Defying the usual crapness associated with buffet restaurants Efes redefines what it is to walk up to a rather large table and help yourself to food!

Paul Robinson and Sarah Hartley take the pulse of the city's life on the web!

News feed of entertainment news in Manchester and environs - very nice we like this a lot - means Anything Northy members can keep up to date with whats happening in the local area! YAY!

Apparently I like writing up the reviews for the restaurants we visit (actually it's true) so here I am with great news from South East Asia, well OK, just a little bit of it right here in Manchester - Chaophraya seem to have spent their previous lives as artifact collectors judging by the sheer volume of weird and wonderful objects liberally adorning and contrasting with the modern design of the building.

I'm not great at writing reviews so I'll just say if you're looking for awesome food there's a great restaurant called Thyme in Longridge, a smallish village 8 miles or so out of Preston. Thyme has been open for 7 years and has a good reputation (several friends had previously recommended it.)

We took our little girl who is 2.5 years old and had a wonderful meal this Sunday lunch time, we were pleasantly surprised when a lady at the bar started singing. She had a wonderful voice and sang on and off for the 2.5 hours we spent there. Apparently she's there every Sunday and Friday nights.

Apparently the Marble Arch was built by workers from Victoria train station after they were barred from the other pubs in the area. Using materials they erm, 'borrowed' from the station it is quite easy to see certain architectural traits that reflect the station - namely the girders in the ceiling and the beautiful tiles and mosaics. The sloping floor (to aid your progression to the bar) is quite bizarre and the bar itself is full of real ales, continental beers, potent ciders and of course the wonderful selection of beers brewed on the premises!

Updates about LRM events happening in Manchester

Making video where ever you go doesn’t get any easier than the new Flip portable video device launching here in the UK this month (June).

We’ve been carrying video recorders in our pockets around for a fair few years now, at least I have. Mobile phones often allow you to record video - but the quality is often grainy and choppy, and the time the phone can take to start up to get recording can be a joke (I’m thinking about my HTC phone here).

Loitering with Intent to Make Manchester Wonderful is the tag line for the LRM a group of rather savvy and motivated people in Manchester who are interested in exploring what this fabulous city has to offer. Currently in the middle of a festival there are lots of events to attend and join in.

I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in what oredr the ltteers in a word are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is that the first and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?

So fergot lfet-sdied and rhigt-sdied biran hesimhprees! Is it ture taht olny poelpe form the Nroth can raed tihs?