Real cost of closures cannot be counted...
THE Covid pandemic has brought forward some long planned schemes, one example is the closure of the Pelican Pub on Manchester Road, Timperley.
The current building has been there since 1931 but a pub has been on the site for centuries before this. Although the pub has suffered from under-investment, short staffing levels and running out of beers, it was loved by so many people now and in the past.
The adjoining hotel, Altrincham Lodge, has been shut for several years. Over the years there have been football teams, darts teams, quizzes, gaming etc and it has been a meeting for the community for many years, some regulars go back 40 to 50 years.
I expect despite Manchester crying out for hotel accommodation, before Covid pandemic, and its prominent position fronting the main road the land value was the deciding factor to run down the place and sell the whole site. Also rates of £93,000 (pub) and £73,000 (hotel) have not helped.
The personal cost to the community and individuals cannot be given a monetary value. One pensioner I know is devastated not to be able to celebrate his 80th birthday there after being a regular for decades.
I am aware of current corporate attitude that put a quick profit over running a sustainable business or any consideration for the community or individuals.
No doubt it will be a housing estate before long, but cost will probably preclude local children from living there.
I worry where society is heading with the loss of community assets, such as pubs, also libraries, child care centres etc. Will we all soon work, shop, socialise and live in the four walls of our home in front of a screen, with little or no social contact. I think the future looks bleak.
Tony Murray, Sale
Fools risking lockdown two
WE were in lockdown barely four months but people are acting as though it has been a year.
Flocking to resorts abroad and the British seaside like lemmings. Blaming our government when the country they have visited has a flare up of the virus and they have to go into isolation on their return is pathetic.
The site of people of all ages in Cornwall showing a complete lack of social distancing and forcing the local population to stay indoors is beyond belief.
During the many evening briefings the government were quizzed as to why the BAME population were more susceptible to the virus and what they were doing about it?
As the government eases restrictions many of the towns and cities going back in to localised lockdowns are BAME populated.
We then come to the pubs and bars. It is the responsibility of the landlords and owners to ensure that people maintain social distancing. It is obvious from the pictures on social media that social distancing is not being observed in some bars in the city centre of Manchester. It is up to Andy Burnham’s office or the council to scour social media and close any pubs and bars where the rules are being broken.
Let’s hope that parents in Manchester stop their children from visiting or roaming the streets with friends from other households until we bring things under control again.
The many people who have observed the lockdown cannot be punished for the actions of fools. Jack Haynes, Swinton
Train chaos is on the way
JUST a few years ago passengers using the Manchester-NorthwichChester train service were looking forward to the introduction of service frequency enhancements, which had been promised at the December 2017 timetable change.
Given passenger usage had more than doubled since the previous franchise had been awarded, these planned enhancements were justified.
However, they were initially postponed until May 2018 and then when Northern realised they would still not have enough additional units for all their planned December 2017 enhancements they prioritised Manchester-Buxton line enhancements over Northwich line enhancements – the reason being apparently it was easier to path additional services on the Buxton route.
It seems the Northwich line enhancements were quietly dropped as a result of the problems which followed the May 2018 timetable changes in the
Manchester area.
Given the above I do not understand how Northern (under the control of the government) decided to firstly axe over 50% of weekday Northwich line services in March when they introduced ‘key worker’ timetables and are now claiming they are unable to reinstate any of the missing services until September 14, while not promising to reinstate the full timetable until December.
This is going to cause chaos from September 3 when the schools start returning as there are normally two morning bound Chester services which are overcrowded in school term time (including one which transports pupils from South Manchester/Trafford to Knutsford Academy) and until September 14 Northern only plan to operate one morning peak Chester bound service instead of four!
Peter Myers, Cheshire