Travel & Tourism

Manchester has been named one of Europe’s top destinations to visit this winter

Wow, go us.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 15th November 2024

Manchester has been named one of the best places to visit in Europe this winter – apparently our city is ‘brilliant when the cold snap hits’.

The list of 14 winter destinations includes snowy paradises like Grindelwald in Switzerland and Lapland in Finland, as well as vibrant cities famed for their Christmas vibes, like Riga in Latvia and even Amsterdam.

But coming in at a respectable 6th place – and the only UK city on the list – is our very own home city.

Time Out’s list of the best winter destinations in Europe, picked by travel writers, shouted out the Manchester Christmas Markets, as well as the quieter places you can hide from the elements (and the crowds).

Picked for being the best place to find indoorsy things to do, Time Out listed Mackie Mayor and Skof, as well as John Rylands Library, as reasons people should visit Manchester this winter.

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They wrote: “Even though it’s pretty much guaranteed the North of England will be battered by wind and rain throughout the winter, Manchester is a brilliant place to be when the cold snap hits.

“Spend your days dipping into vintage shops and record stores, and fuel up with street food at Mackie Mayor (or for an occasion, book a table at new-ish fine dining spot Skof). 

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“What’s more, Manchester’s home to a surprisingly brilliant selection of Christmas markets, from classics to goth-themed, all selling great food and gifts from independent shops. 

“If the weather really goes wild, hide out in John Rylands Library, one of the most hauntingly beautiful spots in the city.”

High praise indeed!

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Travel & Tourism

New ‘B Plates’ introduced so drivers can identify themselves as being bad at parking

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

New ‘B Plates’ have been introduced so drivers who are bad at parking can identify themselves for all to see.

Consider yourself good at parking? Well, that’s bold of you to claim… because for a lot of us, we wouldn’t be so confident to say that, and it turns out we’re not alone either, as some new research has revealed that 48% of drivers think they could benefit from more training or assistance with their parking manoeuvres.

The new B plates – with the ‘B’ standing for ‘bad parking’ – are designed to be attached to a vehicle so you can apologise to other motorists for your lack of parking prowess.

On top of the 48% of bad parkers, the research by Scrap Car Comparison found that a further one in six (17%) say they have experienced stress or worry about having to park their car, while a third of drivers (30%) say they spend extra time searching for a parking bay with free spaces either side.

New ‘B Plates’ have been introduced so drivers can identify themselves as being bad at parking / Credit: Supplied

74% of new drivers aged between 17 and 24 say they could benefit from more guidance in lessons.

Overall, one in four motorists (23%) claim that they weren’t taught well enough when it came to parking maneuverers, according to the research.

It’s hoped that the new B Plate stickers will encourage drivers to ‘own’ their parking pitfalls, the company says, as well as seek the additional guidance required to gain more confidence behind the wheel. 

48% of drivers think they could benefit from more training with their parking manoeuvres / Credit: Supplied

“Just like a P plate enables new drivers to ask for patience from other road users, our B plates will give people the chance to hold their hands up, say sorry and ask for forgiveness, if they know their parking leaves a lot to be desired,” explained David Kottaun, who is the Operations Manager at Scrap Car Comparison.

“We hope the plates also serve as encouragement for drivers to seek additional parking guidance to build up their confidence.”

Want to get your hands on one then?

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Scrap Car Comparison are offering a limited number of B plate stickers to interested drivers for free if you fill out the ‘register interest’ on its website here, and then based on interest levels, they will be made more widely available in 2025.

Featured Image – Supplied

Travel & Tourism

More than 1,000 miles of UK roadworks will be removed to avoid Christmas travel chaos

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

More than 1,000 miles of roadworks are to be removed across the UK in a bid to avoid travel chaos this Christmas.

With the festive season practically here, and nearly 40% of drivers said to be planning long journeys across the country to spend time with their loved ones this Christmas, National Highways has announced that it’ll be removing more than 1,100 miles of roadworks.

The roadworks are being removed from motorways and major A-roads nationwide in a bid to help minimise disruption during peak travel times.

This means that, from 6am on Friday 20 December up until 12.01am on Thursday 2 January, more than 95% of roadworks will be lifted to help make sure major routes across the UK are clear for motorists during the busy festive period.

More than 1,000 miles of UK roadworks are being removed to avoid Christmas travel chaos / Credit – Vladimir Proskurovskiy (via Unsplash)

Some of the significant routes set to benefit from roadworks being lifted or completed for the festive period include more than 100 miles of roadworks on the M25 London orbital, 59 miles of roadworks on the A14 between Thrapston in Northamptonshire to Felixstowe in Suffolk, and more than 33 miles of roadworks across the A47 from Peterborough to Lowestoft.

A grand total of 11 miles of roadworks are to be removed in the North West, which is… useful.

Friday 20 December is expected to be the busiest day on the roads over the festive period, according to National Highways.

It’s estimated that 7.2 million people are planning journeys of more than two hours on this day.

7.2 million people are expected to make journeys during the festive period / Credit: RAC

Because of this, drivers are being encouraged to plan ahead for their journeys and prepare for all weather eventualities too by packing a winter travel kit that includes de-icer, an ice scraper, warm clothing, boots, food, water, a torch, and a snow shovel.

“With more people expected to travel during the festive period and recent storms causing widespread disruption, it’s crucial for drivers to plan ahead and exercise extra caution on the roads,” commented Andrew Butterfield, who is the Customer Service Director of National Highways.

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To help make journeys smoother, we’re removing roadworks on 95% of the roads we manage.”

Featured Image – National Highways (via Facebook)

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