Chester Zoo has announced that it will have to close for the safety of its animals, as Storm Pia is set to bring strong winds across the north west today.
The popular tourist attraction says it’s now working to get in touch with people who had booked an experience at the zoo, including school visits and the ‘Dine with Santa’ experience.
A yellow weather warning is in place for large parts of the UK, including Greater Manchester and Cheshire, until 9pm on Thursday 21 December.
Storm Pia has been named by the Danish Meteorological Institute and is expected to cause travel disruption.
Chester Zoo has taken the decision to close the zoo today, Thursday, to look after all the animals kept there as well as to keep the public safe.
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They wrote: “It’s going to be a bit windy out there tomorrow, so we’re going to have to keep the zoo closed on Thursday 21 December for the safety of our staff, visitors and the animals under our care.
“If you have booked tickets to the zoo for tomorrow then we’ve automatically extended them until the end of June 2024 (this includes pre-booked tickets as part of our ‘kids go free’ offer).
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“You don’t need to do anything, just turn up to the zoo anytime with your confirmation and enjoy your day! If you’ve booked on to an experience, school visit or Dine with Santa, our team will contact you directly.”
Chester Zoo’s Lanterns & Lights festive light trail is expected to run as normal as the weather calms down in the afternoon, but ticket-holders are advised to check the zoo’s social media pages at midday for an official update.
The zoo then added: “We’re really, really sorry for causing any disruption to your plans but we hope you understand. Our team of conservationists will, of course, be at the zoo making sure the animals are tucked up and cared for with their favourite treats.”
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⚠️ Yellow weather warning UPDATED⚠️
The yellow wind warning end time has been brought forward, and the warning impact level has been updated
It also said an official update on reopening the zoo would be shared soon.
The Met Office has said its yellow weather warning for wind may bring the following:
Some bus and train services affected, with some journeys taking longer
Some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport expected
Some short term loss of power and other services
Coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray and/or large waves
Delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges
❗️ZOO CLOSED THURSDAY 21 DECEMBER❗️
It's going to be a bit windy out there tomorrow, so we’re going to have to keep the zoo closed on Thursday 21 December for the safety of our staff, visitors and the animals under our care.
A Wigan dad is searching for the ‘hero’ who helped calm his son’s panic attack while on a busy train
Emily Sergeant
A former rugby player from Wigan is searching for the ‘hero’ who came to his son’s aid when he was having a panic attack on a busy train.
Shaun Ainscough – a former rugby player who played for Wigan Warriors at the start of his career from 2009-10 – was on a packed train home from the match between his former team and St Helens at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday 5 July when his son started having a panic attack.
The 11-year-old boy was crying, screaming, shaking, taking his clothes off, and begging to get off the hot train carriage that was full of people travelling home from the match.
“All the fans [on the train] were singing and we were having a laugh, although because we were all stood up, we literally couldn’t sit anywhere,” Shaun explained to the BBC in an interview.
Shaun says he then became overwhelmed with emotion himself as he saw his son in distress, to the point where he also started crying.
But then, a woman – whose name is still unknown – came to the rescue and spent the entire rest of the journey trying to calm the boy, reassuring him with words and using a handheld fan to calm him down.
Shaun has since put out a post on social media – which has been seen by thousands of people – asking for the woman to come forward, as the pair are desperate to thank her in person and ‘give her some flowers’.
“It might not have seemed like a big deal to her but the small act was massive and we just want to say thank you,” Shaun explained.
“She could read something over text, but in person means so much more, and maybe we could give her some flowers just to show how much we appreciated her that day.”
He concluded: “This hero came over and ended up being the strongest person on the train.”
Beaches close to Manchester that you don’t need to drive for hours to reach
Danny Jones
Now, when we’re lucky enough for the sun to hit big and hard in and around the North West, it’s common for people to start searching ‘beaches close to Manchester’, and that’s exactly why we’re here – you’re welcome.
Ian Brown of The Stone Roses famously said, “Manchester has everything but a beach”, and while he’s technically right, we are lucky enough to be close to a fair few.
Whether it’s down the other end of the Mersey, over near our friends in Yorkshire, or up in nearby Cumbria, you can get to plenty of beaches and/or similar settings that are roughly 90 minutes or so from Greater Manchester.
Let’s not waste one more single second of sunbathing time, shall we?
The top 10 best beaches near Manchester
1. Urmston Beach – Trafford
First up, we’re going with the only kind of beach in the 10 boroughs that comes to mind: Urmston Beach, not far from the nearby Meadows, Ashton-upon-Mersey, Sale and other parts of Trafford and the surrounding areas.
It may only be a little one and more of a stony/gravely affair as opposed to the boundless white Belize (let’s be reasonable now), but it’s still a beloved local attraction perfect for a day out with family, friends, or if you just need some time to yourself near the water with a good book.
— Monica NAUGHTON Crimmins (@MonicaCrimmins) April 18, 2021
2. Gaddings Dam – Todmorden
Heading over to West Yorkshire now and the town of Todmorden in Calderdale, Gaddings Dam is a surprisingly intimate slice of sand next to a Victorian reservoir, with the embankment serving as an ideal spot for a mini beach day.
Less than an hour away by car – and not too awkward to get to by train, either – it still feels like a bit of a hidden gem unless you’re from closer to the region yourself, where plenty of people flock over the year; it’s also dubbed ‘Britain’s highest beach’, but we will warn you that it’s fairly remote with no real facilities.
The first of a few from our Northwestern cousins and football rivals down the river, many of you already know and love Formby Beach, but for anyone who hasn’t tried it before, it’s well worth the short journey up the M62.
You can also get there by rail as fast as an hour and 20 minutes if you time the right service, and once you’re there, you’ll see why so many make a regular pilgrimage to see the sand dunes and pinewoods frequented by red squirrels. Great parking and dog-friendly – no-brainer.
4. Ainsdale Beach – Southport
Not too far from Formby and further along the same Sefton coast, a criminally unsung alternative is Ainsdale Beach near Southport, which boasts great facilities and family-friendly activities such as swimming, watersports and the nearby nature reserve.
It’s another one that’s super easy and affordable to get to on public transport; they even hold a Blue Flag award for top-notch conditions when it comes to water, safety, environmental education, conservation and all-round coastal management.
Next on the list from our specific ‘Mer-seaside’ selection (you can have that one for free) is arguably the other best-known one besides Formby: Crosby.
Just five miles from central Liverpool, lots of people visit not only for the sands but also for laid-back leisure at The Bus Yard Bar, and striking public open-access installations like Sir Anthony Gormley’s Another Place, known colloquially as the ‘Iron Men’. Well worth seeing for yourself if you haven’t before.
Moving over to West Kirby on the Wirral, this picturesque part of the peninsula promises more than 300 metres of reasonably soft beaches, more Liverpudlian sand dunes and its stunning Marine Lake.
One of the best things to do here is wait for low tide when you can walk out to the Hilbre Islands nearby – but please, as always, be safe and responsible whenever you’re doing anything like this.
Also in roughly the same vicinity – though this one is technically in the town of Wallasey within the wider Wirral borough – New Brighton Beach certainly does a decent job of living up to the name.
It’s renowned for various landmarks including the recognisable lighthouse, shops and street art in and around the Victoria Quarter and along the promenade, not to mention the Floral Pavilion, Fort Perch Rock, ‘The Mermaid Trail’, restaurants, bars and MUCH more. There’s even a pirate, yes, pirate ship.
You can really make a full weekend out of this one.
A similarly Victorian-era seafront setup can be found in the affluent area of Lytham, known not only for its popular music festival but also for golf courses, a historic Georgian Hall and, of course, the beach.
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The sands themselves are almost as luxurious as the area itself, and it’s probably one of the most ‘golden’ surfaces you’ll find in this part of the world – perfect for a game of bat and ball. With buses, trains and driving routes all clocking in at just over an hour, it’s an ideal option for a day out.
Our penultimate pick is – surprise, surprise – the iconic seaside town and home of the Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, where we’ve enjoyed so many memories throughout our childhoods, adolescence and well into adulthood, too.
Whether you just want really good fish and chips, a stick of rock, foot-long sausage butties on sub rolls, a go on the Grand National ride, or actually want to walk down from the seaside and onto the beach itself, it may never have become the ‘Las Vegas of the North’, but there’s still plenty to entertain you.
For instance, they’ve got a brand new live music festival that should draw extra crowds moving forward.
Last but not least, it’s definitely more of a lakeshore than a traditional beach, but you’ll still see plenty of people treating it like the latter, especially during a heatwave.
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You don’t need to be told how lovely it is to spend time travelling up in the Lakes, but if you’d rather a scenic trip up to Cumbria to enjoy the stunning vistas whilst lying on your back, soaking in the rays and maybe dipping your toes in a few slightly smaller bodies of water, this tourist hotspot is a great choice.
There’s a resident parkrun event, watersports and boat hire available, an aquarium close-by and plenty of other stuff to do besides pretend you’re on a little holiday.
Here’s hoping we’ve given you a few decent suggestions when it comes to beaches near Greater Manchester, and if we’ve missed any off the list, please do let us know in the comments.
We’re sure you will, as always.
Meanwhile, if you’re happy to stay within the region but still fancy a taste of waterside leisure sometime soon, how do you fancy hopping in a canoe?…
Daisy Jackson -
21st December 2023 
