Feature

You can sleep in a luxury train carriage at an old railway station in Greater Manchester

Saving this Airbnb for a trainy day.

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia - 27th June 2025

There’s an Airbnb listing in Delph where you can stay in a classic converted train carriage, and it’s even situated in an old train station, so someone buy my ticket ASAP.

Get ready to have the best train experience of your life, as the only cancellation you have to worry about is booking the day off work.

The Carriage at The Old Station is a two-person character property in Delph, Saddleworth that offers you the chance to live out your vintage fantasy by stepping back in time on a luxury static train coach.

It may be situated at an old station, but the interior is refreshing and light with mint blue beams, fuchsia cushions and a royal red carpet and curtains.

As well as a majestic interior, this carriage has an equally impressive amount of amenities, including a Bluetooth sound system, board games and its own indoor fireplace.

This Airbnb is fairly new too, with only 44 reviews to its name – the first only dating back to September of last year; don’t say we don’t find you some absolute gems.

Inside the airbnb that's an old converted train carriage.
Inside the Airbnb that’s an old converted train carriage.
The interior of this Airbnb listing is bold and impressive.
The interior of this Airbnb listing is bold and impressive.

One user even stated, “We regularly stay in five-star locations and this surpassed five-star easily! We highly recommend a stay here.”

While another opened her review with three simple adjectives that we also feel perfectly sum up this train carriage property perfectly: “Opulent, indulgent, extravagant”.

It should come as no surprise that this place is beautiful inside and out, as in the description, host of the property Nigel states he’s a retired designer.

The train carriage stay is also close to a proper country pub, The Old Bell Inn, as well as the Diggle canal walk if you fancy a stroll and a pint before tucking into bed in your old train carriage for the night.

Even the bathroom has pops of colour throughout.
Even the bathroom has pops of colour throughout.
You could stay in this train carriage at an old train station.
You could stay in this train carriage at an old train station.

Looking for an equally interesting Oldham-based, transportation-themed overnight stay, well, how about renting out a beautifully restored VW camper?

If you’re after boarding The Carriage at The Old Station and having a fabulous overnight stay or mini holiday of your own, you can find the Airbnb listing and everything you need to know HERE.

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Featured Images — Supplied via Airbnb

Feature

Drake at Co-op Live, Manchester: Forget ‘One Dance’ – we had many

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia

Canadian hitmaker Drake graced Co-op Live in Manchester for the final night of the ‘Some Special Shows 4 UK’ tour with PartyNextDoor.

First song in and multi-hyphenate Drake is already feeling sentimental with ‘Gimme a Hug’ as he admits, “I appreciate the fans rockin’ with me / This is really just a small token.”

‘Marvin’s Room’ played out right after, and although the song prior references it as a favourite of “Durk’s boy”, this same love was shared between 23,500 fans in the crowd at Co-op Live last night. 

Shortly after, the Toronto-born rapper began the usual minute-long introduction of his gigantic single ‘Passionfruit’ with fans roaring as soon as he sang the long-awaited ‘Listen’.

Drake played out to 94,000 fans across four sold-out nights at Co-op Live in Manchester / Credit: The Manc Group
Drake played out to 94,000 fans across four sold-out nights at Co-op Live in Manchester / Credit: The Manc Group
Drake played out to 94,000 fans across four sold-out nights at Co-op Live in Manchester (Credit: Audio North)

Less than halfway through this stacked setlist, and it was time for the holy trinity of the night: ‘God’s Plan’, ‘In My Feelings’ and ‘Nice for What’ – nothing short of back-to-back bangers.

Fellow Canadian artist PartyNextDoor joined the self-proclaimed ‘Champagne Papi’ on stage to perform a medley of hits from their collaborative album ‘Some Sexy Songs 4 U’ next.

This R’n’B act made sure to play out his murky trap-fused number ‘No Chill’, and he squeezed in the equally melancholic melody ‘Somebody Loves Me’, too.

The pair may be promoting their joint LP but they took a second to squeeze in a throwback, matching each other’s energy while executing the 2016 collaboration ‘Come and See Me’.

Drake’s career is timeless, and the setlist proves just that as he delivers a rendition of one of his most recent successes, ‘Girls Want Girls’, followed by a track that laid the foundations of his career, ‘Fancy’.

Drake and PartyNextDoor for the 'Some Special Songs 4 UK' tour / Credit: The Manc Group
Drake and PartyNextDoor for the 'Some Special Songs 4 UK' tour / Credit: The Manc Group
Drake and PartyNextDoor for the ‘Some Special Songs 4 UK’ tour (Credit: The Manc)

Almost 30 songs deep and Drake still had fans reciting bars, verses and everything in between, and this continued as the two-time Brit award winner started 2023 anthem ‘Rich Baby Daddy’.

St. Louis rapper Sexyy Red wasn’t present for her renowned chant, but Manchester stepped up to the occasion, professing: “Hands on your knees, hands on your knees / Shake that *ss for Drake / Now shake that *ss for me”, verbatim.

It was only fair that the global rap titan finished with the setlist with two cellular-themed tracks, starting with the “You used to call me on my cell phone” number ‘Hotline Bling’ before the “Who’s callin’ my phone?” viral smash ‘Nokia’.

The setlist follows a very cyclical structure, as although Drake is known for his comical and cheeky persona on stage and online, deep down, the chart topper is very attentive.

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Ending on the ever-emotive ‘Yebba’s Heartbreak’ with lines like, “How much can I show my love for you?”, it’s safe to say this international act is feeling pretty grateful after seeing 94,000 fans show up and show out for him across four non-consecutive nights.

Drake may refer to himself as the ‘Champagne Papi’, but it’s the 23,500 fans who were popping bottles and raising a toast to the rap champ; the support for this musical act is ‘Nonstop’.

Co-op Live really is booking all the big names now.

We got to see a music legend from the best seats in the house – here’s how you can too
Might as well make the most of this incredible arena every chance we get.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – The Manc Group

Feature

Kendal Calling toasts 20 years of unforgettable memories with Audio North’s best visit yet

Danny Jones Danny Jones Kendal Calling review 2025

Kendal Calling 2025 was always going to be special: it was yet another sellout edition of a live music and cultural celebration that impresses every year, shifting its ticket capacity in record time.

Even after two decades of success, genuinely getting ‘bigger and better’ each time, the local event that started off as a cult favourite for roughly 900 people somehow remains one of the most underappreciated festivals not just in the North but in the country.

To be honest, there were so many factors that went into making this our best visit to Kendal Calling to date, but we thought we’d rattle off some of them in our review of 2025’s 20th anniversary year, in what was a truly momentous milestone weekend.

Here are just a few.

Kendal Calling 2025 review

The sun shines down on Lowther Deer Park

For starters, 2025 was comfortably the best weather we’ve ever had at Kendal Calling, as the rays beamed down on the valley pretty much all weekend long.

In fact, the only bit of rain we had came overnight/in the early morning during the final 24 hours, and while there was a bit of showering later that night, we got to enjoy the bulk of the daytime making the most of dry ground – by which we mean jumping up and down every chance we got.

As much as there’s something very romantic about the inevitable wet and muddiness of a UK music festival, this particular tree-encased corner of Penrith is just so pretty set against pure sunlight and clear blue skies. Just gorgeous.

The next big plus may come down to bias, but it gave us a buzz nevertheless. Cue Friday night’s headliners:

The Mancs do us proud as always

It’ll surprise none of you to hear that the Greater Manchester music scene was flying its big festival flag high, wide and handsome at Kendal’s 20th anniversary.

Tell me something I don’t know, right?

From youngsters The Guest List, and fellow indie up-and-comers like M60, to now established main stage stars like The Lottery Winners and, oh, you know, a little-known band called The Courteeners, we had plenty of top-tier representation this time around.

This is not to say that we haven’t in the past, by the way. Everyone knows how prolific and influential our city is when it comes to the arts, in general; nevertheless, it felt like this year, extra eyes were on us.

We’d be fools not to surmise that some of this may have been down to Oasis fever still firmly gripping the nation by the neck with both hands (a sea of their adidas merch was certainly a tip-off), but seeing acts we’ve featured in our artists of the month to look out for felt affirming.

Credit: Audio North

A festival that thrives after dark

Another thing we can never get over is just how much fun we have after the headliners walk off around 11pm…

Beyond the nine stages located around the sprawling festival site, there are so many little nooks and crannies we are still finding three years in, such as a cosy tea tent with cushion seating and low lamplight, the new ‘Green Room’, which serves as a little taste of VIP, and tonnes more.

The best part about all these bits is that they usually get better the longer the night goes on, and as we found from our two nights dancing until 3am to the silent disco over at the Woodlands stage amidst a trail of fairy lights and flashing headphones, Kendal has endless stamina.

Even on the walk back from the technicolour forest full of ravers, those warming their hands by open fires, or simply lying back and gazing up at the stars in the night sky, you’ll see the big Ferris wheel still spinning, food traders slinging out late-night scran, and people still dancing.

Credit: The Manc

As for some of the names that really impressed us this year, Keo, Sports Team and The Big Moon were up there for some of our favourite sets of the weekend, but we have to say that Sheffield’s very own Reverend and the Makers were truly brilliant.

We’ve had the pleasure of seeing Jon McClure and co. live on a number of occasions over the course of our lifetimes, and while they’ve never quite been as massive as we feel they should be, Kendal Calling 2025 proved they deserve not just main stage but headline slots.

Barring arguably Fatboy Slim on Saturday night, they got the biggest energy and movement of the crowd we’d seen since we got there – and it came as no surprise, either, as the case was very much the same last time.

They acknowledged themselves that they’re having a bit of a ‘Rev-naissance’ and we couldn’t think of a more deserving group of musicians.

Honestly, at this point, we’d say we were getting tired of trying to convince people to give Kendal Calling a go if they haven’t before, but we’re not sure we’ll ever be able to put into words a review that’s fitting enough of how much we adore this festival.

Happy birthday to one of the best. Thanks again for having us back, and here’s to 20 unbelievable years.

As ever, we cannot wait until we’re back on the fields again soon.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — The Manc Group

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