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Family pay tribute to ‘beloved’ teenage motorcyclist who died in Wigan off-road crash

"He touched more hearts than many do in a lifetime."

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 27th June 2024

The heartbroken family of a teenager motorcyclist who died in an off-road crash in Wigan have paid tribute to him.

Josh Sharpe is being remembered for his “empathy and generosity”.

The 19-year-old “much-loved son, brother, and partner” sadly lost his life following a fatal collision at Astley Raceway, close to the Wigan town of Tyldesley, this past Saturday (22 June), despite the best efforts of all emergency services who attended the scene.

The “very sporty” teenager developed a love for motorbikes at a “very young age”, according to his family in their touching tribute paid to him.

“Josh was very sporty and excelled naturally in football,” the family’s tribute begins.

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“He played for Rishton United Football Club Juniors and Hyndburn Youths. Josh’s love for motorbikes developed at a very young age and he often rode them with his Dad on weekends. Although he has always loved motorbikes, it wasn’t until he was financially independent that he was able to enjoy this hobby more frequently with his friends.”

Josh’s family highlighted his “kindness” as being the quality that stood out the most.

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“He had an ability to sense when someone needed a friend, a kind word, or a gentle smile,” their tribute continues.

The family of a ‘beloved’ teenage motorcyclist who died in an off-road crash in Wigan have paid tribute to him / Credit: GMP

“He was always the first to offer help, never asking for anything in return. His empathy and generosity were beyond his years, qualities that made him beloved by everyone who knew him. In his short life, he touched more hearts than many do in a lifetime.”

Following the tragic incident, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has launched an investigation and is appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the incident at the track, but has not yet been spoken to, to come forward to provide information.

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Anyone with information can contact police via 0161 856 4741, 101, or alternatively, online at gmp.police.uk quoting log 1673 of 22/06/24.

You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Featured Image – GMP

News

This Manchester suburb has just been named one of the UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live in 2024

Thomas Melia Thomas Melia Didsbury named one of the best places to live in the UK

An annual poll has named the Manchester suburb of Didsbury spot among 70 locations said to be the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.

Greater Manchester has got lots to say for itself, especially with its diverse and unique cultural landscapes, as well as various vibrant communities, so it comes as no surprise that one of our beautiful suburbs has been voted in a list of the UK’s happiest places to live for this year.

The survey included submissions from 5,000 people and there’s a lot of love being shown to the neighbouring areas of Yorkshire like Doncaster, Bingley, and Harrogate – the lattermost placed in second in the entire country.

But, ranking 62nd out of a possible 70 places, the distinct and vibrant area of Didsbury has been noticed by Furniturebox as one of the ‘happiest’ places to live in the UK.

Credit: The Manc Group

The results took into consideration good state schools, affordable housing, as well as accessibility to pubs, bars, restaurants, independent shops, retailers and more.

With multiple parks, walking destinations, and top-notch travel links with Bee Network trams and buses easily taking you back into the city centre and out to other boroughs, East, West and Didsbury Village all remain some of the most sought-after areas in the region.

There’s a whole host of indie retailers to enjoy, especially on the likes of the main high street and Burton Road, which effectively serves as its own cultural district, home to vintage clothing shops like Steranko, tailored styling opticians Fox Brothers and much more.

Burton Rd also boasts countless fantastic food and drink spots like The Great Kathmandu, SANTÉ, Volta and Proove Pizza, just to name a few; we’ve spent plenty of time just on this stretch of Didsbury alone.

If you’ve spent even a little time in Dids, you’ll know there’s plenty going on and it’s certainly one our happiest places in all of Greater Manchester and therefore the UK.

You can also enjoy the famous ‘Didsbury Dozen’ right on your doorstep.

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Elsewhere, and somewhat unsurprisingly, Shakespeare’s ever-romanticised hometown of Stratford-Upon-Avon once again reigned supreme at the top of this list.

That being said, it’s refreshing to see that these locations weren’t entirely related to wealth and similar factors, the survey took affordability into careful consideration.

Cheshire was destined for success with its cracking views and grand properties, as the North West county made waves for the region managing to place in fifth position, holding up against Falmouth in Cornwall which placed in sixth.

Although not nabbing that all-important top spot, Didsbury is carrying the flag for 0161 and showing what all know to be true: Northerners do it best.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images – The Manc Group

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A Greater Manchester town could be set to get a train station for the first time in 60 years

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

It’s been a whopping six decades, but the residents of one local town could soon be able to hop on a train out of there.

That’s because a planning application for a brand-new £32 million station in Golborne – which would connect the Greater Manchester town, in the Wigan borough, to the rail network for the first time in more than 60 years – has been submitted to Wigan Council, meaning connectivity is finally one step closer to becoming reality.

In case you didn’t know, Golborne currently has no direct bus, train, or tram services to Manchester, and Leigh is the biggest town in England without a rail station, while the wider area is the largest and most-populous area in Greater Manchester not connected to the rail network.

The milestone aims to boost access to jobs and opportunities for people in the town and the wider Wigan borough.

According to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the Golborne station scheme forms part of a wider ambition to bring eight commuter lines into the Bee Network by 2028 – of which “significant investment” has been put into.

The application includes plans for a new accessible two-platform rail station, including step-free access throughout with a footbridge across the tracks and lifts to both platforms, a new hourly service between Wigan and Manchester Victoria, and onwards to Stalybridge, an improved town centre car park, and also new walking and cycling links to the town centre.

The submitting of the proposals comes after nearly 3,000 people had their say on the station earlier this year, with more than 90% of respondents supporting the plans.

A CGI of what the proposed new Golborne station could look like, if plans are approved / Credit: TfGM

If the plans are approved by Wigan Council, work on the site should begin in 2026, according to TfGM, with the new station scheduled to open in 2027.

Mayor Andy Burnham called the submitting of the proposals a “transformative step” for the region.

“It has taken a huge effort to get us to this point,” he explained. “But we have finally reached a major milestone on the journey to reconnect Golborne to the rail network for the first time in over 60 years.

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“The proposal is based on extremely sound evidence and huge progress has been made with a planning application being submitted and overwhelming support from local residents.”

Featured Image – TfGM

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