Free things to do this week ft Greenham Common + Blank Cheque

After last week’s result, you might want to save your pennies just in case you’re planning on getting ill at some point in your life. To that end: Here’s our rundown of the free things you can do in Manchester this week.

Greenham Common Exhibition at People’s History Museum
It’s been 15 years since Greenham Common Peace Camp shut up shop. Running from 1981 to 2000, the RAF base protest camp set the template for many of Britain’s protest movements over the last quarter century. This exhibition covers the history of the camp, the challenges they faced, as well as providing some insight into what life was like for the protestors.
Thu 7 May – Thu 28 May, People’s History Museum, Left Bank, Spinningfields, M3 3ER, www.phm.org.uk

Radical Science Movement at Manchester University (pictured)
Speaker Alice Bell talks us through the history of the radical science movement, focusing in on its roots in the ‘zines of the 70s and 80s. With radical science’s core message being that science should exist to benefit people, not to create profit, its ideals are no less relevant today than they were when those pamphlets first rolled off the press.
Mon 11 May, Room 10.05, 10th Floor, Harold Hankins Building, Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PL, 1pm -2pm, events.manchester.ac.uk

Blank Cheque at Band on the Wall
Earlier this year, Band on the Wall ran a competition out of the Arndale the Arndale pitched at student bands, trying to find the next group of bright young things. The prize? A gig at the iconic venue. The winners were fresh-faced Stockport ska-fusion outfit Blank Cheque, who beat off some pretty stiff competition. An excellent opportunity to check out these young lads and their fresh basslines and with it being free entry, an excellent opportunity to check out this venue on a budget.
Thu 14 May, Band on the Wall, 25 Swan Street, The Northern Quarter, M4 5JZ, www.bandonthewall.org

Museums at Night
This is an initiative that runs across Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester, opening up the cities’ museums up to night owls. There’s 18 events happening across the city, some of which are free to punters. We’ve already done a run down of the top three events here – so give ‘em a good look.
Thu 14 May – Fri 15 May, Various venues, www.museumsatnight.org.uk