HM Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96 on 8 September 2022.
During her reign, she served as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth – undertaking an important symbolic and unifying role as a head of state, spanning numerous geographical regions, cultures, and religions.
She was not just the longest-reigning British monarch in history, but she was also the first-ever monarch to reign in the UK for 70 years.
With the UK now in a period of national mourning, it has been confirmed by Buckingham Palace and the UK government that on the day of the State Funeral, at 11am in Westminster Abbey on Monday 19 September, will be a bank holiday – giving mourners nationwide the chance to properly pay their respects to the late monarch.
The day before the State Funeral, a ‘National Moment of Reflection’ will be also held in the form of a one-minute silence on Sunday at 8pm, and the public is being encouraged to observe this either privately at home, with friends and family, out on doorsteps or the street with neighbours, or at locally arranged community events and vigils.
But for the Greater Manchester residents who are planning on making the journey down to London for the funeral, or travelling in general, some travel information and advice has now been issued by TfGM and GMP.
TfGM and GMP has issued travel advice for travel on the day of the State Funeral / Credit: TfGM
Due to the State Funeral being declared a bank holiday, this means that many public transport services across Greater Manchester will be operating on an amended timetable – with both bus and Metrolink services operating to a Sunday timetable.
Many transport services will also pause at 8pm on Sunday to observe the one-minute silence.
Following the end of the funeral service, another two-minute silence will be held, and again, as a result of this, TfGM says Metrolink services will pause at 11:50am to observe the silence, and will resume following the completion of it.
Passengers on board the trams will be notified when the silence begins and ends.
/ Credit: Network Rail
For those travelling by rail, services will be operating to a standard weekday timetable on Monday 19 September – however, services to London between now and Monday are expected to be exceptionally busy due to “the unprecedented number of people likely to be travelling to the capital”, TfGM explains.
This means that some passengers may not get a seat for a period or all of the journey, and they are urged to book in advance and allowing extra time for your trip.
Passengers are also advised to check the latest customer information before travelling, as tickets will still be required on all services, but peak restrictions will not apply on the day as it is a bank holiday.
Find out more about travel on the day of the State Funeral on the TfGM website here.
Featured Image – Network Rail
News
New £350m sustainable neighbourhood in Stockport given the green light
Emily Sergeant
Planning permission has been granted for a new ‘walkable and sustainable’ neighbourhood in Stockport town centre.
A major milestone has been reached for Stockport’s transformation, as the new mixed residential mini-village, ‘Stockport 8’ – which was put forward by the local LLP of the same name, set up as part of a partnership between Stockport Council and ECF (English Cities Fund) – has been given the green light, helping to make it one of the most sustainable and liveable town centres in the UK.
The eight-acre site is just one in a series of regeneration projects led by Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), as part of ambitious plans to develop land west of the town centre under the ‘Town Centre West’ (TCW) scheme.
The development is a key element of the wider £1 billion investment currently being delivered.
The plans were recommended for approval at Stockport’s central area committee at the end of July, and were then approved at planning committee last week (14 August).
A new £350m sustainable neighbourhood in Stockport has been given the green light / Credit: Supplied
Located on land either side of King Street West and next to the historic viaduct, the £350m mixed residential neighbourhood – which includes many affordable properties – is expected to ‘breathe life’ back into what was once a ‘thriving’ area under the railway arches, connecting Stockport Interchange with nearby communities in the process.
The plans will deliver approximately 1,300 new high-quality homes to suit existing residents and new homeowners moving into the Greater Manchester town in the next decade.
There’ll be be a mix of residential properties, including build-to-rent and owner-occupier – with a range of sizes to meet the needs of different households.
The development is also centred around ‘vibrant’ public spaces where people can meet and relax outdoors, helping to improve the wellbeing of residents, while a pedestrian-only street will run through the centre, again to encourage interaction.
“We’re not adopting a one-size-fits-all approach at Stockport 8,” explained Catherine Chilvers, who is the Managing Director of Stockport MDC.
“Instead, we are investing in high-quality and energy- efficient housing that offers so much more for people at all stages of life.
“The development sets the bar high for town centre living, creating a considered neighbourhood for residents along with leisure and employment opportunities, while outdoor squares, with a multitude of uses, will allow people to feel connected and enable families to grow.”
As detailed in the official appeal by Stockport Police, the white female was wearing black shorts, a red top and a black long-sleeve zip-up before she went missing.
Measuring roughly 5’2″ in height, she has long brown hair and had it tied at the time of her last sighting.
Writing on Facebook, fellow Stopfordian residents wrote, “Her parents are very worried about her. Please share”, and “Please keep your eye out for Freya. Very kind-hearted girl. Let’s get her home safely.”
Helping spread the news on social media, GMP went on to add: “Officers are concerned about Freya and want to ensure she is safe and well.”
The post has been shared in Stockport towns such as Bredbury, Hazel Grove and Marple, as well as further across Greater Manchester and the North West in hopes of tracking her down.
Anyone with any info they think might be of use should call 101 ASAP, quoting 3495 of 17/08/25.
Alternatively, you can get in touch with the anonymous referral service Crimestoppers online, or over the phone via 0800 555 111.
Last but not least, if you have urgent information regarding anyone’s safety or a crime being committed, please dial 999 immediately.
Emily Sergeant -
15th September 2022 
