Most people are familiar with honey bees and bumblebees, but if you look closely, there is so much more than meets the eye.
In fact, Britain is home to over 250 species of ‘solitary bee’.
As the summer draws in and with many of us spending more time in our gardens than ever before, it’s crucial that we continue to provide bees with an environment in which they can thrive, so if you’re looking to do your bit for the bees, then we’ve found a compact solitary bee hive on Amazon and it’s already sitting firmly on the ‘Best Seller’ list.
The Wildlife World Solitary Bee Hive is “an interactive solitary bee and insect box constructed in durable FSC timber, with unique individual cell trays which can be opened for inspection and/or cleaning” and is perfect for any Mancunians looking to encourage bees into their garden this summer.
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As many will know, the ‘worker bee’ is one of the best-known symbols of Manchester.
The bee denotes Mancunians’ hard work ethic, the city being a hive of activity, represents a sense of unity and has been an emblem for over 150 years.
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Amazon / Wildlife World
According to the product description on Amazon, this “unique solitary beehive” is designed specifically “to attract non-swarming bees like the Red Mason Bee (Osmia rufa) and Leafcutter bees (Megachile spp)”.
If you’re wondering what the difference is, then do note that solitary bees “do not swarm, are gregarious and safe around children and pets” and are naturally attracted to holes in wood, which is why the Wildlife World Solitary Bee Hive is great at providing a habitat that bees love, but one that has become harder and harder to find in modern gardens across the UK.
This bee hive is “fascinating and great for education” as it is designed not only as a habitat, but to be easily dismantled to see the formation of small cells where the eggs are laid, or indeed where predators have been active.”
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Attracting solitary bees to your garden this summer is not only safe, but is also beneficial to pollination of flowers, fruit and vegetables too.
Amazon / Wildlife World
It’s retailing on Amazon at £24.45 + postage/packaging and has a multitude of positive 5* reviews from plenty of satisfied customers, so if you’ve been wondering whether it’s worth the buy or not, have a read of a few of those to help make you’re mind up.
It’s also listed as an ‘Amazon’s Choice’ product and is eligible for Amazon Prime delivery perks too for those subscribed to the service.
If you’re ready to do your bit and help the bees this summer time, then you can get the Wildlife World Solitary Bee Hive from Amazon here.
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The cheapest Christmas Markets in the world for mulled wine have been revealed
Daisy Jackson
The most affordable Christmas Markets for drinking mulled wine have been revealed – and Manchester is nowhere in sight.
With Christmas markets across Europe preparing to welcome millions of visitors, festive fans looking to enjoy a warming cup of glühwein without breaking the bank might want to take note of the latest findings.
Festive experts at Christmas Tree World have analysed mulled wine prices at Christmas markets around the world to discover where visitors can enjoy the seasonal favourite for less.
Topping the rankings is Brussels’ Winter Wonders, where mulled wine is available for as little as £2.14 – about a third of the price of a mulled wine at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
Cologne Cathedral Christmas Markets and Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik share second place, with starting prices of just £2.56.
Other European favourites also feature prominently in the rankings. Budapest’s Christmas Market at the Basilica takes fourth place, with mulled wine costing £3.19, while Prague’s Old Town Square Christmas Market comes in sixth at £3.55.
Germany makes another strong appearance, with Dresden’s Striezelmarkt and Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt (which handily just launched new direct flights from Manchester) both offering mulled wine for £3.85.
Meanwhile, Vienna’s Christmas World rounds off the European entries in ninth place, with prices starting at £4.28.
For those planning a festive adventure further afield, Tokyo’s Christmas Market also makes the top five, with mulled wine costing £3.22.
However, not every destination offers such a bargain. Across the Atlantic, New York City’s Winter Village takes the title of the most expensive market in the study, with mulled wine costing a rather less festive £11.74. Chicago’s Christkindlmarket isn’t far behind, charging £8.80.
Manchester Christmas Markets start on Friday 6 November – we’ll see how our prices stack up then.
Sir Ian McKellen pays emotional tribute to long-time friend and fellow northern actor Sir Patrick Stewart
Emily Sergeant
Sir Ian McKellen has paid an emotional tribute to his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, following his death.
Sir Patrick Stewart – who was born and bred in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and is best-known for his theatre work alongside an illustrious 60-year screen career, taking on prominent roles in franchises such as Star Trek and X-Men – sadly passed away at the age of 86, with his death being announced publicly yesterday evening (29 October).
And now, his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Ian McKellen, has paid tribute.
Sir Patrick and Sir Ian shared the stage together countless times over their decades-long careers, but also famously starred alongside each other in the X-Men franchise, and subsequent Marvel movies, as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Magneto.
The tribute, shared across Sir Ian’s social media platforms, reads: “Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.
“We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions.
“My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in ‘Star Trek’. “But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
“Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did, for not just his devoted Trekkies, but film and theatre audiences who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (‘X-Men’ of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin.
“But he never forsook his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.”
Emily Sergeant -
15th June 2020 
