The magical Manchester park that’s basically Disneyland for dogs
With attractions like squirrel chasing and ‘Wimbledog’ tennis, a bespoke pet taxi service and small, tailored play groups, Doggyland Park is changing the face of doggy daycare in the city
Over on the outskirts of the city centre is a new park just for dogs that’s been purpose-built for playtime.
Here, dogs are matched in small groups with similar sizes and temperaments to take part in a variety of assault courses and attractions, ranging from assault courses and squirrel chasing to their very own ‘Wimbledog’ tennis court.
There’s even a dedicated ‘pet taxi’ service included as standard for busy owners, meaning that dogs can easily be picked up and dropped back at home without you having to worry or lift a finger.
Formerly a derelict car park in Miles Platting, this patch of land hasn’t been used since the 1970s – that is, until Doggyland co-owners Beth Lemons and Pablo Perez took it on mid-pandemic and swiftly set to work transforming it with their bare hands.
Prior to that, Beth had worked in dentistry for over a decade whilst her partner Pablo had worked as a mental health doctor since coming to the UK in 2016.
However, both had begun to feel ‘a spark of playfulness was missing’ in their professional lives so, when they hit upon the idea of Doggyland Park during the pandemic, they saw it as a new opportunity ‘to build a culture of happiness and mental well-being” for their staff and for themselves.
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“Nowadays doggies are people’s children, and we take it as seriously as that!”
Beth Lemons, co-founder of Doggyland Park
Using nothing but a mattock and a wheelbarrow, whilst the country was in lockdown the couple busied themselves by planting trees, hedges and grass, bringing in woodchips and sand, then building various dog-themed attractions, before finally opening the gates to their first doggy visitors last year.
Nine months on, it is filled with happy dogs of all sizes busily charging around assault courses, sniffing butts, bulldozing through tunnels and popping out of teeny, tiny dog houses – with an average of 45 bookings a week.
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The park has been inspired by Beth and Pablo’s dog Bella, who just so happens to bear a strriking resemblance to Lady in Lady and the Tramp.
Describing the whole thing as “reverse engineering”, Beth explains:
“First we thought : what do dogs like? and then we accommodated everything else to that concept.
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“It wasn’t like…we have a building, lets pack 40 dogs inside. Our idea was, Bella ( our dog) doesn’t like what the market is offering, what would Bella, really, really like?
“Well…be with her friends, outdoors, off lead, chasing things, smelling things, playing, running…
“We provide for other doggies what we wanted for Bella and for us. And what do we want for Bella?
“That she is safe, that she is happy with her little group of friends, that her carers can pick up on signs when she is not fully happy and correct it… and that’s what Doggyland is, it’s her gigantic playground, but also everybody else’s.”
Image: The Manc Group
Image: The Manc Group
An alternative to doggy daycare and dog walking, play sessions at Doggyland Park are small, with a ratio of one staff member to every three dogs.
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Whilst Beth acknowledges this means they are ‘perhaps [their] own worst enemy’ when it comes to growth, by ensuring that dogs are looked after in small groups, with a maximum of six per session, they can avoid some pitfalls common to the industry.
Sessions last roughly two hours and focus on creating harmony amongst the pack – all important for eradicating common industry problems like altercations, disputes for toys, lack of enrichment and personalised attention.
Aside from the two co-founders, Doggyland Park’s team is also made up of four other highly qualified, enthusiastic, wonderful people who Beth describes as being “more like family members than colleagues”.
You can still see on Google Street View how it looked before, but we hear that the neighbours are massively impressed with how the views from their balconies have changed – greatly improved after what ended up being a full year of intense manual labour. .
Speaking on their journey over the past few years, Beth said: “Nine months ago we opened Doggyland Park’s gates for the first time, it has been a lovely journey and we wouldn’t change it for anything!
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“Coming from heavily regulated fields, we have been able to combine our occupational awareness for safety and good practice with the niceties of caring for adorable pooches.
“Opening our own business has been more fulfilling than we could have ever imagined!”
Feature image – The Manc Group
Manchester
The 5 best places to go for a matcha in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Matcha fever has the nation gripped at the minute – it feels like half the country has turned its back on flat whites in favour of the popular green tea drink.
This pretty Japanese beverage might have been around for centuries, but it’s having a bit of a new moment here in Manchester and finding a whole new wave of fans.
With the global success of brands like Blank Street, you can barely walk down the street without passing someone sipping something green.
So we’ve decided to pull together five local spots in Manchester who are doing the very best matcha in town, from the very traditional to the very playful.
Know of somewhere we’ve missed? Drop us a DM on our The Manc Eats Instagram page HERE.
Ohayo Tea, Chinatown
Matcha bubble tea and soft serve at Ohayo Tea in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
This adorable bubble tea cafe in Chinatown has a Shiba Inu dog as its mascot, and you’ll find his face carved into the walls, waffles in the shape of his head, and a giant dog statue bursting out of the wall.
Ohayo Tea serve a complex take on a matcha drink that plays into their bubble tea expertise – expect your matcha to come layered with tapioca pearls, cheese foam, pistachio foam, and plenty more options too.
These drinks come with instructions – tilt your branded cup (the Shiba is back) it to at least 45 degrees to get every layer at once, or, if you insist, use a thick straw to mix it all together.
You can also get matcha soft serve here with shards of honeycomb stuck to it. Delightful.
Just Between Friends, Ancoats and Northern Quarter
Matcha drinks at Just Between Friends, Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
If you’re someone who actually likes matcha to taste of matcha, rather than of all sorts of syrups and other add-ons, turn to one of the city’s best coffee shops.
At Just Between Friends – which has locations tucked into an old mill in Ancoats as well as right on Tib Street in the Northern Quarter – matcha is whisked properly with a traditional bamboo whisk, before being added to steamed or chilled milk.
The result is either a warm, smooth drink served in an earthenware cup, or a refreshing iced matcha.
You can wedge yourself into a window seat or even sit on the cobbled archway outside and imagine you’ve transported yourself to a Tokyo backstreet.
We’d love to tell you the opening hours and location of this pop-up matcha hotspot, but it tends to shift around Manchester a bit.
It’s worth tracking down though – Matcha Kyoto is importing speciality ingredients all the way from Kyoto and doing everything as authentically as possible.
With matcha whipped cream, matcha lattes, matcha desserts and matcha toppings it’s a dream come true for matcha lovers… Is the word matcha starting to sound like gibberish to anyone else at this point?
Track their latest movements on their Instagram HERE.
Sipp, Ancoats and Deansgate Square
Sipp matcha in Ancoats. Credit: The Manc Group
If you’re new to matcha, or just know that you like yours with a little sweetness and fun, you must get a sip of Sipp’s.
These guys are based in General Stores around town, with their own coffee shop soon to open in Chorlton, and they have a whole list of ‘Matcha Cloud’ drinks.
Their best-seller is the raspberry and coconut, which tastes exactly like a lamington, or there are always specials cropping up (currently, it’s a mango and passionfruit).
This is gateway matcha – and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Tsujiri, Chinatown
A selection of matcha items at Tsujuri in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Not satisfied with simply serving matcha you can drink, Tsujiri is a Japanese tea house using this powerful ingredient in cakes, ice creams, cheesecakes and more.
Tsujiri was founded all the way back in 1860, before bringing the finest matcha lattes and infused desserts to British shores.
In Manchester, you’ll find them in the heart of Chinatown, tucked up an anonymous flight of stairs, where there are cabinets full of green sweet treats like a matcha basque cheesecake, matcha sundaes, and classic iced lattes.
A Salford student has made history as BBC Radio 1’s newest presenter
Danny Jones
A University of Salford student has made history after becoming the latest radio presenter for mainstream national station BBC Radio 1.
And he’s only 20 years old.
Matt Hallsworth from Harleston in Norfolk has become the first ever Salford student to sign a contract with the station whilst still studying, and is now set to join fellow alumni such as Vicky Hawkesworth and Katie Thistleton in working for the BBC’s biggest radio station.
If that isn’t hitting the ground running in your career, then we don’t know what is.
👏 We are delighted to share that BA Television and Radio Production student Matt Hallsworth has made history as our first current student to sign as a presenter for @BBCR1!
— School of Arts, Media & Creative Technology (@UoS_ArtsMedia) March 27, 2025
Set to host the spin-off online stream ‘Radio 1 Anthems’ – available via BBC’s digital Sounds platform, which hosts live and pre-recorded broadcasts, podcasts, music playlists and more – Hallsworth will be taking charge of several shows in the coming weeks.
The BA Television and Radio Production student, who is currently Head of Radio at the University’s in-house station Shock Radio, has already won a number of awards in his fledgling broadcast career and is now set to present a total of 16 shows through next month, starting from 8am on Tuesday, 2 April.
Matt has already had a glimpse of life at the BBC, having joined in as one of their Christmas Presenters back in December; he won the coveted slot after being crowned winner of ‘Best Presenter’ at last year’s Student Radio Awards (SRAs) and was the youngest out of a total 27 guest hosts that got the chance.
In addition to that accolade, he also collected the Gold Award for ‘Best Chart Show’ at the 2024 SRAs, with his on-air partner and fellow student Issy Brand also joining him in earning the title of ‘Best On-Air Team’ for the second year in a row in the International Student Broadcasting Championship.
Since then, he’s already enjoyed experience as a freelance presenter for nearby Hits Radio, working and is now the lead host officer for The Student Radio Association’s annual conference over in Salford.
Speaking on the unbelievable opportunity, the rising radio star said: “I am so excited to be joining the BBC Radio 1 Anthems family across April! Since the stream’s launch in October, it’s been evident the BBC is using it as a platform to nurture new presenters, and I feel thrilled to be able to join that.
“I was working on some university assignment work in January when I got the text and call from Aled [Hayden Jones, Head of Station at BBC Radio 1], with feedback from my Christmas show and offering the opportunity.
“The shows have the best playlists, full of songs that I grew up with, forgot about, and play anyway. I can’t wait for people to hear them.”
As for UoS‘s Programme Leader for BA TV and Radio Production, Louise Ready-Syrat, she says: “I’m hugely proud and pleased for Matt, he is such a lovely person and a huge talent that will be amazing in every capacity.
“Watching his development over his time with us on the BA Television and Radio Production course has been a privilege and a real inspiration to his fellow students.
“Always quick to help out on our Open Days, award shows and as Head of Shock Radio, he has proven himself to be a true professional and a genuinely great guy! Super pleased for him, he will smash this!”
Lyndon Saunders, Senior Lecturer and Subject Group Head for Broadcast Media, went on to add: “As soon as we heard Matt take to the student airwaves at Salford, we knew he would be snapped up by somebody big before too long. It’s just amazing to discover that he’s going national on BBC Radio 1.
“He’s so hard working, so determined, but so humble about his on air talent. I’ve worked with Matt in a producer capacity as well and he has an incredible work ethic – a gift for the journalism and storytelling side of radio too. In short, radio is in his veins, and we’re thrilled he’s making his dream a reality.”
You’ve done your department, Salford and Greater Manchester as a whole proud, Matt – we look forward to hearing you on the airwaves for years to come!
As far as universities go, UoS continues to be a brilliant proving ground for up-and-coming media talent.
Georgina Pellant -
29th July 2022 
