Eleven Northern posties have reportedly been suspended by Royal Mail after they were spotted having cups of tea in the pub on their break.
In a move that has caused major disruption to service, the postal workers – based at the Prenton Delivery Office in the Wirral – were suspended after they were found to be taking their breaks at the Caernarvon Castle pub.
However, pub regular Ian Harris has said he only ever saw the posties drinking tea and coffee in the boozer.
According to Mr Harris, the local posties were given a pot of tea and a pot of coffee and were never seen to be drinking alcohol.
He said that the posties had merely used the facilities to ‘freshen up’, adding: “There wasn’t any alcohol whatsoever used and we the regulars liked to see them.”
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Royal Mail has since been forced to apologise to residents after the controversial action has led to major disruption to local postal services, with some locals saying their post has been arriving more than a week late.
Local politicians have slammed the decision to suspend the posties, with Birkenhead MP revealing that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) had now informed him that three of the suspended posties had now been reinstated.
He said: “I wrote to the local management on July 20 and requested a response to my concerns and clarity on what steps they were taking to improve both industrial relations and delivery services. As of today they haven’t replied.”
He added: “The union stressed they were open to discussions with management to resolve the disciplinary issues and I strongly urge the management to engage constructively with the CWU as the only way to restore normal service and improve industrial relations.
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“However, I would urge the CWU to be vigilant as the management across Royal Mail have a very recent record of attacking the terms and conditions of its staff and provoking disputes.”
A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “We are sorry to residents who have experienced delays. Improving quality of service is our top priority and we are committed to restoring service levels to where our customers expect them to be.
“Efforts at the local delivery office are ongoing to improve this level of service. This includes additional recruitment and the addition of agency staff. Mail continues to be delivered, and anyone who has mail and does not receive it on the day they expect will always be prioritised the following day.
“Across our business we have plans in place to drive service levels. We hope and expect to see further progress in the coming months.”
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
Georgina Pellant -
11th August 2023 
