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!

Selling Runcorn By The Pound: 20. New Day: The Birth of Glenrothes

East of the M60’s 2021 Advent Calendar looks at the Fife New Town, originally built to accommodate miners

Glenrothes is one of Scotland’s first New Towns. Its original purpose was to give mineworkers at Rothes Colliery a better place to live. In this 1959 film, we see how the town fulfilled these aims.

Selling Runcorn By The Pound: 19. One Day in Irvine

East of the M60’s 2021 Advent Calendar looks at the North Ayrshire New Town as seen in a 1970s film

The largest town in North Ayrshire is noted for its maritime history. It was a one-time haunt of Robert Burns and Edgar Allan Poe spent his final year at the town’s grammar school. It is also the birthplace of Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who was a little nipper back when this film was made.

Selling Runcorn By The Pound: 17. Something Cheap and Cheerful

East of the M60’s 2021 Advent Calendar looks at an advert for Fairhill Shopping Centre

Local adverts with the production values of a packet of Haribo Starmix is something we miss these days. At one time you used to have a static ten-second advert for a local car dealers or a newsagent’s shop. Instead of using their own voiceover artist, they would use the channel’s own continuity announcers. For example, an advertisement for Wood’s Music Shop in Huddersfield would have been voiced by Yorkshire Television’s John Crosse or Paul Lally. (Or if you’re lucky, Redvers Kyle).

Selling Runcorn By The Pound: 16. I Was Working as a Planner By a Cocktail Bar

East of the M60’s 2021 Advent Calendar looks at Coulthard Productions’ Sheffield: City on the Move

Cast your mind back to 1970. We had full employment; you could afford to go to university and get a grant towards materials and living costs; houses were more affordable and we had this strange thing you don’t see nowadays called Council Housing.

Selling Runcorn By The Pound: 15. Telly Savalas Looks at Aberdeen

East of the M60’s 2021 Advent Calendar goes to the granite city

If you liked the Telly Savalas Looks at Birmingham film, you will be amazed to find that the Kojak did a series of these films. They were known as Quota Quickies and shown at cinemas before the main feature.

Selling Runcorn By The Pound: 7. I Belong to Glasgow

East of the M60’s 2021 Advent Calendar looks at a futuristic vision for Glasgow city centre

What does Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow have in common? If you know your roads, all the above cities are bisected by urban motorways. Leeds has the M621; Manchester’s A57(M) and A635(M) – the Mancunian Way – are motorway class roads. Cutting part of the city of Glasgow is the M8 motorway. Particularly at the Anderston end of the city.

Selling Runcorn By The Pound: 6. What’s It Called? Cumbernauld

East of the M60’s 2021 Advent Calendar looks at a town 4,580 miles away from Caracas

Halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow is the New Town of Cumbernauld. Compared with many New Towns, never mind traditional town centres, its Civic Centre looks a bit like something from a Sci-Fi film.

Book Review: British Football’s Greatest Grounds

Not only a coffee table book for groundhoppers; a must for any football fan

• Title: British Football’s Greatest Grounds: One Hundred Must-See Football Venues;
• Author: Mike Bayly;
• Photography: various contributors including David Bauckman, Paul Paxford, Colin McPherson, Andy Nunn, Stuart Tree, Ben Webster,
• Publisher: Pitch Publishing Limited (2020);
• Recommended Selling Price: £30.00 (hardback).

At this moment in time, you may be missing your football fix if you often go out to see your favourite team. Due to the lockdown, only Elite League football teams (National Leagues North and South upwards) can continue their season. In what is now known as The Trident Leagues (Northern Premier, Southern and Isthmian leagues), league football has been suspended till further notice. Likewise with its regional feeder leagues.

Exact Fare Policy Raises More Than £122k for NHS Charities Together

Stagecoach passengers thanked for supporting major donation to the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Appeal

• Over £122,000 raised by Stagecoach passengers for NHS charity with £19,271.72 raised by Stagecoach Greater Manchester passengers;
• Passengers thanked for their support in the exact fare scheme, though passengers still encouraged to use contactless payment wherever possible.

The Stagecoach Group has thanked its customers across the UK for helping to raise more than £122,000 for the NHS Charities Together COVID-19 Appeal. As part of this total amount, Stagecoach Greater Manchester’s contribution was £19,271.72.