Every now and then, when no one’s watching, Mancunians make the daring trek across the M62 to Liverpool. In truth, it happens far more often than some might admit…
Joking (and friendly rivalries) aside, we’re incredibly lucky to have such a vibrant and dynamic city just a stone’s throw from home.
Earlier this month, we seized the opportunity for a whirlwind visit to our neighbours in Liverpool, to check out the city’s new and exquisite Halyard Hotel.
As you step through the doors, guests are welcomed by attentive staff who remain on hand for your every need throughout each stay, before being introduced to a ‘memorable ritual’.
As part of the Vignette Collection, each hotel in the group offers a unique experience reflecting its local heritage. Given Liverpool’s long history as a thriving port city, the Halyard embraces this past with a nod to one of its most exotic imports – cocoa.
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Guests are treated to a Champurrado short, a rich and velvety Mexican chocolate drink, served in an authentic earthenware clay cup. For those looking to elevate the experience, a splash of local Lost Dock Rum adds a tantalising twist.
The Halyard is an ideal base for all the city has to offer, perfectly positioned near Concert Square and Liverpool ONE.
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The rooms are a masterclass in modern chic – sophisticated, stylish, and effortlessly comfortable – with huge beds ready to give you the best night’s sleep, a fully stocked mini bar, a coffee machine, and plenty of other essentials and creature comforts.
Bedrooms at The Halyard LiverpoolThe view from The Halyard’s balconyBedrooms at The Halyard Liverpool
Although we didn’t have time to use it, the hotel also boasts a well-equipped gym for those looking to stay active during their visit.
One standout feature is the spacious balconies, offering a prime spot for people-watching over the bustling streets below. True to Liverpool’s reputation as a party hotspot, you’ll spot more than a few stag and hen parties revelling in the city’s lively atmosphere. Yet, despite the central location, the room itself was blissfully quiet.
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The Halyard Liverpool has an in-house restaurant, Voyagers, serving small plates and expertly-crafted cocktails. The standout dish? Without a doubt, the soy and ginger glazed pork belly, which melts in the mouth with each bite. The roasted beetroot salad, served with whipped feta, is another highlight – because, let’s be honest, everything is better with feta.
The hotel staff are happy to provide recommendations, and sent us on our way to discover two local gems, The Monro and St. Peter’s Tavern. Each had its own distinctive charm, offering a taste of Liverpool’s eclectic nightlife.
Before checking out the next morning, who can resist a hearty hotel breakfast. A full English and a stack of maple bacon pancakes later, you’ll leave thoroughly satisfied.
Voyagers restaurant at The Halyard LiverpoolVoyagers restaurant at The Halyard Liverpool
From The Halyard’s doorstep you’ll be able to take a leisurely stroll through Liverpool ONE for a spot of shopping (their enormous Zara never fails to impress), before making your way down to the iconic Albert Dock. A morning walk along the waterfront is the perfect way to shake off the previous night’s indulgences.
The Liver Building, standing proudly on the banks of the Mersey, is as breathtaking as ever a reminder of Liverpool’s rich history and enduring beauty.
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You should also visit the Liverpool Cathedral (which I learned is Britain’s largest cathedral). It’s a truly awe-inspiring experience, thanks to the sheer scale and grandeur of the architecture, offering a moment of reflection in the midst of our lively city break.
A stay at The Halyard Liverpool is nothing short of delightful. With its perfect blend of luxury, location, and local charm, it’s a hotel we’d happily return to on our next visit to this incredible city.
New Year’s Eve fireworks and special Albert Square party confirmed for Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
Manchester City Council have confirmed that a special firework and lights display will be held right in the centre of town this New Year’s Eve.
Better still, the festivities will be continuing over on Albert Square, as the recently restored ancestral home of the Manchester Christmas Markets will be hosting a celebration of its own.
Yes, for the first time ever, we’re being given the choice of two different NYE events at two of the most stunning central points in the city – the other being the Central Library.
Hosted by former presenter at The Manc, Joe McGrath, as well as DJ Jimmy the Gent, there’ll be tunes and plenty of family-friendly fun from St Peter’s Square right up until the big countdown, when the stunning light display will go off and ring in the New Year.
Credit: Manchester City Council (supplied)
The all-ages, alcohol-free event kicks off at 10pm with entry into the square through security-controlled entry points around the square and bag searches in operation.
Of course, hot drinks and food will be available as the MCR Christmas Markets proper wrap up for 2025, and the fireworks and light displays themselves will be launching right off the top of the library roof.
It’s going to be fantastic.
As for over on the other side of the Town Hall, the Markets will still be in full swing, with bratwurst, beers and cheer aplenty, and so will the truly massive Ferris Wheel – the biggest mobile wheel in the country, in case you hadn’t heard.
That’s right: in case you hadn’t put two and together quite yet, if you’re lucky enough and you don’t mind heights, you might just get to watch the NYE 2025 fireworks going off all over Greater Manchester from the top of the wheel. How magical would that be?
Honestly, it’s been so great seeing Albert Square looking back to its stunning and buzzing best.
Councillor Pat Karney, Christmas and New Year spokesperson for Manchester City Council, said of the plans: “We all know how much Mancunians of all ages love to get together and party, which is why we’re thrilled this year to give them not one but two celebrations to take their pick of this New Year’s Eve.
“Whether you’re a Ferris Wheel fanatic with a head for heights, or a music-loving feet-on-the-ground firework fan, it promises to be a brilliant night out. So get yourselves ready to have some fun and dance the night away – wrap up warm, grab your family and your friends and come down and join us!”
Promising to work closely with local councillors and therefore businesses and residents in turn, they’re promising to keep any inconveniences and nuisances to a minimum; they want everyone to be able to enjoy the night as much as possible.
You can find out more information, including timings, accessibility, road closures and parking suspensions in the full Council statement right HERE.
Featured Images — Manchester City Council (supplied)/Anna Louise (via Pexels)
Travel & Tourism
Manchester has been ranked one of the ‘most influential cities’ in Europe
Danny Jones
As per a development that we’d consider so obvious it’s barely worth writing about (even though we are), Manchester has been ranked one of the most influential cities in Europe.
In other news, water is still very much wet.
While there’s plenty of it here in Greater Manchester, given our standard rainy forecasts, when it comes to anything besides the weather, we deliver in spades.
Let’s be honest: we know it, you do too, and apparently so do plenty of other folks – and there’s some concrete statistics to back it up.
Case in point – First Chanel, now Vogue… (Credit: The Manc Group)
You’ll find all manner of surveys, polls and studies diving into how Manchester ranks across various categories, but knowing we boast nods such as ‘the original industrial city’, the place that helped split the atom and the place that the first modern computer was born, we know all about our global impact.
With that in mind, when we saw that Sixt had recently named us as one of the most influential cities in all of Europe, we couldn’t ignore the well-deserved pat on the back.
That’s right, although you might not associate the car rental company with this sort of stuff, as part of their new exclusive ‘Sixt Ride’ offering (think a posh taxi service), they looked into which cities have the most luxuries, tourist attractions and other cultural bonuses to their name.
Per their recent research, Manchester city centre didn’t just break into the top 100 but found itself among the 30 most influential cities in Europe.
You can see the full rankings table down below.
#
City
Country
*Fortune 500 Companies
Fashion weeks
Film Festivals
International Airports
5-Star Hotels
High End/Luxury Shopping areas
Michelin Restaurants
1
Paris
France
10
6
77
2
122
11
134
2
London
United Kingdom
12
3
241
3
182
5
81
3
Milan
Italy
1
4
52
3
29
5
22
4
Rome
Italy
2
0
97
2
65
4
21
5
Stockholm
Sweden
0
3
14
2
12
2
13
6
Madrid
Spain
5
0
38
1
42
2
29
7
Zurich
Switzerland
6
0
10
1
12
4
18
8
Munich
Germany
5
0
10
1
16
4
17
9
Berlin
Germany
1
1
76
1
40
2
21
10
Hamburg
Germany
1
0
16
2
17
3
16
11
Amsterdam
Netherlands
4
0
24
1
29
1
30
12
Copenhagen
Denmark
1
2
12
1
12
2
20
13
Barcelona
Spain
0
0
45
1
47
1
31
14
Lisbon
Portugal
1
0
38
1
49
1
20
15
Athens
Greece
0
0
41
1
52
2
12
16
Vienna
Austria
1
0
24
1
24
3
14
17
Bucharest
Romania
0
0
22
2
12
2
0
18
Warsaw
Poland
0
0
22
2
17
1
3
19
Glasgow
United Kingdom
0
0
17
2
4
2
2
20
Lyon
France
0
0
9
2
7
0
16
21
Prague
Czechia
0
0
16
1
60
1
2
22
Brussels
Belgium
0
0
18
1
14
1
29
23
Oslo
Norway
0
1
8
1
6
1
11
24
Manchester
United Kingdom
0
0
20
1
7
3
2
25
Budapest
Hungary
0
0
16
1
24
1
7
26
Dublin
Ireland
2
0
16
1
11
0
6
27
Naples
Italy
0
0
34
1
5
0
22
28
Porto
Portugal
0
0
8
1
28
0
10
29
Turin
Italy
1
0
21
1
4
0
10
30
Sofia
Bulgaria
0
0
22
1
14
1
0
31
Helsinki
Finland
0
0
5
1
10
1
5
32
Belgrade
Serbia
0
0
32
1
9
0
1
33
Marseille
France
0
0
5
1
4
0
12
34
Birmingham
United Kingdom
0
0
12
1
4
0
6
35
Minsk
Belarus
0
0
11
1
0
0
0
Read it and weep; we Mancs landed 24th on the leaderboard, just behind Norway’s capital, Oslo, and ever so slightly ahead of Budapest in Hungary.
As you can see, to identify the ‘most influential European cities’, they broke down how the 35 most populous cities on the continent and here UK (barring Russia and Ukraine) and what noteworthy cultural touchstones they possess.
For instance, did you hear that our very own Warehouse Project recently found itself breaking into the top half of the best nightclubs on the entire planet?
Going on to analyse everything from the number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the city, their connections to film, fashion, fine-dining and more, they found that Paris, London and Milan were the most influential (no surprises there), but we’re glad to be keeping such good company.
After all, in the last couple of years alone, Manchester city centre has welcomed the Metiers D’art fashion show, opened one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues in all of Europe, and still takes eternal credit for giving the world Oasis and, therefore, the Live ’25 reunion. Again, you’re welcome.
What do you make of Sixt’s study, and do you agree with their findings on the whole?
It goes without saying that we’d probably put ourselves higher on the list if anything, but then again, maybe we’re getting too used to being told how brilliant it is to live in this region.
Will Kendrick -
19th March 2025 
