A mum has shared a powerful video of a “monumental occasion” for her visually impaired son thanks to a community road filters trial in Levenshulme.
Sent into and shared on social media by Streets For People – Levenshulme & Burnage, the short video appears to show a young boy crossing Osborne Road at the junction of Slade Lane in the Manchester suburb of Levenshulme – one of the roads making up part of the six-month ‘road filters’ trial – but what makes this footage that little more special is that he is actually visually impaired and up until this moment, has never been able to cross the road on his own.
And this incredible feat wouldn’t have been possible without the Levenshulme & Burnage Active Neighbourhood.
In a tweet accompanied by the video – which has now caught the attention of hundreds of people across Greater Manchester and beyond – the mum said: “The monumental occasion when my visually impaired 11 year old crossed a road on the way to school – without holding my hand,
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you filter heroes”.
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A local parent has sent this to us:
"The monumental occasion when my visually impaired 11 year old crossed a road on the way to school – without holding my hand! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. FILTER ? HEROS."
— Streets for People – Levenshulme and Burnage (@s4plb) January 6, 2021
How brilliant is this?
Whilst it is fair to say that the introduction of the scheme has gone on to cause some chaos and controversy among residents this week – with many appearing to be not so fond of it, mounting the pavements to get around the planters, expressing their confusion and criticisms on social media, and some even taking to vandalism – it is no doubt great to see these changes paying off in such a truly significant way for some of the most vulnerable members of the community.
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Understandably, the video has been met with widespread praise online..
One Twitter user commented: “Designing safe streets with the most vulnerable at the top of the hierarchy. This is the way forward, communities become stronger when they are safer for people.”, with another adding: “That is just wonderful.”
“So simple but SO effective – brilliant.” said a third.
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Unfamiliar with the Levenshulme & Burnage Active Neighbourhood scheme?
In an attempt by Manchester City Council to control the numbers of vehicles in the area, a total of 14 ‘modal filters’ – taking the form of wooden planters – were “strategically placed” at a number of locations across Levenshulme from Monday 4th January and are aimed at redirecting through traffic, whilst also allowing pedestrian, cycle and mobility vehicles through access.
Other similar Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTNs) schemes have been effective in reducing traffic on residential streets as they “limit traffic to local journeys, reduce pollution, noise and risk of a traffic accidents”, and in cases where emergency services need access, filters can either be moved or dropped if a bollard system is in place.
According to Streets For People – Levenshulme & Burnage, the reduction in traffic at previous schemes has also been shown to foster a sense of community and help people visit local shops more, as through traffic is reduced.
Levenshulme and Burnage active neighbourhood is go!
So much is happening and all at once!
Some initial impressions.
Here's a beautiful new filter on Dorset Road. We weren't sure whether @ManCityCouncil would put any plants in the planters, but they have. Good start 1/- pic.twitter.com/y5EqPDBom2
— Streets for People – Levenshulme and Burnage (@s4plb) January 4, 2021
Speaking on the introduction of the traffic filters, Councillor Angeliki Stogia – Executive Member for the Environment, Planning and Transport at Manchester City Council – said: “We’ve installed new traffic filters at locations across Levenshulme, on a six-month trial basis, where consultation told us that the majority of local people who responded were in favour of this going ahead.
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“Where people have reservations about the trial, we urge them to continue to raise these with us in a positive way.
“It’s disappointing that a small number of planters were moved overnight and it’s really heartening to know that members of the community acted to clear up after the act of vandalism [but] we’re also aware that in some locations, vehicles have illegally driven on the pavement to go around the filters.
“This is unacceptable and dangerous.
“We’ll be looking at positioning additional planters where possible to deter this behaviour, while protecting essential access for people on bikes, pedestrians and people with disabilities [and] in line with feedback from residents, we’ll also be adding reflective signage, to improve the filters’ visibility at night.
“This investment into Levenshulme has the potential to benefit the health and well-being of the community in the wake of the pandemic, by making streets safer for people as they go about their journeys.
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“The point of the current trial is to find out what difference the measures make on the ground and to carry on listening to local residents and businesses, so that we can work together and make changes where necessary to get it right, before any permanent decisions are made.”
You can find more information and have your say on the Levenshulme & Burnage Active Neighbourhood scheme anytime over the next six months via the Manchester City Council website here.
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Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into foul-mouthed chaos
Danny Jones
The first press conference ahead of Tommy Fury vs Darren Till was held on Tuesday evening and it didn’t take long for the whole thing to descend into absolute bedlam.
Having only been confirmed on Sunday, Fury vs Till will be a homecoming bout for the Wythenshawe-born fighter who is set to headline the first-ever boxing match at Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.
With the date set for 18 January, the pre-fight build-up and media frenzy are growing fast and things have already come to ahead in just the first meeting between the two fighters in London this week.
Clearly sharing plenty of bad blood already, while Tommy and Till were engaging in the usual fighting talk, the family patriarch, John Fury, decided to interject and it was at this point that things boiled over.
‼️ Tommy Fury vs Darren Till press conference descends into chaos as Till tells John Fury: "Shut up, you haven't been seen since Oleksandr Usyk battered Tyson."
As you can see, amidst the various insults being thrown around regarding intelligence, boxing ability, Tommy’s older brother Tyson being “battered by [Oleksandr] Usyk”, ‘Big John’ then launches a bottle of water across the table at Till, sparking a hot-tempered on-stage skirmish.
The lengthy exchange features as many expletives as you could imagine, with 31-year-old Darren Till also threatening that he will “bladder” both Tommy and his more established heavyweight sibling Tyson, labelling the entire Fury family “shithouses” as they walk out of the London press conference.
A mixed martial artist by trade who has competed at both welterweight and middleweight in the UFC, Till assured that even if the boxing match isn’t going his way on the night, he will kick [him] square in [the] face”, adding that he’s a “proper fighter” and that Tommy, on the other hand, has no power.
YouTube turned musician and occasional boxer, KSI – the founder of the Misfits promotion who is putting on the event and who Fury beat back in October last year – can also be heard whooping from centre stage and shouting, “Get your tickets!”
Even after the mini-brawl is separated, the foul-mouthed back and forth continues for some time. You can see another angle here:
Press conference aftermath 🤯@darrentill2 was going IN on the Fury’s 😳
This isn’t the first time things have boiled over at a Fury press conference; in fact, it’s not even the first time John Fury, 59, has found himself in the very eye of the storm.
Meanwhile, the youngest Fury son is preparing first his first fight in over a year, having nearly joined this year’s I’m a Celeb lineup instead.
Tickets for the now highly-anticipated boxing match at Co-op Live, just the second combat sports event to have been held at the arena, are on sale now – you can grab yours HERE. It’s going to be a feisty one.
Festive Grinch-themed cafes to pop up inside Greater Manchester Primark stores
Emily Sergeant
Festive Grinch-themed cafes are popping up inside two of Primark’s biggest Greater Manchester stores in the run-up to Christmas.
As the temperatures turn colder by the day, the nights draw in, and the most wonderful time of the year nears closer and closer, it won’t be long before it’s time to snuggle up in our comfies and pop on the first Christmas film of the year – and for some of us, there’s a good chance that first film of choice will be The Grinch.
Whether you prefer the 2000 fantasy comedy starring Jim Carey, or the 2018 animated reboot with Benedict Cumberbatch, it’s undoubtedly a real family favourite.
To celebrate everyone’s favourite grumpy green grouch, Primark has teamed up with Dr. Seuss once again on a Grinch-tastic collaboration.
Festive Grinch-themed cafes have popped up inside Greater Manchester Primark stores / Credit: Supplied
Shoppers can now head to their nearest Primark store to find the largest-ever Grinch collection, with something for the whole family, as well as great gifting options said to be “ideal for getting into the anti-Christmas spirit”.
There’s Grinch pyjamas and slippers for both adults and kids, a Grinch ‘Onesie’ that’s sure to make people green with envy, Grinch drinks cups and mugs, a selection of loungewear and Christmas jumpers for festive dressing, and so much more, as well as whole host of Grinch-inspired outfits and toys for your four-legged friends too.
As part of Primark’s aim to offer affordable choices for everyone, prices for the Grinch collection start at just £1 for accessories, and go up to £24 for adult clothing.
If the return of the Grinch collection wasn’t exciting enough as it is, the all-new Grinch cafes – which are popping up in Primark on Market Street in Manchester city centre, as well as Primark in Trafford Palazzo – are bound to be hit with fans of the furry character.
There’s everything from green waffles and themed milkshakes, to festive toasties, hot drinks, and more on the menu.
With Greater Manchester Grinch cafes set to be open until the end of December, Sarah Jackson – who is the Director of Licensing at Primark, said: “We’re so excited to roll out our amazing cafe experience across a number of our UK locations, bringing a sprinkle of mischief to our customers this festive season.
“Whether you’re stopping in for a sweet treat or stocking up on pyjamas and gifts for the whole family, we have everything you need to make it a truly unforgettable Grinch-mas.”
Emily Sergeant -
6th January 2021 
