Newly-conducted research has revealed that Manchester is the best city for a summer break in the UK in 2021.
With international travel restrictions likely to remain in place by the time summer comes around, many Brits will be looking to explore the sights on our shores instead, and while a holiday in Blighty is usually spent by the coast or in the countryside, it’s also a brilliant time to visit a new city.
If you’re stuck for a bit of staycation inspiration though, Staybridge Suites has ranked 15 cities across the country based on their summer amenities, including rooftop bars, percentage of green spaces, riverside activities and lidos, outdoor pools, open water swimming areas.
Each city was then given a score out of 10.
And Manchester has come out on top, with a score of 7.5 – was there ever any doubt?
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When it comes to Manchester’s standout summer features and activities for tourists, Staybridge Suites has said that as well as being home to the most rooftop bars outside of the capital, the city also has a vast collection of both bars and restaurants lining the River Irwell and the Bridgewater Canal.
There’s also plenty of water-related activities too, with the Helly Hansen Watersports Centre offering canoeing, sailing and windsurfing.
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You can also take part in open water swimming in and around the city centre as well.
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But where should us Mancs be looking to head to for our city breaks instead then? What other UK cities have earned themselves a spot in the new rankings?
Newcastle and Bristol tied for second place, both with a score of 7.
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It may not boast as many rooftop bars as Manchester, but Newcastle still offers a number of spots along the Tyne for visitors to enjoy a drink, and the North East also has some amazing areas of countryside, including ancient forests in Hareshaw Linn and quaint villages like Haydon Bridge – which is home to Hadrian’s Wall and has a National Park on its doorstep.
Bristol is also described as a hub of summer fun, as it has a large selection of outdoor pools to relax by, including the historic Bristol Lido.
On the other end of the spectrum, London and Leeds were at bottom of the summer city rankings, each with a respective score of 3, as while the capital has lots of outdoor space, lidos and rooftop bars, the size of the city means it isn’t the best place to enjoy the heat, and similarly, Leeds may also have a large percentage of green space in the city (21.7%), but the lack of nearby lidos and outdoor swimming opportunities mean it scored low in the overall ranking.
The Best UK Cities To Visit in 2021
Manchester – 7.52
Newcastle & Bristol
Liverpool – 6.5
Nottingham – 5.5
Belfast & Glasgow – 5
Leicester, Edinburgh & Southampton – 4.5
Birmingham, Sheffield & Dundee – 4
Leeds & London – 3
Geograph | Helly Hansen Watersports Centre
Speaking on the new rankings, Lisa Crocker – Regional General Manager from Staybridge Suites – said: “Once restrictions are lifted, it is likely that holidays will be restricted to the UK this summer [and] whilst the coast and countryside are the usual option in the British summer, our research shows that there are lots of amazing activities to enjoy in the UK”.
“Cities like Newcastle have perfect summer settings and breathtaking countryside a short drive away, offering the best of both.
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“Post lockdown, we are anticipating a big increase in people choosing self-catering accommodation options and the flexibility to feel safe in a home away from home”.
You can take a look at the full rankings and find more information here.
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Derelict Manchester office block to become ‘vital’ accommodation for homeless families
Emily Sergeant
A derelict former office block in Manchester is set to become vital accommodation for homeless families in the region.
Manchester City Council has announced that, subject to planning approval, new temporary accommodation for dozens of homeless families will be created on the site of a derelict former office block in south Manchester, off Nell Lane in Chorlton.
The Council acquired the 1.1 acre site last month with the support of the Government’s Local Authority Housing Fund.
The initiative – which is part of wider plans to boost the city’s stock of quality temporary accommodation – will see self-contained two-bedroom accommodation created for around 55 homeless families built where former NHS offices, Mauldeth House, currently stand.
Mauldeth House has been empty for several years now at this point, and had become somewhat of a ‘blight’ on the neighbourhood, attracting anti-social behaviour along the way and being targeted by squatters – but with the plans for the new accommodation, this could change for the better.
The site, and therefore the new accommodation, is said to be ‘ideally located’ for families, as it’s close to shops, schools, public transport, leisure facilities, and Chorlton Park.
The new accommodation will see families supported by a specialist team based on site to help them move on as quickly as possible into permanent settled tenancies, which is, of course, the long-term goal for many.
The Mauldeth House initiative is cited as being one example of the Council’s drive to increase its temporary accommodation stock across the city to reduce the number of out-of-area placements.
Other successful examples of this initiative include Mariana House in Whalley Range, and The Poplars in Rusholme.
It also comes after it was announced last month that homeless children in Greater Manchester, particularly those who are placed in temporary accommodation out of area for their school, will now get free bus travel to and from school.
“Mauldeth House is a great example of how we can put derelict properties to good use to benefit those experiencing homelessness, as well as making our neighbourhood look better,” explained Deputy Council Leader, Cllr Joanna Midgley.
“We are tackling homelessness on many fronts, the most important one being prevention, but we also need an increased supply of good quality temporary accommodation within the city so that if people do become homeless they are not uprooted from their social support networks.
“One of the ways we are doing this is through the innovative use of existing sites whether they are council owned or we are able to acquire them, as in the case of Mauldeth House.”
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
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Bolton woman who falsely accused 10 men of raping her has been jailed
Emily Sergeant
A woman from Bolton who falsely accused 10 different men of raping her over a six-year period has now been jailed.
Stacey Sharples, 31 from Farnworth in Bolton, pleaded guilty of 10 counts of perverting the course of justice in relation to reports against 10 separate men at Bolton Crown Court earlier last month (2 February 2026), before appearing in court again this week to be sentenced.
The investigation into Sharples was launched after the arrests and questioning of almost all these men, and following the pursuing of all relevant lines of enquiry, which consistently revealed evidence contrary to what had been disclosed by Sharples.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) says investigations of this nature are ‘extremely rare’ and the decision to pursue Sharples as a suspect was ‘not one taken lightly’.
“However, it is our duty to act in the public interest and on the evidence and information we uncover and receive, which in this case demonstrated a continuous, wilful making of false allegations, knowing full well the consequences for each of the men involved,” GMP said in a statement following Sharples’ sentencing.
Of the allegations Sharples pleaded guilty to – of which were made over a six-year period between 2013 and 2019 – most of the men were arrested and spent time in custody, with some also undertaking intimate examinations, and almost all spending periods of time on police bail or released under investigation.
Statements from the men accused by Stacey Sharples / Credit: GMP
GMP says there’s ‘no doubt’ the reports and arrests have had an impact on these men, their sense of self and relationships, their wider networks, and how they move forward with their lives.
False accounts also undermine those who have genuinely experienced sexual violence.
Police say it also affects the confidence in the criminal justice system, and that the time spent investigating Sharples’ reports could have been put towards investigating ‘genuine reports of sexual offences’ instead.
Sharples has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison this week after pleading guilty to making false rape allegations.
Speaking following Sharples’ sentencing this week, Detective Sergeant Steven Gilliland, who investigated this case, said: “We took the allegations made by Stacey Sharples seriously, explored all lines of enquiry and swiftly made arrests or interviewed of all the men she accused.
“We gave her multiple opportunities to provide further explanation or information to us, after interviews with the men and subsequent evidence uncovered didn’t align with her first recollection, as we understand that trauma can impact how victims and survivors recount their experiences.
“Ultimately, as the evidence continued to demonstrate that the reports were untrue, coupled with the desire for justice from some of the men who had been falsely accused, it was right that we followed the evidence and pursued the individual who had actually committed a criminal offence.”
Emily Sergeant -
14th April 2021 
