The north’s hospitality scene is catching a lot of eyes these days, with another big accolade landing on the doorstep of Farlam Hall this week.
The beautiful Cumbrian hotel was just named the Best Foodie Hotel in the entire UK by The Times in its annual list of the Best Places to Stay in the UK.
And that claim comes not long after the hotel’s restaurant, The Cedar Tree by Hrishikesh Desai, was awarded its first Michelin Star.
The Times placed Farlam Hall in 64th place overall on the list of the best 100 hotels in the UK, but singled it out for its culinary excellence.
They praised the ‘crisp, comfortable and beautifully lit’ rooms, and the staff that ‘could grace any London five-star’.
The judges continued: “Neither will dazzle you as much as Hrishikesh Desai’s cooking. Up here, on the edge of the Pennines, where every passing winter storm seems to fell a tree, he is doing wonderful things with English ingredients and the subtle and well-judged use of spice.
“Never mind the Cumbrian wind — dinner here is a breath of fresh, invigorating air.”
Hrishikesh Desai was formerly of The Gilpin Hotel, where he also held a Michelin star.
Farlam Hall wrote of its accolade: “What a wonderful end to another amazing week! We are honoured to have been awarded the “Foodie Hotel of the Year” in The Times’ 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK for 2024!”
Cedar Tree at Farlam HallThe beautiful grounds at Farlam Hall
Admittedly a couple of hours north of Greater Manchester, this glowing review from The Times has rocketed Farlam Hall onto our wishlist of northern gems to visit.
Also scooching onto the list, and a little closer to home, is Langdale Chase, impressively taking home North hotel of the year just months after it reopened from a major refurbishment.
Judges said: “This classy revival of a gothic pile right on Windermere’s waterfront opened at the end of 2023 and is exactly what the local tourist scene has been so desperately lacking.
“Its grand interiors, complete with minstrels’ galleries, elaborately carved oak panelling and stained glass manage to be opulent and yet winningly informal.
Bedrooms at Farlam Hall
“The bar is as sexy as any city big-hitter, there’s a cinema with daily screenings and complimentary popcorn and bedrooms that are layered with thoughtful touches including binoculars for closer inspection of life on the lake (most rooms have lake views).
“The redevelopment of its historic garden and the opening of a spa is next on the agenda.”
And representing Manchester itself is Whitworth Locke, the Princess Street hotel placing 83rd.
The beautiful city centre hotel was praised for its ‘trendy lobby bar and friendly ‘house hosts” as well as its apartment-like hotel rooms that are fitted with kitchens and living spaces.
Manchester’s ‘busiest’ road Mancunian Way to close for resurfacing
Emily Sergeant
Mancunian Way is set to close for resurfacing works next month.
As Manchester City Council looks to ‘improve’ what is, by far, one of Manchester’s busiest and most-used roads, given the fact it is the main thoroughfare in and out of the city centre, it has been confirmed that Mancunian Way is due to undergo crucial resurfacing works.
With an estimated 15 million journeys taken along this road annually, the Council says it’s vital that necessary maintenance is carried out to keep traffic flowing.
As a result, plans are now in place to resurface Mancunian Way overnight during a four-week period, beginning from next Monday (3 March)
The resurfacing work will be split into two sections, starting with the eastbound carriageway from River Street to Fairfield Street, before moving on to the westbound lane from Fairfield Street to Upper Brook Street.
Work along the eastbound section – in the direction of Ashton Old Road – will run between Monday 3 March to Friday 14 March, with the operating hours being between 7pm and 5am, during which the carriageway will be fully closed, while the westbound carriage in the direction of Regent Road will take place overnight between Monday 17 March until Friday 28 March, with closures at the same time.
Manchester’s ‘busiest’ road Mancunian Way will be close for resurfacing next month / Credit: Pixabay
Due to events taking place during this period of works, slightly later road closures will be in place from 7:30pm on the 7, 10 and 14 of March during the eastbound section, and on 19 March during the westbound secion.
No work will take place Europa League fixture dates, or on Saturday or Sunday nights either.
“These works are taking place overnight to mitigate any potential disruption,” explained Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“But as always, we would encourage people to plan their journeys ahead of time and allow more time to travel if they need to go via the Mancunian Way.”
Signed diversions will be in place during the course of the works, and details of this can be found on the Council’s dedicated webpage here.
Featured Image – Geograph
Travel & Tourism
Life-saving defibrillators to be installed on dozens of trains travelling through Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Life-saving defibrillators are set to be installed on dozens of trains travelling through Greater Manchester.
Rail operator TransPennine Express (TPE) has started work to install the units on all 51 of its Class 185 trains over the next two months, and can be used by both staff and passengers if someone goes into cardiac arrest.
The defibrillators will be fitted by technology company Siemens Mobility, and will be located in an emergency equipment cupboard in the middle of the train.
Every defibrillator being installed on the trains has step-by-step, spoken word instructions built in to them, which explain how to use on someone in an emergency, so passengers and staff need not panic if they’re unsure what to do.
Computers inside the defibrillators will work to analyse a person’s heart rhythms to find out if an electric shock is needed, and if required, electrodes then automatically deliver the shock.
⚡Work has started to fit defibrillators across more than 50 TransPennine Express trains
🚆 The life-saving units will be installed on all 51 of our Class 185 trains by the end of March
The defibrillators – which are already installed on TPE’s Nova 1 trains – have been purchased from the British Heart Foundation charity, which is the biggest independent funder of heart and circulatory research in the UK.
The news that the defibrillators are being installed on trains travelling through Greater Manchester and across the UK come after it was announced back in 2023 that the machines were being installed at more than 100 Northern stations to help save people in cardiac arrest.
Speaking on the installing of the defibrillators on trains, Bushra Khan, who is the Head of Engineering at TransPennine Express, said: “Our defibrillators are a huge benefit to both our customers and the communities we serve.
“This rollout will ensure that people travelling on our services will feel safe and confident that defibrillators are available to help in the event of an emergency, potentially saving lives.”
Daisy Jackson -
8th March 2024 
