With just over a week to go until Mother’s Day, the clock is ticking if you’re still looking for that perfect present for your mum.
Perhaps you’ve been procrastinating, perhaps you’re just genuinely stuck for what to get – either way, we’ve pulled some of the best present ideas from a selection at luxury designer outlet Cheshire Oaks to help you show your mum just how loved she really is.
No matter your budget, there’s something here to suit – from coveted luxury handbags and beauty products to quirky homeware pieces and more.
Keep reading to discover some of the best gift ideas for your mum this Mother’s Day.
New Balance
For those mums who are always on their feet, a stylish pair of New Balance trainers are sure to be a hit. Widely considered to be some of the most comfortable trainers on the market, these fresh foam kicks will have your mum looking chic as anything whilst she’s out and about.
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L’Occitane
If your mum can’t live without her luxury skincare, French beauty house L’Occitane is a must. There are a whole range of different gift sets to choose from in store, but if you’re in need of some inspiration you can’t go wrong with this Luxury Divine Face Care Collection. A PH-friendly makeup remover, alcohol-free toner and divine cream combine to offer an indulgent skincare routine to leave skin looking smoother and refreshed.
Mulberry
Surely every mum wants a Mulberry of her own, and if you’re the one to get it for her – well, just expect you’ll be in her good books for a very long time to come. These British-made luxury leather goods are the ultimate arm candy – with designs to match every style.
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Molton Brown
Help your mum bring the spa to her this year with a Molton Brown gift set. The opulent fragrance brand has just released a new fragrance, rose and rhubarb, but if floral’s not her style you can also find comfort in the more classic, aromatic and woody Molton Brown scents.
UGG
Like a hug for your feet, these Australian sheepskin boots have been a wardrobe staple for years. Whether you opt for shoes, slippers or boots, know that these super cosy and breathable boots will give her years of comfort.
Levi’s
A good pair of Levi’s are a classic for a reason. So much so, that rare original pairs of Levi’s from the 50s can go for tens of thousands of pounds online. Get her a good fit, and she’ll want to hang on to those bad boys for life.
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Hotel Chocolat
Luxury hot chocolate is having a moment in the UK, and it doesn’t get much more luxurious than Hotel Chocolat. Made with grated pieces of real chocolate, this high-end drinking chocolate is designed to be deeply chocolatey with rich cocoa flavours running throughout. Pair it with a Velvetiser if you want to go all out.
Furla
This sought-after Italian handbag brand is known for its quality craftsmanship and materials, making it the perfect choice for busy mums in need of a stylish, reliable upgrade that’s going to last a long time.
Fossil
There’s nothing like a classic timepiece to keep you in mum’s good books. As something she’ll wear every day, whenever she looks down to check the time she’ll think of you – and there’s something really special about that.
The Cosmetics Company – Jo Malone
Simple but beautifully crafted, Jo Malone’s fragrances have become somewhat of a go-to for special occasions and gifts and you can find them at Cheshire Oaks’ The Cosmetics Company. Of course, the infamous candles are a solid favourite – but if you want to up the ante, why not get her a scent she can enjoy everywhere.
Cath Kidston
Known for her eclectic, bright and colourful prints, at Cath Kidston you’ll find everything from beautiful homeware to stylish bags and clothing. There’s something cute to be discovered here on every budget.
Feature image – Supplied
Cheshire
Neighbourhood Weekender returns after hiatus with incredible first wave lineup for 2025
Danny Jones
After a year out to help fine-tweak what is already one of the best festivals in the North West, Neighbourhood Weekender returns for 2025 with a simply incredible first-wave lineup.
The Warrington-based music festival spread across two fantastic days and jam-packed with some of the best talent from all over the UK is officially back after its short hiatus and buzzing is an understatement.
Neighbourhood will no doubt be a familiar name to many of you who have attended the city centre day festival that first started back in 2016, but the full weekender which began a couple of years later has become a giant in its own right, welcoming some huge acts to the stage in the past.
Spoiler alert: there are some pretty bloody big ones this year too.
Credit: Tom Martin (supplied)
With the likes of Pulp, James, Shed Seven, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Blossoms, Sam Fender, Lewis Capaldi, Inhaler and countless other big names having come through taken the NBHD rite of passage in previous editions, it’s fair to say the lineup also sees both established and up-and-coming names.
Another thing it can take as a compliment is that many of these bands are artists keeping coming back every year or two – in fact, there are a fair few returning customers in 2025 and we’re sure that same goes for the crowd too.
Boasting a daily capacity of around 25,000, make no mistake, this thing is massive and if you’ve never been before, we can’t think of a better time than next summer for their comeback festival now that we’ve seen who’ll be playing.
NBHD Weekender 2025 will not only see headline performances from Manc rock and indie legends, James, as well as fellow veterans and the veritable pride of Wales, Stereophonics, but other huge names include The Wombats, Inhaler, The Lathums, Dizzee Rascal, Ocean Colour Scene and SO many more.
The names we’re excited to see a virtually endless and this is just the first wave, mind you.
We’re especially excited to see the likes of Wunderhorse, CMAT, overpass, Sigrid, as well as returning favourites The Lathums, The Reytons, The Snuts, The Lottery Winners, The K’s and we simply must stop there otherwise we’ll just end up listing the whole lineup.
Set to take place on the bank holiday weekend of 24-25 May, tickets for Neighbourhood Weekender go live at 9:30am on Friday, 22 November via www.gigsandtours.com, Ticketmaster and the NBHD website.
Residents in postcodes WA1 – WA5 will have access to a local presale, which also opens from 9:30am on Wednesday, 20 November.
Chester Zoo opens new ‘cutting-edge’ science centre to help fight global extinction crisis
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has opened a new science centre which is set to play a “significant role” in the conservation of the world’s most-threatened species.
The new cutting-edge facility, formally named the International Centre for Zoo Science, will enable researchers to study some of species most at-threat across the globe, as well as support conservationists and scientists to fight the ongoing global extinction crisis.
The specialised centre is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to assess the health of plants and animals, Chester Zoo has revealed.
Inside is a demonstration lab to help train future conservationists, as well as a special cryo-conservation unit where genetics from endangered species will be preserved in liquid nitrogen at -196°C, and the new facility also houses Europe’s largest dedicated wildlife endocrinology lab, giving scientists the chance to study and track hormone levels in animals to further understand their reproductive biology.
Chester Zoo has opened a new ‘cutting-edge’ science centre to help fight the global extinction crisis / Credit: Chester Zoo
In case you didn’t know, Chester Zoo is already at the forefront of vital research to protect a wide range of different species from extinction, with it being home to 37,000 animals from more than 500 species – but this new centre will take things one step further.
Scientists at the UK’s biggest charity zoo say the new centre – which is triple the size of the zoo’s previous lab facilities – will enable them to attempt to “unlock the secrets” of different species which have, so far, remained “unstudied” and a therefore a “mystery to science”.
It will also help the zoo significantly expand its scientific capacity, and boost its conservation training programme.
“Our new International Centre for Zoo Science will help us to play an even more significant role in the conservation of some of the world’s most endangered species,” explained Dr Sue Walker, who is the Head of Science at Chester Zoo.
“At a time when species face extinction on an unimaginable scale, we’re already making a substantial contribution to the task of preventing extinction and restoring biodiversity… and now our new science centre will enable us to grow our research, not only in wildlife reproduction, but also in terms of innovating within our other areas of expertise.”
Dr Walker added that this will also be the first time the Zoo is able to accommodate training courses for visiting researchers from all over the world.
The Manc -
17th March 2022 
