A cemetery in Greater Manchester is set to get its very own ‘postbox to heaven’, giving visitors the chance to post letters to loved ones who have passed away.
The idea was inspired by grieving 9-year-old Matilda Handy, who expressed a desire to mail her grandparents letters in heaven after they passed away.
In response, her mum approached their local cemetery in Nottingham where she just happens to work – leading bosses to respond by installing an old postbox, painted white and gold, ahead of Christmas.
A plaque sits alongside the box that reads: “Thank you for taking a moment to stop by our special post box.
“Whether you wish to write to your loved one on the day of an important anniversary or have no specific reason for doing so, this is a dedicated place for posting your letter.”
It was such a success that the installation led to over 100 letters being posted, so now there are plans to roll the postboxes out across the UK at The Westerleigh group’s 36 UK sites – including one in Greater Manchester.
Image: ITV News
Set inside acres of beautiful gardens in Atherton, Howe Bridge Crematorium will soon welcome a ‘postbox to heaven’ of its own and, like Matilda, Mancs will soon have the chance to find consolation in writing to their loved ones on the other side.
The full list of The Westerleigh group’s UK crematoriums, where ‘postboxes to heaven’ will be rolled out this year:
Manchester City supporters groups call on club and fellow fans to ‘make their voices heard’
Danny Jones
A collection of Manchester City supporters groups has urged both the club and the fans themselves to “make [their] voice heard” this season, following this year’s protests over the new and “drastic” ticketing policy.
Man City fans gathered both before and after the game against Wolves back in April to make their feeling known regarding season ticket changes.
Appealing to manager Pep Guardiola directly, insisting that he needs their energy to get the kind of “alive” crowds he’s also called for in the past, ‘The 1984’ has now been joined by four other supporters trusts in reaffirming their aims for the new campaign.
Sharing a new joint statement on social media, the five fan groups say that “last season saw unprecedented off-pitch unrest among City fans in the post-Maine Road era”, and the only way to avoid further disruption is to listen and heed their warnings.
STATEMENT FROM CITY FAN GROUPS AS WE ENTER THE NEW SEASON
After last season's protests, 2025/26 sees the most drastic changes to season tickets we've ever had. We ask supporters to use their voices & the club to put fans first going forward.
— MCFC Fans Foodbank Support (@MCFCfoodbank) August 21, 2025
Writing on behalf of the aforementioned 1894 group, Canal Street Blues, MCFC Fans Foodbank Support, Solid Citizens, Trade Union Blues and nearly 700 official members, as you can see, they penned a lengthy open letter to the club and the City Football Group (CFG).
“Despite recent success on the field,” they say, “two major in-stadium protests took place, with an estimated 16,000+ fans delaying their entry at the Leicester and Wolves games, and thousands more joining silent protests.
“The triggers were rising ticket prices, season ticket availability, poor supporter engagement (including the Club refusing to meet City Matters on ticket prices for months), and away fans in home sections – often linked to third-party resellers like Viagogo, whose new partnership with the Club proved the breaking point.”
They also conceded that the freeze in the cost of a full season ticket and reduced matchday prices were a welcome breath of fresh air and stirred hope for better fan engagement moving forward.
However, as the statement continues, “Unfortunately, the Club has instead introduced sweeping changes to season ticket terms and conditions, hitting some of our most loyal supporters and damaging long-standing fan culture.”
You can see all of the new and almost universally opposed ticket changes listed in full via bullet points above, but standouts include an unprecedented ’10-game personal attendance policy’ – the first of its kind in English football – stricter ticket transfer rules, and even new facial recognition scanners.
We completely agree. No warning in the middle of summer, communicated by one email on the same day that it was announced? Horrendous.
— MCFC Fans Foodbank Support (@MCFCfoodbank) August 21, 2025
Fan reaction online has been as you would expect; most City supporters are in almost overwhelming agreement with the concerns raised in the latest communication, particularly in the minimum attendance and transfer rules, adding: “the latter directly undermines the stated aim of ‘keeping the stadium full.'”
“There are also fears some of these rules won’t apply equally to hospitality season ticket holders, introducing worries of inequality between fans,” the statement continues.
“These changes create unnecessary workload for ticket office staff, introduce barriers for digitally excluded fans, force some into paid memberships, and erode supporter culture.
“All [the] while, City Matters, our elected Fan Advisory Board, has repeatedly faced delays and broken deadlines for meeting minutes, with the most recent minutes now 59 days overdue from the June meeting. No one wants constant conflict with the Club, but when official channels fail, protest becomes the only option. Last season proved that fan action can drive change.”
“We call on all Blues to:
Track and record if and how these changes affect you.
Make your voice heard – online, via City Matters, and through fan groups.
Join fan groups such as 1894, the Disabled Supporters Association, Canal Street Blues, Trade Union Blues, and your local OSC branch to discuss issues with fellow Blues.”
Lastly, they have called on the club to rethink their current policies surrounding personal attendance and ticket transfers, “take a ‘fans first’ approach when it comes to all future policies affecting supporters, engaging in meaningful consultation with fan representatives,” and publish fan meetings “on time.”
What do you make of the supporter groups’ statement and, more importantly, how do you feel about recent changes to season tickets and matchday admission, City fans?
Manchester’s newest bowling venue Wynwood Lanes is giving away 100 FREE sessions on opening week
Emily Sergeant
An exciting new bowling venue is opening in Manchester this week, and they’re giving away 100 free bowling sessions to celebrate.
Manchester get ready, as Wynwood Lanes is taking over the legendary Dog Bowl site and giving it a full Miami makeover.
Think five upgraded bowling lanes, pool tables, basketball hoops, sun drenched tunes, poolside cocktails, smoke machines, and a brunch menu from Kong’s NQ that’ll have you salivating before you’ve even sat down.
Wynwood Lanes will be running on a ‘unique’ day-mode and night-mode model.
This means that by day, guests can expect fresh brunch dishes and low-fi tunes, with children welcome until 7pm, and then when it’s in night mode, the Miami heat is turned up with party beats, celebratory smoke machines, late night snacks, and bar games.
Manchester’s newest bowling venue Wynwood Lanes is giving away 100 free sessions on its opening week / Credit: PICRYL | Supplied
As mentioned, fuel for the fun comes from Manchester legends Kong’s NQ, but this time with a Miami twist, so expect Cuban sandwiches, lime chicken avo arepas, tacos galore, and Miami-style brunch plates.
A boozy bottomless brunch will also take every Saturday and Sunday from next Saturday 30 August, with 90 minutes of Miami plates and free-flowing cocktails from £39.50 per person – with the option to upgrade to bowling for just a tenner
With the grand opening date just days away now, Wynwood Lanes wants to start things off with a bang… or you know, a strike.
In a bid to do this, they’ll be giving away free bowling sessions to the first 100 people through the doors on bank holiday Monday (25 August) from midday through to 11pm – with up to six players allowed per group.
Wynwood Lanes is open from 4pm tomorrow (Friday 22 August).
Bowling prices will start at £9 (or totally free if you’re one of the first 100 to book for opening weekend), so follow this link to grab access to bowling booking slots when they’re released, and secure your lane before they’re gone.
The Manc -
13th February 2023 
