The penguins at Blackpool Zoo are now settling into their new home after its undergone an impressive £100,000 refurbishment.
Or, as the zoo has comically put it, they’re ready to “net fish and chill”.
The improvement works on the newly-named ‘Penguin Cove’ down at the Lancashire-based zoo – which opened in 1972, and is now home to over 1,000 mammals, birds, reptiles, and invertebrates – started back in January when the colony of penguins was temporarily relocated so their specially-designed facility could take shape.
Blackpool Zoo is home to the UK’s only collection of Magellanic penguins – a South American penguin named after Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who first spotted them in 1520, and who originate from coastal Patagonia, Chile, and the Falkland Islands.
The penguin colony arrived at the zoo in 2009 as part of the ‘Active Oceans Arena’ development.
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The £100,000 refurb of the colony’s living facility includes a brand-new beach – which is eight-times bigger than the previous one – made with sand from an estuary on the River Mersey, and coming complete with more nest boxes for mating pairs.
Blackpool Zoo’s penguins move into new home with a beach and pool after £100k refurb / Credit: Blackpool Zoo
The pool has also had an overhaul, and now includes a state-of-the-art lining and a net cover across the whole area to help to protect the animals from bird flu.
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Thanks to the new refurb, visitors see the cute aquatic birds in their new habitats much better than they could before, as there’s a new extended walkway that goes all the way round the beach and pool, and there’s also lots of new planting that provides natural shading.
Luke Forster, Deputy Team Manager on the Birds and Events Section at Blackpool Zoo, designed the new facility and oversaw the entire project.
“We are thrilled to be reopening our improved and extended facility,” Luke said.
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“The penguins moved to the new beach over Easter but this week we finished and opened their new pool, which marks the completion of the fabulous new Penguin Cove. This investment will make a real difference for the residents, the staff and our many penguin super fans and there is plenty of room for the colony to grow, which is great as they are a real zoo favourite.
“We’re hoping the additional nest boxes will lead to lots of fluffy little new arrivals and the new netting will help to protect the penguins from bird flu, which has been particularly bad this year.”
On top of the new penguin facility, now that the national restrictions on birds have been lifted, Blackpool Zoo says it’s “delighted” to have been able to reopen its World of Wings walk-through, and is also getting ready to reopen its Rainbow Landings exhibit.
The World of Wings is now open seven days a week, while Rainbow Landings on weekends and Bank Holidays from next Saturday 29 April, and then every day from Saturday 27 May.
Featured Image – Blackpool Zoo
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Tesco announces MASSIVE recruitment drive for 28,000 extra Christmas staff
Emily Sergeant
Tesco has launched a massive festive recruitment drive, with more than 28,000 temporary roles up for grabs.
With the festive season fast approaching, and most British supermarkets having already unveiled their Christmas food and drink ranges for 2025, Tesco is gearing up for what is always one of the busiest times for the year for the retail industry by launching a massive UK-wide seasonal recruitment drive.
The jobs will mainly involve working in Tesco’s Superstores and Extra stores.
Shifts will either be early morning, day, or evening shifts, so that prospective applicants can find an opportunity that fits around them.
With a wide range of roles available, the tens of thousands of temporary staff across the UK – including here in Greater Manchester – will be tasked with serving customers, restocking shelves, and fulfilling online orders by picking, packing, and delivering.
“With the busy Christmas period ahead, we are looking for people who can bring warmth, enthusiasm, and a helpful service to every shopping trip,” commented Ela Golab, who is Tesco’s Group People Services Director.
Pay starts from £12.64 per hour, and a night premium of an additional £2.35 per hour – with plenty of different flexible shifts available.
“From turkey and mince pies to decorations and crackers, it’s a big job keeping our shelves stocked up for the nation’s celebrations,” Tesco said in a statement on its recruitment website. “That’s why we need you – you’ll help keep our shelves filled and our customers jolly.”
Tesco says ‘no day is ever the same’ and festive colleagues will be able to ‘feel the impact’ they make on every shift, as they send customers home with a smile.
No experience is ‘necessary’ for these temporary roles, Tesco says – just the ‘right attitude’.
Fancy it then? If you’re keen to join Tesco’s teams across the UK this Christmas, then head on over to the supermarket’s recruitment website here to apply, or you can pop into your nearby store for more information.
Featured Image – Tesco plc
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Stockport drop first collection in County Classics retro range
Danny Jones
Stockport County have finally released the first drop in their previously teased ‘County Classics’ retro fashion collection.
The Greater Manchester football club are enjoying a great resurgence of late, currently sitting fourth in the table and unbeaten in League One, not to mention boasting three wins on the bounce; it’s a great time to be a Hatter.
Somewhat secondary, of course, but they’ve also got a great selection of well-received shirts this year, too, with all three of their 2025/26 kits inspired by a precious part of their heritage.
Clearly going down a hit, they’ve decided to double down on the nostalgia factor and reignite the vintage spirit of their famous 1996/97 campaign and THAT legendary home shirt.
Speaking on the release, County said in a club statement: “County Classics isn’t just a product range – it’s a series. A journey through time.
“Each drop will revive another era, another shirt, another story that shaped the club we love. This is more than nostalgia. It’s the heartbeat of County history, reimagined for today.”
We already can’t wait to see which iconic kit they tap into next; our money is on the 91/92 away strip that they paid homage to just last season.
Unsurprisingly, numbers of each piece have been snapped up in a flash, with supporters, rivals and neutrals alike dubbing the casual wear and retro footy shirt reissue everything from “amazing” to “sickeningly cool”, with plenty already asking for a restock.
You get a closer look at the collection in full down below.
Credit: Stockport County FC (supplied)
The retro ’90s style training line has completely sold out already, but there are still towels and bucket hats, as well as some of the retro County kit itself left.
With the ‘Back to 1996’ star priced at £50 and the likes of bucket hats costing just £20, you can expect to see plenty of Stopfordians wearing the new gear at Edgeley Park this season and, indeed, for many years to come.
If these classic football shirts and pieces of lifestyle fashion have tickled your fancy, you can see what they have left and grab your item(s) of choice right HERE.
What old County look would you like to see the club recreate next as part of the Classics range, Hatters?
Emily Sergeant -
21st April 2023 
