Survivors of the Manchester Arena attack have reflected on how they’ve rebuilt their lives in a powerful new series for BBC Radio Manchester.
The four-part podcast titled ‘Manchester Arena Bomb – Stories of Hope’ sees presenter Katie Thistleton revisit the scene of the blast which left 22 dead and hundreds injured after an Ariana Grande gig in May 2017.
Now, four years on from the attack, people who made it out alive reveal how they’ve found the strength to persevere and forge new lives for themselves.
Over the course of the series, BBC speak to a steward who was working his last shift when the bomb exploded; a family who return to the Arena to read letters describing their mental and emotional journey; a university student who suffered shrapnel wounds in the attack; and a woman whose family were seriously injured on the night.
Annette McNeil and her daughters Erin and Caitlin make an emotional return to the Arena during the podcast / Image: BBC
Episode One sees steward Usman Ahmed tell his story of saving lives, the ongoing impact on his mental health and the importance of his faith – with the former Arena steward striking up a new friendship with Martin Hibbert (who suffered 22 shrapnel wounds which left him paralysed from the waist down).
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Since the attack, Martin has set up a survivors unit and is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro later this year with hopes of raising £1m for the Spinal Injuries Association.
Episode Two sees Annette McNeil and her daughters Erin and Caitlin make an emotional return to the Arena and watch a special performance by 17-year-old Alexis Wade who has her singing lessons paid for by Liv’s Trust (a fund set up by the family of 15-year-old Olivia Campbell Hardy who died in the attack).
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The third instalment of the series sees student Millie Tomlinson (who suffered injuries in the bombing) meet the sister of Martyn Hett – who was killed in the blast. Together, the pair talk about grief and what’s involved in moving forward.
Episode Four sees Jenny Howarth is visited at her family-owned Wonkey Donkey Sanctuary in Yorkshire by Rob Grew – a man who remembers helping Jenny’s two aunties on the night of the bombing.
Survivors Usman Ahmed and Martin Hibbert meet during the podcast / Image: BBC
Kate Squire, editor of BBC Radio Manchester, says: “This series is about bringing people together by sharing life-changing conversations that are powerful, honest and raw.
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“Four years on, we tell the amazing stories of recovery, hope, and the remarkable determination of those who were there that night striving to not only survive, but to live on – changing their own lives, and the world, for the better.”
Presenter Katie Thistleton says: “This podcast is one of the best things I’ve ever done, but also one of the hardest. It was difficult to hear about the victims’ experiences, but also incredibly inspiring to see the strength and resilience of these wonderful people.
“There are some amazing stories amongst these four episodes and some powerful moments. These stories and the messages they bring with them have changed my outlook on life and will stay with me.”
You can listen to Manchester Arena Bomb – Stories of Hope on BBC Sounds.
Manchester
Luxury Manchester gym Blok confirms permanent closure after weeks of uncertainty
Daisy Jackson
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure, weeks after the doors to the premium fitness facility mysteriously closed.
Around a fortnight ago, members began to arrive to their classes to find the gym on Ducie Street locked up and a forfeiture notice on the door – but at the time, Blok said that it was fighting to reopen.
Sadly, in an email sent to members today, its founder has confirmed that the studio is now permanently closed.
Blok – which has several very successful sites down in London – said that its relationship with its landlord has ‘broken down to a point where trust has been lost’.
The gym wrote that it’s been left with ‘no workable way forward’.
They said: “BLOK Manchester was a space built by our loyal and dedicated community. Whether you joined us for one class or one hundred, we are deeply grateful. You helped create something genuinely special in an incredible city.”
In the immediate future, they said they’ll be supporting the team of fantastic trainers who worked here, as well as looking after members.
Members will be contacted within a few hours with options and refunds owed.
Blok Manchester has announced its permanent closure. Credit: The Manc Group
CEO and founder Ed Stanbury said: “While this marks the end of a chapter, we don’t see it as the end of our story in Manchester. We’re already speaking with developers about potential future sites and remain committed to returning to the city when the time is right.
“Thank you for being part of our story so far. Let’s shape the future of wellness. The mission continues.”
Commenting on Blok’s Instagram post – its first in almost a fortnight – people have been sharing their sadness at the closure of its Manchester site.
One person wrote: “beautiful space, beautiful staff and beautiful community.”
Another said: “Sending love to all the instructors !! :(((( gutted”
Someone else commented: “THE BEST CLASSES. I’m gutted.”
‘The average cost of a pint’ in the UK by region, according to the latest data
Danny Jones
Does it feel like pints keep getting more and more expensive almost every week at this point? Yes. Yes, it does, and while you can’t expect a city as big as Manchester to be one of the cheapest places to get one in the UK, we do often wonder how it compares to other parts of the country.
Well, as it happens, someone has recently crunched the numbers for us across the nation, breaking down which regions pay the most and the least for their pints.
The data has been examined by business management consultancy firm, CGA Strategy, using artificial intelligence and information from the latest Retail Price Index figures to find out what the ‘average cost of a pint’ is down south, up North and everywhere in between.
While the latest statistics provided by the group aren’t granular enough to educate us on Greater Manchester’s pint game exactly, we can show you how our particular geographic region is looking on the leaderboard at the moment.
That’s right, we Mancunians and the rest of the North West are technically joint mid-table when it comes to the lowest average cost of a pint, sharing the places from 3rd to 8th – according to CGA, anyway.
Powered by consumer intelligence company, NIQ (NielsenIQ) – who also use AI and the latest technology to deliver their insights – we can accept it might seem like it’s been a while since you’ve paid that little for a pint, especially in the city centre, but these are the stats they have published.
Don’t shoot the messenger, as they say; unless, of course, they’re trying to rob you blind for a bev. Fortunately, we’ve turned bargain hunting at Manchester bars into a sport at this point.
We might not boast the lowest ‘average’ pint cost in the UK, but we still have some bloody good places to keep drinking affordable.
London tops the charts (pretends to be shocked)
While some of you may have scratched your eyes at the supposed average pint prices here in the North West, it won’t surprise any of you to see that London leads the way when it came to the most expensive pint when it came to average cost in the UK.
To be honest, £5.44 doesn’t just sound cheap but virtually unheard of these days.
CGA has it that the average cost of a beer in the British capital is actually down 15p from its price last September, but as we all know, paying upwards of £7 for a pint down that end of the country is pretty much par for the course the closer you get to London.
Yet more reason you can be glad you live around here, eh? And in case you thought you were leaving this article with very little, think again…
The Manc -
19th May 2021 
