Face coverings compulsory from the 15 June in England If you haven’t already ordered a face mask or face covering like the genius behind East of the M60, now is the time to buy one. Especially so if you make your daily commute on public transport. In today’s COVID-19 statement from the Houses of Parliament,…
Back By Unpopular Demand: Northern’s Pacer Units
Nodding Donkeys ‘home’ till Christmas Today, East of the M60 has learned that a small number of the universally derided Class 142 Pacer units will be making a comeback on Northern rail services. Thirteen of the units will be reinstated to provide extra capacity, and to ensure that social distancing practices will be maintained.
A Vision of Post-War Chadderton, 1946 Style
Did you know that plans were made to shift Chadderton town centre to Broadway? Answer me this question: where do you think the real centre of Chadderton is or was? Near Chadderton Hall Park? Foxdenton Hall and Gardens? Off Middleton Road? Broadway, even?
Stagecoach Greater Manchester Begins Near Restoration of Weekday and Saturday Timetables
Timetables to run at 70% of pre-COVID-19 levels next month – then to 80% of pre-COVID-19 levels by mid June Across England, the Stagecoach Group has today confirmed it will be increasing bus service levels from the 01 June. Its aim is to get the country moving as lockdown restrictions start to ease. Emergency bus…
Can You Get From Westminster to Durham By Bus?
If you have any sense at this moment in time, the answer should be ‘No’ The list of places associated with disreputable goings-on with present and previous Conservative governments have grown in the last five years. There are now enough places to muster a Best of British coach tour. Till last week, we had a…
Lockdown Tram Changes: Improved Frequencies But Early Finish Remains
Metrolink trams with social distancing measures in place to run every 12 minutes From the 26 May (a date that many Manchester United fans will have fond memories of), Metrolink trams will see improved frequencies. Since the imposition of lockdown measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, frequencies were cut to every 20 minutes due to…
Social Distancing On The Buses, Greater Manchester Style
A look at how social distancing is being upheld on Greater Manchester’s bus routes Scene One: Gem Travel Luxton depot Stan Butler Junior has followed in his grandfather’s footsteps by working in the bus industry. He drives the 346 to Cemetery Gates, originally the 11 and 11A before National Bus Company took over Luxton and…
This Time 40 Years Ago… Mossley Goes to Wembley
A look back at Mossley AFC’s Wembley trail With the lack of real football in our television schedules due to that pandemic, our broadcasters have had to fill the airtime with some of our greatest footballing moments. It has meant ITV rerunning Euro ’96; also trending topics that would have been relevant if Twitter existed…
Escape to the Pantry Goes to the Movies: Host Your Own Film Night
How to turn the living room or person cave into your local ODEON, ABC, or Bug Hut In the last two decades, I have pontificated over the vapidity of our multiplex cinemas. So much so that I wrote a lengthy poem about it in 2003, that was published in the Tameside Reporter. Sadly, the cinema…
A Crowdfunding Cry from the Celts
Stalybridge Celtic’s crowdfunding appeal passes £1,700 Mark In the last week, there has been much talk about footballing activities returning to the fore, following some relaxation of our COVID-19 lockdown. It has been stated that Barclays Premier League sides could finish off their season behind closed doors at neutral venues – giving us all several…
A Lost Train to London: The Highwayman
The cheap yet slow way of getting from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to London Road and rail competition, whether private car versus train or scheduled coach versus train is far from new. The private car was, and remains, a threat to the viability of any communal transport options due to its convenience and perceived economy. The opening of…
Escape to the Pantry: Video Battleships
Or Zoom Battleships, Facetime Battleships, or Skype Battleships if you prefer (yes, you get the drift) The new normal, thanks to this blasted virus thingy is the use of videoconferencing technology for meetings. This has meant your Skype, Facetime or Zoom account taking over from the office or boardroom table. More often than not, it…
