After a long afternoon of trudging through the countryside in whatever weather conditions the north throws at you, there’s nothing quite like the reward of a crisp pint.
And on a particularly beautiful walk right on the outskirts of Greater Manchester, we stumbled upon a taproom that might just provide the best drinking background in the region.
Let’s start with the walk details.
If you haven’t yet been exploring the trails and paths around Rivington, you’re missing out on a real stunner of a hike.
There are countless loops you can do around the area, providing the best bits of all countryside settings.
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You want woods? They’ve got em. A nice flat walk beside a body of water? Rivington’s got it. A decent uphill trudge ending in absolutely stunning views? Yep, that’s here too.
A highlight of this corner of the North West is the Rivington Terraced Gardens, which will try to transport you to Italy and Japan all while only just stepping outside Bolton.
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These 100-year-old gardens were created by the Lord of Leverhulme and inspired by his travels, and have been carefully restored in recent years by teams of volunteers.
Walking around the footpaths and flights of steps you’ll stumble upon a hidden Japanese Garden, lakes, waterfalls, bridges, sculptures and caves, ending up at the top of Rivington Pike with panoramic views.
From here, you can keep going along to Winter Hill for arguably even more impressive views, or start to loop back down the hill to the water’s edge, passing Liverpool Castle as you go.
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And here is where the beer comes in.
If you pass through the village of Rivington itself and walk along Horrobin Lane which crosses the two reservoirs, you’ll find yourself at the Rivington Brewing Co taproom.
The most scenic pint in the north westInsdie Rivington Brewing Co’s taproom
This is huge taproom is a haven for modern craft beer, with absolutely loads of brews to choose from and a can fridge if the 18-odd taps don’t have what you fancy.
There’s plenty of cosy spaces inside the fairylight-strewn converted barn building, but the beer garden is the star of the show.
There are views from here right across the water and all the way to Pigeon Tower and Winter Hill, with plenty of space for big groups.
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And dotted all around the outdoor area are a rotating selection of street food traders, serving everything from pizza to burgers to cakes.
If you’re looking for a belting Saturday afternoon activity, this is absolutely the one.
You can look a walk in the area that suits your ability here.
Five Manchester bands we’ve been listening to this month | June 2024
Danny Jones
Hello there (Obi-Wan Kenobi voice intended), we’re glad to see you’re back for the best new Manchester music that we’ve been funnelling directly into our ears this month.
It seems hard to believe that we’re already in June and six editions into this series; that’s half the year already gone and 30 bands already given a humble nod of approval – and now we have five more for you.
You’re forgiven if you’re new to this monthly round-up so long as you keep up to date with it regularly from now on, and why wouldn’t you? You get five Manchester bands or artists who are doing exciting things to keep us on the music map for nothing and with none of the work involved.
This is what we live for and there are few things we enjoy more than spotlighting rising talent.
Five new up-and-coming Manchester bands
Now, in a rare first for this series, we’re all bands this month but like pretty much anyone that comes out of Manchester’s music scene, they’re all absolutely belting.
Don’t worry, you’ve still got some variety in the genre to get stuck into, so let’s not dilly-dally any further, eh?
Let the tunes commence.
1. Pastel
We’re starting off June’s list of Manchester bands we’ve been listening to with Pastel. Now, we have to make a disclaimer that they are now based in Swansea but these lads started with two cousins from 0161 and have gone on to support the likes of Liam Gallagher at Knebworth, The Charlatans and more.
Playing one of the biggest headline shows to date at Band on the Wall back in May – where they were supported by LG’s son’s band Villanelle – it felt like a bit of a watershed moment for the five-piece shoegaze-inspired band with deep roots here in 0161. They’re only young but we love a homecoming.
We’ve been listening to them for a while now but it feels like they’re starting to pick up some traction, so you best enjoy them as one of your best-kept secrets while you can. Our entry point was ‘Deeper Than Holy’, but their first song ‘She Waits For Me’ is great too and so is their new single ‘Dancing On A Pin’
2. Hot Milk
Second on this month’s list is the emo-fuelled power pop rock group Hot Milk who are also well and truly on the rise, having dropped their debut album A Call To The Void last year, headlined Manchester Academy and recently supported Foo Fighters at their Villa Park show in Birmingham.
Punchy, punky, proudly Manc and with a pair of powerful vocalists fronting the band, you get flavours of everything from Vukovi, Yungblud, Against The Current, Tonight Alive and plenty of other contemporaries. What’s more, you only have to hear the energy from the crowd on their Academy live album to hear how deep their fans already are – they’re going far this lot.
‘Candy Coated Lie$’ is their most streamed song on Spotify and it’s a guess a great place to start, but from there we’d point you in the direction of ‘OVER YOUR DEAD BODY’ for the tasty breakdown alone, and then try ‘AMPHETAMINE’ which features vocals from Julian Comeau of Loveless. Oof.
From one modern punk-inspired band to another, Vulture Authority almost feels like Manchester’s semi-adopted answer to Idles meets Yard Act, Hello Cosmos and by way of Derby. Honestly, one minute you’ll get a tatse of The Reytons, the next your dancing like a prat to some modern ska riff. It’s chaotic.
We’ll confess that we came about these lads by way of them being a featured artist at the end of the Have A Word podcast after local comedian Jamie Hutchinson gave them a shout-out on an episode, but their unapologetic, simultaneously random and yet no-nonsense lyrics and instrumentation, twinned with lots of rolled Rs, Northern gruff and a familiar Manc whine caught our attention straight away.
In fact, the Gorton-based comic features in many of their songs and videos as you’ll see down below and while we’ll admit it’s very rough around the edges, it’s undeniably good fun. We’d suggest starting with ‘Torpedo Moscow’, ‘Working Class Jesus’ and then ‘Last Orders’, which you’ll find below.
There’s politics, football ultras humour, lots of Jamie Hutchinson and wonderful low-budget music videos.
4. Loose Articles
Oh yes, we’ve got even more punk for you and the fact they filmed the music video for their alternative Euro 2022 anthem ‘Kick Like A Girl‘ at the Peveril of the Peak, St George’s Park in Hulme and the ‘No Prawn Sandwiches’ sign outside the Man United pub in Trafford should be all the convincing you need.
Loose Articles are a Mancunian quartet with indie elements juggling the 9-5 like many up-and-coming bands but have now found themselves being championed by BBC Radio 6 Music, on Spotify’s ‘All New Punk’ playlist and also happen to have the best logo in the game: it’s the Stella Artois label…
There’s also another Foo Fighters connection here too, as the local bunch were the opening act for the rock gods’ first night at the Old Trafford earlier this month and got the energy going nice and early – not an easy job. ‘Up The Disco’, ‘Money for Booze’ and the new ‘Mr Manager’ are our recommendations.
And for the fifth and final name on our list of Manc bands this month, we’re technically heading out into Greater Manchester and the borough if Wigan to be specific, but we simply couldn’t wait any longer before bigging up the indie four-piece, Stanleys.
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Flying the flag for the home of pie barms and the ‘Tics, these lads nail laid-back, melodic and catchy choruses, twinky guitar picking and have already opened up for the likes of Inspiral Carpets, The Clause and The Libertines, not to mention endless festival slots this year.
They’re also one of six acts supporting fellow native Richard Ashcroft for his massive homecoming gigs at Robin Park next month. The new single ‘He Knows’ have some of the most soft and staisying vocals to date, our first-ever listen was ‘Look Back’, but ‘A Better Life’ is understandably their biggest tune to date.
And we’re sad to inform you but that’s your lot for new, up-and-coming, exciting Manchester bands and artists this month; we hope it also goes without saying that we barely even scratch the surafce every time we do this.
But the best part is, if you know of a band or musician who is doing exiting things here in 0161 and you think they deserve to be on this list, if you drop them in the comments enough, we just might see it.
But before we say goodbye, make sure to give all these names so love and if you missed last month’s Manc bands we’re listening to, you can find it down below.
Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)/Loose Article (via Facebook)
Feature
Inside the new Hive Stores as beloved antiques shop adds a beautiful new cafe and bar
Daisy Jackson
It’s not every day that Greater Manchester gets a new business quite as beautiful as the new bar at Hive Stores.
This fantastic local business is now operating partly as an antiques store, partly as a cafe, also selling everyday essentials, quality produce, bakery bits from Half Dozen Other, cheeseboards, and cocktails.
The new addition is a real looker, all dark wood and marble with so much character it feels like it’s been here for 100 years.
Over the years, this little building in Altrincham has been everything from a greengrocers to a bakery to an antiques shop – and now, fittingly, it’s sort of all three of those things at once.
When Steven Sherratt and Gareth Wilkins took the space over, it was with a vision to restore it back to how it would’ve looked in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as offering all the convenience it would have done in its former life but with their own personal style added in.
That means you can pick up some eggs and have an espresso martini at the same time, and the old-fashioned shelving is stocked with Italian brands as well as local produce.
They’re also hoping to bring back the traditional relationship between shopkeeper and customer, which seems to be working – everyone who comes through the door greets them by name.
Hive Stores started life in Altrincham Market as an antiques stall almost a decade ago.
But when Covid hit, Gareth and Steven shifted all their stock over to a space on Grosvenor Road.
Initially, the ramshackle building out the back was all that Hive Stores consisted of, an Aladdin’s cave jam-packed with beautiful antiques and other items from local craftsmen.
Then they added a coffee cart in the courtyard, which became a ‘haven for locals to escape the same four walls’ during lockdown.
Then several years later, the small building at the front of this plot of land became available, and Hive Stores added cafe and bar to its bow.
Following a successful Crowdfunder, they spent more than a year carefully restoring the space, adding in their favourite antiques from their collection like a wall of hand mirrors and silver plates.
Gareth said: “We’ve got antique furniture as the bar, quirky antiques adorning the walls in the dining space, and it’s kind of created that really good mix between modern and vintage.
“We wanted to create something that was timeless, so in years to come, regardless of how we change the decor in terms of mirrors or pictures or anything like that, the building itself will always be timeless.
“We’re very happy with how it’s turned out.”
Gareth continued: “We’ve got loads of people who have followed us literally since day dot in the market.
“So the regulars have been fantastic sticking with us and how we’ve transitioned our business over to what it is now. And so many new faces now too, it’s brilliant, and everyone’s been so complimentary and kind.”
Steven added: “As well as the Crowdfunder, where we raised about £13,000 from the public, we wouldn’t have been able to even start the renovations without the help of Atlantic Timber and Cheshire Marble and CTC tiles, which are all local businesses who were just so generous and supportive.”
Gareth said: “There’s no way it would’ve happened without the help of both the public and other businesses here, we’re forever in their debt.”
The new-look Hive Stores is now open in Altrincham.