Cinema groups across the UK have either made the decision to close doors or screen HM Queen Elizabeth II‘s funeral for free.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II at the age 96 on 8 September, millions of businesses, companies, and organisations worldwide have been paying tribute to the longest-reigning British monarch in history – with many taking the decision to make changes or amend operations as a mark of respect.
And it seems that cinemas nationwide are no different.
Odeon, Cineworld, Picturehouse, Showcase and The Light – most of which have sites across Greater Manchester and the North West – have all confirmed that they will be closing theatres nationwide for all of Monday – which has been declared a bank holiday for the State Funeral.
Other cinema chains, including Curzon and Arc have chosen to screen the funeral for free and cancel the rest of scheduled programming that day.
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Cinemas across UK to either close or screen Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral for free on Monday / Credit: The Royal Family
Vue – which is one of the UK’s largest cinema chains, and the operator of a handful fo sites in Greater Manchester – has decided to do a combination of both, by cancelling all of its scheduled screenings on Monday, but announcing that it will be opening a select number of venues to screen the funeral from 11am on Monday.
The cinema chain is also the London Procession at the majority of its UK venues.
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“Seats will be free of charge and we will close our retail stands, but will offer complimentary bottled water during the broadcast,” the chain said in a statement.
“On this day all other screens will be open showing film content as normal,” the chain concluded.
We offer our sincere condolences to the Windsor family following the sad death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. We will always remember her indisputable kindness, as well as the service and dedication she gave to our country. pic.twitter.com/KOqwRldeNM
Although some have made the decision to, cinemas, public museums, galleries, and other arts and culture venues are not obliged to close during the period of national mourning or on the day of the State Funeral.
Guidance from the UK government explains: “Organisations may choose to close on the day of the State Funeral, however there is no obligation to do so and this is at the discretion of individual organisations. As with other organisations, these institutions may wish to display or share images of previous Royal visits, particularly if they are one of Her Majesty’s patronages.”
The day after the State Funeral marks the end of the period of national mourning.
Featured Image – HOME MCR
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Home Bargains has announced a special two-day closure of all UK stores
Emily Sergeant
Home Bargains has, once again, announced it’ll be closing all its UK stores on both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day this year.
And it’s to make sure staff get a ‘well deserved break’.
After what has been yet another busy year for the retail industry, many workers have been left feeling like they could do with a little extra time off, which is why Home Bargains is following on with what has become a now-annual tradition by shutting up shop on two bank holidays.
All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day & New Years Day.
Announcing the move in a post on social media, the discount retailer confirmed: “All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day and New Years Day. We would like to thank all our colleagues for how hard you have worked this past year, and want you to relax and enjoy the Christmas break with your loved ones.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time the retailer has kept its doors shut on bank holidays.
Many shoppers will recall it has made the same decision to give hardworking staff a break every year since 2019.
Explaining a little more about the decision taken to close all its stores, Home Bargains said: “As a family-run business, we know the importance of being together at Christmas with those we care about most, now more than ever.
“This is our way of saying thank you to our colleagues for their continued hard work and dedication.”
Featured Image – Geograph
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Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week
Emily Sergeant
Who says breakfast has to end at 11am?
In news that’s set to be music to the ears of breakfast lovers in Manchester, Greggs is giving them exactly what they want.
We all know that brunch is a ‘thing’ by now, so now it’s time for brinner to make a name for itself instead, as Greggs has teamed up with Heinz to bring its much-loved breakfast menu back for tea time, kicking off from 4pm onwards.
The move comes as a new survey has found that the majority of Mancs (69%) admit to enjoying eating breakfast food in the evening, saying it’s ‘convenient and comforting’ – even ranking breakfast as a ‘more important’ meal than tea, as well (38% vs 36%).
Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week / Credit: Greggs (Supplied)
Greggs says it has ‘lost count’ of the amount of customers that have tried to order breakfast items after the usual cut-off time, especially in Greater Manchester.
But luckily for those breakfast-loving Mancs, they can finally get their favourite breakfast and sauce pairing long after the morning rush is over next… but only at two Greggs branches, and only for a very limited time.
On Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October, the Heinz x Greggs Brinner collab will be available at Greggs St Mary’s Gate and Greggs Oxford Road, from 4-7pm only.
“We’ve lost count of the number of customers who have tried their luck ordering breakfast after 11am, so when Heinz came to us with the idea of making Brinner a reality, it felt like the perfect excuse to give the people what they want,” explained Zoe Harris, who is the Customer Director at Greggs.
“And let’s be honest, a Greggs Bacon Roll just wouldn’t be the same without a squeeze of Heinz Tomato Ketchup.”
Emily Sergeant -
14th September 2022 
