Some deeply sad showbiz news this weekend as it has been announced that British acting royalty Dame Maggie Smith CH DBE has died aged 89.
The legendary English actor was confirmed as having passed away on Friday, 27 September, following an official statement from her sons, Toby Stephens and Chris Larkin.
They wrote: “It is with great sadness we have to announce the death of Dame Maggie Smith.
“She passed away peacefully in hospital early this morning, Friday 27th September. An intensely private person, she was with friends and family at the end. She leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who are devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for their care and unstinting kindness during her final days.
They go on to thank the hordes of fans paying their respects online, adding: “[we] ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”
With a career spanning six decades and known to generations of movie lovers for appearances as Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter films, Lady in the Van, Downton Abbey and Oh! What a Lovely War, just to name a few of her countless iconic roles, she is the definition of a household name.
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She appeared in more than 85 films and TV programmes all told but was arguably most famously known to kids all around the world as the stern but enigmatic and fiercely loyal Hogwarts witch who first welcomed them into the live-action universe of the much-loved wizarding world.
Her theatre career is arguably even more revered, with the BBC dubbing her “a piercing presence on stage and screen” in their official obituary. By all accounts and judging from the tributes online too, a lovely human being with a razor-sharp wit.
Making her acting debut way back in 1952, she went on to win two Oscars five BAFTAs, four Emmys; three Golden Globes, not to mention a Tony as well as nominations for six Laurence Olivier Awards – she quite literally did it all.
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Made Dame Maggie back in 1990, Smith is one of the few performers to ever earn the so-called ‘Triple Crown of Acting’, which should tell you everything you need to know about her status within the industry.
Rest in peace to a true legend and thank you for the memories in some of our most formative years.
‘One, two, three – Vera Verto’.
RIP Maggie Smith, this was one of my favourite scenes from Harry Potter with professor mcgonagall 💔 pic.twitter.com/Qe61BS7u9w
The best afternoon teas in Manchester
Thomas Melia
Afternoon tea has been a British staple since 1840, luckily for us, Manchester has a great selection of places serving this midday tradition.
If there’s one thing Manchester does best after music, sport, style and, you know, everything else it’s definitely food and drink, especially British classics.
There’s nothing better than a good sandwich followed by a sumptuously sweet scone, and a dazzling selection of cakes.
However, if you put all of those things together and bring it out on a meticulously-organised, multi-tiered serving platter, you’ve got the key to the nation’s heart.
When it comes down to afternoon tea we certainly don’t mess around and that’s why here at The Mancwe’ve put together a list of all the best dining experiences that are worth every single penny.
The top 10 afternoon teas in Manchester
1. Kimpton Clocktower, The Refuge
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This historic building is serving up elevated classics that you would expect on your typical afternoon tea platter including sandwiches with fillings like truffled egg mayonnaise as well as smoked salmon and pickled cucumber.
Pair these nibbles with all your go-to cuppa choices such as an earl grey and peppermint black, or sample ‘The Refuge blend’ – a fruity and herbal infusion with rosehip, hibiscus, peppermint, blackcurrant, and strawberry leaves.
Once your sweet tooth kicks in, there’s a variety of sweet delicacies with their glazed lemon meringue pie and obvious breadwinner, the treasured scones.
Nothing says grandeur like dining in The Midland and their afternoon tea options are certainly not subtle in any way, shape or form either.
Sandwich fillings are not limited, there’s avocado and chive, chicken, tomato and basil, with many vegan alternatives like the coronation tofu and watercress.
All their scones are served plain however they do offer you Devon cream and a helping of Mrs Darlington’s jam, yum.
Where to find: 16 Peter St, Manchester M60 2DS
Price: £45 – £55 per person
3. Grandpa Greene’s, Diggle
Credit: The Manc Group
Ever fancied eating an afternoon tea in an igloo without the below-minus temperature? Well after this you definitely will.
Known and loved for their unreal ice creams, Grandpa Greene‘s are also all-around food caterers and their Afternoon Tea isn’t one you should be missing out on.
Enjoy treats, canapés, and of course, milkshakes made with that ridiculously moreish GG’s ice cream.
Where to find: Ward Ln, Diggle, Oldham OL3 5JT
Price: £24.95 – £29.95 per person
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4. King Street Townhouse
Credit: The Manc Group
Quoted on their website as a ‘memorable Manchester experience’, there are two afternoon tea options to choose from.
Indulge in all the sweet treats you can possibly imagine with the ‘Traditional’ serving or if you’re someone who prefers savoury, delight in the ‘High Afternoon Tea’.
The first brings generously sized portions centred around the flavours of the season but always features a scone or two, while the latter sees orzo fritters and cheddar croquettes with cheese and chutney replacing the beloved scone.
This is another city centre hotel that’s putting on a dazzling display of tiered food and definitely not skimping on jam and cream with two pots placed perfectly next to those delicious scones.
There are finger-shaped sandwiches as well as a handful of mini cakes, and the multi-tiered platter exudes the Gotham style with its rose gold-tinged plates and matching teapot.
So why not take your pick at some bite-sized delights while perched high among the Manchester city centre skyline?
Where to find:100 King St, Manchester M2 4WU
Price: From £35 per person
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6. The Martlet
Where better to enjoy an afternoon tea than in a historic Greater Manchester building that radiates notoriety and doubles as Rochdale’s newest fine-dining location?
The Martlet is preserving this British cuisine while bringing a modern touch with sandwich fillings like vegetable samosa and raspberry macarons to follow.
Of course, scones paired with the usual egg and cress sandwiches will still be present, but it’s always lovely to see some innovation where possible.
We’re pretty stunned by the whole thing, to be honest.
Where to find: Rochdale Town Hall, The Esplanade, Rochdale OL16 1AZ
Price: £21 per person
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7. 20 Stories
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This Afternoon Tea reaches new heights, literally. 19 floors above the city centre is 20 Stories, which are branding itself as ‘The highest Afternoon Tea in Manchester’
20 Stories also has an exclusive mini cocktail pairing option where the drinks are hand-selected to go with your Afternoon Tea, because what fun day ever started with water?
Now all that’s left to do is choose between the Traditional, Piper-Heidsieck or Miniature cocktail Afternoon Tea, we’re really spoilt for choice!
Where to find:No. 1 Spinningfields, 1 Hardman St, Manchester M3 3EB
Price: £37.50 – £62.50 per person
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8. The Lowry Hotel, The River Restaurant
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Enjoy an Afternoon Tea before heading off to your next theatre show – how could your day get any better?
Sample a turkey and lettuce wrap, smoked salmon, crème cheese and white balsamic ‘on a slider’ and a cheese and ham tart.
Vegans are well catered for too with hummus, red roasted pepper and rocket wrap with vegan cream and jam for the scones!
Price: £30 – £40 per person
9. The East Lancashire Railway
Finger sandwiches, homemade scones and patisserie all onboard a vintage steam train, yes please!
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And to top things off, you’ll have a personal waiter on hand for your whole journey ready to attend to however much unlimited tea and coffee you can manage in 90 minutes.
This experience will be nothing but exceptional and all catering is to very high standards, so sit back, relax and watch the views of Manchester go by.
Their afternoon tea is just one of many luxury packages you can enjoy – here’s another one:
Where to find: Bolton Street Station, Bury, Lancashire, BL9 0EY
Price: £55 per person
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10. Malmaison Manchester, Deansgate
This hotel really takes the concept of afternoon tea and combines it with a polar opposite: street food.
B&G slider, beef brisket bite, tuna taco and buttermilk fried chicken all for savouries with an unreal lineup of sweet tarts.
‘Fab Lollies’, carrot opera cake, choc chip cookie dough sundae, vanilla crème brûlée and to dust it off, a sticky toffee scone.
MediaCity launches brand new state-of-the-art creative content space
Danny Jones
Exciting times for Greater Manchester and young talent as a brand-new state-of-the-art content creation space has just launched over in Salford.
Over the past decade, MediaCity has become a highly celebrated creative and cultural hub, home to the likes of the BBC, ITV, Lowry and more.
It’s become more than just an outpost accessible via a short tram ride but a true heavyweight of the media and creative industries here in the UK, always looking to expand and push the boundaries.
Now, following the completion of its latest project, MediaCity looking to provide a space for future generations of content creators and aspiring media makers.
Credit: MediaCity (supplied)
This brand new £600,000 state-of-the-art content creation space marks a huge milestone in MediaCity’s continuing journey as not just a Northern hub for digital and creative innovation, but a go-to national destination for future media.
Designed to cater to the growing climate of cutting-edge content creation and offer a professional workspace at an accessible rate, Content Studio provides a range of versatile creative spaces, including light, dark and podcast studios – perfect for video and stills production, castings, photoshoots and more.
Curated by University of Salford alumni Ashley Salmon the studio has been designed to meet the needs of modern content creators, influencers, social media stars, brands and businesses of all kinds.
Promising to offer both a dynamic and inspiring space where people can produce high-quality and innovative content while fostering a supportive creative community, this place aims to live up to Greater Manchester’s media reputation: industry-leading.
The Content Studio will also be made accessible to students and creatives spending time over at the MediaCity campus, with a good chunk of the core production team including recent graduates from the University, giving them a valuable platform to showcase their skills and kickstart their careers.
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For the first time, creators will have access to a range of industry-quality facilities at an affordable rate, with spaces starting from just £10 per hour – a super reasonable price point, especially these days.
To further enhance the creative process, MediaCity has partnered with experienced on-site production companies to ensure every booking is fully equipped with all the facilities for seamless content creation.
Boasting everything from infinity walls and green screens to cameras, audio gear, props and pretty much everything you’d ever need.
To make things even sweeter, hiring the content creation space also comes with the option of one-on-one consultations, so creators can focus on creating rather than coordinating.
Even those who require significantly more space and tech requirements will be able to make use of the neighbouring dock10 studios.
Through a partnership with local creative community group Heads, creators will also have plenty of access to exclusive workshops and upskilling opportunities, ensuring they stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
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The MediaCity Content Studio isn’t just another content creation/production space – Greater Manchester has tonnes of those – it’s also an exciting new outlet for new talent, collaboration, innovation and inspiration, not to mention an investment in the future.
Anyone working out of the space will have the tools to carve their own path and help shape the future of entertainment and digital media in the North and beyond.
To mark the launch of the new content creation space, MediaCity is even introducing a new podcast, This is MediaCity in partnership with University of Salford and produced by Stephen Chapman, Founder and Creative Director of 39 Pictures.
The podcast is set to spotlight the people and stories that make this particular corner of 0161 the creative powerhouse we know, love and remain immensely proud of.
Director of Marketing and Place at MediaCity, Caroline Aikman, said of the exciting project: “Content Studio represents our commitment to nurturing the next generation of digital creators and innovators.
“By providing the tools, spaces, and inspiration, we’re not just supporting the future of content—we’re empowering it. This marks an exciting chapter in MediaCity’s journey, cementing our reputation as the go-to destination for digital creativity.”