A mum has taken to social media to share a moving story of a random act of kindness she experienced at the hands of a stranger in Manchester city centre yesterday.
Mother-of-two Chelsea Ann Robinson was walking down Market Street yesterday afternoon with her son Kian when she was approached by a lady she did not know who asked if the young boy liked teddy bears, and while Chelsea understandably found herself a little unsure at the reasoning behind the question at first, the stranger’s response left her “feeling emotional”.
Chelsea said she had “never felt so much kindness as we just received”.
Retelling the encounter in a now-viral post on Facebook, Chelsea said: “I’ve never felt so much kindness as we just received 5 minutes ago.
“To this wonderful lady, thank you,
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“We were just making our way across town when we were approached and Kian was asked if he liked teddy bears? My natural response was, ‘well yeah but why?’ And she explained that her baby would have been 8 years old and every year she buys 2 bears and travels 70 miles to Manchester to gift one to a child of similar age that her sweet baby would have been [and] the other is kept by herself and the family.”
Chelsea also admitted that the stranger’s gesture came “at a time of need” after experiencing a difficult year herself, and revealed that her son had also sadly lost his father too. She continued: “After all we’ve been through this year, especially for my precious little Kian losing his dad, I felt we had such a connection even in that brief moment.
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“I believe that angels come around in a time of need and this certainly was that.”
How beautiful is this?
Given the nature of the touching story and the poignancy of the stranger’s act, the post has gone on to resonate with thousands of people, amassing well over 7.3K interactions, thousands of shares, and hundreds of comments by members of the public up and down the country who praised the stranger for her touching gift, and sent well wishes and messages of support to all involved.
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One person commented: “Everything happens for a reason, you were meant to meet this lady, I promise you [and] I’m so happy he loves his bear.”
Another said: “Yes there are earthy angels, I believe that. What a beautiful kind gesture from this lady to give to this little man.”
A third added: “Beautiful – nothing more pure than human kindness”.
This is what Manchester is all about.
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You can get FREE sandwiches in Manchester this weekend – but only if you have certain names
Emily Sergeant
Hungry Mancs can help themselves to free sandwiches this bank holiday weekend… but there’s a bit of a catch.
You can only get yourself a sandwich if you have one of these particular names.
We’ve been enjoying some absolutely stunning sunshine across Greater Manchester and much of the UK over the past couple of months, and nothing says sunny days more than taking a packed lunch or grabbing a meal deal and taking it to your local park or greenspace for a picnic.
This is why Pret A Manger has decided to make picnics easier for those who are lucky enough to have a certain type of name.
This late May bank holiday weekend, the popular high street coffee shop chain will be dishing out hundreds of free sandwiches across the UK – including here in Manchester – to anyone whose name happens to start with ‘Nic’.
That means people called Nick, Nicholas, Nicola, Nicole, Nico, Nicolette, and plenty of others could be in with a chance of some free feasting over these next couple of days.
You can get FREE sandwiches in Manchester this weekend / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Supplied
Here in Manchester, it’s the chain’s Portland Street site, just off Piccadilly Gardens, that’s participating in the free giveaway this weekend, and there’ll be 50 sandwiches a day given out, so you’ll need to be quick if your name starts with ‘Nic’ and you’re feeling peckish.
The offer is only limited to Pret’s freshly-made sandwiches, and unfortunately excludes baguettes, wraps, or rye rolls… but free food is better than no food, after all.
All you’ll need to do to grab a freebie is show your ID at the tills of participating stores this Saturday (24 May) to prove your name, and you’ll get to walk out with your lunch in hand, all without having to spend a penny.
Manchester’s Portland Street Pret A Manger will be giving out 50 free sandwiches to ‘Nics’ this Saturday, and they’re on a first-come-first-served basis.
Featured Image – Eaters Collective (via Unsplash)
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BBC needs adventurous Mancs to take part in next series of Race Across the World
Emily Sergeant
Are you a fan of travelling? Got a bit of a competitive streak in your nature? This might just be your calling then.
The BBC is currently casting for the next series of Race Across the World.
The BAFTA-winning hit show is currently airing to thousands of viewers each week, but with the next series now in the works, producers are on the look-out for ‘intrepid duos’ of all ages who reckon they’re ready to take a step into the unknown, and embark on an epic race across land and sea – and that includes Greater Manchester residents.
With applications for the next series of the massively-popular show now open, nomadic Mancs are being encouraged to take part.
On a limited budget and away from the luxuries of modern technology and conveniences, those lucky applicants selected to take part in the next series will get the chance to experience life in some of the world’s most beautiful and remote locations.
BBC is looking for Mancs to take part in next series of Race Across the World / Credit: BBC
Navigating their way across thousands of miles, they’ll travel through spectacular scenery and dynamic cities, visit ancient wonders, learn local customs, and take part in time-honoured traditions.
But, as producers are keen to point out, “the physical journey is only half of the story”.
That’s because, as the contestants take on the challenge of travelling across the world, the greatest thing they’ll discover along the way could actually be about themselves and one another.
Putting out a UK-wide casting call on the BBC website this week, producers Studio Lambert wrote: “We are now accepting applications for the next series of Race Across the World. This experience is open to all, whether you’re a seasoned traveller or total novice.
“We want to hear what undertaking a trip like this would mean to you, and with a cash prize at stake, what lengths you would go to to win.
Applications for the massively-popular show are now open / Credit: BBC
“Maybe you’re looking to change something in your life? Or are keen to share the journey with someone special like a family member, best friend, or someone you’ve lost touch with. You may even have a very personal reason for wanting to travel at this time in your life or explore a particular part of the world.”
Fancy it then?
Applications for the third series of Race Across the World are now open for anyone over 18 years of age, with a deadline date of 6 July 2025, and you can find out more information and apply via the BBC website.
Emily Sergeant -
21st December 2020 
