I’ve been unusually busy this week, so things have been piling up. Each of these probably deserves a post of its own:

‘An office worker from Leigh, Greater Manchester, broke his ankle as he jumped 6m (20ft) from his third floor flat – because he was late for his first day in a new job’ – Metro (and note the great picture caption)

New exhibition by Crosby Manchester Art Prize winner Sophie MacCorquodale at Manchester Art Gallery – Press release

‘The Carlton Social and Bowling Club in Whalley Range was facing closure after amassing debts of £20,000. However, over the past three years the board and members of the Carlton Road club pulled together and have now managed to fight off the severe threat to their popular club’ – South Manchester Reporter

The Museum of Science and Industry are appealing for readers’ favourite digital colour photographs of South Manchester to celebate 100 years of colour photography – Contact Sarah Roe via images@msim.org.uk

‘Two schoolboys behind the mass pillow fight in Albert Square have dreamt up 100 more mad capers to do before they are 18′ – Manchester Evening News (and check out the comments)

It’s probably painfully obvious to regular Mancubist readers that I ‘take the Guardian’. I hate that phrase, it sounds absurd – like ‘I’ll write you!’ – but it’s true.

I usually take it on Mondays (for Media), Thursdays (for Technology) and Saturday (for deforestation). I read it more often than I read their website, which is unusual in my life.

So when they advertised a free three-issue trial subscription to their new Guardian Monthly magazine, I quickly obliged. It’s a good read, with specially commissioned pieces and some of the best bits you may have missed.

Sadly, I can’t justify the Euro3.50 cover price (whatever a Euro is) so my trial period has been exactly that. But feel free to (ab)use it yourself here.

Also, in the previous Mancubist reader offers I told you that signing up for Jessops’ new online picturehouse qualified you for 40 free 6×4 prints.

That’s dropped to 20 now, but until January 10 all users get up to 50 6×4 prints for a penny each. Sign up and enter the code PENNY at the checkout. I recommend the matt finish.

And before the Manchizzle asks (again), they’re not ‘paying me to shill’. I’m rarely paid to do anything…

I’m a big fan of new years resolutions. It’s always great to hear people’s ambitions, and better still when they act to make them happen.

Manchester-based photographer Thomas McEldowney, for example, is aiming to post 365 different images on his YSR23 blog over the next year.

He’s started promisingly too, with a Manchester night skyline and the moon over Chorlton Ees – check them out here.

Last year Thomas won BBC Sports Photographer of the Year with this excellent shot of FC United against Accrington Stanley:

Motivated by a favourable listing in the Metro and a man on the bus who smelt of hamsters, I visited the Manchester Museum for the first time yesterday to see Ben Hall‘s wildlife photography.

It was strange seeing an image of rabbits living happily in their natural North West habitats, and then turning to find a stuffed relative in a glass case.

Many of the images on display felt iconic, so it was all the more impressive to read that this is Hall’s first major exhibition. It runs until 1 July and entry is free.

The rest of the museum was packed with parents whose kids were running riot and shouting things like: “Look granddad! A hedgehog!” Personally, I preferred the kangaroo rat on display.

I was also very impressed by the collection of mummies on display, which made a small boy cry. The museum operates an open-cask policy that few museums seem inclined to follow.