The coronavirus outbreak has caused many countries and states around the world to initiate a lockdown. But with the vaccine being administered to people gradually, we expect everything to go back to normal sooner or later.
When everything does return to normal, there are surely some things you will want to tick off your bucket list. This article will discuss a list of things you can do in the Manchester area post lockdown.
Take In All The Countryside of Manchester
North of the city of Manchester, you will find nothing less than 500 sq mi of electrifying countryside that you can explore once the lockdown is over. From historical waterways to picturesque towns, there is plenty of attraction in the city’s countryside.
For example, in Wigan, there is the Country Park and Haigh Hall that has canal towpaths and up to 40 miles of woodland trails. Another highlight in the countryside is the elegant Dovestone Reservoir. It takes around an hour to walk around, and you’ll also see the scenic Pennine village of Saddleworth.
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Visit Chinatown
Another interesting place worth visiting in Manchester city after the lockdown is Chinatown. It is the second-largest in the UK, and several things make the place stand out. There are numerous quality restaurants with a wide range of great meals that will treat your tastebuds to delight.
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The annual Chinese New Year festival, held in February, is also one of the major highlights in Chinatown. It features the dancing dragon famous parade as well as other notable events.
If you love gambling on casino games, you’ll also find a couple of top-class land-based casinos in Chinatown where you can play games like Blackjack and Roulette. However, if you prefer playing online, Platin Casino live UK is a good choice. If you’d like to find out more, check out goldenslot.
Head Out To A Beer Garden
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If you love nature and enjoy drinking beer, a visit to a beer garden in Manchester should be on your list of things to do post lockdown. There are a couple of amazing beer gardens in the city with spectacular views.
While indoor hospitality is gradually coming back up and running, many people will undoubtedly prefer hanging out outdoors, and a beer garden is a great choice for this. It will give you a chance to soak in some vitamin D while also enjoying a few pints.
Some of the notable beer gardens in the city include White Hart in Lydgate, Eagle and Child in Ramsbottom and Worsley Old Hall in Worsley.
Conclusion
Although the coronavirus outbreak has forced many cities into lockdown, we are hopeful that everything will return to normal soon. If you’re in Manchester city or planning to visit, we’ve highlighted a few things you can consider doing post lockdown. You can explore the countryside, where you can see picturesque towns, waterways and other spots of attraction.
Besides that, you can visit Chinatown where you can enjoy great meals at the restaurants. You can also head out to a beer garden and enjoy some nice views as you drink some pints of beer. Whatever you decide to do after the lockdown, make sure you have some fun.
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Hundreds of staff at four Greater Manchester hospitals to strike AGAIN next week
Emily Sergeant
Another round of strikes has been called at a handful of major Greater Manchester hospitals.
Amid ongoing disputes following the first set of strikes at the end of last month, it has now been announced that more than 350 Northern Care Alliance Foundation Trust (NCA) employees – including nurses, clinical support workers and housekeepers – who are members of the union UNISON will once again walk out for three days next week.
According to the union, the dispute centres on the NCA’s use of an outside agency called NHS Professionals (NHSP) to manage overtime.
When covering staff shortages, workers are entitled to time-and-a-half pay – however in some cases, staff earn less than they would on a normal shift, and some have even been missing out on more than £80 per shift, the union added.
Operating theatre staff were previously on picket lines in June, and although an option to resolve the row was initially tabled by NCA bosses, this has now fallen through.
Hundreds of staff at four of Greater Manchester’s hospitals are set to strike next week / Credit: Stephen Andrews (via Unsplash)
This means that staff at Salford Royal Hospital, Royal Oldham Hospital, Rochdale Infirmary, and Fairfield Hospital in Bury are walking out next week on Monday 14, Tuesday 15, and Thursday 17 September.
The union’s North West regional organiser, Kevin Dolan, said the trust had given ‘no indication’ that it’s willing to re-enter negotiations, adding that operating theatre services were ‘chronically under-staffed’ and staff were choosing to work extra shifts to cover shortages.
Ahead of the August strikes, the trust declared a critical incident to help it secure extra support and keep urgent surgery running, while also announcing that some procedures would have to be postponed.
Understandably, some disruption is expected at each of the hospitals on strike days.
But Gertie Nic Philib, who is the chief people and strategy officer at the Northern Care Alliance, said that the trust will do ‘everything we can to minimise the impact on patients’ and ‘maintain high standards of care and quality at all times.’
“We also have contingency plans in place for emergency situations,” they concluded.
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Stockport man jailed for life after kidnapping and sexually assaulting teenage girl
Emily Sergeant
A Stockport man has been sentenced to life in prison after kidnapping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl on her way home from the library.
Paul Sharpe has been sentenced to life imprisonment with an eight-year minimum term in prison after being convicted of a number of offences when subjected a teenage girl to what police called a ‘terrifying ordeal’ that lasted several hours back in May 2026.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) confirmed that the victim had been studying at Sale Library before beginning her journey home with friends at around 5:50pm and contacting her parents at 6:10pm to let them know she was on her way.
Twenty minutes later, she spoke to her boyfriend on the phone and said she was approximately five minutes away from home, but that her phone battery was about to die.
This was the last contact received from the victim that evening.
While walking along Bradgate Road in Altrincham, the victim noticed a grey Ford parked nearby and a man wearing a high-visibility jacket pressing doorbells in the area.
As she walked past, Sharpe approached her from behind, placed her in a headlock and threatened to stab her if she did not get into his vehicle.
Concerned that their daughter had not returned home, the victim’s family contacted police at 9:22pm to report her missing, and officers immediately launched an investigation to locate her.
Over the next several hours, the victim was subjected to and placed in a number of terrifying situations.
Sharpe drove the victim to several locations across Greater Manchester and Cheshire, before police located and arrested him at around 3:40am on 19 May 2026.
Following his arrested, 56-year-old Sharpe was convicted of kidnap, committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence, sexual assault, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child, threats with a bladed article, and administering a noxious substance with intent to injure, annoy or aggrieve.
“This was a terrifying ordeal for a young girl who was simply making her way home,” explained Detective Inspector Karl Perry, from GMP’s Criminal Investigation Department.
“Sharpe targeted a vulnerable victim, subjected her to hours of fear and intimidation, and went on to sexually assault her.
“The victim has shown immense courage throughout the investigation and court proceedings. Through her bravery and actions, she no doubt made it harder for Sharpe to carry out whatever acts he had planned.”