Pubs in the UK will be allowed to open later than usual over the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend, the government has announced.
Venues in England and Wales will be granted permission to extend their opening hours from 11pm to 1am over the celebratory long weekend, which will run from Thursday 2 June to Saturday 4 June.
The plans come in preparation for a long weekend of festivities, designed to mark 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne.
Whether you are a royalist or not, it will be a huge historical moment for the country – marking Queen Elizabeth II as the longest-reigning incumbent monarch and the longest-reigning female monarch in history.
Even if you don’t want to celebrate the royals, you can still enjoy a few extra hours in the pub this June as a perk.
It’s been reported that the Queen likes a bit of a tipple herself, and is a particular fan of martinis.
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According to former royal chef Darren McGrady. she starts her day off with a cocktail of gin and wine-based aperitif Dubonnet, served with ice and a slice of lemon.
At lunch, she takes a glass of wine or a gin martini, and later reportedly enjoys a glass of champagne or two with her dinner.
It has been reported separately in Vanity Fair that she also enjoys another martini after dinner.
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Image: The Crown and Kettle
Read more:Cost of stickers to cover up Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone signs revealed – and it’s big
Elizabeth II became Queen on 6 February 1952 and officially became the UK’s longest-reigning monarch in 2015 when she surpassed the reign of her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria.
When she commemorated 65 years on the throne with her Sapphire Jubilee in 2017, she was the first British monarch to ever do so. Now, this summer, she will break another record as she celebrates her Platinum Jubilee.
As part of the celebrations. the BBC has announced plans to host a special ticketed concert at Buckingham Palace this June, with performances from global pop and rock stars, opera singers and a full, live orchestra.
Image: The City Arms
Celebrities will celebrate some of the most significant moments from HRH’s reign, with 10,000 tickets available on a first-come-first-served basis.
The extended pub licensing hours for the Platinum Jubilee could possibly be a sign of things to come in Britaingoing forward.
It has been said by the minister for policing, Kit Malthouse, the government wants to relax closing times for pubs more generally.
Speaking to The Independent, the minister said that an impact assessment is currently being prepared by officials to make amends to Section 172 of the Licensing Act 2003.
The Act currently permits extended hours at moments of local, national and international significance, but it’s been suggested that the government intends to relax these further.
Feature image – Sadler’s Cat
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Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”