A boy from Manchester has been reunited with his three lost teddies after they went missing while on a family holiday.
Little Oliver Simpson, from Heywood in Rochdale, had just arrived at the hotel for a holiday in Costa de Almeria with his parents, Jill and Stewart, when the family realised that a bag with the six-year-old’s much-loved teddies inside was missing, and so they contacted Jet2’s Customer Services team to see if they could find out more.
After Jet2 heard that the family had lost one of their bags, the team said they “immediately launched a search” to find the missing teddies.
Customers Helpers at Almeria Airport worked together with the holiday resort’s Customer Helpers to track down the bears, and luckily, they were found safe and sound on the coach the family had hopped on from the airport to their hotel.
With the teddies safely found, the team then got to work to make sure Oliver was reunited with his three fuzzy friends.
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Jet2 helps reunite little Manchester boy with the teddies he lost while on holiday / Credit: Jet2
Keen to make the reunion one Oliver would remember forever, staff took the bears on an adventure at the airport and pictured them having a drink in a cafe, helping to check in customers’ luggage, and directing holidaymakers to their transfer coaches, all before meeting back up with the youngster.
Resort Customer Helper, Justina Tarvydaite, also stepped in and wrote a letter to Oliver from his teddies, telling the little Manc all about the adventures they had been on at the airport, and when he was finally reunited with his bears on his flight back to the UK, he was, as you can imagine, “over the moon”.
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Oliver’s mum, Jill, said the airline “literally went above and beyond” to find and reunite Oliver with his teddies.
Praising the “caring staff”, she went on to explain: “Not only did they locate his belongings, but they also showed Oliver the adventures his teddies went on whilst we were on holiday, which was magical and so thoughtful.
“He was over the moon, and I even shed some tears.”
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Oliver Simpson had been on holiday with his family in Costa de Almeria in Spain / Credit: Jet2
Claire Hernandez, who is a Destination Manager at Jet2holidays, said it was “all hands-on deck” when they heard Oliver had been separated from his teddies and how upset he was by it, adding: “I am immensely proud of how the team worked together to ensure Oliver and his family left feeling elated at the return of the teddies.
“Their reaction was priceless.
“It’s very important to all of us that each and every one of our customers feels like a VIP, and the team work extremely hard to ensure our customers have a memorable holiday.
“It never ceases to amaze me just how far they will go to make our customers happy.”
Featured Image – Jet2
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Dame Sarah Storey is going on Strictly Come Dancing 2026
Danny Jones
Record-breaking local athlete and Paralympian, Dame Sarah Storey, is set to become the latest to join the Strictly Come Dancing annals.
With the Strictly cast for 2026 steadily being unveiled, we always keep an eye out for the Greater Manchester names in particular.
That being said, we’re buzzing to see the hugely successful Stockport swimmer turned cyclist will be swapping her Team GB kit for sparkly, sequined ballroom gowns and an entirely different type of sport and fitness.
Announced on Friday, 17 July, Storey is the seventh celebrity to be confirmed for the 24th series of the hit BBC show and dancing competition.
Having represented her country not only at nine Paralympics but across two different disciplines after switching to the racing bike back in 2005, she’s our most decorated competitor in the entire history of the Games with 30 medals to her name – 19 of which are gold.
Absolute GOAT levels.
But now the Cheadle Hulme-born is once again set to show her versatility to see how she fares on the dance floor later this year.
Commenting ahead of the new-look season which starts this September, the 48-year-old said: “Embarking on a new challenge so soon after stepping down as an athlete is hugely exciting.
“I have always loved watching Strictly, and my daughter Louisa is a very talented dancer, so to be able to learn from the best and hopefully understand even more about her world is incredibly motivating! I can’t wait to get started!”
This latest sea-change comes not long after the local legend and sporting icon officially announced her retirement from professional sport more than three decades on from first bursting onto the scene.
Thank you for taking the time to leave all the incredible messages. It’s so wonderful to read them and thank you for being the greatest supporters 🥰
— Dame Sarah Storey (@DameSarahStorey) July 9, 2026
What a career she’s had; it obviously didn’t take her long to get tired of sitting still for once, either.
She will be joined by the likes of Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer and Will Best.
In case you missed it, the upcoming edition of Strictly Come Dancing will be the first since Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman stepped down, with Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and pro dancer Johannes Radebe stepping in as replacements.
In other starring Stockport news, we’ve finally got more info on the final season of a popular programme filmed in the area. Find out more down below.
Family-friendly LGBTQ+ festival returns to Manchester Pride 2026
Danny Jones
Exactly what it says on the tin, Proud Fest returns to Manchester for 2026, promising plenty of fun for all ages away from the main hustle and bustle this summer.
Best part of all? It’s completely FREE.
Taking place in the heart of the city centre, it offers a viable alternative to many who want to avoid the major crowds that flock to Gay Village’s Pride party every year.
Just the second year that this LGBTQIA+ festival has been set up, making its colourful debut in 2025, there’ll be everything from live music, games and other interactive opportunities for all ages, arts and crafts, plus workshops and plenty more; there’s something for everyone here.
Championing “entertainment, family-friendly activities, music, creativity, and plenty of Pride spirit”, the 2026 edition of Proud Fest is set to be one of the biggest ever.
Based around Great Northern Warehouse just off Deansgate and Peter Street, it’s set to be hosted by drag queen ‘Aida H Dee’, as well as Sara Gosney-Hughes, best-known for her travel expertise and work as a broadcaster and producer at nearby station Hits Radio.
With both calling Manchester home, alongside lots of other organisers behind the free festivities, you can expect plenty of hometown passion and pride – pun very much intended.
Set up in partnership with Proud 2 b Parents (P2bP), mums, dads and more will also be able to enjoy the official Pride parade from a viewing area in the dedicated Community Hall, where they’ll get a perfect spot to watch the floats and performers go down the strip.
Canal Street is already gearing up for those sublime, sun-soaked evenings at the end of August.
Speaking ahead of the latest iteration of the annual festival, Founder and CEO of P2bP, Matt Taylor-Roberts, told us in a statement: “Proud Fest is about creating the spaces many of us wished existed when we first became parents.
“It’s a celebration of LGBTQ+ families in all their diversity and a reminder that every family deserves to feel seen, supported and celebrated.”
At its core, this is about creating a safe and friendly option for families to still feel connected to the queer community and play their part in the wider celebrations.
You can grab your completely complimentary tickets right HERE.
And if you’re looking for other great days out for the family in Manchester this summer, there’s another free event happening at Circle Square earlier in the month.
Emily Sergeant -
5th September 2023 
