During her reign, Elizabeth II served as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth – undertaking an important symbolic and unifying role as a head of state, spanning numerous geographical regions, cultures, and religions.
She was not just the longest-reigning British monarch in history, but she was also the first-ever monarch to reign in the UK for 70 years, and was beloved by many for her sense of duty and devotion to her role.
The confirmation of HM The Queen’s passing comes after the public was informed by Buckingham Palace earlier yesterday that she was “under medical supervision” at Balmoral after her doctors had become “concerned for Her Majesty’s health”.
Several notable moments have already taken place since HM The Queen’s passing.
This includes her eldest son becoming King Charles III, a speech delivered by newly-appointed Prime Minister Liz Truss, and tributes paid by leaders across the globe.
HRH Queen Elizabeth II has died aged 96 / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
His statement, shared by Buckingham Palace, said: “The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.
“We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother. I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth and by countless people around the world.
“During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held.”
A state of mourning has officially begun across the country, which is set to remain until the HM The Queen’s funeral is held.
The national mourning period is expected to last for 10-12 days.
As confirmed by Buckingham Palace, King Charles III and his Queen Consort Camilla will return to London from Balmoral – with the monarch then due to hold his first audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss shortly after.
King Charles III is expected to meet the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk – who is in charge of the Queen’s funeral – to approve the schedule for the coming days, and he will decide on the length of court or royal mourning for members of the Royal Family and other royal households.
In the evening, His Majesty is expected to address the nation in a televised speech, where he will pay tribute to his mother and pledge to serve as head of state.
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The House of Commons and the Houses of Parliament are due to gather at noon.
HM Queen Elizabeth II passed away “peacefully” at Balmoral on Thursday 8 September 2022 / Credit: Charles Fred (via Flickr)
The government is not expected to announce any other business today – unless anything urgent occurs – to allow the focus to fall entirely on the HM The Queen until 10pm.
Prime Minister Liz Truss and several senior government ministers will also attend a public service of remembrance at St Paul’s Cathedral in London today, and following this, the government is then due to confirm the length of national mourning – which is likely to be up to 12 days in total, from now up to the day after the Queen’s funeral.
The government will also announce that the day of HM The Queen’s funeral will be a public holiday in the form of a Day of National Mourning.
Then, on Saturday morning, an Accession Council will meet at St James’s Palace in London to formally-proclaim Charles as the new sovereign.
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The first public proclamation of the new sovereign will then be read in the open air from the Friary Court balcony at St James’s Palace by the Garter King of Arms.
A period of national mourning has now begun following the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II / Credit: Adrian Harlen (via Crown Copywright)
How will HM Queen Elizabeth II’s death be marked in Manchester?
Manchester City Council has confirmed that the city of Manchester will be observing the official 10-day mourning period.
The flag on Central Library has been lowered to half-mast as a mark of respect to the HM Queen Elizabeth II.
This will remain in place up to 8am on the day after the State Funeral takes place.
The Queen’s Books of Condolence will be opened from today in Central Library, and this will be open to visitors from 9am – 6pm daily, until the day following the funeral – with the Council confirming that further information on the funeral will be announced “as soon as we have received confirmation of the details”.
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Manchester shares its deepest condolences with the Royal Family today following the sad news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The Union Flag on Manchester Central Library will be flown at half mast for ten days of national mourning. pic.twitter.com/YRIe4zsKhA
Manchester City Council has also invited residents who may wish to lay flowers to mark HM The Queen’s death can do so in St Ann’s Square in the city centre, and asks that anyone doing so removes any plastic/cellophane wrappings and anything that is non-biodegradable from the flowers.
This will ensure that, when collected, all of the flowers can be composted.
For the residents who wish to make a donation to one of HM The Queen’s many patronages, a list of organisations and information on how those donations can be made has been compiled at – www.royal.uk/her-majesty-the-queen.
More arrangements are expected to be announced once further details are confirmed.
Century-old Didsbury Sports Ground left devastated after Greater Manchester flooding
Danny Jones
As residents and local businesses in various parts of the region continue to pick up the pieces after recent flooding, one of the venues worst affected is Didsbury Sports Ground, which sadly suffered “catastrophic” levels of damage.
Having stood in South Manchester for over 100 years, Didsbury Sports Ground (DSG) has been a key community institution for generations, home to rugby, cricket and football clubs, as well as the weekly parkrun, just to name a few of its regular leisure activities.
Unfortunately, following the recent floods which hit several of the 10 boroughs hard, as well as many parts of Cheshire from New Year’s Eve onwards, the pitches, car park, clubhouse, storage and changing rooms have all rendered unusable or completely ruined following the major incident.
And when we say unusable, we mean a lot of it is still underwater.
Credit: Didsbury Sports Ground (supplied)
After banks burst up and down the River Mersey and the North West downpour continued, not only were the various playing fields left heavily waterlogged, but the club’s central building also suffered significant structural damage.
In addition to a large hole being knocked through the main clubhouse wall, with collapsed fencing and tree limbs littering the perimeter, the constant flow of water has seeped right down to the foundations.
Speaking on the damage,DSG‘s director Ian Bailey said: “The devastation caused by the flooding is nothing short of heart-wrenching. The Grounds have been a landmark and local hub within the village for over a century. The damage is catastrophic and the impact on the community is immense.
“Our Ground is far more than just a sports facility, it is a place where people connect, grow, and thrive, and embrace the community spirit. To lose such an iconic and central community resource would be unthinkable and such a travesty, which is why we’re calling on local and central government support.”
“Every week, DSG brings together over 800 people from the local area for Manchester sports, fitness, social activities, recreation and community events, creating a place for well-being, a fantastic social circle and helping to build an all-round happier and healthier community.”
As a result of the damage and loss to the community, the team behind DSG are now frantically trying to raise enough funds to carry out a raft of remedial repairs and some serious groundwork.
Setting themselves a total target of £50,000 for the entire clean-up operation, every penny of which will go towards getting the sports ground back in a usable state.
Thus far, thanks to nearly 500 donations by loving locals and kindhearted Mancunians who know the value of leisure centres and clubs like this, they have already more than 30% of the amount needed in just over a week (just over £17k). Legends, every single one of them.
Bailey went on to add: “We are so grateful for the immediate help of our volunteers and the fantastic people at this club […] We will, however, need more than time, we will require the funds to bring the Grounds and Clubhouse back into full use and to safeguard from future flooding, which is why we have launched our ‘Repair & Rescue’ Fund.
As Ian reiterated, “Every contribution will make a huge difference”; you can see more proof of just how much work needs to be done and donate if you wish HERE.
You can now receive the UK’s ‘first-ever’ same-day sperm MOT for free right here in Manchester
Danny Jones
For any bloke who’s ever wondered about their fertility and considering grabbing a quick test, you can now get what’s being called a quick sperm ‘MOT’ right here in Manchester– and it’s free.
As well as the obvious importance of regular sexual health checks, many people understandably worry about their virility as they get older and there’s no harm in just giving yourself that piece of mind.
That’s why one Manchester-based sperm and egg bank is expanding its already wide range of services to offer quick and easy tests to locals.
We’re all adults here: if your car’s MOT is considered an essential check, then why not take a little look under the hood to see how your little swimmers are getting on?
Credit: Cryos International (supplied)
Cryos International, located over at Rutherford House on Manchester Science Park, is a quick and confidential clinic that specialises in sexual wellness and reproductive health.
The industry-leading sperm and egg bank remains at the forefront when it comes to various different areas of the sector but now they’re taking one field even further by offering men aged 18-45 an unprecedented level of service.
While sperm tests and egg checks are nothing new, Cryos are the UK clinic to offer rapid detailed analysis that will see your results returned to you the same day.
Better yet, this initiative is completely free of charge and provides a non-diagnostic assessment of key sperm quality criteria, including sperm count and how effectively the sperm moves.
It’s part of Cryos’ commitment to demystifying male reproductive health and demonstrating how lifestyle factors can impact male fertility, while at the same time breaking the stigma around sperm donation, and helping more people on their journey to parenthood.
The launch comes at a time of unprecedented demand for fertility services in the UK, with births from sperm donation tripling since the turn of the millennium.
Sadly, donor numbers here in Britain have hit an all-time low and similar struggles are being seen all over Europe even despite the growing population.
To combat this, the UK government has actually increased its standard compensation fee by £10 as of October 2024, rising to £45 a pop.
Of course, your sperm needs to be in good health before you can donate, not to the obvious benefits for couples trying to conceive and, as lab Manager Samantha Duffy-Olive explains, even “simple lifestyle changes can have a huge impact on sperm quality.”
With that in mind, Manc males are being encouraged to make the most of this free semen test and in addition to the analysis service, they will also offer helpful advice that could make a real difference to improve your reproductive health. You can book HERE.
This isn’t the first time we’ve clocked Cryos pioneering the sperm donation and sexual health space…
Emily Sergeant -
9th September 2022 
