TV & Showbiz

Viewers notice that the Happy Valley cafe scene was actually filmed in Bolton

This one wasn't getting passed the eagle-eyed fans.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 17th January 2023

Eagle-eyed Happy Valley fans have pointed out that the intense cafe scene from the latest episode was actually filmed in Bolton.

In case you aren’t caught up, the latest episode in the third series of the smash-hit BBC drama Happy Valley hit our screens on Sunday night, (here’s your spoiler alert warning…) and it opened where the last episode left off – in cafe that was supposed to be in ‘Sheffield’.

During the episode, Sarah Lancashire’s character Sergeant Catherine Cawood confronted her sister Clare – who is played by Siobhan Finneran – for taking her grandson Rhys to visit his evil dad Tommy Lee Royce in prison without her consent.

Fans were gripped with tension and left in utter shock after the episode’s dramatic cliffhanger – in which Catherine saw a vision of her late daughter Becky, before silently sobbing as she left the cafe where she’d had the row with Clare in.

Viewers notice that the Happy Valley cafe scene was actually filmed in Bolton / Credit: BBC
Sarah Lancashire’s character Sergeant Catherine Cawood confronted her sister Clare in the cafe / Credit: BBC

During and after the episode, fans and famous faces were taking to social media in their thousands to praise Lancashire and Finneran for producing some of “the best TV ever” and some even calling the former the “best actress in the world”.

The cafe scene also already appears to be on its way to becoming iconic too, with some branding it “as good as seen in any movie”.

Despite being told during the episode that the cafe the two sisters had it out in was in Sheffield, eagle-eyed viewers and those familiar with Greater Manchester boroughs noticed that the scene was actually filmed in Bolton town centre.

The scene itself was filmed inside one of the town’s hugely-popular cafes – Amico Café.

Viewers were told during the episode that the cafe was in Sheffield / Credit: BBC
Eagle-eyed fans pointed out that it was in Bolton town centre’s popular Amico Café / Credit: BBC

For anyone unfamiliar with Bolton, or who hasn’t had the chance to make down to Amico Café before, it’s an independent family-run business that opened its doors back in February 2018 right in the town’s centre across the road from the Market Place shopping centre.

Named after the Italian word for ‘friend’, Amico Café has since become a popular hotspot for local coffee lovers and those looking to tuck into a spot of brunch or lunch, or enjoy a sweet treat.

Amico Café says it’s a place where people can “escape the daily stress of life”.

The popularity of Amico Café was proven by the fact that so many Happy Valley fans spotted that the tension-filled cafe scene was filmed inside its four walls, and took to Twitter to point out that they had noticed it wasn’t in Sheffield.

Not only that, but some of the shots after Lancashire’s character Sergeant Cawood left the cafe showed the outside of the building and the surrounding streets.

This meant that anyone who knows Bolton well could tell it was unmistakably filmed in the heart of the town’s centre.

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The owners of Amico Café said on Instagram that they were “happy we could be a part of this”.

Featured Image – BBC

TV & Showbiz

The Canal Street star that we’re backing to be the next queen of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK

Danny Jones Danny Jones Bonnie Ann Clyde Canal St Manchester RuPaul's Drag Race UK

Amid all the buzz of Manchester Pride 2025, the latest series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK also returns this August bank holiday, and fittingly a Canal Street has joined the lineup for series seven.

The parade and Gay Village Party aside, we genuinely can’t wait for the cult favourite TV show to be back on our screens.

Already a classic among the queer community following many years on the air over in America, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is set to debut its seventh season, and part of the fun is always meeting the cast.

While there’s often a Northern name or two, including multiple Mancunians in the past, we believe this year’s contestant has a good shot at winning the whole thing. Manchester, meet Bonnie Ann Clyde.

Who is Manchester’s adopted 2025 Drag Race star, Bonnie Ann Clyde?

Now, aside from having a fabulous and very classic drag name, the other twist when it comes to this Drag Race debutant is that she’s not technically a Manc.

What gave it away? Was it the accent?…

Born in Dublin and dubbing herself “Ireland’s best export”, the 30-year-old Bonnie Ann Clyde has been here for the past 12 months, and it’s her time around Canal Street – The Goose and Cruz 101, specifically – that has seen her grow in reputation.

Speaking to the show’s British broadcasters, she told fans old and hopefully soon to be: “You could say that I’ve been around the block a few times, but I prefer to say that I’m an international queen!

“Bonnie Ann Clyde was created in Dublin, [during] the mid-2010s, when drag was starting to get popular again. I performed in Dublin for six years, then I did a Summer in San Francisco, and after that I moved to Gran Canaria, where I performed for two and a half years.”

Quite the CV, we’re sure you’ll agree, but it’s only since she started gaining a following here in 0161 that she got the call to be the next series of Drag Race UK. After all, we do know a thing or two about the scene in these parts.

Why we think she should and will win

Aside from being the resident Greater Manchester representative (be it as an ex-pat or not), it’s this kind of globetrotting experience of LGBTQIA+ entertainment culture, pulling knowledge from all manner of drag queen circuits, that we think she’s odds on to push for the crown this year.

Detailing why she thinks she deserves to be named champion in 2025, whilst doing an impression of Holly Jervis from X Factor, she said: “‘This is MY moment’.

“I’ve worked for years doing jobs I didn’t want to do, and I’ve worked so hard. I deserve this crown, I deserve that sceptre, I deserve that £25k, and you know what? I’m going to get it because I’m fabulous, I’m fantastic, I’m Bonnie Ann Clyde, and I’m going to win!”

You’ve got to love that self-confidence, and while there are some other Northern faces among the lineup this year – including the Yorkshire favourite and the first ever contestant from Leeds, Silllexa Diction – there’s no question about who we want to win.

Once again, series seven of RuPaul Drag Race UK gets underway at 9pm this Sunday, 24 August, on BBC Three, as well as iPlayer in case you’re busy partying at Manchester Pride 2025.

Everything you need to know about Manchester Pride 2025 – parade route, lineup, tickets, and more

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Featured Images — Cruz 101/BBC

TV & Showbiz

A new coffee shop by a familiar Manc influencer with an ‘Oasis-inspired’ name is opening in town

Danny Jones Danny Jones

We’re never short of cafés here in Manchester, especially in the city centre, and there are a fair few great ones in the Northern Quarter alone, but this new coffee shop from a famous local influencer is one to keep an eye on – especially as it’s a bit of an Oasis pun.

‘What’s the story?’, we hear you ask: Morning Glory, that’s what.

That’s right, NQ’s latest coffee spot is not only a fun little nod to the Britpop classic but a little bit of innuendo by an equally cheeky chappy and familiar content creator, Zack Hipps.

With the Oasis puns and double-entendre boxes ticked off, it already ticks a couple of boxes, but there are still plenty more reasons to think this will be a success.

morning glory coffee shop manchester
Morning Glory is opening in the Northern Quarter at the end of the month. (Credit: Morning Glory)

To start with, the jokes don’t stop as sandwich lovers will be glad to hear that there will be ‘Glory Holes’ on the menu…

Calm down, it’s not that kind of gaff. These are bagels that are sliced, stuffed with whipped cream, brushed with garlic butter, before being rebaked to golden perfection and finished with a drizzle of honey thyme. That admittedly does sound rather naughty.

Bagels are the main foodstuff on the menu, with a lineup of stacked fillings such as grilled peach with goat’s cheese and chilli jam; roast chicken thigh with smoked garlic mayo, iceberg lettuce and red onion and a ‘next-level’ ham and cheese stack.

Oh yeah, and it’s not only a coffee shop but promises to be a great and affordable spot for grab-and-go joe, specifically, too.

Morning Glory will be helping kickstart Manc mornings in the best way: with a banging coffee and bagel brekkie deal for just £5, making it perfect for those early risers and rushes to the commuter trams – OR, indeed, the ideal hangover cure after a night out in the city.

zack hipps coffee shop manchester
Apart from the obvious Manchester music reference, the coffee bar is a fitting honey-yellow.
morning glory nq
The bagels are looking big and beautiful.
The diagonal floor stripes are a nod to The Hacienda nightclub. (Credit: Supplied)

Now, with the space itself spanning just 50sqm and featuring just 12 seats, not to mention fast, value-for-money food and drink, everyone can admit this isn’t necessarily the spot to sit for hours chatting with your mates over a brew.

Although Zack describes the room as “casual, cosy and full of personality” and “proper good vibes”, assuring quality at all times, they also state it is about “no faff” and the menu is made for being on the move, which is absolutely fine with us.

For instance, indie suppliers Kyoto Matcha will be chipping in with drinks and local bakery Vainllis over in Ancoats will be delivering a fresh twist on the Manchester tart, both of which are easy to order takeout and enjoy on the go.

Best of all, to mark the launch, the first 100 people through the doors on from 8am on opening Saturday, 30 August. August will not only bag a free drink, but three lucky customers will be randomly chosen to win a golden ticket, entitling them to free coffee every single day for A WHOLE YEAR.

Dreamy caffeine scenes.

Speaking on the impending opening just weeks after Oasis left the city, Hipps says, “Morning Glory Coffee is my love letter to Manchester. We’ve grafted for months building the space, and it’s mad to think we’re finally opening the doors.

“It’s a warm, welcoming spot with proper Manc charm, and I’m buzzing to be working alongside some of my favourite local makers. Manchester’s got one of the best food scenes in the country, and we can’t wait to shine a light on all the incredible talent out there, whilst fuelling up Manc’s one brew at a time.”

See you in the queue on Oldham Street come launch day for great coffee, Oasis in the headphones and hopefully some rare but glorious Manchester morning sun.

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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Supplied

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