The list of pubs and bars closing across the UK is growing depressingly large and brewing giants Stella Artois are as fed up with it as the rest of us.
It was only earlier this week that we learned two beloved Stockport boozers, Doctor Feelgood and The Glass Spider, were sadly shutting down due to rising energy bills and overall business costs, not to mention people simply not having as much money to go out at the minute.
With that in mind, Stella wanted to try and help those in need and, naturally, their idea to support struggling owners that I’m sure you all immediately thought of: turning pub signs into nudey Renaissance-style paintings. As you do…
Drummed up in partnership with Hospitality Action, a charity for those in the service industry, Stella Artois’ UK arm has put together a novel new campaign in hope of raising money for local publicans and it’s a truly brilliant idea. Now, this is what we call ‘high art’.
As you can see in the short advert, with around 400 UK pubs sadly closing in the last year alone — not to mention countless others in the wake of the pandemic — Stella have teamed up with some seriously talented artists to reimagine some iconic pub signs as oil paintings.
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Nudity being an essential component, of course.
The clever and comedic initiative dubbed, ‘The Pub Renaissance‘, will see art collectors or people who simply want to do their bit for a worthy nationwide cause bid on these limited edition artworks, as well as be able to buy affordable prints to hang up back at home.
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All of the proceeds will go towards a fund which collected by Hospitality Action and distributed across various watering holes in need of financial assistance across Britain. Quality stuff.
Collaborating with painters from the likes of the Lake District and London, to as far as Australia and Iceland, the aim was to get each of them to come up with their own inspired take and, in defiance of the nation being stripped of important gathering places, they decided to strip their signs instead.
After all, Stella Artois is best unfiltered and they thought the same should go for the patron saints of these precious pubs, hence them now hanging above the door completely ‘au naturel’.
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As they put it: “Revealing a royal modesty here. An imperial side-boob there. No aristocratic private part was kept under wraps.” Quality stuff.
You can bid for any one of Stella Artois’ 12 Pub Renaissance paintings or grab yourself a print HERE, or simply donate to Hospitality Action directly if you wish. Let’s help save our pubs.
Family of ‘loving’ Harpurhey mum pay touching tribute to her as man is charged with murder
Emily Sergeant
The family of a ‘loving’ Harpurhey mum have paid a heartfelt tribute to her as a man has been charged with murder.
The tribute has been released after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was called to an address on Queens Road, in the Harpurhey area of Manchester, in the early hours of the morning at 4:07am this Monday just gone (7 April).
Sadly, despite the speed with which officers arrived on the scene, a 51-year-old woman was found dead on arrival.
GMP has now confirmed her identity as Clare Burns.
#TRIBUTE | The family of a “loving mother” have released a tribute as man charged with murder.
Clare Burns sadly died in Harpurhey on Monday morning. Leonard Lee Stewart (8.4.70) of Queens Road, Manchester, has been charged with murder.
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) April 9, 2025
Paying tribute to Clare following her passing, her family wrote: “Clare was a loving mother, auntie, sister and daughter. She was funny, outgoing and a very independent person. She was also kind, generous and friendly to anyone she met.
“Clare would always light up the room she entered, and she was a brilliant friend to many. We will miss her dearly.”
With a murder investigation subsequently launched, a 55-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene, following initial enquiries.
The family of a ‘loving’ Harpurhey mum have paid a touching tribute to her as a man is charged with murder / Credit: GMP
Leonard Lee Stewart, from Manchester, has been charged with murder, and the 54-year-old remained in police custody ahead of his next appearance at Manchester City Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday 9 April).
Due to past contact between GMP, and the victim and suspect, it’s been confirmed that the Professional Standards Directorate have made a voluntarily referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) – which is now assessing the case.
Anyone with any information about this case is asked to contact GMP via the case’s major incident portal here, or by calling the incident room on 0161 856 3635.
Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
News
New driving test cancellation rules introduced by DVSA to reduce waiting times
Emily Sergeant
Learner drivers will now be required to give longer notice periods when they need to cancel their driving tests in a bid to reduce waiting lists.
Up until this week, anyone who had booked a driving test which they could no longer attend had to change or cancel their appointment within three full working days notice, but now, as of yesterday (8 April), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) requires learner drivers to give 10 days’ notice.
If learners fail to provide the 10 full working days’ notice, then they will not be able to redeem their test fee back.
According to the DVSA’s new rules, only Monday to Saturday count as working days, while Sundays and public holidays do not.
But why has the change been introduced?
The short notice cancellation period for car driving tests changes today ⚠️
You'll now need to give 10 working days' notice to cancel or change your car driving test without losing your fee.
— Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency (@DVSAgovuk) April 8, 2025
Well, according to the DVSA, lots of people who are not ready to take their driving test leave it until right at the last moment to change or cancel it, and although that appointment then becomes available to other learner drivers, many of them tend to go unused, given the fact it’s so close to the test date and they may not feel prepared enough.
So, the DVSA hopes that by asking learner drivers to give more notice, it should give other people more chance to use the appointment, and ultimately reduce driving test waiting times.
New driving test cancellation rules have been introduced by the DVSA to reduce waiting times / Credit: pxfuel
There are, of course, some exceptions to the rule, with some learners still being able to apply for a refund at short notice if they have an illness or injury, have suffered a bereavement, have to take a school or college exam, or have their provisional driving license stolen.
On top of this, the DVSA has confirmed that it will continue to pay out-of-pocket expenses for any car driving tests that it has to cancel with fewer than three full working days’ notice.
Danny Jones -
6th April 2023 
