Are you a Dreamworks fan or perhaps an onion/ogre enthusiast? Well, you can now book to stay at Shrek’s Swamp in a land far, far away… and it’s completely free!
‘What are you doing in my swamp?!’ is something that Shrek may roar at you as you lay your weary head in his humble abode this autumn but now, thanks to Airbnb, you’re actually welcome to stay there.
So, if you’re thinking of treating yourself to a getaway, forget the romantic vistas of Rome, say nay to the breathtaking views of the Amalfi Coast and revel in the mud-laden, moss-covered surroundings of Shrek’s very own swamp instead.
For those looking to live out their swampiest childhood fairytale dreams, Airbnb is giving you the opportunity to escape to the Scottish Highlands and embrace your ogre-like tendencies.
Credit: Airbnb
Bookings for this special stay open on Friday, 13 October at 6pm and, if you’re lucky, up to three of you will be picked to enjoy a two-night swamp stay at absolutely no cost to yourselves from 27-29 October. A nice pre-Halloween treat.
You’ll need to make sure you have a good rating on Airbnb to stand a chance of being chosen and, if you are, you can expect the following:
To relax in the ambience of ‘earwax candlelight’
Kick your feet up with a parfait (everybody likes a parfait!)
Swap stories around the fire until late in the night
Enjoy a stack of freshly made waffles in the morning
And, of course, enjoy the ultimate privacy of Shrek’s trusted outhouse (you know the one)
The Airbnb website also states: “To honour good childhood memories that last a lifetime, Airbnb will make a one-time donation to HopScotch Children’s Charity, which provides some of Scotland’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged children with respite breaks through nurturing and dynamic holiday trips.”
Guests must also note that the shower and toilet facilities are located 20 metres away from the swamp and that those chosen to stay must make their own travel arrangements to and from Scotland.
Might we suggest a fairytale-style horse and carriage shaped like an onion? No reason…
To find out more and to place your booking on 13 October, visit the Shrek Swamp listing on Airbnb.
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.”
Danny Jones -
27th September 2023 
