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Manchester

Seven Manchester green spaces have been named some of the best in the UK

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 15th July 2026

A handful of green spaces in Manchester have once again been handed coveted awards and named among the best in the UK.

It may be on your radar that for several years running now, parks and cemeteries in Greater Manchester have deservingly been recipients of the prestigious Green Flag Award – which is an internationally-recognised honour given annually to the parks and cemeteries that have ‘attained a high standard of green space’.

And 2026 seems to be absolutely no different, with the region coming out on top once again.

Green Flag Awards are granted by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy each year to recognise accessible green spaces that set ‘an international benchmark for management’.

Alexandra Park
Seven Manchester green spaces have been named some of the best in the UK / Credit: Donald Judge (via Flickr) | Wikimedia Commons

Every site recognised through the scheme is assessed by experienced judges who judge the parks using eight criteria.

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The criteria includes environmental management, biodiversity, landscape and heritage, community involvement, marketing and communication, and management to make sure it’s a safe and secure place for visitors of all ages.

2026 has been one of Manchester’s most successful years, as Manchester City Council has revealed this week that Blackley, Gorton, Philips Park, Manchester General, and the Southern cemeteries have all been given the Green Flag Award, as well as both Alexandra Park and Heaton Park retaining the important title too.

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The awards shed light on the range of groups, volunteers, and staff who devote themselves year-round to the maintenance and upkeep of these areas. 

“Come rain or shine our colleagues are out in our parks and cemeteries every day of the year, putting their time and effort into making them the internationally recognised locations they are,” commented Councillor Basat Sheikh, who is the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council.

“I’m deeply proud of their efforts and I want to dedicate the seven Green Flags we have been awarded to them.

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“It’s no overstatement to say none of this would be possible without them.”

Featured Image – Stephen Taylor (via Geograph / Wikimedia Commons)

Manchester

The unsung Manchester pub serving beloved local pints for £3.35 that’s thrived during the World Cup

Danny Jones Danny Jones Pints under a fiver Manchester White Lion Castlefield

Finding a pint for less than £5 in Manchester in 2026 is almost unheard of; combine that with a pub that’s truly levelled up as a go-to for the World Cup this summer, and this increasingly rowdy little corner of Castlefield is well worth writing home about.

We’re talking about The White Lion on Liverpool Road and just around from the city centre’s famous Roman fort, ‘Mamucium’, which has always been among the more reasonable places for a tipple in town and is no stranger to showing the football.

However, after a significant refurb just a few years ago and after gradually growing a refreshed crowd of regulars, the Manc boozer hasn’t just steadily repatronised local punters but rather it seems to have gained a whole new lease of life this summer.

The 2026 World Cup showings, complete with a new outside screen on their sizeable and sunny outdoor terrace, have certainly helped, but when you can get a drink for as little as £3.35 for a pint of Boddies, it’s not hard to see why more and more people are flocking here amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Part of us almost thought about trying to still gatekeep this one for ourselves, but the truth is, the place has become so popular over the past few months (at least that’s as long as we’ve noticed a significant increase) that the cat is very much out of the bag and it’s no one’s ‘best-kept secret’ anymore.

Yes, with Boddingtons, a.k.a. the recently reborn ‘Cream of Manchester’, on tap for the same cost as a half-decent coffee these days, not to mention various cheap draught beers and other offers on booze – whether it be shots, the growing Buzzball craze, or just a standard spirit and mixer – it’s a godsend.

We all know how expensive it can be going out for the night at present, but the no-nonsense bar prices and setup overseen by Craft Union, who specialise in community pubs and keeping the beating “heart of high streets and neighbourhoods across the country” alive and well, are nothing short of unsung heroes.

To clarify, we’re not pretending that no one knows about this gaff, far from it, but it does feel like one of those understated and underrated places that doesn’t get anywhere near enough props as it deserves.

£3.35 pints manchester
pubs that serve boddingtons
white lion castlefield
Credit: The Manc Group

The private limited company, which operates as a subsidiary of the wider Stonegate Group, may be one of the largest in the UK, but one of the most impressive parts about their work at The White Lion is that it still feels like a local pub made for locals.

Better yet, they’ve also coincidentally filled a whole left by the much-loved Sir Ralph Abercromby: the Manchester United fan favourite and all-round footy pub who sadly lost their bustling beer garden (complete with a hot dog/burger van) amid the major St Michael’s development.

On the upside, what those who used to frequent that venue have somewhat lost as a result of the building works can now be found at the likes of White Lion, as it’s also often filled with Reds throughout the year – they’ve even added a little food hatch of their own in the corner of the shrubbery-lined patio.

And once again, with price points as reasonable as these, they’re not just undercutting most other venues in the vicinity by some distance, but they’re at least trying to do their bit in hopefully redressing the balance when it comes to combatting inflation within the hospitality industry.

the white lion castlefield
drinks deals manchester city centre
cheap guinness manchester
Cheap shots, bombs 2-4-£6, and a good pour of Guinness for LESS than a fiver. (Credit: The Manc)

It’s also worth noting that the current landlords are also doing their bit to help minimise spending on gig nights, too.

With Sounds of the City 2026 now wrapped up, they had extra deals on drinks right throughout the duration of the multi-date festival down the road at Castlefield Bowl.

So, yeah, as well as being among the best places in Manchester to watch the World Cup, it’s a great pre- and post-gig spot if you’re at a venue nearby.

Put simply, they may not be reinventing the wheel here, but if we can’t shout about a place doing its best to keep things affordable while still offering a good time come the weekend or even just to reward yourself after work, we don’t know what is.

Here’s to all those in the food and drink sector fighting the good fight, and let’s hope the tide turns in everyone’s favour very soon.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

Manchester

Salford-born Marvel star Benedict Wong gives inspiring speech after receiving honorary degree

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester actor Benedict Wong given honorary degree by Salford Uni

Greater Manchester’s very own Marvel movie star Benedict Wong gave an inspiring speech to the minds of the future as he accepted an honorary degree from the University of Salford as graduation season ramps up.

The Salfordian ‘Sorcerer Supreme’ from Doctor Strange and Avengers started out in acting during the 1990s, and has gone on to become a hugely recognisable face across multiple generations.

From those who remember him for that hilarious cameo in The IT Crowd and playing Kublai Khan in Netflix’s Marco Polo, or those who know him only as ‘Wong’ (where’d they come up with one?) in the MCU or shining in the mind-bending 3 Body Problem, he’s gone on to have quite the career in the arts.

That being said, the Eccles-born Manchester United fan has never forgotten where he came from, and was recently awarded an honorary degree from Salford Uni, offering a message filled with sage wisdom to students in return. Here’s a short clip:

Wong, both his real name and best-known superhero moniker, began by joking that it’s been a “34-year ‘overnight’ success” before quickly segueing into much more sincere sentiments shortly thereafter.

He insisted that none of the wonderful things that have happened in his personal and professional life could have been possible without “standing on the foundations of where [he] grew up”, a line that saw him visibly choke up a little.

But it didn’t take him long to return to some levity, confessing to his fellow graduates that he knew a member of the teaching staff way back when, revealing that besides days spent at the historic Adelphi Theatre, they shared a pub lock-in at the nearby pub.

‘You can take the bloke out of Salford…’

Most notably, however, his main takeaway that he wanted to impart on the graduates getting ready to go out into the world was to stay hopeful and motivated; once again, he sprinkled in the serious points with little gags like the repeating THAT Coronation Street “London!?” meme for an easy laugh.

He did also go on to echo similar advice in a short interview after the ceremony, including the importance of making mistakes, which he believes is especially key at this kind of young age:

Put in simplest terms, he said that you should take things a day at a time and just start crossing off “coordinates of where you want to go” one by one until you truly realise it.

Being the latest recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Arts by UoS, who took the time to thank his lawyer Bob as well, crediting his faith in looking after people above simply making money.

Big up Bob.

Finally, he concluded things by wishing these aspiring talents and creatives all the best and signing off by adding, “On your marks, get set, go.”

You can see Benedict Wong’s Salford University acceptance speech in full down below, and trust us – if you’re in need of some inspiration, it’s well worth a watch.

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Featured Images — Press shot (via Salford University)/Disney (screenshot)/Benedict Wong (via IG)

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