A newsagent from Tyldsley has raised a whopping £10,000 for St Ann’s Hospice after falling seriously ill and recovering from coronavirus (COVID-19).
Stan Taylor admits he is “lucky to be alive” after testing positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) earlier this year shortly after the country was placed into lockdown and his family feared that he would not reach his 60th birthday in June.
Stan – who runs Little Hulton News and Booze with his brother-in-law Mike Fisher – was put into an induced coma and spent a week on a ventilator. At one point, his loved ones were warned that he may not make it, but thankfully he pulled through and he is now back at work part-time.
Reflecting back on the past few months, Stan said: “I was very poorly and my wife Jane and our family were warned that I might not make it. There was obviously a lot of love out there for me… apparently, there were 38,000 likes for me on social media and the goodwill messages included one from Manchester United.
“Fortunately, I managed to pull through.
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“I still struggle to breathe and have fluid on my left lung but I’m much better.
“My birthday bucket list was meant to include a visit to New York, but I’m just glad to be here and the illness has changed my perception on life.
Following his miraculous recovery, Stan and Mike were delighted to receive a letter from St Ann’s Hospice informing them that the shop – known locally as Stan’s – has raised an a total £10,000 for the charity. The donations accumulated over several years and came from loyal customers who have been putting loose change into a collection box in the shop.
The newsagents on Hulton Avenue is round the corner from the St Ann’s Hospice site in Little Hulton and has been run by Mike and Stan for the last 20 years.
Mike, who is married to Stan’s sister Janet, added: “We both grew up around here so know what St Ann’s means to the community. We’ve thanked our customers for their generous donations on our Facebook page and to be honest, most of the money has come from schoolchildren who’ve been putting the odd bit of change in the box.”
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Eamonn O’Neill – Chief Executive of St Ann’s Hospice – said: “We can’t thank Stan, Mike and all of their amazing customers enough for their support – what a phenomenal amount raised for our patients.
“We’re so pleased that Stan is starting to feel better and grateful that despite his own health and what he’s been through, that he still thinks about others in the local community like this is incredible. Collection tins like the one in Little Hulton News and Booze make such a difference and the funds raised – however big or small – really do help us to continue providing care to the thousands of people we support every year.
“We’d love to hear from anyone who has an organisation or business where they think they could have a tin too, as we’re on the look-out for new locations for them, especially as many of our fundraising events and other activities have had to be postponed or cancelled due to the pandemic.”
To contact St Ann’s Hospice about raising money, or having your own collection tin to support local patients, please call 0161 498 3631 or email [email protected].
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Two North West cities named among the ‘noisiest’ in the UK – including Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new analysis has revealed a list of the noisiest cities in the UK, and two Greater Manchester locations are in the top five.
From blaring sirens and car horns, to house parties, barking dogs, and loud neighbours, escaping the noise of a city can feel almost impossible – even in your own home.
No matter whether you live in the hustle and bustle, or you’re out in the sleepier suburbs, noise can keep you up at night, disturb your peace, and lead to frustration. But just how loud are Greater Manchester’s cities compared to the rest of the UK? In a bid to get to the bottom of it, Alpine Hearing Protection has done some research to compile a top 10 list.
And both Salford and Manchester have found themselves not just within the top 10, but within the top five… and to make matters worse, Salford has actually claimed the number one spot.
The reason Salford has found itself at the top of the list, according to the research, is because it sits at the intersection of several major transport and urban hubs, with major motorways running through or around the city including the M60, M61, and M62.
Major rail routes also run through the city – including via Salford Crescent – which sees 16 million passengers every year, and also leads to Manchester Airport.
Top 10 noisiest cities in the UK
Salford
Portsmouth
Manchester
Southampton
London
Leeds
Stoke-on-Trent
Wakefield
Newcastle upon Tyne
Bradford
Parts of Salford are also very built-up, making pockets of the city noisy – especially in the concentrated centre where traffic, construction, nightlife and commercial activity get loud.
And of course, like any growing city, construction noises have been noted as ‘particularly bothersome’ for residents where major developments are springing up.
Manchester is third on the list of noisiest cities, due to many of the same reasons as Salford.
But the difference being that Mancunians are noted as one of the many reasons why the city is so loud – with residents making 5,301 noise complaints across Manchester between January 2024 and January 2025, and Hulme identified the loudest area with 304 complaints.
As well all know, Manchester is also home to many universities, which brings an active nightlife scene to the region, especially in the city centre, and in recent FOI data, it was revealed that the University of Manchester saw 2,049 noise complaints in the last five years.
Motorists warned of common winter driving habit that could land them with annoying fines
Emily Sergeant
With the temperatures drastically dropping now as we head into winter, motorists are being warned against a common driving habit.
On a wintry morning when the windscreens are frozen and your hands are equally as frozen too, it’s pretty common for drivers to start the engine, turn the heater right up, and remain stationary for several minutes to warm the car up before setting off on their journey… but did you know that doing this could see you, inadvertently, fall foul of the law?
That’s right – as ridiculous as it sounds, leaving your car engine running ‘unnecessarily’ while parked on a public road is illegal.
And to make matters worse, the rules on ‘engine idling’, as it’s known, apply regardless of whether the driver is using the heating, waiting for someone, or simply sitting in the vehicle.
Known as a stationary idling offence, Rule 123 of the Highway Code states that drivers must not leave a vehicle’s engine running unnecessarily while it is stationary on a public road, and according to the rule, a fixed penalty of up to £80 can be issued, right there and then.
Motorists are being warned of a common winter driving habit that could land them with annoying fines / Credit: PickPik | Wikimedia Commons
Fines will only be handed out if a motorist is stopped by a police officer who asks them to switch the engine off, and they fail to comply.
“However tempting it might be to sit in a vehicle with the engine running and the heater on to warm up, we strongly advice against it,” commented RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis.
“As well as polluting the air and wasting fuel, drivers who leave their engines idling unnecessarily on a public road also risk an on-the-spot fine of £80. On cold mornings, the best approach is to clear any ice or snow properly and ensure windows are fully de-misted before setting off, then get on your way and let the car warm you up.”
There are some exceptions to the rule, however, as keeping the engine running is permitted in certain circumstances.
This includes when a vehicle is stationary because of traffic conditions, when the engine needs to run so a mechanical fault can be investigated, or if certain work is being carried out on the side of the road.
Emily Sergeant -
16th September 2020 
