News
Asda, Aldi, Tesco and others give important lockdown update to customers about in-store rules
All the new rules you need to know during lockdown
As England is plunged into a third lockdown, there are a number of rules shoppers must be aware of in supermarkets.
Supermarkets will remain open throughout the lockdown as before as they fall into the essential shop category.
However, there are a number of safety measures that have been put in place across the biggest players in the market that shoppers need to be aware of.
Many supermarkets are encouraging shoppers to go solo to reduce the number of people inside, and you might find some strict shopping rules such as limits on items you can buy in some stores.
Here’s what to expect in each store…
Asda
You can now expect marshals in busy parts of larger stores to help ease the flow of people and ensure social distancing remains as we all gather around the milk.
Asda will be using an automatic counting technology system that will manage the number of people in the store. Some stores will also see trials of a new queueing app that will ask you to wait in your car until your allotted time to shop.
You will find a layer of antimicrobial material on trollies and baskets to help stop the spread of bacteria, as well as an increase in sanitation stations.
Aldi
You will still find Specialbuys in Aldi as per the government guidelines, and as of yet Aldi has confirmed they will not be putting ‘unnecessary’ limits on the number of products you can buy.
Shop alone if you can and avoid the busiest time which Aldi explains is 12-3pm. On Mondays and Saturdays stores will open 30 minutes earlier to provide priority opening times for the elderly and vulnerable. NHS workers can do this on Sundays.
Lidl
Some managers can bring in limits to specific stores if panic buying starts again so be aware of this. Rather unhelpfully, Lidl confirms their busiest times are between 8am and 11pm and advise people to avoid these (somehow).
Tesco
Mixed retail sections are not required to be sectioned off in this lockdown but where there is a clear and more substantial standalone section within a supermarket, selling for instance clothes, this should close.
Fully sanitised umbrellas are being provided to shoppers when they have to queue outside in the rain, as well as face coverings available where you enter the store in case you forget yours.
There is priority access to NHS staff, emergency services and care workers as well as dedicated shopping hours for vulnerable customers.
Restrictions are in place on some items such as one-item limits on toilet roll and three-item limits on flour, dried pasta, eggs, rice, baby wipes, soap and anti-bacterial wipes.
Morrisons
NHS staff get priority access between 6am and 7am from Monday to Saturday and an hour before opening (usually around 9am) on a Sunday.
Shoppers can expect perspex screens at tills and marshals on the doors.
Sainsbury’s
Priority access is between 7:30am and 8am Monday to Saturday for NHS and care workers. Elderly, vulnerable or less-abled shoppers have a priority entry between 8am and 9am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Sainsbury’s are asking shoppers to shop alone where possible and to avoid busy times.
Marks and Spencer
You can expect staff on the doors managing the number of people in-store as well as clothes and homeware blocked off.
You can use the mobile pay and go app which requires you to scan your shopping (as long as it is below £30 and you have a Sparks card) instead of using a checkout. You can also ‘book and shop’ to pre-book a 30-minute slot so you can avoid queues.
News
Oasis announce huge reunion tour as Liam and Noel Gallagher ‘make peace’
The news we’ve all been waiting for!
After years of will-they-won’t-they speculation, Oasis are officially BACK together for a reunion tour.
The Gallagher brothers have put aside their differences in the name of music, making thousands of fans extremely happy in the process.
The band teased the news on their socials over the weekend, posting a video on Sunday morning with today’s date (Tuesday, August 27th) and the time 8am.
And now shows have been announced for multiple dates in the UK and Ireland, with tickets going live this Saturday, August 31st.
The legendary Mancunian rockers will take to the stage next summer, with gigs in Cardiff, London, Edinburgh, Dublin and, of course, Manchester.
15 years after splitting, the band confirmed they would be back for 14 shows, saying: “The guns have fallen silent. The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised”.
The gigs will be Oasis’s ‘only shows in Europe next year’, with tickets on sale this Saturday at 8am in Ireland and 9am in the UK.
The Oasis 2025 tour dates in full:
July
4th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
5th – Cardiff, Principality Stadium
11th – Manchester, Heaton Park
12th – Manchester, Heaton Park
19th – Manchester, Heaton Park
20th – Manchester, Heaton Park
25th – London, Wembley Stadium
26th – London, Wembley Stadium
August
2nd – London, Wembley Stadium
3rd – London, Wembley Stadium
8th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
9th – Edinburgh, Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
16th – Dublin, Croke Park
17th – Dublin, Croke Park
You can grab your tickets HERE.
News
Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries
Fancy a career change?
Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.
You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.
Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.
As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.
Stagecoach
There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.
Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.
“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.
“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”
Stagecoach
Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.
“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”
To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.
Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.
As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.
This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.
Greater Manchester Police
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.
They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.
While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.
ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.
“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.
“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.
“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.
“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.
“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”
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