Travel & Tourism

Manchester named one of the best places to visit in the UK by Time Out

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 30th November 2022

Manchester has made Time Out’s list of the best places to visit in the UK in 2023, as the media and hospitality brand tries to shine the spotlight on day trip destinations and overnight breaks.

Our home city placed fourth in a list of 15 places around the country, praised for its ‘fun’ and its ‘green credentials’ (the latter might be a bit of a stretch…).

Manchester was beaten by seaside town Eastbourne, which placed first due to its ‘rising status as a creative and cultural hub’.

We were also beaten by Birmingham on Time Out’s list of the best places to visit – a city that still claims to be the UK’s second city – and Cardigan in Wales.

Our neighbours over in Cheshire also made the list, placing 15th.

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Chester in Cheshire
Cheshire joined Manchester on the list of the best places to visit. Credit: Marketing Cheshire

The upcoming cultural events in 2023 all helped boost Manchester up into fourth place, like the reopening of Manchester Museum and the opening of Factory International.

Cities and towns were judged on their food, drink and arts scene, as well as new projects and openings for visitors to look forward to next year – and we’ve got that in spades.

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Time Out wrote: “Manchester in a word? Definitely ‘fun’. And 2023 promises to be one of the funnest
years to visit, ever.

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“In February, the Manchester Museum will finally reopen following a huge £15 million transformation, while in June the brand-new Factory International will host ‘You, Me and the Balloons’, the largest-ever immersive exhibition from cult artist Yayoi Kusama.

“Later in the year, it will also be putting on a stage-show adaptation of The Matrix directed by Danny Boyle.

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“Two brand-new green spaces – Mayfield Park and the Castlefield Viaduct – are proof that Manchester takes its green credentials as seriously as its culture.”

You can watch a video tour of Mayfield Park below and on The Manc’s Instagram page:

It went on to recommend coffee at Ezra and Gil, a browse of Manchester Craft and Design Centre, and a film and pizza at HOME were all must-dos on your visit.

Huw Oliver, Time Out’s UK Editor explains why the places on the 2023 list have made the cut: “Rather than the usual hotspots, we want to highlight places, many of which are ludicrously underrated, which people don’t automatically think to go to.

“In all of the places on the list, you will find interesting things to see and do, eat and drink during the day and night, a friendly welcome and a community spirit which enables you to connect with locals and really get to know a place. We recommend that you definitely put one or more of these destinations on your travel list for next year.”

The full list of Time Out’s Best Places to Visit in the UK in 2023 and where Manchester ranks:

  1. Eastbourne
  2. Birmingham
  3. Cardigan
  4. Manchester
  5. Scarborough 
  6. Glasgow
  7. Dorset
  8. London
  9. Edinburgh
  10. Liverpool
  11. Padstow
  12. Orkney
  13. Margate
  14. Sheffield
  15. Cheshire

Featured image: Time Out

Travel & Tourism

This Manchester suburb has just been named one of the UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live in 2024

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Didsbury named one of the best places to live in the UK

An annual poll has named the Manchester suburb of Didsbury spot among 70 locations said to be the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.

Greater Manchester has got lots to say for itself, especially with its diverse and unique cultural landscapes, as well as various vibrant communities, so it comes as no surprise that one of our beautiful suburbs has been voted in a list of the UK’s happiest places to live for this year.

The survey included submissions from 5,000 people and there’s a lot of love being shown to the neighbouring areas of Yorkshire like Doncaster, Bingley, and Harrogate – the lattermost placed in second in the entire country.

But, ranking 62nd out of a possible 70 places, the distinct and vibrant area of Didsbury has been noticed by Furniturebox as one of the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.

Credit: The Manc Group

The results took into consideration good state schools, affordable housing, as well as accessibility to pubs, bars, restaurants, independent shops, retailers and more.

With multiple parks, walking destinations, and top-notch travel links with Bee Network trams and buses easily taking you back into the city centre and out to other boroughs, East, West and Didsbury Village all remain some of the most sought-after areas in the region.

There’s a whole host of indie retailers to enjoy, especially on the likes of the main high street and Burton Road, which effectively serves as its own cultural district, home to vintage clothing shops like Steranko, tailored styling opticians Fox Brothers and much more.

Burton Rd also boasts countless fantastic food and drink spots like The Great Kathmandu, SANTÉ, Volta and Proove Pizza, just to name a few; we’ve spent plenty of time just on this stretch of Didsbury alone.

If you’ve spent even a little time in Dids, you’ll know there’s plenty going on and it’s certainly one our happiest places in all of Greater Manchester and therefore the UK.

You can also enjoy the famous ‘Didsbury Dozen’ right on your doorstep.

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Elsewhere, and somewhat unsurprisingly, Shakespeare’s ever-romanticised hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon once again reigned supreme at the top of this list.

That being said, it’s refreshing to see that these locations weren’t entirely related to wealth and similar factors, the survey took affordability into careful consideration.

Cheshire was destined for success with its cracking views and grand properties, as the North West county made waves for the region managing to place in fifth position, holding up against Falmouth in Cornwall which placed in sixth.

Although not nabbing that all-important top spot, Didsbury is carrying the flag for 0161 and showing what all know to be true: Northerners do it best.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – The Manc Group

Travel & Tourism

A Greater Manchester town could be set to get a train station for the first time in 60 years

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

It’s been a whopping six decades, but the residents of one local town could soon be able to hop on a train out of there.

That’s because a planning application for a brand-new £32 million station in Golborne – which would connect the Greater Manchester town, in the Wigan borough, to the rail network for the first time in more than 60 years – has been submitted to Wigan Council, meaning connectivity is finally one step closer to becoming reality.

In case you didn’t know, Golborne currently has no direct bus, train, or tram services to Manchester, and Leigh is the biggest town in England without a rail station, while the wider area is the largest and most-populous area in Greater Manchester not connected to the rail network.

The milestone aims to boost access to jobs and opportunities for people in the town and the wider Wigan borough.

According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the Golborne station scheme forms part of a wider ambition to bring eight commuter lines into the Bee Network by 2028 – of which “significant investment” has been put into.

The application includes plans for a new accessible two-platform rail station, including step-free access throughout with a footbridge across the tracks and lifts to both platforms, a new hourly service between Wigan and Manchester Victoria, and onwards to Stalybridge, an improved town centre car park, and also new walking and cycling links to the town centre.

The submitting of the proposals comes after nearly 3,000 people had their say on the station earlier this year, with more than 90% of respondents supporting the plans.

A CGI of what the proposed new Golborne station could look like, if plans are approved / Credit: TfGM

If the plans are approved by Wigan Council, work on the site should begin in 2026, according to TfGM, with the new station scheduled to open in 2027.

Mayor Andy Burnham called the submitting of the proposals a “transformative step” for the region.

“It has taken a huge effort to get us to this point,” he explained. “But we have finally reached a major milestone on the journey to reconnect Golborne to the rail network for the first time in over 60 years.

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“The proposal is based on extremely sound evidence and huge progress has been made with a planning application being submitted and overwhelming support from local residents.”

Featured Image – TfGM

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