The people of Greater Manchester have been heaping praise on a local mum after her “random acts of crochet kindness” help to brighten their day.
Sarah Sharples – a 38-year-old mum of two – has been perfecting her crochet skills for the past six years, after teaching herself the tricky craft by simply watching tutorials on YouTube.
And earlier this week, the Salford-native decided to set aside some spare time from her full-time job at NatWest and her recently-acquired side gig as her sons’ homeschool teacher to put her keen crochet hobby to good use and help lift the spirits of her hometown’s residents by hand-crafting over 200 crochet creations and leaving them at several popular places around the city for passers-by to discover.
From MediaCity, all the way to Lightoaks Park, members of the public have been thrilled to find Sarah’s work.
It’s all part of her contribution to the UK-wide Random Acts of Crochet Kindness project and with it, she wants to convey the message of “sending love in tough times”.
“I’ve been crocheting for about six years now,” Sarah told us.
“I first bought some wool to donate to a group who crochet items for stillborn babies in hospital and thought I’d love to have a go and at least make one blanket myself maybe [so] I’m totally self-taught from YouTube videos”.
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She continued: “I decided that leaving an items at MediaCity and Lightoaks Park would just be a lovely act for kids to find while they are out and about in a time where they have struggled [with] home schooling and not seeing friends and family.
“I have made over 200 items now [including] ducks, whales, ladybirds, flowers, birds and elephants [and] my kids love to come with me and hide them either at night or early morning to be found later on”.
Sarah Sharples / Random Acts of Crochet Kindness
This isn’t the first time Sarah has using her crochet creations for the greater good though.
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Even before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic first flipped life as we once knew it on its head and temporarily locked down the world last March, Sarah would often make items to donate to various hospitals, neonatal units and maternity wards in the area, as well as creating little catnip mice for the cats at the RSPCA in Salford.
Then, when the pandemic hit, she made hundreds of ear savers – “to take pressure off ears” – for Salford Royal Hospital, local nursing homes, doctors, hairdressers and other local businesses in need.
“I also made 100 crochet hearts durning the first lockdown,” Sarah added.
“I donated [them] to the Salford Palliative Care team who planned to use them in nursing homes to give to family members who couldn’t visit and then one to the nursing home resident.”
“I also made a crochet heart for every house on my street [which is around 100], with a message of sending love in tough times… and when I saw people had put them up in their windows and that they loved them, I made every house a crochet robin for Christmas too”.
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Sarah Sharples / Random Acts of Crochet Kindness
Sarah Sharples / Random Acts of Crochet Kindness
Although the act of crocheting is known to be pretty skilled and often time-consuming work, it’s something Sarah finds great enjoyment in.
Even more so when all the effort goes towards putting a smile on the faces of Salford’s citizens, and after one of her ladybird creations was spotted in MediaCity and a photo of the find was shared to The Manc’s over 700,000-strong community of loyal Mancunians on Facebook, the praise came pouring in.
The photo amassed over 8K interactions, 475 shares and counting, and hundreds of positive comments from members of the public who were touched by Sarah’s kindness and generosity towards the fellow residents of her local community.
Sarah admitted that reading all of comments “made every second of making them so worth it”, and now, she has some big plans for the future.
“I still want to carry on leaving items at MediaCity and Lightoaks Park for as long as I can,” she revealed.
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“[But] I am also supporting #AHEART4MCR this year, where I am hoping to have 200 crochet hearts to leave around my local area as a random act of kindness to remember the [victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena Bombing]”.
Keep an eye out, Manchester.
Feature
Inside the lavish Grade II-listed Cheshire mansion on the market for an eye-watering £7.5m
Emily Sergeant
A lavish Grade II-listed Georgian mansion surrounded by Cheshire countryside views is currently on the market for an eye-watering £7.5 million.
Again, we know this one is a little off patch for us – but it’s such a grand property, we couldn’t not share it with you all.
Before we get carried away though, it goes without saying that the vast majority of us won’t have the money to buy this house just sitting in our bank accounts, but if like us, you love looking at houses you can’t afford in places you’ll probably never live, then allow us to introduce you to this absolute beauty.
This is Stretton Hall, and it’s described by estate agents as being ‘genuinely is one of the great representations of Cheshire‘s heritage’.
This is Stretton Hall / Credit: Dee Distinct Estate Agents
Found in the picturesque village of Stretton – which benefits from being close to both the amenities on offer in the neighbouring towns and cities of Malpas, Chester and even Wrexham, and stunning surrounding countryside, as well as good local schools and easy-access to motorway links across the North West and beyond – Stretton Hall is one of those properties truly deserving of its Grade II-listed recognition.
“Take just two steps through the front door and you can’t help but be impressed by the fact this is one of the warmest and most welcoming homes on the market right now,” estate agents declared.
Approached via a sweeping driveway and surrounded by mature grounds, this ‘distinguished’ eight-bedroom home is an exceptional country residence that combines historic character with refined modern living.
It’s a lavish Grade II-listed Cheshire mansion on the market for an eye-watering £7.5m / Credit: Dee Distinct Estate Agents
The property is packed with elegant period architecture around every corner.
Think beautifully proportioned rooms, high ceilings, exposed beams, original fireplaces, detailed joinery, and an abundance of natural light throughout, all to create a home that’s described as being both ‘timeless’ and ‘comfortable’.
At the heart of the house lies a generous kitchen and family space, as well as several reception rooms that are ideal for entertaining, while upstairs you’ll find multiple bedrooms and bathrooms arranged to suit both family living and guest hosting.
It’s set amongst regal grounds and surrounded by countryside views / Credit: Dee Distinct Estate Agents
The property is just as impressive – arguably even more so – once you step outside, as it is on the inside.
Externally, the property boasts well-maintained gardens, lawns, and outdoor entertaining areas, all enjoying far-reaching rural views towards the Welsh Hills, as well as there being established equestrian facilities on site too.
There are also a number of additional outbuildings on the land, which provide excellent potential for future refurbishment.
Stretton Hall is currently on the market for £7.5 million with West Kirkby-based estate agents, Dee Distinct, and if you’re keen to take a look around for yourself, then get in touch. Otherwise, you can just have a look around on Rightmove instead here.
Featured Image – Dee Distinct
Feature
The best Northern music artists of the month | May 2026
Danny Jones
Hello again, long time no see, eh? Well, not really, it was only this time last month, but we are back not just with fresh music suggestions for you, but something new full-stop.
For a few years now, we’ve simply rounded up some of the best bands and artists coming out of Greater Manchester on here, and we’ve loved every single song of it.
But with The Manc Group‘s now dedicated music page, Audio North, not just becoming a beast all of its own, but having got underway with a fully-fledged ‘Artist of the Month’ series, it only made sense to merge the two and start singing the praises of names from as many regions as possible.
These regular lists will still always be Northern, but from here on out, you’ll be getting much more than just Mancunian musicians to wrap yourselves around. Let’s get this thing started.
Five Northern artists we’ve been listening to lately
1. Holly Rolfe
Where else to start this reworked round-up than with Audio North‘s very own singularly selected Artist of the Month for May, Leeds’ Holly Rolfe, who is a self-confessed pop girlie looking to take on not just the North, but the UK and who knows where else next.
We’ve been lucky enough to chat and create content with her on multiple occasions over the last few weeks, and we daren’t try and choose favourite tracks so early in her career, but we will shout out that EDM feature on ‘I’ll Come Back To You’ by Rameses B. Give her a go and thank us later.
Now, as always with these monthly listicles, it isn’t necessarily always up-and-coming artists that focus on; so long as there’s new music or new discoveries being made, and we’re more than over the moon to tell you that Northern cult favourites The Coral have released their 13th studio album – and it’s great.
The Merseyside five-piece have returned with what may have just become our new go-to summer soundtrack for 2026. The opener ‘Let The Music Play’ is a great introduction to this latest rocksteady style, as is ‘Ride That Train’ – and ‘Leave It In The Past’, actually…
Just listen to the whole thing.
We’re delighted that our brand new album ‘388’ is OUT NOW, recorded live in the studio to a Tascam 388 tape machine.
One of all the ‘alt kids’ among the audience, Safeguard are a fast-growing, no-nonsense pop-punk outfit from Leeds, and they’ve got all the grit you’d expect from a Yorkshire band, only with those obvious noughties and 2010s American influences.
They’re actually coming up on a decade together, but now they’re gaining some real ground. If you like early Story So Far or Neck Deep, you’ll get on just fine with this lot, and as for recommendations, start nice and easy with ‘Sweetpea’ or ‘You Will Reappear’ and work your way backwards to ‘Harbour’ etc.
Second from last this month, we’re going for the ever-rising Royston Club, who hail from just across the border in Wrexham – with an English contingent, mind you – and are absolutely nailing it on the indie rock scene at the moment. We’ve seen them before, but our recent live experience has left us obsessed.
We were left pretty blown away by the energy they brought to the party this late May bank holiday at NBHD Weekender 2026 (full review HERE), and you can tell that they’ve stepped up a level in almost every aspect. ‘Shivers’, ’52’ and, of course, ‘Cariad’ – simple as.
Last but not least for this new format, we’re shouting Sheffield underdogs, The Rosadocs, who have remained largely under the radar but deserve much more, as far as we’re concerned. Striking a similar balance between alt-rock and indie, these lads have a great sense of drama about them to our ears.
Notably, Keelan Graney’s vocals range somewhere between fellow Yorkshireman Alex Turner and Frank Carter, only maybe with a little bit more pitch, bravado and almost Scottish twang (?), somehow. Our first track was ‘No.54’, but ‘Cross To Bear’ is a beautiful ballad, and ‘Stand Alone’ is fit for festival crowds.
Emily Sergeant -
4th March 2021 
