A petition to keep gyms and fitness centres open under Tier 3 rules could be put up for debate in the House of Commons after receiving huge support.
Currently, health facilities must close if they are in a ‘very high risk’ area.
But thousands have rushed to back a new campaign which asks for “gyms to not be put in the same group as pubs in terms of risk or importance” and therefore remain operational – even in Tier 3 regions.
According to the government, petitions which reach 100,000 signatures “are almost always debated.”
Despite only going live this week, the ‘keep gyms open’ campaign has nearly accrued the six-figure support required to be put in front of parliament.
A new tier system has come into effect from today (14 October) – separating regions in England by their risk level (‘medium’, ‘high’, and ‘very high’).
So far, only the Liverpool City Region has been placed into the highest risk category of Tier 3 – which has led to the closure of hospitality and leisure in Liverpool, Knowsley, Wirral, St Helens, Sefton and Halton.
There has also been a total ban on household mixing in these areas.
Gyms have also been told to shut down whilst the region remains under Tier 3 restrictions.
But many members of the sector are backing the campaign to overturn the ruling – including Pure Gym who have claimed the “facts indicate that gyms are safe with no evidence of Covid-19 transmission.”
According to the Liverpool Echo, the fitness company are even considering taking legal action.
Me on Saturday to No 10 officials “Gyms are safer than supermarkets, more COVID-19 transmissions come from our schools and retail than Gyms” response “we are not closing schools or restricting retail, so we can only go for Hospitality & leisure.“ Government decision not ours! https://t.co/MdHbbeCx74
Directly elected Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson has distanced himself from the decision to shut fitness facilities – calling it a “Government decision”.
The Mayor also claimed he told Number 10 that “gyms are safer than supermarkets” during tier discussions, but the government were committed to closing hospitality and leisure.
Greater Manchester was originally placed into Tier 2 – or ‘high’ risk – category, leaving many businesses to operate as normal.
However, a Gold Command meeting is set to be held later this afternoon to reconsider whether the region should be reclassified as Tier 3.
This would mean that workout centres must close across all ten boroughs.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said that the city will “not accept” any attempts by the government to bump up the alert level in the region.
“Since one meeting on Friday, the Government has not discussed these matters with us,” said the Mayor.
“Instead, the pressure is being piled on via media briefings.
“Later today I will set out why the current Tier 3 proposal is fundamentally flawed and why we won’t accept it.”
News
‘Dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture goes on public display in Greater Manchester after fears it was lost
Emily Sergeant
A long-lost masterpiece of Victorian silverwork has been saved and is now on display to the public in Greater Manchester.
Anyone taking a trip over to the National Trust’s historic Dunham Massey property, on the border of Greater Manchester into Cheshire, this summer will get to see the ‘dazzling’ sculpture called Stags in Bradgate Park – which was commissioned by a former owner in a defiant gesture to the society that shunned him.
The dramatic sculpture of two rutting Red Deer stags, commissioned in 1855 by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, was said to be an ‘act of love and rebellion’.
It also serves as a symbol of ‘locking horns’ with the society that ostracised him over his marriage to a woman considered ‘beneath him’.
“This isn’t just silver – it’s a story,” says James Rothwell, who is the National Trust‘s curator for decorative arts.
“A story of a man who fell in love with a woman that society deemed unworthy. When the Earl married Catherine Cox, whose colourful past was said to have included performing in a circus, Victorian high society was scandalised. Even Queen Victoria shunned the couple at the opera and local gentry at the horse races in Cheshire turned their backs on them.”
Modelled by Alfred Brown and crafted by royal goldsmiths Hunt & Roskell, Stags in Bradgate Park is a meticulously-detailed depiction of nature, and was considered a ‘sensation’ in its day.
Showing the rutting deer positioned on a rocky outcrop with gnarled hollow oaks, it graced the pages of the Illustrated London News, was exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862, and at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 – both of which were events that drew millions of visitors.
A ‘dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture has gone on public display in Greater Manchester / Credit: Joe Wainwright | James Dobson (via Supplied)
The silver centrepiece was the celebrity art of its time, paraded through streets and admired by the public like no other.
Gradually over the years, some of the Earl of Stamford’s silver collection has been re-acquired for Dunham Massey, and this particular world-renowned sculpture, thought to be lost for decades and feared to have been melted down, has miraculously survived with its ‘dramatic’ central component being all that is left.
“The sculpture is not only a technical marvel, with its lifelike depiction of Bradgate Park’s rugged landscape and wildlife, but also a dramatic human story key to the history of Dunham Massey,” added Emma Campagnaro, who is the Property Curator at Dunham Massey.
“It speaks of nature, of craftsmanship, and of a couple who chose each other over status and what others thought of them.”
The sculpture has now gone on display at Dunham Massey from Thursday 26 June.
Featured Image – James Dobson (via Supplied)
News
Lewis Capaldi announces MASSIVE comeback gig in Manchester this year
Thomas Melia
Everyone’s favourite Scottish ballad-maker, Lewis Capaldi, is heading out on tour across the UK, including a massive Manchester date.
Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is ready to tug at our heartstrings again right in front of our eyes as he announces a new UK arena tour.
This huge announcement comes right after his surprise set at the UK’s biggest music event of the year, Glastonbury, where he made a heroic return to the Pyramid Stage just two years after being forced to pull out.
Capaldi is known for writing some of the most notable and emotive hits of the late 2010s and early 2020s, including a long list of anthems such as ‘Someone You Loved’, ‘Bruises’ and ‘Before You Go’.
His monster of a hit ‘Someone You Loved’ has surpassed 3.9 billion views and is the UK’s most-streamed song of all time, so it is safe to say that his presence has been well and truly missed.
To many fans’ delight, the singer has stepped back into the spotlight and is ready to sing his heart out live at a variety of arenas across the UK, including Co-op Live right here in Manchester.
Now, in a post on his official Instagram account announcing this upcoming UK and Ireland arena tour, it’s good to see the Scottish powerhouse hasn’t lost his wit and charm as he jokes, “About time I got back to work.”
These shows are set to be in high demand as the singer has also revealed these upcoming dates, “Will be my only shows in the UK, Ireland or Europe this year! Would love to see ya there.”
On the back of his glorious Glasto return, Capaldi has dropped a huge heart-wrencher titled ‘Survive’ which offers more insight into the struggles and challenges the singer has been facing.
There is no confirmation of whether this new single marks the launch of a bigger project or not, but we can’t wait to scream his hits at the top of our lungs, regardless of when he pays Manchester a visit later this year.
The Manc -
14th October 2020 
