A “hidden gem” village in Wigan has just been named one of the poshest in Britain, according to The Telegraph.
Posh may not be a word associated with Wigan all too often, but in this case, a little village within the borough has found itself featuring as Greater Manchester‘s only representative on a round-up list of Britain’s poshest that’s recently been compiled by The Telegraph.
Fresh off-the-back of 2024’s edition of the annual Sunday Times ranking of the UK’s best places to live being released last month, where two Greater Manchester towns made the coveted cut, now another national publication has decided to shine a spotlight on one of our region’s highly-regarded neighbourhoods.
And yes, whether you can believe it or not, The Telegraph thinks Wigan is, indeed, ‘posh’, as it’s named Haigh as one of the 48 ‘poshest’ villages in Britain.
Home to Haigh Woodland Park and the country mansion Haigh Hall, and an average house price of £283,414, the village of Haigh – which is just a few miles from Wigan town centre – has been singled-out by The Telegraph as one of several in the North West, and the only one within our region, for its “posh appeal”.
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The Telegraph has used exclusive research provided by leading real estate company, Savills, to reveal the “most desirable villages” the country has to offer.
The list is based on the combination of highest house prices, best lifestyle amenities, connectivity, and aesthetic appeal.
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Describing the Wigan village and what makes it so ‘posh’, The Telegraph wrote: “Shrouded by trees, Haigh is a hidden gem just a few miles from the busy Wigan town centre. There’s an imposing country mansion, Haigh Hall, built between 1827 and 1840, and the restored Haigh Windmill, originally used to pump water to Haigh Brewery. It is also home to Haigh Woodland Park, with miles of winding trails through woodland and manicured gardens.”
A ‘hidden gem’ village in Wigan has been named one of the poshest in Britain / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Frances McDonald, who is the Director of Research at Savills, explained that the COVID pandemic made city dwellers “flock to the countryside” in search of green open spaces to “make lockdowns more tolerable” – but she says the search criteria has “shifted” within the past 18 months, as workers have returned to the office.
“Our latest research indicates that proximity to a train station, place of work, and family has become much more important for those searching for a new home,” Frances commented, “particularly as individuals are more likely to be commuting to the office multiple times a week.
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“While still important to some now, pandemic buyer wishlists favoured proximity to parks, shops, and local pubs, and restaurants.
“Exactly what village characteristics are classed as essential will vary from buyer to buyer, but we know that access to education, attractive surroundings and connectivity is a decent definition of a ‘have it all’ village.”
Featured Image – Wigan Council
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Salford Red Devils granted another adjournment over unpaid debts
Danny Jones
Salford Red Devils have been given one more adjournment and yet another stay of execution, being given another two weeks to find the money to cover their unpaid debts.
The local rugby league side, which has been wrapped in all manner of struggles both on and off-pitch over the past year or so, reportedly needs to pay around £700,000 to HMRC alone and still owes roughly £5 million in total to various creditors.
To no surprise, regular matchgoers, neutrals and even rivals alike have expressed their continued disappointment with the club, mainly at the lack of transparency and clarity from the organisation throughout this long, drawn-out process.
This is coming from a wire fan but no club deserves to be left in the dark even longer than they already have done it’s nothing but a disgrace to the sport of rugby those owners and the court should be ashamed of themselves.
Updating fans on social media, this is all the information they have communicated at this time: “Salford Red Devils can confirm that HMRC have granted the club a two-week adjournment, providing additional time in which to secure the necessary funds.
“We would like to reassure supporters that we are working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure a positive resolution. Further updates will be shared as soon as possible.”
It’s worth noting that the current owners have reiterated that they inheited around £3m in existing debt before they took over the club, but assurances over their own investments have still come to nothing; meanwhile, with many still waiting on wages, players and staff alike have now left.
Having been propped up by loan players and emergency loans, the team is now closer to a skeleton crew than it is an outfit capable of competing in the premier division.
Either way, the outrage remains and is only growing stronger. One user wrote on X: “A good approach by them if they was legit would be to engage and bring in The 1873 to bridge the communication black hole (they created).
“The problem with that is if they did it would expose them for what they are… Extortionists using the club as a vehicle.”
More alarm bells were raised recently when assistant coach and Krisnan Inu – who was also director of the company set up to take over the business – withdrew himself from a key position behind the scenes.
Speaking of The 1873, the outspoken supporters trust took no time at all in issuing a response of their own, adding: “The judge presiding over today’s case has adjourned by 14 days. This adjournment has dragged the uncertainty on even longer.
“Every delay makes planning for 2026 harder and keeps the club stuck in limbo when it desperately needs clarity and direction.
“The fans, the players and the future all deserve better — The 1873.”
You can see the rest of their statement in full down below, but for now, what do you make of this seemingly neverending saga, Salfordians?
‘Christmas chaos’ on the cards as Manchester tram drivers vote on staging strike action next month
Emily Sergeant
There could be major disruption to festive travel in Greater Manchester next month, as hundreds of tram drivers are currently voting on whether to strike.
Almost 320 tram drivers are being balloted over working conditions and fears around fatigue.
The drivers – who are members of the union, Unite – all work for KeolisAmey Metrolink Limited at the Warwick Road South and Queens Road depots in Manchester – and they operate trams on all routes in Greater Manchester.
As it stands, the drivers’ shift patterns currently mean they have to work 450 hours over a 12-week period, which results in some having to work 50 hours on, followed by just two days off, then back into another 50-hour work pattern.
Drivers also have fewer rest days compared to all other operational departments, and this is said to be causing safety concerns around fatigue.
‘Christmas chaos’ is on the cards as Manchester tram drivers are currently voting on staging strike action next month / Credit: TfGM
Drivers say they concerned about operating heavy vehicles while exhausted and unable to have proper breaks, but after raising the issue with management, Unite has been told there is ‘no funding available’ to support any ‘meaningful’ improvements to working patterns.
Instead, management has asked drivers to start work earlier – which Unite says is only ‘adding insult to injury’.
The ballot is set to close on 11 November, and if drivers vote in favour of industrial action, strikes could then begin in late November, causing widespread cancellations and delays throughout the region during the busy festive shopping period – particularly coinciding with Manchester’s world-famous Christmas Markets, known for attracting millions of visitors to the city each year.
“Any strike action will cause a great deal of disruption but it is entirely the fault of Metrolink, which is not taking the issue of driver fatigue seriously,” commented Unite Regional Officer, Colin Hayden.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd April 2024 
