The usually busy thoroughfare was suddenly vehicle-free, and hoards of people flocked to enjoy this beautiful part of the Peak District without traffic.
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Then, on the 8 March, Derbyshire County Council changed tack and announced that Snake Pass would be closed to all users because of ‘concerns over safety’.
They said that barriers would be put in place and the road monitored 24/7.
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Despite the good intentions behind the decision, hundreds of people have reacted with fury, with a mass cycle along the road staged last weekend – and another planned this week.
Want to cycle Snake Pass without any traffic?
Come along this Saturday, 2pm, Glossop, Norfolk Square.
He said: “It was great, it was a really good day – the sun was out, there were kids and families. It was amazing.
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“I met someone who lived in Glossop for seven years and he’d never been up there on his bike, so it was just a great experience for people to enjoy the countryside and the great outdoors.
“It’s a hotspot for people to come in their fast cars and motorbikes and it can be quite dangerous with people speeding and showing off.”
Cyclists have been loving the deserted Snake Pass. Credit: Unsplash
He also said that it was ‘silly’ to close the entire road when a relatively small section is affected by the landslip.
Political consultant Brian Coleman argued the case for the council, saying: “It is dangerous. The road has been closed because of landslips. Sadly the health and safety rules are there for a reason.
“We’re not talking about the odd cyclist here, we’re talking about organised gangs of hundreds of cyclists.
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“It is the A57. It is a main road. It’s not a little back water road or a little suburban cul-de-sac, it is the A57.”
I cycled from Ladybower up the Snake Pass on Sunday. Only a handful of residents and farmers drove past me and felt totally safe! When the road opens back up I’d have no interest in riding it again in traffic and will be back on the trails with my mountain bike! pic.twitter.com/TeJasKixY7
Over on Twitter, one cyclist said: “I cycled from Ladybower up the Snake Pass on Sunday. Only a handful of residents and farmers drove past me and felt totally safe!
“When the road opens back up I’d have no interest in riding it again in traffic and will be back on the trails with my mountain bike!”
Someone else commented: “This is really disappointing to hear. There was a festival atmosphere there last weekend, with families and kids as well as lots of cyclists. Why spoil the fun? It’s a rare opportunity for people to enjoy the road when cars can’t.”
Featured image: Unsplash
News
Three Manchester motorways named in UK’s top 10 ‘most challenging’
Emily Sergeant
Three motorways in and around Manchester have been named the ‘most challenging’ in the UK.
As part of MoneySuperMarket’s new Great British Motorway Report, new research has found that one in three UK motorists find motorway driving ‘stressful’ – despite more than 70 billion miles being travelled on Britain’s motorways each year.
From delays and congestion to high traffic levels, there are a number of factors that can contribute to driver stress levels.
But are some motorways more challenging for drivers than others? According to the data, yes. And three of the top 10 worst motorways in the UK are in and around Greater Manchester.
To find out which are the most challenging, MoneySuperMarket analysed everything from collision rates and roadworks, to lane closures and driver feedback in order to reveal the top 10.
Manchester is home to three of the UK’s top 10 most challenging motorways – the M602, M62, and M60, the latter of which took the top spot on the list.
Three Manchester motorways have been named in the UK’s top 10 ‘most challenging’ / Credit: pxfuel
Encircling Greater Manchester and linking many of the region’s motorways, the M60 recorded the lowest overall score in the index.
Despite handling significant volumes of traffic, the M60 experienced some of the highest average delays, at 15.58 seconds per vehicle per mile, and alongside this, it saw 34 collisions in the past year alone. But despite these challenges, the M60 remains an essential route for regional connectivity, and often cannot be bypassed.
“If you’re feeling anxious, allow extra time for your journey so you don’t feel pressured to rush or make last-minute decisions,” commented Alicia Hempsted at MoneySuperMarket.
“Plan your route in advance, including where you’ll stop for breaks, as regular rest stops can help you stay alert and reduce stress on longer trips, and if you’re travelling alone, consider sharing your route with someone you trust if it helps you feel more comfortable.”
Featured Image – Mike Birdy (via Pexels)
News
Chinatown restaurant pleads for help after dine-and-dash customer leaves staff member in A&E
Daisy Jackson
A brilliant restaurant in Manchester’s Chinatown has shared CCTV and a heartfelt appeal after one of its staff members was left in A&E.
Noodle Alley shared that one of its young staff members chased after a group of dine-and-dash customers who’d left without paying for their meal.
The restaurant then said that she was ‘assaulted’ at some point in the chase and ended up in A&E.
In their statement, Noodle Alley said that the staff member ‘had treated them kindly and never expected that kindness to come back to her like this’.
They wrote: “What has this world come to? A violent man sent our staff to A&E over an unpaid meal.”
The CCTV shows a group of three young men, all carrying Selfridges shopping bags, entering the restaurant.
They sit and enjoy a meal, before two of them slip out of the restaurant. The third man then exits but is chased by a Noodle Alley staff member.
It’s at this point – out of the range of the restaurant’s CCTV – that they said she was assaulted ‘after going beyond her duty to try and recover what had been taken’.
The family business said that she has been ’emotionally affected’ by the incident.
The police are involved and the restaurant has appealed for anyone who can help with their investigation to get in touch.
It’s also the second time they’ve appealed about a dine-and-dash customer in the last few months, but this incident went ‘far beyond’ previous incidents.
In their full statement, Noodle Alley said: “We’re a small family business, and lately it feels like small businesses are being targeted again and again.
“But this time, it went far beyond anything we have experienced before.
“One of our young staff members — a girl simply doing her job — was assaulted after going beyond her duty to try to recover what had been taken from our restaurant. She ended up in A&E.
“What hurts us most is seeing how emotionally affected she has been by what happened. She told us she had treated them kindly and never expected that kindness to come back to her like this.
“We work hard to look after our staff and our customers, and nobody should have to go through this simply for doing their job.
“We have reported the incident to the police.
“If anyone recognises these individuals or has any information that could help the police with their investigation, please contact us or the police directly.
“We’re sharing this because we believe our staff deserve to feel safe at work.”
Daisy Jackson -
18th March 2022 
