Today's events in Rochdale

An exhibition by Hollingworth Lake Ranger Service.

Using works from the Tim Bobbin Collection, Local Studies celebrates his tricentenary. Also known as John Collier, he was a resident of Milnrow and later buried in St. Chad’s graveyard in Rochdale. Tim Bobbin is noted for his unique contribution to satire and literature and writing in the Lancashire dialect.

A celebration of young person’s creative work from across the Borough which addresses contemporary issues facing young people themselves, in their relationships with others and the wider environment.

In the past you did not have the opportunity of the ‘one stop shop’ supermarket. Instead you would visit the specialist shops such as the butcher, baker or greengrocer. Using photographs from the Local Studies Collection this display illustrates the changing face of shopping. Come and relive shopping at Fashion Corner or buying perfume from Sugdens or haberdashery from Halfpenny’s. Take a trip down memory lane and remember those bygone days.

HMP Buckley Hall sees itself as a community within a community and in this exhibition of artwork by inmates it seeks to bridge the gap between inside and out, emphasising the importance of education within the prison.

Explore a selection of pre-20th century oil paintings by continental European artists from the Gallery’s permanent collection, featuring works from the Thomas Kay Bequest including the earliest painting in the collection, ‘The Crucifixion’ by Giovanni di Paolo, dating from the 1420s.

Many of the works are part of the National Inventory of Continental European Paintings, a unique on-line inventory of 22,000 paintings in the UK’s public collections.

Look out for hands-on activities in the exhibition for younger visitors.

Zarah Hussain’s paintings centre on her use of geometry, one of the sacred forms of expression in Islam. Trained in traditional techniques, this new body of work embraces large-scale canvases and bold colours together with a film piece, exploring the possibilities of geometry for a digital age. The Beauty of Abstraction is a touring exhibition organised by Bradford Museums, Galleries and Heritage, UK.

Vincent James’ work is based on objects appropriated from cartoons and in this exhibition props from different animated worlds will collide creating strange, funny and surreal interactions. Since completing an MA at Goldsmiths in 1999 he has shown both nationally and internationally including exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles and Sao Paulo. Vincent James was born in Manchester and currently lives and works in Rochdale.

What did the high street shop window of the past look like? What would you buy at an Edwardian post office and what would a Victorian hardware shop sell? Find the answer to these questions and much more in a family friendly exhibition exploring the many aspects of shops and shopping from the past within the Borough.