A mountain rescue team has issued a safety warning and some advice to hikers after an upsurge of visitors to several dangerous areas.
Stressing that ‘No Instagram story is worth the risk’, the Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team (LLMRT) urged people not to venture into the old slate quarries around North Wales – no matter how beautiful they may be.
LLMRT said that ‘considerable media and press coverage’ has brought waves of new visitors to the old quarries around Snowdonia, who are often ‘unprepared and inexperienced’.
Hidden dangers at these beauty spots include old railways and ladders that date back more than half a century, often rusted and decayed.
These are prone to collapse at any time, without warning, and are often found above precipitous drops.
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Their words of warning came with a series of photos of people posing on the old railway bridge tracks above Dinorwic Quarry, which jut out into thin air.
The Lllanberis Mountain Rescue Team wrote on Facebook: “When it comes to adventure, we hate to say ‘don’t’, but this is a seriously BAD idea.
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“Rescuing someone from here would be dangerous, horrific, traumatising. 80 year old rusty bolts don’t care about you, or your like count.”
They then posted photos of the same railway line from a few years ago, when it still made a bridge across the quarry.
The hills around Snowdonia are hugely popular with walkers from across the north west, including Mancs who can drive there in just a couple of hours.
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LLMRT say they are ‘increasingly concerned’ about the volume and nature of trips being made to such dangerous landscapes.
The advice issued has urged people to book excursions with professional and qualified leaders and instructors and to be wary of ‘social media meet-ups’.
They also said to bear in mind the three Adventure Smart Questions before heading out on any hill walks or hikes, which are: ‘Am I confident I have the KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS for the day?’, ‘Do I know what the WEATHER will be like?’, and ‘Do I have the right GEAR?’.
LLMRT’s full post on Facebook states: “The slate quarries in North Wales have seen an upsurge in visitor numbers in recent years. While we understand the urge to explore such historic manmade landscapes, there are increasing concerns at both the volume and nature of trips being made into these dangerous places.
“As a mountain rescue team, LLMRT train to operate safely in almost any mountain environment, but there are many hidden dangers in the slate quarries that we can’t always account for. Such unseen hazards can pose a considerable risk to rescuers or emergency services personnel called to assist persons in difficulty in these areas.
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“With the Easter holiday approaching and increasing number of visitors to the area, we’d like to ask people to consider the following:
“The old buildings and infrastructure of the slate quarries (railways, ladders etc.) are over half a century old and in various states of rust and decay. These old structures and fixtures, which can often be found above precipitous drops, could (and often do) collapse at any time and without warning. No Instagram story is worth the level of risk that some people are unwittingly taking.
“LLMRT are aware of many groups, often “social media meet-ups,”, exploring the quarries with unqualified and inexperienced leaders. LLMRT would always recommend that people joining such groups ascertain the qualifications and experience level of group leaders before participating in such events.
“The quarries and similar sites have recently received considerable media and press coverage, some extolling the adventures to be had here, which has encouraged unprepared and inexperienced people to explore these potentially very dangerous places. These articles can encourage the unwary into dangerous areas. LLMRT would always encourage inexperienced people to gain advice from professional and qualified leaders and instructors.”
Thanks to Terminal 2’s major upgrade, now holidays really do start at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
It’s a phrase that’s almost as old as air travel itself, but luckily, Manchester Airport are well and truly getting your holidays started early, courtesy of the new and improved Terminal 2.
T2‘s massive upgrade technically finished in 2025, but with other bits debuting already this year and even more to come in 2026, Manchester’s biggest terminal is a more fully-fledged travel hub than ever.
Complete everything from the essentials and a healthy supply of food and drink, to lots of luxuries and plenty of ways to unwind and kill time between both before and after flights, you can feel extra smug about getting to the airport early.
As part of their latest ‘Terminal Explorer’ campaign, we recently paid a visit to see just how much fun we could get up to in and around T2. Spoilers: quite a lot.
With a little help from their wayfinding screens dotted around the various areas, from the World Duty Free section and ever-growing internal shopping district, to all the bars and restaurants that have opened since the big refurb, we took ourselves on a very fun day out.
And that was without even having an actual holiday booked to look forward to, so just imagine how good it must feel to top all this off with a real trip away.
In fact, you don’t even need to think that hard about it; roughly 80% of all passengers heading in and out of Manchester Airport now come through T2, and with the experience improving all the time, they’re seeing a serious uptick in visitors and their time spent enjoying some leisure before their getaway.
From additions like the LEGO store to keep the kids entertained, as well as numerous places to grab a brew, a bite, or even your first adult beverage of the holiday, it’s up to you how you choose to explore – they’ve just given you plenty of options.
There’s no bigger testament to the latest hospitality offerings in Terminal 2 than the recently opened Great Northern Market, which brings a rather big taste of the Mackie Mayor vibe to Manchester Airport.
A VERY comfortable place to wind down any wait times before you fly.
You’ll be blown away by the amount of choice on offer in here – we certainly were – and, of course, the multi-vendor culinary destination epicentre is just one of many fantastic food and drink offerings now boasted by the T2 ‘2.0.’
For instance, we could happily spend most of the time before our next hypothetical flight just chilling in the super stylish Fever-Tree Bar, which includes a wonderful range of breakfast and light bites, charcuterie boards, small plates, sandwiches and so on – plus a cocktail menu perfect for any occasion.
Put simply, you’ve now been given all the tools and means to turn downtime of almost any duration into an excuse to explore Manchester Airport at its best; in fact, scratch that: it’s an opportunity to go for a wander and make the most of it – and it’s one you don’t want to waste.
Whether it’s stocking up pre-flight or kicking back with your first drink of many, don’t just be another person sitting watching the departures board, be a terminal explorer.
Iconic Manchester hotel with secret rooftop bar reveals new look and rebrand
Daisy Jackson
Manchester will say goodbye to Hotel Gotham, one of the city’s most iconic hotels, as it announces a major rebrand.
The luxurious five-star hotel has announced a ‘new era’, and will be rebranding to The Rex next month.
Hotel Gotham is a real landmark in the city centre, a striking art deco building that was previously a bank for Manchester’s elite.
The building converted from a bank into a hotel back in 2015, a few years after Jamie Oliver took over the ground floor with a Jamie’s Italian restaurant (it’s now Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay).
Over the last decade, Hotel Gotham has become one of Manchester’s top-rated premium hotels, as well as being home to a secret rooftop bar and member’s club.
But now it’s apparently time for a refresh, as it announces its new identity as The Rex.
Leonardo Limited Edition UK has promised that the elegant art deco history of the building will be preserved and reinterpreted.
The 60-room hotel will ‘continue to celebrate its historic grandeur but introduce a modern style’.
Central to the rebrand is The Reserve, the private members’ club at The Rex, which is hidden up on the seventh floor behind vault-like doors.
Hotel Gotham will officially rebrand to The Rex next month. Credit: Supplied
High above the city with three rooftop terraces, The Reserve will offer everything from daytime working to relaxed drinks and small plates to members, as well as an events space called The Treasury.
The hotel’s main restaurant and bar will also be given a refresh, serving afternoon teas, five-course tasting menus, live entertainment, and private dining spaces.
Jenny Oh, general manager of The Rex, said: “While our name has evolved, the hotel our guests know and love remains very much the same.
“This rebrand is an expressive upgrade, retaining the character, comfort, and connection people cherish, while introducing a more modern, sophisticated expression of who we are today.
“It reflects our commitment to our guests, our team, and the community we’re proud to be part of, while honouring the history that has shaped us.”
The Rex rebrand will officially be in place from 23 April, with bed and breakfast rooms priced from £179.
Daisy Jackson -
14th April 2023 
