A striking new piece of street art that resembles the work of Banksy has appeared overnight on the the side wall of a pub in Tameside.
Ahead of Remembrance Day today, the landlords of the Dog and Partridge pub in Ashton-under-Lyne – which is right next to the town’s local cenotaph – woke up to notice that they had an anonymous “visitor in the night” that had painted a poignant Banksy-inspired mural on one of the outside walls to pay tribute to all the military personnel who died in the war.
The painting appears to depict two soldiers painted in black and white, with one kneeling on the ground holding his ears as the other holds a mortar.
Painted red poppies are also seen scattered up the outside wall of the pub.
“With us having the cenotaph on this side of the pub, and hundreds of people expected to pay their respects this Sunday, I think this is a very tasteful and clever tribute,” explained Scott Walker from the Dog and Partridge.
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“I think this touching tribute will be a great talking point for our locals and anyone who is looking to show their respects,” he added.
Landlord Adam Wells told the MEN that he believes the mural “must have been done whilst we were in the pub on Wednesday night” and that he “doesn’t have a problem with it.”
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“One of the locals mentioned about the painting outside and we hadn’t noticed it or seen anything.
“It’s a respectful memorial and I didn’t mind it, because it isn’t just some random graffiti or something like that – it’s tasteful and a nice gesture.”
“We don’t have a problem with it at all,” he added.
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With dozens of people stopping to appreciate the mural after it secretly appeared, staff at the pub were initially left confused as to how the artwork got there and who was responsible for it, but it has since been revealed as the work of Mr Eggs – who is often known as ‘Manchester’s Banksy’.
The mural might not be the work of actual Banksy, but the real artist also remains anonymous and uses a pseudonym.
Salford-based artist Mr Eggs says he has “appreciated” street art for the past 15 years or so now, but has always laughed off Banksy comparisons when they’ve previously come up, saying: “It’s not like he invented spray can art.”
Sharing a picture of the artwork on social media, the Dog and Partridge said: “Looks like we’ve had a visitor in the night but what an excellent tribute to wake up to on the side of our pub.
“Great addition and just in time for this remembrance Sunday. Lest we forget…”
The picture has since amassed hundreds of interactions ahead of Remembrance Day, and has also seen many local residents comment to express their love for the artwork, as well as praise the pub for remaining so positive about the unexpected situation.
One in 10 Brits are fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party, new survey finds
Emily Sergeant
We’re in peak office Christmas party season right about now.
With just under two weeks to go until the big day itself is here, many businesses across the UK are treating their staff to night out to celebrate both the festive season and all of the hard work they have been putting in throughout the year… and as you can expect, these are usually quite eventful gatherings, shall we say.
But now, a survey by has shed light on just how ‘eventful’ they actually are, as a new survey has revealed that, apparently, one in ten Brits face some sort of disciplinary action or dismissal due to their behaviour at Christmas parties.
The study was conducted by After Drink, and included more than 2,000 participants.
During the research, it was highlighted that 89% of employees admitted to drinking alcohol at these events, Lad Bible reports – with 65% of these confessing that they drank “excessively”.
One in 10 Brits get fired or disciplined after their work’s Christmas party / Credit: Kraken Images | Mimi Thian (via Unsplash)
There are a multitude of incidents which could lead to disciplinary action in the workplace nowadays, but according to the survey, some of the common reasons following festive celebrations with colleagues included inappropriate comments (23%) and even getting into fights (21%).
16% of these incidents were because of drug use during the event, while inappropriate interactions with colleagues accounted for 14%.
Some of the legal reasons you can be fired from your place of work after a Christmas party include gross misconduct, drunken behaviour, and fighting of any kind.
Despite all these risks, however, Christmas parties still remain as popular as always, and a whopping 79% of respondents said they are planning to attend theirs this year.
Clearly, the moral of the story here is , enjoy yourself… but just not too much.
Featured Image – The OurWhiskey Company (via Pexels)
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
Emily Sergeant -
11th November 2022 
