A Manchester bar has told people not to ‘be a Karen’ about their deposits if they decide to cancel their Christmas parties this year.
Charlotte Felton, a representative of Impossible bar on Peter street in Manchester, shared a post to her Facebook page appealing to people to NOT cancel their Christmas party this year.
Making some pretty succinct economic arguments for keeping your booking, she starts by stating the tragic fact that “not all venues will survive a cancellation”, before going on to explain to people that they should be prepared to ‘use or lose’ their deposits.
Adding that ‘hospitality is a business too’ she says, “Don’t be a Karen about this”
“If they say your deposit is lost that is to cover everything that’s been paid for already.”
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“Postponing, whilst this is appreciated, venues won’t be able to fill that date you cancelled with very little notice and they will more than likely have done orders, rotas and spent hours of admin making sure the event is to a high standard.”
She also said “Whilst you were stuck indoors Boris was having a knees-up with the lads”, making reference to the newly-installed sign above the Peter street bar, which has been shared widely online and reads: ‘When bars were on their knees Number 10 were on the wine and cheese’.
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Image: Impossible MCR
Other operators have chimed in too, voicing concern and confusion following a government briefing that has told people they now must work from home – but should also attend their Christmas parties.
Elite Bistro chef-owner Gary Usher tweeted the Prime Minister last night to ask for clarification on what to say to work’s do cancellations, saying: “could you just clarify again what we’re saying to large work do’s who’ve now cancelled their restaurant bookings but think they should get their deposit back?”
He then added, “We’ve gone with sorry it’s your Prime MInister’s fault. His Christmas party was, is and always will be more important than yours.
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“Just need a sign off from you mate if that’s about the gist of it. Cheers.
The Prime Minister gave a press conference earlier this week announcing that England would move into ‘Plan B’ restrictions, requiring people to work from home where possible and introducing Covid passports at large venues.
However, asked whether Christmas parties and nativity plays should be cancelled, the Prime Minister replied: “No, in my view they should not.
“They should follow the guidance, of course, but we are not saying we want kids to be taken out of school before the end of term – not that there is very long to go now – and we don’t want nativity plays to be cancelled.
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“We think that it is okay currently, on what we can see, to keep going with Christmas parties.”
The situation is made more confusing by the fact that Scotland is now advising people not to attend Christmas parties, whilst in England, the government appears to be saying the opposite.
Speaking to Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, Professor Linda Bauld of the University of Edinburgh said:
“I think if people have made plans then it’s really important that they try and assess risks, so they think about the fact that public health agencies are deeply concerned, if things can be delayed and the impact of that is minimal, that’s a choice for individuals to make,
“Public health Scotland is not saying anything that’s legal or required they’re simply issuing a piece of advice.”
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“Their statement was focusing on the direct harm from the virus, the harm to public health, the other harms are harms to the health service, they’re also worried about that, but harm three, the third harm, is social harms and harm four is to the economy, so you have to balance all of these things.”
Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”