A ‘pub for plants’ will be taking over one of Manchester’s favourite watering holes and transforming it into a foliage-friendly boozer.
Northern Quarter pub The Freemount will be reimagined as ‘The Seed & Sip’ for one night only on Wednesday, June 29, as part of a partnership between Inch’s cider and leading online plant retailer Patch.
It will play host to an array of forna-inspired events including, wackily, a gig for plants that will be performed by indie rock band Red Rum Club.
Promising the perfect night out for plant and human punters alike, the Seed and Sip will also host its own horticultural twist on speed dating in the form of ‘speed planting’ sessions.
Image: The Freemount
Open to singles and couples, it’s more about finding your perfect plant than your perfect partner – with expert advice from the Patch team to prove there really is a plant out there for everyone.
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On entry guests will be given tokens for free pints of Inch’s cider and Heineken 0.0, as well as delicious snacks and the chance to win stellar prizes to see out the summer.
Those heading down will be met with a living wall of plants that will permanently take over the pub’s exterior, created by the award-winning Edible Bus Stop who have just taken home the Silver-Gilt at The Chelsea Flower Show.
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Plant Doctors from Patch will be on hand to help guests discover their perfect plant partner, and a special guest comedian will host a Plant Pub Quiz where guests will be in with the chance of winning a number of festival tickets to Tramlines and Boardmasters.
The Seed and Sip will be launching at 73-75 Oldham Street in Manchester on 29 June from 6pm for over 18s.
Image: The Freemount
A limited number of spaces are available, and you can register for a place by emailing [email protected] with your full name. The pub will also be open to walk-ins during the night.
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The partnership hopes to showcase the importance of sustainability, connecting pubs and nature together as one.
Rachel Holms HEINEKEN UK, Cider Unit Director, says: “Inch’s Cider focuses on sustainability and nature, which is why we’ve teamed up with Patch to bring consumers a taste of nature in a fun and exciting way. The Seed and Sip is an experience like no other for pub-goers and plants alike, an environment to chill, drink a cold cider and meet new friends – of both the human and horticultural variety.
“Patch is the go-to brand for a new generation of urban drinkers who have an increased interest in nature, so we’re excited about this partnership and shared passion for bringing pubs and nature together as one – and you may even leave with a personality-matched plant to move in with you too!”
Red Rum Club’s lead singer, Francis Doran, said: “We have performed to many different crowds in a wide variety of venues over the years, but this is by far the most unique audience we will have the pleasure of entertaining. We hope that the plant guests at the Seed and Sip not only enjoy our music but find it uplifting and help them grow!”
Freddie Blackett, Patch Founder, added: “The pub is a great British institution, and the UK is famous worldwide for its gardens, so it makes perfect sense for pubs to have lush and inviting spaces for customers to enjoy with a drink, like a pint of cider.
Image: Supplied
“We are delighted to be collaborating with a brand who shares our passions, as we set out to create greener spaces in urban areas together.”
‘Danger to life’ amber wind warning issued for Greater Manchester as Storm Éowyn arrives
Emily Sergeant
Storm Éowyn is expected to bring very strong winds and widespread disruption to Greater Manchester later this week.
In case you hadn’t heard, the Met Office named Storm Éowyn yesterday, and confirmed that it will begin to influence the UK’s weather from early on Friday – with strengthening winds initially expected in the south west first, accompanying heavy rainfall, before it quickly spreads to the north and the rest of the UK as the morning progresses.
An amber warning for wind has been issued for large parts of the UK, including the majority of Greater Manchester, for most of the day on Friday.
#StormÉowyn has been named and is forecast to bring strong winds to much of the UK on Friday and into Saturday.
Coming into effect from 6am this Friday (24 January), the weather warning his means that power cuts are likely to occur, transport services will be affected with delays and cancellations, and there is a chance that buildings could be damaged.
Worse than that though, there’s even a ‘danger to life’ too, with potential injuries occurring from flying debris.
Speaking ahead of Storm Éowyn’s arrival in a couple of days time, Mike Silverstone, who is the Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “Storm Éowyn will bring a period of very unsettled, potentially disruptive, weather to the UK through Friday and into Saturday.
Warnings for strong winds, heavy rain and snow are in place across many parts of the UK during Thursday, Friday and into the weekend ⚠️
“The strongest gusts are likely to be felt across parts of Northern Ireland, northern England, northwestern Wales and western Scotland, where exposed sites could get gusts in excess of 80mph, which has the potential to cause impacts for those in these areas.
“There will also be some heavy rain, bringing some unpleasant conditions to end the week.”
The initial warning for Storm Éowyn has been issued several days in advance, so it’s important to stay up to date with the forecast on the Met Office website here in the coming days.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons
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The 2025/26 Premiership Women’s Rugby season has been delayed
Danny Jones
The next Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) season has been officially delayed by nearly three weeks.
Announced on Tuesday, 21 January, the decision has been taken in an effort to help promote the Women’s Rugby World Cup (WRWC), the proximity of which is rather close to the national union championship competition.
With sporting bodies also trying to nurture a growing interest in female rugby, the start of the next PWR season will be pushed back not only to give players more time to rest but in an effort to drive a larger audience to the WRWC as well, the final of which is being played here in England.
The hope is that it will also better the Red Roses’ chances of winning the international tournament in turn – fingers firmly crossed.
Get excited 🤩
The PWR 2025-26 Season will officially kick off on Saturday 25th October PLUS the PWR Cup will return 🙌
The conclusion of the international tournament is taking place at Twickenham Stadium in London on 27 September, just days before the 2025/26 Premiership season was due to start.
Local side Sale Sharks are sadly at the bottom of the table this current campaign, which kicked off on 5 October 2024 and ends this March, but with eyes already on the WRWC the focus for lots of players in the division will no doubt already be shifting.
Not only is the domestic women’s rugby season being delayed by nearly three whole weeks – meaning the first games won’t happen until 25 October – but this comes after the current schedule of fixtures was also reduced with player recovery in mind ahead of the World Cup.
Speaking to BBC Sport, the PWR’s operations manager, Amy Walmsley, said: “The Rugby World Cup is a generational moment for women’s rugby and will create a huge opportunity for both PWR and our clubs to grow and celebrate with their fans.
“The optimum time between the Rugby World Cup Final and our first league match will ensure we capitalise on what we already know will be the biggest and best World Cup ever, while also ensuring player welfare with adequate rest across the season.”
The stats back it up too as 2024 saw numerous milestones for the women’s game; in addition to record crowds at the Olympics, last year’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations was the most viewed on record with 8.1 million fans tuning in, not to mention an increased interest among 18-24-year-olds.
You can find the run-down of the Sale Sharks Women fixtures below:
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗜𝗻
All of our fixtures for the 24/25 season are locked in. Let's bring that Northern roar to every game #SharksFamily 🦈
As for the final of the Premiership Women’s Rugby, the date has been reverted to its usual window in June, which should also fit within what congestion remains.
Nevertheless, with the Women’s Six Nations in late April and England – who have won all but one of their last 51 games – set to begin their World Cup on 22 August, the margins are still going to be somewhat fine if they are to head into the tournament in the best shape possible.
With the tickets selling extremely well, the expectation is that the Rugby World Cup final break is set to break the world record for the best-attended women’s rugby fixture in history.
In the meantime, Greater Manchester is gearing up for the men’s action as the Six Nations gets underway at the end of this month and the city is boasting the perfect place to watch it.
Georgina Pellant -
20th June 2022 
