Manchester has launched a bid to become the European Capital of Cycling for 2024, and we’d be the first city to hold the title.
On the week that the nationally-renowned cycling tournament, the Tour of Britain, begins and makes its way through the region, Manchester City Council has announced that it has has formally submitted a bid on behalf of the city of Manchester to become the official ACES European Capital of Cycling for 2024.
The bid comes as the city gears up to welcome a delegation from ACES Europe this month, who will meet with city partners and set out ambitions to become “a great cycling city”.
According to the Council, Manchester’s bid for the 2024 title is the “culmination of years of work”, which has seen “a hugely ambitious expansion of cycling” – both in Manchester as well as the entire Greater Manchester region.
Councillors believe it could also spark an “even greater transport revolution” that could get “many more Mancunians into the saddle” in the future.
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Today, Manchester welcomes the delegates from @AcesEurope, who will decide the winning bid to become European Capital of Cycling 2024.
“By building on this accolade, we want Manchester to be in a position where we are in an even better position to bid for future funding, and to continue to grow Manchester as an international city of cycling,” Manchester City Council said as it launched the bid.
Even without the news of this bid, September is already being considered an “incredibly exciting” month for Manchester’s cycling community.
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On top of all the action in the Tour of Britain, the National Cycling Centre is also set to reopen to the public this month following a two-year renovation project – with the Council saying this long-awaited return will ensure that “the heart and home of British Cycling can continue its incredible work for the decades to come”.
Council leader Bev Craig has called the bid a “watershed moment” for the city.
Manchester has launched a bid to become Europe’s first-ever Capital of Cycling / Credit: TfGM
Earlier this year, the Council made what it called a “significant statement” on how important cycling would be in the future of Manchester, and revealed that by the end of 2028, it hopes cycling as a mode of transport in the city centre would be doubled so that it’s essentially the “default choice for making short journeys”.
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Ultimately, the Council wants to promote cycling so that it go towards the target of becoming a zero-carbon city by 2038.
“We’re incredibly proud to have been in a position to make this bid,” Cllr Bev Craig admints.
“Cycling is at the heart of our transport strategy for the next five years, and with the impetus this accolade would bring, I am confident we will be able to truly make Manchester a great cycling city.
“We are determined, alongside our valued partners in the city, to capitalise on what becoming the Capital of Cycling would mean and to ensure that we can create a lasting legacy.”
Featured Image – TfGM
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
Emily Sergeant -
4th September 2023 
