This weekend’s weather forecast predicts a crisp and sunny Sunday. You know that means – a fresh winter walk polished off with a hearty roast.
We have just the walk for you.
Hop just across the border into Cheshire to Styal, where The Styal Woods and Quarry Bank Mill walk is just coming into its most beautiful time of year.
The perfect escape for the Black Friday and pre-Christmas chaos, this corner of the north west is ablaze with autumn leaves right now.
Keep reading for the ultimate weekend walk, ending at a cosy fireside pub.
The train from Manchester Piccadilly to Styal takes just shy of 40 minutes, and will take you right to the village where the walk begins.
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Travelling by car? Parking is available on the country lanes outside the Ship Inn or in the National Trust car park.
Parking is difficult at busy times, so we try suggest you get here a bit early!
The walk:
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Credit: Instagram (@missjessicakate) Autumnal walks at Quarry Bank
The walk is two hours at a stroll and very easy on the knees with little-to-no steep inclines.
Sights include the golden Styal Woods, the banks of the River Bollin and the ancient Quarry Bank Mill.
Quick history lesson: in 1784 the valley of the River Bollin was chosen by Samuel Greg as the site for the Quarry Bank Mill.
This is why #Autumn is my favourite time of year. It’s as if nature is saying ‘take it easy and enjoy the serenity’. Such a chilled out walk in #Styal Woods @QuarryBankNT #Cheshirepic.twitter.com/eD2adlOBrW
Several routes are an option here but we think all the best walks start and end at the pub.
The Ship Inn is one of the finest country pubs in the business and will be your landmark.
Hack for the walk: the Ship Inn provide packed lunches or pre-order a meal for your return. Also grab a few walking leaflets from here if you want to explore alternative routes. Hospitality at its finest.
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The route we propose, however, is as follows:
Start at the Ship Inn and continue on through the little village of Styal. Enter into the woods – don’t worry this isn’t Blair Witch Project Part 2 – everything is well sign-posted.
Amble through the leafy scenery, alongside the River Bollin, and come out at the Quarry Bank Mill. Walk around the grounds before finishing off back at the trusty the Ship Inn. Simple!
For peace of mind, a map of the route can be found at Northern Stroll.
The Ship Inn:
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The Ship Inn – a wonderful way to end a winter stroll.
Finally, strip off those layers and warm up your fingers because the best part of the walk has just begun.
The Ship Inn serves up a proper, state-of-the-art Sunday roast with all the trimmings.
Feast on roast sirloin of beef (£15), pork loin (£13), Cheshire turkey (£13) or get all three in the mixed roast (£14).
The fun does not stop there – there are nut roasts for vegetarians (£12), and a whole roast chicken dinner (£25) or a quarter roast leg of lamb (£28) for people to share.
Arguably the king of Sunday roasts and sure to have your mouth watering before you even set off on the walk.
Should children be banned from social media? The Government wants you to help decide
Emily Sergeant
Should there be a minimum age to access social media? Should children be banned all together? The Government is asking the public to help decide.
In case you missed it earlier last month, the Government announced a social media crackdown in a bid to keep children safe amid rapid technology changes – with Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying he was looking to take ‘immediate action’ to make the online world safer for young people.
The new measures announced included a crackdown on ‘vile’ illegal content created by AI, as well as ‘fast action’ to shut a legal loophole and force all AI chatbot providers to abide by illegal content duties in the Online Safety Act or face the consequences of breaking the law.
It was also hinted at that setting a minimum age limit for social media – which Australia famously became the first country to do so last year – could be on the cards, and also the restricting of other harmful features like infinite scrolling.
The Prime Minister insisted that ‘no platform gets a free pass’.
No social media platform should get a free pass when it comes to protecting our kids.
And now, it’s your turn – parents, guardians, and young people across the UK are being urged to shape the country’s next steps on children’s digital wellbeing, as the Government has today (2 March 2026) opened what is said to be the the world’s most ambitious consultation on social media.
The consultation will aim to gather insights from the public on how to keep children safe online across social media, AI chatbots, and gaming platforms.
“Millions of parents across the country worry about what social media is doing to their children’s sleep, concentration, and mental health,” the Government said in a announcing the launch of the consultation.
Many parents and campaign groups have called for an outright ban on social media for under-16s, however, others – including leading children’s charities like UNICEF – have warned that a blanket ban could drive children towards ‘less regulated’ corners of the internet, or leave teenagers unprepared for when they do come online.
The Government has launched a consultation on banning social media for children / Credit: Julian Christ (via Unsplash)
This is why the Government says its consultation ‘looks beyond a ban’ and instead covers a full range of options – from curfews, to the impact of chatbots and gaming.
It also asks the questions about how any new rules would work in practice, in a bid to make sure they are effective.
On the social media side of things, three main questions are being posed in the consultaion:
Should there be a minimum age for social media, and if so, what age would be right?
Should platforms be required to switch off addictive features that keep children hooked late into the night – like infinite scrolling and autoplay?
And whether mandatory overnight curfews would help children sleep better, and what age they should apply to?
Speaking on the launch of the consultation today, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Technology is fundamentally changing childhood. Used well, it can open up new opportunities for learning, creativity and connection, but only if we get the balance right.
“That is why we want to hear directly from parents, teachers and young people about how we strike that balance and give children the very best childhood in a digital age.”
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall added: “We know parents everywhere are grappling with how much screen time their children should have, when they should give them a phone, what they are seeing online, and the impact all of this is having.
“This is why we’re asking children and parents to take part in this landmark consultation on how young people can thrive in an age of rapid technological change.”
The consultation is now live, and you can have your say here.
Featured Image – Robin Worrall (via Unsplash)
Kids & Family
MCR Basketball to play special knockout game for the 2026 MOBO Awards in Manchester
Danny Jones
Manchester Basketball are set to play an exclusive knockout game here as part of the official MOBOs Fringe events for 2026, with this year’s awards coming to Co-op Live.
There’s a place in the last eight if they can seal a victory, too.
After what feels like a tricky couple of years for Greater Manchester’s main basketball franchise, things look to be on the up for the local team.
Rebrands and rebuilds aside, the Super League side is gradually climbing back up the standings, and with their European North Basketball League (ENBL) campaign still going strong, they could book their spot in the quarters with a win ahead of a big partnered evening in just a few weeks.
Set to face off against Croatian outfit, KK Dubrava, from Zagreb on 10 March, just a couple of weeks before the MOBO Awards get underway in Manchester, the match will be one of several events that the organisation are collaborating with.
With this year marking the MOBOs’ 30th anniversary year and, like with the BRITs, our city set to host it for the first time ever, this special game sets the tone for what’s to come in and around event week.
Fans can expect not just the major red carpet moments, but live DJs spinning hip-hop and afrobeats (courtesy of DJ Kay and special guest, DJ G2), plus a live halftime performance from a MOBO artist.
It’s yet to be confirmed who’ll be popping up centre court, but watch this space…
In case you missed the previous announcements, the 2026 MOBO Awards will see global rap icon Eve and acclaimed comedian and broadcaster Eddie Kadi host the landmark night for the North, not mention lots of other exciting stuff throughout the full Fringe schedule.
Performances already confirmed on the night include rising British superstar Olivia Dean, as well as FLO and Tiwa Savage, with more still to come.
Better still, for MCR Basketball, they also have the Super League Cup final coming up over at the AO Arena next month, too.
Tickets for all of these events are live now and available to purchase as we speak.
However, with prices for Manchester Basketball vs Dubrava, specifically, priced at just £5, we don’t expect these ones to last long.
Once again, set to be hosted on Tuesday, 10 March at the National Basketball Performance Centre over in Belle Vue, the tip-off is set for 7pm; you can secure your seats HERE.
And in case you were wondering what other big competitive events are coming to Manchester, Co-op Live is booked for its first-ever big sporting final.
Dolly Busby -
26th November 2021 
