A coronavirus vaccine which has been developed by the University of Oxford is confirmed to “appear safe” and trains the immune system.
These findings have been confirmed by medical officials at the university this afternoon.
Phase one of testing trials, which involved around 1,077 people, appeared to show the injection leading participants to making antibodies and white blood cells that can fight coronavirus (COVID-19).
The vaccine – called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 – is currently being developed at unprecedented speed.
Following phase one of testing trials, the vaccine has been confirmed to “appear safe”, but some side-effects have been noted by participants. While there were no dangerous side-effects directly occurring from the taking the of the vaccine, 70% of people on the trial did however develop either a fever or headache.
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The researchers say this could be managed with paracetamol.
Coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University appears safe and trains the immune system, key early trials show https://t.co/vXdDZlqZ2r
Whilst the findings are hugely promising, it has been said that it is still too soon to know if this is enough to offer protection and larger trials are currently under way.
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Professor Sarah Gilbert, from the University of Oxford, stated that: “there is still much work to be done before we can confirm if our vaccine will help manage the COVID-19 pandemic,”
“But these early results hold promise.”
It’s been confirmed that the UK has already ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine.
This is a breaking news story – More to follow.
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Top-rated Manchester chippy Hip Hop Chip Shop confirms it will soon be closing
Danny Jones
Not the news we wanted to go into the weekend writing but, sadly, we have word of yet another loss to Manchester hospitality as The Hip Hop Chip Shop have announced they will soon be closing.
Rated not just one of the top-rated chippies in Greater Manchester but having been named the second beast in the UK back in 2023, Hip Hop Chip Shop‘s success story is one we’ve loved watching.
First opened back in 2014 (how time flies), the chippy started out as nothing more than another street food stall serving out of a converted trailer designed to look like a boombox; it was cool, great value for money and absolutely delicious.
However, now over a decade later and having opened their brick-and-mortar site in Ancoats, the present financial pressures of the sector have taken their toll just like they have so many others and Hip Hop Chip Shop confirmed they will be early closing next month.
Bidding an emotional goodbye on social media, they wrote: “After 11 years, we’re unfortunately joining the chorus of independent businesses in Manchester and beyond, calling it a day.
Although Ancoats was an amazing area for us to embark on our bricks-and-mortar dream, the cost increases from Brexit, Covid, energy, VAT (halving it would save a lot in the industry), BB Loans etc. has meant it’s unviable in its current form – we would’ve had to increase prices much more than we’d be comfortable with to get the margins we need to keep going.
“It’s an extremely tough decision given it’s 15 years since the idea was born in my early 20s – then three mates whilst working other jobs began building it from scratch every weekend, to then quitting our jobs and taking a leap of full-time faith. Ultimately, we need to listen to the head, not the heart.”
Founder Jonathan ‘Ozzie’ Oswald goes on to add, “We wanted to give enough notice to support our amazing team in finding new jobs, making sure all our suppliers are paid up and provide our supportive customers with the last chance to eat/drink/party with us.”
Although they started they are exploring the possibility of keeping their trailer (which made its Christmas Markets debut just this past year) going at regular locations like the Etihad Stadium, the rest of the business as we know will be shutting down in a matter of weeks.
How it all started.The food’s been unbelievable since the start.Credit: The Manc Eats
Sharing a lengthy farewell message in honour of their fellow contemporaries and competitors, equally lauded Chips @ No.8 in Prestwich said: “We honour those who dared to do it differently. The Hip Hop Chip Shop in Manchester city centre were inspirational to us when we were setting out.
“They turned fish and chips on its head and did it how no one else thought possible. Centred on community with a high-quality product that championed sustainability and the alternative, we deemed them Gods of the fish and chip world and untouchable…
“Yet another independent food-based business to succumb to the economic crisis that has enveloped us and to date, the one that has hit us hardest. This latest closure most certainly won’t be the last. The government need to wake up fast and support small independent businesses before there are no more…
“If you haven’t been before then you really should, before it’s too late.”
You can find their remaining opening hours in the full Instagram post and the staff have assured all they’ll be open as normal in Manchester and at the Carlton Club in Whalley Range until their closing party on Saturday, 2 March, where guests can come along and have one last bite – and more than a few beers.
Responding underneath the post, one person commented: “The doors might be closing, but what you’ve done for us will never ever be forgotten. It’s impossible to talk about Manchester Hip Hop without talking about the Chippy.
“From Manchester to Vegas, tales of a Chippy that supported a culture, community and served dam good food will be told with smiles on our faces and heavy hearts.”
As for the Hip Hop gang, they signed off simply by saying: “It’s been a privilege to be able to feed you all whether it’s been at a music festival, kitchen takeover, wedding, corporate party and also put on some top events in a chippy! HUGE thanks for your support!
RIP to HOP, you were the modern Manchester chippy OGs and we sincerely hope it’s not forever.
Nothing short of a perfect plate – you will be missed x
A Greater Manchester Wetherspoons has been revealed as ‘one of the UK’s most beloved pubs’
Danny Jones
Whatever you make of them, Wetherspoons remains the biggest pub chain in the UK and millions of Brits drink in them every week; in fact, as it turns out, one of their Greater Manchester locations has just been revealed as ‘one of the most beloved pubs’ in the country.
The J D Wetherspoon name is one you’ll typically see at least once if not more in most towns and cities and given that they boast more than 800 across the UK and Ireland, their dominance of the UK drinking scene remains pretty steadfast.
Although many have railed against the massive franchise over the past few years, with thousands famously flocking to use the ‘Neverspoons’ app within just a week of its launch back in 2020, an estimated 20.5 million visit every six months.
The point being, ‘Where is the nearest Spoons?’ is a very common query online and punters still regularly search for them on Google Maps – quite literally, as it happens, as the latest data from the tech giants has revealed just how popular one particular Manchester location is. Drum roll, please…
Marking 20 years of Google Maps’, those behind the website and app pooled together their stats on the best-loved pubs nationwide and, yes, Manchester’s very own Moon Under The Water managed to make the top 20.
The busy Deansgate boozer, famous for rowdy weekends and being one of if not the only Wetherspoons we know of that includes a built-in dancefloor (perhaps the only one full stop) is certainly a memorable watering hole – provided you don’t drink so much you struggle to recollect much of anything.
Whilst we’re on the subject of Wetherspoons, they actually take up half of the list with various venues up and down the country, including four of the top five.
Other names that made the cut were Waxy O’Connor’s London, which once had a space in Manchester’s Printworks; England’s so-called oldest pub, the Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem in Nottingham, as well as few other storied London public houses.
For context, this list was compiled strictly by using data directly from the search engine. The top spots are based on places that have the most reviews and a rating over 4.0 stars on Google Maps and those locations were then calculated by the number of reviews and average review rating taken into account.
The main bar areaThe view from above looking down onto the dancefloorIt is the biggest and one of the most frequented Wetherspoons in all of Greater Manchester. (Credit: The Manc Group)
We’ll admit, of all the brilliant Manchester pubs and bars we know and love, we were quite expecting to see a simple Spoons beating them all out on the list.
Meanwhile, as part of the wider 20th-anniversary round-ups, Google also shared the likes of ‘best’/most-searched restaurants in the country, as well as some of the most popular Italian spots.
The only nod Greater Manchester received was among dining spots, with Turtle Bay’s Northern Quarter venue coming in at number 10.
So, what do you reckon then: are you a fan of Spoons and, more specifically, The Moon Under Water, or do you only support independent pubs and bars?