Cheshire

Cow rescued by firefighters in Cheshire after becoming submerged in mud

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 28th September 2022

Fire crews in Cheshire were called to come to the aid of a cow that got itself into a spot of difficulty over the weekend.

We all know that the fire service is no stranger to carrying out rescue missions of all kinds, but in what was presumably one of the more unique call outs for fire crews in the rural Cheshire town of Lymm over the weekend, the team had to come to the rescue of a cow that unfortunately became stuck in a thick muddy bog.

A call was made to Lymm Fire Station on Sunday evening to say that the animal was in trouble after becoming submerged up to its head in mud.

Firefighters worked with the farmer and a vet to bring the stuck cow to safety.

Writing about the bizarre event on Twitter, Lymm Fire Station said: “Crews rescued a cow stuck in mud.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Crews worked with the vet and farmer using his telehandler to help release the cow and was handed back to the farmer with no injuries”.

Shocking images of the rescue mission were also shared to social media.

ADVERTISEMENT

Read more:

Fire crews in Cheshire were called to come to the aid of a cow that got itself into a spot of difficulty / Credit: Lymm Fire Station

Surprisingly, this is not the first time cows have managed to get themselves into unexpected rural locations, as only a couple of weeks ago, a hoard of the bovine creatures somehow managed to make their way up to the ‘secret beach’ in Greater Manchester.

Back in early August, a photo snapped by locals of cows kicking-back up at Gaddings Dam – which is tucked high on the moors above Todmorden – went viral.

Given the fields that wrap around Gaddings Dam, this was probably somewhat expected though.

Featured Image – Lymm Fire Station

Cheshire

Work on Greater Manchester’s very own ‘Tebay-style’ motorway service station is finally underway

Danny Jones Danny Jones New Tebay service station Altrincham Tatton Greater Manchester

You heard us right: the time has come for Greater Manchester to level up its service station game, as work on the long-talked-about Tebay-style venue over in Trafford has finally begun.

Those motorway trips are about to get even better.

We first heard about the vision to provide a brand-new Tatton Services back in March 2022, with the Westmorland Family – known not only for Tebay but the similarly popular Gloucester and Cairns Lodge equivalents – promising to deliver a new top-quality stop-off point in the region.

It’s one that people across the North West have been keeping a keen eye on ever since, and now the dial is finally moving on the major project. You can see more detailed images here:

Credit: Publicity pictures (via Westmorland Family)

With the Westmorlands and the official Tatton Estate agreeing a partnership that weighs heavily in the former’s favour, the new services will be located around the M56 near the Bowdon Roundabout in Altrincham.

Bordering the electoral ward of Trafford and Cheshire, it is set to be located between junctions seven and eight of the M6 motorway near neighbouring Millington and Rostherne.

It’s estimated to cost more than £65 million and will be one of the most expensive developments of its kind the country has ever seen, with only the pending Chalfont St Peter station by Extra Motorway Services Group set to be more expensive (approximately £90m).

As per Forecourt Trader, the blueprints include a dedicated 100-room hotel, one of their trademark farm shops that those travelling rave about so much, a petrol station, as well as 40 charging bays for electric vehicles. Service station facilities have come a long way since 1972, when Tebay first opened.

However, while plans are at long last getting underway, it will be arriving much later than expected, with the initial opening date slated for some time later this year; instead, it is now they are now aiming for spring 2028, meaning you’ll just have to make do with the OG for now.

We promise this was purely a coincidence on our way back from Kendal Calling 2026, by the way…

Speaking on behalf of family, the Tatton Services Proposal team, and members of the estate, Westmorland chair Sarah Dunning said in a recent statement on the update: “We’re very excited to bring our proper food offer and ethos to Cheshire.

“From day one, this is about creating something rooted in the local landscape and community. We have committed to working with at least 70 producers within 30 miles of the site – and we hope that number will grow as relationships flourish.

“We’re also creating over 400 skilled jobs for local people, alongside apprenticeships and training programmes designed to build meaningful, long-term careers in the food industry. Our ambition is not only to serve travellers but to create opportunities and lasting value for the communities around us.”

What do you make of the proposed plans for the ‘next Tebay‘?

tatton services map
Credit: Westmorland

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE

Featured Images — Westmorland Family

Cheshire

Brits start petition to save Jodrell Bank Observatory from closure amid budget cuts

Danny Jones Danny Jones Save Jodrell Bank from closing petition

Greater Manchester, the North West and Brits at large are urging people across the country to pen a petition to save the Jodrell Bank Observatory from closing down for good.

In fact, this is just one petition among numerous protests over its impending closure.

For anyone who somehow hadn’t come across the sad news, the national institution that is Jodrell Bank Observatory (JBO) in Cheshire, which includes the award-winning and world-famous James Lovell Telescope, is scheduled to shut down permanently by March 2028.

Despite having served a crucial part in alleviating Cold War tensions back in the 1960s, operating as an important scientific hub under the University of Manchester umbrella, and remaining a major tourist pull for the region, it’s unfortunately lost its funding and is on course to be decommissioned.

While the massive Northern landmark near Macclesfield is home not only to the largest telescope in the UK, important physics research and even an annual music, arts and science festival in the form of Bluedot, its cultural significance doesn’t appear enough to keep it solvent.

Described as a “huge blow to astronomy” not just here in Britain but for the global industry as a whole, the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) have even described it as a form of “scientific vandalism.”

Having been open since around the end of WWII, before going on to possess the largest steerable radio telescope of its kind in the entire world by 1957, it’s been used to identify distant planets, stars, galaxies and more up in the far reaches of space.

Dr Megan Argo, reader in astrophysics at the University of Lancashire – which also shares a fruitful partnership with the centre alongside UoM, Cambridge, York and many more – said in a statement: “Jodrell Bank is still a very active facility and remains at the forefront of research.

“Recent upgrades have facilitated new discoveries about planet, star and galaxy formation which tell us about our own history, helping to answer one of humanity’s biggest questions: are we alone in the universe?” Put simply, the steps currently being taken have been called “short-sighted” to say the least.

With that in mind, people across the sector and online are now rallying behind the initiative to try and rescue the important and historic UNESCO site before it’s too late.

Cheshire and Warrington mayoral candidate Ben Fletcher is one of several notable names that have publicly backed the push to save the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre as a whole, along with its highly valuable facilities.

Meanwhile, one user on X added: “I’ve got an opinion on the Jodrell Bank stupidity – and I’m sorry, but that’s a polite understatement. But it is frankly unrepeatable in impolite company, let alone polite.

“I hope the nitwits who have made the decision feel proud about themselves though. Because pride comes before the fall.”

You can see the numerous posts from supporter voices on the Change.org page, including everyone from impassioned scientists and researchers who first discovered their love for these subjects by visiting the attraction, as well as Northerners who simply enjoyed some of their most precious memories there.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) needs to cut an estimated £700 million by 2029/30, and JBO needs to find enough funds to cover its £2.8m budget to avoid closing in the next couple of years. So, if you’ve been stirred by the passionate appeals, you can sign the petition HERE.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE

Featured Images — The Manc Group

More Cheshire

The Wizard Tea Room

Cheshire

The beautiful woodland walk and tearoom with a magical past

Golden Hind pub Offerton reopening plans Stockport

Business

Locals left stunned and excited by ‘unrecognisable’ plans for returning Stockport pub

Beaches near Greater Manchester

Cheshire

Beaches close to Manchester that you don’t need to drive for hours to reach

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches