Sir Mo Farah is one of the familiar voices Metrolink passengers should keep an ear out for on Greater Manchester trams this week.
With only a few days to go until the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run takes over the streets of Manchester city centre and beyond on Sunday 21 May, passengers riding on the Metrolink network this week can expect to hear some familiar voices making guest announcements in the lead-up to the big event.
Four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah will be taking over the Metrolink airwaves alongside Commonwealth Games champion Eilish McColgan to share some important advice ahead of the event’s 20th anniversary.
With Sunday set to be a busy day on the transport network, the decorated duo will be encouraging passengers to “get on your marks, get set, Mo” and plan their journeys ahead of time.
Around 25,000 runners – including Sir Mo Farah himself – are expected to take part in the event this year, with thousands more expected to line streets in support.
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Along with the incredible local support in Manchester, Trafford, and Salford, the city centre’s streets will also welcome lots of live music, charity cheering squads, and entertainment zones on hand to help runners get over the line.
With the Metrolink having several stops that are close to the start and finish lines for both the 10k and Half Marathon races, tram travel is set to be one of the most convenient ways for spectators to travel around the region – which is why Sir Mo and Eilish will also remind passengers to “touch-in and touch-out” if paying by contactless on the day of the event.
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TfGM is encouraging Metrolink passengers to “plan ahead” for travel on the day of the 2023 Great Manchester Run / Credit: TfGM
The athletic pair are the latest in a long line of famous voices to be heard across the UK’s largest tram network – with Tony the Tiger, Professor Brian Cox, Shaun Ryder, Sir Kenneth Branagh, and many others having also made guest announcements.
“We’re really excited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Great Manchester Run, and we can’t wait to welcome people onto the network this weekend,” said Danny Vaughan, Head of Metrolink at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
“We’re also delighted to have Sir Mo Farah and Eilish McColgan making announcements on Metrolink, and I’m sure our passengers will enjoy hearing their voices in the lead-up to what is a brilliant event.”
TfGM has also confirmed that significantroad closures will be in place to accommodate the Half Marathon and 10k races this Sunday, and dedicated travel advice for competitors, spectators, and the wider travelling public has already been released.
Passengers are strongly urged to plan any journeys on Sunday in advance, with the information and advice on the TfGM website here.
Featured Image – TfGM
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Home Bargains has announced a special two-day closure of all UK stores
Emily Sergeant
Home Bargains has, once again, announced it’ll be closing all its UK stores on both Boxing Day and New Year’s Day this year.
And it’s to make sure staff get a ‘well deserved break’.
After what has been yet another busy year for the retail industry, many workers have been left feeling like they could do with a little extra time off, which is why Home Bargains is following on with what has become a now-annual tradition by shutting up shop on two bank holidays.
All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day & New Years Day.
Announcing the move in a post on social media, the discount retailer confirmed: “All of our stores will be closing for Boxing Day and New Years Day. We would like to thank all our colleagues for how hard you have worked this past year, and want you to relax and enjoy the Christmas break with your loved ones.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time the retailer has kept its doors shut on bank holidays.
Many shoppers will recall it has made the same decision to give hardworking staff a break every year since 2019.
Explaining a little more about the decision taken to close all its stores, Home Bargains said: “As a family-run business, we know the importance of being together at Christmas with those we care about most, now more than ever.
“This is our way of saying thank you to our colleagues for their continued hard work and dedication.”
Featured Image – Geograph
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Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week
Emily Sergeant
Who says breakfast has to end at 11am?
In news that’s set to be music to the ears of breakfast lovers in Manchester, Greggs is giving them exactly what they want.
We all know that brunch is a ‘thing’ by now, so now it’s time for brinner to make a name for itself instead, as Greggs has teamed up with Heinz to bring its much-loved breakfast menu back for tea time, kicking off from 4pm onwards.
The move comes as a new survey has found that the majority of Mancs (69%) admit to enjoying eating breakfast food in the evening, saying it’s ‘convenient and comforting’ – even ranking breakfast as a ‘more important’ meal than tea, as well (38% vs 36%).
Two Greggs in Manchester will be serving their breakfast menu in the evening next week / Credit: Greggs (Supplied)
Greggs says it has ‘lost count’ of the amount of customers that have tried to order breakfast items after the usual cut-off time, especially in Greater Manchester.
But luckily for those breakfast-loving Mancs, they can finally get their favourite breakfast and sauce pairing long after the morning rush is over next… but only at two Greggs branches, and only for a very limited time.
On Wednesday 14 and Thursday 15 October, the Heinz x Greggs Brinner collab will be available at Greggs St Mary’s Gate and Greggs Oxford Road, from 4-7pm only.
“We’ve lost count of the number of customers who have tried their luck ordering breakfast after 11am, so when Heinz came to us with the idea of making Brinner a reality, it felt like the perfect excuse to give the people what they want,” explained Zoe Harris, who is the Customer Director at Greggs.
“And let’s be honest, a Greggs Bacon Roll just wouldn’t be the same without a squeeze of Heinz Tomato Ketchup.”
Emily Sergeant -
17th May 2023 
