Manchester has been named as the best city in the UK for bees, and it’s probably our most appropriate title to date.
We all know that Manchester and bees go hand in hand, as they have been an emblem for our city for over 150 years, and it’s fair to say that we’re quite-rightly proud of our links to this hard-working insect.
And now, a new study has named the city as being the best for bees in the UK.
As part of its study, floral delivery company Flying Flowers has analysed key cities across the country to find out which are the best for bees in the lead up to the warmer months, as throughout the spring and summer, bees keep our nature growing by spreading their pollen, but to do this successfully, they need a clear air space to fly and a large proportion of flowers and green space to navigate and spread their pollen efficiently.
The study analysed UK cities based on a number of metrics including pollution, green space, the number of flower gardens, allotment sites, individual allotment plots, and the number of parks.
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Here’s how the top 10 cities ranked:
Rank
City
Pollution Rank 2020 average
Green Space %
No. Flower Gardens Per Sq Mile
Allotment Sites per Sq Mile
Allotment Plots per Sq Mile
Parks/Green Spaces per Sq Mile
1
Manchester
8.1
13.13%
0.18
0.92
56.55
3.56
2
Coventry
7.4
8.81%
0.05
1.16
63.35
1.84
3
London
9.6
1.20%
0.15
1.21
59.31
4.94
4
Birmingham
7.7
15.58%
0.06
0.76
46.82
0.81
5
Newcastle upon Tyne
7.7
9.87%
0.02
1.57
79.51
0.75
6
Bristol
10.2
6.76%
0.07
2.05
102.47
0.99
7
Nottingham
8.6
15.34%
0.10
0.97
32.07
1.01
8
Edinburgh
4.7
9.26%
0.11
0.29
15.39
1.46
9
Glasgow
5.2
13.49%
0.12
0.24
10.36
0.37
10
Cardiff
7.6
8.04%
0.06
0.52
46.15
0.33
Explaining why Manchester takes the top spot, Flying Flowers said: “The city benefits from a high percentage of green spaces which make it a welcome area for bees, but what really sets Manchester apart is its parks, with an average of 4.94 parks per square mile, which helped it take the top spot.”
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But where did Manchester’s link to the worker bee begin exactly?
Well, it all started in 1842 when, as part of a traditional Victorian branding exercise, the early city fathers had to decide on a coat of arms that would tell the world who Manchester was, so they settled upon including a globe with seven worker bees in to show how hard Mancunians worked, and then traded it across the seven seas.
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Manchester has been named as the best city in the UK for bees / Credit: Piqsels
The Manchester bee was born of industry, and the city’s people have fought to make this place thrive.
While there is said to be over 250 species of ‘solitary bee’ buzzing around in Britain, Manchester’s worker bee reflects the city as a hive of activity, and represents a sense of unity at times when it’s needed most.
So it’s no wonder that we’re happy to take the title as the best UK city for bees.
Featured Image – Pinterest
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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.”
Sir Patrick Stewart’s farewell performance will be in Avengers: Doomsday, which is being released in UK cinemas on 18 December 2026
Featured Image – Gage Skidmore (via Flickr)
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Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets this Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks season.
Bonfire Night may be loved by us humans for the spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that come along with it… but sadly, the November holiday isn’t quite so fun for our four-legged friends.
Loud bangs, flashing lights, and unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives are just some of the reasons why fireworks are frightening to pets.
Not only that, but with multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays across this time of year, pets are rarely able to pinpoint when and where the booming explosions are coming from, therefore creating even more anxiety around this time of year.
Classic FM will play calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks / Credit: DESIGNECOLOGIST (via Unsplash)
Which is why, for the ninth year running now, Classic FM is once again teaming up with the RSPCA for two Pet Classics programmes packed with ‘the most soothing and comforting classical music’.
The music has been handpicked to help calm and settle any anxious pets.
A survey by the RSPCA revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of animal owners reported their pet was distressed during fireworks season, and that playing relaxing music was the most common way (36%) to help calm or prepare their animal.
Presenters Dan Walker, Aled Jones, and Dawn O’Porter will each host a night of the specially created programme to help keep the nation’s pets calm through the whizzes and bangs.
Dan will present the first programme on Bonfire Night itself (Thursday 5 November), and then as celebrations continue throughout the weekend, Aled will be on hand to bring some peace to Friday 6 November, and Dawn picks up the baton on Saturday 7 November.
Emily Sergeant -
14th April 2022 
