The coronavirus outbreak has caused many countries and states around the world to initiate a lockdown. But with the vaccine being administered to people gradually, we expect everything to go back to normal sooner or later.
When everything does return to normal, there are surely some things you will want to tick off your bucket list. This article will discuss a list of things you can do in the Manchester area post lockdown.
Take In All The Countryside of Manchester
North of the city of Manchester, you will find nothing less than 500 sq mi of electrifying countryside that you can explore once the lockdown is over. From historical waterways to picturesque towns, there is plenty of attraction in the city’s countryside.
For example, in Wigan, there is the Country Park and Haigh Hall that has canal towpaths and up to 40 miles of woodland trails. Another highlight in the countryside is the elegant Dovestone Reservoir. It takes around an hour to walk around, and you’ll also see the scenic Pennine village of Saddleworth.
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Visit Chinatown
Another interesting place worth visiting in Manchester city after the lockdown is Chinatown. It is the second-largest in the UK, and several things make the place stand out. There are numerous quality restaurants with a wide range of great meals that will treat your tastebuds to delight.
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The annual Chinese New Year festival, held in February, is also one of the major highlights in Chinatown. It features the dancing dragon famous parade as well as other notable events.
If you love gambling on casino games, you’ll also find a couple of top-class land-based casinos in Chinatown where you can play games like Blackjack and Roulette. However, if you prefer playing online, Platin Casino live UK is a good choice. If you’d like to find out more, check out goldenslot.
Head Out To A Beer Garden
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If you love nature and enjoy drinking beer, a visit to a beer garden in Manchester should be on your list of things to do post lockdown. There are a couple of amazing beer gardens in the city with spectacular views.
While indoor hospitality is gradually coming back up and running, many people will undoubtedly prefer hanging out outdoors, and a beer garden is a great choice for this. It will give you a chance to soak in some vitamin D while also enjoying a few pints.
Some of the notable beer gardens in the city include White Hart in Lydgate, Eagle and Child in Ramsbottom and Worsley Old Hall in Worsley.
Conclusion
Although the coronavirus outbreak has forced many cities into lockdown, we are hopeful that everything will return to normal soon. If you’re in Manchester city or planning to visit, we’ve highlighted a few things you can consider doing post lockdown. You can explore the countryside, where you can see picturesque towns, waterways and other spots of attraction.
Besides that, you can visit Chinatown where you can enjoy great meals at the restaurants. You can also head out to a beer garden and enjoy some nice views as you drink some pints of beer. Whatever you decide to do after the lockdown, make sure you have some fun.
News
Teen sentenced after deliberately driving into a female police officer in Stockport
Emily Sergeant
A teen who deliberately drove into a female police officer at a retail park Stockport earlier this year has been sentenced.
Harvey Bell was at a retail park on Wilmslow Road in Cheadle back on 25 January 2025 when he seriously injured a Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer during a shocking incident – which left the officer requiring hospital treatment.
At the time, the 19-year-old from Knutsford was present while police were investigating reports of class C drug use in a car park.
Police parked in front of an Audi and the officer signalled for Bell to remain stationary and turn the engine off, but instead he reversed, and as the officer approached the front windscreen, Bell drove at the officer, knocking her to the ground.
He then proceeded to drive over her legs with both sets of wheels, before heading out of the car park at speed.
#JAILED | A man who deliberately drove into a police officer in Stockport has been jailed.
Harvey Bell (12/08/2005) has been sentenced to 31 months in a Young Offenders Institute and was disqualified from driving for two years.
— Stockport Police (GMP) (@GMPStockport) June 4, 2025
Bell was subsequently arrested the following day and made no comment in his police interview, but then went on to plead guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, as well as possession of cannabis on 27 March 2025.
The teen appeared at Manchester Crown Court this week where he was sentenced to 31 months in a Young Offenders Institute, and was also disqualified from driving for two years – which will take effect when he is released.
“What [Bell] did to me is permanently in the back of my mind, every call I go to, I feel the apprehension, the fear that any incident, no matter how innocuous it appears, can end with being assaulted or hurt,” the officer explained in a powerful victim impact statement read in court.
“This is an unseen result of Bell’s assault on me.”
She continued: “I know that Bell’s abhorrent behaviour is an exception, and the majority of the public we serve do not wish us harm, but assaults on police need to stop. An attack on a police officer is an attack on us all.
“Bell is a danger to society and had total disregard for my life.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
IKEA announces decision to close popular Greater Manchester site
Emily Sergeant
It’s the end of the road for one of IKEA’s popular Greater Manchester sites.
The Swedish furniture giant has announced its decision to close its ‘Plan and Order Point’ over in Stockport in a couple of weeks time.
The store – which is located in Stockport town centre’s Merseyway Shopping Centre – launched to huge success back in March 2023, and at the time, was the second of this ‘test and trial’ format to open in the UK, becoming a smaller space dedicated to kitchen and home planning, as well as ordering items.
IKEA says the closure comes as a result of ‘valuable learnings’ which plan to take this conceptual format in a direction to ‘better suit the needs of UK customers’.
IKEA is closing its close popular Stockport site this month / Credit: Jon Super (via IKEA)
Since the opening of the Stockport Plan and Order Point, IKEA claims it has seen an increased demand for Click and Collect services, a desire by customers to shop a smaller selection of home furnishing accessories, as well as the ability to return goods to physical IKEA units, and this is all something which the current location is unable to offer.
Learning from this change in consumer habits, the company says its future Plan and Order Point openings – including in those in other northern cities like Hull and York – will offer these services.
IKEA says it also remains ‘committed’ to trialling new formats, such as its upcoming small stores, one of which will open in nearby Chester later this year.
Luckily for IKEA fans, the retailer has confirmed that its major Greater Manchester store in Ashton-under-Lyne, as well as the neighbouring store in Warrington, will remain open as normal, offering all the services available at Stockport and more.
The Swedish furniture says the closure comes as a result of ‘valuable learnings’ about customer needs / Credit: Jon Super (via IKEA)
In addition to the upcoming opening of a smaller store in Chester, IKEA has revealed that the North West continues to be an area of interest for future expansion.
“After careful evaluation, we’ve made the difficult decision to close the IKEA Plan and Order Point at Merseyway Shopping Centre,” explained Salma Azad, who is one of IKEA’s Area Managers.
“In the two years since opening, we’ve taken valuable learnings, including how our customers prefer to meet IKEA, and we’ll take these insights into future openings, to serve shoppers in a more impactful way.”
Thanks to last year’s Click and Collect expansion, Stockport residents can now pick up purchases from Tesco Extra Stockport and Tesco Extra Stretford, as well as the Manchester store and the upcoming small store in Chester.
Stockport Plan and Order Point’s final day of trading will be on 16 June.
The Manc -
21st July 2021 
