Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex will visit Manchester this morning ahead of the Queen’s funeral on Monday.
The royal couple will stay for just a few hours, visiting the Council’s book of condolence at Manchester Central Library to add their signatures, before moving on to view the floral tributes left in St Ann’s Square by locals in mourning.
The pair will also visit Manchester Cathedral today to light a candle for her late Majesty and view their books of condolence, and meet with volunteers involved with managing the tributes.
Council Leader Bev Craig, Lord Mayor of Manchester Cllr Donna Ludford and Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester Diane Hawkins will be amongst those on hand to greet the royals when they arrive in the city this morning and give introductory addresses.
Image: THe Manc Group
High Sheriff of Greater Manchester Lorraine Worsley-Carter will then read the proclamation before the Earl and Countess move on to St Ann’s Square.
In a statement released this morning, Manchester City Council announced that the royals would be making a visit to the city today and outlined the details of their visit. It said: “Today, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex will visit Manchester.
ADVERTISEMENT
“They will arrive late morning at Central Library to sign The Queen’s Books of Condolence. Then on to St Ann’s Sq to see the tributes left by the public.
“They will end their visit at The Cathedral to view their Books of Condolence and to light a candle in memory of Her Majesty The Queen.”
Today, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie, Countess of Wessex will visit Manchester. pic.twitter.com/gykzj4V1HH
The royal visit comes ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral, wwhich ill take place on Monday 19 September.
Manchester City Council has announced this morning that the funeral will be live streamed on large screens throughout the city centre. For those who want to come together to watch it, it will be shown on screens in Cathedral Gardens, Exchange Square and inside Manchester Cathedral.
The day has been declared an official bank holiday, and so far a large number of businesses including major supermarkets and retailers have announced that they will be closed.
A large number of events have also been cancelled on the day, as well as thousands of NHS hospital appointments including knee and hip replacements, cataract surgery, maternity check-ups and some cancer treatments.
Middleton to receive a cinema and Metrolink as part of regeneration plans
Thomas Melia
Greater Manchester town Middleton is about to undergo a huge facelift thanks to a new regeneration project, including a new cinema and Metrolink tram station.
Middleton is one of many bustling communities that make up the borough of Rochdale, and with these new plans, the town might receive a fair few new visitors who want to know what it’s all about.
The Greater Manchester town is undergoing a huge transformation with regeneration plans confirming that Middleton will receive a brand new cinema complex along with an extended Metrolink line as part of the Bee Network expansion covering this area.
This is all thanks to Middleton teaming up with the Mayor to launch the Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), which pushes forward regeneration plans for the town and future ideas.
Middleton Shopping Centre right in the heart of the town centre.Middleton Town Centre bustling as the markets take place.Credit: Steven Haslington (via Geograph)/@Rept0n1x (via Flickr)
The MDC considers lots of aspects of the town and even aims to create new homes and improve surrounding public spaces.
Middleton regeneration plans have been floated previously, but complications arose due to a lack of land and available funding, which ultimately brought these foundations to a halt.
Now it seems the green light has been lifted and Middleton is about to get a whole new facelift, which will not only improve the town economically but aesthetically too, along with the wider Rochdale region.
For many Middletonians, the idea of a cinema may have felt like a distant memory, with their last big screen location shutting down just over a decade ago.
This all-new high street regeneration will not only bring an array of shopping favourites back to the town centre but also the long-awaited return of a local cinema. Most importantly, the plans also include a slate of new housing, with an estimated 300 apartments set to be created in one building alone.
Early CGIs of the proposed Middleton regeneration plans.Grade II-listed Warwick Mill looks set to be turned into flats.Credit: Publicity Picture (supplied)
This all falls in line with the ‘Atom Valley scheme‘, which has been commissioned in order to generate over 20,000 job opportunities for people in Bury, Oldham and Rochdale.
The scheme also mentions how it aims to bring a combined economic boost of around £1 billion to these previously mentioned areas.
Rochdale Borough Council leader, Neil Emmott, said: “The development of 1.2 million square metres of employment space around the junction 19 area will help to generate 20,000 high-quality jobs and bring a £1 billion economic boost.”
Featured Image — Publicity Pictures (supplied via Rochdale Borough Council)
News
Scouting For Girls announce stacked UK tour with Manchester date
Thomas Melia
British boyband Scouting For Girls are heading out on an extensive UK tour with dates up and down the country, including right here in Manchester.
If the first thing that pops into your mind when you read this headline is “I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how we’ll make it through this”, then you’re on the right side of history.
Nearly 20 years since their single ‘She’s So Lovely’ reached catastrophic heights and had everyone putting on their best Roy Stride accent, Scouting For Girls are heading back on the road.
This UK tour announcement comes two years after their last project, The Place We Used To Meet, reached our ears and was coined by the band as “Our best work since our debut”.
It’s been 18 years since this Brit trio captivated our hearts with their eponymous debut album, which sold over one million copies and went number one on the UK official charts for two weeks.
Whether you know them for ‘Heartbeat’ or ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, it’s clear to say this band had their fair share of smash hit singles throughout the noughties.
This tour, however, celebrates the sophomore follow-up: Everybody Wants To Be On TV, which went on to continue their legacy and secure them their only number one, ‘This Ain’t A Love Song’, back in 2010.
Now, the boys are treating UK fans to an array of live performances, and if you can’t make one date, fear not because there are 20 different locations for you to choose from.
The group will also be playing the likes of Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and a whole host of other Northern cities, so you have plenty of chances to catch them.
If you can’t wait all the way until March 2026 for your next Scouting For Girls fix, lead singer Stride has his own cameo account where you can get the star to read out a message or even sing you a song: “‘Michaela Strachan’ in full, please?…”
Scouting For Girls are coming to O2 Apollo in Manchester on 21 March 2026, with tickets going on sale next Friday, 2 May at 10am HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
15th September 2022 
