The people of Manchester have spoken and they’ve crowned legendary Bolton-born stand up comic and actor Peter Kay as their favourite ever UK comedian.
Taking the top spot in Manchester’s heart but undoubtedly loved by millions right across the country thanks to his classic observational humour, quick-wit, quotable one-liners, and uncanny character representation in some of the most beloved TV shows and films of the last two decades, Peter Kay is treasure worth celebrating and a seriously worthy winner.
Do you agree with this? Who would be your top pick?
Peter Kay’s new title as Mancunian’s favourite comedian was unveiled as part of a survey commissioned to celebrate the iconic Comic Relief Red Nose Day, which takes place this year on Friday 19th March and is aiming to bring “joy and humour to homes”, all whilst raising money to help people who are “struggling now more than ever”.
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The survey also found that Mancs apparently get “a buzz off our hometown’s sense of humour” as 24% of us stated that jokes relating to Greater Manchester made us laugh the most.
When it comes to other types of comedy, almost a third (29%) of Mancunians enjoy one-liner humour the most, whilst a fifth (20%) revealed that they enjoyed observational humour the most – both of which are well-known features of Peter Kay’s stand-up routines.
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Channel 4 / BBC
And if there’s one thing that seems to unite the entire country, it’s sarcasm.
Perhaps it isn’t the lowest form of wit after all, as over a quarter (26%) of Brits said it was the type of humour they enjoyed the most.
That’s not all either, as the survey also unveiled the regions of the UK where Brits think the funniest people are most likely to come from.
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Unsurprisingly to us, of course, the North West has taken the top spot – was there ever any doubt?
Perhaps not the greatest outcome for Mancunians to hear as a follow-up to that brilliant regional achievement though is that Liverpool – the birthplace of John Bishop, Ken Dodd and Kenny Everett – came out as city with the best sense of humour and ‘the comedy capital of the country’, thanks to the poll of 2,000 adults.
With just over two weeks to go, Comic Relief is calling on Mancunians to support Red Nose Day, as the annual fundraiser will this year help to tackle issues including homelessness, hunger, domestic abuse, and mental health problems, all of which have been exacerbated by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in the UK and around the world.
Speaking ahead of the big day, Sir Lenny Henry – co-founder of Comic Relief – said: “This year, Red Nose Day will be a bit different.
“We all need cheering up, and of course we want to raise as much money as possible for people who really need it in the UK and around the world, but we also want to make you smile and bring you some laughter over the coming weeks”.
You can get involved with this year’s Red Nose Day via the Comic Relief website here.
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The Chestergate pub in Stockport is at it again with some of the most wonderfully Manc scenes you’ll ever see
Danny Jones
The legendary Chestergate pub in Stockport is back with another belter of a video, following on from their viral belly-flashing clip of 2022.
The Mersey Square boozer has painted yet another quintessentially Northern depiction of UK pub culture with the latest Manc scenes they’ve captured around the karaoke machine.
If you’ve never had the pleasure of stumbling into The Chestergate in Stockport town centre, the long-standing boozer currently operated by publican chain Blind Tiger Inns, you’re seriously missing out.
While it might not be the flashiest of pubs, when it comes to entertainment, it always delivers.
Whether it’s stunts like renaming themselves ‘The Southgate’ whenever the Euros or World Cup rolls around, or the locals just genuinely having a whale of a time no matter what day of the week it is, it really sums up the best of pub culture.
The Chestergate went viral for some of the most British footage ever caught on film back in 2022 and the videos saw a huge wave of love and support flooding in for the pub, as well as a healthy amount of chuckles. Safe to say we were chuffed to see them pop back up on our feed again recently.
Karaoke night at The Chestergate literally never disappoints.
Forget ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ or ‘Champagne Supernova’ for karaoke songs – we’ll take a cacophony of inaudible throwback pop music, whilst another bloke and his hype man try and MC over a totally ill-fitting beat any day of the week.
And that’s handy because you’ll find those kinds of shenanigans happening at this place all the time.
It’s simultaneously one of the most no-nonsense and somehow a non-stop shenanigan-filled paradise. They also look after their own and consider their regulars part of the family. Case and point: they threw their very own ‘Dancing Queen’ Molly a big bash for her 86th birthday and it’s such wholesome viewing.
At this point, it’s worth flagging that we have nothing but envy for these folks and anyone who’s just out there having the time of their lives on any random weeknight.
Yes, it produced plenty of laughs for those watching online in recent times but this lot won’t mind one bit – not only is the pub seeing more and more new faces through the door but that’s the whole point of a pub, isn’t it? Going for a pint with your nearest and dearest and having a laugh.
Not only is it very Manchester but it’s Britain at its very best.
We hope to see you at The Chestergate pub in Stockport for a pint or two sometime soon and we’re making a bit of a prat of ourselves, don’t worry, we’re sure they’ll have the cameras ready for you.
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style
Emily Sergeant
A warning has been issued to tailgaters and motorway middle lane hoggers urging them to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style.
Do you find yourself guilty of two of the biggest driving sins from time to time?
Well, according to the latest figures released by National Highways, one in three motorists have admitted to middle lane hogging in their lives, while one in four have committed acts of tailgating on some of the UK’s fastest roads.
These shocking survey findings – which were released back in early March as the Government-owned road management company launched a new campaign – showed that lane hogging was among the behaviours that are most likely to cause motorists and passengers to feel ‘frustrated’, and tailgating was most likely to cause feelings of unease, stress, and anxiety.
Nearly a third (32%) of drivers admitted to lane hogging ‘at least occasionally’ while driving on England’s motorways and major A roads, according to the survey – which polled 2,500 adults between the ages of 16-75.
On top of this, almost seven in ten adults in England (67%) said close following or tailgating is a ‘serious problem’ on these types of roads, but nearly a quarter (23%) admitted to doing it from time to time.
Tut-tut.
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers have been warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style (Credit: IPTC/Ronald Hudson)
It’s these very statistics which have led National Highways to issue an urgent warning that calls on these motorists to “carefully consider” their driving habits, as “little changes can change everything”.
Lane hogging and tailgating both fall under the offence of ‘careless driving’ in England, with the country’s police forces having the power to hand out on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points to those who commit such offences.
“Middle lane hogging and tailgating are far more than mere annoyances for drivers,” warned RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, adding that these actions “put everyone on the roads at risk.”
If you’re too close to the vehicle in front, you’re tailgating. This is very dangerous and could lead to a collision. Always leave at least a two-second gap and make sure you follow the advice from The Highway Code.
He continued in his reaction to the release of the latest National Highways figures: “Closely following another motorist could easily result in a serious collision should the driver ahead need to brake sharply for any reason, so the fact nearly one in four drivers admitted to doing so on some of England’s fastest and busiest roads is frightening”.
Mr Dennis said he understands that offenders “might find these habits hard to kick”, but that’s why the urgent calls for motorists to make changes are “so important”.
“By understanding that how we choose to drive affects others, we can each make a real difference to the safety of our roads,” he concluded.
Emily Sergeant -
4th March 2021 
