It all began with the appearance of a mysterious door on Dale Street in 2020.
First materialising at the end of last year, the door – tall, imposing, and a bit too grand for this particularly run-down part of town – quickly prompted questions from locals as to what could be going on behind it.
After all, prior to its emergence, the area had only ever been known as a hang out for rough sleepers and was nearly always littered with drug-taking paraphernalia. How times change.
Neighbouring book shop Chapter One – long-overlooked (unfairly, might we add) as a relic of a Northern Quarter from days gone by – has suddenly become the focus of every hipster in the city as they clamour to find out more about its new ‘secret garden’ opening.
Created by Chapter One in partnership with Manchester real estate developer Buzz Ventures, planning permission for the new drinking and dining spot at Chatsworth Gardens was first granted in August 2019.
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Just got a look inside the new secret garden bar ‘Mala’ on the corner of Lever St & Dale St. It’s opening next Tuesday and they’re partnering with operators around the Northern Quarter who don’t have their own outside seating to deliver food and drink into the space. pic.twitter.com/CPUk3kik59
Like many planned openings, it’s suffered some delays due to the events of the past year (and a bit). But today the vision, a Victorian-inspired blossoming pocket park, becomes a reality as Mala opens its doors to the public for the very first time.
Filled with ski chalets, cute cable car carriages, upturned beer barrels painted in pastels and plenty of foliage, it’s a peaceful oasis in the midst of the bustling city centre.
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There’s plenty of covered seating, with a mass of long tables and picnic benches dotted around the split-level garden. Twinkling fairy lights above will give the garden added ambience once night falls.
Dog friendly and strictly no smoking, the 4,000 sq. ft plot is all about the drinks right now – but has plans to introduce food offerings provided by local restaurants in the near future.
Drinks on offer seem to focus quite heavily on cocktails, with a decent spritz menu catching our eye and sounding perfectly refreshing for a long, hot summer.
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Of course, there are also some classic staples on there- think Pornstar Martinis and watermelon mojitos.
There’s a decent selection of pints, too, with Camden Town beers and Paulaner pilsner both served on draught.
There’s no need to book, in fact, you can’t – it’s strictly walk-ins only. A good one to remember this weekend if you can’t get in anywhere else, considering Mala still seems to be slightly off the radar for now.
We don’t expect that will last very long, though, so don’t hang about.
News
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.”
Georgina Pellant -
4th May 2021 
