Some say that leaving your Christmas decorations up after January 5th is bad luck – but the landlord at this pub in Tameside doesn’t seem particularly worried.
Walk into The Stamford Arms in Stalybridge this evening and you’ll find punters donning party hats and tucking into gravy-soaked turkey dinners with all the trimmings.
Christmas classics like ‘Santa Baby’ blast from the speakers, whilst an obligatory fir tree stands tall at the bar, decked out in all its festive finery.
Image: The Stamford Arms
In these increasingly strange times, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped into some sort of time portal. In reality, you have… sort of.
Because this month the Stalybridge pub is going all-out: celebrating Christmas in May and giving its customers the chance to make up for all the festivities they missed out on last year.
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Since the reopening of indoor hospitality on Monday, 17th May, The Stamford Arms’ kitchen has been churning out Christmas dinners like nobody’s business – with punters piling in to celebrate the holiday five months later.
Its sister pub in Uppermill, The Cross Keys, is also taking part.
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The idea came from the customers, who were understandably heartbroken at missing out on their Christmas traditions.
“We were a little bit gutted when we found out we couldn’t open at Christmas,” landlord Rebecca Jones, who runs the pub with her husband James, told The MEN.
“I was getting a lot of messages from customers saying ‘the pub looks lovely, we can’t believe we can’t come, we feel like we’re missing out’.”
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So they decided to go for it, and hold Christmas in May. So far, the theme has been a hit, with customers coming out to celebrate with friends and family they might not have seen for months.
Some have even told her that they feel more Christmassy now than they did last December – perhaps unsurprisingly, given the way that last-minute guidance changes put paid to many people’s carefully made plans at the end of 2020.
For many in Manchester, going to the pub with family and friends at Christmas is a rite of passage.
So if you feel like you missed out last year, now’s. your chance.
Feature image – The Stamford Arms.
News
Public urged to call the police if they see this wanted man
Daisy Jackson
Cheshire Police are appealing for the public’s help in tracing a wanted man with links to Macclesfield and Alsager.
Joshua Wyatt, 34, is wanted on recall to prison, and officers are urging anyone who has seen him or knows of his whereabouts to come forward.
Wyatt is described as being 183cm (6ft) tall and of medium build, with a bald head and blue eyes.
Police believe he has links to both Macclesfield and Alsager.
Anyone who sees Wyatt or has information about where he may be is asked to contact Cheshire Police on 101 or report information via the force’s website.
Information should be provided quoting reference number 26000809013.
Huge shuttle bus effort laid on to get Manchester United fans to Old Trafford amid tram disruption
Daisy Jackson
Transport for Greater Manchester has announced a shuttle bus scheme to help Manchester United fans get to Old Trafford this week, amid major tram disruption.
Fans won’t be able to use trams to get to the ground as usual, due to huge improvement works which are in place until Monday 2 November.
There’ll be no trams at all on the Altrincham, Trafford Park, and Eccles lines, with Airport and East Didsbury trams only going as far as Firswood.
That means that fans heading to Manchester United’s home game against Bournemouth would have been a little stuck without this newly-announced shuttle bus service.
Frequent dedicated shuttle buses will run running Piccadilly Gardens, Altrincham Interchange and the Trafford Centre, taking fans directly to Old Trafford before the game.
Frequencies range from five to 20 minutes depending on the route and time, with details available online. Return services will be in place after the final whistle.
TfGM staff will be at key stops and interchanges throughout the day to help fans get to the match and provide travel advice.
Huge shuttle bus effort laid on to get Manchester United fans to Old Trafford amid tram disruption. Credit: TfGM
Ian Davies, TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “There is no good time to disrupt passengers to carry out these works, and this is the first time in over a decade that trams won’t serve Old Trafford on a match day, but these works are essential and will enable us to provide a better service in future. I am very sorry to fans who face disruption.
“We’ve put a range of alternative travel options in place, including dedicated shuttle buses, bolstered Bee Network bus services, rail options and ticket acceptance arrangements will help fans get to and from the game.
“Journey options will be different from usual, so we would encourage supporters to plan ahead, check their route and our website before they travel and leave plenty of time to get to and from the stadium.”
TfGM is advising supporters to leave around an hour earlier to help make sure they arrive in time for kick-off.
Georgina Pellant -
24th May 2021 
