A trio of Leeds lads have gone viral this past weekend after an Italian restaurant praised their “mature attitude” during a meal out.
Pals Will, 12, and Leo and Charlie, both 13, usually meet up every weekend to play together, the Yorkshire Evening Post reported, however this past weekend, the classic Northern rainy weather had put a bit of a dampener on their plans, so they decided to head to the popular restaurant Salute at The White Swan in Rothwell for some food instead, as it’s a restaurant that Leo usually goes to with his grandma.
When the trio arrived at the restaurant, they sat down and told staff that they only had £9 between them and asked politely if that would be “enough” for a pizza and water to share between them.
As management at the restaurant recognised Leo from his regular visits, they decided to treat the lads to an extra pizza and some fries for their “mature attitude”.
The restaurant took to social media to share the heartwarming story of the lads’ visit.
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Explaining in a now-viral Facebook post, Salute at The White Swan said: “They came to Salute asking for a table of three, and they said they had £9 and asked if that would be ‘enough’ for a pizza and water to share.
“In exchange for their mature attitude to dining out, Salute decided to treated them to extra fries and extra pizza.”
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The restaurant even revealed that Will even took some of the leftover pizza and breadsticks home to share with his baby sister too.
Staff said that the lads’ parents should be “so proud” of them.
The photo showing the lads smiling at their table shared to the restaurant’s Facebook page on Sunday has since gone viral globally, amassing over 44,000 interactions, thousands of shares, and hundreds of comments from people both praising the lads for their attitudes, and the restaurant for “always looking for the good” in people.
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“Smashing lads well done, and thanks to those at The Swan who have praised them – we have some awesome young people,” one person commented.
Another added: “That’s warmed my heart to read. Loads of young people out there that parents can be proud of, and the lads are an example of that. Keep going the way you are and be proud of yourselves.”
“Lads, that is awesome. You’re clearly a credit to your families, school and wider society, so great to read, and good on the staff for your care and generosity,” a third said.
The restaurant said they hoped the lads’ parents would see the post, and their wish ended up coming true as Leo’s mum, Lucy-Rae Prince, commented underneath the picture saying: “Thanks so much for your call letting us know how polite our boys were today and for looking after them like you did – above and beyond.”
“Thank you for sharing this,” she also added.
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Lucy also told the Yorkshire Evening Post that she is “so proud” of Leo and his friends for being “so polite and well mannered”, and said that for them to be recognised in such “a lovely way” by Salute was “just amazing for all of us.”
Staff at Salute at The White Swan also told the YEP that they had been “blown away” with the response to the post.
‘Stunning’ Old Rectory pub in Stockport suffers permanent closure
Danny Jones
One of Stockport town centre’s most beautiful pub venues, The Old Rectory, has officially closed down permanently following notices about its “final stages”.
Built circa 1740, the historic space itself has been there since before the Regency period.
Stockport‘s Old Rectory pub on Churchgate has been a number of different things over the decades, and has changed hands multiple times in more recent years, but now the Greene King site has shut down, what seems like, for good.
In fact, if you look online, it is already listed as ‘permanently closed’ on Google, as does a temporary sign now stuck to the gates of their entrance, with the most recent service last week being their final one.
With the news having since been shared on the Stockport Tourism notice board on Facebook, a post from the ‘Old Rec’ team reads: “We are sad to announce that The Old Rectory will be closing its doors at the end of this month. Thank you to everyone who has visited and supported the venue over the years.”
An update has also now been shared on the official CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) website.
Issuing a statement directly to The Manc, a spokesperson for Greene King said: “Following a period of team member consultation, we can confirm that the Old Rectory has now closed.
“We are grateful to everyone who has supported the Old Rectory over the years, and we look forward to welcoming them into our other pubs in the local area soon.”
They also go on to assure that they have worked with the team members who have sadly been put out of work to try and find new positions at other locations, with the operators urging Stopfordians to try other nearby pubs such as Gardeners Arms in Offerton and the recently refurbished Carousel in Reddish.
Described by CAMRA as a “multi-roomed pub-restaurant that still maintains a country house feel with plenty of dark wood and plush décor”, not to mention praising the all-day food service and “top notch” beer selection, its heyday may have been long ago, but it’ll still be missed by regulars and natives.
It’s also worth noting that the former Hungry Horse public house also long-served as an accommodation spot, too, with Premier Inn’s ‘Stockport Central Hotel’ attached to the back of the building.
There are no updates on this front at present, and they could easily repurpose what natives have hailed as a “stunning” Georgian structure – not to mention the expansive garden grounds – but the company is also currently cutting more than 3,800 jobs as part of a wider savings strategy.
Elsewhere, as SK residents bid goodbye to one veteran pub, they’re also gearing up to welcome back another former favourite…
Kobbie Mainoo signs new contract with Manchester United
Danny Jones
Manchester United supporters can breathe a sigh of relief and start the end-of-season celebrations early, as Kobbie Mainoo has signed a new deal with the club, extending his contract until 2031.
A big win for the Red Devils and their fans.
In fact, many will argue it’s great news for England too, as the promising young Man United midfielder’s place in the national team also looked to be in jeopardy earlier this season.
Having gone from struggling for game time to now having started all but one of the current interim manager, Michael Carrick’s, Premier League games, it’s been quite the turnaround for the newly re-committed first-team star.
After transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano broke the news early on Tuesday, 28 April, Man United has now officially announced Kobbie Mainoo‘s eagerly anticipated contract extension.
Mainoo’s existing terms would have seen his deal run out next summer before the start of the 2027/28 season, but now, a fresh five-year deal could see him stay at Old Trafford until at least the start of the next decade.
Having recently turned 21 and having enjoyed a real revival under Carrick, it’s less of a comeback for Kobbie or even a return to form – he simply needed way more minutes.
The Stockport-born United and Three Lions prospect was said to be on the verge of leaving the club under previous boss Ruben Amorim’s tenure – and not necessarily just on loan, either.
Romano stated that Napoli were one of many suitors who looked odds-on to sign Mainoo on at least a temporary deal this past winter.
Several clubs around Europe were heavily interested in signing Carrington youth academy graduate when it looked as though INEOS were determined to back Amorim, meaning the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ would have missed out on that mazy run against Brentford, and who knows what else in the future…
Most Reds would surely have been left hugely disappointed were this to have happened, especially given how long the Portuguese head coach ended up staying at the club.
However close they got heading into the January transfer window, the prior head coach’s departure meant that Mainoo was given another chance at a dream career for his boyhood club, and he has been very impressive ever since he started getting first-team football again.
It also goes without saying that regular playing time is great news for Thomas Tuchel’s side ahead of the 2026 World Cup, as the youngster has looked more than capable of playing in major finals, including the most recent Euros, where he helped give England the lift in midfield that was needed that tournament.
Speaking in an official club statement, Kobbie said: “Manchester United has always been my home; this special club means everything to my family. I have grown up seeing the impact that our club has on our city, and I relish the responsibility that comes with wearing this shirt.
“From The Cliff, to Littleton Road, to Carrington and ultimately Old Trafford, the journey so far has been incredible. I have the privilege of living my dream every single day, with the same relentless desire to succeed here as when I joined my first training session at the age of six.”
“We can all feel the momentum building inside the club. I am determined to step up and play my role in helping Manchester United to regularly fight for major trophies in the years ahead.” Happy, United fans?
Emily Sergeant -
8th February 2022 
