The north’s hospitality scene is catching a lot of eyes these days, with another big accolade landing on the doorstep of Farlam Hall this week.
The beautiful Cumbrian hotel was just named the Best Foodie Hotel in the entire UK by The Times in its annual list of the Best Places to Stay in the UK.
And that claim comes not long after the hotel’s restaurant, The Cedar Tree by Hrishikesh Desai, was awarded its first Michelin Star.
The Times placed Farlam Hall in 64th place overall on the list of the best 100 hotels in the UK, but singled it out for its culinary excellence.
They praised the ‘crisp, comfortable and beautifully lit’ rooms, and the staff that ‘could grace any London five-star’.
The judges continued: “Neither will dazzle you as much as Hrishikesh Desai’s cooking. Up here, on the edge of the Pennines, where every passing winter storm seems to fell a tree, he is doing wonderful things with English ingredients and the subtle and well-judged use of spice.
“Never mind the Cumbrian wind — dinner here is a breath of fresh, invigorating air.”
Hrishikesh Desai was formerly of The Gilpin Hotel, where he also held a Michelin star.
Farlam Hall wrote of its accolade: “What a wonderful end to another amazing week! We are honoured to have been awarded the “Foodie Hotel of the Year” in The Times’ 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK for 2024!”
Cedar Tree at Farlam HallThe beautiful grounds at Farlam Hall
Admittedly a couple of hours north of Greater Manchester, this glowing review from The Times has rocketed Farlam Hall onto our wishlist of northern gems to visit.
Also scooching onto the list, and a little closer to home, is Langdale Chase, impressively taking home North hotel of the year just months after it reopened from a major refurbishment.
Judges said: “This classy revival of a gothic pile right on Windermere’s waterfront opened at the end of 2023 and is exactly what the local tourist scene has been so desperately lacking.
“Its grand interiors, complete with minstrels’ galleries, elaborately carved oak panelling and stained glass manage to be opulent and yet winningly informal.
Bedrooms at Farlam Hall
“The bar is as sexy as any city big-hitter, there’s a cinema with daily screenings and complimentary popcorn and bedrooms that are layered with thoughtful touches including binoculars for closer inspection of life on the lake (most rooms have lake views).
“The redevelopment of its historic garden and the opening of a spa is next on the agenda.”
And representing Manchester itself is Whitworth Locke, the Princess Street hotel placing 83rd.
The beautiful city centre hotel was praised for its ‘trendy lobby bar and friendly ‘house hosts” as well as its apartment-like hotel rooms that are fitted with kitchens and living spaces.
Popular airline to give long-distance friends ‘well deserved’ reunions with FREE flights
Emily Sergeant
A popular airline is set to give long-distance friends the chance to reunite by offering free flights.
That’s right – Loganair has launched an exciting new competition and is calling on the public to help track down some of the country’s longest distance friendships across its network, as the award-winning regional airline looks to bring one deserving duo back together with complimentary flights.
Whether it’s childhood best friends who now live hundreds of miles apart, or university flatmates who haven’t seen each other since graduation, Loganair says its latest ‘Season of Connections’ campaign is a celebration of friendship that endures, no matter the postcode.
As the UK’s leading regional airline, Loganair prides itself on connecting communities across the UK, whether that be from remote islands or bustling business hubs like Manchester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, and its extensive network of flights allows passengers nationwide to explore a wide range of destinations.
This competition – which is launching this week on the airline’s Instagram and Facebook channels – aims to do just that, and all without the lucky winners having to spend a penny.
The ‘Season of Connections’ competition invites people to share their story and explain why their long-distance friendship deserves a long-overdue reunion.
The winning pair will receive return flights to each other’s city, helping bridge the gap.
Loganair is giving long-distance friends ‘well deserved’ reunions with free flights / Credit: Loganair
It follows the huge response to Loganair’s Christmas giveaway last year that offered one lucky winner a year of free flights across Loganair’s extensive network, and now the airline is hoping to bring another memorable reunion to life – this time between two friends kept apart by distance.
“This campaign is all about celebrating the real, meaningful connections that define our lives, and demonstrating the role regional travel can play in bringing people together,” commented Lyn MacDonald, who is the Head of Marketing and Brand at Loganair.
“Whether it’s been months or years since friends last met in person, we want to help make that reunion possible.”
The competition runs until Sunday 17 August, and to take part, all you’ll need to do is visit Loganair’s Instagram or Facebook pages and follow the link in bio to submit your story.
The winning friends will be announced later this summer, with their reunion taking place in the autumn.
Featured Image – Priscilla Du Preez (via Unsplash)
Travel & Tourism
Kendal Calling 2025 festival guide – everything you need to know ahead of a milestone year
Danny Jones
The fields are beckoning us back once more as Kendal Calling returns for its 20th anniversary, and we’re to deliver all the important information to you yet again, from the stellar lineup, stage splits, site map and more.
It’s hard to believe the Lake District‘s leading live music event has been going for two whole decades now and, as cliché as it may sound, it really has gotten bigger and better each and every time.
Having been three years in a row ourselves, we can certainly vouch for the recent form.
In fact, their big birthday edition saw the beloved Northern favourite festival sell out – as it has done every 12 months since it began – in record time and now we can’t think of anything else other than singing our hearts out in Lowther Deer Park. Hence why we wrote this guide.
Kendal Calling guide 2025 – all the key info
Without further ado, here are all the important details you need to know ahead of Kendal Calling’s milestone anniversary festival. Let’s start with the bread and butter, shall we?
Kendal Calling 2025 lineup and stage splits
We announced the Kendal Calling’s 2025 lineup late last year, which is set to be headlined by Greater Manchester’s very own Courteeners and The Prodigy, with other big names packing out the main festival stage and beyond.
Other regional acts were looking forward to seeing include Leigh’s The Lottery Winners, Sheffield’s famous sons and daughters, Reverend and the Makers; Leeds legends, Kaiser Chiefs, as well as The Wombats and The K’s, just to name a few.
You can see the full stage splits via Clashfinder HERE.
A party 20 years in the making…🙌 RT + Like for your chance to win 4 x VIP upgrades, Emperors Field camping & a £100 bar tab!
Main Stage – Where all the action and big headliners are playing at the northernmost spot.
Parklands – The second largest stage, pretty much smack bang in the middle of the site; there’s also a brilliant Glow takeover by night.
Calling Out – Rounding out the trio of Kendal stages with even more big acts to the west.
Woodlands – Exactly what it sounds like: a cosy stage set within the Lost Eden forest.
Chai Wallahs – Another large tent towards the North East of the site, boasting a variety of genres.
The Soapbox – Just northwest of Parklands, it’s where most of the live comedy is taking place.
Tim Peaks Diner – Named after Salford icon Tim Burgess himself, this little hut is built for more pared-down sets.
Desert Island Disco – Where the electronic scene goes to shine and usher in the late-night fun.
Roots – Built to spotlight emerging talent from across the region, there are gems to be found here.
The Town Hall – The latest addition to the festival alongside the official Kendal Calling pub, which debuted last year.
Tim Peaks DinerThe Stagger Inn pubShit Indie Disco at Calling Out stageOnce you’ve made it into Kendal Calling 2025, feel free to consult this mini-guide/overview of the stages. (Credit: George Harrison/Jess Huxham/Supplied)
Kendal Calling 2025 map
Now, while Kendal Calling is just generally considered a Lake District festival, it’s technically located in the sloping valley that dips down into Lowther Deer Park.
The large, woodland-lined expanse is situated within the Cumbria town of Penrith; the park itself is roughly 3,000 acres but forms part of the much larger 75,000-acre Lowther Estate.
For context, the increasingly popular event now welcomes around 40,000 festival goers every year, with Kendal Calling having grown from a 900-capacity seed to a giant, forest-spanning attraction.
Not much has moved around since last time, so you can always check out our video tour from 2024, but you can find an up-to-date site map down below.
Here’s a quick guide on how to get into the Kendal Calling festival site and a map of stages, facilities, etc. (Credit: Supplied)
Travel info – how to get there, parking and more
If you’re wondering how to get to Kendal Calling, once again: the festival takes place at Lowther Deer Park in Hackthorpe near Penrith, Cumbria (no, it’s not quite Kendal)
For the sake of ease when it comes to popping the location into the SatNav, the postcode is CA10 2HT.
By car
Located roughly 25 minutes north of its namesake Kendal, you can drive up there via the M6 and south down the A6 from Penrith. You can easily download full directions on Google Maps.
Parking
The general car park is adjacent to the general campsites, but BE AWARE, the further away you park, the longer the walk up that hill – and it is a big one, we’re afraid.
Also, pre-warning, you must bring any alcohol purchased from outside the festival site up on the first trip up to your pitch. We found out the hard way…
Hoping to encourage people to carpool and ride share where possible, with Kendal remaining a dedicated and environmentally-conscious event (see their ‘Leave Nothing But Memories’ mission statement, for example), there is a charge for parking separate from festival admission.
Passes can be purchased online in advance for £24.50, or you can pay on the day for £40, but just like downloading/printing out your tickets prior to entry, we’d obviously advise you plan ahead and get them ready beforehand.
Emperors Field, Great Plains, Deer Lodge and Tangerine Fields all have their own respective car parks, which require specific parking passes as part of campsite upgrade packages. You can see all the options and secure your parking HERE.
The nearest train station to the festival site is Penrith (also known as Penrith North Lakes), which is just a 15-minute taxi journey from the site.
Alternatively, you can hop on the special shuttle bus service that runs from the station to the festival at various points over the weekend. Various services are available from Scotland, Birmingham, London, here in Manchester and across the North West – for example:
From Birmingham New Street to Penrith (2h31m) — trains every hour
From London Euston to Penrith (3 hours) — trains every 30 minutes
From Glasgow to Penrith (1h21m) — trains every hour
From Edinburgh to Penrith (1h30m) — trains every hour
From Lancaster to Penrith (34 mins) — regular service
From Manchester Piccadilly to Penrith (1h41m) – trains every 30 minutes, change at Preston
Shuttles will run to and from Penrith (North Lakes) Station to Kendal Calling from 10am-18:45pm on Thursday and 8:30am-19:15pm on Friday. They won’t resume again until early Monday, with the final service lasting from 8:30am-13:15pm.
The festival has a dedicated pick-up and drop-off point (PUDO) outside at Green Gate. Follow the road signage as you get closer to the site for directions to the PUDO, which is also where you’ll find the taxi rank alongside our coach drop-off spot – just a short 5-10 minute walk to the wristband exchange too.
By coach/mini-bus
Speaking of coaches, you can find ticket prices for official services from destinations like Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, and many more places across the UK HERE.
Now, it’s not all airborne pints and tunage, though there is plenty of that; one of the things that makes Kendal one of our favourite festivals not only in the North but the entire country is the wide range of entertainment, activities and spaces it offers beyond just bands and artists.
As well as child-friendly facilities like laid-back Picturehouse social cinema, the annual parade, a dedicated ‘Kids Calling’ zone for said little ones, and the chilled-out Green Room outdoor area, there’s live alternative theatre, silent disco and tonnes more.
For instance, Mancunian comedy veterans Jason Manford and Justin Moorhouse will both be performing their own stand-up sets, which should provide a nice sense of home even while you’re away in the fields. And that really is just the tip of the iceberg.
We here at The Manc will be there in person as part of our Audio North team as somewhat of a boots-on-the-ground representation of our Kendal Calling 2025 guide, so feel free to say hello if you happen to spot the logo bouncing around.
Not if we’re in the middle of the pit or dancing though – that’s private time and you daren’t interrupt one of us mid-groove.
And if any of you are first-timers facing some newbie jitters or simply wondering how good a time you’re about to have this weekend, we think our most recent review sums it up pretty well.
Daisy Jackson -
8th March 2024 
