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Travel & Tourism

A new design-led hostel with rooms from £41 has opened in the Northern Quarter

A right bargain.

Daisy Jackson - 9th January 2026

A new hostel has launched in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, with rooms starting from just £41.

The staggeringly affordable new accommodation comes from Malacuna, which already has similar sites across Spain and Portugal.

The European brand has now taken over a prime building in the Northern Quarter, just off Stevenson Square, which used to be home to Hatters Hostel.

The Hilton Street hostel features 37 rooms and 132 beds, from private rooms to shared dorms with four, six or eight beds.

These spaces at Malacuna are promising ‘design-led accommodation that doesn’t compromise on style, location or social atmosphere’.

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A new design-led hostel with rooms from £41 has opened in the Northern Quarter

A new design-led hostel with rooms from £41 has opened in the Northern Quarter

With Manchester now attracting 2.6 million overnight visitors annually, demand for accommodation is surging – especially around major events such as Parklife festival, gigs at Co-op Live and the AO Arena, and football.

And now visitors will finally have somewhere to stay that won’t break the bank, with beds from £41 per night in one of the most sought-after corners of Manchester.

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Malacuna is set directly above Wilson’s, a 200-capacity bar and restaurant, and is open now.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Travel & Tourism

More Greater Manchester football matches called off as Storm Goretti sets in

Danny Jones Greater Manchester football games called off due to Storm Goretti

Greater Manchester football games called off due to Storm Goretti

Yet more scheduled football matches in Greater Manchester and the surrounding regions have been postponed and/or cancelled due to Storm Goretti.

The increasingly cold, blustery and icy conditions moving over from France and across more parts of the UK have already caused schools to close, flights to be grounded, and plenty more disruption.

Another such inconvenience has come in the form of live sports, large swathes of which now look like they simply won’t be taking place.

One of the latest to be called off is Salford City‘s upcoming game against Swindon Town in the FA Cup this weekend, with various other games involving teams up and down the footballing pyramid now facing uncertainty over whether their third-round fixtures will go ahead as planned.

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A post shared by Salford City FC (@salfordcityfc)

Ironically, this is just the tip of the iceberg, if you’ll pardon the very obvious pun.

Another game that was called off late last week, between Chadderton and FC Isle of Man, is yet to be rescheduled; the same is true of Rochdale AFC’s meeting with Brackley Town, Radcliffe v Oxford City, as well as games involving Bury, Stockport Town, Irlam, Cheadle Town, Prestwich Heys and more.

Other nearby outfits, such as Chorley, Warrington Rylands and Ramsbottom United, just to name a few, are also still unsure of when their next game will be.

In many cases, it is simply a matter of the grounds being largely or completely frozen and deemed unfit for use following pitch inspections.

Oldham Athletic – which has already been hit with plenty of snow and frost – yesterday confirmed that their Notts County clash wouldn’t be going ahead due to that very reason.

Oldham Athletic’s next game postponed amid red weather warnings

With winds of up to 90 miles per hour also being reported, yellow and even red weather warnings have been issued across various parts of the country, with people being urged to check their routes home from work by local authorities.

Storm Goretti should start calming down this evening (Fri, 9 January) and into Saturday morning, but the after-effects could still play havoc over the next few days.

For instance, over in Cheshire, Macclesfield FC are going so far as to call on nearby residents to help clear their playing surface from heavy snowfall.

So, if you’re in the area and fancy helping out, they could sure do with your help.

VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED

Macclesfield FC are once again requesting the help of the fanbase and the local community to help clear the remainder of the compacted snow from the surrounding areas of the https://t.co/fL99QEEJ4D Stadium.

Snow remains within the footprint of the stadium… pic.twitter.com/JTbb5QjYC1
— Macclesfield FC (C) (@thesilkmen) January 9, 2026

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Featured Images — Wikimedia Commons/The Manc Group

Travel & Tourism

Mandatory eye tests could be introduced for drivers over 70 in the UK

Emily Sergeant Old man in a car

Old man in a car

Mandatory eye testing could be introduced in the UK as part of the first road safety strategy in more than a decade.

According to Government statistics, approximately four people die on Britain’s roads every day, with thousands more seriously injured each year, but through targeted action on speeding, drink and drug driving, not wearing seat belts, and mobile phone use, it’s expected that thousands of these tragedies can be prevented.

In fact, the new road safety strategy sets out an ‘ambitious’ plan to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% before 2035.

With the number of older drivers continuing to rise year on year, in line with Britain’s ageing population, a consultation on mandatory eyesight testing for those over 70 will be launched, the Government has announced, while options for cognitive testing will also be developed to protect all road users.

Eye test — Mandatory eye tests could be introduced for drivers over 70 in the UK / Credit: David Travis (via Unsplash)

On top of this, measures to tackle inexperience behind the wheel by introducing a minimum learning period for learner drivers, and lowering the alcohol limit for driving for the first time since 1976 to help prevent causes of collisions, are also to be discussed.

This strategy sets out a new approach to reverse a decade of ‘stalled progress’, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).

It includes the internationally recognised Safe System approach, which acknowledges that while human error is inevitable, deaths and serious injuries are not, and rather than placing responsibility solely on individual drivers, the system ensures that road design, vehicle safety, enforcement and education work together to protect all road users.

We've launched a new Road Safety Strategy, aiming to cut deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035.

Key points include:
– tougher action on drink driving
– minimum learning periods for learner drivers
– mandatory eye tests for older drivers

We're committed… pic.twitter.com/DkFTpcI2f7
— Department for Transport (@transportgovuk) January 7, 2026

A new Road Safety Investigation Branch will be set up to analyse collision patterns and inform prevention strategies.

The branch will draw on linked police and healthcare data to identify root causes and make sure any interventions are more effectively targeted.

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, described the strategy as a ‘turning point’, adding that: “We are taking decisive action to make our roads safer for everyone, from new drivers taking their first lessons to older motorists wanting to maintain their independence.

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“The measures we are announcing today will save thousands of lives over the coming decade.

“Every life lost on our roads is a tragedy that devastates families and communities. For too long, progress on road safety has stalled.”

Featured Image – Andrea Piacquadio (via Pexels)