News
Everything you can and can’t do under the new national lockdown rules in England
Everything you need to know about the new rules
England is now back in a third national lockdown, and we’re set to be here until at least the middle of February.
Here’s everything you need to know:
Stay at home
As was the case in March in the first lockdown, residents of England must now stay at home. You can only leave for work if it is absolutely not possible to do your job from home, such as construction, manufacturing or critical care workers.
You can leave your house to shop for necessities once a day, and there’s also a limit on outdoor exercise to just once daily.
You can meet with one person not in your household or with your support bubble outside, but social distancing should be maintained.
You cannot stay at another home other than your own, meaning holidays in the UK and abroad are no longer allowed, including at a second home or caravan.
Schools and Education
From today, Tuesday January 5th, all schools will be closed with learning carried out remotely, with the exception of children of key workers or those that are vulnerable.
You can leave your home to visit someone in your support bubble or to provide informal childcare to children under 14 as part of a childcare bubble.
BTEC exams scheduled to take place over the next few days will go ahead as planned. Summer GCSEs and A-Levels are under review between the government, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) and the Department for Education.
However, it is expected they will not take place this academic year, with Boris branding that ‘not possible or fair’.
Shops
All non-essential shops including retail, hospitality and personal care businesses must close. Restaurants can offer takeaway and delivery but are not permitted to serve alcohol.
A list of essential shops such as supermarkets, pharmacies, garden centres, banks and launderettes can remain open.
Essential shops include:
- Supermarkets
- Pharmacies
- Banks
- Off-licences
- Builders’ merchants
- Garden centres
- Launderettes
- Car repair shops
- Car washes
- Bike shops
- Market stalls selling essentials
Non-essential shops include:
- Hairdressers
- Personal care salons, like tanning shops and tattoo parlours
- Entertainment venues like cinemas, skating rinks and bowling alleys
- Restaurants and other hospitality venues (except for delivery or takeaway)
Sports, leisure and worship
All other venues must close including outdoor gyms, zoos, golf and tennis clubs. Elite sports can continue, as can PE lessons and clubs for children. Playgrounds can also remain open.
Places of worship can remain open for socially distanced services.
Weddings and Funerals
Events such as weddings, civil partnerships and funerals can take place with strict limits on attendance.
A maximum of 30 people can attend a funeral, and a maximum of six people can attend commemorative events such as ash scattering. People included in the service are not counted in the limits.
Weddings and civil partnerships can take place with six people in attendance and, according to government guidelines, only in exceptional circumstances such as if one partner is seriously ill.
Visiting care homes
Visits to see relatives in care homes can only take place with ‘substantial screens, visiting pods, or behind windows’. Close-contact indoor visits cannot take place and visits cannot take place if there is a Covid outbreak in the home.
International travel
Only essential journeys are permitted. Holidays abroad or in the UK or not allowed to take place.
Moving house
People are permitted to move house but people outside of your household or support bubble should not help with moving unless absolutely necessary. Estate agents, letting agents and removal firms can continue to work and viewings are also still permitted.
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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