Tameside

Residents slam ‘shameful’ Christmas tree that ‘looks like it’s been shot’

She's a little on the skinny side...

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 29th November 2023

Residents have been brutally mocking an ’embarrassing’ Christmas tree that has sprung up to spread some festive cheer.

The tree – which has been described as being closer to a twig – stands outside The Hub in Hattersley, and despite efforts to pop a few fairy lights on its sparse branches, locals are still slamming the poor thing.

Tameside Council has promised that a more impressive cut tree will be brought along in time for the area’s Christmas Lights switch-on this week.

But in the meantime, locals have been flooding community groups online with jokes about their current specimen.

One person asked: “Oh dear God. Looks like it’s been shot at – is this for real?” while another said: “That’s got to be a joke.”

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Someone else posed the question: “What the sh*tting hell is that?”

One person on Facebook said: “May aswell not have bothered. what an embarrassment.”

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Another suggested: “Maybe they felt sorry for it, and didn’t want it to feel left out.”

And one user commented: “Welcome to shameside.”

The skinny little Christmas tree has also been compared by a lot of people to the shambolic fir that popped up in Mottram a few years ago.

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Which, er, looked like this, if you were wondering…

Mottram’s rubbish Christmas tree. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Tameside Council has said of Hattersley’s Christmas tree: “It’s a living tree that has been in place for a few years. A cut tree will be supplied for the Hattersley Christmas Lights switch on before it takes place on Friday (1 Dec) from 4 to 8pm.

“We are seeking sponsorship to replace the living tree and will seek a different species to help it thrive in this location.”

Councillor Jacqueline Owen said in the Hattersley Community Group Facebook page that the council had had ‘sadly unsuccessful’ attempts to grow a sustainable tree.

Clearly, Jacqueline…

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Featured image: Italian Wolverine via Mint Manchester

Tameside

Ornella’s – The tiny Denton restaurant vying to be named one of the best in Greater Manchester

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

Ornella’s is one of those brilliant Greater Manchester restaurants that’s doing a totally roaring trade without rabbiting on about it too much.

From its tiny spot in the middle of Denton, this cosy Italian has got its head down and focused on cooking, and cooking really, really well.

The results speak for themselves. You will quite literally wait months to get a table here.

In fact if you’re thinking of making a reservation, you pretty much have two options – wait until next June, or eat lunch (as we did) at 11.30am on a Wednesday. Did the early hour stop me drinking a large Aperol Spritz though? Of course not. 

Ornella’s will always be worth the patience it takes to get your bum on a seat.

It all started as a lockdown project for Ornella Cancila, where customers would come and collect carefully-made Sicilian dishes from a bench outside her home.

And now it’s grown to be one of those local spots that Tameside residents are proud of, and everyone else in Greater Manchester is jealous of.

Inside Ornella's Italian restaurant in Denton. Credit: The Manc Group
Inside Ornella’s Italian restaurant in Denton. Credit: The Manc Group
Inside Ornella's Italian restaurant in Denton. Credit: The Manc Group
Inside Ornella’s Italian restaurant in Denton. Credit: The Manc Group

I’ve encountered a lot of people who have been to Ornella’s, and haven’t yet heard a single bad word said about it.

It’s actually on this year’s Manchester Food and Drink Festival shortlist, after being named the best affordable venue in the region last year.

Inside, there are just a couple of rows of tables in front of a deli counter displaying top-quality meats and other deli items.

Let’s get stuck into that main restaurant menu though, which is way more comprehensive than you’d expect for such a small space.

An arancini that looks exactly like Donald Trump. Credit: The Manc Group
An arancini that looks exactly like Donald Trump. Credit: The Manc Group
Inside another Ornella's arancini. Credit: The Manc Group
Inside another Ornella’s arancini. Credit: The Manc Group

There are a couple of different arancini on the menu, one of which looks exactly like Donald Trump – a rotund orange fried ball topped with a bright white wig of parmesan.

That one is stuffed with caramelised onion and saffron (unlike the real deal), while another comes with nduja and mozzarella with a hot honey drizzle.

A clear menu highlight is the pistachio carbonara with crispy guanciale pieces that burst in little salty mouthfuls against the rich and creamy pasta sauce.

There’s also a beef short rib that releases its grip on the bone with a gentle prod from a fork, falling into a pool of creamy parmesan gnocchi. It tastes exactly like how it feels to step into a warm house after being pelted by rain all day, or pulling on a pair of socks that have been warmed on a radiator. Pure comfort. 

The pistachio carbonara from Ornella's Kitchen. Credit: The Manc Group
The pistachio carbonara from Ornella’s Kitchen. Credit: The Manc Group
Pistachio gelato in a Sicilian brioche bun. Credit: The Manc Group
Pistachio gelato in a Sicilian brioche bun. Credit: The Manc Group

Truffle fans can’t go wrong with Ornella’s creamy truffle mafalde, covered in generous shavings of truffle and pecorino.

Ornella is generous with all of her cheese portions, actually – the sourdough garlic bread also arrives blanketed in the stuff.

I kick my feet under the table and actually giggle after taking a bite of the oven-baked conchiglioni shells, which are filled with pumpkin cream, sharp cheddar, pork sausage and a sourdough crumb. It flits from sweet to salt with every chew.

And then for desserts, you’ll find proper Italian pistachio gelato, served in a soft Sicilian brioche bun, and a Biscoff and white chocolate cheesecake that had me and my mate jousting with our forks for the last bite like really sh*t knights.

Ornella’s might not be a big space, but it’s destined for big things. Just good luck getting that reservation…

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Tameside

‘Please help me’ – Video shows domestic violence perpetrator screaming as police dog brings him down

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson GMP police dog PD Kip assisted in an arrest yesterday

Greater Manchester Police has released a video of a police dog assisting in the arrest of a high-risk domestic violence perpetrator.

In the video, the 26-year-old suspect can be heard screaming and pleading for help as PD Kyp bites down on his thigh.

GMP says that the man had already been arrested for a serious assault on his partner yesterday morning (Thursday 7 November).

He had been handcuffed but managed to resist and escape officers, and the police dog and his handler were deployed to track him down in the nearby woodland.

The suspect had been kicking PD Kyp in the head and body, leading to the police dog biting his leg and taking him to the floor while officers caught up.

In the bodycam footage, the suspect screams ‘please help me’ and ‘he’s bitten my leg’.

District officers also discovered a large quantity of Class A drugs and weapons at the property in Hyde.

Watch a GMP police dog assist in the arrest of a domestic violence suspect (WARNING footage may be distressing)

The man was arrested on suspicion of serious assault, possession with intent to supply class A drugs and possession of offensive weapons (zombie knifes and machetes).

Following the chase with PD Kyp, the man was then further arrested on suspicion of escaping from lawful custody. He has been remanded into custody.

Superintendent Paul Walker, of GMP’s Specialist Operations Branch, said: “As he was wanted for serious offences and made off into the woodland area, PD Kyp was deployed to chase and detain the man.

“PD Kyp captured him within seconds and on doing so, the man kicked Kyp in the head and body several times.

“This resulted in PD Kyp biting the man around the thigh and taking him to the floor, waiting for his handler to arrive.

“This is a great example of the type of work our officers are doing every day – arresting a dangerous domestic abuse suspect quickly. One third of all GMP arrests are made in relation to domestic abuse related offences.

“We have also managed to take a number of dangerous weapons off the streets and away from .

“Sometimes we will have to use specialist resources to detain dangerous offenders, as was done in this instance. Using a Police Dog is just one of the many resources we have at our disposal.”

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Support Available

If you or someone you know has been a victim of domestic abuse or sexual assault, don’t suffer in silence and report it to the police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.

You can also report information and crimes on the GMP website (www.gmp.police.uk).

Alternatively, you can report information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

There are also lots of organisations and support agencies available across Greater Manchester and nationally that can help and provide support for you.

For more information and to find the support services available to you, visit the GMP support pages.

Featured image: GMP

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