Looking for your next holiday destination? Well now you can catch a direct flight from Manchester to Italy’s ‘best kept secret’.
Yes we know it's not from Leeds Bradford, but it's the next best thing ok?
Temperatures have finally been hotting up, but as the sun hasn’t always shown its face, this means many of us will likely be thinking about hopping on a plane to another country where the warmer weather is more of a regular occurrence.
Coincidentally, Manchester Airport has just become the first UK airport to form a direct flight link to the stunning southern Italian region of Calabria.
You can now catch a direct flight from Manchester to Italy’s ‘best kept secret’ / Credit: Unsplash | Wikimedia Commons
If you’re unfamiliar with Calabria, not only is it one of Italy’s most affordable regions to visit, but it also home to some outstanding white sandy beaches, picturesque scenery, culture and architecture, and a truly authentic food scene.
The region is often dubbed one of Italy’s “best kept secrets” by travel writers and tourists.
Having officially taken to the skies at the end of last month (28 April), flights from Manchester Airport to Reggio Calabria are now running exclusively with Ryanair on Wednesdays and Sundays, and you can book your trip now from as little as £14.99 per person one-way.
Calabria is found at ‘toe’ of Italy’s ‘boot’, and the city of Reggio Calabria faces the island of Sicily across Strait of Messina to provide visitors with an ideal base to explore the wider region.
As mentioned, the Calabria region is one of the most affordable parts of Italy to visit, and while it has long been popular with Italian tourists, international visitors are only just beginning to discover this hidden gem.
Manchester Airport’s Chief Commercial Officer, Stephen Turner, says the airport is “proud” to connect people in the North with an “outstanding range of destinations”, with over 200 routes served by more than 50 airlines, but he admitted that Ryanair’s new service to Reggio Calabria is “an exciting one”.
Flights are now open to book from as little as £14.99 per person one-way / Credit: Suhyeon Choi (via Unsplash)
“It’s a brand-new destination for us,” Mr Turner explained.
“And it isn’t currently served by any other UK airport either, so it gives our passengers even more choice.
“Visitors travelling to Calabria will love the blend of culture, cuisine and spectacular beaches that it provides, so we’re confident that this new route will be popular with our passengers.”
In another hit to the high streets, Claire's Accessories is shutting up shop across the UK and Ireland after entering into administration yet again.
Falling into an unfortunate financial status for the second time in less than a year, Claire's will be shutting down all of their standalone stores across Britain, along with their IE branches.
A total of 154 stores will soon disappear, with more than a thousand people set to be put out of work.
Once a mainstay up and down the country, the accessory shop known for all things jewellery, piercings and more has ceased trading effective immediately.
Announced at the start of the week and the end of the first full month of Q2, it was confirmed that Claire's closed their final locations on Monday, 27 April.
With administrators, Kroll, appointed to wrap up business proceedings, an estimated 1,300 English, Irish, Scottish and Welsh workers have now lost their jobs.
Founded in America way back in 1961, Claire's has enjoyed a presence across the Atlantic for more than three decades.
However, with various other contemporaries and cheaper online options having appeared over the years, they've struggled not just to remain profitable but to compete full stop.
They filed for bankruptcy in the US in August 2025 after having already concluded operations in Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
For many, the outcome isn't all that surprising, but it will nevertheless be a sad loss for many who have seen multiple generations visit these venues over the years.
Slam Dunk festival’s statement in full as director steps down amid allegations
Daisy Jackson
Slam Dunk festival has shared a statement confirming one of its directors has stepped down, in the wake of allegations.
The popular punk festival takes place next month across two sites, one of which is here in Leeds.
This year's line-up is set to include headline performances from the likes of Good Charlotte, Knocked Loose, Sublime, and Taking Back Sunday.
But Slam Dunk has been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons this week after allegations against one of its directors came to light.
Slam Dunk said in its statement, which did not get into specifics about the nature of the allegations, that the festival 'remains committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all employees, partners, and customers'.
They added that the director has stepped down, but 'strongly refutes' the allegations.
The statement then promised 'transparency and honesty' and said that more updates would be provided when appropriate.
Slam Dunk wrote: "We are aware of allegations published yesterday relating to one of our directors. We take these allegations seriously and understand that they may be distressing and hard to process for our community.
"Our Slam Dunk fans, staff, and artists are, as always, our top priority.
"While he strongly refutes these allegations, the director in question has agreed, in consultation with the board, to step down from Slam Dunk operations while this matter is ongoing.
"Slam Dunk remains committed to maintaining a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all employees, partners, and customers.
"Our values and culture are fundamental to how we operate, and we are committed to upholding them.
"It would be inappropriate for us to comment further on an ongoing legal matter.
"However, we promise transparency and honesty to our Slam Dunk community and will provide updates when it is appropriate to do so."
Slam Dunk returns to Temple Newsam in Leeds on Sunday 24 May.
Emily Sergeant -
10th May 2024 
