A popular pub in Manchester city centre is giving you the chance to get £1 off a pint of Stella, simply if you say “please”.
It’s all part of the ‘Stella Please’ campaign by Stella Artois and Hospitality Action.
With the festive season fast approaching and Christmas only around the corner, the two brands have joined forces for a new campaign that is calling for politeness towards hospitality workers during this busy period as “manners don’t cost a thing”.
New research among hospitality workers from Stella Artois and YouGov has revealed that 41% of those surveyed are concerned that customers will be ruder this festive season, with 40% reporting that customers’ rude behaviour has got worse since lockdown measures lifted earlier this year, and so, to help tackle these eye-opening findings and encourage respectful behaviour, the campaign has been launched today.
Fiery chef Marco Pierre White has even got himself involved with the campaign too, as having been in the industry for 30 years means he knows a thing or two about the inconsiderate behaviours of Christmas revellers.
ADVERTISEMENT
Research has also found that not using essential manners like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ (78%) is the most common form of discourteous behaviour experienced by the 1,000 hospitality workers who were approached as part of the survey. This is followed by complaining about the cost of services/products (64%), talking on phone whilst interacting with them (49%), with 71% sharing that they have experienced rudeness from customers.
Not only do manners not “cost a thing”, they can even say you a few pennies in a handful of pubs across major UK cities.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Bay Horse Tavern in the Northern Quarter is the Manchester’s pub that’s taking part.
The Bay Horse Tavern in the Northern Quarter is the Manchester’s pub that’s taking part in the ‘Stella Please’ campaign / Credit: Facebook (The Bay Horse Tavern) | Stella Artois
Customers simply need to say “Can I have a Stella, please” when placing their order, and in return will receive £1 off their pint – but that’s not all though, as for each pint ordered, a donation by Stella Artois will also be made to Hospitality Action to support hospitality workers during their busiest season in years.
“Christmas can be a difficult time of year for hospitality workers, even more so this year with many preparing for an unpredictable, yet their busiest festive season in years,” said Tim Ovadia – Global Vice President at Stella Artois.
ADVERTISEMENT
“We wanted to raise awareness on the pressure the hospitality workers may face this season and our research shows how small acts of kindness from the public really can go a long way for them.”
Customers simply need to say “Can I have a Stella, please” when placing their order, and in return will receive £1 off their pint / Credit: Twitter (@StellaArtois)
UK-based charity Hospitality Action has been helping hospitality staff get back on their feet after a tough 18 months, with the company’s Chief Executive Mark Lewis adding: “Verbal abuse towards hospitality staff is a serious issue and as research indicates, things have unfortunately intensified since the end of lockdown.
“We praise the efforts of Stella Artois and Marco in helping spread awareness of this important issue and getting the nation to show kindness to the hospitality industry during this busy time of year for them.
“Hospitality staff will bend over backwards to ensure you enjoy the festive season, so please show them some kindness in return.”
The Stella Please campaign is the latest initiative from Stella Artois to support the hospitality industry and workers as they continue to get back to work after lockdown, and comes after the brewer also launched Stella Tips when pubs re-opened earlier in the year to give out £500,000 in tips to hospitality staff in UK pubs – with staff offered £1 for each pint of Stella they pulled.
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style
Emily Sergeant
A warning has been issued to tailgaters and motorway middle lane hoggers urging them to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style.
Do you find yourself guilty of two of the biggest driving sins from time to time?
Well, according to the latest figures released by National Highways, one in three motorists have admitted to middle lane hogging in their lives, while one in four have committed acts of tailgating on some of the UK’s fastest roads.
These shocking survey findings – which were released back in early March as the Government-owned road management company launched a new campaign – showed that lane hogging was among the behaviours that are most likely to cause motorists and passengers to feel ‘frustrated’, and tailgating was most likely to cause feelings of unease, stress, and anxiety.
Nearly a third (32%) of drivers admitted to lane hogging ‘at least occasionally’ while driving on England’s motorways and major A roads, according to the survey – which polled 2,500 adults between the ages of 16-75.
On top of this, almost seven in ten adults in England (67%) said close following or tailgating is a ‘serious problem’ on these types of roads, but nearly a quarter (23%) admitted to doing it from time to time.
Tut-tut.
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers have been warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style (Credit: IPTC/Ronald Hudson)
It’s these very statistics which have led National Highways to issue an urgent warning that calls on these motorists to “carefully consider” their driving habits, as “little changes can change everything”.
Lane hogging and tailgating both fall under the offence of ‘careless driving’ in England, with the country’s police forces having the power to hand out on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points to those who commit such offences.
“Middle lane hogging and tailgating are far more than mere annoyances for drivers,” warned RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, adding that these actions “put everyone on the roads at risk.”
If you’re too close to the vehicle in front, you’re tailgating. This is very dangerous and could lead to a collision. Always leave at least a two-second gap and make sure you follow the advice from The Highway Code.
He continued in his reaction to the release of the latest National Highways figures: “Closely following another motorist could easily result in a serious collision should the driver ahead need to brake sharply for any reason, so the fact nearly one in four drivers admitted to doing so on some of England’s fastest and busiest roads is frightening”.
Mr Dennis said he understands that offenders “might find these habits hard to kick”, but that’s why the urgent calls for motorists to make changes are “so important”.
“By understanding that how we choose to drive affects others, we can each make a real difference to the safety of our roads,” he concluded.
Paddy McGuinness admits he thinks Bolton is ‘still in Lancashire’ not Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Paddy McGuinness has admitted that he believes “Bolton still falls under Lancashire” and not Greater Manchester.
The famous comedian and TV presenter – who was born and raised in Farnworth in 1973, back when it genuinely was still categorised as Lancashire – made the somewhat controversial declaration to his millions of followers on Instagram this week as he shared some pictures of himself that are currently featuring as part of a photography exhibition.
McGuinness is one of dozens of local famous faces forming part of the ‘Greater Mancunians’ project by The Manchester College.
150 students have participated in the landmark photography project – which is currently on display down at Manchester Central Library’s Main Exhibition Hall – and it features images of some of Manchester’s most famous and influential people shot at numerous locations across the city.
Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr, Ricky Hatton, Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, Maxine Peake, Jonathan Warburton, and Professor Erinma Bell MBE are among the 100 contributors featured in the project, alongside McGuinness.
The 50-year-old, who is most well-known for his acting and presenting roles in Phoenix Nights, Max and Paddy’s Road To Nowhere, Take Me Out, and Top Gear, says it was “a real honour” to be featured in the exhibition.
McGuinness wrote on Instagram: “It was a real honour to take part in the Greater Mancunians project with the students at The Manchester College. The exhibition is full of people from music, comedy, politics, poetry, television, medicine and beyond.”
He then said it’s “well worth popping in if you’re in town”, before dropping the final Bolton-related bombshell: “PS, I’m still saying Bolton falls under Lancashire.”
In case you’re unfamiliar with the borough’s history, Bolton was considered to be a part of Lancashire until Greater Manchester was formally established all the way back on 1 April 1974 – but still to this day, the town is located within the historic county boundaries of Lancashire.
Paddy McGuinness admits he thinks Bolton is ‘still in Lancashire’, not Greater Manchester (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
After making the bold claim about Bolton’s geographical location, McGuinness has been met with praise and has received hundreds of comments from other Bolton and wider Greater Manchester residents agreeing with him and sharing their similar opinions under the post.
“I think they should redefine Lancashire back to its old borders, it would bring unity to the area and create a northern powerhouse,” one person commented.
Another fan wrote: “Bolton will always be in Lancashire for me”, while a third commented: “ALWAYS Lancashire. Can’t move land boundaries, they’re not pieces of paper,” a fourth shared a similar sentiment: “They can tell us we’re Greater Manchester, but I know Im a Lancashire lass,” and a fifth added: “Lancashire all the way lad.”
“BOLTON WILL ALWAYS BE LANCASHIRE,” another clearly strong-viewed comment reads.
Emily Sergeant -
7th December 2021 
