Down To The Park: Walkden Gardens, Sale

The start of a new series that looks at Greater Manchester’s parks and gardens

At this moment in time, this pandemic is (hopefully) coming to an end. We are still encouraged to practice social distancing and try not to use public transport for non-essential travel. The message of “Hands, Faces, Space, and Fresh Air” and the lighter nights make trips to the park most favourable.

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?

Holland’s Potato and Meat Family Pie: A Feast of the M60 Pie Review

Feast of the M60 weighs up Holland’s latest addition

With the pandemic still doing its worst, you could be forgiven for thinking “hey, Feast of the M60 could be doing Banana Bread reviews.” Or that East of the M60 will be doing a three-page review on hand sanitisers with an equivalent of the Zzap! 64 Gold Medal going to Cussons’ Love Hearts hand sanitiser.

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.

Tameside’s Christmas and New Year Bus Service Updates (2020)

Details of Christmas and New Year’s Day bus services in Tameside and surrounding area for 2020 – 2021

Due to that COVID-19 thingy, we have left this year’s digest a bit later than usual on East of the M60. This was to allow for any recent changes to the Tier system and to discourage non-essential travel. (If you need to go shopping or take exercise in the yuletide season, please use your buses, trams and trains responsibly).

For the yuletide period, here’s what we are about to receive.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, December 2020: The Ashton Review of Shops

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

At this time of writing, four days have passed since the second lockdown. Greater Manchester is back in Tier 3, which in layperson’s terms is a watered-down version of the lockdown we came out of earlier. It means, for at least a fortnight (best case scenario), we cannot go to the pub.

Across the UK, the prognosis for wet-led pubs (which makes up a substantial chunk of Tameside’s licensed premises) and bricks and mortar stores is very grim.