Families can kick-off the summer by going behind the scenes at Manchester City’s Stadium to “experience the magic”.
With schools across the UK now out for the six-week holidays, and parents and carers on the lookout for some exciting activities to occupy the little ones during the extended break, Manchester City’s popular tours of the Etihad Stadium are running throughout the summer – and tickets are now available to book.
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The immersive tours are expertly-guided by City’s Tour Guides and filled with interesting stories, facts, and anecdotes from throughout the club’s history.
Some of the activities fans can be getting up to throughout the 75-minute Manchester City Stadium Tour include asking a virtual Pep Guardiola questions in the famous Press Conference room, and exploring the stadium’s exhibition space with holographic content and plenty of silverware.
They’ll even get to learn how the players prepare for a big match, feel what it’s like to walk down the legendary glass players’ tunnel, go pitch-side to get a “Pep’s-eye view” of the stadium from the dug outs, and so much more.
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Manchester City’s popular tours of the Etihad Stadium are running throughout the summer / Credit: Tom Flathers (via Getty Images) | Manchester City
They can also watch the City story come to life in an immersive 360 degree cinema suite, and see what happens on matchdays in the Home Team dressing room with an audio-visual show.
By far one of the stand-out experiences on the tour has to be the chance to go inside the dressing room of the Premier League Champions and see the shirts of the entire squad hung up over their lockers – including those of new signings Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Stefan Ortega Moreno, and Kalvin Phillips.
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And for those who really want to know what it’s like behind the scenes and experience the proper pre-match buzz, then you can also book a tour that actually takes place on a matchday.
Families can kick-off the summer by going behind the scenes to “experience the magic” / Credit: Manchester City
Not only is the Manchester City Stadium Tour well-loved and known for being the most immersive tour experience in Premier League football, it’s now got an award to prove it, as it’s been rated in the top 1% of Tripadvisor experiences in 2022 – so it’s really becoming a must-see for anyone visiting Manchester.
Tickets for the Manchester City Stadium Tour will set adults back just £25 each, while it’s £15 for those under 18, and anyone under the age of five can go for free.
The best glamping spots near Greater Manchester you can get to by train
Daisy Jackson
We all LOVE a little escape into the countryside, with so many beautiful spots around Greater Manchester to explore – and did you know there are loads of glamping spots you can get to by train?
Whether you’re wanting to ditch the car for a greener mode of transport, or you just don’t actually own your own car, this selection of gorgeous staycations are accessible by public transport within two hours.
Dark sky reserves, wild swimming spots, heather-covered hills, and more are all on your doorstep, right across the North West.
And even better, Canopy & Stars will give you a £75 voucher towards your next stay when you travel by rail to one of their beautiful accommodation options.
So without further ado, here are some of the best glamping spots you can reach by train from Greater Manchester.
Rufus’s Roost Treehouse, York
The best glamping spots you can reach by train near Manchester
I doubt you’ve ever laid eyes upon a home as fairytale and whimsical as this one…
You access Rufus’s Roost via a tree-lined boardwalk, leading to a gorgeous wooden lodge that looks like a magical turreted wooden castle.
Inside you’ll find all sorts of quaint details, like banisters made from twisted branches, a secret tunnel leading to a cosy reading nook, a slide, a pretty mezzanine bedroom and loads more.
Outside, there’s a hot tub, pizza oven, and a veranda where you can watch out for wildlife.
And on your doorstep you’ll have the beauty of the North York Moors and Dales, a GoApe at Dalby Forest, and a Pizza Shack within a 10 minute walk.
Train: 1 hr, 40m from Manchester Victoria to Thirsk
Haedd, Shropshire
If your idea of a perfect weekend is being cosy, reading books, playing board games and drinking wine in front of a roaring fire, this retreat is the one for you.
An old stable has been converted into a cosy hideaway on the edges of the Shropshire Hills, and inside it looks like something that’s been lifted from an interiors magazine.
There’s a hot tub beneath some of the UK’s starriest skies, an outdoor shower, a campfire with a Dutch oven, a hammock, and a kamado BBQ, plus plenty of more modern features like underfloor heating, luxury bed linen, robes, and fairy lights.
When you stay at Haedd you’ll be able to go foraging for wild garlic in the surrounding woodland, grab local meat from the butcher a mile away, walk down to Leintwardine’s riverside pub for a refreshing pint (or an equally refreshing river swim).
It’s just half a mile from the nearest train station, so you can walk or arrange a lift from your hosts. Bliss.
Train: 2 hr, 7m from Manchester Piccadilly to Bucknell Station
Falling Water, Yorkshire
Now it’s time for a staycation you might have seen on screen – Falling Water at Ponden Mill had a star turn on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces.
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And what makes this woodland hideaway so amazing, you ask? How about the fact it’s built on top of a flowing stream?
The accommodation has floor-to-ceiling windows so that you feel completely immersed in your surroundings despite being tucked up in a giant double bed. And when the early morning light filters through Falling Water’s stained-glass door, it’s enough to take your breath away.
You can spend your days exploring Bronte country and the Pennine Way before you cosy up with the sound of the stream running right past your pillow.
The hosts of Falling Water will pick you up from Haworth station.
Train: 1 hr, 40m from Manchester Victoria to Thirsk Train Station
Silva Treehouse, Cumbria
We’ve already shown you the magic of Silva Treehouse in Cumbria, but in case you missed it, let’s recap.
This multi-level hideaway has three luxury bedrooms, a beautiful open-plan kitchen and living room with gigantic windows looking across the countryside, loads of outside space, including a veranda with a log-fired hot tub, and piles of board games to entertain you.
Oh sorry, I forgot to mention the best bit – a slide, that will whisk you down beneath the house to a covered outdoor den, with a ping pong table, dartboard, pizza oven, fire pit, hammocks, and a bar. Pretty cool, right?
The Lake District is within a stone’s throw of Silva Treehouse, or you can take on a scenic riverside walk to the Featherstone Arms for hearty pub grub.
Train: 1hr, 30m from Manchester Piccadilly to Penrith (North Lakes) or 1hr, 48m from Manchester Picadilly to Carlisle
Poppy, Yorkshire
The best glamping spots you can reach by train near ManchesterThe best glamping spots you can reach by train near Manchester
The owners of Poppy, a Shepherd’s hut in the Yorkshire Dales, know a thing or two about creating a perfectly picturesque British escape – just look at it.
From the adorable sleeping nook with a king-size bed and floral wallpaper, to the compact farmhouse kitchen, to the fairy-lit veranda, it’s as far removed from the busy city of Manchester as can be (while being less than two hours away on the train).
This off-grid hut’s outside space really sets it apart, with access to a wood-fired sauna, twin outdoor bathtubs, and even a dog washroom for your four-legged family member.
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Poppy is located on the edge of the Nidderdale National Landscape and Yorkshire Dales National Park, surrounded by a wildflower meadow, wild river swimming, and firepit feasts.
Train: 1 hr, 40m from Manchester Piccadilly to Thirsk Train Station
Caban Cefncoed, North Wales
Imagine if Little House on the Prairie came to the UK but there were brunches on your private terrace, a swing to watch sunsets from, and a bunkbed with a rock wall you can scramble up to get in. Sounds pretty idyllic, right?
This is Caban Cefncoed, a private little cabin where you’ll find unspoiled views, a roaring log burner and total peace and quiet (apart for the odd visit from the owner’s Labrador).
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The owner also has a list of Strava routes you can use to explore the local area, with loads of activities including white water rafting and hiking in nearby areas like Llangollen, Chirk or Froncysyllte.
A huge free careers festival geared towards young creatives is coming to Manchester this week
Daisy Jackson
The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International are hosting a careers festival in Manchester this week, designed to empower young creatives.
The huge free event on Thursday 3 April will take over Aviva Studios, offering everything from speed mentoring to CV clinics to expert talks.
Attendees will be able to have a free headshot taken, meet employers and like-minded creatives, and generally get a feel for how to build a career in the creative industry.
The Career Festival will boost Manchester’s creative future by supporting the next generation of creators, investing in their skills and confidence.
It’s all geared towards young people aged between 16 and 24 who face challenges in finding sustainable careers within the creative industries.
On the day, attendees will be able to receive one-on-one career advice from top industry professionals in speed mentoring sessions, learning from experts in marketing, media, production and more.
They’ll also be able to network with organisations, training providers and employers including Crew gal, Walk the Plank, and Gate Films.
Expert talks will give advice on how to break into the industry, while a CV clinic will help to hone CVs into a stand-out that’ll get a foot straight in the door, along with free headshot portraits.
The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International careers festival. Credit: Mark Crayden Photography
And the whole time attendees will be surrounded by other creatives, building a network that could launch them towards their next big opportunity.
The TikTok Creative Academy, delivered by Catch22 and funded by TikTok, is a free employment program designed to provide vital support to young people aged 16-24 seeking to enter the creative industries.
It’s been specifically targeted towards young people who experience barriers to employment, whether that’s because of challenges like mental health and limited educational attainment, or involvement with the criminal justice system.
The programme itself has a free employment course, offers targeted supports, and opens the door to the industry, fostering networking and career development.
The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International careers festival. Credit: Supplied
It also offers practical skills development and emphasises creative abilities to help young people thrive.
Quote from TikTok Creative Academy Senior Service Manager, Hilda Dotsey: “At Catch22, we are acutely aware of the challenges that young creatives face when it comes to finding sustainable employment in the creative industries and we are about to mark the 1000th person supported into work, training or further education through TikTok Creative Academy.
“With lack of industry insight and experience cited as one of the key barriers to quality creative careers, it is fantastic to be partnering with Factory International once more.
“This event, which celebrates our third year of delivering the programme, will open up pathways for Manchester youth, linking up the next generation of creative talent with industry experts and Manchester’s top creative voices.”
The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International: Career Festival will take place at Aviva Studios from 1pm to 4pm on Thursday 3 April.
You can find out more about Catch22 and the services available HERE.
Emily Sergeant -
4th August 2022 
