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.
ADVERTISEMENT
Something wasn’t right.
She was a long way from home in Manchester, but Katie knew she needed to get this checked. And quickly.
ADVERTISEMENT
By this point, she already knew the warning signs.
***
Bitter winds and warm beer
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
Katie agreed, but it was all a ruse.
“Nobody else showed up,” laughs Katie.
“She ‘honey trapped’ me – and the rest is history!”
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
“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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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”
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
It was cinematic.
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
“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.”
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
***
“This is my third chance”
“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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.”
ADVERTISEMENT
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”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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 Salford deli with the best name in Manchester has a new home — and it’s even more of a hidden gem than ever
Danny Jones
If you’ve ever ventured down Chapel Street in Salford or sat with a pint in Bexley Square, you’ll probably have noticed the shop, cafe and deli space that once sat on the corner.
More accurately, if you know the spot, you’ll likely have chuckled to yourself when looking up at the sign and reading the name above the front door: Deli Lama. Still makes us smirk to this day.
The best-named Wholefoods Shop and Cafe sat as a literal cornerstone of the Salford community for over a decade and was a real favourite amongst locals but has since moved premises, and whilst it is more out of the way than it used to be, it has only reaffirmed Deli Lama’s hidden gem status even more.
Now located in the old Islington Mill just across the road — which currently serves not only as a residential space but as a key cultural hub for creatives and artisans — it’s arguably situated even deeper in the heart and soul of old Salford than ever. You’ve just got to know where to find them.
And that’s where we come in. After initially heading out on a weekend and wanting to enjoy a brew and a bite to eat, we decided to go on the hunt for their new venue and ventured down James Street to stumble across the mill itself.
An unassuming space, to say the least, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s still out of use at first glance, but once you spot the boards pointing you in the right direction of Deli Lama and the other names who have popped up in here, it does feel like you’ve stumbled across the best-kept secret in town.
Walking down the tunnel past the notice boards and the other indoor studios, you emerge out into the quiet little courtyard to find the deli’s new location, with fairy lights in the window and the old still just propped up against the wall as they’ve had little time for finessing — they’re just cracking on.
Although the space might be a little rough and ready in parts, what it achieves is that genuine rustic feeling that so many other trendy new openings attempt to contrive, whilst also carrying over a sense of familiarity from the former venue.
In the spacious new spot, you’ll find the same cupboard and pantry staples from rice, pasta and pulses to organic fruit and veg, bakery items, preserves, condiments and so on that you would find in the old shop, only now there’s room for more of anything.
There are also shelves of organic tea and coffee, fridges full of chilled drinks, soups and freshly prepared ciabattas, as well as literally the best vegan cookie we’ve ever had. They even make their own seitan.
Looking at the menu itself, as well as a regular rotation of specials, they do vegetarian brekkies that will knock your socks off like the Caribbean scramble, as well as plant-based breakfast burrito that we devoured within seconds alongside a big healthy portion of their chilli bean soup.
Topped with jalapenos, herbs and a lovely dollop of guacamole which thickens up the texture the more you swirl it in, just like when you used to dip your buttery bread into the bowl at home, it was divine and we could have had ladles of the stuff if it wasn’t for all the other customers ordering a portion as well.
Banging vegan sausages.The deli counter.Unreal.Not just the best-named deli in Manchester but some of the best food you’ll find in Salford too.
Speaking of the crowd, you can tell this is a real haven for artisans and the other residents. The mill has stood there for 200 years and as it now boasts apartments upstairs, virtually everyone living and working here has become a regular, with people from all ages and walks of life.
As well as being a quaint little creative corner, Islington Mill is also important in the LGBTQ+ community, with the Islington Mill is Queer audio series recorded here, not to mention serving as a key part of the council’s ‘The Other City’ fund and artist-led community project bigging up Salford as its own entity.
As for Deli Lama themselves, they’re a team of just three led by founders, owners and local couple, Linda and Lincoln, who opened up the original shop 12 years ago but have been set up here since November, insisting they are “much happier at home here” and now starting to regain their rhythm.
Together for two decades themselves, you can tell this isn’t just their livelihood, it’s a passion they’ve bonded over and a way of continuing to contribute to the area that clearly still means so much to them.
It already feels so vibrant and welcoming.Walls full of produce.Credit: The Manc Eats
What this small but incredibly dedicated team manages to do, beyond just delivering high-quality produce, is make every person who steps in the door feel like their best mate and part of the family. We’re not exaggerating when we say they knew everyone’s name in the two hours we spent there.
Even from the cosy little snug where you can sit on an armchair in the window next to some plants and a little poster wall promoting upcoming community events, to the little kitchen just behind the counter, you do get that feeling of being in someone’s home even with the big window and skylight above.
There’s plenty of bustle next door and across the courtyard from the pottery place, needlework studio and tufters also based within Islington Mill, but somehow this place manages to help block out all the business of town just down the road and even outside is relatively tranquil.
We were only supposed to come in for a coffee but we ended up feeling so relaxed we didn’t want to leave and ended up eating twice, buying a takeaway butty and some stuff from the fridge just because we fancied it.
Could spend hours chilling here.Salford coffee to boot.Get the lemonade, trust us.
More importantly, the wholefoods, zero-waste and almost entirely vegan approach means that Deli Lama is one of the most sustainable, sourcing directly from local co-operative Organic North and even eyeing plans to set up their own in the future.
They also cater events and private functions, including a substantial corporate do or two when they can, and might also be making their groceries and food menu available on Deliveroo later this year.
It’s also crucially one of the most reasonably priced cafes and stores of its kind you’ll find anywhere so close to the city limits which, in a cost of living crisis, should never be overlooked or left unapplauded.
Please give the wonderful team at Deli Lama Wholefoods Shop and Cafe in Salford a go — you will not regret going for the short wander to find them and we promise, you’ll fall in love with it just like we did.
Rochdale Town Hall, one of Greater Manchester’s most spectacular buildings, reopens
Daisy Jackson
Rochdale Town Hall is one of Greater Manchester’s most impressive and historic buildings – but until now, large parts of the building have been closed to the public.
All that has changed this weekend when, following several years of careful restoration, the magnificent Grade I-listed giant threw open its doors.
From Sunday 3 March, people are able to visit Rochdale Town Hall completely free of charge seven days a week (excluding Bank Holidays), exploring grand halls, historic offices, and impressive sweeping staircases.
The landmark looms over the heart of Rochdale town centre, an easy walk from tram and train stations.
Up until this year, spaces were available to book for events like weddings, and it was used for official business, but has never been properly utilised as a tourist attraction.
It’s taken a 500-strong team of volunteers and teams of conservation specialists thousands of hours to bring it fully back to its former glory – they’ve carefully stripped away years of grime using cotton buds and other equipment to expertly bring life back to the ornate stained glass windows and historic features in almost every room.
So what exactly is it like inside after its multi-million-pound refurb, you ask? Well it’s pretty damn impressive.
The most breathtaking space of all is the Great Hall, where 350 hand-painted panels cover the vaulted ceiling, carved wooden angels hold lanterns, stained glass windows tower overhead, an enormous organ stands on the stage, and a huge Magna Carta mural covers one wall.
The incredible hand-painted ceiling panels in the Great HallInside Rochdale Town Hall
It’s a room filled with red and gold patterns, including images of the English lions and Scottish thistle, and you might recognise these colourful walls from a little show called Peaky Blinders…
But before you even reach this point, there are wonders to behold.
The Grand Staircase sweeps its way up from the ground floor – look up and you’ll see enormous stained glass windows documenting Rochdale’s place on the global stage.
The Exchange will be used as the town hall’s main entrance, where different shades of granite and marble were used to make candy-striped ceilings, and craftsmen carved various flora and fauna into the stone pillars.
The Great Staircase at Rochdale Town HallThe Exchange will be used as the main entrance for Rochdale Town Hall
Off here there’s a brand-new exhibition space, known as the Welcome Gallery, which tracks the timeline of the landmark, including the fire that destroyed its original clock tower (it was later re-designed by the legendary Alfred Waterhouse).
There are also historic spaces, where the walls are covered not with wallpaper but with hand-painted patterns. These intricate designs have also been restored.
In one room, you can see the history of the cotton industry in the paintings, from the Ancient Egyptians all the way up to the industrial era that Rochdale played such a huge part in.
And as well as celebrating the historical features of Rochdale Town Hall, there are also new artworks that have been created with local community groups and schools, celebrating present day Rochdale.
Rooms which were formerly used by council staff and councillors have been turned into usable spaces for the public, like the new Bright Hall, which has double-height ceilings, angels along the walls, and a window overlooking the Great Hall from up high. The Bright Hall will now be available for community use and events.
Hundreds of volunteers and specialists have worked on Rochdale Town Hall’s refurbishmentAnother grand space in Rochdale Town Hall
When it officially reopens on Sunday 3 March, there’ll be bookable tours, longer opening hours, and new exhibition spaces for locals and visitors to explore.
And in a few months’ time, a brand new restaurant – The Martlet – will open, under the steer of executive chef Darren Parkinson who has honed his craft at some of the country’s best gastropubs.
The whole building has been made fully accessible for the first time, and there are new heating systems and a sturdier roof in place to future-proof Rochdale Town Hall for decades to come.
Councillor Neil Emmott, leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “It’s been a long wait for our residents and I’m delighted that they will finally get to see their beautiful town hall, fully restored in all its glory.
“Not only will they see the town hall they know and love, looking as good as it would have when it first opened in 1871, but they will see brand new features, like the Welcome Gallery, which makes it an even better space than it was before. We can’t wait to welcome people back in.”
One of many beautiful stained glass windows inside Rochdale Town HallThe huge organ in Great Hall
Councillor Janet Emsley, cabinet member with responsibility for Rochdale Town Hall, said: “Sunday 3 March will be a wonderful celebration, but it’s really just the beginning for our brand new town hall. Our new offer means that residents will be able to see it and enjoy it seven days a week.
“We will soon be offering guided tours, alongside a full activity, events and education programme, which will be revealed soon.
“We anticipate the opening day being very busy, so people who would prefer a quieter experience may wish to come along another day. This beautiful building certainly isn’t going anywhere and our new extended opening hours offer many opportunities to enjoy this special place.”
The huge project was made possible with funding support to the tune of an £8.9m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
For its launch weekend, there’ll be activities at Rochdale Town Hall like rug tufting workshops, the roving Bombay Raja brass band, and a special puppet show by Fool’s Paradise.
Pre-booking is now full but walk-ups are available, so, if you don’t mind a wait, you can head to Rochdale Town Hall between 10am and 4pm this Sunday to see the incredible spaces for yourself.
For more information about the town hall, including opening times and upcoming events and activities, go to rochdaletownhall.co.uk.