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Easter weekender

Refuge Easter: The Long Weekender

This year’s Easter Bank Holiday will be a weekend full of events, alongside a special collaboration with Bluedot Festival.

The line-up:

Thursday 29 March

Ease yourself into the long weekend from 5pm with Dr Sid Honey Cooler, a record collector of over 40 years who will take control of the Public Bar from 5pm until late. Taking listeners on a musical journey from the 20s to the 50s with a soundtrack of blues, swing, big band, original R&B, mambo, calypso and various oddities that are impossible to categorise.

Friday 30 March

From 3pm onwards, our Basement will be host to a unique alliance of the life-blood of the UK’s music scene: the independent record shop.

The basement Record Fair will be tour-de-force of wax, featuring Hi-Tackle – the city’s newest and most mysterious go-to record emporium – set up by Manchester’s finest collectors, Ruf Dug and Randy Brunso. Running alongside will be London’s hottest new shop, Ransom Note, as well as Manchester’s beloved Beatin Rhythm (the UK’s number one outlet for all the Northern Soul heads), plus Ono Tesla and Dave The Ruf.

As a special treat for the passing seasoned digger, or merely the curious collector, there will be a one-off charity shop stall with all records priced at £1. Not your usual charity haul, this will be a selection of records kindly donated from esteemed selectors such as Mr Scruff, Unabombers, Paulette, Krysko, Justin Robertson, Jason Boardman, James Holroyd and many more, with all proceeds going to a local charity. The Evening Social on Friday night in the Basement will be hosted by Hi-Tackle featuring Ruf Dug, Randy Brunson and friends. Free entry.

Basement
3pm: Record Fair
8pm: Record Fair evening social

Public Bar
5pm: Chris Massey
8pm: Joy Social

Saturday 31 March

Saturday will begin on Waterhouse Way with an All Strala Yoga Class, hosted by the talented Lisa Stannard. The Den will be hosted by Overdrawn, an interactive drawing social featuring local artists, art battles, auctions and pop up shop.

Saturday night will be a ticketed all night long takeover from A LOVE FROM OUTERSPACE, with Andrew Weatherall and Sean Johnson, who are back again following a stellar gig in 2017.

Waterhouse Way
10-11.30am: Strala Yoga
3pm: Overdrawn artists

The Den
3pm: Overdrawn

Public Bar
3pm: Martin Brew
8pm: Neil Diablo

Basement
10pm: Zutekh – get tickets here

Sunday 1 April

To curate the final day of the weekender with families in mind, we’re partnering up with Bluedot Festival. Usually hosted at the stunning location of Jodrell Bank, Bluedot is the UK’s only festival of science, art and music, and since its inaugural event just two years ago, has quickly become one of the most eagerly anticipated festivals of the summer.

Back at The Refuge, Bluedot have lots in store for all:

• There’ll be science experiments and intergalactic interactive children’s entertainment in the Basement

• Our Kids Social in The Den and Waterhouse Way will host “I am the Eggman” (a psychedelic egg hunt for children of all ages); followed by an interactive, family silent disco

• The afternoon session will be a family disco, run by the Playhouse Project and soundtrack by Lil’ Fi from The Whip, with special moves from the Bluedot Electron Robot, part of the Elixir Circus crew and who will be on hand to teach kids how to robot and rave

• Later on Sunday, a Sounds from Space talk and Q&A will be hosted by Tim O Brien, Associate Director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics in the Basement

• As we head into the evening, Tim will head into the Public Bar, where he’ll takeover the decks playing a cosmic inspired set list; followed by Richard Norris, who works in partnership alongside Erol Alkan as the highly influential duo Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve, and who recorded two albums as solo artist. The Time and Space Machine

Sunday Lunch sharing platters will be served from 12 noon till 9pm in The Dining Room with an extra special cosmic glitter gravy for children.
Booking is recommended

Public Bar
10.30-11.30am Easter egg hunt
2pm: Tim O’Brien
3.30pm: Andy Votel
5pm: Jane Weaver
7pm: Richard Norris

The Den
10.30am to 2.30pm: Face painting
10.45-11.45am: Creative Easter arts and crafts
12 noon to 3pm: Meteorites show and tell
12.30-3pm: Science Made Simple
2.30-4.30pm: Face Painting

Waterhouse Way
11am to 1.30pm: Circus skills

Basement
11am to 1.30pm
11.20am to 12.30pm: Silent disco
2-4.30pm: Playhouse Project Family Rave
5-6pm: Sounds from Space talk and Q&A with Tim O’Brien