M&S has brought its popular Valentine’s Day dining deal for two back for 2022, and there’s lots of new treats on the menu.
With the international day of love only a couple of weeks away, there’s a lot for lovers to look forward to, and the range of themed meal deals by various supermarket retailers is certainly up there, especially for the foodies who like to treat themselves and tuck into a delicious feast, but still keep things on a more affordable budget.
M&S is known as being one of the original founders of the “dine in for £10” craze, so it’s no surprise that the retailer has brought back its popular Valentine’s Day offer for another year.
This year, savvy shoppers can bag themselves a starter, main, side, dessert, and a bottle of drink or box of chocolates all for just £20 – which works out at £10 a head, and cheaper than your average restaurant meal.
That’s not all either, as customers can save up to £16.50 when buying the items all together too.
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There are over 30 products that are included in the offer this year, and customers can create over 200 different menu combinations too.
M&S has brought its popular Valentine’s Day dining deal for two back for 2022 / Credit: M&S
Some of the options on the menu include Leek & Cheese Soufflé Tarts, and an Oak Fired Melting Camembert to start, as well as a creamy chicken ‘Pie Love You’, or Sirloin Steaks with Heart Shaped butter for the main, before tucking into ‘I’m Bananas for You’ banana sponge with a caramel blonde chocolate mousse and salted caramel sauce, or perhaps the indulgent Billionaires pots.
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Sides include sweet potato fries, buttery mashed potato, and mac and cheese, while some of the drink choices range from the Echo Leyda sauvignon blanc, to the Norton malbec.
For those following a plant-based diet, you can get the Plant Kitchen Vegan Duck Croquettes, two Plant Kitchen Smokey Saffron Aubergine Steaks, Plant Kitchen Sweet Potato Fries, Plant Kitchen Love Heart Churros, and a bottle of Conte Priuli Prosecco
M&S’s Valentine’s Day dining deal for two is available to buy online and in-store from Monday 9 February.
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This means you don’t have much longer to wait to take these tasty treats home, but it’s worth noting that the offer does actually end on Valentine’s Day itself, so you’ll want to make sure you’re prepared if you’re keen to make the most of the offer.
A brand new shop dedicated entirely to Funko Pops has opened up in Stockport
Danny Jones
Great news for the figurine enthusiasts amongst you as a brand new shop dedicated almost entirely to the world of Funko Pops has just opened up in Stockport town centre.
Be it little toys, vintage coins or something as simple as an eye-catching beer mat or cool glass from a local pub, we all like to collect little bits and bobs here and there, but for lovers of Funko Pops, it’s serious business.
Probably up there with one of the most popular categories of collector’s items in the world of hobbyists, Funko Pops have been huge for over a decade now and even if you don’t recognise the name right away, you’ll almost certainly have spotted them in the likes of HMV, WHSmiths, supermarkets and more.
Now though, for fans of the small plastic statues, you no longer have to only head into the city centre and the likes of Forbidden Planet, Travelling Man or Be More Geek to get a glimpse at the wider collection of Funko Pops available here in the UK as a new store has just opened up in 0161.
Online merchandise retailer Titan Pops UK has been around since 2021, specialising in selling officially licensed Funko Pops, plushies of your favourite TV, film and gaming characters, Pokémon cards and a plethora of other stuff.
After a few years of building up a regular and dedicated customer base and popping up (see what we did there?) at the local market, the brand has now unveiled its flagship brick-and-mortar shop, putting down roots at Graylaw House on Chestergate over in Stockport – no, not the pub…
Situated as one of only a small handful of dedicated Funko Pop shops in Greater Manchester, local fans will be able to get their hands on popular ranges Star Wars, Marvel, Disney and Pokémon, just to name a few. Trust us, they’ve got plenty.
Opening for business at the end of March, Titan Pops SK not only boasts some rarer Funko Pop collectables that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else in the ten boroughs but plenty of other merchandise too.
Popular among kids and adult collectors alike, Funko Pops are a much-loved pastime for many and now Stockport locals can get involved.
From t-shirts, Loungefly rucksacks, Tubbz figurines too and a wide variety of other officially licensed merchandise – we’re even talking things like Iron Man soda (cans of fizzy pop to us Northerners) – you’ll find plenty of pop culture goodies to be enjoyed here.
Starting off by opening from 9am-5pm on Saturdays and 10am-4pm on Sunday, as well as late-night shift on Wednesdays from (4:30 until 7pm), they’re the new go-to destination for you Funko Pops fanatics when the smaller selections here in the likes of the city centre have been exhausted.
They’re even selling off mystery boxes of mixed items for an added bit of fun and excitement.
We always love it when a new opening caters to a niche that people are passionate about and they’re also a local family-run business, so even better. That being said, if you’re into your Funko Pops, now you know where to go find a shedload of them.
Rishi Sunak has apologised for ruining Adidas Sambas for the entire nation
Danny Jones
In yet another sentence we never thought we’d write, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has apologised for wearing Adidas Sambas in a recent interview, after which plenty of owners promptly put them in the cupboard never to be worn again.
We shouldn’t be this petty but we can never look at the classic Adidas trainer the same ever again.
Now, we’re not particularly political here at The Manc but we don’t think it needs too much as to why seeing your nation’s leader (and a pretty unpopular one at that) wearing the same shoes as you doesn’t exactly make you feel like a style icon.
Sunak was snapped wearing the trainers along with his usual suit shirt and trousers (already a bad start) in a recent interview at Downing Street, which led to a flood of deeply frustrated and undeniably funny memes in its wake.
While we’ve definitely enjoyed it as a social media moment, we are truly saddened that one wear from Rishi Sunak and it seems the appeal of Sambas, shoes which GQ labelled an “eternally cool sneaker”, is now in the toilet all for what they called a “bid to present himself as young and hip”.
However, after his PR team clearly let him on to the social media uproar, the Prime Minister has since spoken out with a stereotypical politician response you could imagine.
Addressing the situation on an LBC radio show this week, the 43-year-old said: “I issue a fulsome apology to the Samba community. But, in my defence, I would say I have been wearing Adidas trainers including Sambas – and others, in fact – for many, many years.
“The first pair my brother got for me many, many years ago – my first pair of fun Adidas trainers as a Christmas present. I haven’t looked back since. So I’ve been a longtime devotee.” Spoken like a man who has never worn or maybe even seen a pair of these in his life.
It still hasn’t done him much good though as all seems to be too little too late for the iconic pair of kicks as even the reactions to his obviously somewhat tongue-in-cheek apology have been ones of fury, disappointment and everything in between.
The Guardian recognised this common pair of white, suede and gum Adidas Sambas as “this year’s coolest shoes – until Rishi Sunak got a pair”, while another remarked: “Seeing Rishi in Adidas Sambas has killed any last desire to buy them”.
Even those who were never big fans of the shoe that has often been accused of being part of the ‘hipster uniform’ over the year or so have now been left torn as to how it may have been killed off. We’re lovers of the brand and the style around the world will try and keep it alive but for the UK, it might be curtains.
Fashion trends come and go, that’s the nature of the beast, but no trainer as classic as this should have to go out in such a cruel way. We might be laughing on the outside but believe us, we’re crying on the inside. Hope you’re happy with yourself, Rishi.
In all seriousness, please just go back to the usual sh*t-flickers – it’s somehow less unsettling than you in a pair of Sambas.
Emily Sergeant -
3rd February 2022 
