A woman from Manchester has been crowned the winner of a nationwide competition in search of the messiest car in the UK.
And she’s beaten out over 200 submissions to the top spot too.
For some of us, our car truly is our pride and joy, but for others, it’s nothing more than a dumping ground on wheels, which is why leading car parts supplier, Euro Car Parts, decided to launch a competition seeking out the messiest motor in the country and asked drivers to submit a photo of their untidy car for a chance to win what would be, for them, a much-needed £200 car cleaning product bundle.
Whether it’s a title to carry with pride or not, that didn’t stop hundreds of people from sending in their entries in the hopes of taking the crown.
But it was 32-year-old Louise Duffy from right here in Manchester who’s been named the winner.
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“I am delighted beyond belief.” Louise said.
“Whilst some people might not be happy to claim this title, I certainly am.
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“The car gets so messy because of my happy kids, who apparently know where everything is, which makes for lots of chaos [so] I am absolutely thrilled to win the prize, and my boys will love to clean out the car with our new goodies.”
Louise Duffy / Euro Car Parts
Speaking on the winner of this year’s competition, Helen Robinson – Corporate Communications Director at Euro Car Parts – said: “We hope that the cleaning bundle helps Louise keep her car in sparkling condition from now on”.
Louise may have taken the crown, but she’s also in good company too after being joined by another fellow Greater Mancunian and local Cheshire resident in the top 10 too.
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Elizabeth Barton from Wigan, and Marianne Sparkes from Macclesfield, have been named as runners up.
When it came to Elizabeth’s entry though, she wasn’t actually the culprit with the messy vehicle and instead took it upon herself to enter her husband’s car into the competition, which she apparently flat out refuses to sit inside of as it hasn’t been cleaned in four years.
Marianne, on the other hand, is the owner of her messy car entry and claims to empty it regularly, but her kids soon see to making a mess again.
Elizabeth Barton
Marianne Sparkes
“Cleaning out your car can often fall to the bottom of your list of jobs, and we’re sure that for many, these images may be a familiar sight.” Helen Robinson continued.
“[But] giving your car a clean from time to time means you and your passengers will have a safer and more pleasant driving experience [and] we recommend cleaning the inside of your car fairly regularly, especially now that many vehicles aren’t being used as often, as unpleasant smells may build up”.
You can find some top tips for cleaning and valeting your car from the comfort of your own home via the Euro Car Parts website here.
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The cheapest Christmas Markets in the world for mulled wine have been revealed
Daisy Jackson
The most affordable Christmas Markets for drinking mulled wine have been revealed – and Manchester is nowhere in sight.
With Christmas markets across Europe preparing to welcome millions of visitors, festive fans looking to enjoy a warming cup of glühwein without breaking the bank might want to take note of the latest findings.
Festive experts at Christmas Tree World have analysed mulled wine prices at Christmas markets around the world to discover where visitors can enjoy the seasonal favourite for less.
Topping the rankings is Brussels’ Winter Wonders, where mulled wine is available for as little as £2.14 – about a third of the price of a mulled wine at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
Cologne Cathedral Christmas Markets and Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik share second place, with starting prices of just £2.56.
Other European favourites also feature prominently in the rankings. Budapest’s Christmas Market at the Basilica takes fourth place, with mulled wine costing £3.19, while Prague’s Old Town Square Christmas Market comes in sixth at £3.55.
Germany makes another strong appearance, with Dresden’s Striezelmarkt and Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt (which handily just launched new direct flights from Manchester) both offering mulled wine for £3.85.
Meanwhile, Vienna’s Christmas World rounds off the European entries in ninth place, with prices starting at £4.28.
For those planning a festive adventure further afield, Tokyo’s Christmas Market also makes the top five, with mulled wine costing £3.22.
However, not every destination offers such a bargain. Across the Atlantic, New York City’s Winter Village takes the title of the most expensive market in the study, with mulled wine costing a rather less festive £11.74. Chicago’s Christkindlmarket isn’t far behind, charging £8.80.
Manchester Christmas Markets start on Friday 6 November – we’ll see how our prices stack up then.
Sir Ian McKellen pays emotional tribute to long-time friend and fellow northern actor Sir Patrick Stewart
Emily Sergeant
Sir Ian McKellen has paid an emotional tribute to his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, following his death.
Sir Patrick Stewart – who was born and bred in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and is best-known for his theatre work alongside an illustrious 60-year screen career, taking on prominent roles in franchises such as Star Trek and X-Men – sadly passed away at the age of 86, with his death being announced publicly yesterday evening (29 October).
And now, his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Ian McKellen, has paid tribute.
Sir Patrick and Sir Ian shared the stage together countless times over their decades-long careers, but also famously starred alongside each other in the X-Men franchise, and subsequent Marvel movies, as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Magneto.
The tribute, shared across Sir Ian’s social media platforms, reads: “Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.
“We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions.
“My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in ‘Star Trek’. “But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
“Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did, for not just his devoted Trekkies, but film and theatre audiences who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (‘X-Men’ of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin.
“But he never forsook his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.”
Emily Sergeant -
18th February 2021 
