Women in Manchester will be treated to free coffee at a local cafe this week in honour of upcoming International Women’s Day celebrations.
Female-run business Nibble in Manchester’s Northern Quarter has announced it will be giving away free coffees all day on Tuesday 8 March.
Available between the hours of 830am and 5pm, free coffees will be handed out to the women of Manchester, complete with empowering, feel-good messaging.
Image: Nibble NQ
Cups will be covered in quotes by women or empowering messages for women in honour of the day, with plenty more love and encouragement to be found inside the cafe in person.
Nibble has also teamed up with Lullabellz hair care and beauty to give the first fifty women through its door a special gift, too.
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There will be goodie bags on hand with gifts from the beauty company as well as the cafe’s own girl power-themed merch, which shouts loudly that ‘girls can do f****** anything’.
The current merch line includes tote bags, mugs, cards and tea towels, but Nibble also plans to introduce a child-friendly version without the swears in the coming weeks.
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Image: Nibble NQ
Image: Nibble NQ
“The first 50 ladies to come down will be getting goodie bags too with Lullabellz hair care essentials, and our ‘Girls Can’ merch too,” said Nibble NQ owner Lauren Irlam.
“I am currently waiting on the arrival of a new batch too without the swearing, for our little people and those with less of a potty mouth than mine! It’s all very exciting and it’s gone down really well since we started it.
“We’re really excited about celebrating IWD and showing some kindness to the people in our lovely city too. We all need it! We’d love to invite as many people down as possible.”
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Image: Nibble NQ
Nibble NQ has made a name for itself in recent years as a truly independent, female-run business that takes huge pride in its home-cooking style.
Everything you’ll get at the cafe is made on-site from scratch, from healthy salads, afternoon tea and brunch to vegan and gluten-free scones, brownies, muffins and cakes.
Find it next door to Pop Boutique on Oldham Street at number 36, Manchester M1 1JN
Plans for more than 400 affordable homes available by ‘social renting’ coming to Wythenshawe
Danny Jones
Plans for a slate of more than 400 new affordable homes in Wythenshawe, which will also be made available for ‘social renting’, are now said to be moving forward following the official submission of three different applications this month.
Development group and so-called ‘placemakers’, Muse, have teamed up with Wythenshawe Community Housing Group (WCHG) to deliver not just one batch of new properties but a trio of new living locations in the town centre.
More importantly, all 422 of these prospective homes will be available via social rent, i.e. low-cost housing provided and leased by local authorities and/or housing associations, which are typically aimed at those on lower incomes and facing other adversities.
While Wythenshawe has plenty of council houses and social housing already, thanks to the WCHG, these latest proposals could see thousands more Greater Manchester natives given the opportunity to be part of the area’s next big overhaul.
As per a recent press release from the team behind the project: “The plans represent the first phase of housing within the wider masterplan, which will see up to 2,000 new homes created over the next 10 to 15 years, alongside new community facilities, green spaces and places to work and socialise.
It’s also worth noting that this undertaking, which will span over the next decade and a half or so, is part of the Greater Manchester region’s overarching goal to increase the level of high-quality domesticity throughout the 10 boroughs.
Besides various other projects in different up-and-coming areas like Stockport, Strangeways, Bolton, as well as here in the city centre, the area is also being hit with a major regeneration scheme.
Subject to planning approval, Wythenshawe will see the Brotherton House, Alpha House and C2 The Birtles buildings transformed into a modern residential complex, comprising a mix of apartments and townhouses aimed at local people with “differing requirements”.
You can see the map for where the developments are in relation to each other down below.
Credit: Supplied
Developers have promised that homes will be affordable, high-quality and energy-efficient, “with additional outdoor and communal spaces to promote interaction, health and wellbeing”.
Brotherton House – a now abandoned former office building – will be turned into 216 new homes, including an extra care apartment building with a further 109 rooms for people in later life and those living with dementia. Find out more HERE.
Moreover, if fully green-lit when the planning permission process is completed, the overview also includes 81 apartments and 25 two and four-bedroom townhouses, plus landscaped gardens and green spaces to encourage local wildlife and nearby residents to spend more time outdoors.
Already under demolition, neighbouring Alpha House will also be flattened and rebuilt to provide 125 one- and two-bedroom apartments, including 16 wheelchair accessible homes.
Meanwhile, the venue currently known as C2 The Birtles (next to the old market square), which holds existing retail and office spaces, will be replaced with around 81 one and two-beds, along with a new ground-floor retail space to complement the wider Civic offering.
Local councillor and leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, said of the plans: “Delivering truly affordable homes – with a focus on social rent housing – was one of our key priorities when we set out the vision for the long-term transformation of Civic.
“The town centre is the beating heart of this community, and that means building homes that are affordable to as many people as possible, creating a long-term sustainable community of people who are proud of where they live.
“These planning applications represent an exciting milestone for Wythenshawe – and it’s great to be working alongside Wythenshawe Community Housing Group to realise these important developments.”
As for WCHG, their executive director, Andrea Lowman, added: “We’re delighted to see the first phase of new homes progressing, marking a major step forward in delivering the high-quality, affordable housing that local people have told us they need.
“This phase will bring forward homes that support residents at every stage of life, creating a strong foundation for a vibrant, sustainable town centre that meets the needs of our communities now and in the future.”
Featured Images — Wythenshawe Community Housing Group/Muse (supplied)
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More Metrolink disruption expected as further tram strikes have been scheduled
Danny Jones
Further disruption to the Bee Network is now expected during an already full-on time of year, as more Metrolink tram strikes have been scheduled over the festive period.
Put in the simplest terms, members of Unite the Union have said: “The dispute is over driver fatigue and fears that their shift patterns and lack of rest breaks are putting them and passengers at risk.”
As a result, they have now pencilled in protests on 19, 20 and 31 December, holding walkouts from their usual timetable.
A largely empty St Peter’s Square tram stop is a fairly rare sight to see. (Credit: The Manc)
In addition to the other pair of strikes planned for this coming weekend (5-7 Dec), the latest trio have been specifically timed in and around key dates on the city’s calendar.
As well as the return of Manchester’s firework display on St. Peter’s Square, the walk-outs will also coincide with a Manchester City fixture at the Etihad Stadium, as well as notable live music gigs like Jools Holland and Manc band, Doves.
Naturally, tens upon tens of thousands are set to use the Bee Network and trams, in particular, to travel to these events – reiterating just how important properly investing and staffing the Metrolink and other arms of Manchester’s public transport service is.
The most recent update from the union continues: “Unite has repeatedly raised issues with management, but has been told there is no funding available for improvements to working patterns.”
Their General Secretary, Sharon Graham, said as part of the most recent statement: “Driver fatigue is a serious problem. Our members are raising serious concerns about their and their passengers’ safety, but Metrolink management is burying its head in the sand.
“Management must sort this problem out once and for all. It can’t try to fob drivers off by putting profits before safety.”
Here are some of the scenes from the demonstrations earlier this year:
⏰HAPPENING NOW; when Transport for Greater Manchester wouldn't come to the table SO the strikers brought the table (*and chairs) to them! We're ready when you are TfGM. pic.twitter.com/io1OFHED8I
Union members have also clarified their position surrounding ‘fatigue’; it isn’t just the fear of possible risks in operating a tram whilst being “exhausted”, but both the wider mental and physical toll that working the current shift patterns has on workers.
One driver quoted as saying: “My colleagues are tired, but the fatigue is also giving them cold-like symptoms and many have been going off sick with stress, which adds to problems with staffing levels.”
So, if you’re planning on using the Metrolink this holiday season when travelling around for Christmas shopping or even just going home, make sure to keep the strike dates in mind.
Elsewhere, the Bee Network has also provided more information on the designs to bring tram lines to Stockport town centre. Read more down below.
Georgina Pellant -
4th March 2022 
