Dogs Trust Manchester has made a heartfelt special appeal to find a “forever home” for its longest-term resident as lockdown begins to lift in the UK.
Meet Charlie.
The five-year-old Labrador Collie Cross – nicknamed “cheeky Charlie” – has now been a resident at the Denton-based rehoming centre for over 500 days after being taken into care in October 2019, and since then, has seen more than 1,000 of his canine companions head off to their forever homes.
He has already been adopted himself on two other occasions, but sadly though, it was not meant to be for the lively youngster.
The team are now hoping it’ll be third time lucky for the lively youngster.
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Although the centre is still currently closed to the public, as lockdown begins to ease even further across the region and throughout the country, the staff at Dogs Trust Manchester are hoping they will soon be waving a fond farewell to Charlie.
“Charlie is an adorable but anxious boy, so we are looking for a very patient and loving home for him,” said Dawn Bishop, Manager at Dogs Trust Manchester.
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“He is truly part of the Dogs Trust family – but what we really want is for him to have a home and family of his own”.
🐶Dogs Trust Manchester’s longest term resident hopes to find love as lockdown lifts!
She continued: “Charlie loves fetching a tennis ball and he is really clever, so picks up new things quickly in return for a tasty treat. He thoroughly enjoys travelling in the car so will be an ideal companion for owners who like to get away from it all to the quiet of the countryside for lovely long walks.
“He will take time to build a bond with new owners but once you have that trust he is very affectionate and loves to cuddle up, which is adorable.
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“Charlie has come on in leaps and bounds since coming to us and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for him in his forever home.
“He truly is one of a kind and has bags of potential.
“He will make a loving and rewarding pet for owners who are willing to take the time to work with him, and we will be by their side every step of the way”.
Charlie will need a home in a quiet, rural area with a predictable routine and few visitors, but for those apprehensive about adoption, Dogs Trust Manchester assured that it will “always be here to help if Charlie or his family need support” as it provides lifelong behavioural support for adopted dogs over the phone or in 1-2-1 sessions to help make sure they can live their best life together with their family.
Deansgate bar Simmons closes just over a year after opening
Danny Jones
London-born bar brand Simmons has closed their Manchester site just over a year after opening their first Northern location.
They’ve lasted roughly 15 months on one of our busiest nightlife strips.
Opening on Deansgate back in October 2024, Simmons Manchester wasn’t just their first foray here up in this half of the country but their only other venue outside of the capital.
An otherwise well-established and popular chain down south, they have a total of 15 different bars in central London, but things clearly haven’t quite taken off as planned here in Manchester.
Placing a poster in the unit’s shopfront besides the likes of Be At One, Yours, The Moon Under The Water Spoons and the Deansgate branch of Slug and Lettuce, as you can see, the fellow franchise founded over a decade ago said: “After much consideration, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our doors.
“It’s never easy to say goodbye”, they add, “We’re incredibly proud of what the team built here and so grateful to them, as well as everyone who joined us over the past year.
“We’ve had some unforgettable nights. We love Manchester, and we hope to be back under the right conditions.”
They go on to thank everyone for being “part of the journey”, but for now, it looks like the room has closed effective immediately.
Simmons started back in 2012 when founder Nick Campbell opened the first bar below his flat in Kings Cross, and their presence has grown hugely since then. The closing sign was spotted and shared on social media earlier this week.
Offering everything from stylish cocktails to New York-style pizza, live music and even private karaoke booths, the place had plenty going on.
With rising business rates, energy bills and more dovetailing with the continuing cost of living crisis that is still hampering both hospitality and the nightime economy, they are just one of many to unfortunately close their doors of late.
For instance, it was only earlier this month that we saw multiple well-known names shut up shop here in the city centre or elsewhere in Greater Manchester, including another long-standing late-night favourite, Revolution.
It’s a shame for any business to close, and we certainly hope they’ll return someday with a model that can be sustained in the current climate.
Heaton Park’s historic tramway will be back up and running this summer after major funding secured
Emily Sergeant
Historic trams are set to run through Heaton Park once again from this summer thanks to some major new funding being secured.
For just over a year now, trams have been unable to run through Manchester‘s largest suburban park as the electrical substation which powers the Heritage Tramway needed an overhaul to bring it up to current safety standards – but now, some substantial funding has been secured to enable the essential restoration work to begin in the spring.
The trams operate on the only remaining section of the original tramway in Heaton Park, and offer locals and visitors alike a real glimpse into the past.
This piece of local history is operated by the volunteers of the Manchester Transport Museum Society (MTMS) on behalf of the Manchester Tramway Company Limited (MTCL) – a joint venture company between the Manchester Transport Museum Society and Manchester City Council.
This major investment into the existing infrastructure will ensure operation of the trams can continue for many years to come.
The £481,000 funding investment – which has been secured from Manchester City Council – should mean the tramway can restart in summer 2026, which just so happens to coincide with the 125th anniversary of Manchester’s first electric tramways in 1901, so it’s a big deal.
“Our support of the much-loved Heaton Park Tramway not only preserves an important piece of local heritage, but a piece of living history,” commented Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, who is the Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods at Manchester City Council.
“The vintage trams hold a special place in the hearts of many people.”
Heaton Park’s historic tramway will be back up and running this summer after major funding was secured / Credit: David Dixon (via Geograph)
Geoff Senior, who is the Chairman of the Manchester Transport Museum Society, called the securing of funding ‘wonderful news’.
He added: “It represents a huge vote of confidence in the hard work and dedication [volunteers] have shown in the last 50 years of working to build, develop and run this vital piece of Manchester’s transport heritage, not only for the citizens of Manchester but those who travel to the park from wider afield.”
Emily Sergeant -
19th April 2021 
