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You can enjoy a luxury Valentine’s dinner on a steam train travelling through Greater Manchester next month

A special night for that special someone.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 23rd January 2025

East Lancashire Railway’s special Valentine’s dining experiences are back by popular demand next month.

Just in case you need a little reminder, Valentine’s Day isn’t too far off now.

In just under a month’s time, couples all over the world will be marking the international day of love with the people they care about the most, and for those who are keen to celebrate in style, East Lancashire Railway (ELR) has announced that its ‘Valentine’s Night’ luxury dining experiences are back once again by popular demand.

This means that lovebirds can hop on-board a vintage steam train and enjoy a four-course meal while riding through the picturesque Greater Manchester countryside as the sun sets.

East Lancashire Railway’s ‘Valentine’s Night’ dining experiences are back by popular demand / Credit: ELR

These romantic dining experiences are promising to provide couples with an “elegant” and “atmospheric” evening as they travel through the Irwell Valley and raise a toast to each other to celebrate their love.

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Priced at £85 per person, all guests will have a personal waiter for the evening, who’ll make sure everything is taken care of everything – from the Prosecco welcome, right through to the after-dinner chocolates. 

The train journey lasts just under three hours, and all dietary requirements can be catered for.

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Tickets are now on sale from £85 per person / Credit: ELR

Once couples board their train for the evening, their welcome drink will be accompanied by a live music reception to set the mood, all before they sit down to enjoy and tuck into a mouthwatering four-course meal.

The train journey lasts just under three hours, and all dietary requirements can be catered for.

The Valentine’s Night experiences are taking place on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 February this year, and tickets are now on sale.

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Read more:

Find out more and grab yours here.

Featured Image – ELR

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Indie food and drink festival to return to popular Greater Manchester town for second year

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant YUM! Urmston

A food and drink festival shining a spotlight on independent businesses is returning to Greater Manchester this summer.

Following the success of last year’s tasty debut, Urmston’s very-own independent food and drink festival, YUM! – Your Urmston Matters, is back for its second serving later this month, and will once again be transforming the Trafford town’s M41 site on Railway Road into a buzzing hub of ‘flavour, fun, and local pride’.

Organised by Love Urmston and hosted by Urmston resident and food and drink presenter, Matty White, this community celebration will bring together top local street food vendors, artisan producers, and drink retailers, alongside live cooking demos, family activities, and loads of entertainment.

Now in its second year, YUM! continues to shine a spotlight on Urmston’s indie food scene and the passion of the people behind it, but as well as local residents, it also invites the rest of Trafford and the wider Greater Manchester community to come together.

So whether you just live down the road, or you are discovering the town for the first time, everyone is welcome to pop down.

“Bringing YUM! back for a second year is incredibly exciting,” commented Fred Davids, who is the Chair of the Love Urmston committee.

“It’s a brilliant way to celebrate what makes Urmston special – its community, and fantastic food and drink scene, welcoming people from near and far to experience the town at its best.

“And as a committee, we’re proud to support our incredible local independent businesses who put their heart and soul into everything they do.”

YUM! is returning to Urmston for another delicious festival this month / Credit: Emma Boyle (via Supplied)

Just some of the independent businesses you’ll find at the festival throughout the day include English Rose Bakery, Inforno Pizzeria, Dan’s Cookies, Banga Curries, JJ’s Caribbean Kitchen, The Greek Village, Pomona Island Brewery, Kelder Wines, and so many more.

The festival is also proudly sponsored by Gecko Homes – a north west property developer that specialises in creating affordable and shared ownership homes across many of Manchester’s most popular suburbs. 

You can read more about what Gecko Homes is doing across the region here.

The local property developers helping Mancs buy a home without the large deposit

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YUM! – Your Urmston Matters is back this month on Saturday 21 June, and will be getting underway from 11am through to 5pm.

Featured Image – Emma Boyle (via Supplied)

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Disney On Ice is bringing its ‘Find Your Hero’ tour to Manchester this Christmas

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Disney On Ice

Disney On Ice is returning to Manchester with a brand-new magical adventure for the whole family this festive season.

I know June has only just begun and that officially means summer is here, but do you fancy just casting your minds forward to Christmas for a second?

That’s because Disney On Ice has announced today that it’ll be heading out on a tour of the UK once the festive season rolls around, and of course, the tour’ll be making a stop here in Manchester.

Audiences will get to discover what it truly means to be a hero, as Mickey and Minnie Mouse and all their friends from the Disney Kingdom come together to take families on a journey of unforgettable moments as they bring timeless tales to life on ice.

The production will travel throughout the UK, visiting places like Birmingham, Nottingham, Newcastle, Aberdeen, and Belfast, all before arriving at Manchester’s AO Arena.

This is your chance to re-live famous Disney stories with all of your favourite characters, alongside the magic of classic Disney songs and world-class ice skating.

Disney On Ice is bringing its ‘Find Your Hero’ tour to Manchester this Christmas / Credit: Supplied

The talented Disney On Ice cast rehearse for more than 550 hours to perfect each performance and encapsulate the characters, while a team of choreographers, and set and costume designers, create more than 200 props and more than 200 different costumes.

Encanto, Moana, Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, and Tangled are just some of the legendary Disney tales you can see reimagined when Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero arrives in Manchester this December.

Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero 2025/26 tour dates

  • bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham: 29 October – 9 November 2025
  • Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham: 12 – 16 November 2025
  • Utilita Arena, Newcastle: 19 – 23 November 2025 
  • P&J Live, Aberdeen: 27 – 30 November 2025 
  • SSE Arena, Belfast: 5 – 7 December 2025
  • AO Arena, Manchester: 10 – 14 December 2025
  • Utilita Arena, Sheffield: 17 – 21 December 2025
  • O2 Arena, London: 26 December 2025 – 4 January 2026
Disney On Ice
The magical production is arriving at the AO Arena this December / Credit: Supplied

The production brings beloved characters to life through cutting-edge figure skating, eye-catching costumes, and stunning set designs, with innovative lighting and thrilling special effects, making it an experience the whole family will treasure forever.

Disney On Ice presents Find Your Hero arrives at Manchester’s AO Arena from 10-14 December 2025, and tickets go on Three+ presale on Monday 9 June and AO Arena presale on Thursday 12 June, both at 9am.

All before they then go on general sale next Friday 13 June, again at 9am.

Read more:

You can get your tickets here.

Featured Image – Supplied

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