A major road that connects Greater Manchester to South Yorkshire has been dubbed ‘the worst road in Britain’ in a TikTok which has since gone viral.
Professional tribute act Emma Wallbank (@miwallbank on TikTok) shared her recent experience of crossing Woodhead Pass while travelling to a gig last week, explaining the series of events which led to her losing out on ‘a night’s work’.
As she explains in the nearly three-minute-long rant, Emma was on the way to a gig in North Wales from Yorkshire when, unfortunately, she realised she had to cross Woodhead Pass – a.k.a. ‘where dreams go to die’ – in order to make it to her destination.
Already a lengthy route, poor timing also played a part as she just so happened to arrive when the road was undergoing a series of unannounced roadworks following a crash on Tuesday evening.
After Google Maps had already added a further two hours onto her journey, she came across a workman that informed her she’d be better turning back around than waiting for the hold-up to clear. The worst.
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While she admitted that she’d rather do a number of unpleasant albeit hilarious things involving large animals than cross the pass, it’s not ideal when its basically your only route to get where you’re going.
Worse still, part of the Woodhead Pass’ notoriety is the lack of phone reception and Emma had to mooch for 40 minutes before she could get any kind of signal to use her maps or even contact the event to let them know she wasn’t going to make it.
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As she puts it, the road is in ‘the middle of nowhere’ and your only chance of contacting another soul would be ‘by carrier pigeon’.
Despite being a bit of a favourite for truckers across the country, it would seem the road designated A628 is infamous among plenty of other drivers. One person noted how it regularly closes due to flooding and roadworks, another said ‘it simply shouldn’t be a road’.
One person wrote, “I once left work 3 hours early by the time I got through congestion and traffic started moving… it was my normal finish time…”, while another said they had waited more than six hours before completing the 61.48 km stretch.
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Our favourite comment and perhaps the best way to sum up most people’s experience of Woodhead Pass was the person who said: ‘l think Sam and Frodo would turn around if they had to go through Woodhead Pass’. Petition to rename it ‘Woodhead you shall not Pass?’
While it isn’t on the top ten most dangerous or most problematic routes in the UK, it would seem plenty of people can empathise with her.
What do you reckon, is she right? Or is there somewhere else you think should be considered the worst road in Britain?
A popular Manc streetwear brand is hosting a big festival to mark their fifth birthday
Danny Jones
Popular Manchester streetwear and footwear brand, CLINTS Inc., is hosting its first-ever festival to mark five whole years in fashion – and it’s going to be big.
The highly sought-after clothing and sneaker make started out from a bedroom in Moston and is now a premium label in British urban, skating, UK grime and hip-hop culture, having been worn by many famous names and welcoming even more through the door of their Deansgate shop.
Located in the ABC Buildings on Quay Street next to Spinningfields, the flagship CLINTS store opened back in 2022 and is much more than a place to buy some new drip: it’s a place that showcases art, music, and a whole sub-sect of shopping beyond just skate silhouettes and trendy trainers.
As hack as it might sound to some, wearing this brand comes along with immersing yourself in the wider style and scene; the very same scene being celebrated in tandem with their fifth birthday.
Not to tease you more than the company already has, but as you can see, details are scarce.
There is no lineup or even location for this festival… only a date.
CLINTS Fest (the inaugural one, at that) will take place on Saturday, 6 September – presumably at or around the 21-23 Quay Street site, but who knows?
Fans of the brand can sign up for the mailing list for the latest details, and pre-sale tickets are also available now, with a couple of clicks on the website revealing that the event is set to start at 12 noon and wrap up around 10:30pm.
If you’re interested, you can register your interest HERE.
Credit: The Manc Group
While you can expect the festival to be packed to the rafters with die-hard followers of all things CLINTS and streetwear, they’re not the only local indie holding a special one-off this month.
In fact, this weekend, a fellow trainer specialist who is still just starting out life in the fashion game but is already making waves reminiscent of their contemporaries.
Here’s hoping this is just the beginning of the journey and they’re the next Manc brand to become a national success story.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/CLINTS Inc (via Instagram)
Manchester
This Manchester bar serves a bottomless cheese fondue with endless beer and wine
Georgina Pellant
There’s a bar in Manchester serving a bottomless cheese fondue with endless wine and beer, and it honestly sounds like the perfect treat.
While it might scream cosy winter night in, with a huge outdoor terrace, The Mews is also a firm favourite during the summer months.
Add in a board of melt-in-the-mouth charcuterie, springy pieces of garlic sourdough and a host of crunchy cheese biscuits, and you’ve got yourself the ideal afternoon if you ask us.
But there’s more. Alongside all that cheese and meat and bread, included in the price of The Mews’ bottomless fondue, cheese lovers can also enjoy 90 minutes of non-stop drinks.
Bottomless cheese fondue at The Mews on Deansgate in Manchester. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
Costing £37.50 each, included in the deal is a huge pot of melted Italian Fontina cheese served with homemade garlic croutons, sourdough crackers, and slices of British charcuterie.
You’ll also get to enjoy an hour and a half of endless pints of house pilsner and carafes of red or white wine to enjoy alongside.
Serving up to six people, the bottomless cheese fondue is available only when you pre-book, so make sure to get in touch ahead of your visit to let The Mews know that you’re coming.
If you’re not on the sauce, you can opt for the cheese fondue alone. Without the booze, it’s quite a bit cheaper at £25 for one, and £2.50 on top for any additional people who want to get stuck in.
Housed up on Deansgate Mews, just behind the main hustle and bustle of Deansgate, there’s plenty of space inside as well as a large, secluded terrace that is quite the suntrap (when the Manchester sun is shining).
Danny Jones -
20th September 2022 
