News
Heartbroken family set up fundraiser to bring son home as he fights for his life abroad
The dad-of-five from Stockport was on the trip of a lifetime
A mother has spoken of her family’s anguish as her son is fighting for his life in a hospital bed abroad after a horrific motorcycle crash.
Jay Bridgehouse, a dad-of-five from Stockport, was on the trip of a lifetime ‘to chase his dreams’ with his girlfriend Naomi in Thailand before he collided with a pick-up truck on the evening Friday February 25th, at around 8.30pm (UK time).
His family claim the driver was travelling at speed when the crash happened, while Jay, 32, was riding his motorbike without a helmet. He was immediately rushed to the Koh Samui International Hospital, where he currently remains in a critical condition.
Jay had been on the phone to Naomi and forgot to end the call properly just moments before, meaning she had to endure hearing the horrific collision. His family back home received the heartbreaking news from over 5,000 miles away.
Jay was taken into life-saving surgery to remove a bleed on his brain and suffered multiple skull and facial fractures, as well as to his body. Doctors expected him to come round after the emergency surgery within four to six hours but he slipped into a coma.
His parents are out there by his side along with other family members as they hope and pray for Jay to pull through. Following the surgery, Jay developed a second bleed on the brain and then caught pneumonia.
He is now hooked-up to a ventilator as he is unable to breathe independently. Recent CT scans and tests have revealed that Jay has minimal brain activity due to infarctions throughout his brain. His family said the first round of surgery led to an infection in his brain which has since spread into his bloodstream causing him to now develop sepsis.
His medical bills currently stand at £10,000 with costs racking up daily and his family desperate to bring him home. The British Consulate helped to secure emergency travel documents and passports so Jay’s family could fly to Thailand and be with him.
But in order to bring him back to the UK for further treatment and a medical evacuation while he is reliant on a ventilator, his family say it’s estimated to cost around £32,000. Jay’s sister Abbie Bridgehouse has set up a Go Fund Me page and the family have urged the public to help with any small donation they can to help bring their boy home and get him a medical evaluation.
Jay’s sister Abbie has described him as a ‘fun loving, and often teasing, big brother’. She said: “He is an avid Manchester United fan and watched the games whenever he could. He has been known to blast out an out of tune version of Tom Jones ‘Delilah’ on the karaoke whenever he had the chance.
“Jay is Manchester born and bred, still very connected with home, top of his playlist is Aitch, the rapper from Moston, Manchester. He was in contact with home often and always ended his calls with ‘I love you all the world big sausages’ and ‘I miss you.’”
Abbie said the family have borrowed money and maxed out credit cards’ to be in Thailand with Jay, and now have ‘nowhere else to turn other than to beg for the generosity and kindness of family, friends and strangers’ to help save him.
She added: “We are asking for help to bring our boy home to Manchester. We are asking for help to pay Jay’s medical bills. We are asking for help to sit by Jay’s bedside, so he is not alone while we hold his hand, and he fights for his life.”
Family friend Claire Parry has asked for anyone who can help to make donation, ‘even if it’s £1’. At time of writing, the Bridgehouse family have so far raised over £21,000 with the help of the public’s donations, with a goal of reaching £50,000 to cover costs.
Part of the donation page says: “The hospital staff have recommended that we go to the public for help and suggested #GoFundMe and have said they will support us with any paperwork, if you’re reading this and feel apprehensive about donating…
“We are asking for help to sit by Jay’s bedside, so he is not alone while we hold his hand, and he fights for his life. Thank you for reading this. Thank you for helping. Thank you for caring.
“You never think something like this will happen to you and, as a family, we thought that too. If you can help, with whatever you can afford, our family will be very grateful. As a family we appreciate any help you can offer in our darkest time of need, but as his baby sister, I am appealing to anyone and everyone to share this. Please X”
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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