Oldham

Alex Batty’s grandmother speaks of ‘relief’ as Oldham boy found six years after going missing

'I can’t wait to see him when we’re reunited'

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 16th December 2023

Alex Batty’s grandmother has spoken out after the boy was found safe and well six years after going missing.

Susan Caruana, Alex’s legal guardian, has said she feels ‘relief and happiness’ that her grandson has been found.

The now-17-year-old teenager was picked up by a stranger near Toulouse and taken to a police station, where French authorities confirmed his identity.

Alex, from Oldham, had left the UK in 2017 on a family holiday to Spain with his mother (who did not have parental guardianship) and his grandfather, but never came home as planned.

He had remained missing until this week.

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Greater Manchester Police and The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will now work to bring Alex home safely.

Alex Batty’s grandmother Susan has said that she has spoken to him and ‘can’t wait to see him’.

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Alex Batty has been found alive and well in Spain as GMP issue a statement
Alex Batty has been found alive and well in Spain as GMP issue a statement.

In a statement issued through GMP, she said: “I cannot begin to express my relief and happiness that Alex has been found safe and well.

“I spoke with him last night and it was so good to hear his voice and see his face again. I can’t wait to see him when we’re reunited.

“The main thing is that he’s safe, after what would be an overwhelming experience for anyone, not least a child.

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“I would ask that our family are given privacy as we welcome Alex back, so we can make this process as comforting as possible.”

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Featured image: GMP

Oldham

Manchester Remembers release unbelievable new kits featuring iconic Manc landmarks for 2024 charity match

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester Remembers kits 2024

The Manchester Remembers Foundation have just released the official kit designs for this year’s upcoming charity football match and they’re utterly amazing.

The 2024 Manchester Remembers charity game is fast approaching, with this year’s edition set to take place in July and the excitement is really starting to build – especially with kits as eye-catching as these.

Roping in help from local media and production company Badger and Combes, as well as getting Lionesses legend Sue Smith involved in the kit launch, the brand new Legends and Celebs kits have finally been revealed in extremely fine fashion.

Lovingly made once again by Oldham-based kit manufacturers, Hope and Glory, and with Salfordian fashion brand Marc Darcy Menswear serving as the main sponsor, the new shirt designs feature incredibly detailed drawings of recognisable locations around Manchester. Just look at them:

https://twitter.com/McrRemembers/status/1781260696396722425
The 2024 Manchester Remembers kits have officially been unveiled.

As you can see, iconic Manc landmarks like Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium take pride of place in the semi-opaque sublimated pattern on both the white and black versions of the kit.

Other noticeable buildings include Manchester Cathedral, the Central Library, Manchester Central (formerly the GMEX) and even a nice little nod to the Metrolink and Bee Network, just to name a few.

The incredibly detailed design pays homage to the city we all know and love and is a big step up from the already very well-received kits from last year’s charity match.

Once again, all the proceeds from the shirt sales go straight back into the Manchester Remembers Foundation and its partnered charities, which raise money for the families of those sadly lost in the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.

Celebs strip
Legends kit
You can pre-order the shirts ahead of their release in May HERE and they’re very affordable compared to most footy kits these days.

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With a whole host of exciting names taking part in the 2024 edition of the charitable community-driven event, including ex-Manchester United stars Antonia Valencia and Danny Simpson, local celebs like soap star Adam Thomas, YouTuber ‘Angry Ginge’ and many more, it’s going to be a momentous day.

This year marks just the third time the game has been held but the amazing people attached to this non-profit, not to mention the thousands that have turned up to see the wholesome fixture, have already helped raise over £117k for the associated charities. Unbelievable stuff.

Returning to Oldham Athletic‘s Boundary Park for the second year running, tickets for the game on Sunday, 28 July are already available and priced at only a fiver for under 16s and just £10 for adults, it’s one of the most uplifting and affordable afternoons of live sport you’ll find the region.

If you’ve not heard about this truly inspiring annual match until now, you can find out more HERE.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Manchester Remembers Foundation/Badger and Coombes

Oldham

The Bee Network officially rolls out in Oldham and Rochdale as more buses join local transport system

Danny Jones Danny Jones Bee Network launches in Oldham and Rochdale

The Bee Network just keeps getting bigger with a new fleet of eco-buses having now rolled out in Oldham and Rochdale as Greater Manchester continues to integrate its new transport network.

With many city centre buses having been franchised across the likes of Wigan and Bolton since the Bee Network officially launched back in September 2023, the new centralised public transport system is becoming a real hive of activity (pardon the pun).

Now making up approximately more than half of the region’s wider bus network, with more bright yellow buses put into service across the likes of Bury and Salford as well, the vision for the Bee Network is slowly starting to take shape.

Celebrating this latest phase in the long-term plan for a universal and centralised public transport network across all ten boroughs, Mayor Andy Burnham hopped on board one of the new vehicles to show off the improvements made to bus journeys here in Greater Manchester.

The Bee Network has finally arrived in Oldham and Rochdale with more boroughs soon to follow.

As you can see, not only are the new Bee Network buses an obvious upgrade on many existing lines running in and around the city centre for the past two decades, but there are more of them on more key routes, including 50 new zero-emission vehicles and 84 new, best-in-class low emission buses too.

Reducing costs for the likes of those travelling in and out of Oldham, Rochdale, Bury and Salford is also a massive win since these routes have come under local control too, with the combined tram and bus tickets – making most journeys 20% cheaper, to be more precise.

As per the latest stats from Transport for Greater Manchester, the Bee Network is already proving to be offering more reliable service than prior to franchising, with 74.30% of buses on time between 1 January and 19 March compared to 67.62% of commercial services and 62.75% during the same period in 2023.

The number of people using Bee Network services has also increased, with the average number of weekday passengers having grown by over five per cent and hitting a high of 141,720 on 6 March across more than 17 million journeys since it began. The results are plain to see and they’re stopping there.

Plans for 24/7 ‘night bus’ trial on some services in Greater Manchester revealed
Trials of bikes on trams and ‘tap in, tap out’ train travel are also being tested out this year.

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The goal is to have all of Greater Manchester‘s buses fold into the Bee Network by January 2025 and whilst we’re still in the early days of this centralised shift, it’s great to see such progress being made so far and how it’s already benefiting locals around the region.

This latest chapter comes just a week or so after the brand-new Stockport Interchange was officially opened to the public as well, a borough which is also hoping to see more buses and potential plans for an extension of the Metrolink tram system coming their way.

Burnham also reiterated longer-term plans to start bringing some Greater Manchester railway lines back under local control as well, with an aim to have at least eight train routes come under the network by 2028.

With Bee bikes, the rejuvenated trams and more new buses than ever, what have you made of the Bee Network experience so far?

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Bee Network/Michael Ely (via Geograph)

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