When it comes to derby days, there’s an inevitable rivalry accompanying the whole thing – and here in Manchester, we think it’s fair to say that the element of competition is fiercer than most.
So, ahead of the big match on 14 January, digital travel company Booking.com has decided to open a special ‘Half-and-Half House’ – and no, we’re not talking about a colourful community-based offender programme for released prisoners.
This is a half-red, half-blue holiday home, constructed especially for fans who may not see eye to eye when it comes to football and located slap-bang in the middle of Manchester’s two iconic football stadiums on First Street.
Built to champion the city’s diversity, its price even nods to the very first Manchester derby in 1881 – with the house available to be booked for a night’s stay this Thursday for just £18.81.
Credit: Booking.com
Booking.com
Created to celebrate a rivalry which makes Manchester such a special destination, the custom-built, half-red, half-blue house highlights how the city’s passion for football brings people together and signals that healthy rivalry can be fun.
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The Half-and-Half House also celebrates the opening of Booking.com’s new Trips headquarters right here in Manchester.
Having had a presence in the city since 2005, Booking.com has a strong affection for Manchester and the people who live there, and designed the house to recognise Mancunians’ passion for football, as well as everything else which personifies the city.
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Matthias Schmid, Senior Vice President of Booking.com’s Trips Division, said: “Whenever Mancunians travel the globe, often the first thing they are asked is whether they are a ‘red or a blue’. They are brought together by their love of football.
Image: Supplied
“There’s a warmth and vibrancy in Manchester that is unrivalled anywhere else in the world. Even in rare circumstances of apparent division, there is always an underlying unity. Manchester is one, no matter which side you’re on.
“We’ve called this city home for some time, and now have the second biggest Booking.com office in the world here, with a fantastic team from over 70 different countries coming together to make it easier for everyone to experience the world.
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“With Manchester making this all possible, we naturally wanted to create a buzz around the city and celebrate the people who live here.”
Journalist and author Andy Mitten, Editor of the iconic United We Stand magazine and an expert on the cultural impact of football in Manchester and author of a book on derbies around the world, said: “The Manchester derby is one of the biggest in world football and it’s the fans who are at the heart of making it such a spectacle, be it at the stadium or watching from around the globe.
“The derby is tribal, but most Reds have mates who are Blues and vice versa. We may have different loyalties in football but it’s the fans who help make the derby what it, bring the atmosphere and make Manchester such a great football city and place to visit.
“So many people around the world associate the word ‘Manchester’ with football and the derby is when it all comes to a head. Both sets of fans can’t be happy at the end of the game, which adds to the tension and excitement in the build-up…”
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With the red and blue house set to be removed soon after full time of the derby, Booking.com is donating the vibrant celebration of the city to Manchester’s Scouts for use at its Worsley camp.
The one-night Manchester Half-and-Half Experience is available for a lucky pair of bookers on 12 January, 2023. The stay will become bookable exclusively on Booking.com on 11 January 2023 at 10am.
The room will be secured on a first come first serve basis. You can book your stay HERE.
Two Trafford towns are set to see dozens of new EV charging points installed imminently
Danny Jones
Two big towns on the border of Greater Manchester and Cheshire are set to see a fresh batch of electric vehicle (EV) charging points installed throughout their streets by Trafford Council very soon.
Local authorities have teamed up with engineering and infrastructure company Amey to roll out a series of new EV charging stations across Trafford, starting with Altrincham and Hale.
Dating all the way back to 2020, the collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the brand was tasked with helping improve sustainable travel across the area as the government body’s electric vehicle charging suppliers.
Steady improvements have been made across the 10 boroughs, but this particular update marks one of the biggest network upgrades that the likes of Alty and Hale have seen for some time.
Good news – we are thrilled to announce the installation of our first public EV charge points in collaboration with @TraffordCouncil.
Issuing a statement on Wednesday, 17 September, the firm – which specialises in managing, designing and maintaining complex facilities and transport infrastructure across the country – announced that they will “start the installation of EV charging points in Trafford in the coming weeks.”
It is expected that “up to 100 new public charges” will be integrated throughout the respective town centres and residential streets as the suburbs continues to push towards its sustainability goals.
As per Altrincham Today, Amey account director Anna Gornall said: “We’re excited to launch our first EV charge points in Trafford, working in partnership with Trafford Council (TC) to make electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities.
“As the UK’s leading provider of energy transition and decarbonisation solutions, we’re well placed to use our existing expertise and resources to support TC in delivering a holistic public EV charging network for local communities.
“We’re helping residents make the switch, so everyone can plug in and power a greener Trafford.”
The country at large has various carbon-free initiatives, including the aspiration of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; the electoral ward of Trafford itself continues to thrive in this field, having recently won environmental accolades, including 12 ‘Green Flag Awards’ this past July.
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Peter Anderson, Managing Director of Transport Infrastructure at Amey, commented: “This is a pivotal moment in Amey’s energy transition strategy. By leveraging our extensive experience in whole lifecycle asset management, strong partnerships, and innovative solutions, we can deliver value for both our clients and members of the public who will use Amey’s electric vehicle charge points.
“Working with Trafford Council, we are making electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities and helping residents make the switch to EVs.
“Amey is well-positioned to support emerging opportunities within this landscape, and we are delighted to be working with Trafford and other local authorities to provide the public EV infrastructure needed to achieve the government’s transition to net zero.”
As for Trafford Council, Corporate Director of Place, Richard Roe, went on to add: “We are delighted to be working with Amey on this project to bring more and better charging options to the people of Trafford.
“This is an extension to the current EV charging options in the borough and is great news for committed EV owners and those who are thinking about going electric.”
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (via Amey Ltd)
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Further disruption expected as more bus strikes announced across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Further disruption is expected as even more bus strikes have been announced across Greater Manchester this autumn.
It comes after the strikes set to place this month from 19 to 22 September were announced a couple of weeks back, and now a second round will take place towards the end of this month and going into early October.
In case this is the first you’re hearing of the upcoming industrial action, 2,000 workers who are employed by Stagecoach, Metroline Manchester, and First Bus Rochdale – all of which are firms among those that make up the bus part of the Bee Network – are due to walk out in a co-ordinated strike amid an ongoing pay dispute.
Unite the Union says all the firms are ‘highly profitable’ and it’s therefore ‘disappointing’ that workers are being denied a fair wage.
More strikes have been announced on the Bee Network this month / Credit: TfGM
At Stagecoach, around 1,000 drivers based across the Oldham, Stockport, and Middleton depots have rejected a pay offer of 3.5%, and 1,000 Metroline Manchester members will also do the same after turning down an ‘unsatisfactory’ below-inflation pay offer.
Workers at both Metroline and Stagecoach believe the offer doesn’t address years of low pay they’ve recieved, especially given the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Then, over at First Bus Rochdale, 110 members have rejected this year’s pay offer of 6%, as they feel this does not go far enough to address the fact they’ve had years of being paid less than their counterparts at other companies, and are still the lowest paid in the region.
Stagecoach, Metroline, and First Bus Rochdale, part of First Group PLC, are all firms which have seen a rise in profits in recent years.
2,000 drivers are set to stage strike action over two different periods / Credit: TfGM
The second round of strikes will now take place from from 30 September to 2 October.
Speaking ahead of both sets of upcoming strikes, Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “These companies are very profitable but are putting greed over their hardworking members of staff.
“Further strike action will be extremely disruptive, however this is a dispute entirely of the bus companies’ making and they could solve it easily by coming back with a better deal.
“Our members involved in the dispute have Unite’s complete support.”
Unite Regional Officer, Colin Hayden, added: “The strikes this week as well as the further action we have called will cause travel chaos in Greater Manchester. However, it is entirely the fault of the employers involved, who have failed to address the issue of low pay and reward their staff accordingly.
Georgina Pellant -
11th January 2023 
