Trending

London cat attempts to hitch ride to Manchester on top of Pendolino train

The animal was spotted on the roof of the Avanti West Coast train - which was due to depart from London Euston on a 2-hour trip up north.

The Manc The Manc - 4th March 2021
Network Rail

A London cat was spotted trying to hitch a free ride to Manchester on an Avanti West Coast train this week.

The feline was a whisker away from getting into serious trouble on Tuesday evening; spotted on top of the 125mph Pendolino minutes before it was due to pull out of Euston Station.

Staff put passengers on another service whilst they tried to carefully coax the cat away from its seat near the 25,000 volt power lines.

It took two-and-a-half hours to convince the kitty to clamber down, but eventually it obliged.

A bin was positioned by the carriages which the cat used to disembark before “swaggering off” into the London night.

How the puss got up there in the first place remains a mystery.

Joe Hendry, Network Rail station manager for Euston, said: “We often have to deal with birds inside the station but in all my time here this is the first train surfing cat!

“Thankfully curiosity didn’t kill this cat and we’re glad it avoided using up one of its nine lives thanks to the swift action of the station team and Avanti West Coast staff who organised for passengers to get onto a different train for the rescue to take place.”

Kathryn Pranga-Wells, lead station manager for Avanti West Coast, added: “The things some pets do to avoid lockdown.

“Thankfully we managed to avoid a cat-astrophe but don’t ask me-ow the cat got up there.”

Trending

A sneak peek at the first pour: Greater Manchester celebrates the return of Boddingtons

Danny Jones Danny Jones Boddingtons is back on tap draught in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester has every reason to drink and jubilate this Friday and toast the perfect excuse for an early dart as the first fresh pours in a new chapter for Boddingtons beer have been sunk.

And by’eck if ain’t still bloody gorgeous.

That’s right, in case you didn’t hear the latest news about ‘Cream of Manchester’, we can now officially and ever-so gladly confirm that Boddingtons Bitter is properly back on draught in the region.

With the iconic cask ale making a glorious return decades on from its glory days in the 1990s, the new and improved Boddies beer is flowing from the taps – just in time for the weekend, no less.

Yes, with local brewery and pub chain J.W. Lees taking over the manufacturing and distribution, leaving the Budweiser Group to take over the licensing, the updated recipe Boddingtons – which clocks in at a 4.0% ABV – is about to be rolled out across the 10 boroughs.

Better yet, with five native pubs having already reinstalled honey yellow and black pumps, and with Lees looking to deliver it to the ale-loving masses across the North West, this could be the biggest Manc comeback since, well, those two lads from Burnage…

Speaking of: we were invited along to Founder’s Hall on Albert Square (formerly Duttons and now home to every one of the brand’s beers, not to mention serving as a tribute to John Lees himself), for a special ceremony to celebrate the inaugural public pints of Boddies being poured.

Let’s just say we were honoured to be part of the grand resurrection.

Obviously, there have been some holdouts hanging onto the classic Mancunian brew, and we certainly had fun trying to track them down over the past couple of years, but we’re just glad we don’t have to do as much work to find one now.

The lost art of Boddingtons, and which pubs still serve The Cream of Manchester

Managing Director of JW Lees, William Lees-Jones, said on the relaunch: “When I joined JW Lees in 1994, Boddingtons was ‘The Cream of Manchester’ and we were in awe of their position in leading the cask beer revolution.

“We’re proud to bring it back home, starting with Founder’s Hall, and we’re planning to restore Boddington’s as one of the UK’s leading premium cask beers, particularly here in the North West.” Well said, sir.

Available from Founder’s Hall, The Black Friar in Salford, Stables Tavern; Sams Chop House, The Circus Tavern, Oxford Road Tap, Piccadilly Tap and Victoria Tap from today, as well as Corbières and Stockport pubs like The Crown and The White Lion, we can’t wait to see Boddingtons take over the nation.

In the meantime, why not look back at the storied history behind one of our finest exports?

@the.manc The history behind the cream of Manchester #themanc #manchester #boddingtons ♬ Powerful gangster and manly(1070054) – Patricia

Read more:

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

Featured Images — The Manc Group/The Manc Eats

Trending

Subway launches make-your-own jacket potato concept ‘Spudway’ across UK

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Spudway

Subway is finally launching its viral make-your-own jacket potato concept ‘Spudway’ at all its restaurants in the UK.

That’s right – you can now walk into any Greater Manchester Subway and order a jacket potato instead of a sandwich, and you get to choose exactly what goes on top of it.

Britain has always been a nation of ‘jacket fanatics’, with almost half of Brits claiming the spud to be a British cultural icon, but according to new research by Subway, it’s been found that nearly a quarter (23%) of us have argued with family and friends over how to prepare or serve one.

So it’s fair to say that, yes, us Brits do love ourselves a jacket potato, and this is why ‘Spudway’ is launching nationwide.

The UK-wide rollout of Spudway comes after it was trailed in select sites earlier this year, and then proved so popular that the trail was extended to include more locations.

Now, those fluffy jacket potatoes are available everywhere.

You can choose topping options like the simple Cheese & Beans or Tuna Mayo, or you can opt for Subway specialities like Meatball Marinara, and Chicken Tikka, but the beauty of Spudaway is it’s all fully customisable.

This means you can pick, quite simply, from whatever you fancy at the protein and salad counters, and finish it with your choice of Subway’s wide selection of signature sauces.

“The nation’s love of Jacket Potatoes is unparalleled,” commented Cathy Goodwin, who is the Interim Director of Culinary & Innovation Subway EMEA.

Spudway
Subway has finally launched its make-your-own jacket potato concept ‘Spudway’ all across the UK / Credit: Subway

“The enthusiasm we’ve seen on social media and the strong demand from our guests throughout the trial made it clear that Spudway deserved a permanent place on our menu.

“Made with British potatoes, Irish salted butter, a double portion of cheese, and fully customisable with any of our many toppings, Spudway is the perfect freshly-made, high-quality lunch choice.”

Spudway jacket potatoes are freshly baked in-store daily and can be enjoyed on their own, or as part of a meal deal – which includes a spud, drink, plus crisps or a cookie.

Read more:

You can tuck into them at your local Subway now.

Featured Image – Subway

More Trending

Art & Culture

Free books given to all high school and primary school starters in Manchester

Manchester Laces playing in Women's FA Cup for the first-time ever

Kids & Family

Local LGBTQIA+ football team Manchester Laces are set to play in the FA Cup for the first time ever

The Last Dinner Party Manchester tickets 2025

Art & Culture

The Last Dinner Party have announced a huge 35-date tour, including a big Manchester gig

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches