Relaxed rules over Christmas now ‘under review’ – with talks being held between nations
Sky News reports that the Cabinet Office minister will be discussing whether the countries of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should reconsider easing measures over the festive period.
The prospect of relaxing rules over Christmas in Britain is apparently being placed under review – with talks set to take place later this afternoon.
Sky News reports that the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove will be holding a meeting with representatives from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as the nations reconsider easing measures over the festive period.
The four countries originally struck an agreement to relax some rules between 23-27 December – temporarily allowing travel between tiers and borders and giving three households freedom to mix indoors.
But a recent spike in coronavirus cases – which may be due to a new variant of the virus – has put ministers under pressure to reconsider the ‘Christmas bubble’ rules.
According to Sky, a number of potential ideas are on the table – including reducing the number of days people can mix, moving the window entirely, or keeping things as they are and simply ‘toughening up the message’.
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Sky News understands cabinet office minister Michael Gove is set to hold a call with the devolved nations this afternoon to discuss the planned relaxation of restrictions over the Christmas period
The Health Service Journal and British Medical Journal this week described loosening rules over Christmas as a “rash” decision that “could cost many lives.”
Both journals suggested the UK should follow the examples of Germany, Italy and the Netherlands elsewhere in Europe – who have tightened restrictions across the festive period.
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Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham had also previously expressed concern that the rules were “allowing too much.”
According to Sky, Gove is set to speak with representatives from the devolved nations around 5pm.
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Five fantastic freebies and offers for the 2025 Manchester Half marathon
Danny Jones
It’s nearly time: not just for the Manchester Half but, more importantly, the freebies and offers you can get for running it.
Let’s be honest, not everyone loves running for literal miles just for the sake of it; a lot of people need motivation, and besides an inspiring cause, you’d be surprised how many people will get out of bed for something as simple as free stuff.
You might be one of them – you are here reading this, after all.
There’s no long-winded preamble or intro needed to set this up, so let’s just crack on. Here are five brilliant freebies you can get with a 2025 Manchester Half Marathon medal.
What freebies you can get with a Manchester Half finisher’s medal
Now, you’ll be glad to know that most of these are completely gratis, but we thought we’d mention some others that stuck out to us as well.
1. Free fizz on The Refuge
First up, how about some free fizz? Well, that’s exactly what you can get this Sunday, 12 October, if you’ve just run the 2025 Manchester Half-marathon.
Participants can head to The Refuge inside the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel after the race to claim a well-earned glass of prosecco – available to the first 100 finishers on a first-come, first-served basis.
2. Complimentary food and drink at Circolo Popolare
Next up, it doesn’t get much better than a free pizza and a cold one; that’s what Circolo Popolare in Gary Neville’s stunning St. Michael’s building are offering.
Just show your medal and enjoy a free margherita pizza plus your choice of either an ice-cold beer or a refreshing virgin cocktail. Prego!
3. You’ve got to be quick to get House of Social’s freebie
Speaking of free drinks, the first 50 runners who use the last of their energy to dash over to House of Social this Sunday and enjoy a pint on the house.
All you have to do is present your medal when ordering to snap up a beer at absolutely no cost. So we’ll see you there, basically.
Self-explanatory, really. The student favourite that used to be the old Footage pub on Oxford Road is offering up a limited amount of free pints to runners, just make sure you show your medal at the bar.
To be honest, even if it wasn’t free, we’d still probably spend a good few hours here sinking affordable pints because it is absolute VIBES at this gaff.
Last but not least, if you’re looking for a lovely carby reward in the city centre, you’re obviously spoilt for choice, but Italiana Fifty Five are offering a free starter when booking and presenting your 2025 finisher’s medal upon arrival.
Available at all Greater Manchester locations, the Italian eatery formerly known as Cibo always delivers good offers, and race day for the MCR Half is no different.
🏃♀️ Running the MCR Half this Sunday?
Celebrate your finish line moment at Italiana Fifty-Five, Manchester 🇮🇹
Show us your medal and enjoy a FREE starter with your meal! 🍝✨
Oh yeah, it might not be a freebie per se, but as one of the busiest post-marathon celebration spots anywhere in Greater Manchester, The Wharf is obviously getting involved beforehand as well.
This year, the canalside Castlefield favourite is serving up sausage and bacon butties from 10-11:30am before the usual Sunday roast service kicks in as normal from 12pm. Now we’ve just got to pray for good beer garden weather.
We hope you get to make the most of these freebies and others Manchester Half offers after your race is run, because let’s be honest, running 13.1 miles (21 and a bit kilometres for you metric heads) is a fair bit of effort, so you deserve a treat.
It goes without saying that there’s probably plenty more SWAG to be snapped up in and around the city that we’ve missed, so make sure to let your fellow runners know about them down in the comments.
Finally, if you’re still feeling uncertain about anything to do with the race itself, you can find our full Manchester Half Marathon guide down below.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/press shot (supplied)
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Chester Zoo celebrates birth of UK’s only fossa pups in boost for ‘rare species’
Emily Sergeant
Conservationists at Chester Zoo are celebrating the birth of the UK’s only fossa pups in what is a huge boost for the ‘rare species’.
The four rare pups, who have been born to parents Shala and Zaza, are the first of their kind to be born in the UK this year, and one of only three litters born in all zoos across Europe in 2025, so not only are they a big deal for Chester Zoo, they’re a big deal globally too.
Carnivore experts at the zoo have hailed the arrival of the two male and two female pups as ‘vital new additions’ to an international breeding programme.
The breeding programme is working to ensure the continued survival of the already-rare species.
Unsure what a fossa is? The fossa is a slender, cat-like mammal that can grow up to 6ft long and is adapted for a life in the trees, as they use their long tails for balance and can climb down headfirst with the help of retractable claws.
The fossa is the largest natural predator in Madagascar, and is a highly-threatened species, with their currently estimated to be fewer than 2,500 of them remaining in the wild, largely due to mass deforestation.
Fossa pups are born blind, weighing about 100g (about the same as a small apple).
They first leave their den several months after birth, and having been born on 8 July 2025, Chester Zoo’s new 12-week-old pups have now been spotted by zookeepers and zoo visitors venturing out for the first time.
Chester Zoo is celebrating birth of UK’s only fossa pups in a boost for the ‘rare species’ / Credit: Chester Zoo
“Welcoming four newborn fossa pups is such an incredible moment for us – and seeing them venture out of the den for the very first time has been a real privilege,” commented Dave Hall, who is the Team Manager of carnivores at the zoo.
“They’re already showing off their adventurous sides by climbing and exploring every branch they can find. Mum Shala certainly has her paws full when it comes to keeping track of them all, but she’s doing a brilliant job and is a very attentive mum.”
Dave said the zoo is going to start drawing up a list of potential names as each of the pups grow and begin to develop more of their own distinct personality.
The Manc -
15th December 2020 
