Manchester man hopes 'mundane' M60 motorway calendar will make people smile

ITV Granada Reports correspondent Paul Crone has been speaking to Stuart Atkinson about his wall calendar that showcases the 'best bits' of the M60 motorway.

A man who created a calendar celebrating a busy motorway hopes his "mundane" photos will "put a smile on people's faces."

Stuart Atkinson has created a wall calendar dedicated to the 'best' junctions of Manchester's M60 orbital motorway.Each month focuses on a different junction and includes 'fun' facts as well as a list of things to do nearby.

Regular users of the motorway will be familiar with some of the landmarks, including Stockport Pyramid and the nearby viaduct, Simister Island and Barton Bridge.

The quirky creation is not Stuart's first foray into the world of "mundane" wall calendars.

In 2023, he created a batch of about 30 calendars dedicated to electricity pylons."The British love that sort of inane detail and like to celebrate the odd and the specific so I was hoping it would have a positive response," said Stuart, from Crumpsall, Manchester.

"It actually sold really well – much to my surprise. I had visions of tipping the first batch into the paper recycling bin in January."The calendar proved so popular that Stuart has created a second edition for 2025, which he described as more "arty and photogenic".Stuart, who works for a hazardous waste company, thought: "Why spend hours stuck in traffic on the M60 when you can look at pictures of it in your own home?"

While he admits that the calendars are "a bit tongue in cheek", he hopes they will "bring a smile to people’s faces"."It's a bit specific and a bit daft but there's a lot of history of stupid calendars in the UK," he said.

"Car parks, abandoned mattresses. There was a calendar of the M40 but they just took the shots through the car window."While designing the calendar Stuart said he learned a lot about the M60 and its history

"People like to buy silly things at Christmas because they are stuck for presents," he said.

"It's a good talking point on the wall. It gets people having a laugh. That was the idea, to cheer people up."

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