Greater Manchester’s Railway Stations: Less Accessible Than Those in the Scottish Highlands

Twice as many potential passengers lacking step free access at local stations

Greater Manchester seems to have had a rough deal with its railways over the last five years. Over the last five decades, it has more than its fair share of broken promises, from the cancellation of The Picc-Vic Project to today’s meddling with the HS2 project. In the 1990s, we were promised Regional Eurostar trains but we thought the market wasn’t there in the late 1990s thanks to easyJet, Ryanair and Friends. In more recent times, sleepers and international services are having a bit of a revival in mainland Europe.

Today, a simple train trip from Ashton-under-Lyne to Mossley can be an ordeal. Since 2018, you have had to change at Stalybridge (and the connections are pretty tight). Even Stalybridge to Mossley can be an ordeal if you have restricted mobility or a wheelchair. You have to change at Huddersfield due to stepped access on the Yorkshire platform!

Revealed: Northern England’s Slowest Inter-City Train Route

The North of England’s slowest inter-city train route may surprise you

Once upon a time, 33 years ago, a famous female singer made a real comeback with the song If I Can Turn Back Time. Though 1987’s I Found Someone marked her return to the singles charts, it was the former song that made a greater impact. By 1991, thanks to the film Mermaids, her cover of The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss), she reached the top spot.

During Cher’s rise up the singles chart, Britain’s railways was in a state of transition. British Rail swapped Robert Reid for Robert Reid (in other words, Robert Basil Reid for Bob Reid). The InterCity sector started operated without a subsidy from HM Treasury. Regional Railways became a swish new identity for BR’s Provincial Sector. Locally, Stalybridge station’s buffet bar was under threat of closure with rumours of it becoming a florist; the Stockport to Stalybridge service was cut to three return journeys a day – still an improvement on the Saturdays Only return journey we see today.

Stagecoach Mark Platinum Jubilee with Special Livery

Two buses painted in Platinum Jubilee livery

As Great Britain and Northern Ireland prepares to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this weekend, Stagecoach Manchester, has unveiled two platinum jubilee themed buses to mark this unprecedented anniversary.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, August 2021: The Ashton Review of Shops

Welcome back to your window on the Tameside shop windows

After two months away from looking at the shop windows, The Ashton Review of Shops is back on East of the M60. The creator of this blog has been busier with other activities related to his job and has spent less time in his locality.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, May 2021: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s reopened window on the shop windows

For the third time this year, our window on the Tameside shop windows has been delayed. Once again we have deferred this month’s edition to tie in with this coming Monday’s events. Confused? Well you shouldn’t be, because on Monday 17 May 2021, our pubs and cafés will be fully opened. Hurrah for being able to eat and drink inside again.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, April 2021: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s reopened window on the shop windows

For the second time this year, our window on the Tameside shop windows has been delayed. There is a good reason for this, we have deferred this month’s edition to tie in with this coming Monday’s events. Confused? Well you shouldn’t be, because on Monday 12 April 2021, non-essential retail premises will be reopening across the UK. Also our pubs and restaurants – well, the forecourts and gardens of our licensed premises – of those which have Beer Gardens.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, March 2021: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s semi-reopened window on the shop windows

This month will see some sense of normality returning to our High Streets – or at least plans pointing us towards a sense of normality. The first part of this post-pandemic ‘reopening’ will begin with our schools. According to the Government’s Roadmap, non-essential retail businesses will be able to reopen from the 12 April 2021 at the earliest, as will public houses with beer gardens.

In the last month, COVID-19 cases rose for a bit in Tameside before going down in the last week. What effect will the schools reopening have on cases in the next month?

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, February 2021: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s semi-reopened (AND SLIGHTLY LATE RUNNING) window on the shop windows

As we speak, we are now into the second month of what is our third lockdown in England. Once again, non-essential retail premises remain closed, as do our public houses. With recent good news on the COVID-19 vaccines and a drop in the R rate, the odds on our non-essential shops reopening are shortening (or so we think).

Across the UK, the last month has been pretty grim for the High Street with the loss of some iconic retail names. How much of this will affect Tameside?

The Essentials on Essential Shops: Ashton Review of Shops Extra

What are non-essential shops and what are essential shops?

Within the last two days, the whole of England has fallen in to a third lockdown. Though cases and hospital admissions are lower than the English average in Tameside, its recent rise in cases is a cause for concern. Lockdown 3.0 is expected to last till mid-February, though some cabinet ministers have hinted at lasting till March.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, January 2021: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s semi-reopened window on the shop windows

We hope our regular readers, old and new, have a Happy New Year. What we mustn’t lose sight of is the fact 2021 could be another bumpy one. The end of this year could see the loss of a few familiar High Street names. We might get to have a pub pint by then!

On New Year’s Eve, more parts of England fell under Tier 4, which means the closure of non-essential retail premises. This is due to another more contagious mutation of COVID-19 first seen in the South East of England. Our City Region also fell into Tier 4, which means travel for essential means, such as exercising or shopping for much-needed items.