Popular tourist attraction Trentham Monkey Forest has confirmed it will be reopen to the public later this month.
The Staffordshire wildlife reserve – which is home to 140 free-ranging Barbary macaques primates – is welcoming back guests for the first time since March, having been forced to closed since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The short-term survival of zoos had been thrown into jeopardy by the pandemic, with the government initially reluctant to reopen the sector even with social distancing intact.
However, a recent u-turn has resulted in animal centres being given the green light to welcome back visitors.
Monkey Forest in Stoke-on-Trent has set 25 June as their reopening date – which gives staff time to make the venue “extra safe”.
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Monkey Forest
A new ticket-buying service is being introduced, with passes only available to purchase in advance online.
Tickets will be allocated in slots, with guests being asked to arrive at a designated time.
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Representatives say this will help to prevent overcrowding and ensure plenty of open space to easily follow the 2 metre distancing rules.
Monkey Forest Director Matt Lovatt commented: “We’re delighted to be able to welcome visitors back again after being closed since March.
“Despite the announcement that we could reopen from Monday 15 June, we want to make sure everything is set up and the park is extra safe for our visitors.
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“The monkeys and the staff are certainly ready to get back to the ‘new normal’ and with the attraction being nearly all outdoors it’s the perfect place for people to visit”.
Monkey Forest
Mr. Lovatt added: “The safety of our guests, our team and the monkeys is at the forefront of what we do. We’ve always asked our guests to give the free-roaming monkeys a safety distance, now we’re asking them to do the same for each other! We ask that customers help us by reading our new rules before their visit.
“Hand sanitiser is provided on site, we simply ask visitors to keep to social distancing and visit at their allocated time.
“We feel these steps will ensure Monkey Forest is a safe place to visit. Everyone can enjoy a family day out and be confident they are following government guidance. The staff and monkeys really look forward to seeing our fantastic visitors!”
Monkey Forest will be open 10am until 5pm from Thursday 25 June onwards. Tickets can be purchased online tickets from next week.
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
The Manc -
12th June 2020 
