The arrival of Storm Christoph in January 2020 put Greater Manchester under its greatest threat of catastrophe for some time.
Over2,000 homes were evacuated as the region was battered with ice and snow, and water levels in the River Mersey reached their highest levels. According to the Environment Agency, the waterway was just 2cm away from disaster.
Still, if the local situation appeared perilous then, it’s hard to imagine what was running through the minds of residents in 1852 – when parts of Manchester were left submerged in water rising up to bedroom windows.
169 years ago, on February 5, the North-West fell victim to days of torrential rainfall – causing a number of rivers and streams in Manchester to burst their banks.
Peel Park, which runs right alongside the River Irwell, was completely swamped during the bout of adverse weather – plunging the green space 4-6ft underwater.
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The flooding was so bad that it left some residents stranded from their homes – with locals forced to create makeshift boats and float down the roads to get back to their properties instead.
Ben McGarr, in The Manchester Book of Days, writes: “Those living beyond Strangeways and Salford were forced to find alternative ways to travel home; some sailed up the flooded Great Clowes Street, Lower Broughton Road, and Hough Lane.”
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Stickings Lock on the Mersey and Irwell Navigation, c 1850 / Image: Wikipedia
The River Irk, Mersey, Goyt and Black Brook all spilled out onto surrounding areas, with data from the British Hydrological Society confirming an overflow from the River Medlock causing “flooding with some damage”.
It was some of the worst weather to befall the city and and a natural crisis the likes of which many had never seen before.
Indeed, many residents were apparently left frozen in fear by the sight of water gushing out onto the grasslands, not knowing what to do.
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In Shock Cities, Harold L. Platt explains that some of the homes and farms in Broughton were 6ft below water by the evening of Feb 5, but miraculously, there were no recordings of loss of life. Whilst the residents riding boats back to their homes may not have thought it at the time, things could have actually been much worse.
On the same date, much graver consequences occurred further north in Holmfirth, Yorkshire.
After weeks of rain, the area’s Bilberry reservoir eventually burst open on Feb 5 and released 86 million gallons of water into Holmfirth itself – decimating homes and farms and killing at least 81 people (although contemporary newspaper reports may have underestimated the total number of deaths).
The flooding was so bad that it made national headlines – appearing on front pages of newspapers beyond the north.
An inquest found poor construction work on the reservoir to be the culprit – and it still ranks to this day as one of the worst disasters to hit the north of England.
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Despite its relative obscurity in the modern era, the disaster received renewed attention in 2016 – when the 1852 floodings became the subject of a film titled: Twelve Pounds and Ten Shillings would have Sufficed.
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