Whether you’re ‘into’ Valentine’s or not, I think we can all agree these Love Hearts donuts from Siop Shop are pretty damn excellent.
Not one to play by the rules, the TIb street donut shop has bucked the mushy romantic trend in favour of a bit of playful wit and produced these Love Hearts sweet-inspired treats instead – perfect for couples (and singles) with a sense of humour.
For many, the fruit-flavoured, tablet-shaped sweets were a childhood fixture – and their inscriptions, which featured cheesy messages like ‘Love Bug’, ‘Kiss Me’ and ‘Only You’, are forever fixed in our minds.
Perhaps you even tried to give a crush a sweet once, you know, as a ‘subtle’ hint.
Image: Siop Shop
Well, this year the bakers at Siop Shop have decided to flip the script – taking the nostalgic favourite and bringing it firmly into 2022 with “crude, off-color sentiments” like ‘kiss off’, ‘u stink’ and, our personal favourite, ‘prize pig’.
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There’s also some solid nods to another childhood favourite, The Simpsons (although let’s be real, we still love this show as adults) with one sassy inscription echoing Bart’s famously belligerent catchphrase, ‘eat my shorts’.
Filled with Diplomat chocolate crème, the prices haven’t been revealed yet but you won’t have to wait long to find out as the tongue-in-cheek goodies are set to go live for pre-order next week.
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Image: Siop Shop
Available in sets of four, you can treat yourself, a mate, or your Valentine (if you’ve got one) to a box of some of the best donuts in town. And, just for fun, you’ll get a limited edition Ralph sticker to go with it.
Forget flowers, forget chocolates, this is where it’s at this year. Nothing says Valentine’s like a box of ‘U stink’ donuts.
They’ll go live for pre-order from 10am on the Siop web shop as of Tuesday 1 February for pick up on the day itself.
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We recommend getting in quick, as there’s already been a huge amount of interest since the post went live on Instagram yesterday.
Sharing them online in a post that’s already amassed over 1,500 likes, the donut shop quipped, “Valentine’s day is no joke!”
They added, “We’ll have other suitably themed doughnuts the weekend leading up and on the day but not these ones. Preorder 10AM Tuesday the 1st over at siopshop.co”.
For vegans who are wondering, we asked – and yes, there will be some suitable for you (but not these ones). All is still to be revealed as to further specials, so keep your eyes on Siop’s Instagram for further updates.
Co-op Live confirmed as the host venue for the 2026 Netball Super League Grand Final
Danny Jones
Manchester’s Co-op Live has booked its latest big event as the 2026 Netball Super League (NSL) Grand Final is set to be held at the massive indoor venue.
As one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues not just in the country but all of Europe, there’ll be room for plenty of UK fans to pile into the stands.
This being not only the NSL‘s debut at the arena but the first final to ever be held in the building, it’s set to be a historic night for lots of reasons.
Announcing the huge coup – not just for the increasingly popular female-led competition, but for sports fans around Greater Manchester in general – this week, the reaction to the big date on the women’s sporting calendar has been just as big.
As mentioned in an official press release, “The selection of Co-op Live for the 2026 Soft & Gentle Grand Final builds on the arena’s rapid emergence as a global destination for sport and entertainment, following a programme of major global broadcasts across music and sport.”
The 23,500-capacity and completely indoor stadium has quickly established itself as a leading destination for live music and more since it finally opened back in May 2024.
Last year’s Super League Grand Final was held down in the capital at The O2 Arena as the fast-rising franchise London Pulse beat Loughborough Lightning 53–45 to lift the title for the first time in history.
Now, the NSL is looking to capitalise on those record-breaking crowds by bringing the action closer to another foundational home for so many competitive disciplines: Greater Manchester.
With England Netball themselves being headquarted at the England Netball is headquartered at the National Squash Centre and Regional Arena on the Etihad Campus (next door to the arena), choosing Co-op Live only felt natural this time.
Elsewhere, another big tournament is being held up in the North, too, with the Netball Super Cup set be hosted at the Utilita Arena over in Yorkshire – much to our mates at The Sheff‘s delight.
Treat a netball fan in your life ❤️
🤝 Help them start #NSL2026 in style and get them tickets to see the Netball Super Cup live.
As for Co-op Live itself, general manager Guy Dunstan commented: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome the Soft & Gentle Grand Final to Co-op Live and to make history by hosting the first sporting final at the arena.
“Co-op Live was designed to bring people together for unforgettable shared experiences, and this reflects everything [we] stand for: world-class events, inclusivity, community impact and inspiring the next generation. We can’t wait to see Manchester play host to such a landmark moment for the sport.”
As always, official Co-op members get early access through the venue’s dedicated presale window, which will open at 10am on Monday, 2 March.
Meanwhile, general admission will then be available from the same time the following Thursday (5 Mar); you can get ready to grab your tickets for the Netball Super League Grand Final in Manchester at Co-op Live right HERE.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Co-op Live)
Manchester
‘Ambitious’ new plans to tackle fly-tipping and litter across Manchester revealed
Emily Sergeant
An ambitious new plan to tackle flytipping and litter across Manchester has been revealed.
Developed with extensive input from residents, partners, businesses, and schools all across the borough, Manchester City Council has this week unveiled and formally approved the Fly-Tipping and Litter Strategy as a long‑term plan to significantly reduce the improper disposal of waste and its drain on public money, all while improving neighbourhood cleanliness across the city.
The strategy sets out a framework over nine years, backed by targeted enforcement, service improvements, and behaviour‑change campaigns to drive significant impact for thousands of Mancs.
As it stands, the Council removes litter as part of its scheduled services – with 6,563 reports responded to and 11,952 fines issued in 2024-25 – but is having to take things up a notch due to a consistent rise in littering incidents, as well as the ever-present issue of fly-tipping.
‘Ambitious’ new plans to tackle fly-tipping and litter across Manchester have been revealed / Credit: oatsy40 (via Flickr)
Nationally, England saw 1.15 million incidents of flytipping in 2023/24, with household waste accounting for more than 60% of cases, while here in Manchester, the city recorded a whopping 14,963 fly‑tipping incidents in 2024/25.
According to the Council, fly-tipping in Manchester usually occurs on roads and pavements (59%), and alleyways (22%).
The Council’s new Fly-tipping and Litter Strategy will be formally launched next month to coincide with the beginning of the Great British Spring Clean, and is hoped to signal a commitment to creating ‘cleaner, safer, and greener’ neighbourhoods for everyone.
The Great British Spring Clean is coming.
Get ready for March 13:
✋ Host a clean up 👍 Join a clean up 👌 Pledge support
“The Fly-Tipping and Litter Strategy is a significant step towards improving the long-term health of Manchester’s communities,” explained Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, who is the Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council, as the plans were unveiled this week.
“We recognised how important it is to hear from residents, people who live and work in the city, themselves and so we have developed this strategy in close consultation through their lived experiences and advice.
“While we already have key initiatives we work under, in addition to several other strategies and projects, this new strategy sets to galvanise and advance the work our services and communities are doing to ensure Manchester becomes cleaner and greener for everyone.”
Georgina Pellant -
28th January 2022 
