The region has a rich history to tell the world about and a wealth of well-deserved achievements to boast, but it looks as though the ‘rainy city’ has earned itself a new nickname by topping this frisky list.
It’s true that we may be in the middle of a global pandemic – with the UK having entered into its third national lockdown – but that hasn’t stopped the world getting down, dirty and dogging, with the latest research by DatingRoo showing that there has been an 85% increase in people searching for hookup spots, like cruising and dogging locations, likely due to the pent-up sexual tension and extra free time we’ve found ourselves with.
And yes, Manchester has taken the number one spot on the top 10 rankings.
The Hookup Hotspots Map by dating and sex experts DatingRoo has revealed that Manchester is the dogging capital of the UK, with Mancunians not wanting to miss out on the lockdown loving.
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Manchester clocks in at an impressive 131 outdoor hookup locations, with car parks of course among the top spots for casual outdoor-loving, and Silburn Way at Rhodes Lodges and Heaton Hall Park being firm favourites with locals.
But the adventures aren’t limited to just parks.
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Rank
City
Number of Locations
1
Manchester
131
2
Birmingham
103
3
Chelmsford
85
4
Liverpool
82
5
Bristol
76
6
Cardiff
76
7
London
67
8
Leeds
63
9
Edinburgh
62
10
Newcastle
59
Mancs apparently love to get risky in more public areas too, as Ancoats canal, Tesco Supermarket in Cheetham Hill, and Central Manchester Library are just a few of the daredevil places people love to have sex.
Elsewhere on the list, in second place is Birmingham with 103 spots, in third place is Chelmsford with 85, and heading back up north, in fourth place is Liverpool with 82 sexy hotspots.
And it’s not just England that loves to get frisky either.
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Cardiff takes fifth place with 76 spots, and meanwhile in Yorkshire, Sheffield, Leeds and Doncaster all appear in the top 20 cities.
While dogging may be stereotypically more of a British fetish, if we take a look overseas, Spain completely blows the UK out of the water when it comes to outdoor hookup and cruising locations, with an impressive 15,872 sexy hot spots.
The UK does come in second place though, with 4,616 hookup locations, but with no white sandy beaches, the top locations here were car parks and off road laybys – You know, the classic romantic spots.
You can find more information and check out the full top 20 list via the DatingRoo website here.
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Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK – this is why
Emily Sergeant
A list of the top 10 most affordable cities in the UK has been revealed, and Manchester has made the cut for one very specific reason.
On a bit of a budget? Aren’t we all.
The cost of living crisis has been raging on for quite a few years now, and unfortunately, despite how much we all wish for it to, it doesn’t appear to be slowing down – with prices for everyday items, especially typical fridge and cupboard stables, shooting up by the day, even though supermarkets are showing efforts to prevent it.
And it’s the noticeable price increases in groceries that led delivery insurance provider, Street Cover, to uncover which UK cities don’t strain your food shopping budgets too much just yet.
As it was found that food and non-alcoholic drinks inflation reached 1.3% this past summer, a new study has revealed that Sheffield is officially the most affordable city in the UK, with several other northern locations on the list.
Manchester has been named one of the most ‘affordable’ cities in the UK / Credit: MCC | Aldi
The study compared the 2026 Grocery Index for the largest UK cities with the UK average, as well as available 2025 Grocery Indices, to track the changes in food affordability.
The cities are ranked by the index difference from the national average – which is 67.3 – but the report also uses direct monetary values for a grocery basket to provide some additional context too.
Manchester took sixth place on the list, with an average grocery basket price of £23.08, while some of the other northern cities in the top 10, besides Sheffield at number one, include Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle.
Top 10 Most Affordable UK Cities For Groceries
Sheffield
Milton Keynes
Liverpool
Reading
Newcastle
Manchester
Leeds
Bristol
Cardiff
Southampton
As the only other North West city in the top 10, Liverpool may have come in third place overall, but the study found that the grocery bill here is the smallest in terms of actual monetary numbers – with it setting shoppers back £22.08 for a regular supermarket basket, which is a whole £1 cheaper than in Manchester.
“Data shows households in the North East of England have the lowest average food spend in the country, around 11% below the UK average, while Yorkshire sits 6.6% below,” Al Taylor, who is the Head of Street Cover, commented on the study’s findings.
“Sheffield’s position at the top reflects lower property costs for retailers, less competition from premium chains, and a supermarket landscape dominated by value-led options.
“The practical implication for household budgets is significant – the difference between budget and premium shopping can easily be £1,000 or more per year for a family, which can be spent on other things or saved for future plans.”
Featured Image – Aldi
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Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’
Emily Sergeant
Call yourself a clever clogs? The BBC is currently looking for contestants to take part in what is widely considered the hardest quiz show on TV.
That’s right – Only Connect is back for another series on BBC Two.
Presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell and first broadcast all the way back in 2008, Only Connect takes TV quizzing to the next level, as it sees two teams compete against each other by finding connections between seemingly unrelated clues.
In this quiz show – which viewers have dubbed one of the most challenging there is – knowledge only takes you so far, as the ability to think laterally is also deemed ‘vitally important’.
A casting call for the upcoming 2027 series has been shared on the BBC website, with people from Greater Manchester encouraged to apply.
Mancs wanted to take part in a new series of the ‘hardest quiz show on TV’ / Credit: BBC
The casting call reads: “The popular BBC Two quiz show presented by Victoria Coren Mitchell returns for a new series in 2027.
“Only Connect is seeking teams of three players OR single applicants or teams of two looking for like-minded teammates to pool their combined wits to solve fiendish conundrums and vexing puzzles.
“This is the quiz series where, as in life itself, knowledge will only take you so far: patience and lateral thinking are also vital. It’s all about making connections between things which may appear, at first glance, not to be connected at all.”
Reckon you’ve got what it takes then? Applications are now open, and all applicants must be aged 18 or over and a resident in the UK or Channel Islands.
Emily Sergeant -
8th January 2021 
