When you think of new build homes, a lot of us might immediately picture a plain, square, neat little house, with magnolia walls, beige carpet and a completely unremarkable patch of grass out the back.
Despite these preconceptions, hordes of Mancs are heading out of the city centre in order to put down roots somewhere where you have your own front door, flights of stairs, and no scary rent increases looming overhead.
For those of us who want all the perks of a new build, but don’t want to compromise on style and character, there’s a new development in town that is bucking the trend.
Northstone’s Silkash neighbourhood has created 150 genuinely beautiful homes, full of design-led details like huge windows, natural textures in walls and floors, and landscaped gardens.
This new generation of new builds is situated in Westhoughton in Bolton, surrounded by green space but with super-easy transport links back into the city centre for those still clinging on to the hustle and bustle of Manchester.
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Inside Northstone’s new build Silkash homes in Westhoughton, Greater Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Northstone has designed the neighbourhood to suit style-conscious home-owners, whether it’s your first step on to the property ladder or you’re just to get some extra space for your family.
Each home comes with high ceilings to complement those massive windows, and buyers can take advantage of the flexible spaces inside. They promise it’s the ‘antithesis of the pokey new build’.
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For anyone worrying about the cost of living too (which is, well, all of us), the houses are some of the most energy-efficient on the market, packed with technology that will help households to reduce their energy usage.
The Silkash neighbourhood was built with community in mind – these are the sort of streets with trees, and wide spaces where kids can play out and neighbours can gather for street parties.
Anita Jolley, sales director at Northstone, said: “Most people come with a pre-loaded opinion about new build homes – some good, a lot bad.
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“Time and again we smash those preconceptions as soon as people step through the door. Whether the wide tree-lined streets when people arrive, or the high ceilings, big windows and flexible layout of the homes, it’s a form of suburban living for those that really appreciate good design.
Inside Northstone’s new build Silkash homes in Westhoughton, Greater Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
“Quite often, people really want their own front door and outdoor space, but they’re reluctant to leave their city centre apartment as they don’t want to compromise style.
“Northstone homes are fantastic for first time buyers and families who want more space and design-led living spaces at locations with excellent transport links.
“A big motivator for buyers is also the energy crisis and the effect on bills. Every inch of our homes has been designed with this in mind, meaning they’re some of the most energy efficient currently on the market in Greater Manchester.”
There are a range of house types available in Northstone’s Silkash neighbourhood, from two-bedroom to four-bedroom homes.
Manchester’s new aesthetics clinic with a budget-friendly tiered pricing model
The Manc
There’s a new medically–led aesthetics clinic in the heart of Manchester, which offers a tiered pricing model that will get you the right treatment at a price that suits your budget.
The Academy Clinic has opened up on Quay Street, specialising in natural, balanced results with a massive range of injectable and cosmetic dermatology treatments
The clinic was founded by Dr Tristan Mehta, Dr Emily Mehta, and Dr Marcus Mehta, who want to raise the standards of injectable and cosmetic dermatology treatments across the UK.
It’s part of Harley Academy, the UK’s leading provider of postgraduate training in aesthetic medicine.
And that’s what sets it apart from a lot of other clinics in the UK, and makes it a stand-out in an industry that is largely unregulated – at The Academy Clinic you won’t ever be treated by non-medics or anyone without formal medical training.
It means that you are always in the hands of a registered medical professional – whether it be practitioner or trainee, and doctor, nurse, dentist or clinical pharmacist – who would be able to manage complications, so you can feel confident you’re in the best hands.
The Academy Clinic in Manchester. Credit: Supplied
And the tiered treatment model really does suit every patient’s budget and preferences – you can take a more affordable treatment option, where qualified medical professionals are learning and being upskilled with expert supervision during your treatment; or you can opt for a fully private experience with a senior practitioner and no training elements involved.
There’s a wide range of treatments available, including popular injectable skin treatments such as Profhilo® and Profhilo Structura®, polynucleotides, dermal fillers, microneedling, HydraFacial and more, all designed to deliver natural-looking, confidence-boosting results.
Beyond patient care, The Academy Clinic’s clinical team also trains and mentors medical professionals through its GMC-registered aesthetics training academy, Harley Academy.
Dr Tristan Mehta, Founder & CEO of The Academy Clinic and Harley Academy, said: “Our mission has always been to raise standards in aesthetics. By combining education with patient care, we can ensure treatments are delivered safely, ethically, and with natural results.
Treatments include HydraFacials
“Bringing The Academy Clinic to Manchester means more people can access medically-led aesthetics with confidence.”
The Academy Clinic is now open at St John’s Court on Quay Street in Manchester, having acquired SkinViva last October.
To keep up to date with the latest news and promotions, you can follow The Academy Clinic on Instagram @theacademyclinic. For bookings or enquiries, call 0161 865 1141, visit theacademyclinic.co.uk or email [email protected].
Exclusive offer for The Manc readers: Use code MANC25 at the time of booking or when in clinic for 25% off any treatments excluding wrinkle reduction treatments.
Wigan favourites Stanleys release first single ahead of debut album next year
Danny Jones
Fast-rising Wigan band Stanleys have dropped the lead single from their debut album, which is finally on its way and will be coming sometime next year.
Entitled ‘Pass The Time’, the Stanleys’ latest outing arrived on Friday, 20 February, and while there’s still no specific release date for the first-ever full-length LP, we do know it’s coming at some point in 2027.
To simply label it as more catchy indie would be a disservice to the craft and graft these lads have put in: this is definitely a step forward and in a slightly different direction, with an even more guitar-driven feel and an extra bit of gruff about it compared to previous Stanleys material.
Our only minor complaint is that we wish it lasted a little longer – we want MORE.
An energetic two-and-a-half-minute track that we can already see becoming a fan favourite, it’s one we’re looking forward to hearing in the flesh.
We’ve caught the Stanleys boys live a few times now, both here in Manchester city centre and at their sold-out show in Wigan as part of The Monaco relaunch, as well as at the likes of Kendal Calling festival in recent years.
Safe to say, they never disappoint, and neither do their growing crowd of die-hards.
With lyrics touching on not just the passing of time but also that sense of youthful ambition and how it fluctuates with age, it feels like one of those defiant indie rallying cries we grew up listening to in our own adolescence, and it definitely has plenty of energy to it.
Both The Manc and our wider Audio North team had the pleasure of chatting with them back in November 2024, and you can tell they have big plans to take on not just the local music scene but the UK and beyond.
The release of ‘Pass The Time’ comes almost a year on from their last song, ‘Out the Door’: a similarly fast-run song, albeit with a different vibe.
Positioned as part of Wigan’s next generation of new bands and artists, Stanleys are clearly looking to keep developing as musicians, and if tunes like these are anything to go by, then we can’t wait for their first full record.
They’re also going to be playing a night here in Manchester city centre and beloved grassroots venue, Night and Day, this April; you can grab tickets HERE.
So get adding it to your Spotify playlists, watching the music video, and maybe we’ll see you at the gig.
Daisy Jackson -
30th January 2023 
