Liv Clarke

Southport is promoted as a family-friendly summer destination near Greater Manchester, with events and attractions planned through the end of August. Highlights include the Southport Flower Show from August 20–23, featuring gardens, entertainment and television personalities; the Southport Airshow on August 29–30, with the Red Arrows and historic aircraft; free activities at The Atkinson; a children’s dinosaur show; seaside attractions around Kings Gardens and Marine Lake; Adventure Coast Southport; and the indoor Dunes Splash World waterpark, which offers quieter sessions for neurodiverse visitors and people with disabilities.

Manchester Airport managing director Chris Woodroofe defended charging more than £150 for two weeks of parking, saying prices operate in a competitive market and comparing the cost with a day’s parking in a town centre. Customer Ray McGee rejected that comparison, while Oldham MP Jim McMahon called for greater transparency over parking income. Manchester Airport generated £630 million in revenue last year, with an estimated £189 million from parking, including late-payment fees under its barrierless system. The airport says parking revenue funds investment, including a potential new multi-storey car park, and points to cheaper JetParks facilities, free drop-off options and on-site public transport.

Rhyl, a North Wales seaside resort around 90 minutes from Greater Manchester, is presented as an affordable family day-trip destination often overlooked in favour of Llandudno and Anglesey. Its attractions include a long sandy beach, dunes, promenade, SC2 water park, miniature railway around Marine Lake, cafes, a funfair, arcades and nearby nature reserves. Recent sea-defence and promenade improvements, the reopening of SC2 and Queen’s Market, and a planned £11 million town-centre and promenade revamp are contributing to the town’s regeneration.

Extreme heat is expected to disrupt Northern train services across Greater Manchester, the North West and Yorkshire on August 13, 2026. Northern is operating a reduced timetable on several routes, with some services cancelled or running less frequently, while engineering work has also suspended trains between Rochdale and Manchester Victoria. Passengers are advised to check journeys and allow extra time. Ticket acceptance arrangements with TransPennine Express and several other operators will help affected customers travel, and unused tickets for impacted services may be used on August 14 or 15.

The Blackpool Airshow’s second day on Sunday, August 9, features displays from the RAF Typhoon, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, US fighter aircraft, aerobatic teams, parachutists and wingwalkers. The Air Show Village will operate from noon to 7 p.m. along the promenade and Tower Festival Headland, with vendors, exhibits, merchandise, and food and drink stalls. Displays are scheduled from 2:00 p.m., beginning with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, and continue until the Typhoon display at 5:11 p.m.

Blackpool Airshow returns on August 8 and 9, 2026, with displays by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, RAF Typhoon team, Red Devils, XtremeAir, Aerosuperbatics Wingwalkers and other aircraft and aerobatic teams. The Red Arrows will not participate this year. The Air Show Village will operate from noon to 7 p.m. each day, while detailed flight times are provided for both days.

Loganair will end its Southampton–Manchester and Manchester–Exeter services on 20 August 2026 as part of the planned closure of its Southampton operating base. Affected passengers will be contacted and offered alternative options or refunds where no suitable replacement is available. The routes were launched to improve connections for passengers travelling to cruises from Southampton.

Joby Aviation’s all-electric air taxi was displayed at MediaCity in Salford Quays as part of a UK promotional tour conducted with Virgin Atlantic. The piloted aircraft can carry four passengers and a pilot, reach speeds of up to 200 mph and potentially fly between Manchester Airport and the city centre in about five minutes. Joby is completing US certification and would still need UK Civil Aviation Authority approval before launching services. The company is considering Manchester and London as initial UK locations, with Uber-style app booking, fares in the Uber Exec range and charging at dedicated vertiports. The aircraft is designed to reduce journey times and emissions, but its current visual-flight operating limitations and regulatory requirements mean UK passenger services remain several years away.

Blackpool Airshow will take place on August 8 and 9, 2026, with free admission and displays by military and civilian aircraft including the RAF Typhoon, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, MiG-17 and US fighter jets. The Red Devils and aerobatic wingwalkers will also perform, but the Red Arrows will not appear at Blackpool. They are scheduled to perform at the Southport Airshow on August 29 and 30, where admission tickets start at £13.

Manchester Airport received a “very good” rating—the highest possible—from the Civil Aviation Authority for services supporting passengers with restricted mobility and hidden disabilities, improving on its 2025 “good” rating. ABM’s assistance services were praised for strong waiting-time performance, while the airport was recognized for engaging its Accessibility Forum and investing heavily in Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Across 28 assessed UK airports, 19 received “very good” ratings and none were rated “needs improvement” or “poor.” Despite broader improvements, demand for assistance has risen 115.8% since 2015, and disabled passengers continue to report lower satisfaction and difficulties using airports, prompting the CAA to call for continued investment and stronger enforcement powers.

A rare red heat alert has been issued for southern Gran Canaria, where temperatures could reach 40C, while other Canary Islands face lower-level heat warnings. The Canary Islands Government advises residents and tourists to stay in cool or shaded areas, remain hydrated, avoid strenuous activity and alcohol during the hottest hours, and seek medical advice about medications. The alert is expected to continue into Tuesday, when Gran Canaria’s warning is forecast to be downgraded to amber, while some islands also face strong winds and haze from African air.

Blackpool is recommended as the best seaside town in North West England because it combines a large beach, three piers, Blackpool Tower, the Illuminations, Pleasure Beach rides, the tramway and a wide range of food and entertainment. The feature highlights local venues including Yorkshire Fisheries, Notarianni’s, Bloom Bar and Higgitt’s Las Vegas Arcade, while also outlining swimming, dog restrictions, accommodation and attraction costs. Blackpool is included in a UK-wide poll shortlist for the country’s best seaside town.

A first-person tourism guide explores Salford Quays beyond its reputation as a largely vacant “ghost” shopping mall. The area’s waterfront regeneration, distinctive bridges, watersports, inaccessible sandy “beach,” Gnome Island and the Imperial War Museum North are highlighted, alongside its industrial history as part of the former Port of Manchester. Quayside is awaiting a £16 million redevelopment including a Hollywood Bowl and Hyperdrive Karting track. The visit concludes with a favorable review of Mattina Coffee’s focaccia, cake, coffee and pistachio amaretti biscuit in MediaCity.

Liv Clarke reviews a stay at The Rex in Manchester, formerly Hotel Gotham, following its rebrand and change of ownership. She praises the hotel’s glamorous Art Deco interiors, rooftop terraces, city views and Mediterranean-influenced food, particularly the beef croquettes, short rib and salmon. Breakfast is also well received, although the room layout and fatty bacon draw minor criticism. Rooms start at £179 per night for bed and breakfast, while rooftop terrace experiences and menu items are separately priced.

Rivington, near Bolton in Lancashire, offers reservoirs, walking trails, the free-to-visit Rivington Terraced Gardens and the Liverpool Castle folly. The gardens were created by Lord Leverhulme with landscape gardener Thomas Mawson and are now undergoing volunteer-led conservation by the Rivington Heritage Trust on land owned by United Utilities. Visitors can also use Go Ape’s treetop course, visit The Great House Barn, or try the Anderton Centre’s new North West Aqua Park, which features inflatable obstacles, slides and climbing walls and opens on August 3.

Wildfires in southwestern France and parts of Spain have displaced or evacuated around 360,000 people, with major fires affecting the Gironde and Landes regions near Bordeaux and areas around Ávila, west of Madrid, and north of Valencia. Spain has declared a national wildfire emergency amid a fourth summer heatwave, while French authorities have evacuated campsites and tourist areas. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is not advising against travel to either country but urges visitors to follow local instructions and check with accommodation or travel providers before travelling. Refund eligibility depends on whether flights, hotels or package holidays are cancelled or materially changed, while insurance coverage varies by policy.

Spain’s wildfire danger is expected to worsen next week, with Aemet maps forecasting extreme fire risk across much of the country and temperatures reaching 42C. Fires in central Spain have contributed to the evacuation of about 70,000 people, while more than 250,000 people have been evacuated across Spain and southwestern France. At least one man has died in a fire near Valencia, and approximately 130,000 hectares of Spanish forest have burned this year. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said conditions were beginning to improve but warned that difficult hours remained, while authorities and the UK Foreign Office issued emergency guidance for people in affected areas.

Wildfires in France’s Gironde and Landes regions have forced more than 250,000 people from their homes, with fires spreading toward the Bordeaux metropolitan area. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has advised travellers to follow local emergency instructions, check with accommodation or travel providers, and expect restricted access or short-notice road closures. Further evacuations are possible, while wildfires in Spain have also displaced more than 116,000 people.

The article outlines passport and identification requirements issued by easyJet, Jet2 and Ryanair ahead of the summer holiday period. easyJet requires valid physical passports or qualifying identity cards for international travel, with limited acceptance of digital IDs on domestic or certain outbound European routes, and emphasizes passport condition, signatures and validity periods. Jet2 directs passengers to check destination-specific rules and warns that many EU countries require UK passports to be less than 10 years old and valid for at least three months after returning. Ryanair accepts only valid passports or national identity cards, not driving licences or birth certificates, and offers an optional app feature for uploading visa documents. Passengers remain responsible for meeting airline and destination entry requirements.

A water outage affecting both terminals at Gatwick Airport left toilets unable to flush and hand-washing facilities unavailable on July 26, although flights were not disrupted. Bottled water was distributed to passengers and staff while Gatwick investigated the issue. SES Water attributed the disruption to problems at its Bough Beech Water Treatment Works and said it was working to restore supplies.

United Utilities is considering introducing parking charges at Lever Park and across the Rivington area, potentially offering 30 to 60 minutes free before charging around £4, although no fee or timetable has been agreed. More than 2,700 people have signed a petition opposing the plan, warning that charges could deter visitors, harm nearby businesses and undermine Lever Park's legal commitment to free public access. United Utilities says revenue would be ring-fenced for local improvements, including new and refurbished car parks, footpaths, toilets, visitor facilities, heritage restoration and on-site staff. Bolton Council discussions have highlighted concerns that the scheme may prioritize income generation over traffic management and could conflict with the park's historic legal protections.

The BBC has announced five new professional dancers—Aleksandra Isaeva, Cristian Priori, Lethabo Monametsi, Maddie Ingoldsby and Mark Karmalita—for the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing, beginning in September. The newcomers have backgrounds in international Latin, ballroom and television dance, while several established professionals will not return. The programme will also have new hosts Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe after Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped down at the end of 2025.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has issued updated travel advice for the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, warning of possible further attacks and unpredictable escalation amid US strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks across the region. British nationals are advised to monitor local authorities and media, prepare for flight cancellations and airspace closures, avoid military and security facilities, keep travel documents current, and shelter indoors if instructed. The update follows Iranian accusations that Britain is complicit in the US attacks because American forces operate from British bases, while the UK says its role remains defensive and consistent with international law.

Manchester Airport expects a record summer, with more than 5.7 million passengers projected between July 17 and September 1. The article lists 12 flights delayed by more than 30 minutes on Saturday, July 25, including services operated by Loganair, easyJet, Ryanair, Saudia, Jet and Jet2, as well as one cancelled Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong. Passengers are also warned about hand-luggage restrictions and Metrolink maintenance, which is disrupting tram services to the airport and prompting replacement buses.

Wildfires spreading across southwestern France and central Spain have forced around 200,000 people to evacuate, including about 141,000 in France and 60,000 in Spain. Authorities evacuated parts of Bordeaux’s western suburbs, including areas near the airport, while transport services were suspended but airport operations continued. France and Spain requested European Union assistance as firefighters faced rapidly spreading fires intensified by high temperatures and the long-term effects of climate change.

Lud’s Church, an 18-metre-deep moss-lined chasm near Gradbach in the Peak District, is recommended as a distinctive summer walking destination about 90 minutes from Manchester. The ravine has historical associations with the Lollards and John Wycliffe, as well as legends involving Robin Hood and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Visitors praise its otherworldly atmosphere, but the route can be muddy, crowded and unsuitable for people with limited mobility; parking is limited, so early arrival is advised.

Nearly 100 prohibited items, including liquids over 100ml, sharp objects and gun‑shaped items, were confiscated in one morning at Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2. Airport staff highlighted that non‑compliant hand luggage causes delays and reiterated that liquid limits and restrictions on sharp or weapon‑like objects remain in place pending CAA approval to lift liquid rules. Passengers were urged to check regulations, pack restricted items in hold luggage and prepare for security screening to keep queues moving during the busy summer period.

Manchester Airport expects record summer passenger numbers, supported by new Terminal 2 facilities and ongoing Terminal 3 expansion. Travellers face public transport disruption due to Metrolink maintenance and must follow liquid restrictions despite upgraded security scanners. As of 9.20am, delays include Virgin Atlantic’s Orlando flight and two easyJet services, with no cancellations reported.

The Civil Aviation Authority warns passengers ahead of the year's busiest flying day to pack lithium-powered devices correctly to avoid delays and reduce safety risks. Power banks and other lithium batteries must be carried in cabin luggage, with limits applying to specific items. Recent incidents involving overheating devices have led to diversions and increased concern, with reports of malfunctioning batteries nearly doubling between 2024 and 2025. Electrical safety experts urge travellers to inspect devices for damage and buy battery-powered products from reputable retailers to minimise fire hazards.

Tatton Park in Cheshire offers 50 acres of landscaped gardens, a historic maze, lakeside scenery and family picnic areas, with additional summer attractions celebrating 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh. Visitors can explore themed trails featuring scenes from A.A. Milne’s stories, view a centenary exhibition at the farm and attend children’s storytelling sessions by author Jane Riordan. Tickets are available for the gardens, farm or as a combined package, with opening hours and pricing set for the summer season.

Windermere station in the Lake District recorded 496,000 passengers in 2025–2026, with numbers expected to exceed half a million this year as domestic tourism rises. Northern reports increased demand on its Lakes Line services and has introduced the Cumbria Travel Pass to integrate travel across trains, buses and boats. Local tourism leaders highlight the benefits of sustainable transport for easing congestion and supporting visitor access.

The Monsal Trail between Bakewell and Blackwell Mill offers an 8.5‑mile, traffic‑free route suitable for walkers, cyclists and families, with flat terrain and varied scenery including tunnels, viaduct views and historic features. Bike hire is available at Hassop Station, which also provides food options, while The Refreshment Room near Blackwell Mill offers refreshments along the way. The route is free, accessible and ideal for a family day out during summer.