Ashridge House has announced it will be offering a bespoke dining festive experience and magical illuminated woodland walk in the heart of Hertfordshire next month.
After what has been a relentless year for many due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, this newly-announced event – The Enchanted Garden Globes – will be the perfect festive antidote to round-up a turbulent 2020, and will give you the chance to escape reality for an evening.
Now I know what you’re thinking… “Hertfordshire is f****** three away!”
We hear you. But if things go to plan, this could be the perfect post-lockdown weekend getaway right slap bang in the middle of the Christmas period that we didn’t even think we’d get.
And for the first time ever, the private gardens of this magnificent former palace will be transformed into a magical festive dining experience to “surprise and delight the senses”.
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The Enchanted Garden Globes have been specifically created to accommodate the ‘rule of six’.
The globes have been built bespoke for extraordinary views across the park at Ashridge House and will be heated and dressed for a truly unique festive experience.
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As part of the experience, guests will also be invited into the winter mist to enjoy a bespoke illuminated woodland walk with beautiful light installations, secret hideaways, tunnels of falling stars, hot toddies, glittering grottos and surprise encounters along the way.
Ashridge House Presents: The Enchanted Garden Globes, a festive private dining experience Opening a little later than planned, we are delighted to announce our Enchanted Garden Globes and illuminated woodland walk are now available from 3rd December! https://t.co/JJ0am0iJ3Upic.twitter.com/8mNL5hAwpS
From the magnificent vaulted entrance of twinkling Christmas trees, to the spectacular Harry Potter staircase and the spellbinding yuletide outdoor wonderland, The Enchanted Garden Globes is described as a “magical dining experience like no other”.
What makes Ashridge House the perfect place for a festive staycation getaway then?
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Once a royal residence to King Henry VIII and home to his daughter – Princess Elizabeth I – Ashridge House is a hidden gem in leafy Hertfordshire, only 30 miles from London and surrounded by 190 acres of “quintessentially English gardens”.
With grand, turreted façades and historic grounds, Ashridge House is a truly enchanting festive backdrop.
The Enchanted Garden Globes at Ashridge House
After a challenging 2020, the The Enchanted Garden Globes – which are taking place at a range of dates between 3rd – 31st December and with new dates in January 2021 set to be announced – will offer guests the perfect woodland escape and bring some much-needed Christmas magic to the year.
There are two bespoke dining packages to choose from:
The Lunch Experience
12pm – 4pm
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£90per person – Private Dome (x6 guests per globe)
Arrival glass of fizz.
Spiced mulled wine.
Four-course festive feast dining experience, paired with glass of wine.
Tea & coffee post lunch.
Private dining Garden Globe accommodating up to six guests for four hours (with private sound system, heating and cosy lighting).
Full access to the Enchanted Woodland Walk and Ashridge Gardens.
Festive entertainment and fun.
The Enchanted Garden Globes at Ashridge House
The Dinner Experience
6pm – 10pm
£155 per person – Private Dome (x6 guests per globe)
Arrival glass of fizz.
Spiced mulled wine.
Five-course festive feast dining experience, paired with half a bottle of wine.
Tea & coffee post dinner.
Private dining Garden Globe accommodating up to six guests for four hours (with private sound system, heating and cosy lighting).
Full access to the Enchanted Woodland Walk and Ashridge Gardens – illuminated light trail.
Festive entertainment and fun, including ‘Santa’s Secret Grotto’.
You can book your tickets to The Enchanted Garden Globes and find more information – including menus and the property’s COVID-19 response – via the Ashridge House website here.
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A tribute festival in memory of Mani from The Stone have been announced
Danny Jones
After plenty of talk and rumours ever since his passing, a tribute festival in memory of Gary ‘Mani’ Mounfield will honour the late great Stone Roses and Primal Scream bass player later this year.
Despite various organisations and regional residents having observed their own memorial services following his death on 20 November 2025, the city and Greater Manchester as a whole made it clear that they wanted to carry out a more dedicated form of remembrance.
And we couldn’t agree more.
Deciding to remember him in the past best way possible – by celebrating one of his greatest loves and legacies: music – ‘Manichester’ festival will be held this spring.
Hosted in partnership with Madchester.com and simply dubbed as “a tribute to a true Manc legend”, names both new, old and current will be joining the inaugural Manichester lineup.
Organised by the website and iconic Manchester streetwear brand GIOGOI, not to mention being “blessed by Mani’s family” directly, artists playing will range from those who were lucky enough to have played with him or, like us all, were simply left inspired by his unforgettable basslines.
As well as a ‘AAA headliner’ still yet to be confirmed, there are some serious legendary names on here, both local and beyond; at the minute, the roster of acts is looking like this:
Manichester 2026 lineup
Cast
Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order)
The Kowloons
A “specially assembled core band” featuring Aziz Ibrahim (The Stone Roses), Rowetta, Simone Butler (formerly Primal Scream) and Mick Rossi (Slaughter and The Dogs)
Dave McCabe (The Zutons)
Baz Fratelli (The Fratellis)
Zak Starkey (Mantra of the Cosmos)
Steve White (ex-Oasis drummer)
Jon McClure (Reverend and the Makers)
However, as they have teased in the announcement, “that’s just the start”, and with more names incoming, many are already trying to guess who the headliner could be. Some have even suggested Ian Brown himself might get up on the stage…
As per an official statement, key artwork for the event comes from the one and only and equally influential Stone Roses guitarist, John Squire, whose new designs will feature on flyers, limited-edition physical tickets and other promotional materials.
Manichester will take place on Saturday May 30, doors open 2pm.
Most importantly, all the proceeds from the special one-off in memoriam show will go towards Mani’s and Imelda’s twin boys, Gene and George – and who knows? This could be the start of a brand-new annual festival spawned in the name of a very special Mancunian.
GIOGOI added: “Manchester is the best city in the world, and we do things differently here. This is Manchester showing up. This is Madchester showing love. This is ‘Manichester’.“
Taking place on Saturday, 30 May and held at Diecast on Ducie Street in Manchester city centre from 2pm, it’s sure to be a momentous ocassions with thoughts of Mani and his family looming large in everyone’s minds.
The Premier League is keeping its crucial cap on away game ticket prices – for now
Danny Jones
The Premier League has announced it is extending its crucial price cap for away games, as the general cost of match tickets continues to creep up all over the country.
Most season card holders, be they here in Greater Manchester or elsewhere, are likely looking at their annual spending going up simply, so steps like these are key in keeping first division football as affordable as possible.
And that’s just the ongoing cost of living, let alone the clubs that are continuing the trend of charging more each year and, unfortunately, even pricing some supporters out entirely.
With that in mind, the news of England’s top-flight sides voting unanimously to keep the £30 cap intact for at least another two years comes as relief to those who spend most of the year putting their hard-earned cash towards following their team home and away.
BREAKING: The Premier League extend £30 cap on away tickets for another two seasons 🚨 pic.twitter.com/L336aZwmn3
Now confirmed to remain in place until the end of the 2027/28 campaign, travelling fans obviously still spend plenty of money on transport and so on every year, but at least they don’t have to worry about rising general admissions.
At least not for the time being…
Writing in a statement, the Premier League said: “Away fans help create the incredible atmosphere Premier League matches are renowned for. Since the cap’s implementation in 2016, it has contributed to attendance at away games increasing from 82% to 91%.”
They also acknowledged the significant and regular funds that supporters still spend on these trips, with plenty of people online also praising the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), which helped spearhead the campaign over a decade ago.
With so many other obstacles still getting in the way of fans making it to games either at their usual stadium or on an away day – not least of all the constant and increasingly frustrating rescheduling of fixtures – it’s good to see this isn’t an area the Prem are trying to target.
As always, the multi-billion-pound business can always seek out other, newer money spinners, and we’re absolutley certain they will. For instance, there’s at least one happening over in Spain that we’d happily see carried over here.
Following the news, this now means that fans will ultimately have enjoyed 12 back-to-back seasons of the benefit, and long may it continue.
Nevertheless, the biggest barrier for people to watch the beautiful game at its highest level in the UK remains the cost of standard tickets.
The likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, Leeds and more have already let matchgoers know that their season ticket prices will be going up, and the likes of Man City have already seen backlash for increasing rates amid the expansion of the Etihad Campus.
Emily Sergeant -
13th November 2020 
