Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has rallied against the reintroduction of local lockdowns in parts of England with high COVID case rates – claiming they “simply do not work”.
The government has so far refused to rule out reimposing tougher sanctions in English regions where a more infectious variant of coronavirus – first identified in India – is causing cases to climb once again.
Bolton is one of the areas to suffer some of the biggest rises – with transmission rates in the borough more than 14 times the national average.
Speaking to Sky on the weekend, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Given though Bolton has been in some form of a lockdown for a year, it’s not a step we want to take but of course we might have to take it and we will if it’s necessary to protect people.”
But GM Mayor Andy Burnham has fought back against talk of local lockdowns this week – claiming that regional restrictions “turn lives upside down, ruin businesses and put young people’s lives on hold – with little effect on containing the virus.”
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There’s a big queue for the vaccine bus at Essa Academy in #Bolton.
Yesterday, the site broke the UK record for the most vaccinations in one day! pic.twitter.com/O2N1uR51Ks
— Hits Radio News | Manchester (@hitsmcrnews) May 18, 2021
Writing in The Mirror, Burnham suggested that people in lockdown areas would simply travel to other parts of England, causing the virus to circulate further.
He stated: “The trust of the public will be lost if local lockdown restrictions are imposed on them just at the time when the Government is easing them everywhere else.
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“And it will be harder for mayors and local leaders to ask the public to observe local lockdowns when the Government hasn’t even tried other solutions that might have prevented them in the first place.”
Burnham claimed the real solution was “staring us right in the face” – and that people needed full income support during self-isolation, whilst high case areas like Bolton should be given permission to vaccinate all people right down to the age of 16.
The queues for a covid vaccine continue to grow in Bolton where high numbers of the Indian variant have been found. More on @GMB tomorrow pic.twitter.com/e4DfAO9Vc2
Greater Manchester is no stranger to local lockdowns.
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In Autumn last year, several boroughs were living under different sets of ever-changing rules. At one stage, Trafford and Bolton were given the green light to lift social curbs on meeting others indoors – only to have the restrictions reimposed on the same day they were due to be removed.
On September 8, Bolton hospitality was blamed for high case rates and the sector was restricted to takeaway-only – with all venues temporarily required to close from 10pm to 5am.
Now, with case rates rising once again, business owners in the borough are concerned that similar restrictions could return; just days after bars, cafes, pubs, cinemas and culture venues reopened to the public on May 17.
Testing has however been ramped up in Bolton to slow the spread and a new vaccine centre has opened – with more than 6,000 local people queuing up to get a COVID shot over the weekend.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to commit to a course of action yet, but said there was nothing yet in the data to suggest England would need to deviate from its roadmap to exiting lockdown.
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He stated: “We’re looking at all the data as it comes in from places like Bolton, Blackburn, Bedford, Sefton” and added that the situation was “under very careful, close review.”
New 24/7 night buses service officially launches in Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
It’s been a long time coming, but Greater Manchester’s new 24/7 night bus service has now officially launched.
As the Bee Network – which is Greater Manchester’s newly-launched integrated transport network – looks to provide much-needed further support to the region’s night time economy and all of those who work within it, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that the 24-hour transport pilot officially kicked off from yesterday (1 September).
Set to run for a full year, after plans for it were first revealed back in February, the trial will run on the V1 and the 36 to help connect Manchester with Leigh and Bolton, via Salford, as these were the first areas to be taken over by the Bee Network.
Services will run at least every hour, 24-hours a day, seven days a week – including on most bank holidays too.
Night buses are here! 🌙🚌
From today, we’re trialling 24-hour services on the V1 and the 36, connecting Manchester with Leigh and Bolton via Salford.
The V1 and 36 have been chosen, not just because they provide bus services to the first Bee Network areas, but also due to their proximity to key night time economy employment sites – such has hotels, bars and clubs, hospitals, and distribution centres.
They also serve areas with high numbers of people who are less likely to own a car, and therefore, are more-likely to use public transport.
The night buses will also use the same capped bus fares that were first introduced in 2022 to provide “a simplified ticket offer” that is consistent with services across the region.
Andy Burnham says the Greater Manchester public has been “crying out” for this new service.
Mayor Andy Burnham stood in front of a new 24/7 Bee Network night bus / Credit: TfGM
“Ensuring that everyone working in our night time economy can access safe, reliable, around-the-clock public transport is hugely important as our thriving region continues to grow,” the Greater Manchester Mayor explained.
“It was clear to us that Greater Manchester can only realise its potential as a catalyst for growth if we have the right infrastructure to get people to and from employment centres whatever the time, day or night.
“Night buses will provide a lifeline to those working in this vitally important sector, where shifts can go on into the night and early morning when public transport options are scarce and personal safety may be a concern.
“I am delighted that tens of thousands of people in Greater Manchester will now be able to benefit from this pilot.”
Featured Image – TfGM
Bolton
Bolton launches new ‘Hollywood of the North’ TV and film location tours
Emily Sergeant
Bolton is leaning into its ‘Hollywood of the North’ nickname by launching new TV and film location tours around the town centre.
Merely months after being named Greater Manchester’s new ‘Town of Culture’, Bolton is already proving why 2024 is its year, as the town is celebrating its shiny new title by celebrating all the times it has been chosen as a filming location for dozens of major film and TV productions over the years.
Over the last decade or so, the Greater Manchester town centre and wider borough has become a favourite for production crews looking to replicate other well-known worldwide locations.
London, New York, and even Moscow are just a couple of the cities Bolton has doubled-up as.
Bolton has launched new ‘Hollywood of the North’ TV and film location tours / Credit: Channel 4 | BBC
Thanks to its cobbled town centre streets – including the iconic Le Mans Crescent – historic buildings and architecture, and striking rural landscapes, camera crews for popular TV shows such as Peaky Blinders, It’s A Sin, Brassic, The Stranger, Fool Me Once, and A Gentleman in Moscow have all rolled into town in recent times.
Happy Valley, Coronation Street, Top Gear, and The Full Monty are just a couple of the others, and two BBC series, Alma’s Not Normal and Red Rose, are even set in Bolton too, as well as being filmed there.
So as you can see, it definitely makes sense why the town has been given the ‘Hollywood of the North’ nickname,
It also makes sense why Bolton Council would want to pay tribute to this by launching a series of tours that taking people around key filming spots with a dedicated tour guide providing fascinating insight on where all the hit shows and films have been shot along the way.
The behind-the-scenes tours are led by local historian and professional tour guide, Suzanne Hindle / Credit: BBC
These new behind-the-scenes tours will feature all of the town’s famous filming spots, and visitors will get to explore places such as court rooms, cells, and Crescent corridors whilst hearing tales of how the industry adapt these unexpected locations to set the scene.
The Bolton TV & Film Tours are led by local historian and professional tour guide, Suzanne Hindle, and will kick off next Sunday (30 August), with others running on selected weekend dates until Friday 4 October.
The tours are suitable for ages 16 and over, last approximately 90-minutes each, and are free to attend, although pre-booking is required and places are limited to 20.
The Manc -
19th May 2021 
