You Are Here

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.

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.

Fears | Boring | Chip (Nutsford Vale Soundscape)
Sound design by Oscillate
A soundscape created using field recordings gathered in Nutsford Vale
Nutsford Vale sits in a quiet dip between roads and houses - once a clay pit, later a landfill, now a park. It’s a place shaped by layers, histories and reinvention.
This soundscape gathers sounds and textures from the park, creating a layered, atmospheric reflection of the space as it is and was.
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.