There’s.a new ‘party bike’ experience in Manchester that gives punters the chance to pedal themselves about the Northern Quarter whilst sipping on ‘BYO’ pints.
Known as the MCR Party Bike, the bee-emblazoned contraption has been shipped over from Europe and can seat up to 12 people at a time.
It requires a minimum of six people to get it moving and is already proving to be something of a bargain day out, as pedallers are even able to bring along their own booze to save some money.
Image: MCR Party Bike
Launched by two local lads who previously ran bars over in Majorca, Stuart Smith, 51, from Monton, and Shane Steenson, 33, from Mossley, came up with the idea after paying a trip out to Dublin where Shane’s cousin runs something similar
Having invested a lot of time and money into adapting the bike, they’ve finally managed to get it out on the road – and despite only being out and about for a couple of weekends, it’s already caused quite the stir amongst city-dwellers.
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Whilst the duo are in talks with local Northern Quarter businesses about collaborating to offer takeaway drinks, for now, no such deal has been arranged – meaning that bikers can hop on with their own booze for the low-low price of £10 per person.
As the pair both have other jobs, the MCR Party Bike is a weekend-only affair. Running every Saturday from 1 to 9pm, bookings run at hourley intervals. Walk-ups are also welcome, provided the bike isn’t too busy.
The route starts at Hilton Street and then loops around the Northern Quarter, taking around 30-40 minutes in total.
Speaking on their new venture, the pair told the Manchester Evening Newsthey’ve had a great reception so far: “We’ve only been out a few weekends and you wouldn’t believe the reaction we get.
“It doesn’t fly along, it just trundles along, and even if we’ve got a bus behind us, you’ll see people stopping and taking photos.
“We’ve put a big sticker on the back saying ‘smile and wave to the party bike’ and people just do. They love it, it’s all good fun.
“It was a good laugh this weekend, we’re still buzzing about it. It’s unbelievable when we drive through Stevenson Square it’s like we’ve won the Oscars or something the amount of people taking photos and videos.”
To find out more about the MCR Party Bike, visit the Facebook page here.
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UK Government announces £100 fines for ‘antisocial behaviour’ on public transport
Emily Sergeant
The Government has today announced plans to tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport.
In a bid to crackdown on loud music, littering, vaping, and other threatening behaviour on buses and trains, guidance was issued by the Government today for local authorities to prosecute and even issue fines of up to £100.
For many, playing audio out loud on public transport – also known as ‘loudcasting’ – has become one of modern life’s most irritating parts of the daily commute, but now, a new national campaign is aiming to encourage rail passengers, in particular, to ‘share the carriage, not the noise’ to improve the journey experience for all.
This will include reminders of the rules in place on the rail network and, if a passenger refuses to stop when asked by authorised rail staff, they can be removed from the train at the next station or face fines up to £1,000.
On buses, however, the powers for authorities were already made possible by the Bus Services Act 2025, meaning all local transport authorities in England are able to set and enforce their own rules.
Authorised officers – including transport safety officers and the police – will be responsible for enforcement, rather than bus drivers themselves, and they will be tasked with a three-step approach to deal with incidents. They will need to:
Engage with the person
Explain the rules and their impact on other passengers
Take enforcement action if they refuse to comply
“We’ve all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone,” commented Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
“It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey, so we’re launching a nationwide campaign reminding passengers to use headphones on trains. On top of that, we’re giving local leaders new powers to tackle loud music, vaping and littering on buses.
“It’s a simple thing, but one that will make journeys that little bit better for all of us.”
Ben Plowden, Chief Executive at the Campaign for Better Transport, added: “Antisocial behaviour is not just irritating, it can be a real deterrent to people using public transport – especially people with different accessibility requirements.
“If these new powers are properly and visibly enforced, they should help everyone feel safe and comfortable on public transport and enjoy the ride.”
Featured Image – Northern
News
Police provide update after stabbing of 14-year-old boy at Manchester Arndale carpark
Emily Sergeant
Police have provided an update following the stabbing of a young boy in Manchester city centre over the weekend.
At around 3:15pm this past Saturday afternoon (17 October 2026), officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were called out to reports of a stabbing on the ninth floor of the Arndale carpark in Manchester city centre.
Emergency services attended the scene, and a 14-year-old boy was taken to hospital with injuries consistent with a stab wound.
Thankfully, the victim’s injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life changing, but an investigation and enquiries are ongoing.
Detective Inspector Sam Jones, of GMP’s City of Manchester District CID, said this will ‘understandably’ cause concern, but has assured the public that police believe this to be an ‘isolated incident.
“Detectives at the scene are working extremely hard to process the scene with Crime Scene Investigators,” explained DI Jones in an update statement issued.
“The car park is expected to be closed for several hours, so we ask for your understanding and patience whilst we gather evidence to bring these offenders to justice.
“Detectives and Officers will be in the area today to speak with local businesses and members of the public to provide reassurance. This is believed to be an isolated incident with no risk to the wider public.
“Greater Manchester Police are committed to diligently investigating all knife crime and bringing offenders to justice, and we are asking for anyone with information about this incident to come forward to assist with our enquiries.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log 2050 of 17/10/2026, or via the LiveChat function. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Georgina Pellant -
6th July 2022 
