Manchester city centre restaurant and bar Ramona has responded after guests visiting the venue over the weekend were injured in an accident following damage to the tipi.
The busy nightlife venue was evacuated on Saturday night after falling debris crashed through the canvas and injured customers.
Ramona has stated that the high winds brought on by Storm Elin caused materials to fly off a neighbouring construction site and onto the bar’s tipi below.
A large emergency service presence, including two fire engines, attended the ‘scary’ incident at the venue, which is situated just on the edge of Northern Quarter and Ancoats.
Ramona has been in touch with the guests who were injured in the freak accident, two of whom were sent to hospital, and all are reported to be ‘safe and recovering’.
ADVERTISEMENT
They have also said that the construction site has ‘taken full responsibility’.
News of the accident first began circulating on a r/Manchester Reddit page, in which an anonymous individual shared details of a “serious incident”, with a witness claiming that a part of Ramona’s outdoor tent collapsed as a result of the damage and high winds drummed up by Storm Elin which has spread across the North West.
ADVERTISEMENT
The poster said: “At least one person sat near the wooden supports that gave way was seriously injured. Not talking just a chipped tooth but life-threatening head injuries, profuse bleeding, the lot.”
They went on to add: “The place was immediately evacuated, and a major emergency services presence arrived shortly thereafter.”
We’ve enjoyed many a drink in the Ramona tipi which was damaged and partially collapsed’
Issuing an official statement to The Manc, Ramona said: “On the evening of Saturday, 9th December, an incident occurred where, during the severe storm, high winds blew several pieces of debris from a neighbouring construction site, onto parked vehicles, and piercing the Ramona tipis, injuring customers.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Thankfully, all injured parties are now safe and recovering. They have contacted Ramona to thank the team for their wonderful support in what was a scary situation for all involved.
“The construction site next door to Ramona has taken full responsibility for what happened and ensured that all is safe and secure after the extreme conditions.
“The team is committed to continuing to support all involved and is speaking to Hospitality Action to arrange for some potential crisis management support for those who may want to take that up.”
A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) also confirmed: “Around 8:15pm on Saturday (9 December) two fire engines from Salford and Manchester Central fire stations were called to Cable Street, Manchester, in response to reports about falling debris.
“Firefighters established a cordon to make the area safe, working alongside colleagues from North West Ambulance Service and Greater Manchester Police at the scene. Crews were in attendance for around two hours.”
ADVERTISEMENT
GMP also verified that “two people received injuries and were taken to hospital” as a result of falling debris”, with a cordon put in place to secure the perimeter around the incident.
We’re just glad everyone is ok and that the site has been deemed safe to re-enter.
Two Trafford towns are set to see dozens of new EV charging points installed imminently
Danny Jones
Two big towns on the border of Greater Manchester and Cheshire are set to see a fresh batch of electric vehicle (EV) charging points installed throughout their streets by Trafford Council very soon.
Local authorities have teamed up with engineering and infrastructure company Amey to roll out a series of new EV charging stations across Trafford, starting with Altrincham and Hale.
Dating all the way back to 2020, the collaboration with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the brand was tasked with helping improve sustainable travel across the area as the government body’s electric vehicle charging suppliers.
Steady improvements have been made across the 10 boroughs, but this particular update marks one of the biggest network upgrades that the likes of Alty and Hale have seen for some time.
Good news – we are thrilled to announce the installation of our first public EV charge points in collaboration with @TraffordCouncil.
Issuing a statement on Wednesday, 17 September, the firm – which specialises in managing, designing and maintaining complex facilities and transport infrastructure across the country – announced that they will “start the installation of EV charging points in Trafford in the coming weeks.”
It is expected that “up to 100 new public charges” will be integrated throughout the respective town centres and residential streets as the suburbs continues to push towards its sustainability goals.
As per Altrincham Today, Amey account director Anna Gornall said: “We’re excited to launch our first EV charge points in Trafford, working in partnership with Trafford Council (TC) to make electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities.
“As the UK’s leading provider of energy transition and decarbonisation solutions, we’re well placed to use our existing expertise and resources to support TC in delivering a holistic public EV charging network for local communities.
“We’re helping residents make the switch, so everyone can plug in and power a greener Trafford.”
The country at large has various carbon-free initiatives, including the aspiration of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050; the electoral ward of Trafford itself continues to thrive in this field, having recently won environmental accolades, including 12 ‘Green Flag Awards’ this past July.
🌱 Have your say on the future of Trafford’s allotments
We’re developing a new Allotments Strategy to guide how our 35 sites and 1,500 plots are managed over the next 5 years – and we want your feedback.
Peter Anderson, Managing Director of Transport Infrastructure at Amey, commented: “This is a pivotal moment in Amey’s energy transition strategy. By leveraging our extensive experience in whole lifecycle asset management, strong partnerships, and innovative solutions, we can deliver value for both our clients and members of the public who will use Amey’s electric vehicle charge points.
“Working with Trafford Council, we are making electric vehicle charging more accessible to local communities and helping residents make the switch to EVs.
“Amey is well-positioned to support emerging opportunities within this landscape, and we are delighted to be working with Trafford and other local authorities to provide the public EV infrastructure needed to achieve the government’s transition to net zero.”
As for Trafford Council, Corporate Director of Place, Richard Roe, went on to add: “We are delighted to be working with Amey on this project to bring more and better charging options to the people of Trafford.
“This is an extension to the current EV charging options in the borough and is great news for committed EV owners and those who are thinking about going electric.”
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (via Amey Ltd)
News
Further disruption expected as more bus strikes announced across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Further disruption is expected as even more bus strikes have been announced across Greater Manchester this autumn.
It comes after the strikes set to place this month from 19 to 22 September were announced a couple of weeks back, and now a second round will take place towards the end of this month and going into early October.
In case this is the first you’re hearing of the upcoming industrial action, 2,000 workers who are employed by Stagecoach, Metroline Manchester, and First Bus Rochdale – all of which are firms among those that make up the bus part of the Bee Network – are due to walk out in a co-ordinated strike amid an ongoing pay dispute.
Unite the Union says all the firms are ‘highly profitable’ and it’s therefore ‘disappointing’ that workers are being denied a fair wage.
More strikes have been announced on the Bee Network this month / Credit: TfGM
At Stagecoach, around 1,000 drivers based across the Oldham, Stockport, and Middleton depots have rejected a pay offer of 3.5%, and 1,000 Metroline Manchester members will also do the same after turning down an ‘unsatisfactory’ below-inflation pay offer.
Workers at both Metroline and Stagecoach believe the offer doesn’t address years of low pay they’ve recieved, especially given the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Then, over at First Bus Rochdale, 110 members have rejected this year’s pay offer of 6%, as they feel this does not go far enough to address the fact they’ve had years of being paid less than their counterparts at other companies, and are still the lowest paid in the region.
Stagecoach, Metroline, and First Bus Rochdale, part of First Group PLC, are all firms which have seen a rise in profits in recent years.
2,000 drivers are set to stage strike action over two different periods / Credit: TfGM
The second round of strikes will now take place from from 30 September to 2 October.
Speaking ahead of both sets of upcoming strikes, Unite General Secretary, Sharon Graham, said: “These companies are very profitable but are putting greed over their hardworking members of staff.
“Further strike action will be extremely disruptive, however this is a dispute entirely of the bus companies’ making and they could solve it easily by coming back with a better deal.
“Our members involved in the dispute have Unite’s complete support.”
Unite Regional Officer, Colin Hayden, added: “The strikes this week as well as the further action we have called will cause travel chaos in Greater Manchester. However, it is entirely the fault of the employers involved, who have failed to address the issue of low pay and reward their staff accordingly.
Danny Jones -
12th December 2023 
