He’s a Timperley legend in his own right and is known for his brilliant comic capers across the globe.
And now the magical world of the late Manchester icon Frank Sidebottom is making a return to Trafford in the form of a special exhibition featuring a number of rare and famous artefacts.
The exhibition, in celebration of our iconic local hero with the giant papier-mâché head, kicks off this weekend at Trafford Council’s Local Studies and Archive Centre at the Waterside in Sale.
Frank Sidebottom – the exhibition
Watched over by a Little Frank puppet, it features a number of rare and famous items, including Frank’s famous Big Shorts football shirt, his Magical Timperley Tour jacket, several rare pieces of artwork from his Oink! Comic, special Frank Subbuteo figures and cardboard mirror image puppets of ‘Little Frank.’
Several glass cabinets will display items to please Frank Sidebottom fans, along with a video featuring the work of the man himself entitled ‘The Magical Timperley Tour’.
Who was the real Chris Sievey?
Frank was the work of creative, Sale-born genius Chris Sievey, who turned the quirky alter ego into a beloved cult phenomenon.
Chris, who passed away 15 years ago, was a very talented artist, comedian, singer and musician.
Sievey left his mark in music, media and print, and performed a number of albums and songs, including Born In Timperley, Panic On The Streets Of Timperley, Anarchy In Timperley.
The Frank Sidebottom character first appeared in 1984 on an untitled EP by Chris Sievey and the Freshies band and became an almost instant success with his fun and family-friendly humour.
Gary Maguire – curator
Gary Maguire, who put together the exhibition, first met Chris Sievey 30 years ago at a comic and toy shop he was running in Manchester city centre and the pair became friends from that point on.
He said, “Chris was a really interesting character and was huge on the Manchester music scene. He was such a talent – a great singer, musician, artist and comic. I’d never met anyone like him before.
“His Frank Sidebottom alter ego was inspiring, and he was never far from the action in Manchester from 1984, when Frank first appeared on the scene, up to his death 15 years ago. I first started collecting memorabilia in the 1990s and am still continuing to do so.
“I guess the star items on the exhibition are Frank’s football shirt, which he wore throughout his career, the tour jacket and much of the artwork.
“These are rare, one-off pieces and I am delighted to be sharing them as part of the exhibition.
“Please feel free to come along and take a look – hopefully we can organise an even bigger exhibition in the future, as what is on display represents only a fraction of the body of work created by Chris.”
Timperley always had an important place in Frank Sidebottom’s heart
Frank is famous all around the world, but Timperley always held an important place in his heart. His statue in the centre of the village is extremely popular and includes the message ‘As long as I gaze on Timperley sunset, I am in paradise’ as a nod to the famous Kinks hit ‘Waterloo Sunset’.
Coun Eve Parker, Trafford council’s executive member for leisure, arts, culture and heritage, said: “This is a fantastic exhibition and I thank Gary so much for all his time and effort in making it happen.
“Frank Sidebottom was a legend and to have such amazing and rare items connected to him on display at the Local Studies and Archive Centre is fabulous. Please come along and experience the exhibition for yourself, you won’t be disappointed.”
Frank’s World – the exhibition
The free exhibition – Frank’s World – launched on Saturday, 14th of June, 2025, and will run until the 30th of August, 2025.
The video was created by filmmaker Steve Sullivan, who created the documentary ‘Being Frank – the Chris Sievey story.’
His website can be viewed by clicking here
