UK News

Estate agent claims anyone can afford a house if they ditch Greggs

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 16th March 2022

An estate agent has come under fire after claiming that people should ditch their daily Greggs if they want to be able to afford to buy a house – leaving thousands online outraged.

We’ve heard all about how avocado toast and cups of coffee are ruining our chances of becoming homeowners, but now it seems the ‘don’t have anything nice’ police are also coming for our barms and sausage rolls.

This might just be the final straw.

In a viral video shared to TikTok, West Midlands estate agents DM & Co. Homes said that people buying a Greggs breakfast every morning could have saved nearly £10,000 for a house deposit if they made their own at home instead.

Image: Greggs

In a somewhat condescending video captioned  “Who’s guilty?”, the agents went on to break down the figures of how much a Greggs breakfast costs and how that can add up over time.

ADVERTISEMENT

The text on the video reads: “You spend £5 at Greggs every morning. That’s £35 a week.

“That’s £140 a month.

ADVERTISEMENT

“That’s £1,680 a year.

“Three years later that’s £5,040.

“Five years later that’s £8,400.

ADVERTISEMENT

“You could’ve added that to your deposit on a property.”

Image: Greggs

Many people were left fuming after watching the video, taking to the comment section to share their vitriol.

One user saidd: “This is literally boomer mentality! Buying a sausage roll is not going to stop you from saving a deposit. Pointless video.”

Another replied: “No one cares with your condescending sh**e leave Greggs out of it.”

“A warm breakfast every morning for eight years is worth more than a deposit on a property you’ll hardly see,” wrote a third.

Feature image- Greggs

UK News

A Greater Manchester Wetherspoons has been revealed as ‘one of the UK’s most beloved pubs’

Danny Jones Danny Jones Best Greater Manchester Wetherspoons

Whatever you make of them, Wetherspoons remains the biggest pub chain in the UK and millions of Brits drink in them every week; in fact, as it turns out, one of their Greater Manchester locations has just been revealed as ‘one of the most beloved pubs’ in the country.

The J D Wetherspoon name is one you’ll typically see at least once if not more in most towns and cities and given that they boast more than 800 across the UK and Ireland, their dominance of the UK drinking scene remains pretty steadfast.

Although many have railed against the massive franchise over the past few years, with thousands famously flocking to use the ‘Neverspoons’ app within just a week of its launch back in 2020, an estimated 20.5 million visit every six months.

The point being, ‘Where is the nearest Spoons?’ is a very common query online and punters still regularly search for them on Google Maps – quite literally, as it happens, as the latest data from the tech giants has revealed just how popular one particular Manchester location is. Drum roll, please…

google maps manchester
moon under water deansgate
Credit: Google Maps/The Manc Eats

Marking 20 years of Google Maps’, those behind the website and app pooled together their stats on the best-loved pubs nationwide and, yes, Manchester’s very own Moon Under The Water managed to make the top 20.

The busy Deansgate boozer, famous for rowdy weekends and being one of if not the only Wetherspoons we know of that includes a built-in dancefloor (perhaps the only one full stop) is certainly a memorable watering hole – provided you don’t drink so much you struggle to recollect much of anything.

Whilst we’re on the subject of Wetherspoons, they actually take up half of the list with various venues up and down the country, including four of the top five.

Other names that made the cut were Waxy O’Connor’s London, which once had a space in Manchester’s Printworks; England’s so-called oldest pub, the Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem in Nottingham, as well as few other storied London public houses.

For context, this list was compiled strictly by using data directly from the search engine. The top spots are based on places that have the most reviews and a rating over 4.0 stars on Google Maps and those locations were then calculated by the number of reviews and average review rating taken into account.

wetherspoons dancefloor manchester
The main bar area
the moon under water manchester review
The view from above looking down onto the dancefloor
It is the biggest and one of the most frequented Wetherspoons in all of Greater Manchester. (Credit: The Manc Group)

Read more:

We’ll admit, of all the brilliant Manchester pubs and bars we know and love, we were quite expecting to see a simple Spoons beating them all out on the list.

Meanwhile, as part of the wider 20th-anniversary round-ups, Google also shared the likes of ‘best’/most-searched restaurants in the country, as well as some of the most popular Italian spots.

The only nod Greater Manchester received was among dining spots, with Turtle Bay’s Northern Quarter venue coming in at number 10.

So, what do you reckon then: are you a fan of Spoons and, more specifically, The Moon Under Water, or do you only support independent pubs and bars?

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

Featured Images — The Manc Group

UK News

Coronation Street and Emmerdale cancel filming after news of cutbacks and reduced schedule

Danny Jones Danny Jones Coronation Street and Emmerdale cutbacks

Coronation Street and Emmerdale production crews are said to have cancelled at least one day of filming this week following news of more cutbacks and a reduced schedule of programming.

The beloved British soaps have been up against it for some time now, with viewing figures and costs struggling at both ends of the spectrum, and the latest development doesn’t spell great news for the cast and crew, not to mention audiences.

According to Digital Spy, regularly scheduled filming was due to take place in Manchester and Leeds on Tuesday, 5 February, with each show shooting roughly six to eight weeks in advance of storylines.

However, following reports of more hits to the industry and the latest steps ITV, specifically, which will see fewer episodes of both Corrie and Emmerdale air each week, film crews are said to have been stood down as they await further updates.

corrie less episodes
Part of the Coronation Street set over in Salford Quays. (Credit: The Manc Group)

Announcing steps at the start of February, ITV confirmed that Coronation Street and Emmerdale are to see their content cut by an hour a week between them from next year.

While Corrie currently broadcasts three hour-long episodes per week and Emmerdale four half-hour episodes plus one full-hour instalment, the new slate will see both soaps dial back to only air 30-minute episodes, with a so-called ‘soaps power hour’ every both shows at 8pm and 8:30pm.

Put in simplest terms, viewers will have half an hour less of their regular soaps to watch overall each week but with episodes airing at more regular intervals, which the network claims is “viewer-led” and will allow fans to enjoy the shows “in the most digestible way.”

Metro writer Duncan Lindsay has labelled the decision as a tough one to make but something that could ultimately “save” the two long-standing soap operas in the long run.

On the other hand, this obviously means a big chunk of work being lost for those working on sets across the board, with ITV having already taken steps to cut costs ever since the pandemic, and the UK’s viewing public has given mixed reactions, to say the least.

With an increased focus on streaming and making both shows more accessible, episodes will continue to be released from 7am on ITVX before airing on live telly later that evening.

Responding to the changes, the performing arts union Equity admitted that the steps do cause “further cause for concern”, especially following the cancellation of other soaps like Doctors and Hollyoaks also having recently seen its schedule adjusted.

Meanwhile, there still remains a loyal and passionate viewership for both iconic UK shows and Corrie, in particular, notched yet another award for best soap/continuing drama at the 2025 Broadcast Awards.

Cast and crews are understood to have paused filming just for the day to address the situation and inform everyone working on the Coronation Street and Weatherfield sets, and we sincerely hope they’re back up and running as per usual.

What do you make of the cutbacks – is it a bittersweet step that could help freshen up the format and sustain it for years to come, or are you just gutted that the end result is simply less telly each week?

Read more:

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

Featured Images — ITV/The Manc Group

More UK News

Eurosport shutting down all channels in UK

Sport

Eurosport is shutting down all of its channels in the UK

Art & Culture

What’s going down between Aitch and Central Cee?

Boroughs

Viral TikTok eatery Spudbros announce FIRST EVER Manchester site

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches