We’re no stranger to a travel show on our TV screens here in the UK.
From watching some of the nation’s favourite famous such as Billy Connolly, Michael Palin, and Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan trek the globe in various shows over the years, to the popular tv shows of the moment like Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father, Richard Ayoade’s Travel Man, and of course the cult-phenomenon that is An Idiot Abroad, we’ve got some real stand-outs to tuck into.
But have you ever come across or found yourself watching a travel show from another country?
Even better, a travel show from another country visiting our city?
Well that’s exactly the position that Reddit user Strubo found themselves in when they uncovered a Manchester episode of a popular Russian-speaking Ukrainian TV travel show on YouTube called Oryol i Reshka (Орел і Решка), or as we would say, ‘Heads and Tails’.
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The concept of the show is a little more complex than just taking in the sights and sounds of a new city.
As well as doing a pretty good job of showcasing our brilliant city and everything it has to offer, ‘Heads and Tails’ – which first aired back in 2014 and has been a hit with Russian-speaking audiences ever since – actually has an interesting budget element to it too.
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Орел і Решка
It sees the show’s two hosts toss a coin which determines who gets to receive a credit card with unlimited credit – called the ‘Golden Card’ – while the other has to spend the weekend with just £77 ($100 USD) including all expenses.
The show also then hides a bottle with another £77 ($100) in each visited location for travellers to find.
The Manchester episode of the show – which amazingly has clocked over three million views on YouTube alone – has everything you’d expect to see a travel show feature in the city, from football and food delicacies, to shopping, nature and more, as well as some spectacular aerial shots of the surroundings too, but with the budget restrictions also playing a key role, this means that some hidden gems are highlighted also.
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And as you can imagine, when you get to view Manchester from the eyes of someone who hasn’t ever been before, it’s actually a really intriguing watch.
A couple of Reddit users who commented on Strubo’s original post in r/Manchester said that they found the show a great watch from a Mancunian’s perspective and others with Russian-speaking relatives also emphasised that it is a really popular show in other countries, so who knows just how many people from across the world have seen what our city has to offer.
If you’ve got an hour to kill and don’t mind reading subtitles, then you can watch the Manchester episode of ‘Heads and Tails’ on YouTube here:
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Sir Ian McKellen pays emotional tribute to long-time friend and fellow northern actor Sir Patrick Stewart
Emily Sergeant
Sir Ian McKellen has paid an emotional tribute to his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, following his death.
Sir Patrick Stewart – who was born and bred in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and is best-known for his theatre work alongside an illustrious 60-year screen career, taking on prominent roles in franchises such as Star Trek and X-Men – sadly passed away at the age of 86, with his death being announced publicly yesterday evening (29 October).
And now, his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Ian McKellen, has paid tribute.
Sir Patrick and Sir Ian shared the stage together countless times over their decades-long careers, but also famously starred alongside each other in the X-Men franchise, and subsequent Marvel movies, as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Magneto.
The tribute, shared across Sir Ian’s social media platforms, reads: “Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.
“We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions.
“My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in ‘Star Trek’. “But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
“Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did, for not just his devoted Trekkies, but film and theatre audiences who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (‘X-Men’ of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin.
“But he never forsook his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.”
Sir Patrick Stewart’s farewell performance will be in Avengers: Doomsday, which is being released in UK cinemas on 18 December 2026
Featured Image – Gage Skidmore (via Flickr)
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Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets this Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks season.
Bonfire Night may be loved by us humans for the spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that come along with it… but sadly, the November holiday isn’t quite so fun for our four-legged friends.
Loud bangs, flashing lights, and unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives are just some of the reasons why fireworks are frightening to pets.
Not only that, but with multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays across this time of year, pets are rarely able to pinpoint when and where the booming explosions are coming from, therefore creating even more anxiety around this time of year.
Classic FM will play calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks / Credit: DESIGNECOLOGIST (via Unsplash)
Which is why, for the ninth year running now, Classic FM is once again teaming up with the RSPCA for two Pet Classics programmes packed with ‘the most soothing and comforting classical music’.
The music has been handpicked to help calm and settle any anxious pets.
A survey by the RSPCA revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of animal owners reported their pet was distressed during fireworks season, and that playing relaxing music was the most common way (36%) to help calm or prepare their animal.
Presenters Dan Walker, Aled Jones, and Dawn O’Porter will each host a night of the specially created programme to help keep the nation’s pets calm through the whizzes and bangs.
Dan will present the first programme on Bonfire Night itself (Thursday 5 November), and then as celebrations continue throughout the weekend, Aled will be on hand to bring some peace to Friday 6 November, and Dawn picks up the baton on Saturday 7 November.
Emily Sergeant -
15th October 2020 
