If you’re from Greater Manchester, the name Boddingtons likely needs no introduction, but if you’re new to the area or part of the generation that’s young enough to have never clocked the legendary logo before, the ‘Cream of Manchester’ was known for making a good advert or two.
Answers on a postcard? Yes, we of course are referring to the classic ice cream van ad that featured a young Melanie Sykes serving an ice-cold pint of Boddingtons to a thirsty athlete, played by former EastEnders actor Ken George.
In fact, the recognisable TV presenter and British household name went on to feature in a few of them, including a contemporary recreation back in 2017, but it isn’t any of her appearances that recently re-captured our attention.
The old ‘Boddies’ ad that we stumbled across in 2025, more than 30 years on from when it originally aired, is the Gondola/’Just One Cornetto’ spoof filmed right here in the city centre along Manchester’s famous canal network.
Circa 1993. Recognise where it is?
Just as beautiful as Venice, if you ask us – and that’s just the pint…
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As you can see, not only did the once beloved Boddingtons advert capture a glimpse of the River Irwell near the old Granada Studios and how Manchester’s waterways used to look back in the day, but it was also a pretty modern, ironic take for the time.
Inspired by arguably one of the most famous ads of all time, the Boddies marketing team and director Jeff Stark didn’t just imitate or poke fun at Wall’s Cornetto ice cream: they played on the genuine nickname and imagery drummed up by locals who drank it week in, week out.
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The famous frothy white head and the ‘do you want a Flake with that?’ is the kind of joke you still hear to this day when someone overdoes it with a Guinness, but turning the glass into a golden ice cream was a bit of genius.
In fact, the old Boddies ad even helped launch the career of stingy ‘Gladys Althorpe’ herself, Anna Chancellor, who went on to appear in What A Girl Wants, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and many more.
She and Sykes weren’t the only ones either; another admittedly sexually-charged campaign released roughly a year later featured another familiar face in Sarah Parish (Doctor Who, Trollied, The Wedding Date) – again, always ending with a stereotypically Manc, if not at least Northern, punchline.
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It was smash hits like these that saw Boddingtons dubbed not only Manchester’s most famous beverage but ‘the Cream of Marketing‘ for a time as well.
The beer may not be as prominent as it once was, but its legacy as part of classic UK telly is up there with R Whites Lemonade, Dairy Milk, Compare The Meerkat, and so many more.
You can see a super-cut compilation of some of their retro ads HERE.
Oh yeah, and if watching all this has made you get a thirst on like it did us, you’ll be glad to hear that while it may be difficult to locate these days, there are still a few places you can find a pint of Boddies in and around the area.
Featured Images — advertarchive (screenshot via YouTube)
TV & Showbiz
First look images released of new BBC comedy series Small Prophets filmed in Urmston
Emily Sergeant
The first images of a new BBC comedy series created by Mackenzie Crook filmed over in Urmston have been released.
Ahead of airing in early 2026, new on-set images of the six-part series called Small Prophets gives viewers a glimpse behind the scenes of the much-anticipated BBC comedy that was created, written, and directed by BAFTA-winning Mackenzie Crook – best known for his roles in The Office UK and Detectorists.
The series will feature a host of comedy stars including Mackenzie Crook himself, alongside the legend Sir Michael Palin, and other famous names like Pearce Quigley, Lauren Patel, Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing, and Paul Kaye.
The new images are said to reveal the ‘weird and wonderful’ new world Crook has conjured up.
The first look images of new BBC comedy series Small Prophets have been released / Credit: BBC
Small Prophets was both filmed and set in and around Greater Manchester – particularly in Urmston – and will be incorporating animation elements throughout as a story of ‘the magical and the mundane’ unfolds in a suburban cul-de-sac.
But what actually is the show about? Well, a synopsis on the BBC website explains: “We meet eccentric Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley) whose darling partner Clea disappeared seven years ago. Since then, Sleep has lived a very ordinary life.
“He eats Shreddies, works in a DIY store, visits his dad Brian (Michael Palin), and hopes for Clea to return.
“One day Brian shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure, and more than a little alchemy.
The show was filmed in and around/ Credit: BBC
“With recipe in hand, Sleep sets out (albeit with some scepticism) to create Homunculi – magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future.
“Sleep gets help from young work mate Kacey (Lauren Patel), an unlikely friendship that blossoms partly, but not wholly, through their mutual dislike of store manager Gordon (Mackenzie Crook).
“Their friendship adds to the frustration and intrigue of his nosy neighbours (Sophie Willan and Jon Pointing) who are obsessed with trying to find out what the hell is going on in the garden shed.”
Small Prophets will be released on iPlayer and BBC Two in early 2026, but an official air date is yet to be confirmed, so keep your eyes peeled.
Featured Image – BBC
TV & Showbiz
Lyme Park to celebrate 30 years since BBC’s Pride and Prejudice was filmed there
Emily Sergeant
It’s time to venture into the world of Jane Austen, as National Trust Lyme will be celebrating 30 years since Pride and Prejudice was filmed there.
Lyme is reprising its role as ‘Pemberley’ three decades on from the BBC adaptation series.
The National Trust, which cares for Lyme Park, is inviting visitors to step into the pages of Jane Austen’s beloved novel with a series of events to commemorate the occasion.
Made famous as the backdrop to the iconic scene where Colin Firth’s Mr Darcy emerges from a lake in the 1995 BBC adaptation, Lyme will be celebrating all things Jane Austen for the next couple of weeks, as prompted by quotes from the book and series, visitors can recreate some of the famous moments between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy as they explore the stunning house and garden.
Lyme Park is celebrating 30 years since BBC’s Pride and Prejudice was filmed there / Credit: BBC iPlayer
Just some of the activities visitors can get involved with, both inside the house and outside in the grounds, include needlework classes, themed spaces, and a quiet place in the library where you can relax with a classic novel – Pride and Prejudice itself, perhaps.
You can even take things one step further by visiting the Regency dressing room inside the house and then explore the autumnal garden dressed up as an Austen-era character.
Oh and don’t forget to look out for the original portrait of Colin Firth as Darcy from the series, on display in the State Bedroom.
The festivities continue with an after-hours concert in Lyme’s historic Saloon on Thursday 25 September, as surrounded by flickering candlelight, themed compositions performed by Artaria Quartet will resonate through the centuries-old walls.
Not only is it 30 years since the BBC series, but 2025 also marks the 250thbirthday of Jane Austen herself.
To celebrate this, Lyme will host Serenity Booksellers for a day of all things Regency on Sunday 28 September, and literature enthusiasts can expect author talks, traditional dance performances, and Austen-themed quizzes.
Fancy it then? Lyme will celebrate 30 years of BBC’s Pride and Prejudice right through until Wednesday 22 October, and entry to the park is free for National Trust members, while admission fees apply for non-members.
Some events, however, will be ticketed.
Tickets to the candlelit concert and the Serenity Booksellers event can be bought in advance by visiting nationaltrust.org.uk/lyme.
Danny Jones -
13th June 2025 
