The road to the coronavirus vaccine has been long, dark and winding; littered with potholes, bumps and wrong turnings. But as the first people in the UK received the jab this week, the nation was injected with fresh hope that we’re finally on the right path.
800,000 doses are being administered across the country over the coming days – but protecting the physical health of citizens is only one stop on the road to recovery from COVID.
Once the jab is rolled out further and wider, more attention will turn to improving the country’s economic wellbeing.
Britain plunged into a recession in August, with many big-name brands going bust alongside small businesses.
Looking back over a period where ‘lockdown’ was voted as the ‘word of the year’, there have been few real ‘winners’ in 2020. But data compiled by the Office for National Statistics has revealed that some industries and businesses have fared far better than others since the pandemic took hold.
Both the accommodation and travel industries have – unsurprisingly – struggled during a period in which people were actively discouraged from leaving their own homes.
However, turnover in the camping sector was actually up from the same period in 2019.
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With isolation requirements intact for travel in and out of Britain, pitching up in nearby countryside was considered the safest and most viable type of getaway in 2020.
The ONS also suggested that the ability to socially distance on campsites may have played a role in the camping sector’s strong performance.
Furniture stores, too, have seen high numbers of customers return after lockdown.
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ONS stats found that trade returned to pre-pandemic levels later following the first lockdown – ‘boosted by people still spending more time at home than they used to.’
Data also showed that dispensing chemists have seen higher sales since the pandemic began.
The hospitality sector, of course, has been one of the biggest victims of the pandemic – forced to contend with revolving restrictions and intermittent closures, depending on the time of year or which part of the country they might reside.
Over a fifth of hospitality workers have lost their jobs in 2020 – some 660,000 and counting.
Indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas and theatres have also suffered heavily.
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According to the ONS, September 2020 turnover for cinemas was down 58% for the same month last year, despite the venues being allowed to reopen.
Big screen theatres have since suffered another blow after being forced to close again in a second lockdown, with sites in England’s Tier 3 areas still shut today.
Music publishing, however, enjoyed an increase in turnover relative to February – perhaps due to the increased use of home entertainment.
Clothes stores have also suffered plummeting sales – with many social interactions banned outside households.
For the first portion of the pandemic, many of us had no reason to buy trendy new clothes – spending the majority of our time in our PJs, sweats, and exercise shorts.
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ONS data did show an uptick in fashion purchases ahead of students returning to schools, however – with sales levelling off in September.
You can read the full report on the Office for National Statistics website here.
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Street parties and Red Arrows fly-over planned for four-day VE Day 80th anniversary celebrations
Emily Sergeant
Street parties and fly-pasts by military aircraft including the famous Red Arrows are planned for the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Victory in Europe (VE Day) – which takes place on 8 May each year, and marks the Allied victory in Europe – resulted in millions celebrating the end of the war in 1945, with street parties, dancing and singing all across the country.
And now, 80 years later, similar events and celebrations are set to take place.
The commemorations set to take place over four days at the start of May will pay tribute to the millions of people across the UK and Commonwealth who served in the Second World War, telling the stories of those who fought, the children who were evacuated, and those who stepped into the essential roles on the Home Front.
On 8 May the nation will come together to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day
— Department for Culture, Media and Sport (@DCMS) March 5, 2025
The early May bank holiday on Monday 5 May will see the beginning of the events to mark VE Day 80, with events planned including a military procession, flypast of current and historic military aircraft, and the return of the poppies to the Tower of London.
Also on bank holiday Monday is when street parties, barbecues. and community get-togethers are being encouraged to be held by communities across the country to echo the celebrations 80 years ago.
The Government has also issued a nationwide call for families to ‘delve into their lofts’ and discover their own stories from the Second World War.
On actual VE Day itself, on Thursday 8 May, a service will take place at Westminster Abbey that the Government says will be both an ‘act of shared remembrance’ and a ‘celebration’ of the end of the war.
Street parties and a Red Arrows fly-over is planned for 80th anniversary celebrations of VE Day / Credit: Vicki Burton (via Flickr)
All the planned events will conclude with a concert at the historic Horseguards Parade, with more than 10,000 members of the public expected to attend, and well-known stars of stage and screen and military musicians set to perform.
“80 years ago, the freedoms we enjoy today were defended by our remarkable Second World War generation,” commented Defence Secretary John Healey MP as the planned celebrations were announced.
“Our duty today is to safeguard the British values they sacrificed so much to uphold.
“As we mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War, our grateful nation looks forward to joining our brave Armed Forces and veterans to reflect, rejoice and remember.”
Featured Image – Jason Garcia (via Flickr)
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Manchester has been named one of the UK’s top car theft ‘hotspots’
Emily Sergeant
Manchester has unfortunately been named one of the UK’s top car theft ‘hotspots’, according to a new analysis.
In recent months, Greater Manchester has been earning itself some rather impressive new titles, with wins across areas such as property prices, arts and culture, and so much more… but when you win some, it seems like you also lose some.
That’s because a data analysis of car theft statistics across the UK in 2024 has sadly seen Manchester named in the top 10 ‘hotspots’.
Although motor thefts were found to have decreased by 6% in the previous year, there was still a whopping 61,343 cars reported stolen to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in 2024, which marked the third-highest annual total in the past decade.
The number of car thefts in 2024 was actually more than twice the number recorded in 2015.
Manchester has been named one of the UK’s top car theft ‘hotspots’ / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Analysis of the data from This is Money and MailOnline, as shared by the RAC, highlighted that East London was the worst affected area in the UK, but Manchester wasn’t too far behind.
Manchester took the third spot on the top 10 list, with a total of 912 cars reported stolen in 2024 alone, while some of the other northern cities on the ranking include Leeds and Sheffield.
It comes as no surprise, however, that at the top of the list is the capital of London, with a shockingly-high 8,145 cars stolen last year.
Top 10 UK car theft ‘hotspots’ 2024
London – 8,145
Birmingham – 3,220
Manchester – 912
Leeds – 901
Sheffield – 899
Coventry – 862
Wolverhampton – 616
Leicester – 533
Walsall – 521
Bristol – 506
According to the analysis, there are several ways that criminals are choosing to steal cars nationwide, with one of the most popular being key cloning, where a thief creates a copy of a car’s key fob or key to gain access to the vehicle.
This technique is particularly common with modern cars that use keyless entry and push-to-start systems, which communicate with the car through radio signals.
The Manc -
10th December 2020 
