It goes without saying that 2020 has been an absolute horror show of a year.
The coronavirus pandemic has battered both the bodies and minds of millions of people across the country and stop-start lockdowns have driven thousands of businesses into the ground.
In Manchester this is no different.
Some of our most beloved bars and restaurants closed their doors for the last time during the first lockdown, and many others decided that they just couldn’t continue when restrictions eventually loosened. Then, when the government imposed a 10pm curfew on hospitality, the camel’s back was well and truly broken.
Stevenson Square
One thing, however, about Greater Manchester’s small business industry, is that it’s filled with individuals who will put up a fight no matter the opponent – and over the last six months the city has proven time and time again that it is one durable bastard.
So when Lockdown 2.0 began on Thursday 5 November, following a second wave of coronavirus infections and rising hospital admissions across the country, the city’s hospitality industry was prepared for another round of boxing clever.
And this time, Deliveroo was there early to provide bars and restaurants with more visibility than ever – bringing more Manchester vendors than ever to the platform and providing plenty of deals to tempt hungry punters into ordering from their favourite haunts.
So in order to amplify that visibility for our city’s businesses who have had to once again fall back on a delivery service, we’ve decided to partner with the online food delivery company.
Working alongside Deliveroo, The Manc will ensure all restaurants on the service will get the amplification they need across our social platforms. We’ll update our 1-million strong audience on your latest updates and deals and we’ll create conversations with the masses about our favourite scran from your menus. Basically, we will champion you, and we will go above and beyond to do it.
For the remainder of the lockdown, and slightly beyond, we will pedal your establishments as much as physically possible. We’ll write content, we’ll post stories, we’ll create grid carousels, we’ll retweet you, and more importantly, we’ll be available for a chat whenever you need one (our DMs and emails are always open).
And to those who aren’t on Deliveroo, don’t worry. Use the #StillServingMCR hashtag on your socials so ourselves, and our audience, can find you.
Let’s get through this second, and hopefully last, lockdown one step at a time. 2020 is almost behind us, and we can’t wait to see you all in the summer.
News
More than 100 ‘unsafe’ counterfeit Labubus seized in Oldham
Daisy Jackson
More than 100 counterfeit Labubus and accessories have been seized in Oldham, the council has announced.
The Labubu dolls – a plush collectible with giant smiles and bunny ears – have been seized because they are fake, and unsafe.
The haul of 104 Labubus has been given a street value of between £800 and £1000 – but if they were the real deal, they’d be worth more than three times as much.
The poorly-made figures were being sold for a fraction of the price of a real Labubu, which are manufactured by Chinese company Pop Mart (it’s set to open its second Manchester store in the Trafford Centre next week).
Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team said it seized the counterfeit Labubus from local businesses and found that they were unsafe and poorly made.
Officers raised concerns about the safety of the dolls, which had small parts such as eyes, hands and feet broke off easily, creating a choking hazard.
What a genuine Labubu should look like. Credit: The Hoot Leeds
They were also missing legally required safety marks such as the CE or UKCA labels, and lacked the name and address of a UK supplier, which is another legal requirement.
Councillor Elaine Taylor, Oldham Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Licensing, said: “Oldham Trading Standards carries out regular checks to help keep unsafe products off the shelves. In this case, these counterfeit toys failed safety standards and have now been removed from sale.
“We know it can be tempting to buy toys that look like a bargain, but parents need to be extra careful. Fake toys like these may be cheaper, but they can put children in real danger if they’re not made to strict safety standards.
“If anyone has concerns about toys they’ve purchased, or if they see unsafe products on sale locally, we’d encourage them to get in touch with Trading Standards through the Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133.”
Council publishes list of central Manchester roads set to be resurfaced this summer
Emily Sergeant
A list of roads in Manchester that are set to be resurfaced before the summer is out has been published.
Manchester City Council recently asked residents in the region what their priorities were for their community and what issues they wanted to see tackled – and for many, the answer was the quality of the road surfaces.
Since then, the Council says it has been ‘engaged’ in a long-running programme of improvement works throughout the borough.
Now, with just over a month of the summer season left, it has been confirmed that some vital resurfacing works are due to start over the coming weeks in north and central Manchester, bringing a range of improvements to key district roads along with it.
First up, from Saturday 9 August, Hollinwood Avenue is to be resurfaced.
The Council has published a list of Manchester roads that are set to be resurfaced this summer / Credit: MJ Richardson (via Geograph)
Anticipated to take six weeks to complete, this work will be carried out during weekend closures from 8am-5pm, with the road remaining open during the working week.
The closure area will be between Greengates Roundabout and the Oldham boundary at Owler Lane, and a signed diversion route will be in place while work is carried out, and access for residents will be maintained at all times.
Then, starting from Saturday 16 August, resurfacing works will begin on Moss Lane East, between Alexandra Road and Princess Road.
Work will take place between 7am and 5pm on weekdays, and 8am and 5pm on weekends, and during the works, the road will be completely closed – with a signed diversion route in place and access for residents maintained.
As always, disruption is expected and the public is encouraged to plan ahead / Credit: Mylo Kaye (via Unsplash)
These works are expected to take six weeks to complete, and as with all resurfacing projects, residents should expect some disruption and may need to plan ahead.
The Council is aiming to keep disruption to the public at a minimum, where possible.
“We know how important it is to our residents that key roads are well maintained, which is why were glad to be able to deliver this latest round of improvement works,” commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment, and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“I’d like to thank people ahead of time for their patience during the course of these works and would advise them to check when closures will be in place and where the diversions are.”
You can find more information on the resurfacing works on the Council website here.
The Manc -
10th November 2020 
