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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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).
ADVERTISEMENT
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
Chester Zoo announces return of its £10 tickets for limited time only with extended opening hours
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo has announced the return of its popular £10 tickets deal for a limited time only.
You may remember that earlier this summer, Chester Zoo invited people from across the North West to visit for just £10, and as the offer proved so popular, they’ve now brought it back again for a limited time.
For the past three years running now, Chester Zoo has officially been named the UK’s best zoo thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews, and now as the summer draws to a close, you’ll get to see exactly what makes it such a special place worth visiting for a cut price.
With the offer only applicable to afternoons this summer, Afternoon Tickets allow entry to Chester Zoo from 2pm onwards – with the last entry being one-hour before it closes.
Chester Zoo is offering £10 tickets to visitors this summer / Credit: Chester Zoo
Without this offer, standard admission tickets to Chester Zoo usually cost up to £38 for adults, £37 for students, and £28 for children, all including a 10% donation to the zoo’s conservation efforts, while babies and carers go free.
So it really is worth making the most of these limited-time £10 tickets while you still can – with the offer now running until 6 September.
The best bit about the offer returning? The zoo is currently operating its extended opening hours until 6pm too, so included for the bargain price of a £10 ticket, you’ll even get to see all the animals while the sun goes down.
Afternoon tickets are only available online and must be booked in advance to claim the £10 offer.
Tickets can only be purchased online before 4pm on the day of your visit, and standard admission tickets can be purchased from our ticket office at the main entrance.
Find out more and book your £10 tickets online here.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
News
Manchester Airport releases statement after customer data stolen in ‘targeted’ cyber security attack
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport has released a formal statement after data was stolen from 8.7 million customers in a ‘targeted’ cyber security attack yesterday.
Manchester Airport Group (MAG) – which operates Manchester Airport, Stansted, and East Midlands Airport – said the cyber security incident happened at around 1pm yesterday (Thursday 27 August), and that the data seized from 8.7 million customers included email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations, and postcodes.
The data that was stolen related to car park, lounge and Fast Track bookings, and in-airport WiFi sign-ups, MAG stated.
It was initially confirmed that the system the hackers accessed did not hold customers’ bank or payment details, however, and that all other regular airport operations and customer parking continued uninterrupted.
Manchester Airport has now released a formal statement to reassure customers that they are taking the matter ‘extremely seriously’.
The statement reads: “Manchester Airport Group has been subject to a cyber security incident by an unauthorised third party.
“A quantity of customer data has been obtained that relates to car park, lounge and Fast Track bookings and in-airport WIFI sign-ups at Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports.
“We immediately contained the risk and have been working with specialist advisors and taking appropriate steps to protect our customers and systems. We have informed and are working with the relevant authorities, and at no point has passenger safety or aviation security been compromised.”
MAG insisted that the incident had not resulted in any ‘operational disruption’, adding: “Airport operations remain unaffected and customer parking services continue to operate normally.
“Neither MAG nor the system accessed hold customers’ bank or payment details. The data that has been accessed includes customers’ email addresses, phone numbers, vehicle registrations and postcodes.
“We would like to reassure customers that Manchester Airport Group takes the security of customer information extremely seriously, and we apologise for any inconvenience or concern caused.”