Women in Manchester will be treated to free coffee at a local cafe this week in honour of upcoming International Women’s Day celebrations.
Female-run business Nibble in Manchester’s Northern Quarter has announced it will be giving away free coffees all day on Tuesday 8 March.
Available between the hours of 830am and 5pm, free coffees will be handed out to the women of Manchester, complete with empowering, feel-good messaging.
Image: Nibble NQ
Cups will be covered in quotes by women or empowering messages for women in honour of the day, with plenty more love and encouragement to be found inside the cafe in person.
Nibble has also teamed up with Lullabellz hair care and beauty to give the first fifty women through its door a special gift, too.
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There will be goodie bags on hand with gifts from the beauty company as well as the cafe’s own girl power-themed merch, which shouts loudly that ‘girls can do f****** anything’.
The current merch line includes tote bags, mugs, cards and tea towels, but Nibble also plans to introduce a child-friendly version without the swears in the coming weeks.
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Image: Nibble NQ
Image: Nibble NQ
“The first 50 ladies to come down will be getting goodie bags too with Lullabellz hair care essentials, and our ‘Girls Can’ merch too,” said Nibble NQ owner Lauren Irlam.
“I am currently waiting on the arrival of a new batch too without the swearing, for our little people and those with less of a potty mouth than mine! It’s all very exciting and it’s gone down really well since we started it.
“We’re really excited about celebrating IWD and showing some kindness to the people in our lovely city too. We all need it! We’d love to invite as many people down as possible.”
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Image: Nibble NQ
Nibble NQ has made a name for itself in recent years as a truly independent, female-run business that takes huge pride in its home-cooking style.
Everything you’ll get at the cafe is made on-site from scratch, from healthy salads, afternoon tea and brunch to vegan and gluten-free scones, brownies, muffins and cakes.
Find it next door to Pop Boutique on Oldham Street at number 36, Manchester M1 1JN
Passengers urged to ‘plan ahead’ as Manchester Piccadilly prepares to close for nine days next week
Emily Sergeant
Passengers are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as Manchester Piccadilly prepares to close for nine full days from next weekend.
In case you hadn’t heard, it was announced last November that Manchester Piccadilly train was going to have to shut in February 2026 for what is described as being a ‘once-in-a-generation upgrade’… and now, we are less than two weeks away before that officially becomes a reality and very few train services run in or out of the station.
Network Rail is investing £7.9m into the major upgrade at Manchester Piccadilly station – with the main points of action being to improve tracks, points, and signalling systems on the southern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station.
Teams are due to replace 11 sets of points, renew timber sleepers with modern, concrete equivalents, and alsobring lineside equipment ‘bang up to date’ across six lines to improve future journeys for passengers and freight.
Investment in this apparent ‘critical stretch’ of track has been long awaited, as any issues with the ageing infrastructure can disrupt all trains running in and out of Manchester.
Passengers are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as Manchester Piccadilly prepares to close for nine days next week / Credit: Network Rail
The nine-day closure, although expected to cause commuting chaos, is tipped to ultimately deliver ‘better and more reliable journeys’ for passengers in the long run.
The main work takes place over nine days during February half term, from Saturday 14 through to Sunday 22 February 2026.
And what does this mean for anyone travelling exactly? Well, the scale of the work spanning all main lines means no trains from the south and east of the city will run into Manchester Piccadilly for the full nine days, while trains from the north will also be heavily impacted, as will direct connections to Manchester Airport station.
There will be a limited service westbound from Platforms 13 and 14.
⚠️ Major changes to services this February half term ⚠️
🛠️ We're upgrading the Piccadilly corridor.
📆 From 14-22 February there will be no trains from platforms 1-12. A limited service will terminate at platforms 13&14.
The train shed (Platforms 1-12) will also close for the full nine days, but Manchester Piccadilly station’s concourse will remain open to the public.
“During this time, we are advising passengers to travel light, allow extra time for their journey, and be prepared to queue, as stations and rail replacement services are expected to be very busy,” National Rail said in its statement issued ahead of the closure next week.
“We have worked with train operators, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Manchester City Council to develop an alternative travel plan during the closure, to keep passengers moving smoothly to their destination.”
You can plan your journey on the Northern Rail website here.
Featured Image – Network Rail
News
Work begins on new £500m ‘culture hub’ with a cinema and performance spaces in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Work is finally beginning on a new £500 million culture hub in Manchester.
The first phase of plans to transform Wythenshawe Civic has entered an exciting new chapter, with Manchester City Council and placemaker Muse officially commencing construction of the new Culture Hub – which is tipped to provide a ‘major boost’ for budding artists, and creative groups and organisations in the area.
The hub is set to include space for food and drink on the ground floor, while the first floor is home to a mix of artist studio spaces and flexible areas for workshops, exhibitions, classes, and community events.
Locals can also expect a brand-new 40-seater cinema, which has been included following feedback given during a public consultation, and 200-seater performance space for a diverse range of performances.
Everything from dance and drama, to music and modern art will fill the performance spaces once the hub opens.
Expected to be completed in 2027, the Culture Hub sits within the first phase of a wider plan to ‘refresh’ Wythenshawe Civic, and will come to life thanks to £20 million of funding from the UK Government and a further £11.9 million from the Council.
What Wythenshawe Civic Centre looks like currently, before being transformed / Credit: Wikipedia Commons
“Listening to local people over the last year and more, we know that Wythenshawe residents want more from their town centre – more things to do, opportunities to spend time in Civic and night time attractions that give the area a lift and attract visitors,” explained Cllr Bev Craig, who is the leader of Manchester City Council.
“This is the drive behind the Culture Hub – a place for local people with an interest in the arts to take part in creative activities, see a show, or enjoy the cinema space, right in the heart of their community.
“This is another exciting chapter in the transformation of Wythenshawe town centre.”
Joe Stockton, Development Director at Muse, called the construction of the new Culture Hub an ‘exciting moment’ for Wythenshawe.
He added: “Our aim is to create a space for the town’s talented artists and creatives to come together and give them the facilities and the space they’ve asked for, to put on amazing shows, live performances, and workshops.
“It’s all part of the wider plan to create opportunities for residents, new homes and jobs, as well as a thriving high street for people to spend time in.”
Georgina Pellant -
4th March 2022 
