Punters basking in the sunshine outside a popular Manchester city centre pub yesterday spotted bees swarming and settling on a lamppost.
It’s no secret that bee swarms are a common sight across Greater Manchester, with several stories of city centre shoppers being shocked to see the buzzing insects collectively gathering and covering street signs, traffic lights, cars, and more, grabbing headlines over the past couple of years – and it seems 2023 is no different.
This time, it looks like they took a particular liking to a lamppost outside a busy beer garden.
As temperatures soared and the sun shone down on the city, shoppers walking passed The Mitre Hotel spotted thousands of bees congregating and covering a lamppost.
Harry Slater (@harryjslater85) was just one city centre shopper who happened to notice the bee swarm as he passed The Mitre yesterday, and made sure to grab a quick video and send it to The Manc on Instagram.
A walk past The Mitre this morning, however, has confirmed that the bees are no longer there, although it’s unsure whether they vacated themselves or if specialist help from a beekeeper was required to remove them from the lamppost.
As we all know, Manchester and bees go hand in hand – and considering the swarm was spotted yesterday on 22 May just steps way from the AO Arena, it could have been seen as a rather fitting and touching tribute to the 22 people who tragically lost their lives, and the thousands more injured and impacted, on the sixth anniversary of the Manchester Arena Attack.
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The worker bee has not only been an emblem for our city for over 150 years now, but after the Manchester Arena attack back on 22 May 2017, bees have gone on to become an even more prevalent symbol, and one that’s synonymous with remembrance and resilience.
The Mitre Hotel in Manchester city centre / Credit: The Mitre (via Facebook)
The city claimed the crown thanks to a study analysing UK cities based on a number of metrics – including pollution, green space, the number of flower gardens, allotment sites, individual allotment plots, and the number of parks.
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But why have there been so many bees swarming in Manchester city centre in recent years? And what does it mean?
Well, according to the British Beekeepers Association, a honeybee colony may swarm for a number of reasons but can often be seen swarming on warm and sunny days between May and July, and usually after a spell of poor weather.
It’s a completely natural process, and they will most likely swarm to reproduce after the old queen leaves a colony with some of the other bees.
The worker bee has been a symbol of Manchester for over 150 years / Credit: Pinterest | Damien Tupinier (via Unsplash)
Once the queen has left, scout bees will then head off in search of suitable places to construct the swarm’s home, and the successful scouts will eventually report back on the location of suitable nesting sites to the other bees – but in the meantime, the other bees will leave the hive and find a spot to wait until the scout decides on the new home for the colony.
The latter is most likely to answer for the swarm we saw yesterday.
With the warm weather set to continue, it remains to be seen whether this will be the last swarm we’ll see this week, but the city will no doubt be ready and waiting if it happens again.
Featured Image – Harry Slater (via Instagram – @harryjslater85)
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Morrisons has launched a nationwide search for its first-ever Chief Doughnut Tester
Emily Sergeant
Today is National Doughnut Day, and to celebrate, Morrisons is on the look-out for one sweet treat fan to take on a new role.
That’s right – today (5 June) is National Doughnut Day, and Morrisons is officially on the hunt for the nation’s ultimate doughnut devotee with the launch of its brand-new (and delicious) role, The Chief Doughnut Tester – with all glaze enthusiasts, sprinkle connoisseurs, and jam-filled aficionados urged to get applying.
The search is on to crown one lucky fan who’ll take on the dream job of taste-testing their way through the supermarket‘s range of doughnuts.
The Chief Doughnut Tester is more than just a title, Morrisons says it’s ‘serious business’.
Morrisons has launched a nationwide search for its first-ever Chief Doughnut Tester / Credit: Morrisons
The new hire will be tasked with taste-testing doughnuts before they hit the shelves, giving verdicts on new flavours and textures, all in the name of research.
The role will also involve teaming up with Morrisons’ internal doughnut-expert team to develop new and limited-edition treats that’ll be in stores next year.
Crowned as the nation’s definitive doughnut authority, the selected winner won’t just earn the title of Chief Doughnut Tester, they’ll also receive the ultimate of sweet perks – a year’s free supply of Morrisons fresh doughnuts, which the retailer sells more than 1.1 million of weekly.
Aspiring Chief Doughnut Testers can apply on the Morrisons website here, by filling in a short 200-words about why’re the ideal candidate.
Applications close at midnight tonight (Friday 5 June), so you’ll need to be quick.
Featured Image – Annie Spratt (via Unsplash)
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First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd May 2023 
