Ex-rugby union and England international Phil Greening is opening a brand new elite training gym in Manchester city centre for those looking to take their fitness to the next level.
The former Gloucester, Wasps and Sale Sharks hooker was forced to retire back in 2005 due to injury but has been immersed in the world of coaching ever since, going on to coach the England 7s and US national teams among various other squads.
Now, fitness fanatics looking to ramp their training up a notch can take on the kind of programmes pro athletes and coaches run through every day at one of the most advanced training facilities you’ll find anywhere in Manchester.
Phil Greening’s new gym, The Athlete Factory Manchester, located on Quay Street in the city centre, promises elite training from the best of the best — if you can handle it, of course.
The Athlete Factory’s new Manchester gym, AF Urban (Credit: Supplied)
Branching out from its Chester HQ, AF Urban is the all-new elite training facility which promises over 100 years of combined team experience from some of the most high-performance coaches in the world and new standards not only in athletic-based personal training but sports performance equipment as well.
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Personally designed by the various elite coaches and manufactured exclusively for The Athlete Factory’s new Manc site, AF Urban (located just off Deansgate) provides its members with premium access to some of the most seasoned trainers anywhere in the UK.
Beyond the insights of Greening himself, coaches include Performance Director Paul Reed, who boasts numerous qualifications and more than 25 years of experience, as well as lead coach Stefan Gill, a fellow ex-pro, not to mention the Head of Sports Performance for the Manchester Giants basketball team.
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Oh, and he manages to squeeze in being a semi-pro boxer, so it’s no wonder the group has helped train the likes of Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett’ and more. Safe to say these lot won’t go easy on you.
Speaking in a press release, Greening said that “Manchester was a great, natural next step for us in terms of expansion. [It’s] is a vibrant, upcoming city and we are delighted to have put roots down here”.
Too right, Phil.
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He went on to add: “Our vision is to share our knowledge with everyone who is serious about their health, fitness or sport through world-class equipment, programming and coaching that is proven to get results. We can’t wait to get people through the doors and get training.”
And once you get through the doors, the new urban gym space is quite something.
The Athlete Factory’s ethos boils down to three core concepts: “Train, Build and Learn”. The idea is to give you the tools to go from a beginner to on the same level as the professional athletes and teams that the in-house coaches are accustomed to working with.
The new AF Urban elite training facility in The Annex Building, Quay Street, opens on 20 December, with taster sessions available from minute one. An unlimited access membership will set you back £190 for the month.
Classes will run from 06:30 to 18:45, Monday – Friday, with an extended, supplemental weekend schedule. You can see the full list of training and PT classes HERE and find out more information on their website.
Sounds From The Other City releases 2026 lineup with 100+ acts playing on 17 stages across Salford
Emily Sergeant
More than 100 exciting artists are set to perform on 17 stages dotted across Salford this spring.
In case you hadn’t heard, 2026 is the year Salford is celebrating 100 years since it was first declared its own city, and to celebrate such a monumental occasion, the popular Sounds From The Other City (SFTOC) festival has now released its full lineup ahead of its return on the early May Bank Holiday weekend.
Salford’s long-running independent festival of new music is known for its genre-spanning showcase of new artists from across the UK and beyond.
This year’s festival is curated by some of the most exciting promoters, record labels, radio stations, magazines, and tastemakers in the North.
Music lovers will get the chance to see artists in a wide range of independent venues and unconventional spaces across the city – with 17 stages around Chapel Street and The Crescent, from pubs and churches, to concert halls and galleries.
Artists announced today include the uncategorisable masked provocateur Lynks, South African ‘future ghetto funk’ trailblazer Moonchild Sanelly, Manchester-based artist jasmine.4.t, who has recently been named BBC 6 Music Artist of the Year 2025.
Other artists to look out for include Grey Lantern, FaT OuT, ambient pop artist Pollyfromthedirt, genre-straddling South London six-piece, Blue Bendy, South London trio ashnymph, and Manchester quartet Pyncher.
The Sounds From The Other City festival has released its 2026 lineup / Credit: Breige Cobane (Supplied)
One of the undeniable highlights of the lineup is that the spiritual home of the festival, Islington Mill, will be programmed day and night by the legendary Band on the Wall, multi-award-winning Reform Radio, Manchester’s infamous queer day-rave BENT, and the LGBTQ+ POC collective Swagga, with performances from Sorvina, Renee Stormz, and Chimpo.
“This year, we’re shining a spotlight on Salford’s independent venues and the selectors in the North who shape our programme,” commented Emma Thompson, Co-Director of From The Other, as the lineup was announced this week.
“Giving these organisations the space to showcase the artists they champion is vital, not just for discovering emerging talent, but to recognise how important these spaces are for our scene.”
Sounds From The Other City 2026 takes place on Sunday 3 May, and tickets go on sale this week – with Early Bird ticket access available to mailing list subscribers from tomorrow (Thursday 29 January) and the remaining tickets going on general sale from Friday 30 January.
Prices remain unchanged from 2025 with tiers at £30/35/40/45, and you can get tickets when they go live here.
Featured Image – Breige Cobane (Supplied)
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Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade returns next month to celebrate Chinese New Year 2026
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade will make its way through the city centre once again next month.
As Manchester gets ready to celebrate Chinese New Year 2026 – which officially begins on Tuesday 17 February and runs through to Tuesday 3 March – and mark the ‘Year of the Horse’, the iconic Dragon Parade will be making its grand return to the streets of our city centre, and bringing a spectacular show of colour and light along with it.
In case you’re unfamiliar with what the Dragon Parade is all about, it’s the focal point of the city’s annual Lunar New Year celebrations – and it’s a real spectacle, to say the least.
The parade is known for attracting thousands of visitors from all across the region each year.
Manchester’s legendary Dragon Parade returns next month to celebrate Chinese New Year 2026 / Credit: Chinese NY Manchester (via X)
Celebrations officially kick off on Saturday 14 February this year, and as the headline of the festivities, the popular parade is set to take place the day after (Sunday 15 February).
Once again, organisers are expecting visitors in their thousands to turn out and watch as the famous 175ft Chinese dragon weaves its way through the city’s main shopping streets.
Official timings and plans for the parade are yet to be announced by the Council, but if previous years are anything to go by, it’ll likely kick off from around midday, starting on the junction of Oxford Street and George Street, and then make its way along Portland Street before concluding in Chinatown for a final performance on Princess Street.
Chinese New Year festivities will take place over a full weekend / Credit: Chinese NY Manchester (via X)
There’ll also be even more cultural celebrations and activities to get involved with throughout Lunar New Year over in Manchester’s popular Chinatown – with live stage performances, traditional lion and dragon dances, and loads of stalls serving up tasty and authentic street food.
And to top it all off, we’ll also soon see the return of Manchester’s famous traditional red lanterns dotted up above all around town too, adding colour to dark winter days.
As always, this year’s celebrations have been organised by the Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester (FCAM), in partnership with Manchester Business Improvement District (BID) and Manchester City Council.
Featured Image – Chinese NY Manchester (via X) / CityCo
Danny Jones -
14th December 2022 
