A local ASDA employee has been hailed a “hero” in a viral post after helping to save the sight of an elderly shopper following a routine eye test.
Michael Stokes – who has worked as an Ophthalmologist the ASDA Eastlands superstore for 18 years – has received a Customer Service Award after immediately referring 75-year-old Eileen Mansell for further examination after he picked up warning signs that he wasn’t happy about when she attended a routine eye appointment.
Michael referred Eileen to Arrowsmiths Opticians in Manchester for a second opinion.
A scan later revealed that a blockage to a cataract in her right eye had caused the pressure to build up to a potentially serious level, and Eileen was then sent to the Royal Eye Hospital, where she underwent an emergency operation.
Explaining the sight-saving situation, Michael said: “I saw her for a routine eye test as there was a history of glaucoma in the family.
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“She didn’t have have classic symptoms or pain or anything and wasn’t complaining of any issues, but I noticed a few things that had started to change since her last eye test. The pressure in one eye had gone up quite a lot and this made me want to delve into it a bit deeper.
“I really thought this needed to be looked into further.
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“Eileen came in afterwards to see me and said the hospital had told her that if it had been left any longer then she could have lost her sight.”
Chadderton resident and great-grandmother Eileen – who has been one of Michael’s customers for the past eight years – said: “I’m so grateful to Michael.
“I really can’t thank him enough [and] he is such a treasure for ASDA to have.
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“I just went in for a routine eye test as I had no symptoms at all [but] thankfully, Michael spotted what he did otherwise I could have lost the sight in my eye – and having your sight is such a precious thing.”
A post sharing Michael’s success on ASDA’s official social media platforms this past weekend has since seen him go viral after it amassed over 13K interactions, shares and positive comments from members of the East Manchester community and beyond.
Lisa Casey – Customer Trading Manager at ASDA Eastlands, who nominated Michael for the Customer Service Award – said: “Afterwards, Eileen came in and she was so over the moon. She was just so happy with the service from Michael [and] through his due diligence, he potentially saved her from losing her sight.
“We are all dead proud of Michael.
“He is a really nice, approachable, friendly guy, and a valued member of the team.”
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Courteeners set for huge hometown event at Wythenshawe Park in Manchester
Danny Jones
The latest artist due to play Wythenshawe Park has been announced, with hometown heroes Courteeners set to take the stage in Manchester.
Now that is a big booking.
The Middleton-formed Manc band remain one of the biggest contemporary names to come out of Greater Manchester, and having already played to record-breaking crowds at Heaton Park, Old Trafford, and most venues in the region over the last two decades, this is just the next one to tick off.
Better still, they’re bringing some brilliant acts along with them for Live From Wythenshawe Park 2026, with the one-day festival becoming more established every year.
Courteeners, Wythenshawe Park, Manchester. Saturday 29th August 2026 +special guests @thevaccines(performing debut album 'What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?' in full),@thecoralband,Getdown Services & Girl In The Year Above. Tickets:10am Friday 24th Oct https://t.co/AYk3UlTdlkpic.twitter.com/vQAw2ZEpd0
Who is supporting Courteeners at Wythenshawe Park?
As well as openers, Getdown Services and Girl In The Year Above, who’ll be representing Bristol and the Irish delegation respectively, there’s no chance of the warm-ups not doing their job before the headliners get underway.
The two big support acts scheduled to join the St. Jude stars for the massive outdoor gig are none other than Merseyside veterans, The Coral, as well as fellow indie favourites, The Vaccines.
Get. IN.
As if that lineup wasn’t already one of the best Live From Wythenshawe Park has seen to date, the latter are set to play their debut album, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?, in full – 2026 marks a whole 15 years since it was first released, if you can believe that.
You won’t be surprised to hear that their headline UK tour celebrating the same milestone has sold out pretty much across the board, with a second Manchester date added AND now an extra chance to see them live supporting Courteeners.
General admission for the show goes on sale 10am on Friday, 24 October 2025, with tickets available via Gigs and Tours.com as well as Ticketmaster; Courtneers are also donating £1 from every ticket sold directly to the Music Venue Trust, the UK charity protecting and improving grassroots music venues.
That’s what we like to hear.
Contributions like this really do go on to help keep local venues open, support up-and-coming new artists on tour, not to mention it serves as an investment in the future of live music in what is an increasingly challenging industry.
With Courteeners set to follow another big and even more iconic indie rock band already confirmed, Live From Wythenshawe Park 2026 is shaping up nicely.
UK’s hottest binmen wanted for charity calendar and you can nominate them now
Emily Sergeant
Do you know someone who looks hot in high-vis, beautiful behind the wheel of a bin truck, or elegant while emptying the bins?
Well now is their time to shine.
That’s because, waste management experts BusinessWaste.co.uk has launched a new – and rather unique – nationwide search to find ‘Britain’s buffest binman’, celebrating the men and women who do one of the UK’s toughest and most overlooked jobs.
Bin workers do a job that many of us take for granted, but without them, our streets would be dirty, littered with bin bags, and attracting pests.
That’s why this new competition is aiming to shine a spotlight on them at a time when the waste sector faces a shortage of bin workers, as it’s more important than ever to recognise the people who keep the systems running.
The competition will crown the UK’s best-looking bin workers – with 12 winners featuring in a limited-edition charity calendar for 2026.
The UK’s hottest binmen are wanted for a charity calendar and you can nominate them now / Credit: Supplied
Bin workers of all genders, ages, and backgrounds are welcome to apply, and you don’t even have to work on a bin lorry itself, it can be anyone behind the scenes too.
Crucially though, the aim of the competition is to raise money for charity, and this year, funds raised from the calendar will be in aid of FareShare – an organisation focused on fighting hunger and tackling food waste.
FareShare’s vision is for ‘no good food goes to waste’, and so it works to redistribute surplus food to charities that turn it into meals.
Ultimately, this tongue-in-cheek campaign is a chance for the waste sector to have some light-hearted fun.
Keen to enter then? Or know someone who needs to be a part of the calendar? You can nominate yourself, a friend, or a loved one, and all you need to do is just ensure the nominee is happy to be entered and fill in a short form online.
You can enter, and read the full terms and conditions here.
Emily Sergeant -
1st March 2021 
