I’ve been getting a number of hits lately for “zorbing Manchester”, something I mentioned briefly last September.

For those who think that rolling downhill at 60kmph in a giant plastic bubble is a Good Idea (it’s supposedly a summer pursuit after all), you’ll be glad to hear that the delightfully named Rushton Spencer, near Macclesfield in Cheshire, is home to one of 10 SphereMania zorbing centre around the country.

Call 0844 800 30 45 to check prices and book directly, or visit ExperienceIt.co.uk, which already has a price list online. This ‘South Manchester’ centre is the only location to offer zorbing in the dark (£65 for two people), which sounds even more fun/frightening*.

Check out Craig Hamnett’s Flick photo gallery (feature the above image of three spheres ready to roll), missixty’s review, Pete’s grainy mobile phone video from within a zorb, and a short story in the MEN about last year’s launch event for more information.

* Delete as appropriate

Always willing to innovate, I’ve trying my hand at a new kind of blogging lately - internetlessly. It’s been 87 days since I last had a connection to call my own, and I’m sure you’ll agree that it shows. Apologies, readers, but normal service will be resumed… soon.

In the meantime, and thanks to a rare moment online, I thought I’d put together one last Manchester round-up this year:

Manchizzle and I were so pleased with our Manchester Literature Festival appearance in October that we’ve decided to do another blogging workshop at 1-3pm on Saturday 19 January. Like last time, it’ll be a very practical session. I’ll probably be talking techy stuff while Kate walks us through the cooler side (style, content, readership) of blogging.

Again, it’s hosted by the Manchester Digital Development Agency (they’re a lovely bunch) on Portland Street - and this time it’s completely free. Book by calling the MLF office on 0161 236 5725 or by emailing admin@manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk.

Elsewhere, after it helped me out on a recent trip to Spain, I’ve returned to the Guardian’s great Been There travel website. This time I’ve decided to get involved myself, updating some of the 160-odd tips for Manchester (‘Suburb cafe is now closed’ etc) and even adding some of my own.

While Googling as Been There research I also stumbled across the Cube gallery’s architectural guide to the Oxford Road corridor, which seems pretty informative. It’s definitely one for a quiet Sunday afternoon, or a particularly energetic lunchtime.

BBC Manchester’s latest gallery, meanwhile, contains some decent shots at the moment: sadly I missed the sight of 500 santas jogging through Salford for charity earlier this month; sadder still, I did see the European Market’s new santa in Albert Square. How many years will we be stuck with this year’s model?

And finally, for anyone who missed it, here’s my favourite Manchester news story of 2007: Cool Cash card confusion, published in the MEN last month. Congratulations to Ciara Leeming for the ’scoop’ of the year!

Yes, Morrissey does enjoy a good ride. As do a legion of bike-riding Smiths fans if the coverage of Sunday’s bike ride is anything to go off.

Gathering at 10.30am outside - where else - the Salford Lads Club, the route takes in several Smiths-related sites, as organiser Ruth Martin explained to Terry Christian on BBC Radio Manchester:

We’re going to be passing by Morrissey’s old house on Kings Road in Stretford, then we’re going to the cemetery gates on the cemetery in Chorlton, down to Holy Name Church on Oxford Road, up to Manchester Ritz, but we start and finish at the Lads Club. There’s going to be events on at the Club afterwards to welcome us home.

That’s quite a big round-trip and with Phil Gatenby - author of Morrissey’s Manchester: The Essential Smiths Tour - on board you can be sure it’ll be the most educational bike ride you’ve been on.

Participants are asked to donate �5 to the Lads Club, which is raising funds after the lead from its roof was stolen. They’ll be treated to a set by tribute band the Smyths, while ‘vintage ice cream van’ Everyday is like Sundae will also be on site.

Interested? Call 0161 872 3767 or visit this Morrissey forum thread.

Surely one of the stranges government initiatives (in name at least) is In Town, Without My Car!, which arrives in Manchester city centre tomorrow.

From the negative point of view, this means some streets in the city centre will be closed off - from Manchester Cathedral down to Salford via the River Irwell, to be exact. But on the plus side, it means you’ll get the chance to do this instead:

Yes, zorbing is one of the main attractions between 11am and 4pm. There will also be a climbing wall, capoiera (’a martial arts-style dance activity’) and free-running/parkour, which I’ve mentioned before.

They’re also launching Wildabout Manchester, which aims to offer 14 ‘breathing places’ in the city centre where you can observe wildlife. Dog-sized rats on Princess Street, anyone?

Anyway, this is all part of European Mobility Week, which - if you didn’t already know - was this week. Read more about Salford and Manchester’s involvement on the council website.

Critical Mass, the communal bike ride club/society/gang/thing, returns with its monthly outing this evening. And this time there’s a theme: ‘Dress in outrageous 80s clobber or as your fave goonie for a crazy fancy dress ride around our city.’

The ride begins at 6pm outside the Central Library (I caught it heading down Princess Street shortly after last month) and, in a show of solidarity, apparently hundreds of synchronised events will take place around the world.

Here’s a reminder of why Critical Mass exists:

It’s for anyone that rides a bike;
It’s a celebration of getting round the city without polluting it;
It’s about every journey being an adventure instead of just sitting on a
boring bus or in a stressful car;
It’s about cyclists riding together to demand more respect from other road
users;
It’s a way to meet other cyclistas

See their Myspace for more information. And I’ve got more bike-related shenanigans to follow…