Author: Tom
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Cult Farnworth pizza spot Twelve teases long-awaited return
Back in October 2022, a very short Facebook post by my favourite pizza spot deeply upset me. Twelve’s 46-word statement simply read: “We are heartbroken to announce this is the last weekend of Twelve – book your slot, there’s not many pizza’s left but you know they’re going to be great! We love you all… Read more
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The Wombats at AO Arena Manchester – gig review
The Wombats are one of the very few mid-2000s British indie bands who are still managing to get mainstream radio play every time they bring out a new album and last month’s release ‘Oh! The Ocean’ is their fifth successive appearance in the top five of the UK Official Albums Chart. Therefore, it should be… Read more
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Ancestry DNA results – what I’ve discovered so far
As an Englishman with an Irish surname, my Gaelic roots and DNA makeup have always interested me. By the time that I was born, all of my Irish ancestors had passed away, including those who were born in England to Irish parents. So I’ve never really had the opportunity to hear first hand about my… Read more
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Glastonbury Festival 2025 line-up poster – first impressions
As someone fortunate enough to be attending this year’s Glastonbury Festival, I’d been waiting patiently for the first line-up poster since finding out that I was lucky enough to get tickets for the third time in four years, back in November. So when it finally dropped at 8am on Thursday morning, my excitement was palpable.… Read more
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Neighbourhood Weekender 2025: My top 5 acts to watch
Neighbourhood Weekender is always one of the highlights of my year, so I was gutted when I discovered that it wasn’t happening in 2024. The first line-up in 2018 is still arguably the best, with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds topping the bill alongside Courteeners – who had just sold out Old Trafford Cricket Ground… Read more
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Louis: is the fancy themed restaurant style over substance?
Ever since Louis opened in Manchester city centre, late last year, it’s been right at the top of my list of places to visit. Inspired by golden-age New York jazz bars, the promise of great Italian-American dishes and live music sounded like a winning combo. Despite a few negative reviews cropping up on TikTok recently,… Read more
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72 hours in Belfast – Guinness, great food and ‘Troubles’ tour
In the past couple of years, Belfast has quickly become one of my favourite places to visit. Last week, Mrs Molloy and I hopped on the short flight to Northern Ireland’s capital for the third time, after my in-laws paid for the trip as a generous wedding gift. At three nights, it was our longest… Read more
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Popular indie café Cotton set to open at Farnworth Green
Popular Manchester café Cotton is set to be the second business to move into Capital & Centric’s Farnworth Green development. The independent, which currently has stores in Ancoats and at Neptune Mill, is renowned for its artisan sandwiches and organic coffee. Farnworth Green was officially opened to the public on 1st February, almost five years… Read more
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First look at Farnworth Green – the redevelopment years in the making
Back in 2019, I broke the news that Farnworth Market Precinct was being demolished. It was a story that divided locals, with a lot of scepticism about what would end up filling the void and whether it would actually be any improvement. In 2020, award-winning property developer Capital & Centric announced its £50 million vision… Read more
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Earl’s – is Bolton’s buzzy new ‘day and night deli’ worth the hype?
Over the past couple of weeks, it seems as if my social media feeds have been completely taken over by a trendy looking nightspot, with its bright orange sign, wood-panelled walls and stacks of vinyl records popping up on countless Instagram posts and TikTok videos. I presumed that it was in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, but… Read more