grown children – Janet, John and Richard – along with John’s wife and their new baby. Rutherford owns a glass factory which was founded by his father, and which is one of the largest businesses in the town.

The house has an oppressive atmosphere to it, partly because of the winter settling in, but more because of the fear that Rutherford inspires in his family. The play comes to a climax when he is confronted by a family mutiny which threatens to destroy the family as well as the factory.

Inside the Altrincham Garrick

This play can be compared to Hindle Wakes, and Hobson’s Choice, both Garrick favourites, but the big difference is that it was written by a female dramatist – quite a rarity for the Edwardian Age. She originally published the play under her pen-name G K Sowerby but when it was revealed the author of the hit play was a woman she achieved instant celebrity.

Tickets are available from the Garrick box office on 0161 928 1677 or you can book online on the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse website.

This play is sponsored by FMS Furniture Specialists, a leading supplier of furniture for school, home and office and school.

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Big Band jazz returns to Altrincham this Sunday as the acclaimed SK2 Jazz Orchestra plays the Cinnamon Club.

The band, who formed in 2013 to perform the repertoire of jazz legend Stan Kenton at concert venues and jazz festivals, was spotted by Cinnamon Club owner Neil Hughes when they played the Scarborough Jazz Festival.

He said: “The subtle interplay, the mesmeric orchestrations and the outstanding playing had the audience in raptures. I guess this is why the Big Band era lives long in the memory.”

The concert will feature some of Johnny Richards’ orchestrations of The Cuban Fire Suite and West Side Story.

Sunday’s concert starts at 7.30pm and you can buy tickets here.

The SK2 Jazz Orchestra in action

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Martin Regan, the co-founder of Hale-based Gateway Gallery, died yesterday after a short illness at the age of 54.

He leaves a wife, Shirley, and four children.

Martin co-founded the Ashley Road art gallery in 2015 having collected and dealt in art for many years, and still worked there on Saturdays.

He was a fellow of the Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and shortly before his death published The Northern School: A Reappraisal, looking at the history and evolution of the art movement in the North West.

Outside of the art world, Martin enjoyed a long career in journalism and publishing.

Originally from Wythenshawe, he was the Financial Times’ North of England correspondent before founding Excel Publishing, where he made his name.

At its peak, it employed more than 100 staff and was the region’s largest independently owned publishing company.

Regan co-founded the Gateway Gallery in Hale

Between 1991 and 2013, he helped grow the firm through magazines such as EN and British Cycling, and also becoming the largest contract publisher of Chamber of Commerce magazines in the country.

In 2013, he sold his 48% stake and turned to regional publishing, setting up Cheshire Today and Macclesfield Today. He was also a chief executive of the English Chess Federation.

Susan Eyres, co-director of the Gateway Gallery, said: “Martin was a man of strong opinions on art and who was not shy of airing them. This made him occasionally a controversial figure, but his knowledge of and passion for art was acknowledged by all.‎ He will be greatly missed.”

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A “classical crossover duo with a difference” will arrive at the Altrincham Garrick in June when acclaimed pairing Il Destino take to the stage.

Featuring award-winning West End and Broadway star, Adam Lacey, and platinum-selling artist Jon Christos, Il Destino have performed to crowds all around the world.

They’ll be appearing at the Garrick on Sunday June 4th.

Watch Il Destino in action:

Expect a unique take on classics from a variety of genres – opera, neapolitan, musical theatre, cinema, swing and pop – delivered with stunning vocal harmonies and their own inimitable personalities.

Also appearing on the ‘Broadway & Beyond’ bill is Scarlett Quigley, a young soprano from Cheshire who has achieved considerable success in competitions and music festivals around the country.

Soprano Scarlett Quigley will also be appearing on the bill

Her acclaimed debut album, If only I had wings, is out now.

Tickets to the event, which are sure to be much in demand, are on sale now costing £15, with concessions £12.

Call the box office on 0161 928 1677 or book online at the Altrincham Garrick website.

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One of Britain’s best brass bands will appear live during a six-night run for popular play Brassed Off at the Altrincham Garrick Theatre next week.

The play, which has previously enjoyed two sell-out productions at the Barrington Road theatre, will open on Monday April 24th and run to Saturday April 29th.

It’s adapted from the screenplay by Mark Herman, which was turned into an award-winning 1996 film starring Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald, Ewan McGregor and Stephen Tomkinson.

Set in Grimley, a mining town in the north of England where a mine is up for closure, the plot concerns a family within a community fighting for survival and the fight, too, for the community band, a symbol of unity and success.

The Garrick production will feature Wingates Brass Band, a championship section brass band from Bolton who were originally formed in 1873.

The Altrincham Garrick Theatre on Barrington Road

Considered to be one of the most entertaining brass bands in the UK, they are currently ranked 30th in the world and four years ago were featured on the BBC Radio 2 show ‘Listen to the Bands’. They also recorded their first double CD, From Fifes to Fanfares to Fame.

It’s sure to be one of the highlights of the Garrick year – to book tickets, call 0161 928 1677 or book online at Altrincham Garrick website (not mobiles).

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Members of Altrincham-based children’s choir Little Belters are to appear on CBeebies.

The BBC channel has been making special visits to Altrincham over the last few weeks to record and film with 30 children, aged between five and 11.

CBeebies Radio and CBeebies show, ‘The Let’s Go Club’, have been working with the youngsters to create programmes to celebrate BBC Music Day on June 15th.

‘The Power of Music’ is the theme behind the BBC Radio show with some of Little Belters’ youngest members chosen to sing an acappella version of Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling”. Six-year-olds Jess and Archie were also chosen as roving reporters, interviewing other children about what music means to them.

Jess, 6, was one of the roving reporters for CBeebies

Harriet Blackamore, from CBeebies Radio, said: “Little Belters have been amazing to work with. They’ve all worked incredibly hard, sounded great and truly lived up to their name – Little Belters!”

CBeebies are now in the process of filming the same group for an episode of ‘The Let’s Go Club’ which gives young viewers a glimpse into what it’s like to be a part of a choir.

The children will show how they learn vocal techniques and take part in team building exercises before they perform one of their favourite numbers, New Order’s “World in Motion”.

Claire O’Brien, Director of Little Belters, said: “It’s been a whirlwind few months but the children have been beside themselves with excitement knowing they were to star on CBeebies. It’s the holy grail for any child under the age of 6! But understandably, when the time came, it was also a bit scary… even for us!

Max MacAulay, Ellie Sayer and Taylor Finch, members of the Little Belters choir who will appear on CBeebies

“We are so proud of what the children have achieved. Our singing programme is especially effective for children who are lacking in confidence and so it was great to see even the shyest of members stand up, smile and shine. We can’t wait until the shows are aired.”

Little Belters run classes at The Hub Community Centre in Altrincham on Tuesdays at 4.15pm and at 5.15pm. Due to the growing popularity of the singing sessions, Little Belters have now added a third class in Altrincham on a Wednesday at 4.30pm.

Free taster sessions are available and there are no auditions – find out more here.

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Ever-popular family musical Annie is set to hit the Altrincham Garrick later this month for a seven-performance run.

Based on ‘Little Orphan Annie’, Harold Gray’s comic strip has become a worldwide sensation.

Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, this beloved show features a wonderful score written by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, including the Broadway smash hit, “Tomorrow”.

Inside the Altrincham Garrick

With a perfect combination of street-smarts and optimism, Annie warms the hearts of the audience as we witness her rise from next-to-nothing in New York City. She is determined to find her parents, who left her at the orphanage years ago. Though things don’t quite work out the way she has planned, she does manage to thwart the plans of the evil Miss Hannigan and find a new family with billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his secretary Grace Farrell, and her lovable pooch, Sandy.

Annie at the Garrick – which is sponsored by The Greenhouse restaurant and shop – is from the same director and musical director responsible for the acclaimed recent production of Secret Garden.

Annie opens on Monday 22nd May and will show each night at 7.30pm until Saturday 27th May, with an additional matinee at 2.30pm on Saturday 27th May.

For tickets, call the box office on 0161 928 1677 or book online here.

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A modern art gallery has opened in a vacant unit on Stamford New Road – and is set to stock one of the biggest names in the art world.

The Contemporary is the second gallery for Jon Shingfield, a 32-year-old collector who has run a successful gallery in Chester for the past three years.

He has chosen Altrincham for his second venture owing to the “buzz” in the town, and opened last week after an original launch date was put back by the delayed Stamford New Road works.

The newly opened Contemporary gallery on Stamford New Road

A property developer by trade, Shingfield has collected art since his teenage years and was inspired to set up his own gallery by the difficulty he had finding the art he liked.

“I created the Chester gallery because there weren’t really any galleries in the North that I bought from,” he said. “They were all in London or Brighton and I wanted to keep collecting.

“My main business is actually in property, but it just evolved from collecting to renting to selling and then, with my property head on, I thought I could make some really cool spaces for cool galleries that people would want to come back to. I thought we could have a business and that’s what’s happened.”

Some of the pieces on display at The Contemporary

The 3,400 sq ft Altrincham gallery – in the unit formerly occupied by Au Natarale Interiors – is an expansive space almost tailor-made to showcase Shingfield’s art.

On current show are pieces from some of the leading lights in the modern art world – the likes of Dave White, Ben Eine, Joe Webb, Dan Hillier and Lauren Baker – and it’ll be exhibiting one of the art world’s big stars later in the year.

The Contemporary opened its first gallery in Chester three years ago, and has plans to open a pop-up in Liverpool in time for Christmas

“We’ve just secured Damien Hirst, which is amazing for us,” he said. “I’ve been trying for years, sending email after email, and then a week before we opened I just got an email out of the blue.

“We need to save up 20 grand for the first order and then later in the year we’ll do a Damien Hirst show.”

Jon Shingfield has collected art since he was a teenager

Altrincham has certainly taken to the new gallery so far, with Shingfield selling eight pieces in his first week, three more than the number he needs to break even.

So what does he look for? “I see loads of art every day and most of it is fine, but it’s got to jump out at me straight away and it’s got to keep jumping out at me.”

The Contemporary, 102 Stamford New Road, Altrincham, WA14 1EE.

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