As the coronavirus lockdown loosened across the UK yesterday, so did the rules for hospitality businesses who have been out of action for three months.
As doors to our favourite local haunts burst open again with new guidelines in place, people across the country planned their first day or night out on the booze since March.
Greater Manchester was no exception, and by 12pm the Northern Quarter was bustling again – but things looked a lot different. Outside seating had been implemented in the popular food and drinks mecca of town, which has recently been pedestrianised further.
NQ, this is good. Well done @ManCityCouncil. I always pictured NQ like this without the cars. I am enjoying the table service in pubs, am I in Berlin or somewhere. pic.twitter.com/NBLsJcFdXm
As the country starts to be brought back to life we want to wish everyone good luck at navigating this ‘new-normal’ – from venues, to customers, to the council and public services. Stay safe everyone, and be kind. Especially the staff who are on the frontline of this ❤️ pic.twitter.com/EmiS4jrEyi
Punters lined a new-look Thomas Street, where they sat in new custom built socially distanced seating areas – where they could order their drinks without the usual grim walk to a packed bar.
Wetherspoons pubs across town were also at capacity from breakfast – a sight we are so used to seeing on a regular Saturday in the North West.
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For the most part, our hospitality industry had done a fantastic job of making their establishments COVID-secure, and apart from the odd covidiot, the new rules were followed en masse by punters.
Nathan Whittaker / Manc Wanderer
Drinks were being knocked back until the very early hours while many people had been out drinking since the morning, but according to Greater Manchester Police, anti social behaviour was down to a minimum – and they even thanked the city for “remaining sensible and patient.”
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Insp O’Connor says prior to tonight a concern had been queues outside venues. However, with plenty open it doesn’t seem to have been an issue. He sums up the patrol so far. pic.twitter.com/bIVgMhZjO6
However, this doesn’t mean that July 4th was a completely faultless day for the city’s emergency responders, as a handful of arrests were made across the region – with reports of fighting inside and outside various pubs and bars. But what’s new?
It’s safe to say, Manchester was #BuzzingToBeBack yesterday, but there’s still a long way to go until life feels normal again for our independent bars, restaurants and the people who fill them every week – and while yesterday seemed “relaxed and safe” across the city centre, the government and local councils will not be in a rush to loosen things further until the data tells them that they can.
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
The Manc -
5th July 2020 
