As the clock chimed 8pm on Thursday evening, pockets of sound began to erupt in the distance.
Scattered at first. Then it came closer.
Silhouettes of neighbours moved into view. Lights came on. Windows flung open. Whistles zipped through the air. An airhorn squawked from somewhere within the darkness.
Three years ago, clapping for our carers felt like a simple gesture – but will go down in history as one of the most emotionally overwhelming moments our country has ever seen.
We are indebted to our health service. And this spectacle of noise proved that most of us realise that. Without the NHS, Britain would not be so Great.
ADVERTISEMENT
At a time when nurses, doctors and carers are fighting for fairer working conditions, and on a day that marks 75 years since the inception of our NHS, we’ve opted to venture back to the beginning and investigate the origins of our unique healthcare system.
As it so happens, the NHS has roots right here in Manchester…
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: It’s No Game/Flickr
On 5 July 1948, Health Minister Aneurin “Nye” Bevan successfully brought all healthcare workers under a single umbrella – creating a service that was funded through public tax and free-to-use when needed.
The idea was that everyone – rich or poor – could access any type of treatment they required at any time.
It was a revolutionary, innovative and daring concept – and the principles on which the NHS was founded remain the same to this day.
Bevan visited Trafford General Hospital – then known as Park Hospital in Davyhulme – to kickstart the new regime, earning this healthcare facility the prestigious title: “The birthplace of the NHS”.
Sadly, Bevan would only see the NHS in its infancy. He passed away in 1960 from stomach cancer, sparking a mass outpouring of national grief.
A local facility has been named in his honour (Nye Bevan House in Rochdale) and his title also appears on a leadership qualification supported by Alliance Manchester Business School (The Nye Bevan programme).
ADVERTISEMENT
But Bevan’s greatest legacy is the healthcare system he left behind – the same one that’s carrying Britain through its toughest fight since WWII.
Manchester played an instrumental role in the formation of the NHS, and that is something we, as a city, can be mightily proud of.
Featured image – Wikipedia
Feature
You can get a mobile massage treatment in your office – just like us
Thomas Melia
We’d like to introduce you to the pioneering personalised service offering massage treatments on the move at practically any location including direct from your office– including to those of us here in Manchester.
In a world where you can get practically anything delivered straight to your door, it wasn’t going to be long until some genius invented a way to get a massage from the comfort of your own office.
Named ‘London’s first digital beauty concierge’, Ruuby have been pampering the nation’s capital for almost a decade before branching out to further locations.
The gorgeous set up provided by RuubyLook at that lovely branding on the towels.They did wonders with our otherwise plain downstairs office space. (Credit: The Manc Group)
In October 2024, the company expanded beyond its domestic reach in the likes of the capital, the Cotswolds and Surrey into Europe, making its first mark Switzerland: the perfect country for both luxury and essential beauty treatments with a tailored experience.
The month following saw the group moving up North and all the way to Manchester, where people can now book professional treatments best suited to them, right on their doorstep.
If you’re feeling scepticalstill, you can take it from us here at The Manc; we couldn’t tell you how relaxing and comforting these massages are.
There are a range of treatments available and we opted for two bespoke massages, a sports massage and a deep tissue massage.
Each experience is suited to your personal needs meaning each massage therapist will be able to fine-tune their relaxation abilities to what benefits you best.
After choosing the bespoke massage that I felt would work best for me, I went into this with no prior massage experience and I came out feeling taller, broader and more refreshed. Highly recommend.
Mid-day office massage? Yes, please.How relaxing. What a shame you have to go back to work after!Credit: The Manc Group
My masseuse guided me throughout the whole process and we soon discovered that I was able to tolerate much harder pressure than I thought which helped release tension I didn’t even know I had!
The same applies to how firm you’d like your session to be, as the masseuse can help with a brief overview of your time together, but the amount of pressure you like is down to personal preference.
It’s not just massages either: there’s everything from waxing, nails and hair to physio and IV drips; how about getting Marbella ready in less than an hour with a spray tan service set up wherever you are?
As Ruuby is a mobile and remote work environment, there are a number of at any time up and down the country, meaning your next beauty slot could be as little as an hour away, find out more HERE.
Farm shops are cool now – and Albion Farm Shop is the best of the best
Daisy Jackson
At some point in life, your idea of a great day out switches from drinking and clubbing to visiting a farm shop, or a garden centre, or something similarly wholesome.
And up in the hills above Manchester is surely one of the best in the UK – Albion Farm Shop.
This Saddleworth favourite is half-cafe, half-shop, with produce all either grown right outside, or sourced as locally as possible.
And while places like Hollies Farm Shop in Cheshire pull in seriously big, glamorous crowds (maybe it’s the Molly-Mae effect), there’s something much more charming and authentic about Albion Farm Shop.
Maybe it’s the tractors parked outside, the fact the produce section is in a drafty barn, the mismatched shelves and cabinets. It’s not curated like this – it just is.
The food in the cafe itself is up there with the best British grub in the North West, and I say that with my hand on my heart.
Whether it’s a full breakfast spilling over the edge of a plate, sandwiches served in a doorstop of bread, or a full menu of burgers made with British beef cap and smoked bone marrow patties, you can’t steer far wrong.
Rag pudding at Albion Farm ShopChips with a side of bone broth gravy Those huge burgers
There are chunky chips served with a full bowl of bone stock gravy on the side (hello, this is Oldham), onion rings so big you can wear them as a bangle, and big bowls of homemade soup.
And it would be remiss of me not to mention the rag pudding, a traditional dish from this neck of the woods. Famously, she’s not a pretty menu item, but this steamed suet pastry stuffed with braised beef shin is comforting and delicious.
If you want to stick northern fare but don’t fancy rag pudding, you can also grab a wedge of cheese and onion pie, lambs liver with mash, or any number of seasonal specials (for us, it was roast pork).
There are cracking views of the surrounding countryside, a resident cat who’s usually sleeping in the entranceway, and charm packed into every square foot.
Albion Farm Shop is at Oldham Road, Delph, Saddleworth OL3 5RQ.
The resident cat at Albion Farm ShopRoast pork in the cafeThe Albion Farm Shop cafeAlbion Farm ShopInside the shop itselfThe produce barn Local cheesesBakery itemsThe produce barn
The Manc -
4th July 2023 
