Royal Mail is gearing up for what is undoubtedly one of its busiest periods and you can be a part of the action this year.
The national postal service is currently hiring for a number of temporary roles across the North West.
As Christmas edges closer each year, Royal Mail gradually begins to get more bustling with people from all across the country rushing to post letters and gifts to their loved ones, which understandably leaves it needing a few extra hands to help in making sure everyone’s post is delivered on time for the big day.
With the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic predicted to make this festive season busier than ever before too, the service really needs your help.
Reckon you’re up to the job?
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While unfortunately none of the jobs currently available are based in the Greater Manchester region, there are a number of opportunities available in neighbouring towns across the North West, so if you’re in need of a few extra pennies and don’t mind travelling a little further, then one of these roles could definitely suit you.
So, what temporary roles are Royal Mail recruiting for at the moment then?
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Mail Sorter
Role Type:Christmas Casual
Mail Sorters are needed at several hubs across the North West.
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According to Royal Mail, this role involves unloading mail and parcels from vans, moving them around the warehouse, and sorting them into the right departments so that they arrive at their destination safely.
The job description states that successful candidates for the role will be people who enjoy working to tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment, are proactive and detail focused, are flexible and adaptable to work on various tasks during a shift, are able to push trolleys (up to 250kgs) and lift and move mail bags up to 11kg, and can comfortably stand for long periods of time.
Roles are currently available at the following nearby sites:
Chester Mail Centre
Warrington Mail Centre
Preston Mail Centre
Carlisle Mail Centre
No previous experience is needed for the role.
When it comes to pay, this is allocated hourly and ranges from £8.72 – £12.30 per hour.
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When you apply for the role, you will be able to select the shift patterns that are preferable to you and at most centres, there will be early shifts, lates, nights and weekends available to choose.
You can find out more information and apply for the roles here.
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Mail Processor
Role Type:Christmas Casual
Royal Mail recruiting for a number Mail Processors at its North West Hub in Warrington.
According to Royal Mail, this particular role is a rather physical and active one as it involves unloading wheeled containers from incoming vehicles, moving them to the correct despatch lane, and then loading them to outgoing transport.
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It also involves a significant amount of walking each day, which is equivalent to around five miles or more.
The job description states: “If you are 18 years of age or over, are punctual, reliable and have a flexible approach, you are the type of person we’re looking for”.
Pay for the role is between £9.60 – £12.30 per hour.
Once again, shift patterns can be negotiable but do include lates, nights and weekends, and do be aware that this role may also require you to help out with parcel processing and mail sorting too.
You can find out more information and apply for the roles here.
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Didsbury favourite Rustik has confirmed its will sadly be closing this month
Danny Jones
West Didsbury favourite Rustik has sadly announced it will be closing for food after a decade at the end of this month.
The beloved Burton cafe and bar has been a staple of the tight-knit foodie neighbourhood since 2015, but now the independent Irish eatery has confirmed that the business will be shutting down permanently in less than a fortnight.
Confirmed on Wednesday afternoon, 17 September, the casual Manc restaurant and hangout informed their loyal followers of the unfortunate news.
Unsurprisingly, their social media has been awash with condolences, collective sadness and support for the local institution.
Posting across all of their accounts, Rustik wrote: “After an unforgettable 10 years on Burton Road, the time has come to close our doors. It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come — never in a million years did we imagine Rustik would grow into what it became.
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to every single one of you who walked through our doors and supported us along the way. We poured everything we had — our time, our energy, our lives into making Rustik a space for everyone. And what a ride it’s been.
“From the chaotic, beautiful brunch shifts to late nights dancing on tables to ‘Wagon Wheel’, pushing through the challenges of COVID and helping our community with meals during hard times— we’ve done it all, together.
“To our amazing staff, past and present: thank you for your hard work, your dedication, and the love you brought every single day. You helped build something truly special, and we’ll never be able to thank you enough.
“To the incredible musicians who filled our space with life — keep doing what you do. The noise complaints? 100% worth the unforgettable nights.”
The team go on to detail that the official closing date is Tuesday, 30 September, reiterating that it is “business running as usual until then” and urging fans to “come down, grab your last Rustik fix, and raise a glass with us one final time.”
Signing off with an emotional farewell, they add: “Lastly, a message close to our hearts: please support your local cafes, bars, and independents. Hospitality is tough right now, and they need your support more than ever.
“Thank you for the most incredible decade of our lives. It’s over and out from us.”
It goes without saying that we’re gutted to see Rustik go and know how much it meant not only to the Burton Road community, but also to the Didsbury community, Chorlton and many other Greater Manchester natives.
Villanelle debut: Liam Gallagher’s son’s band release their first track – here’s our review
Danny Jones
Liam Gallagher’s son, Gene, and his band Villanelle, have officially released their debut single to the masses, and since we’re still very much immersing ourselves in everything even remotely to do with Oasis, we thought we’d give this first track a review.
Now, if you’re expecting a familiar Britpop vibe like his dad and uncle used to bash out back in the day, you’d be very wrong…
It’s one thing to settle into something similar to what you’ve grown up around and try to continue a lineage if you’re from a successful family – especially with a legacy as important and influential as the one left by Liam and Noel – but we’re glad to report they’ve done something pretty different.
24-year-old Gene Gallagher and his bandmates Ben Taylor (guitar), Jack Schiavo (bass), and Andrew Richmond (drums) haven’t just tried to do an impression of Oasis; instead, they’ve found their own sound, and while it does give somewhat of an old-school flavour, it’s not what we expected.
It takes literally milliseconds for you to click into realising the vibe they’re going for.
‘Hinge’ is a simplistic but hard-hitting, grungey and dark debut from Villanelle, who, despite having played a number of in-progress songs live over the last year or so, have only just dropped their first studio single.
In fact, they’ve actually taken the admittedly bizarre and unorthodox first steps of having already played live with Liam Gallagher on the Definitely Maybe 30th anniversary tour before they actually released anything people can easily listen to outside of their live performances.
Nevertheless, the young four-piece introduces Villanelle as the latest post-punk outfit amidst the ongoing revival of the classic rock genre.
That is to say that punk is a tried and true classic style of music, not that these lads are trying to sound like The Rolling Stones…
Anyway, we’re getting sidetracked: Villanelle draw plenty of influences from both original and contemporary examples of this sonic subculture, and while it isn’t explosive per se, ‘Hinge’ is short, direct and hits the same formulaic notes.
It’s also fair to say you can hear a bit of the recognisable LG whine in Gene’s vocals at times, too. Listen to it in full down below and see if you agree.
Even the basic found-footage style video fits into the same category.
To call it straightforward isn’t intended as any kind of a diss, by the way – some of our favourite tunes and best artists spearheading the renaissance of the punk scene write like this.
What we will say is that it looks like bloody good fun to both play and listen to in a small, sweaty room, with plenty of pits and people bouncing off the walls.
Gallagher Sr. might be surprised to see his son going for a slightly heavier, more hardcore route with his sound, but he can’t accuse him of forgetting his roots as the child of a ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Star.’
The boys are actually hitting the road this winter, including a date at The Castle Hotel in the Northern Quarter, if you fancy grabbing a ticket.
You can grab your tickets to see Villanelle on tour HERE, and in the meantime, let us know what you think of their debut track down in the comments.
Emily Sergeant -
14th October 2020 
