Attempted a new recipe tonight: creamy spaghetti with smoked bacon and parmesan. It turned out great. You can call me chef Andy from now on. 🍜 #food

In all honesty I'll be happy when this season is over and done with. West drop further out of the playoff picture after a 2-1 loss to Padiham. @wdcfc.bsky.social #nwcl #nonleaguefootball ⚽

How many clubs in the ninth tier of English football have their own branded beer? The West sessions IPA was easily the highlight of the afternoon. #BskyBeer

Northern Monk and Vocation. The essential Yorkshire brewery supermarket run. #bskybeer

Tried a McDonald’s McGriddle for the first time in years. It’s just as I remember from the US: that specific sweet and salty mix. Not bad for a rare treat, but the UK menu is still missing the real MVP. McDonald's UK, please bring back the breakfast bagel. 🍜 #food

Norco is a masterclass in atmosphere. Every element - the haunting soundtrack, the striking pixel art, and the surreal narrative - works in perfect harmony. It is a deeply affecting experience from @geographyofrobots.bsky.social that stays with you long after the screen goes black. 🕹️

A quiet Monday off. Planning a walk in the hills above me, but starting with the essentials. 🍽️

Middle age is the involuntary, excited gasp you make upon discovering new seasons of MasterChef: The Professionals and Great British Menu on BBC iPlayer.

Hazy hoppy goodness from Northern Monk. #BskyBeer

Manchester beer prices: £7.45 for a pint from a Stockport brewery. 😭 #Bskybeer

Manchester's city centre is evolving, but we must not lose sight of the landmarks that define its history. The Marble Arch is a prime example of a space where character and quality meet. It remains a vital part of our local landscape that needs to be championed.

The optimist in me is struggling with this chase. India has set a massive target for this semi-final, and England can't rely on individual brilliance alone. Every batter needs to step up. #INDvENG #CricketWorldCup

Checked out the new Zaap Manchester 🇹🇭. The crispy pork belly is spot on and goes perfectly with a cold Leo beer. It has a great street food atmosphere and is definitely worth a visit. #bskybeer

Founders Hall has been staring at me from across the street for a while now. Popping in for a quick one before food to see if it lives up to the view. #bskybeer

There isn't a bigger watch in cricket than India vs Pakistan at the T20 World Cup. Pakistan opening with this much spin feels like a tactical risk that isn't quite paying off yet. #INDvPAK

Philip Pullman remains a master of world-building, and I have always loved Lyra’s story. However, Book of Dust: The Rose Field felt like it ran out of steam. While the writing is strong, the plot lost its sense of purpose toward the end. An underwhelming conclusion to a long journey. #booksky

Can't believe I spelt #bskybeer wrong. 🙄🤣

​Dinner with the partner tonight, as hopefully football will be on tomorrow. Found a Czech Pravha at an Italian spot, which was a surprise. The calzone was huge and had a solid kick from the nduja. #BakyBeer

As someone who has never played a roguelike before, I’m not ashamed to admit I have no clue what I’m doing in Roguecraft DX on the @evercade.co.uk Even though I'm totally lost, I'm loving every minute of it. There is just something about that "one more try" loop. #RetroGaming

Carlsberg gets an unfair reputation in the UK. Having visited Copenhagen in 2024, the local version is far better - crisper and more balanced. The closest we have here is Export, but it’s never quite as fresh as it is at the source. #BskyBeer

Today at lunchtime I walked past someone eating a Greggs sausage roll sideways. He was tucking into it like he was eating a rack of ribs.

Building the Lego Back to the Future car. Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads. Perfect way to spend a Sunday. #Lego

So full after having these for tea, I amazingly couldn't have any beer tonight.

Local restaurant in Hebden Bridge, the chef put on a special posh fish and chips night. I had the battered sausage and homemade curry sauce. Two pints of Sherman Larger. Perfect Tuesday night really..

The scoreline at Stockport Town didn't go our way, but the view was worth the trip. Hard 1-0 loss for @wdcfc.bsky.social, but a brilliant sky over the NWCFL action tonight. #nonleaguefootball

Small town luck is having a local craft bar that pulls the best releases. Essential infrastructure for a night in, featuring the new Trade project collab cans from Beak, Rivington, and Baron. It is a top-tier lineup to take home. #Bskybeer

Some beers and food in the new part of Manchester - St Johns. Kept the beer local, pint of Sureshot and Manchester Union Larger. And chicken with 50% off, winner winner chicken dinner. #BskyBeer

⚽ @wdcfc.bsky.social v Isle of Man FC 🏆 NWCL Premier Division 🏟️ Brookburn Road A rare midweek trip to West last night. West looked comfortable at 3-0 up with only 10 minutes left on the clock. Two quick goals from the visitors turned a certain win into a very nervy finish, but they held on.

Just walked out of 28 Days Later: The Bone Temple. It’s a relentless, high-stress watch. Ralph Fiennes is incredible, and Jack O'Connell manages to create a character full of humor and menace. Any concerns about the change in director were misplaced - this is a worthy successor.

I feel like something has changed with Tyskie – in cans, in the UK. It has a chemical taste lately and is giving me headaches, which a four-pack of larger shouldn't give me. It used to be a favorite, but I might have to find a new reliable supermarket lager. #Bskybeer

​I received a Japanese snack box for Christmas. Some of the flavors are unusual - like matcha KitKats - but the packaging design is very very very cool.

I watched Tron: Ares last night. Someone described it as a £200 million music video for the new Nine Inch Nails album, which feels accurate. It’s mediocre at best and might actually kill the franchise. Jared Leto’s performance was entirely on cruise control. 🎬🎥

I only lived in Macclesfield for about a year, but I’m so chuffed for the town today. It’s a place full of people working hard to make it a great place to live, and they deserve this moment. What a result for the #Silkmen.

Better late than never. Here are a few shots from Saturday in Hebden Bridge. The @foxandgoose.org was looking great, followed by a very cold pint outside the Oldgate. People say the first weekend after NYE is quiet, but Hebden was heaving. #BskyBeer

There is something uniquely satisfying about spending the holiday break working through a new Lego build.

An early birthday gift, cracked open for New Years Eve (Toulouse sneaking into the photo bottom left) . #BskyBeer

400-1066 BC is my favorite era. From Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and Viking raids to the survival of Wessex and the Norman Conquest, the history is pure drama. @marcmorris.bsky.social covers this fascinating period with incredible detail and flair. #Booksky #History

White Cloth Hall in Leeds- ran by the same people behind the brilliant Whitelocks Ale House. Nice pint of Kirkstall, great slice of Scillian Pizza in a very atmospheric setting. #BskyBeer

And finally on the beers. Dad sent me home with a care package yesterday, but was up early to drive to Leeds this morning so I resisted the temptation last night. Now it's on. 🍻 #BskyBeer

Merry Christmas everyone from Poppy & Toulouse. Both are full of festive cheer.... 🎁🎄

All I wanted was a pain au chocolat and some cat food. I expected a quiet Christmas Eve in Hebden Bridge, but it’s Manchester Christmas Markets on steroids with people rushing about. It feels like everyone from Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire is here all at once.

​Last day in the office and likely my last pint in Manchester for 2025. Good to see so much Budvar available across the city centre lately. #BskyBeer

Solid Secret Santa haul this year with some Star Wars themed beers. It is impressive that The Empire Beer Co has managed to avoid a Disney lawsuit with these labels and names. #BskyBeer

Surviving Manchester during party season. Balanced out the chaos with a few favorites - Corbieres and Beermoth - and a solid meal at Birria Brothers. Ended up at a few random spots just to find a seat, but it was worth it. #BskyBeer

Spent the afternoon in Levenshulme yesterday before the match. I particularly enjoyed the bar Nordie, which had HB Tegernsee available on draft. The pizza was also excellent. #bskybeer #pizzasky

Friday night football, arguably the biggest derby taking place this weekend as @wdcfc.bsky.social won 2-1 away at Abbey Hey FC thanks to a winner in the 92nd minute. 🎉

My job took me to the spectacular Victoria Baths on the outskirts of Manchester city centre. Opened in 1906, this incredible building won the hearts of the nation during the BBC’s Restoration campaign. A true local gem being brought back to life! #history

Rereading William Gibsons Sprawl Trilogy, preparing for the Apple TV Neuromancer adaptation. If the series captures the trilogy's geniuse-specially the chilling believability of Gibson's future world-it will be essential viewing. The lasting power of these books is their unsettling realism. #BookSky

Earned it. Navigated the crowds and rain in Hebden Bridge for this pain au chocolat. 🥐

​Time to stop throwing it away. It is frustrating seeing the batters do the hard work to get in, only to get out softly. We need to convert those starts into proper scores. Heads down, bat long, and grind it out. 🏏 #ashes