Travel & Tourism

Fans are literally FLYING to Holmes Chapel to walk in the footsteps of Harry Styles

You can go on a self-guided tour of the star's childhood, if you really want to.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 15th April 2025

Now I think we can all agree that Harry Styles is one of the North West’s finest musical exports (even if he has disappeared off the face of the planet since his Love on Tour tour) – but taking a flight just to visit his teenage haunts? It’s a lot.

But that is how dedicated the former One Direction star’s fans are, flocking across oceans to visit his first place of work, his old school, and even the house he used to live in.

Earlier this year, the village of Holmes Chapel in Cheshire released a self-guided Harry Styles tour, highlighting the village’s ‘many connections to Harry’.

They said that already, fans have flocked from all over the world to take on the tour.

The Holmes Chapel Partnership said: “Over the past year Holmes Chapel has seen an increase in visitors coming to pay homage to pop superstar Harry Styles who grew up in the village.

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“We created this map as part of our ‘Safe Walking Routes’ project which shows the safest walking route from Holmes Chapel train station to the Viaduct, then continues through the village.”

Landmarks along the route include the Twemlow Viaduct, rumoured to be the site of Harry’s first kiss; the Mandeville’s Bakery where he worked on Saturdays before joining The X Factor; and the Fortune City Restaurant, a local Chinese where he once took Taylor Swift. Which is a sentence and a half…

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The bakery in Holmes Chapel where Harry Styles used to work. Credit: Flickr, Vagueonthehow
The bakery in Holmes Chapel where Harry Styles used to work. Credit: Flickr, Vagueonthehow
The Twemlow Viaduct, rumoured to be the site of his first kiss. Credit: Unsplash, David Griffiths
The Twemlow Viaduct, rumoured to be the site of his first kiss. Credit: Unsplash, David Griffiths
Highlights of the Harry Styles tour in Holmes Chapel

Most tour journeys start at Holmes Chapel train station – now complete with a new mural of Harry Styles himself – before heading on into the village itself.

One fan recently shared their own journey to Harry’s hometown, which started with a flight (yes, actual air miles went into this day out) to get to Manchester before hopping on a train to Cheshire.

Documenting their tour on TikTok, the fan said they were ‘genuinely shaking’ as their train pulled into the village.

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They then visited attractions like the small shop on the platform that sells merch, and has a visitor’s book where you can leave a message for Harry Styles – apparently, his dad comes to collect the books when they’re full.

Once reaching the bakery, they discovered a framed photograph of the One Direction band members – including the late Liam Payne – together eating pies, and wrote: “Nearly sobbed seeing this picture alone.”

Then it was a 25 minute walk across fields to the aforementioned viaduct, where countless fans have doodled messages on the brick in a colourful display.

“Having to say bye was so hard,” they wrote.

Of course, for those of us who live a few minutes from Holmes Chapel, calling this tour a tourist attraction seems a little bizarre.

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One person said in the comments: “As someone from manchester, this is crazy. You flew to Holmes Chapel?”

Another asked: “Girl why did you go on a pilgrimage to his home town.”

All I hope is that someone scribbled in the visitor’s book ‘Where TF is new music, Harry!?’

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Travel & Tourism

A brand-new immersive ‘walking theatre’ and XR experience has landed in Greater Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones Walking theatre XR experience Trafford Palazzo

We hear the word immersive thrown around a lot these days, but if the notion of walking through some of your favourite fantasy and sci-fi worlds in a state-of-the-art XR tour doesn’t fit the definition, we don’t know what does.

Get ready to pull on a headset and be dropped into a different universe, Mancs.

This is Immersia XR: an industry-leading immersive entertainment and XR (extended reality) experience has just been unveiled right here in Greater Manchester.

Anyone for a ride on a magic carpet?

Credit: The Manc Group
Credit: Immersia XR (supplied)

Immersia XR specialises in what they call ‘Walking XR Theatre – a new term for a new kind of experience’, and boasts big plaudits across the board, with an average Google rating of 4.8 from dozens of reviews already.

Having just made its Manchester debut to the public at Trafford Palazzo (located right next to 0161’s famous Trafford Centre) this summer, the new addition brings cutting-edge technology blended with iconic family-favourite tales in an “unforgettable walk-through format.”

A lucky few have been treated to our first time, including us here at The Manc, and you’ll have to take our word for it when we tell you it’s a truly incredible experience.

It’s the first of its kind in the UK and Europe, and although there are other similar VR and AR offerings around the region, you won’t find anything quite like ‘walking theatre’ and this free-roam experience.

Credit: Supplied

As you can see above, there are a number of experiences to be enjoyed right from the off, including two modes inspired by childhood classics, Alice in Wonderland and Tales of Aladdin.

Ever fancied trying your hand as an astronaut and walking on the surface of the moon as you look back at the Earth below? Course you have! No training involved in this one, either.

Take that, Katy Perry, you can keep your short-lived Blue Origin nonsense to yourself.

Immersia XR’s ambition doesn’t stop there, though, as they are also preparing to introduce the exciting new ‘Terracotta Army’ experience in the near future.

Here’s a glimpse at how it looks inside the goggles:

Already open to the public and running up until Sunday, 6 July 2025, Immersia XR is fun for all ages, with kid-friendly zones and accessible narratives built into the experience.

Best of all, there are actually very few bells and whistles; no screens, no controllers – it’s just you walking through the story of your choice.

Immersia XR’s founder, Ian Xiang, said: “We’re not just launching a new attraction—we’re pioneering the future of storytelling. Walking XR Theatre is where cinema, theatre, and technology converge to create magic. You don’t just watch the story—you walk through it.”

Tickets are on sale now, with adult prices starting from only £17, children (ages 3–15) from just £12, and family tickets (2 adults, 2 kids) from £54. Great value for money.

Concession tickets are also available for students and over-65s, priced from £16, and group bookings of 10 or more receive 10% off. You can even get 20% off all ticket types with the early bird code: PRESS20. You can grab yours HERE.

Credit: Supplied/The Manc Group

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Featured Images — Press Images (supplied)

Travel & Tourism

Motorists can be fined £1,000 for blasting music with swear words while driving

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Driving in the sun

Did you know that blasting explicit music while driving could land you with a hefty fine?

No, neither did we… but it turns out that it’s completely true, as motoring experts are warning drivers to be mindful of the rules when it comes to playing high-volume music from their cars with the windows down – especially if the tunes you choose to proudly play for all to hear contain swear words or inappropriate language.

Now that we’ve had a taste of the warmer weather, and summer is really not that far away, driving with the windows rolled down is common to let a breeze flow through.

But this simple action could cost you.

“There isn’t a specific offence for playing music with swearing or explicit lyrics in the comfort of your own vehicle, however context does matter,” explains Graham Conway, who is the Managing Director of Select Car Leasing.

Motorists can be fined £1,000 for blasting music with swear words while driving / Credit: David Emrich (via Unplash)

“For example, if you’re playing music containing swear words in a public place, such as while stopped in traffic, driving past a school, or through a busy pedestrian area, and someone nearby feels alarmed, distressed, or harassed, then you could be committing a Section 5 offence of the Public Order Act of 1986.”

The maximum penalty for this type of offence is a fine of up to £1,000, and even a possible prosecution.

Graham added: “While it’s relatively rare, it can happen in more serious or repeated cases where members of the public have raised concerns.”

As well as fines being issued by police, local authorities also have the power to control noise from loud cars if they’re parked in the street or on private property, as an Abatement Notice can be served under Section 80 of the Environmental Protection Act, and unfortunately, fines for this can rise up to £5,000 if the case is taken to court. 

Drivers are being warned to be mindful as the weather gets warmer / Credit: RawPixel

“Excessively loud music isn’t just a nuisance, it also poses a significant safety risk,” Graham continued.

“It’s crucial that drivers can hear important road sounds, such as emergency vehicle sirens, car horns, and other audio clues that warn of potential hazards, but with your music blaring, you might miss those vital audible signs. 

“Being able to respond quickly to changing circumstances is a key part of staying safe on the road.”

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Certain police forces have also been trialling the use of noise-detecting cameras, which use microphones, cameras, and number plate recognition technology to identify vehicles emitting noise above a certain decibel limit – with immediate £100 fines if caught.

Featured Image – Darwin Vegher (via Unsplash)

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