The pool party had just finished when Katie found the lump.
She’d spent the past few hours partying in Los Angeles – splashing around in sunshine-dappled waters at one of the world’s largest all-female LGBT festivals.
It had been a day to remember, drinking and dancing alongside her fiancé and hundreds of others.
But as she stepped into the shower to cool off, her fingers ran over something raised.
Watching the water circle the drain, Katie double-checked and felt it again.
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Something wasn’t right.
She was a long way from home in Manchester, but Katie knew she needed to get this checked. And quickly.
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By this point, she already knew the warning signs.
***
Bitter winds and warm beer
The Pool Party
Eight years prior to that life-changing bathroom visit in southern California, Katie was at a very different type of party more than 5,000 miles away.
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Before the days of swimming pools, cocktails and techno music of L.A., there were terraced houses, warm lager and bitter winds of Newcastle.
It was 2010 and Katie was a student in the North-East, attending the sort of house party you’ll find happening in almost every student city on any given weekend.
On the surface, it was just another typical uni gathering. But it turned out to be an important one.
This was the night she met Nicola.
Sparks started flying almost immediately, and before the night was up, Nicola asked Katie if she fancied attending another party at her place in the coming days.
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Katie agreed, but it was all a ruse.
“Nobody else showed up,” laughs Katie.
“She ‘honey trapped’ me – and the rest is history!”
Hollywood
The pair quickly fell in love, graduated, moved in together, and even got jobs in the same office – working for a major IT corporation.
On paper, it was all perfect. But something just didn’t feel right.
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“We had a lovely city centre apartment and a car on finance, but we could barely afford our bills,” Katie says.
“It seemed everyone wanted a piece of our income and the ironic part of it all is that we moved to the city to enjoy the nightlife and dining out. We couldn’t afford it once we lived there.
“We were literally living to work.”
The couple flirted with the idea of escaping for a few months, and eventually found themselves consumed by wanderlust.
They’d spend every night staring up at the enormous world map beside their bed, dreaming of exploring the planet together and deciding which places to go.
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To make it happen, they scrimped and saved for months on end, moving into a house-share to cut down on rent expenses, and selling everything they didn’t want to take with them on the plane at car boot sales.
Then, in 2015, they took the plunge. And the adventure began.
***
“You need to cancel your flight”
The Great Wall of China
Katie and Nicola photographed everything the moment they left the UK. And it’s a good job they did.
Without the images, their travels sound too extravagant to be true.
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Sharing breakfast with baby sloths in Costa Rica. Swimming with manatees in Florida. Watched a 3-day sumo wrestling tournament in Tokyo. Riding the world’s longest cable car in Hong Kong. Ice skating in New York City on Christmas Day.
Katie and Nicola seemed to be living in a travel montage from a Hollywood movie (Hollywood being another place they ticked off the list).
Their amazing journey even involved a perfect proposal.
After purchasing a ring in Venice and keeping it stashed away in her luggage until she reached the States, Katie took Nicola to the California beach and revealed the ring at sunset.
Nicola said yes, and when daylight broke a few hours later, the United States legalised same-sex marriage across the country.
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It was cinematic.
Baby sloth in Costa Rica
After a brief return home in March 2016, the pair ventured out into the wild again the following Christmas (2017). They’d caught the travel bug and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
But that was when the fairytale faltered.
During their second trip around the world, Katie was diagnosed with skin cancer.
“We were due to go to Reykjavik in Iceland to celebrate New Year with some friends,” Katie explains.
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“I was trying on clothes for the trip in a shop when I spotted a dark and very obviously changed mole on my back.”
She decided to get it checked out.
The advice was sobering.
“Cancel your flight,” said the doctor.
“You need a biopsy.”
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Katie and Nicola had to stay put.
“I was devastated and worried,” Katie remembers.
“But after the biopsy, we were allowed to travel while we were waiting for the results. We flew to Stockholm for a few days to take our minds off it.”
At Stockholm Central Station, Katie got the news.
She had a malignant melanoma and required surgery.
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Hurrying back to the UK, Katie got the medical attention she needed, and was relieved to hear she’d “caught it early.”
After a huge sigh of relief, the duo gathered their composure, counted their blessings, dusted themselves down, and went back to what they knew best: Travelling.
This time, they took an epic 4,000 mile road trip to New Orleans for Mardis Gras, crossing Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and parts of Louisiana en route.
Their final destination: Los Angeles.
And the pool party.
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***
“This is my third chance”
Dogsledding in Greenland
“It could just be trauma,” said the doctor in Beverly Hills.
“Leave it for a couple of weeks.”
Katie was having the lump in her breast examined, and the physician seemed to think it could be benign.
Unconvinced, Katie decided she was taking no chances.
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With Nicola in tow, Katie travelled back to Manchester and signed in at the Christie to have more tests.
It turned out to be breast cancer.
“I had surgery to remove the tumor and had an agonising wait for a number of results from the biopsy that lasted around 3 months,” Katie says.
“They found a lesion on my spine and I was tested for bone cancer.
“It was petrifying to think that I might die at 34.”
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The scary news put Katie in a very dark place. But a change in mindset helped to pave the way for a second miraculous recovery.
“After refusing chemo and other conventional treatment, I changed my lifestyle,” Katie says.
“I got into yoga, meditation and herbalism.”
She’s still in that frame of mind today.
“I have never felt better and I count my blessings every single day.
“I am so grateful for a third chance at life.”
After being given the all-clear, Katie and Nicola decided to get out to the Great White North and visit Canada.
But what they didn’t know was that coronavirus was coming.
Just as Katie got out of one set of woods, she found herself locked inside another…
***
“We’ve had no electricity, running water or internet for seven months”
Canada
Moments after Katie and Nicola touched down in Vancouver, the country shut its borders.
They made it into Canada by the “skin of their teeth” in March.
And they’re still there right now.
The original plan had been to do a road trip down to the States, covering the likes of Oregon and California later in the year.
The girls had even bought a camper van with a wood-burning stove inside to stay warm – but all of a sudden, they had nowhere to drive it.
Like almost everyone else on the planet, they’d been told to stay indoors until further notice.
“Our travel insurance couldn’t help us,” says Katie.
“Our families and friends back home were concerned for us but they know that travel is in our hearts and that we’d make this work however we could.”
The first step, of course, was finding some money.
Nicola went out and got herself a Canadian work permit; finding a job in an essential service so the pair could buy food and stay safe.
After looking around for a place to stay, the pair settled on a small mountain town
in British Columbia – around an hour north of Vancouver.
“The real name of the town is Skwxwú7mesh but it’s simplified in English as ‘Squamish’,” Katie explains.
“The town is visually stunning and is a very affluent and desirable area to live.
“Subsequently it’s expensive to rent – and one beds can be in excess of £1500 a month.
“Luckily, we found a nearby non-profit campground on what Canadian’s call ‘Crown land’.
“The campground staff were very understanding of our situation and allowed us to set up there with our camper van with distancing and protective protocols in place.”
This was seven months ago.
In all that time, Katie and Nicola have had no electricity, no running water, and no internet.
“All we have is a plot of land, the rainforest, and ‘pit toilets’ which do not flush,” Katie says.
And the funniest part? They’ve never been happier.
“We have learned to forage wild food, build campfires, hula hoop, play the ukulele, and spent time writing poetry, fiction and music production,” Katie tells us.
“We built an outdoor kitchen powered by propane and protected by tarp… and we had to build [our own] outdoor shower as all gyms and recreation centres were closed at one point.
“We now bathe, drink and wash our dishes using boiled glacial water from the sacred Mamquam river.”
Alice Lake, Canada
For most of us, lockdown has intermittently revolved around Netflix, Zoom, oversleeping and skin-creasingly long hot baths. So, the prospect of being quarantined in a campsite with none of the above may sound nothing short of daunting.
But for Katie and Nicola, it’s been bliss.
“We’re surrounded by rainforest – and being in nature at a time like this has really kept us calm and focused,” Katie says.
“It’s been a blessing being here during the pandemic because we’re able to go on long hikes and visit campsites that are secluded and remote.”
Restrictions in rural Canada are also more flexible, meaning they’ve been able to van it across British Columbia to gorgeous beaches by the Pacific Ocean, national parks, and picturesque mountain towns.
Technically, they’ve been trapped.
But for the first time since recovering from her second cancer scare, Katie feels completely free…
***
“Go slow, enjoy the culture, and live with the locals.”
Frozen Sea, Greenland
Between their sled dog expeditions in Greenland and being sucked away by the current on a Guatemalan river, Katie and Nicola have become something of a trusted voice in the travelling community.
The pair started chronicling their experiences via an online blog a few years back, which eventually morphed into a publication titled Round The World Magazine.
Today, it attracts 50,000 visitors a month – offering advice and guidance for anyone globetrotting on a budget.
“It took around 3 years for the blog to really take off,” Katie tell us.
“We got featured on Travel and Leisure which changed everything and much of our LGBT content is ranking top 10 on Google search!”
The duo also have some words of wisdom for anyone hoping to get out and about when the world eventually reopens, whenever that will be.
“When it’s safe to do so, we would strongly suggest visiting Iceland,” says Katie.
“It’s one of our favourite places in the world and we make sure we go at least once a year.
“The whole country is incredibly unique with its volcanic history and weather worn terrain. It’s like landing on Mars and not only will you see the Northern Lights in winter but you can experience the midnight sun in summer.
“It’s one of the most friendliest places we’ve ever visited and we’re in love with the idea of starting up a hostel retreat there one day.”
According to Katie, you don’t need a huge wallet to see the planet, either.
“You don’t need a huge savings pot to do what we did,” she emphasises.
“You can work for free accommodation all over the world and we have resources on our site where you can find free car hire, free RV rentals and work abroad sites in every country.
“Go slow, enjoy the culture of a place, live with locals, go out of tourist zones, start a blog early on, or sell your images to help support you on your way.”
Shanghai
The pair are coming home for Christmas 2020 – with plans to purchase a camper van so they can safely explore their own homeland.
“We’ll be stocking our bellies on chip butties, crumpets and Yorkshire tea – which is something impossible to find in Canada!” says Katie.
“Then, we’re hoping to eventually go back to Canada to start the permanent residency process.”
As for the wedding, that might still be a few months away.
“We had plans to get married in June 2021 in Los Angeles,” says Katie.
“But we’re not too sure what’s going to happen with the travel restrictions.
“We have our wedding dresses ready and I won’t be surprised with our spontaneity if we wake up one day and say: ‘Let’s do it in Manchester!’”
So, after visiting as many as 36 countries, Katie still might tie the knot in the north-west after all.
Mancs often tend to have a bit of a homing instinct. Even the ones with itchy feet like Katie.
“We always think of our people back home,” she tells us.
“Especially in Manchester. It’s where our hearts will always lie.”
Follow Katie and Nicola’s blog, Round The World Magazine, on Instagram. @roundtheworldmagazine
Feature
The best, biggest and bouijiest hotels to stay at in Manchester city centre
Daisy Jackson
Hotels are opening in Manchester city centre at a rate that’s hard to keep up with, diversifying the overnight offering with every passing minute, and they’re also some of the very best in the UK.
We’ve got plenty of familiar boltholes if you can’t tear yourself away from the familiarity of a Premier Inn purple bedroom, or the reliable comforts of a Hilton, but also plenty of smaller names offering a stylish place to rest your head.
We’ve rounded up a dozen of the very best that Manchester has to offer – expect rooftop pools, riverside terraces, grand architecture and celebrity chefs.
And not all of them come with an eye-watering price tag…
If you want a hotel with loads of atmosphere as well as a grown-up space with a dark, moody interior, then Dakota is absolutely the one for you.
This beautiful hotel opened back in 2019; a huge £30m black box on the outskirts of the Northern Quarter that has seen celebrity guests such as Hugh Jackman, Molly Mae-Hague, Mel B and many more.
Formerly Hotel Brooklyn – we all know Manchester has a habit of drawing comparisons to New York, albeit a smaller, soggier version, – voco Manchester still has all the glamour as was originally intended.
The hotel first opened at the worst possible time, being thrust in and out of lockdowns within weeks of opening, but since then it’s attracted rave reviews and been named among the top 20 ‘hottest new hotels’ by Traveller’s Choice among many glowing reviews.
Even after being over by IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) in December 2023, the 189-room hotel has taken on a new life, boasting the in-house Runyons Restaurant which still keeps those US connections, as well as an open-plan lobby lounge featuring a big screen for live sport and entertainment.
It may be different from what it was but there’s still plenty of style to be seen here.
Just across the border into Salford is The Lowry Hotel, and a big, sweeping curve of pure class sticking out above the river. It’s got a global reputation and it’s no surprise when its guestbook features some of the biggest celebrities of all time.
Remember when Taylor Swift rented out the entire place, or Jose Mourinho decided to just live there, rather than find an apartment, during his time as Manchester United manager? Not to mention Britney Spears, David Beckham, Rihanna, Take That, Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue and countless others.
Having undergone a £5m bedroom refurb, The Lowry has one of the smartest and brightest interiors in the north of England, one of the region’s most expensive hotel rooms (a casual £4,500 a night for the presidential suite), as well as a super high-tech spa. We also enjoy just heading there for the Lowry bottomless brunch, to be honest.
The Kimpton Clocktower – previously known as the Palace and Principal Hotel, among multiple other monikers – oozes timeless sophistication, a relic of Victorian grandeur but with a boutique hotel feel to it.
The lobby is one of the most impressive spaces in Greater Manchester, all polished tile and marble beneath a glass-domed ceiling, setting the scene for the rooms themselves (high ceilings, big windows, and plenty of historical details).
Another big plus when it comes to the Kimpton is its in-house bar and restaurant: The Refuge, which is a cut above the average hotel offering and is very much its own entity with a reputation for fabulous late-night and seasonal events, a divine bottomless brunch and plenty of other distinct draws.
The lobby at Kimpton ClocktowerOne of their many stylish roomsCredit: Kimpton/The Manc Group
5. The Midland
If only walls could talk, The Midland Hotel would have some of the best stories on Earth.
The landmark hotel has been part of the fabric of Manchester for more than 100 years, with 312 luxurious rooms, and it’s storied that it’s where Charles Rolls and Henry Royce (of Rolls Royce fame) were introduced.
Then there are the communal spaces, even fancier now after their £14m refurbishment, including restaurants Adam Reid at The French and Mount Street Dining Room, and the incredible circular champagne bar in the middle of the lobby.
It’s also the place to come for a traditional afternoon tea and has a truly cracking spa. This place doesn’t need any kind of sale pitch: it’s unquestionably one of the best hotels in Manchester – if not the best.
The curb appeal of Whitworth Locke is something else, from its decadent bar housed in a Parisian-style conservatory and fine culinary offerings (Peru Perdu and a Foundation Coffee House are both in here), to its incredible location right on the edge of the Gay Village.
Each of the rooms is a self-contained haven, from studio apartments all the way up to two-bedroom duplex suites, decorated in a Pinterest-worthy palette of greens and pinks (a muted sample of the terracotta bricks outside).
There’s a free workspace area that spills into a truly stunning conservatory bar, as well as a packed calendar of events too, so whether you’re an out-of-town guest or a local Manc looking to fill a few hours, you’ll be kept busy enough.
Safe to say we’re big fans of this much-loved Manchester hotel.
7. King Street Townhouse
You have, almost without a doubt, seen photos of the King Street Townhouse before – this is the hotel that introduced the infinity pool to the city centre, with views of the Town Hall (well, currently of scaffolding).
The hotel has its own cinema room, a rooftop terrace bar, a new gym, and incredible afternoon teas.
The smart rooms range in size from ‘snug’ to ‘cosy’ to ‘comfy’ to suites, with suites priced at around £430 a night.
From afternoon tea and lunch deals to spa offers, big group events, private screening and so much more, King St Townhouse isn’t just one of the best hotels in Manchester, it’s also one of the most well-rounded in terms of its overall hospitality.
One of the newest hotels to open in Manchester (and they are popping up like daisies) is The Alan, which has stripped the old Princess Street Hotel back to expose and celebrate its original features.
There are 137 bedrooms, each with high ceilings and warm textures, an open-plan kitchen, a restaurant and bar, as well as event spaces.
The devil is in the detail here and the design has been carefully thought-out. The floor is made from a collage of discarded marble, and the dried flowers illuminated beneath the bar were actually foraged by the hotel’s owners at the time they secured plans for The Alan… while they were broken down on the side of the motorway.
It’s gone on to become comfortably one of the best luxury hotels in Manchester since it opened in 2022.
9. Stock Exchange Hotel
Famous names absolutely litter Stock Exchange Hotel, which is easily one of the grandest spaces in all of Greater Manchester.
Not only does it come from Gary Neville’s rapidly-booking hospitality empire, but it’s also backed by world-famous hotelier Winston Zahra, not to mention high-profile chefs and hospitality figures like Tom Kerridge and The Schofield Brothers having run the kitchen.
You could be looking at as much as £1500 for a night in the suites, but the rooms start at a much lower rate – and then there’s ‘The House’, an enormous fully serviced, ultra-exclusive penthouse apartment with its own roof terrace.
The newest addition to Manchester’s ever-growing hotel and resort sector, The Reach has landed just a short walk from Piccadilly Station and is only a few minutes away from the bustling Northern Quarter, meaning that like Dakota, it’s picked a prime logistical and cultural location.
But enough about topographical perks, this place is simply sublime, serving exquisite food and drink from its Lock 84 restaurant overlooking the Rochdale Canal, with rooms that are just as spacious as they are luxurious.
Perfect for business or pleasure, The Reach is already becoming a popular choice for those visiting Manchester and has comfortably landed itself on the list of the very best hotels we have to offer here in the city centre.
Circa Waves on their new album, unreal tour lineup, a big health scare and ‘the best band’ around right now
Danny Jones
With Circa Waves announcing a new album and a brand new UK tour early next year, we were very kindly given the privilege to chat with one of the most consistent indie bands of the past decade.
Sitting down with lead singer and rhythm guitarist Kieran Shudall, we were buzzing with questions about their upcoming record, what we’re dubbing as one of the best indie tour lineups in years, what they’re making of the UK music scene right now and, of course, why the North West is the best.
For anyone unaware, it’s been a pretty intense period for the Liverpool lads and their frontman, especially, after a health scare early last year, so we’re more grateful than ever that they’re back and looking in true fighting form ahead of their shows come February 2025.
You can read our full interview with Circa Waves down below.
Audio North interviews Kieran from Circa Waves
Circa Waves live in Kobetamendi, Bilbao at BBK Live 2017.Kieran gave us a really great, in-depth chat.Credit: Dena Flows/The Manc Group
Right off the bat, the sixth studio album is coming out, Death & Love Pt. 1. It’s a big, bold title – what can you tell us about it without giving too much away?
Well, ‘Death and Love’ was basically the first song I ever wrote for Circa. It was back in 2012 or something, but it never got released and it was just a title that was always lying around.
We were trying to think of a title for this record and with what I went through – like a big sort of health scare and then came out the other side and feeling very grateful for life – that seemed like a really appropriate title and I feel like it grabs your attention a little bit.
Feel free to move on if it’s too personal but if you would you mind telling us about the health scare?
We had to cancel a bunch of tours; I got told you have to sign this form that says you have a 100% chance of dying on the operating table, so that’s not cool. It was just mad and I kind of came through the other side feeling super grateful and happy to be alive and in a band, you know
I feel more fortunate now that I’ve got through it all, so a lot of the record is about getting through that and the fears that came along with it. It gave me some good material haha.
For sure, that trauma always serves great art at least. There’s obviously a part one in there too, so is the second done and was this a double album experience in the recording process?
I’m still doing it – finishing it right now actually. We kind of just had too many songs and thought let’s just split it into two. I guess back in the day it’d be like a double album but yeah, the first one is nine songs and this one I’m still deciding. Maybe 10?
There’s just had a lot of ideas and we thought, well, why not? In this day and age, it’s so easy to kind of put music out and people consume music so fast that it felt like we just may as well.
Absolutely. So where do you think you’ve pushed things sonically this time – is it more of an evolution or a continuation?
I feel like we’ve landed on our feet in what we’re about now, certainly what I think Circa Waves should sound like, so it’s kind of similar to the early records, I guess.
A lot more guitars, sort of raw, scrappy drums, and they feel like festival songs to me but obviously the subject matter is like 10 years on from the first record, so your life experience makes the lyrics different, but I hope that it sort of feels like a refinement of sorts.
And have you guys got a favourite track that you’re particularly excited for people to hear or a personal favourite?
The thing about band members is everyone just likes it when their instrument’s the loudest. I don’t know, there’s a track called ‘Hold It Steady’ which is quite different to anything we’ve done before; I’m excited for that one to be heard but I think they’re all bangers.
We’ll absolutely take that haha. For the tour, you’ve got an unreal lineup of support acts with Peace and our fellow Mancs, Corella – we’ve seen both of them this year and they were great – how did you go around picking your warm-ups?
Peace was a funny one, I sort of have liked them for a long time and I went to the old NME Tour that they were on in probably 2011 or something but I remember watching them being like, ‘Oh wow and man I’d love to do the NME Tour.
Circa Waves didn’t exist at the time and then a few years later we did it ourselves, so they were sort of a big inspiration for me to play indie music, so it was cool to have them on. And then Corella are just ones that have been cropping up every two minutes on my Instagram feed and they’re just like a really good indie band right now.
Peace at Kendal Calling 2024Corella had a pretty iconic moment on the main stage too…
So it all felt like a good fit and we kind of want to just make the night feel like a big festival of music that people will love that type of music really. It’s just a proper guitary indie night, you know?
Lovely, can’t complain about that. In terms of venues, you’ve got some great Northern institutions on there: The Academy in Leeds, Victoria Warehouse here in Manchester and your massive hometown show. How much do you love those dates as North West locals?
Yeah, I love it, man. I mean, there’s nothing better than playing up North and I know that sounds like something that people say to just please people from there but it really is the best.
Liverpool, obviously, for me is such a big one and my family all go to those ones, so it’s cool for that reason but Manchester’s always been an amazing crowd. I don’t know what it is about Manchester – Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow and Liverpool are always just amazing.
Bang on, and as for that hometown gig, how special is that Olympia show gonna be and do you have any special treatment up your sleeve?
You know what? I haven’t thought about it. There’s always the temptation of asking someone to get up with you. [Yeah, maybe get Jamie Webster on the go?] Yeah, I’ve been writing with Jamie and Miles [Kane] quite a bit but I don’t know. We’ll keep it all secret anyway.
Yeah let’s not spoil anything. Another one we’re always curious of is how much you consider that famous Manc vs Scouse rivalry in music. Do you buy into it at all?
I don’t know, I think in my life when you have like really p***ed up conversations with someone who’s more into the Manc scene than the Liverpool scene I just think we’ve got The Beatles, so we always win.
I do think, you know, you’ve got your Joy Divisions and your Smiths and your Oasis and all this – they’re amazing bands, but we’ve got The Beatles. So it’s just you can’t like. [Like the ultimate Top Trumps card] Yeah, in Pokemon, it’d be shiny Charizard.
Fair enough. What about other Northern acts you’re particularly excited by at the minute?
I mean, there’s so many but it’s too hard but the band I think are the best at the moment is Wunderhorse. I met Jacob [Slater] a while ago when he was doing Dead Pretties and I was like obsessed with his writing and he sent me a bunch of acoustic stuff and I was just like man, “You are f***ing annoyingly talented.”
Then when Wunderhorse came out and I was just blown away. It’s amazing to watch it just become this big thing now. It’s cool to see people on TikTok sharing clips of ‘Teal’ and just seeing kids getting into proper music. So yeah, love them, man – I’m so excited to see where they end up.
He’s not wrong, by the way. Their Manchester Academy gig in October was one the best of our lives and not to sound like needy cool kids but we’ve very much backed them from day one.
The Manc -
20th October 2020 
