A former Commando in the Royal Marines is attempting to climb the equivalent of Mount Everest on a StairMaster to raise money for a very worthy cause.
And if that wasn’t enough of a gruelling challenge, he’s aiming to do it in less than 12 hours too.
After a career spent in the Royal Marines, Josh Griffin – a father of one from Manchester – is attempting a feat like nothing else he has faced before by attempting to reach what would be the equivalent to the summit of the tallest mountain in the world.
With travel restrictions amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic preventing a trip to Nepal though, he’s going to do it on StairMaster instead.
On average, it usually takes climbers around two months to summit Everest, but with factors such as high altitude and uncontrollable weather conditions out of the way, Josh is aiming to scale it in a fraction of the time.
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Behind what may initially seem like an extremely ambitious idea though, there’s a very important reason motivating him to completing this challenge. He has organised this mission to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK, after his father was diagnosed with early stage Prostate Cancer back in 2018.
As described in the description of his GoFundMe page, Josh said: “Like many other families who have a loved one diagnosed with cancer, it came as a complete shock. Even though 1 in 2 people will get cancer, we never think it will be us or our loved ones,
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“With the amazing work that Prostate Cancer UK do, people like my Dad who are diagnosed now stand a better chance than ever of beating this terrible disease.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFPjmi7HFQ9/
A present, statistics show that one man dies from prostate cancer every hour in the UK and deaths are set to soar over the next decade. By finding better tests, better treatments, better prevention and better support, Prostate Cancer UK is aiming to dramatically reduce the number of lives lost to the disease each year.
“You can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can control the way you respond, and in your response is your greatest power” Josh added.
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Josh’s fundraising target is currently set at £5,000.
Speaking to The Manc ahead of the challenge – which is due to take place at Pure Gym in Moston on an unconfirmed date in the new year – Josh said: As a former Royal Marine, I’m used to pushing and testing my physical and mental limits,
“What I have planned [though] will be my single biggest feat of physical and mental fortitude to date,
“But I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing this to raise as much money as I can for a charity that means a great deal to my family and thousands more families throughout the UK.”
He added that he knows “the world is a crazy place right now and peoples income and finances have been hit hard”, but that “every donation no matter the amount” means a “great deal” to him, so if you are able to spare a few pounds towards what is an undoubtedly excellent cause, then you can donate to Josh Griffin’s GoFundPage page here.
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58,070 steps in less than 12 hours – it’s one heck of a challenge, but we reckon he’s up to it,
Good luck, Josh!
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Andy Burnham’s favourite Manchester pub, restaurant, neighbourhood and Sunday roast
Daisy Jackson
Andy Burnham’s favourite pub, restaurant, neighbourhood, and Sunday roast have been revealed – and the man’s got taste.
Old footage of now-PM Andy Burnham chatting to content creator Isaac Likes has been doing the rounds again, and while the interview dates back to before Andy left us and headed down to the big smoke, his Manchester recommendations still stand.
From his go-to neighbourhood and favourite pub to where he heads for a Sunday roast, and even the song he likes to play when he gets behind the decks, Burnham gave us a glimpse into his ideal Manchester day.
First up, there’s the Northern Quarter, which Burnham reckons has to be his favourite neighbourhood in the city.
He said: “Got to be the Northern Quarter. It’s the place where it’s all happening.”
When it comes to food, he singled out Firehouse, sitting on the edge of the Northern Quarter, as one of his favourite places to eat. He also gave a shoutout to its sister venue Ramona, where he’s been known to get behind the decks.
Andy said: “On the edge of the Northern Quarter, Firehouse is a place I love to go. Ramona Pizza, I’ve DJ’d there – if the mayor DJs there it’s gotta be alright.”
For a proper pint, Burnham’s choice is a little more traditional, saying his favourite pub is the ‘proper old school’ Peveril of the Peak.
The beautiful tiled pub was recently named the best in the UK, just days before its legendary landlady Nancy passed away.
When Sunday rolls around, Burnham said he has a couple of options up his sleeve. The Wharf in Castlefield gets a mention, as does Edinburgh Castle up in Ancoats.
The Peveril of the Peak pub in ManchesterThe Edinburgh CastleFirehouseSome of Andy Burnham’s favourite places in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
He said: “We love our gravy, we drink it by the pint in Manchester.”
Of course, no conversation with Burnham about Manchester would be complete without talking music.
Asked to name the best Manchester band of all time, he offered a few contenders – The Smiths, New Order, and, ultimately, The Stone Roses.
“The band I think are quintessentially Manchester is The Stone Roses. That was peak Manchester,” he said.
Manchester romcom Finding Emily is currently one of the best-reviewed films of 2026 so far
Emily Sergeant
A new romcom that is set, was filmed in, and actually romanticises Manchester is soon to be released overseas.
If you haven’t had the chance to see Finding Emily for yourself yet, the film is set in Manchester at the fictional Manchester City University and tells the story of a lovesick musician, played by Spike Fearn, who meets his dream girl named Emily on a night out.
Sadly though, he ends up with the wrong phone number for Emily, and so teams up with a driven psychology student, played by Angourie Rice, in a bid to find her.
Together, the unlikely duo spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way.
The film – which is directed by Alicia MacDonald, based on a screenplay by Rachel Hirons, and produced by Working Title Films – is filled with notable local locations dotted throughout, from Manchester Central Library and Piccadilly Records, to Canal Street, the Northern Quarter, and even the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter’s Square featured for all to see.
Oh, and not to mention, if you keep your eyes peeled when watching the trailer, you can even see a small clip of Stockport band Blossoms playing a gig in there too.
Finding Emily was released here in the UK back in May, and received overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans and critics, including by The Manc Group team when we were lucky enough to see it at the Manchester premiere.
And ahead of its international release this week (Friday 26 August), those reviews have remained as glowing as ever.
In fact, over on major film review platform Rotten Tomatoes, the film stands at 95% on the ‘tomatometer’, meaning it’s one of the highest-rated romcoms of the decade so far.
That also makes it one of the best-reviewed movies of the entire year, in addition to its record score for the genre itself, as only two other films released in 2026 have retained scores higher than it – thrilling Hong Kong action film, The Furious, with a score of 98%, and the uniquely hilarious Olivia Wilde directed and starring, The Invite, with a score of 97%.
Unfortunately, box office projections for Finding Emily are pretty low for the weekend over in the US, as it has to contend with continuing big-hitters like Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey.
But it says a lot that this fun-filled original romcom set in our incredible city is more critically acclaimed than those two blockbusters based on existing IP.
Critics say Finding Emily ‘makes a tried-and-true formula feel brand new’, and to us, that’s about as good as you can get.
Finding Emily is no longer in UK cinemas, so if you would like to check it out, you can currently buy or rent the film on Amazon Prime UK, the Sky Store, or the Virgin Media Store.
Emily Sergeant -
13th October 2020 
