Every town has a house that’s the talk of the community.
You know the type of house we’re referring to and you could very well be thinking of it right at this moment in time – we’re talking about a house that catches the eye, for whatever reason that may be.
Perhaps it appears oddly placed? Maybe it’s slightly out of the ordinary, or a bit eccentric? It could be that it simply doesn’t mirror the other ‘two up, two down’ terraces that line the vast majority of streets surrounding? It may have a garden so jaw-dropping that you have no choice but to stop and marvel at it? Maybe it’s one of those houses that goes ‘all out’ for Christmas time – your town’s very own version of a house that could’ve been featured in the 2006 festive flick Deck The Halls? You get the picture.
It’s a house that stands out from the rest.
There’s plenty of well-known local examples of houses that fit this description. By now, there’s not a person either side of the Pennines who hasn’t heard the story of Scott Hall Farm, more commonly and aptly known as ‘Motorway Farm’, or the house that’s sandwiched slap bang in the middle of the M62, and last month, we also discovered that the iconic cottage right next to Dukes 92, overlooking the canal and sitting in the shadows of Beetham Tower, was advertised to rent on AirBnB, which gave us a glimpse inside a property that had long been a talking point for Mancunians over the years. But, have you heard about the house in Bolton though?
Found near the traffic lights of a busy crossroads close to the town centre, this little corner house is a pretty big deal in the Greater Manchester borough, but not everyone outside of Bolton is aware of its existence to quite the same extent.
So, what is it that makes this house so well-known to Boltonians then?
Yes, the central location and the close proximity to traffic means plenty of eyes are on it daily, but that’s not why. It’s also not solely the fact that it goes ‘all out’ at Christmas time by completely covering the front of the house with an array of multi-coloured festive lights and a number of eclectic decorations each year either, although that’s certainly part of it.
It’s that the show isn’t exclusive to December – if you’re looking for a source of entertainment, you’ll find it at this Bolton semi all year round.
Google Maps
There’s been an ever-changing selection of quirky decorative features to the front garden of this property over the years that have made it near impossible not to stare at whilst driving past. We’re talking a traditional red telephone box, a (what we presume isn’t an in-use) postbox, a Police lamp post, toy trains, classic car parts, a blow-up Santa scaling the roof, and much, much more – even the elephant sculptures, which were removed from Bolton town centre a few years back, were rumoured to have made an appearance there too at one point.
Every time there’s a new addition to the garden, it’s sure to get people talking.
As it often does, this house became the talk of the town on local community Facebook group I Belong to Bolton over the weekend, after a picture showing the property in all its glory was posted by an ex-resident querying the story behind the ‘show’. The post amassed hundreds of interactions and comments from other residents, some equally sharing in the intrigue, others offering their two cents into the sights they’ve seen in the garden over the years and plenty praising the property owners for continuously helping to put smiles on the faces of those passing by.
One complimentary group member commented: “I love looking at this house. Always brings a smile to my face.”
Another added: “It does put a smile on my face whenever I drive past and always curious to see what new things they have.”
“As a newbie to Bolton, this house definitely caught my eye. Original, unique and quirky. Wouldn’t life be boring if we were all the same?” said another.
“Driving past this house always put a smile on mine and my kids faces. This person makes an effort to amuse people which he does. Credit to him. Well done.” another comment read.
We couldn’t have said it any better ourselves. It’s clear to see that this house is so well-loved by many and it certainly has good reason to be.
Yet another reason why “Greater Manchester’s greatness is keeping it great”.
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Pep Guardiola aims not-so-subtle dig at ‘destructive’ FIFA Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is the latest to voice his concerns surrounding the ongoing 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, delivering a not-so-subtle dig at the competition.
Ahead of Man City‘s round of 16 match against Al Hilal in this year’s Club World Cup, of which they won all their group stage games, the Catalan head coach has once again come out to criticise the increasingly congested fixture calendar.
His comments come after former Liverpool manager and now Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull, Jürgen Klopp, labelled the current off-season summer run of matches “the worst idea ever.”
Somewhat echoing his statement – or at the very least aligning with it (albeit indirectly) – Pep Guardiola gave his two cents also, claiming that the now extended, 32-team tournament could “destroy” his squad and their fortunes in the next campaign.
Clearly, Pep is far from the biggest of fan of the recently refreshed format, even despite having won the thing on four occasions in the past – the most recent being with Manchester City back in 2023.
Reflecting on what impact he fears the Club World Cup may have on his team next season, Guardiola said: “I try not to think about it, otherwise I will be so anxious. We will rest [for as much time as] the Premier League allows us to.
“And game by game, month by month, we will see. And maybe in November, December, January, ask me, Pep. I may say: ‘So listen, we are a disaster. We are exhausted. The World Cup destroyed us.’ I don’t know, but it’s the first time in our [lives] that that’s happened [a 32-team CWC]. So we will see…”
Unpredictable weather in the United States, where the action is being hosted, has also been the subject of outrage in some cases, with Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca stating, “It’s a joke! It’s not football”, after a major storm delay mid-game pushed meant that one of their games took five hours to finish.
The 54-year-old also insisted that those who were against the tweaked concept “fought a lot” here in England, in UEFA meetings and so on, as was the case with the revision of the new layout of the Champions League, but to no avail.
Jurgen Klopp: "NBA player earns a lot of money & has 4 months of rest per year. Van Dijk didn't even have that in his entire career. Tournaments such as the Club World Cup cannot take place at the expense of players" [Die Welt]
Regarding Klopp, who set this latest chain of criticism, he claims that whoever wins the 2025 Club World Cup is ultimately “pointless” and will be “the worst winner of all time because they’ll have played all summer and then gone straight back into the league.”
In his eyes, the decisions are being made by people who have “never been involved” with the pressure of day-to-day life in professional football and the physical toll of multiple competitions, in particular.
As for who might win the 2025 CWC, it could very well be Man City for a second time, as the Blues are the only team remaining that has a 100% win ratio this year, having most recently thrashed Juventus 5-2 in their last game.
Nevertheless, it seems that the stance of Klopp, Guardiola, Maresca and more is pretty plain: this particular tournament will go down in the record books for the wrong reasons, and they won’t be happy until the format is revisited.
Do you agree with Pep and co. on the Club World Cup controversy?
Featured Images — Man City (screenshot via YouTube)
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Burger King is giving away FREE vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are
Emily Sergeant
Reckon you could swap out meat for a vegan alternative?
Now we know there’ll be droves of meat-lovers who read that question with their noses turned up, immediately dismissing the possibility that it would ever be something they’d consider… but what if we told you it was free?
That’s right – Burger King has announced that for the next week or so, it’ll be delivering its delicious Vegan Royale burgers to meat-loving customers for free, all with the aim of giving them a chance to experience just how tasty and satisfying plant-based foods can be, and prove that they won’t miss out by giving it a go.
The Vegan Royale is Burger King’s take on its legendary Chicken Royale burger, and sees a crispy vegan patty – that’s meant to be an alternative to chicken – topped with iceberg lettuce, vegan mayo, and crowned with a toasted sesame seed bun.
Burger King is giving away free vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are / Credit: Burger King UK
The fast food chain‘s campaign is in partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher, and comes as shocking new research has revealed that more than 40% of meat eaters admit to having never tasted a plant-based burger.
On the other hand, that same research also found that the UK appears to eb embracing plant-based foods more than ever, as nearly 60% of the population say that are open to trying it.
67% of those who once thought plant-based food wasn’t for them say a great meat alternative burger was what changed their mind – so maybe this is what the Vegan Royale can be for you, if you’re willing to give it a chance.
So, to give hungry customers a taste of what the fuss is all about, Burger King will be offering anyone who orders on UberEats or Just Eat, with a minimum spend of £20, a Vegan Royale burger for free of charge along with the rest of their order.
The Manc -
6th July 2020 
