For a good chunk of us Brits, Christmas can be quite the boozy affair – and there’s absolutely no denying that.
No matter how your Christmas tends to pan out, if you’re partial to an alcoholic tipple, then there’s an extremely good chance that one or two – or considerably more – are going to be sipped on throughout the festive season.
But with the Christmas drinking usually comes the all-mighty Christmas hangover.
It turns out though, that us Mancs are set to be feeling the fuzzy heads more than others this year, as research conducted by CBD and supplements brand, fourfive, has revealed which UK cities are likely to be the most hungover this Christmas – and Manchester has got itself a spot in the top five.
According to the research, searches for ‘hangover cure’ increase by 34% on average each December as Brits clamber to ease sore heads and waves of nausea brought on by the party season.
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The data reveals that Newcastle made the most searches for ‘hangover cure’ on a per capita basis – with 889 searches per 100,000 people during the festive period.
In second and third place are Belfast and Manchester, respectively, with Leeds and Norwich also securing their place in the top five most hungover cities.
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Manchester will be the third most hungover city this Christmas / Credit: Sandy Hibbard (via Unsplash)
Top 10 Most Hungover Cities in the UK
Newcastle
Belfast
Manchester
Leeds
Norwich
Edinburgh
Glasgow
Nottingham
Bristol
Birmingham
According to the survey, on average, the term ‘hangover cure’ generates 22,200 average monthly searches, but they typically increase in December.
Other queries that typically see an increase at Christmas include searches for ‘hangover remedies’ and ‘best thing for a hangover’, so, with so many of us searching for the illusive hangover cure, what is the best way to tackle post Christmas party side effects?
Clinical neuroscientist and nutritionist, Dr Elisabeth Philipps, from fourfive says proper hydration is the key to swift recovery this Christmas, explaining: “Alternate alcoholic drinks with a glass of water and by taking a hydration tablet before drinking alcohol and after a heavy drinking session the next morning. B vitamins are also crucial to helping with your energy levels, and topping up your electrolytes will help to replace the lost water in your body.
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Searches for ‘hangover cure’ increase by 34% on average each December / Credit: Andisheh A (via Unsplash)
“Make sure to eat before drinking too.
“Healthy fats are the best option to line the stomach, which is where alcohol is absorbed into the bloodstream. Try an avocado smoothie, hummus salad. or even cheese on toast to set yourself up for the night.
“It can be tempting to try and sweat out the hangover but too much exercise will only worsen dehydration – keep it light with a winter walk or simple yoga session.”
Aldi launches UK’s cheapest Valentine’s dine-in meal deal for just £2.99 per person
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has launched the UK’s cheapest dine-in meal deal ahead of Valentine’s Day, and prices start at just £2.99 per person.
With only a week of January left, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner now, and that means restaurants across Greater Manchester are likely already getting booked up by couples keen to celebrate their love on the special day.
But for those keen to keep things on a budget, there’s always the supermarket meal deal, of course.
M&S tend to be the heavy-hitters when it comes to Valentine’s dine-in deals, with other retailers like Tesco, Morrisons, and Sainsbury’s also proving popular in recent years too, and many having already announced their menus for 2025 too – but now, there’s a new rival on the block and, apparently, it’s the cheapest you can get.
Aldi says its Valentine’s Day range is “a match made in heaven” for those looking to host date night at home this year.
Aldi is launching the UK’s cheapest Valentine’s meal deal for just £2.99 per person / Credit: Simon Hadley (via Aldi UK)
With prices starting from just £2.99 per person, there’s everything from succulent seafood and steaks, to delicious desserts and drinks on the lineup this year – with shoppers guaranteed to be “pulling on those heart strings, not the purse strings”.
The cheapest meal deal combination on the menu this year includes Aldi’s Specially Selected Heart Shaped Pizza, available in either classic margherita or spicy pepperoni, for just £2.99, which pairs perfectly with the Valentine’s Day Mini Heart Shaped Garlic Bread topped with mozzarella cheese for £1.49, and finished off with the sweet treat of Pink Mini Heart Pancakes, also for £1.49.
If you stick to just these three food courses, then this combo will only set you back £5.97 all together, but you can also choose to add bubbles onto the deal for under a fiver too.
A sneak peak at some of the options on the menu this year / Credit: Aldi
Some of the other options for mains include the Nduja-style Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts, two different Specially Selected Heart Shaped Pasta dishes, Duck Breasts with Plum & Hoisin Sauce, Gastro Wagyu Pies, and even Wagyu lasagnes, as well as plenty of choice for vegetarians and vegans.
Options for starters and sides this year include things like Gastro Wagyu Triple Cooked Chips, and two different Specially Selected Mac & Cheese dishes.
And when it comes to desserts, those with a sweet tooth can choose from options such as the Tear and Share Cookie with a milk chocolate dip, Specially Selected Cheesecake Slices, and even a new Vegan Caramelised Biscuit Heart Sponge Pudding to finish things off.
Aldi’s Valentine’s range is available in stores from 10 February, so you can get the goods in just in time for the big day itself.
Featured Image – Aldi
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The reason why Stockport station has been temporarily renamed to ‘Scottport’
Danny Jones
Anyone passing through Stockport station this morning may have been a bit confused and potentially panicked that they got on the wrong train after seeing the name ‘Scottport’ out the window.
But fear not, they arrived at their destinations as intended and it wasn’t just a badly spelt new sign either – here’s why…
This Monday (27 January) was her replacement’s first day at work and if you haven’t already put two and two together, we’ll happily walk you the rest of the way there.
With fellow radio veteran Scott Mills being chosen as her replacement, the Eastleigh-born presenter made his debut as the new Breakfast Show host to kick off not only a new week but a new era – and to mark the occasion, Stockport railway station has changed its name for Scottport for the day.
As far as we know, the former Radio 1 has no other connection to Greater Manchester or SK in particular, but the route does connect the BBC’s Broadcasting House in the capital to their Northern hub in MediaCityUK, Salford Quays.
Having stepped away from Radio 1 back in 2022 a whopping 24 years, Mills previously replaced Steve Wright in the Afternoon on Radio 2.
The 51-year-old stood in for Ball back in September 2024 after she took a few weeks off which looks to have proven a more than worthy trial shift as he now takes over the early morning slot full-time.
Speaking from the Radio 2 helm for the first time, Mills began by saying: “As a radio presenter and a radio fan all my life, I’m still finding it quite hard to process that this is happening, if I’m honest.
“If I think too much about the previous occupiers of this show it becomes mind-blowing to me for a kid who wanted to be on the radio, but wasn’t sure he had the self-confidence to be able to actually do it.”
This, of course, isn’t the first time a similar rail-related PR stunt like this has been carried out as Brighton train station famously changed its name to ‘Blyton’ last year as it welcomed back 14-year-old Paralympian, Bly Twomey, following her double bronze medal success.
Meanwhile, Trevor Nelson (who presented in the evenings from Monday to Thursday) will now replace Mills as the presenter of the 2-4pm weekday afternoon show from today onwards.
Not everyone has welcomed the change, however, as many listeners switched off within minutes of the latter’s first show after taking issue with his first song choice: ‘Rock DJ’ by Robbie Williams, who later came on the phone to congratulate him.
What do you make of the appointment – is Scott Mills a good fit and will you be listening?
Emily Sergeant -
23rd December 2022 
