Secret Lake Stories is a soundwork by sound designer and composer Emily Zurowski, recorded on and around a small, enclosed body of water known locally as the Secret Lake, on the border of Levenshulme and Reddish in Greater Manchester. Largely hidden from surrounding streets and reached by footpaths through scrub and woodland, the lake sits within a patchwork of former industrial land, housing, railway edges and informal green space.

The piece is centred on the voices of people who know the lake well and spend time there: walkers, neighbours and those who return to it regularly. Their reflections, memories and observations are interwoven with field recordings made at the site, capturing water movement, birdsong and distant human activity.

The lake itself originated as part of an industrial-era water system, later falling out of use and gradually becoming rewilded. Over time it has developed into a quiet, unofficial local landmark, shaped as much by neglect and chance as by design.

Best experienced on headphones.

• Composed and created by Emily Zurowski
• Produced for Levenshulme Old Library
• Executive producer - Richard V. Hirst
• Recorded on location in 2025 at the Secret Lake

To find out more, visit levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk.

Knots | Form | Strut (Cringle Park Soundscape)

Sound design by Oscillate

A soundscape created using field recordings gathered in Cringle Park

Cringle Park presents as a traditional Victorian park - wide paths, open spaces and quiet corners where people pass, pause and play. However at its centre sits a small stone circle whose origins are unclear but whose presence is quietly magnetic.

This soundscape captures the layered sonic textures of the park: footsteps, birds and the steady hum of passing lives.

Part of You Are Here, a podcast from Levenshulme Old Library featuring five original short stories, soundscapes, and audio portraits inspired by Levenshulme’s parks and green spaces.

Produced by Levenshulme Old Library, commissioned by The Space and supported by Arts Council England

Explore the full project: levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk/you-are-here

We’d love to hear what you think - share your feedback here.

Cringle Park – Portrait of the Park

Sound design by Oscillscope

Cringle Park is a space for walking, sitting, drifting - a park with open paths and quiet corners, home to a mysterious stone circle and the routines of daily life.

In this portrait, writer Marie Crook reflects on the role Cringle Park plays in her creative process, and how the textures and rhythms of the space shaped her story, Jean, Darlene, Jacqueline.

Part of You Are Here, a podcast from Levenshulme Old Library featuring five original short stories, soundscapes, and portraits inspired by Levenshulme’s parks and green spaces.

Produced by Levenshulme Old Library, commissioned by The Space and supported by Arts Council England

Explore the full project: levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk/you-are-here

We’d love to hear what you think - share your feedback here.

Jean, Darlene, Jacqueline

Written and performed by Marie Crook

Set in Cringle Park

Each morning, Jean puts on a different version of herself - a different wig, a different name. One day, a stranger in her local park mistakes her for someone else entirely. And for a little while, Jean plays along

Set in Cringle Park, Jean, Darlene, Jacqueline is a quietly uncanny story about reinvention, care and the longing be someone else.

Marie Crook is a writer based in Levenshulme. Her work has appeared in The Real Story, The Caterpillar and Confingo, among others.

You Are Here is a podcast from Levenshulme Old Library featuring five original short stories inspired by Levenshulme’s parks and green spaces.

Levenshulme Old Library is a community-led arts and culture space in South Manchester. Based in a former Carnegie library, it supports local creativity through workshops, performances and place-based storytelling projects that reflect the neighbourhood’s unique character and voices.

The podcast is produced by Levenshulme Old Library, commissioned by The Space, and supported by Arts Council England.

Series editor: Richard V. Hirst

Production and sound design: Oscillate

Explore the full project at: levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk/you-are-here

We’d love to hear what you think - share your feedback here.

Gives | Splice | Agents (Highfield Country Park Soundscape)

Sound design by Oscillate

A soundscape created using field recordings gathered in Highfield Country Park

Highfield Country Park is one of Levenshulme’s largest green spaces - a mix of woodland, meadow, paths and water, where people and wildlife move together through the seasons.

This soundscape weaves together fragments of that environment: birds, trees, quiet footfall and distant conversation - creating an immersive portrait of a space that feels both natural and lived-in.

Part of You Are Here, a podcast from Levenshulme Old Library featuring five original short stories, soundscapes, and audio portraits inspired by Levenshulme’s parks and green spaces.

Produced by Levenshulme Old Library, commissioned by The Space and supported by Arts Council England.

Explore the full project: levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk/you-are-here

We’d love to hear what you think - share your feedback here.

Highfield Country Park – Portrait of the Park

Produced by Levenshulme Old Library

Sound design by Oscilloscope

Highfield Country Park stretches across woodland, open ground and winding trails - a space for wandering, noticing and sometimes getting a little lost.

In this portrait, writer Dipika Mummery shares her personal connection to Highfield, reflecting on how its landscape and wildlife shaped her story, Parakeet.

Part of You Are Here, a podcast from Levenshulme Old Library featuring five original short stories, soundscapes, and portraits inspired by Levenshulme’s parks and green spaces.

Produced by Levenshulme Old Library, commissioned by The Space and supported by Arts Council England

Explore the full project: levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk/you-are-here

We’d love to hear what you think - share your feedback here.

Parakeet

Written and performed by Dipika Mummery

Set in Highfield Country Park

As snow falls on Highfield Country Park, Neena walks with her partner Mo. He’s made a decision - one that could take them away from the life they’ve built together. Parakeet is a quiet, powerful story about belonging, uncertainty, and what it means to put down roots.

Dipika Mummery has written short stories and flash fiction across genres including sci-fi, fantasy, realist fiction and horror. Her work has been published by Comma Press, Arachne Press, Fox & Windmill, Tasavvur, and Fly on the Wall Press. She has an MA in Creative Writing from The University of Manchester and is currently working on a novel.

You Are Here is a podcast from Levenshulme Old Library featuring five original short stories inspired by Levenshulme’s parks and green spaces.

Levenshulme Old Library is a community-led arts and culture space in South Manchester. Based in a former Carnegie library, it supports local creativity through workshops, performances and place-based storytelling projects that reflect the neighbourhood’s unique character and voices.

The podcast is produced by Levenshulme Old Library, commissioned by The Space, and supported by Arts Council England.

Series editor: Richard V. Hirst

Production and sound design: Oscillate

Explore the full project at: levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk/you-are-here

We’d love to hear what you think - share your feedback here.

Lease | Moves | Slower (Chapel Street Park Soundscape)

Sound design by Oscillate

An audio piece created using field recordings gathered in Chapel Street Park

Tucked behind terraced streets, not far from the railway, between a primary school and a pub, Chapel Street Park is a quiet, open space threaded with memory and movement.

This soundscape brings together the ambient textures of the park, creating a layered listening experience that captures the pace and rhythms of the place.

Part of You Are Here, a podcast from Levenshulme Old Library featuring five original short stories, soundscapes, and audio portraits inspired by Levenshulme’s parks and green spaces.

Produced by Levenshulme Old Library, commissioned by The Space and supported by Arts Council England.

Explore the full project here: levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk/you-are-here

We’d love to hear what you think - share your feedback here.