In more worrying news for commuters — and extremely alarming news if you’re a Manchester United or Man City fan — train drivers have announced more train strikes, including one on the day of the FA Cup final.
If you listen closely, you can hear more than half of Manchester audibly gulping.
As the long-running dispute over pay for train drivers continues to rumble on, transport union Aslef (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen) have confirmed another raft of strikes, with the first commencing on 3 June, the same day as the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
With thousands of United and City fans set to travel down to watch the historic game — the first time the conclusion of the competition has even been a Manchester derby — a truly indispensable form of public transport is once again timing its strikes to show just how important they are.
While RMT (Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers) union members finally voted to accept the latest offer for increased pay from Network Rail last month, Aslef said the latest offer in negotiations with the Rail Delivery Group on Wednesday was “risible”.
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He said the proposal — which is separate from the RMT‘s own pay disputes — was “clearly not designed to be accepted” with inflation still above 10%, not to mention a nationwide cost of living crisis.
“The blame for this action lies, fairly and squarely, at the feet of the employers who have forced our hand over this by their intransigence,” Mr Whelan said.
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The train strikes will commence on 12 May, followed by another on 31 May and then during FA Cup final day on 3 June.
Train drivers are also withdrawing non-contractual overtime from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 May inclusive, as well as on Saturday 13 May and Thursday 1 June.
As a result, some 13,000 drivers are expected to take industrial action over the course of three days of strikes, meaning staffing along the UK’s rail network will be severely depleted and there’ll be essentially no way of getting from Manchester to London by train.
Fans were already raising concerns over how they were going to get down there, and safely given the obvious rivalry and threat of hooliganism, with Avanti West Coast stating they had no plans to put on extra services or separate trains for both groups of supporters.
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Safe to say this doesn’t exactly help matters and if clubs were already considering providing extra coaches from Manchester to Wembley/London, the demand for further travel assistance is now likely to be way beyond the amount of resources available.
After months of large-scale action across various sectors including teaching, health, postal services and many more, it looks like there still isn’t quite light at the end of the tunnel and we wouldn’t be surprised if even more train strikes are set to follow.
Pat Regan at the Fairfield Social Club – a brilliantly unhinged evening of standup comedy
Clementine Hall
There’s a particular kind of chaos that only Pat Regan can deliver, and the recently re-recognised Fairfield Social Club got the full force of it last night.
Making his Manchester debut as part of the ‘A Lovely Time’ series at the equally as lovely Fairfield Social Club, the New York comic, writer, and podcast host arrived with the energy of someone who had already lived through three emotional breakdowns before breakfast and somehow still had the worst to come.
Known for his work on HBO’s Hacks and the cult-favourite podcast Seek Treatment with fellow comic Catherine Cohen, Regan’s stand-up feels less like your traditional comedy set and more like being trapped in the world’s funniest group chat.
The perfectly intimate room beneath Fairfield’s railway arches was packed with adoring fans who were immediately on side as Regan launched into stories about traumatic trips to Paris, Grindr dates, massage tables and having crushes at the gym.
The audience was in the palm of his slightly sweaty hands (don’t worry, he’ll be fine with me saying so), laughing at every awkward punchline and self-deprecating anecdote.
The material is nothing groundbreaking, but this is what makes it so deeply hilarious; never before has shopping for the perfect pair of jeans been so serious and unserious at the same time.
There was laughter rolling through the venue for virtually the entire set, and after an hour of never-ending quips and jokes, we were left wanting more.
And the best part is, it won’t be long until we get more from this place, and it’s no wonder they’re starting to get the hosting plaudits they deserve.
It’s safe to say Fairfield Social Club has become one of Manchester’s most exciting homes for alternative comedy, and this felt like exactly the sort of booking that justifies its growing reputation.
By the time Regan left the stage, the audience looked equal parts exhausted and delighted. An absolutely classy evening indeed.
Find out about what else is on at the Fairfield Social Club HERE.
First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Danny Jones -
27th April 2023 
