Manchester has ranked third in a list of the 37 best cities in the world, according to global magazine TimeOut.
The annual list, which is well respected and much anticipated, is compiled after tens of thousands of city-dwelling readers of TimeOut have their say, and they are usually pretty spot on – except for when they don’t put Manchester in first place.
However, we’ve not done too bad this year, coming in at third place and most importantly, above London by a fair old whack.
Only San Francisco and Amsterdam rank higher than Manchester in the list, which describes us as “a resilient place” with communities who band together when times are tough.
Sunset at MediaCityUK by Orry Verducci via Unsplash
Rob Martin of TimeOut states: “General great vibes. Manchester has a rep for knowing how to have a good time, and it came as no surprise to us that it was voted top for ‘nightlife’, ‘creativity’, ‘community spirit’, ‘friendliness’ and ‘getting to know your neighbours’.”
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TimeOut’s description of Manchester and what makes it great, reads: “Manchester sure is a resilient place. All things considered, it’s thrived over the past year – with communities really banding together through the toughest of times.
“Mancunians are a very proud people, and so it’s no wonder 71 percent described the city as ‘creative’ in this year’s Index. This is the home of Factory Records, the Fall and the Smiths, after all, and in 2021 the likes of Manchester International Festival (MIF) and Grayson’s Art Club have continued to show this city really punches when it comes to big, splashy cultural events.
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“On a more local level, small firms like Result CIC offered free mental health support to frontline workers, while the Eagle and Child pub gave away 4,500 meals to vulnerable locals.”
A cold, sunny day in Manchester by @frannserra on Instagram
Here’s the top 10 list
San Francisco
Amsterdam
Manchester
Copenhagen
New York
Montreal
Prague
Tel Aviv
Porto
Tokyo
You can check out the full list of 37 cities on the TimeOut website here, along with what makes those cities so great.
Spoiler alert, London has a very unlucky number.
Manchester
Manchester parks are hosting loads of FREE Halloween-themed activities this month
Emily Sergeant
Parks across Manchester are set to host loads of Halloween-themed activities this month.
With October half term right around the corner and Halloween not far off either, it won’t be long before parents and carers are looking for ways to keep little Mancs occupied… luckily, Manchester City Council has unveiled a programme of free ‘spooktacular’ activities that’ll be happening at parks across the borough this month.
Manchester’s parks will ‘come alive’ this October half-term with a packed programme community-focussed free activities for children – including a range of lantern making workshops delivered by the parks’ teams.
There will also be pumpkin carving throughout the week, with everything provided to create a suitably scary masterpiece to take home, as well ‘Hidden Horror’ trails across 13 parks with lots of spooky characters to be discovered.
Other highlights included guided walks, cycling along the Yellow Brick Road in Debdale Park, helping to create a giant haunted house using recycled materials at Alexandra Park, and a Halloween Party at Grounded Cafe in Cringle Park.
Manchester parks are hosting loads of free Halloween-themed activities this October half term/ Credit: Max Burchill | Pierre Bouyer (via Unsplash)
And fireworks won’t be the only attraction on Bonfire Night either.
Activities on the day begin from 3pm with the chance for little ones to enjoy magical storytelling experiences from Z Arts, with hands-on crafting inspired by the story.
Dazzling fire performers will light up the event with a mesmerising display of flames, fiery choreography, and captivating skills, and the Lantern Parade prior to the main fireworks display is not to be missed.
Don’t forget to stop off at the retro funfairs, and the food and drink village for some seasonal treats to enjoy on the night.
Find out everything happening in Manchester this October half term and Halloween HERE.
Featured Image – Pierre Bouyer (via Unsplash)
Manchester
Victim named and murder investigation launched after young woman is killed in Newton Heath stabbing
Emily Sergeant
The victim of a street stabbing in Newton Heath this week has been named for the first time as a murder investigation continues.
It comes after officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) responded to reports of a disturbance at around 2am yesterday (Thursday 15 October) on Dorking Avenue, in the Newton Heath area of Manchester, and when they arrived on the scene, they found a woman in her 20s with serious injuries that were ‘consistent with a stabbing’.
Despite best efforts of all emergency services involved, the young woman was sadly pronounced dead at the scene.
As the murder investigation progresses, the woman has now been publicly named and a photo of her has been released for the first time.
She has been named as 26-year-old Alisha Samuels.
At this time, one man, aged 25, has been arrested on suspicion of murder, and a man and woman, aged 61 and 38, have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, and they all remain in custody – with officers continuing their enquiries to establish the full circumstances of this incident.
Alisha’s family have asked for privacy whilst they deal with the devastating loss of their loved one, GMP has stated.
“We are continuing to urge people who may have information in relation to this incident to please come forward to support our investigation and bring justice for Alisha,” the police force said in a public appeal.
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident, or has mobile phone, CCTV, or doorbell footage, is urged to call GMP on 0161 856 5464, or contact them via the Major Incident Public Portal here.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
The Manc -
8th September 2021 
