Manchester has been named as the best city in the UK for bees, and it’s probably our most appropriate title to date.
We all know that Manchester and bees go hand in hand, as they have been an emblem for our city for over 150 years, and it’s fair to say that we’re quite-rightly proud of our links to this hard-working insect.
And now, a new study has named the city as being the best for bees in the UK.
As part of its study, floral delivery company Flying Flowers has analysed key cities across the country to find out which are the best for bees in the lead up to the warmer months, as throughout the spring and summer, bees keep our nature growing by spreading their pollen, but to do this successfully, they need a clear air space to fly and a large proportion of flowers and green space to navigate and spread their pollen efficiently.
The study analysed UK cities based on a number of metrics including pollution, green space, the number of flower gardens, allotment sites, individual allotment plots, and the number of parks.
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Here’s how the top 10 cities ranked:
Rank
City
Pollution Rank 2020 average
Green Space %
No. Flower Gardens Per Sq Mile
Allotment Sites per Sq Mile
Allotment Plots per Sq Mile
Parks/Green Spaces per Sq Mile
1
Manchester
8.1
13.13%
0.18
0.92
56.55
3.56
2
Coventry
7.4
8.81%
0.05
1.16
63.35
1.84
3
London
9.6
1.20%
0.15
1.21
59.31
4.94
4
Birmingham
7.7
15.58%
0.06
0.76
46.82
0.81
5
Newcastle upon Tyne
7.7
9.87%
0.02
1.57
79.51
0.75
6
Bristol
10.2
6.76%
0.07
2.05
102.47
0.99
7
Nottingham
8.6
15.34%
0.10
0.97
32.07
1.01
8
Edinburgh
4.7
9.26%
0.11
0.29
15.39
1.46
9
Glasgow
5.2
13.49%
0.12
0.24
10.36
0.37
10
Cardiff
7.6
8.04%
0.06
0.52
46.15
0.33
Explaining why Manchester takes the top spot, Flying Flowers said: “The city benefits from a high percentage of green spaces which make it a welcome area for bees, but what really sets Manchester apart is its parks, with an average of 4.94 parks per square mile, which helped it take the top spot.”
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But where did Manchester’s link to the worker bee begin exactly?
Well, it all started in 1842 when, as part of a traditional Victorian branding exercise, the early city fathers had to decide on a coat of arms that would tell the world who Manchester was, so they settled upon including a globe with seven worker bees in to show how hard Mancunians worked, and then traded it across the seven seas.
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Manchester has been named as the best city in the UK for bees / Credit: Piqsels
The Manchester bee was born of industry, and the city’s people have fought to make this place thrive.
While there is said to be over 250 species of ‘solitary bee’ buzzing around in Britain, Manchester’s worker bee reflects the city as a hive of activity, and represents a sense of unity at times when it’s needed most.
So it’s no wonder that we’re happy to take the title as the best UK city for bees.
Featured Image – Pinterest
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A TV channel playing Christmas films 24/7 is now back on air in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Do you think it’s too early for the ‘C word’? Never mind, you’ve already clicked on this article.
Sure, we may only be into our second full week of September, but given the fact the weather these past couple of days hasn’t exactly screamed summer, it already feels like the festive season is around the corner – but whether or not you think it’s too early to be talking about Christmas, it’ll soon be too tricky to escape from.
Especially not when the famous TV channel showing festive film favourites non-stop is now back on air in the UK.
Yes, you heard that right – Christmas films, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
If you’re ready to wave goodbye to summer, and in welcome autumn and winter with open arms, then there’s arguably no better way of getting into the festive spirit than with the long-awaited and highly-anticipated return of the TV channel that’s charmed audiences for over half a decade now.
GREAT! Christmas the UK’s biggest seasonal channel, and it’s now live on Sky, Freesat, Freeview and Virgin Media.
You can expect almost four months of back-to-back seasonal movies.
The 24-hour feel-good and free-to-air channel will be bursting with non-stop Christmas spirit, and will be showing a heartwarming lineup of festive films – including some absolute fan-favourite classics that make it to screens every year without fail, alongside some cheesy Hallmark classics, new channel premieres, and so much more.
Viewers will find GREAT! Christmas on Freeview channel 51, Sky 319, Sky (Glass/Stream) 317, Virgin channel 424, and Freely channel 47.
The channel will run until early January.
Featured Image – Freestocks (via Unsplash)
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Erling Haaland has named his four favourite films… and fans have a lot to say on it
Emily Sergeant
Erling Haaland has answered the all-important question.
The question heard around the world, the question on everyone’s lips, a question that has absolutely nothing to do with football whatsoever… that’s right, he’s answered Letterboxd’s famous question of ‘what are your four favourite films?’.
If you’re unaware of what Letterboxd is, it describes itself as being an ‘online diary platform and app for film lovers’ and it gives users the chance to display their four favourite films at the top of their profile for all to see (and judge).
An extension of this has then been Letterboxd asking celebrities in press junket interviews and on red carpets what their ‘four faves’ are – and it’s gone on to become something of a phenomenon in the film world.
Everyone from massive A-list movie stars, to indie darlings and up-and-coming names have answered this question before, and now (it appears) to be Erling Haaland’s turn.
He’s not the first footballer to be tasked with question though, as the entire Spurs team was ambushed with it by former player – and famously massive cinephile – Alfie Whiteman last year, but it’s fair to say that after the summer he’s had with Norway at the World Cup, achieving international fame in the process, that Haaland is one of the most high-profile to answer it in a long while.
So, what’s on Erling’s list then?
Well, to self-confessed ‘film bros’ out there, you’re not going to find any deep cuts in this selection unfortunately, and you’re probably not going to get any recommendations for movies you haven’t seen before either, but come on, he is only a footballer after all.
Erling Haaland has named his four favourite films… and fans have a lot to say on it / Credit: Letterboxd
First up for the Manchester City striker is a pretty common pick by straight white men, it’s The Wolf of Wall Street, and he doesn’t give much of a reason for it, other than just suggesting: “I think you understand why”.
He then follows that up with Ridley Scott’s classic Gladiator, calling it ‘amazing’, before naming 2004’s epic Troy, and then rounding it out with a Christmas favourite for many, Home Alone, adding that he ‘watched it a lot as a kid, and then again now’.
As for fan reaction to Haaland’s four favourites, let’s just say it’s been mixed.
Among the 1,000+ comments on the Instagram video, you’ll find just as many people called him ‘king’ and saying he has ‘goated’ taste, as you will comments like this: “He has the most male gazed top four in history of Letterboxd.”
Emily Sergeant -
14th April 2022 
