Cheshire

Tatton Park is still partly closed following Storm Arwen ‘trail of destruction’

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 30th November 2021

National Trust site Tatton Park is still unable to fully reopen following a night of ‘chaos’ when Storm Arwen ripped through the region.

The popular attraction has been left without external power, forcing it to close its restaurants and shops, and scale back its One Snowy Night festive event.

Tatton Park in Knutsford was fully closed on Saturday and had to cancel its first day of Father Christmas meets.

The park has been able to gradually reopen some areas since then.

Storm Arwen hit Greater Manchester on Friday night and into Saturday, temporarily closing the M62 when more than 100 lorries were stuck in the snow.

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Winds in the UK hit up to 98mph, and three people were tragically killed.

Tatton Park said Arwen left a ‘trail of destruction’, dumping debris across the site.

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In an update posted today, they said that Scottish Power and site staff are busy trying to restore power and tidy up from the huge storm.

The post reads: “Unfortunately, despite our best efforts we are still badly affected by Storm Arwen.

Read more: The Coca-Cola Christmas Truck is coming back to Manchester

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“Teams have been busy clearing up and repairing damage but an external power cut means we still have no mains power. Our electrical supplier, Scottish Power, are working on this, but it’s a changing situation by the hour and sadly out of our control.”

The parkland is now open again, as are the toilet facilities in the Stableyard, though the restaurants and shops remain closed.

Visitors are advised to book their parking in advance online or bring cash, as the power outage has left Tatton Park without tills.

One Snowy Night is going ahead but with no food and drink on offer – refunds are available.

Featured image: Facebook – Tatton Park

Cheshire

Influential indie veterans The Wedding Present to embark on 40th anniversary tour

Danny Jones Danny Jones Wedding Present Manchester gig date tickets

Influential indie band The Wedding Present are about to begin a big live tour across the UK for their 40th anniversary, and one stop is right here in Manchester.

As boundary-pushing veterans of the genre for the best part of four decades, The Wedding Present have always been one of the most pioneering auteurs of the Northern music scene, and nothing has changed even after all this time.

The Leeds-formed icons are a favourite not only of ours but even more so among our friends over at The Hoot, and with an artistic legacy as strong as Yorkshire’s, that’s saying something.

David Lewis Gedge’s long-standing project rather quietly announced its major retrospective series of live shows back in June – so quiet, in fact, that we missed it until now – but as they gear up for a handful of very special dates, we’d urge Manc gig-goers to give themselves a Wedding Present.

Gedge and co. will be coming to the O2 Ritz in Manchester for just the second show of merely half a dozen confirmed for The Wedding Present 40th Anniversary Tour, having played the venue many times.

In fact, even after visits featuring live configurations over the years, the current lineup played the Ritz as recently as May 2023; the show was met with strong reviews pretty much across the board, and it seemed to signal somewhat of a falling back in love with the crowds of the North.

For anyone unaware of the self-styled ‘semi-legendary band’ (their PR’s words, not ours), The Wedding Present are probably in similar territory to fellow underdogs and Manc natives, James, when it comes to the amount of music they’ve put out over the years, inspiring generations of those who came after.

You might assume we’d name one of their most famous tracks, ‘George Best’, as our favourite, for rather obvious reasons – but you’d be wrong: it doesn’t get much better than ‘Dreamworld’, if you ask us.

Their rich back catalogue encompasses not only so many different eras but also sounds, styles and various other eccentricities; so much so that their multi-genre-spanning music has even produced its own musical.

But before we dive any deeper down into the rabbit hole, let’s get back on track.

Set to play Manchester on Friday, 10 October, The Wedding Present will be kicking off the tour in Bristol at the start of next month.

There are other dates in the likes of Sheffield, Liverpool, Chester, Holmfirth, Buxton, Newcastle and more, but only a few are officially part of the anniversary tour.

Tickets are live as we speak, so if you fancy going along to see them, you can grab yours HERE.

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Featured Images — Karl Kathuria (supplied)

Cheshire

Two Trafford towns are set to see dozens of new EV charging points installed imminently

Danny Jones Danny Jones New EV charging points being installed in Trafford Borough

Two big towns on the border of Greater Manchester and Cheshire are set to see a fresh batch of electric vehicle (EV) charging points installed throughout their streets by Trafford Council very soon.

Local authorities have teamed up with engineering and infrastructure company Amey to roll out a series of new EV charging stations across Trafford, starting with Altrincham and Hale.

Dating all the way back to 2020, the collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the brand was tasked with helping improve sustainable travel across the area as the government body’s electric vehicle charging suppliers.

Steady improvements have been made across the 10 boroughs, but this particular update marks one of the biggest network upgrades that the likes of Alty and Hale have seen for some time.

Issuing a statement on Wednesday, 17 September, the firm – which specialises in managing, designing and maintaining complex facilities and transport infrastructure across the country – announced that they will “start the installation of EV charging points in Trafford in the coming weeks.”

It is expected that “up to 100 new public charges” will be integrated throughout the respective town centres and residential streets as the suburbs continues to push towards its sustainability goals.

As per Altrincham Today, Amey account director Anna Gornall said: “We’re excited to launch our first EV charge points in Trafford, working in partnership with Trafford Council (TC) to make electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities.

“As the UK’s leading provider of energy transition and decarbonisation solutions, we’re well placed to use our existing expertise and resources to support TC in delivering a holistic public EV charging network for local communities.

“We’re helping residents make the switch, so everyone can plug in and power a greener Trafford.”

The country at large has various carbon-free initiatives, including the aspiration of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; the electoral ward of Trafford itself continues to thrive in this field, having recently won environmental accolades, including 12 ‘Green Flag Awards’ this past July.

Peter Anderson, Managing Director of Transport Infrastructure at Amey, commented: “This is a pivotal moment in Amey’s energy transition strategy. By leveraging our extensive experience in whole lifecycle asset management, strong partnerships, and innovative solutions, we can deliver value for both our clients and members of the public who will use Amey’s electric vehicle charge points.

“Working with Trafford Council, we are making electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities and helping residents make the switch to EVs.

“Amey is well-positioned to support emerging opportunities within this landscape, and we are delighted to be working with Trafford and other local authorities to provide the public EV infrastructure needed to achieve the government’s transition to net zero.”

As for Trafford Council, Corporate Director of Place, Richard Roe, went on to add: “We are delighted to be working with Amey on this project to bring more and better charging options to the people of Trafford.

“This is an extension to the current EV charging options in the borough and is great news for committed EV owners and those who are thinking about going electric.”

The incredible plans to build floating walkways over Manchester’s waterways
The new slate of EV charging points will be funded by City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements – and that’s not all…

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

Featured Images — Publicity pictures (via Amey Ltd)

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