THE NORTH WEST’S

THE Royal Horticultural Society has unveiled new plans to create a 156 acre garden in the heart of the North West, the Society’s first new garden in 17 years.

RHS Garden Bridgewater will be the largest gardening project in Europe, opening in the historic grounds of Worsley New Hall in Salford from spring 2020, with sneak peek events in early 2019 to see the project starting to come to life.

Sessions will run on weekdays and are limited to ten people per day, with tickets costing £5 — visit rhs.org.uk/gardens/bridgewater/ tours for more information.

It’s one of a string of major projects beginning this year in Greater Manchester, including the opening of new arts centre The Factory, which intends to attract 850,000 people a year from 2021. Designed to host everything from exhibitions and concerts to immersive experiences and more intimate performances, the new landmark has been designed by Rem Koolhaas’ Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA).

Manchester itself will also see the return of its International Festival this summer, plus the expansion of the Manchester Jewish Museum in 2020, plus the Science and Industry Museum and Manchester Museum.