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Little Wigan lad has his ‘wish come true’ and becomes a police officer for a day

Five-year-old George was known as PC Latham 999 for the day.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 5th September 2022

A little lad from Wigan got to have his “wish come true” when he went to his local police station to become an officer for the day.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has gone viral and been praised for inviting George Latham down to spend a day at the Wigan district offices last week after the five-year-old wrote to them during lockdown to say he likes the police and would always wave at officers when he was out and about on his walk, as they keep the community safe.

Officers at the station invited George and his family for a special guided tour during the school holidays to have a look at what they do as a thank you to the youngster “for being so kind”.

George was known as PC Latham 999 for the day.

The “confident boy with a beaming smile” was presented with his very-own GMP police kit – which included a police high-vis vest, police hat, warrant card, whistle, baton, handcuffs, and radio – and managed to make everyone smile when he met with officers from all different areas of the division and got to find out more about they do behind-the-scenes.

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George was apparently “in awe for the full afternoon”, and GMP says he will “undoubtedly make an excellent police officer in the future”.

The five-year-old took interest in what other people were doing and was “always asking questions”.

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Sergeant Steve Aspinall, Chief Superintendent Emily Higham, and PC Andrew Kay all looked after George on the day, and each took the time show him round, explain the equipment he had on him, show him the police vehicles, demonstrate the sirens and lights, and so much more.

Plenty of other real-life officers all took time out of their busy day to say hello to George and answer his questions, and George returned the kindness by sharing some of his biscuits and sweets.

“I like the sirens and flashing lights on the cars,” George explained.

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“I want to be a policeman when I’m older – I’m really happy and can’t wait to tell my friends when I go back to school in Year 1.”

George’s dad also added of the youngster’s special day: “It was great to get a response and it’s been special for us all. He was so excited to come and it’s just great to see the local police take the time to do what they have done, going above and beyond any expectations.”

“It’s the first time I’ve personally experienced something like this and it’s great,” Chief Superintendent Emily Higham admitted.

“It’s the least we can do to, to take a couple of hours out of our day to make a very special boy’s dream come true. It’s a nice thing to do and has made a big impact us on all, reminding us why we love doing what we do – it’s all about the local community and protecting people like George.

“To be able to meet a loving family that supports policing also makes our day.”

Featured Image – Greater Manchester Police

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We rediscovered an old Boddingtons advert and now we’re gasping for ‘the cream of Manchester’

Danny Jones Danny Jones Old Boddingtons ad cream of Manchester canal

If you’re from Greater Manchester, the name Boddingtons likely needs no introduction, but if you’re new to the area or part of the generation that’s young enough to have never clocked the legendary logo before, the ‘Cream of Manchester’ was known for making a good advert or two.

Answers on a postcard? Yes, we of course are referring to the classic ice cream van ad that featured a young Melanie Sykes serving an ice-cold pint of Boddingtons to a thirsty athlete, played by former EastEnders actor Ken George.

In fact, the recognisable TV presenter and British household name went on to feature in a few of them, including a contemporary recreation back in 2017, but it isn’t any of her appearances that recently re-captured our attention.

The old ‘Boddies’ ad that we stumbled across in 2025, more than 30 years on from when it originally aired, is the Gondola/’Just One Cornetto’ spoof filmed right here in the city centre along Manchester’s famous canal network.

Circa 1993. Recognise where it is?

Just as beautiful as Venice, if you ask us – and that’s just the pint…

As you can see, not only did the once beloved Boddingtons advert capture a glimpse of the River Irwell near the old Granada Studios and how Manchester’s waterways used to look back in the day, but it was also a pretty modern, ironic take for the time.

Inspired by arguably one of the most famous ads of all time, the Boddies marketing team and director Jeff Stark didn’t just imitate or poke fun at Wall’s Cornetto ice cream: they played on the genuine nickname and imagery drummed up by locals who drank it week in, week out.

The famous frothy white head and the ‘do you want a Flake with that?’ is the kind of joke you still hear to this day when someone overdoes it with a Guinness, but turning the glass into a golden ice cream was a bit of genius.

In fact, the old Boddies ad even helped launch the career of stingy ‘Gladys Althorpe’ herself, Anna Chancellor, who went on to appear in What A Girl Wants, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and many more.

She and Sykes weren’t the only ones either; another admittedly sexually-charged campaign released roughly a year later featured another familiar face in Sarah Parish (Doctor Who, Trollied, The Wedding Date) – again, always ending with a stereotypically Manc, if not at least Northern, punchline.

It was smash hits like these that saw Boddingtons dubbed not only Manchester’s most famous beverage but ‘the Cream of Marketing‘ for a time as well.

The beer may not be as prominent as it once was, but its legacy as part of classic UK telly is up there with R Whites Lemonade, Dairy Milk, Compare The Meerkat, and so many more.

You can see a super-cut compilation of some of their retro ads HERE.

Oh yeah, and if watching all this has made you get a thirst on like it did us, you’ll be glad to hear that while it may be difficult to locate these days, there are still a few places you can find a pint of Boddies in and around the area.

The lost art of Boddingtons, and which pubs still serve The Cream of Manchester
By ‘eck, it’s still gorgeous.

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Featured Images — advertarchive (screenshot via YouTube)

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Nearly 60% of Brits are too ‘uncomfortable’ to use the toilet at work, new survey finds

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Bathroom sign

The UK is currently in the middle of a toilet aversion epidemic, it would seem… or at least if the results of a new survey are anything to go by.

For some people, nipping to the loo at the work seems like a simple task as any, perhaps even a welcome break from the busyness or the monotony of their day-to-day duties, but for others it’s a much less pleasant experience – for a whole multitude of reasons, we might add.

Whether it be below-par facilites, a cleanliness choice, personal health reasons, or even something as simple as avoiding bathroom small talk with colleagues, a new survey by Victorian Plumbing has discovered that there is a widespread reluctance among UK employees to use workplace toilets – with more than half saying they find the experience ‘uncomfortable’.

The company’s new findings – taken from a survey of 1,000 Brits – uncovered that, overall, 57% feel uncomfortable using their workplace toilet. 

Nearly 60% of Brits are too ‘uncomfortable’ to use the toilet at work / Credit: Point3D (via Unsplash)

As a result, two in five employees say they’ll only use their work bathroom when they are absolutely desperate to go, and more than one in 10 (13%) of employees admit that they avoid it at all costs, preferring to hold it in instead.

There was also some gender disparities in the results, as the study found that 26% of women admit they never use the workplace toilet for bowel movements, compared to just 9% of men, as for many women, it apparently comes down to the fear of being judged or feeling embarrassed (57%), encountering colleagues (55%), and being overheard (54%).

More than 4% of women said they’re more likely to use the toilet at work while on their period, however, and 18% cited that they have to due to medical conditions like endometriosis. 

But do these actions have consequences? Of course they do.

Around one in 10 people will avoid going altogether / Credit: Victorian Plumbing

With the average employee spending more than 36 hours per week at work, according to recent statistics, avoiding the workplace toilet could likely cause some real damage, so it’s no surprise that 41% of Brits say holding it in during the work day causes them physical discomfort or pain.

A further 39% confessed that the habit leads to stress and anxiety, and three in 10 have found that it reduces their focus and productivity. 

The results from the survey are what prompted Victorian Plumbing to create the ‘Superior Stalls Policy’, which aims to inspire employers to reconsider their workplace bathroom setups so employees are more comfortable.

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“Brits feel far less comfortable using workplace toilets than their own at home, and this doesn’t sit right with us,” commented Alex Woods, who is a bathroom expert at Victorian Plumbing.

“Yes, there’s no place like your own toilet, but with the average Brit spending over 36 hours a week at work, everyone deserves to feel at ease – even in the loo.”

Featured Image – Possessed Photography (via Unsplash)

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