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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The simple hack that can save healthcare workers and teachers money on their holidays
Danny Jones
With cost-of-living pressure ever-present in the background of most everyday lives, finding some spare pennies for a getaway feels more difficult than ever, and if there’s anyone who deserves discounts on a holiday, it’s healthcare workers.
That’s why, when we became aware of the simple hack that can save those working in healthcare services money on holidays, we thought we’d help spread the word.
We’re sure lots of you working within the sector already know plenty about this booking strategy, but for anyone who doesn’t, how do you fancy saving up to half a grand on your next jolly?
In fact, even those working in education can cut their costs, too.
With searches for ‘holiday voucher code’ up by 73% on Google, and even the likes of TikTok seeing ‘money saving tips’ up by 45%, travel agency TUI have decided to team up with the Health Service Discounts platform for 2026.
Providing those who work for the NHS with a ‘Holidays for Heroes’ (HfH) access code on various popular peak-season trips, this exclusive discount can be added on top of all other seasonal TUI deals, including the company’s ‘First Choice’ package holidays.
With the HfH code alone guaranteeing workers an extra £100 off their bookings, play your cards right, and you could get up to £500 in total discounts overall.
How to access the healthcare ‘Holidays for Heroes’ deal
Separate from standard Blue Light card savings, here’s how it works, and don’t worry, it’s all very simple:
As mentioned, education workers can also benefit from similar money off, with an extra £50 per person through the TUI x Discounts for Teachers partnership, as well.
Ella Foden-Lynch, Partnerships Manager for TUI, said in a statement: “Getting away is absolutely vital for wellbeing, especially for those working in high-stress healthcare and education roles.
“With the cost-of-living crisis still putting a strain on household budgets, we know how hard it is to stretch your pay to cover a much-needed family break. By unlocking these exclusive TUI deals, we hope to give our key workers the realistic recovery time they deserve without the financial worry.”
So, for those of you healthcare heroes and teachers looking for a well-deserved break, we urge you to find an affordable holiday that suits you very soon. With cheaper airport pints also inbound later this year, here’s hoping you save even more spends for when you’re away.
New ‘cutting-edge’ cancer treatment to be rolled out on NHS from next week
Emily Sergeant
A new ‘cutting-edge’ cancer treatment is set to be rolled out on the NHS from next week.
Thousands of men with prostate cancer are to be offered high-powered ‘precision’ radiotherapy on the NHS to target the disease more effectively – helping reduce side-effects and spare them 15 courses of treatment.
The highly targeted SABR (stereotactic ablative radiotherapy) delivers radiotherapy to the tumour from many different directions to help reduce the risk of cancer spreading or returning.
SABR has been proven to be effective at far fewer doses than conventional radiotherapy.
Standard radiotherapy can often be a major burden for patients and loved ones, due to the substantial treatment and travel time involved, but SABR is typically delivered in just five doses within a fortnight, compared to at least 20 doses with external beam radiotherapy.
Thousands of men with prostate cancer are to be offered high-powered ‘precision’ radiotherapy on the NHS to target the disease more effectively, helping reduce side-effects and spare them 15 courses of treatment.
Around 17,500 men are diagnosed with low or intermediate risk prostate cancer in England each year and could be offered the option of SABR radiotherapy.
It is expected that the cutting-edge technique for localised prostate cancer will be offered at all 48 radiotherapy providers across England in the coming days – with the first centres making it available on the NHS from next week.
The roll-out could free up around 50,000 appointments for prostate cancer treatment each year, helping the NHS continue to bring down waiting times for patients.
NHS chief executive, Sir Jim Mackey, said the news will ‘transform’ treatment for thousands of men with localised prostate cancer.
“This cutting-edge approach will transform treatment for thousands of men with prostate cancer, helping the NHS provide far more powerful and convenient care to stop their cancer spreading,” Sir Mackey commented.
“Having been proven effective in keeping cancer under control, this technology will not only help reduce the risk of certain side effects but also the major ‘to-and-fro’ burden of hospital treatment, which can be really draining for so many patients and their families.”
Emily Sergeant -
2nd April 2024 
