England has entered another national lockdown: Here’s what you need to know
Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that England would enter another national lockdown on Monday (January 4) - citing "a frustrating and alarming" rise in COVID cases as the need for tough action.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that England would enter another national lockdown on Monday (January 4) – citing “a frustrating and alarming” rise in COVID cases as the need for tough action.
Speaking from Downing Street, the PM’s third lockdown announcement since the start of the pandemic struck a sombre tone – warning that the next few weeks ahead would be “the hardest yet”.
The UK has recorded more than 50,000 cases per day for one week straight – with medical chiefs warning that the NHS could be overrun in just 21 days if infection rates continue to soar.
A new mutated variant has been blamed for the increase in COVID cases – which have now toppled more than 2.7 million.
The latest lockdown – which has no scheduled end date but is expected to last until mid-February – has been designed to limit social contact and bring the R number back down in England to protect the NHS, with the PM saying he believed this would be “the last phase of the struggle.”
‘Lockdown 3’ is more comparable to the first lockdown seen back in March – with most premises forced to close and people being urged to stay at home as much as possible.
Here’s what you need to know about the latest lockdown rules.
Many pupils are being told to stay at home until February – with learning continuing remotely for most students instead.
However, vulnerable children and the children of critical workers can attend school or college as normal.
Early years settings such as nurseries will also stay open.
End-of-year exams – such as GCSEs and A Levels – will not take place this summer as normal.
Higher Education provision will remain online until mid-February for all except future critical worker courses.
Can I meet others?
Gabriella Clare Marino / Unsplash
The new rules state you cannot leave your home to meet anyone you do not live with or who isn’t in your support bubble.
You are allowed to leave your property to exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble.
You should not meet other people you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, “unless for a permitted reason.”
Larger gatherings are mostly banned.
Places of worship may remain open.
Wedding receptions can take place with a maximum of six people in attendance.
Funerals can proceed with a maximum of 30 people. Wakes and other linked ceremonial events are limited to six people.
Is sport allowed?
Jannik Skorna / Unsplash
Outdoor sports venues including golf courses, tennis courts and outside gyms must close.
Amateur sports are not allowed, but elite sport – including Premier League football – will continue.
Which businesses can stay open?
Adrien Delforge / Unsplash
Most premises must close under the latest lockdown measures – including all non-essential retail, hairdressers, bars, restaurants, cafes, animal attractions, entertainment venues and community centres.
However, essential retail businesses such as food shops, supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres, building merchants/suppliers of building products, and off-licences can all stay open.
The government has also confirmed the following businesses can continue to trade:
Market stalls selling essential retail
Businesses providing repair services may also stay open, where they primarily offer repair services
Petrol stations, automatic (but not manual) car washes, vehicle repair and MOT services, bicycle shops, and taxi and vehicle hire businesses
Banks, building societies, post offices, short-term loan providers and money transfer businesses
Funeral directors
Laundrettes and dry cleaners
Medical and dental services
Vets and retailers of products and food for the upkeep and welfare of animals
Animal rescue centres, boarding facilities and animal groomers (may continue to be used for animal welfare, rather than aesthetic purposes)
Agricultural supplies shops
Mobility and disability support shops
Storage and distribution facilities
Car parks, public toilets and motorway service areas
Outdoor playgrounds
Outdoor parts of botanical gardens and heritage sites for exercise
Crematoriums and burial grounds
Restaurants, bars and cafes can continue to offer delivery and takeaway services for food.
For the full list of national lockdown rules and regulations, head on over to the government website.
News
There’s a World Gravy Wrestling Championship near Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
Just on the outskirts of Greater Manchester, there’s a country pub set in a rural village that hosts a world gravy wrestling championship.
Leave it to us northerners to organise a world gravy wrestling championship because let’s face it, there’s nothing more northern than plummeting yourself into bucket loads of gravy.
At The Rose ‘N’ Bowl in the village of Stacksteads, it’s not just their meals they’re drenching in the brown nectar; they drench any willing guest in this beige saucy goodness too as part of the World Gravy Wrestling Championships.
Here’s a little taster from nearly a decade ago.
Participants are expected to wrestle in the gravy for two minutes, with the winner being judged not only on their play-fighting skills but also on their choice of fancy dress, comedy effect and entertainment.
Past wrestlers have rocked up as zebras, racehorse jockeys and famous TV characters like Ali G and Mickey Mouse.
Each wrestler is encouraged to raise money on behalf of a charity of their choice, but if you don’t have one, donations will be sent to East Lancashire Hospice, which has helped people countywide suffering from life-limiting illness for the past 30 years.
The World Gravy Wrestling Championships have been held outside this very pub for over a decade, with the first ever event taking place at a car park in Wigan before it found a permanent home outside The Rose ‘N’ Bowl.
And if swimming in a pool of gravy isn’t for you, don’t fret because there’s a handful of sauce-free activities you can get involved with spread throughout the pub’s car park.
Fret not, past events have included bouncy castles, cheerleading performances, craft beer stalls, cake and tombola stands and even a BB gun shooting range that are all completely gravy-free.
There will even be help from a local fire brigade who will be on hand to wash down wrestlers in between their gravy-filled tournament, so they can wander round all the stalls too.
The 2025 World Gravy Wrestling Championships are coming to The Rose ‘N’ Bowl in Stacksteads on 25 August, with tickets available in person only, but plenty of information about the event HERE.
If you’re after signing up to be one of the wrestlers at this event, applications are still open and you can get stuck in with all the details you need HERE.
And if that wasn’t enough Northern food competitive action, we’ll catch you at the World Black Pudding Hurling Championships, innabit.
Inside this Victorian mansion with 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and more near Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
There’s a million-pound Victorian-style mansion that has 10 bedrooms and its own personal swimming pool just outside of Greater Manchester.
Just like the childhood nursery rhyme, “There were three in the bed and the little one said… there’s another seven beds, roll over!” or at least that’s how they remember it in this character property.
Located in Warrington, less than an hour away from Manchester city centre, this property is a semi-detached Victorian property built in 1860, with 10 bedrooms and its own private swimming pool, all spread across four floors.
As soon as you enter the foyer, your eyes are drawn to the sleek silver chandelier before you notice the grand staircase, which feels like a piece of living history.
Inside this Victorian mansion with 10 bedrooms and a swimming pool near Greater Manchester / Credit: On The Market)
The ground floor hosts two of a whopping 10 bedrooms alongside a teal-toned farmhouse-style kitchen and that extremely impressive swimming pool with its own built-in projector.
In the kitchen, the focal point is the large wrap-around kitchen unit, which is accompanied by a variety of hanging lights and a big central island.
On the way to the swimming pool, there are a handful of lockers identical to those found in a leisure and as you enter the room, your eyes are drawn to the island-inspired feature wall.
Venture upstairs to the first floor and you’re greeted by five spacious bedrooms with one having its own en-suite while the rest share a main bathroom.
Each of these bedrooms follows a completely different design style, with the largest following a muted grey palette with pops of yellow thanks to the artwork and bed accessories.
The grand staircase and one of ten bedrooms inside this Victorian mansion near Greater Manchester / Credit: On The Market
As you go upstairs again, you’ll find (you guessed it) even more bedrooms, three to be exact, with the standout
The stand-out of this second floor is the navy-walled bedroom with a vintage vanity unit, patterned floor-to-ceiling curtains and a similarly dark-blue rug to match its four walls.
Another flight of stairs and you’ve finally reached the top of this property, and there’s an LED-lined ceiling and a neutral bedroom colour scheme of greys, whites and everything in between.
There are various amenities nearby, including three schools and three train stations… for if you get fed up of strolling around your four-floored ten-bed, swimming pool-owning mansion.
Two contrasting bedrooms found within this Victorian mansion near Greater Manchester / Credit: On The Market
We know this property may not be in the price range and might not be affordable for a lot of readers, ourselves included, but we can dream, right?
You can check out this Victorian mansion and flick through even more pictures of this property – Snooping never hurt anybody? Official site HERE.
As always, make sure to check out The Manc‘s property page to check all the other stunning structures currently on sale/in progress across Greater Manchester and in the nearby North West.
The Manc -
5th January 2021 
