On first impression, the villages around south Snowdonia are pretty sleepy – a few small shops and pubs, beautiful scenery, a lot of sheep and not much else.
But stick around, and you’ll find the tranquility completely shattered by one of the most impressive sights in the country.
The series of valleys between Dolgellau in the north, and Machynlleth in the south, are also known to those in the know as the Mach Loop.
On a regular basis, you can see military aircraft flying through the valleys at alarming speeds.
The valleys used on The Mach Loop. Credit: Unsplash
The Mach Loop is a must-visit for anyone still in the grip of Top Gun: Maverick fever, the hotly-anticipated second instalment of Tom Cruise whizzing around in his jet ignoring his seniors.
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The aircraft in the Welsh valleys fly so low that if you climb the hills on either side of the loop, you can see straight into the cockpit.
It’s a truly awe-inspiring sight and sound, with the familiar roar of the engines echoing around the countryside.
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Aircraft in action on The Mach Loop. Credit: James Veitch
The area is used as a low-level training areas for fast aircraft, with planes sometimes flying as low as 76 metres.
You can regularly spot planes like Royal Air Force Airbus A400M, Typhoons and Hawk jets taking on the Mach Loops.
The challenge is knowing when they’ll appear.
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The aircraft tend to conduct their training flights throughout the weekdays, but there’s no published timetable to go off.
Most people choose to wrap up warm and head up the hill armed with snacks, ready to camp out for the afternoon in the hope of catching some action.
As it’s a good couple of hours’ drive from Manchester, you might want to book into an Airbnb or hotel to make a weekend of it (the award-winning Ynyshir restaurant is also nearby).
There’s a car park on the A487 that you can use as a good starting point to find your vantage point of choice.
Featured image: James Veitch
Feature
The inflatable floating obstacle course you can splash around on near Manchester
Daisy Jackson
There’s a giant inflatable floating obstacle course less than an hour from Manchester, where you can slide, jump, and fall straight into a lake.
At Wild Shore Delamere, you can tackle obstacles like monkey bars, the ninja-jump, the tyre run, and a giant 3.8 metre-tall inflatable tower, all floating on the surface of the picturesque lake.
The adventure hub opened back in 2019, offering families a chance to play on Delamere Lake, or try new watersports right here in the North West.
Let’s head to that inflatable Aqua Park – even as a full-grown adult, this is one of the silliest afternoons you can imagine.
Squeeze yourself into a wetsuit then launch yourself into the lake, ready to clamber all over a course that is essentially a gigantic floating bouncy castle.
The trickiest part is managing to stay on your feet as you slip and slide your way around the course in your 50 minute session – but really, where’s the fun in staying on your feet?
Monkey BarsThe Ninja JumpThe Tyre RunThe Figure EightFeatures of the Aqua Park at Wild Shore Delamere
While you’re on the lake, you can also try other activities like the Ringo, which whips you up and down the water on a huge inflatable, while the operator seems dead-set on flinging you off.
As well as the inflatable Aqua Park, there’s the Aqua Chimp ropes course for the more gymnastic types, plus wakeboarding, paddle boarding, and open water swimming.
Wild Shore Delamere has also added a new sauna this year, which overlooks the water – you can enjoy contrast therapy, switching from the warm sauna to the lake itself.
Wetsuits and life vests are included, so all you need to pack is a swimsuit, towel, and a bit of reckless abandon as you crash beneath the surface.
Paddle boards at Wild Shore DelamereThe sauna and cold plungeThe RingoAqua Chimp
Family behind Salvi’s launch new concept, weeks after iconic restaurant closure
Daisy Jackson
Just weeks after the closure of its iconic, 16-year-old Italian restaurant in the Corn Exchange, the family behind Salvi’s have revealed a brand-new concept.
And this time, the reins are being handed over to the next generation.
Salvi’s founder Maurizio Cecco has helped to shape Amò, but it’s all the brainchild of his daughter, Sienna.
Sienna will run the business out of a unit up on Deansgate Mews, serving fresh pasta dishes, pizza sandwiches, tubs of tiramisu, and two-for-£10 spritzes.
The deli aspect of the original Salvi’s has been carried over to Amò too – you’ll find shelves almost to the ceiling filled with Italian pasta, wine, olive oils, pistachio spreads, and more.
Sienna has grown up in restaurants, with her parents launching Salvi’s when she was just two years old.
She said she wants the space to be a livelier, fresher version of the Italian restaurant that has been so loved by Mancs for so many years.
Sienna outside AmòFresh pasta dishesInside Amò by Salvi’sTheir viral frozen crema di caffeLemon granitaInside Amò by Salvi’sTiramisu pots
Amò, which is Neapolitan slang for ‘my love’, will have loads of fresh Italian dishes, including arancini, gnocchi, and hearty pasta plates.
At lunchtimes, guests can order from a £10 lunch menu, with dishes changing daily depending on the best produce the kitchen can get – it could be a pizza sandwich with proscuitto and tomato, a spicy pasta, or a gnocchi bake, always served with your choice of soft drink.
With its position on Deansgate Mews, Amò basks in the sunshine at lunchtimes.
And while it’s definitely a different concept to the original Salvi’s, Amò looks set to carry the family’s Italian food legacy into its next generation.
Daisy Jackson -
26th October 2023 
