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.
No trams to run on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
People are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as no trams are set to run on three major Greater Manchester Metrolink lines this weekend.
As part of a continuing £150 million investment in the Metrolink network across the region, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that more than 1km of track will be replaced on the Altrincham line, and work will also take place between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield to prepare for full track replacement later in the year.
As a result, there will be no trams on the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this Easter bank holiday weekend all day from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April.
On top of these line closures, there is also set to be disruption across other parts of the network too, as on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines, trams will run to Firswood only, and services on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square.
To keep people moving over the four-day weekend, replacement buses will run between all the affected stops, TfGM has confirmed.
Anyone using a replacement bus, however, will still need a valid Metrolink ticket or a one-day Bee bus ticket to travel, and customers will be able to use all existing options to buy these, as they will not be able to buy a ticket or pay for the fare on the replacement buses themselves.
No trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend / Credit: TfGM
Replacement buses are said to be calling at ‘all affected stops’ along the lines, so customers are being told not to worry about that.
Speaking ahead of the improvement works being carried out this weekend, Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, said: “The first main upgrades of the year get under way over the Easter weekend, as our £150m programme to improve our network continues.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to minimise disruption to passengers while we carry out this essential work to ensure our tram network remains reliable, resilient and safe for years to come.”
TfGM has assured that staff will be out and on-hand across the network this weekend, but is urging anyone travelling to plan for their journeys ahead of time to make sure they go as smoothly as possible.
Looking ahead to the rest of the month, no trams will run between Piccadilly Gardens and Ashton-under-Lyne on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April while the track is repaired, and a further weekend closure for track repairs on the Ashton line will take place on Saturday 25 April and Sunday 26 April.
Find out more and plan ahead on the Bee Network’s dedicated webpage here.
Featured Image – Janus Boye
News
Three men arrested after ‘shocking’ Salford pub fight leaves victim in life-threatening condition
Emily Sergeant
Three men have been arrested as police continue to appeal following a ‘shocking’ incident in Salford over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, at around 2:51am yesterday (Sunday 29 March), officers were called to reports of an assault at a pub on Liverpool Road in Irlam, where it’s understood that an incident involving several males took place.
Police quickly attended the scene, and one male was rushed to hospital.
The man sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, where he’s said to remain in a life-threatening condition.
While officers are working ‘at speed’ on their investigation to establish the full circumstances of this incident, a scene is currently in place, and road closures are affecting the immediate area.
At this time, it has been confirmed that three men – all in their 20s – have been arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault, and they remain in custody for further questioning while GMP renews its public appeal for information.
“This is a shocking incident and our thoughts are firmly with the victim and his family during this extremely difficult time,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Helen Bagnall, from GMP’s Salford district. “We are working at pace and remain absolutely committed to identifying everyone involved and bringing those responsible to justice.
“Three arrests have been made in connection with this incident, and we are continuing to appeal for further information.
“Officers remain committed to understand the full circumstances and are urging anyone with information to come forward to support our investigation.”
Can you help? A dedicated online Major Incident Public Portal has been set up, and information, CCTV, dashcam, doorbell, and phone images and footage can be submitted here, or you can also contact police on 101, quoting log 256 of 29/03/26.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
The Manc -
12th June 2020 
