Award-winning north Manchester rapper Aitch is giving away free train tickets to help under 25 year olds get to gigs and festivals across the UK this summer.
The new initiative, called The Aitch-S2, pokes a bit of fun at the government’s scrapped northern HS2 scheme and says it aims to ‘rebalance cultural accessibility outside of the M25’ to ‘spotlight bubbling music scenes across the UK.’
Running for eight weeks between July and August, the alternative travel scheme will release hundreds of train vouchers worth up to £100 each.
The idea is to give under-25s the ability to cover their rail travel costs to music events in different cities – helping young music fans to balance the return of music events and festivals post-Covid with the rising cost of transport and living.
His Aitch-S2 initiative hopes to make a difference by removing some of the financial barriers that might restrict people from making the most of the first summer since the lifting of restrictions.
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As a northern artist who is known for supporting rising stars in his hometown of Manchester, Aitch is evidently passionate about regional scenes, talents and cultures and says he wants to help people ‘break out of their city limits’.
Speaking on his involvement in the Relentless Aitch-S2 scheme, he said: “I’m really excited to launch The Aitch-S2 with Relentless – there’s so much amazing culture around the UK, but for young people to experience it, they need to break out of their city limits, which is hard to do when it’s so expensive to travel outside your hometown.
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“I don’t want anyone missing out on what is going to be a summer to remember, so this initiative will help young Brits get back out there and have fun, no matter the location.”
Image: Supplied
The launch of the Aitch-S2 initiative marks Aitch’s second year heading up the Relentless Without Limits campaign, which aims to inspire the next generation to live, dream, dance and create without limits.
As part of this year’s without limits campaign, Aitch fans will also be able to win a day with the rapper via an on-can promotion that will be running from August.
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The Aitch-S2 travel scheme will run for eight weeks from 5 July to 26 August.
Under 25s can apply from anywhere in the UK for free travel across the national rail network by visiting www.aitch-s2.com, with travel vouchers worth up to £100 allocated on a weekly basis.
Feature image – Supplied
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Drivers warned of ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ on the roads that could seem them hit with hefty fines as winter rolls around.
Once the temperatures drop, and the days get shorter and darker, fog tends to become a more common weather occurrence around this time of year – but an eye-opening new survey has found that most drivers don’t really how to use their fog lights correctly.
According to guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), fog lights should only be used on British roads when visibility drops below 100 metres, yet the new research by eBay has found that 60% of drivers use their fog lights at the wrong times, and what’s more is that one in 10 say they switch on their fog lights when visibility is less than 300 metres.
48% of drivers who took part in the research admitted that they activate full-beam headlights when it’s dark, regardless of oncoming traffic and other road users.
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter / Credit: Nabeel Syed (via Unsplash)
The RAC says these stats reveal a ‘worrying trend’ among motorists, and have warned that these habits could actually means drivers are risking fines of up to £1,000 and three penalty points on their licence.
If the incorrect usage of fog lights wasn’t bad enough as it is, the new research also found that many Brits say they do not stay on-top of regular car maintenance when it comes to car fog lights, either – with just 15% saying they check them every month, and shockingly, 24% stating they’ve never checked them before.
Due to the ongoing issue of headlight glare, in whatever form that may be, The RAC has found that as many as one in four drivers (25%) who find headlights ‘too bright’ are actually driving less as a result.
“Unfortunately for a lot of drivers, the annual onset of darker evenings coincides with another unwelcome arrival – that of overly-bright headlights that they believe make driving more difficult due to dazzle and discomfort,” explained Rod Dennis, who is the Senior Policy Officer at the RAC.
“While most of us have no choice other than to adapt to driving at night more often as the clocks go back, the fact headlight glare is the leading cause of nervousness underlines it’s a problem that needs tackling.
“At the same time, it’s important to remember that brighter headlights can give drivers a better view of the road ahead, so there’s a balance to be struck.”
Featured Image – Robin the Bird (via Unsplash)
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Police investigation underway following ‘shocking’ arson at Marple Cenotaph on Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
A public appeal for information has been issued after a fire was started near a war memorial in Stockport on Bonfire Night.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is currently investigating after officers were called out around 9:50pm on Bonfire Night (Wednesday 5 November) following reports of a group of males near to the Cenotaph in Marple.
When police arrived at the scene, they found that a fire had been started in a bin and wooden pallets had been set alight – with the ground nearby having been damaged.
Neighbourhood officers in Marple are now investigating and are appealing for information in relation to this incident.
The incident has been described as a reckless act that could have ended with more damage and even serious injury.
“The Cenotaph means a lot to the community and incidents like this are deeply upsetting, particularly at a time when we should be honouring the memory of our war veterans,” explained Sergeant Rachel Walton, of GMP’s Stockport East Neighbourhood Policing Team.
“We are working closely with partners at Stockport Council and the fire service to ensure the area is cleaned and restored.
“We want to identify the individuals responsible, and we will have extra high-visibility patrols in the park each evening leading up to the Remembrance Day service on Sunday (9 November).”
This incident is just one of a total of 350 calls related to fire or fireworks that GMP responded to on Bonfire Night, which is said to be an increase from 203 last year.
A total of 27 arrests were made across Greater Manchester, with four weapons and hundreds of fireworks seized.
Georgina Pellant -
5th July 2022 
