How many times have you heard the quote “Manchester’s got everything except a beach”? We’re going to guess it’s a fair few… and we’re just as bored of it as you are.
We’ll even bet Ian Brown regrets saying it, at this point.
While our region isn’t home to a stretch of glistening golden sands and open water like a lot of our neighbours, we do have plenty of other things to shout about and be proud of, from a world-renowned music scene, and record-breaking sports teams, to the first-ever computer, the splitting of the atom, votes for women, and Vimto – yes Vimto.
But if a beach is what we’re after, then luckily, we don’t have to travel that far to find one – in fact, one of the UK’s best is only around an hour away.
As it does every year, The Sunday Times has rounded-up list of the best beaches in the UK for 2023, with 50 in total from every region and all four corners of the country making the cut, and just over an hour’s drive from Greater Manchester is Formby Beach.
Formby has been named as one of the UK’s 50 best beaches for 2023 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Known and loved for its miles of pristine sand and dunes, pine forest, and, of course, red squirrels, the Merseyside beach is an absolute North West gem.
So it’s no wonder The Sunday Times has singled it out as being one of the UK’s best.
The publication has recommended Formby – which is looked after by the National Trust – for being “accessible”, “dog-friendly”, and for having “excellent” water quality, but local writer Andrew Morris then goes on to admit that that “doesn’t quite prepare you for the scale of Formby beach”.
In a bid to sum up what makes Formby Beach so special, The Sunday Times writes: “500 acres of hilly dunes, backed by woodlands of Corsican, Austrian and Scots pine that are home not only to red squirrels but also crossbills.
“And then the great sand sea of the beach, where bands of petrified mud bear the footprints of prehistoric beachgoers both animal and human.
The 15th edition of The Times and Sunday Times Best UK Beaches is here!
“The red brick remains of the nation’s first lifeboat station are here too.
“The work of the former pirate turned Liverpool dock master William Hutchinson, it was built in the 1770s and crewed by volunteers who shared a guinea for each life saved off the shifting sands at the mouth of the Mersey.”
To give it two words, The Sunday Times called Formby a “wild and fascinating” beach – and we couldn’t agree more.
Featured Image – National Trust
Travel & Tourism
All military personnel can travel for FREE on Manchester’s public transport this weekend
Emily Sergeant
All military personnel will be allowed to travel for free across Greater Manchester’s public transport system this weekend.
In case you hadn’t heard, this Saturday 28 June is Armed Forces Day.
Armed Forces Day sees Brits celebrate those who are currently serving troops, their families, serving reservists, veterans, and cadets, and Manchester will also be paying tribute to the hundreds who have ‘fearlessly served’ with day of commemorations in the city centre on Saturday.
Mancunians are expected to line the streets as a parade made up of armed forces personnel, veterans, and cadets will begin a procession that will proudly march through the centre of Manchester, starting in St Peter’s Square at 11:30am.
Manchester will be marking Armed Forces Day 2025 this weekend with a 'poignant' military parade through the city centre. 🎖🥁
You can also expect an afternoon of live performances by the lively Lancashire Army Artillery Band, alongside music hosted by BBC Radio DJ, Michelle Dignan, up until 4pm.
Historic military displays, and stalls from organisations including the NHS, Royal British Legion, and Manchester City Council’s own Armed Forces Covenant, will also be in attendance, as well giving visitors the chance to explore an engaging display of military vehicles, uniforms, artefacts, and personal stories that span the rich legacy of the British armed forces inside a pop-up Military Museum tent.
This year’s Armed Forces Day is also particularly-special because it marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day) which happened on 8 May, and the upcoming Victory over Japan (VJ Day) on 15 August.
All military personnel can travel for free on Manchester’s public transport this weekend / Credit: GMP | Bee Network
And so, in order to honour what an important weekend it is for hundreds in our region, the Bee Network has announced that all military personnel will be allowed to travel for free.
Free travel will be permitted on all Bee Network bus and tram services on both Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June for any members of the Regular and Reserve Services carrying their MOD90 card, veterans who carry their Veterans’ badge or Veterans’ rail card, and cadets travelling in uniform.
To mark Armed Forces Day, we're offering free travel this weekend (28-29 June) for military personnel and veterans across bus and tram services in Greater Manchester.
“The Armed Forces community makes an invaluable contribution to our society, and we’re showing our appreciation with free travel on Bee Network buses and trams across Greater Manchester this weekend,” commented Danny Vaughan, who is the Chief Network Officer at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
The free travel is part of TfGM’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant – a promise from the nation that those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly.
“It’s a special weekend and one we’re proud to get behind,” Danny concluded.
Featured Image – Janus Boye
Travel & Tourism
The Peak District barn conversion that rivals even the fanciest of hotel suites
Daisy Jackson
There’s a barn conversion in the Peak District that has struck an almost-impossible balance between true rural countryside setting, and absolute luxury.
While most countryside staycations involve a degree of ruggedness – whether it’s shovelling sawdust into a toilet or having to wrestle a log burner to get some heat in the room – Stanage Barn has nothing of the sort.
This luxury converted barn is so remote you’re taken there by your hosts in an off-road buggy, but is fitted with absolutely every modern comfort you could dream of.
A spa-worthy bathroom, modern interiors, ultra-fast WiFi, a wine fridge, recliner chairs, and a premium bed all match with its incredible rural countryside location for a truly world-class staycation.
They’ve even pampered your four-legged friends with this conversion, factoring in a utility room with a dog wash sink in it.
The family who run this spot shunned any quaint barn conversion template and instead drew on Scandi architecture and modern touches to deliver such luxury.
There are the angular tables and worktops, the wooden-clad walls, the indoor-outdoor element from huge picture windows and sliding doors. It really is an architectural marvel.
Even the walk between the bedroom and the bathroom will take your breath away, with a floating walkway separating the two.
Inside Stanage Barn in the Peak District
There’s a kitchen fitted with – genuinely – everything you could need. Anyone ever stayed in a place where they give you Tupperware and a salad spinner?
And if you don’t want to spend a minute inside with such beautiful surroundings, there’s an outdoor BBQ too.
With such comfortable accommodation it’s easy to forget that you are actually in proper Peak District countryside. Until you look out the window and a sheep’s looking back at you, that is.
Stanage Barn is right near Stanage Edge, one of the Peak’s most famous landmarks, and is walking distance from the village of Hathersage and its lido, country pubs and pretty cobbled streets.
Fair warning though – the walk back is beautiful, crossing streams and fields full of sheep, but that last stretch to the barn itself is steep. Nothing a chilled glass of wine in your private, enclosed courtyard as the sun sets can’t fix though.
If you’re on the hunt for a countryside escape but really aren’t here for the yurt life, Stanage Barn is, hands-down, the best Peak District spot for you.
Emily Sergeant -
1st September 2023 
