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Hello,
This week marks a year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here in Greater Manchester, many families have welcomed Ukrainian refugees into their homes, or have visited the war-torn country themselves to offer aid.
Among them is 56-year-old Wendy Warrington, from Bury, who has been to Ukraine several times since the invasion began. The nurse and midwife visited Przemysl, in Poland, on March 13 last year before crossing into Ukraine for the first time within a week. While there she delivered an ambulance to Mariupol and aid to Lviv and helped with the evacuations of adults and children.
Trips to various parts of the country have become a regular part of life for Wendy - who says her Polish language skills and her medical background have been of huge benefit during her visits.
"I got chatting to a Polish paramedic one day who was involved with taking ambulances over the border," she told the PA news agency. "He was looking for medication and we struck up a friendship and I started driving with him in an ambulance over the border, doing evacuations of children and adults and taking them to hospitals in Poland or offering medical assistance, and it evolved into a community midwife role.”
Wendy says having a strong support network at home can help when you are exposed to the horrors of war. “Working in the NHS for over 30 years really helped me because you deal with death and bereavement,” she says.
“I had really good support from my family - my husband really lives through it with me as it would be him that would have me snivelling down the end of the phone. You have to have that strength and resilience to be able to support the people who have gone through trauma themselves. I’m certainly not a hero, but I’m not a wimp either and that’s been my mantra.”
As for the Ukrainian people, Wendy describes them as ‘strong and loyal’ and a country of people who will ‘never give up’. “The spirit is strong, but it is tested and these people are not unaffected by what’s going on,” she says. “These people went from living their lives to fleeing in the clothes they stand up in, throwing everything into ‘bags for life'.”
For those back home in the UK who want to help Ukraine, Wendy says there is plenty of important work that can be done here. “You can help and do your bit without having to up sticks and go into Ukraine,” she says. “You can fundraise locally, you can support charities that go out there, you can set up collection points.
“If you are going though, don’t put yourself in danger. In Lviv you can work in a kitchen where they make thousands of meals for soldiers on the front line. It may not be the most exciting, but it makes a difference.”
A significant milestone
Hundreds of venues and around 1,000 staff have taken part in crucial counter-terrorism training ahead of the expected adoption of 'Martyn's Law'.
The new national safety legislation has been championed by Figen Murray following the loss of her son Martyn Hett during the Manchester Arena bombing. It will require venues to improve their security procedures and risk assessments and be better prepared to respond in the event of an attack.
Ahead of an expected Bill becoming law, more than 500 venues across Manchester have now taken part in the Action Counters Terrorism training - which aims to equip staff with skills to identify and mitigate potential risks and respond in the event of a terror attack.
"The Manchester Arena terror attack left an indelible mark on our city, but it does not have to define our future,” councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, executive member for vibrant neighbourhoods says. “We never want to repeat that terrible night again which is why ACT training is so vital.”
Our clean air dilemma, a year on
It’s been a year since Greater Manchester’s Clean Air Zone was paused following a public backlash. As we wait for a decision on the future of the scheme, local democracy reporter Joseph Timan has been looking back on what happened and where we are now.
So far, more than £60m of public money has been spent on the scheme with the cameras alone costing £375,000 a month. All costs are expected to be covered by the government - including the £120,000 paid for putting stickers saying 'under review' on almost 1,200 CAZ signs - but with no revenue raised from charges yet, there is now a hole in the budget.
Mayor Andy Burnham says it is now 'highly unlikely' that any charges will be introduced in the boroughs of Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Trafford, Tameside and Wigan. But the government has asked the region to provide modelling to address illegal levels of roadside pollution in central Manchester and Salford.
The mayor says this means modelling a city centre charging zone. But regional leaders will still be arguing to scrap charges everywhere and introduce an investment-led scheme across the whole of the city-region.
Rob Downes, of the Federation of Small Businesses, says it’s ‘concerning’ to hear talk of a charging clean air zone resurfacing. “The many small businesses affected by the original CAZ proposals had been hoping this was an issue quietly being put to bed once and for all,” he says.
However, Clean Cities campaigner Sarah Rowe says it’s frustrating that ‘we’ve lost sight of the essential point; that cleaner air will benefit all of us, especially children, and help to save the NHS billions of pounds’.
Mr Burnham last week said it remains ‘a complicated situation’ but ‘a lot has happened to improve air quality across the city-region’ over the last year as public transport is improved.
‘Pleased it will soon be on the statute book’
Rochdale Boroughwide Housing's interim boss, Yvonne Arrowsmith, has welcomed the latest breakthrough on Awaab's Law.
Two-year-old Awaab died in December 2020 following prolonged exposure to mould at his family's home on the Freehold estate - which is owned and managed by RBH. The housing association knew about the problem for several months before his death, but failed to act.
Plans to change the law in memory of Awaab Ishak were confirmed by the government last week. Ms Arrowsmith met with housing secretary Michael Gove as he confirmed the government was amending a Bill currently going through Parliament in line with much of the demands of the Awaab's Law campaign.
"I support Awaab's Law and I am pleased that it will soon be on the statute book,” she said. "I want to again extend our deepest sympathies and apologies to Awaab's family. I was grateful to have had the opportunity to meet with the Secretary of State last week to brief him on our recovery plan and to discuss the actions we are taking to make sure that all RBH homes are safe and comfortable for our tenants."
'They don't respect the other road users'
Residents in south Manchester are calling for speed cameras on a stretch they claim is plagued with dangerous drivers.
The latest smash on Wilbraham Road took place last week, when the driver of a BMW narrowly missed a pedestrian before crashing into a lamppost outside Whalley Range High School. A 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of a number of driving offences.
Reporter James Holt has been speaking to people who live on the notoriously busy stretch who say there have been a number of serious collisions over the years.
Councillor Aftab Razaq told James: “Just when I was leaving home for work today I saw a police car going at speed like they were chasing some car. It is very worrying for all of us." He says councillors had hoped speed cameras could be installed but funding has prevented it, so police have been asked to do more speed checks.
Last summer a cyclist died following a collision on Wilbraham Road. And in 2016, three men died after the white Audi A5 careered into a lamppost outside the school. A man was jailed for six years following the collision.
Local Margaret Powell, chair of the Kingsbrook Residents' Association, says speeding is a particular problem around the school. “It's the speed that people drive at, in big cars, that shows they don't respect the other road users or residents affected by this. We need speed cameras that work and do actually catch people. We also want mobile speed cameras that would frighten people," she said.
Flippin eck
It’s Shrove Tuesday tomorrow and our resident Man vs Food reporter Tom Molloy has been to Shack, in the Northern Quarter, where they will be serving up bottomless pancakes tomorrow.
Head chef Austin Fletcher estimates that he'll be flipping upwards of 4,000 pancakes across Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. "Last year we had to get extra chefs in,” he said.
Reasons to be cheerful
While those in hospitality are currently facing unprecedented challenges, there’s also a lot to get excited about, like Higher Ground.
As Ben Arnold writes, the restaurant opened over the weekend and is the brainchild of the three friends behind New Islington marina’s natural wine bar, Flawd. “We never really intended to open Flawd, it came out of what was available for us at the time, and it turned into a really fun, creative, cool space to work in,” says chef Joe Otway.
“Now that we’re moving into this next phase, we’ve got a whole new exciting team to work with, and it’ll be a full exploration of what’s available to us. Grains, pulses, whole animal cookery and whole animal butchery, organic produce. We’ll use every single piece of the animal.”
Meanwhile, in another corner of the city, the bosses of Sunrise Caribbean are preparing to open their fourth site. The West Indian kitchen currently has spots in Salford, Hulme and Bolton and is now moving to Openshaw, where they will be dishing out Caribbean food with a ‘contemporary twist’.
Travel south to Didsbury meanwhile, and you’ll find the recently opened Turkish Sweet Centre, specialising in authentic desserts - from baklava and Turkish delight to Maras dondurma.
As What’s On editor Jenna Campbell writes, owner Tekin Akdulum insists on using only Turkish pistachios in his baklava. "We have lots of pistachio trees in Turkey - you can smell it how good they are, they're more green and just delicious,” he says. "Some factories use machinery but we make all our baklava by hand. It's a very hard, very manual job, lots of layers are rolled out and topped with pistachios and sugar."
'They have lost everything'
After showing Jenna around his new shop, Tekin took the time to speak to reporter Sophie Halle-Richards about how his family back in Turkey are coping following the devastating earthquake last month.
The disaster that hit Turkey and Syria and has claimed more than 44,000 lives. While Tekin’s parents live in the east of the country and his brother in Istanbul, he has family in his birth town of Adiyaman - just a few hours away from the epicentre.
All his immediate family have now been accounted for, but some distant relatives remain missing. He has flown out to Turkey to be with his family and says: "They have lost everything, everything is destroyed. They lived in flats and now the flats are just rubble.”
Tekin says the risk of earthquakes is so real in Turkey, he always tells his parents to make sure they sleep with their phone on charge and to make sure there is a bottle of water next to their bed. "I was very scared for my family when I found out about the most recent earthquake but it wasn't a massive shock," he says.
"You never know when these things are going to happen. But this one was really bad. It was 7.8 magnitude and happened twice. The buildings there are just not strong enough to withstand that. The government, not only this one but the ones before, haven't done enough to make the buildings safe for these events."
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Weather etc
- Tuesday: Overcast. 11C.
- Road closures: A6144 Eagle Brow in both directions closed due to roadworks between A56 Church Road and Brookfield Road until February 21.
- Trivia question: The first statue in a century to honour a woman was unveiled in Manchester in 2018 - who did it depict?
Manchester headlines
Coming home: Manchester mum Paris Martin has spoken of her joy as her babies - thought to be the most premature surviving twins in the UK - have finally come home. Rhayah and Rhemie were born at just 22 weeks and four days at St Mary's Hospital, in September, last year. They weighed just 458 grams and 517 grams and Paris was told to 'expect the worst' after Rhayah was born still in her sac. But after nearly five months in hospital, doctors have given little Rhayah the green light to go home, with Rhemie 'not far behind' her sister. "You just hope and pray for the best. When they first started to feed, even though it was by tube, I thought yeah...they're going to be okay,” says Paris.
Mast: Villagers in Milnrow say internet firm IX Wireless has placed put a 60ft mast near their homes at Harbour Lane and they’re keen to stop the imminent arrival of an identical structure at Smith Hill. The firm has come under fire for failing to consult residents while rolling out its ‘next generation’ broadband across the north west. Milnrow has joined the list of places taking the fight to the Blackburn-based broadband. And the local councillors are calling on the government to step in and take action. More here.
Changes: A masterplan that will underpin the transformation of Middleton town centre has been officially adopted. Key proposals include the creation of a public square with cafe seating, improved walking and cycling links and the regeneration of brownfield sites such as historic Warwick Mill. Town hall bosses say respondents to a public consultation have been particularly enthusiastic about pedestrianising parts of Market Place. But residents also raised serious concerns over proposals to change the road layout fearing it could lead to ‘gridlock’, worsen parking problems and hit existing businesses. More here.
Disappointment: Oldham residents have reacted with disappointment after a town centre regeneration scheme was scrapped for the second time. Prince's Gate at Oldham Mumps was set to undergo a 'game-changing' transformation, with plans drawn up to build a Lidl supermarket and a hotel on the site. But Lidl's contract was cancelled earlier this week by the council cabinet after the supermarket said it could no longer deliver the hotel under the contract. It comes after plans to build a new Marks and Spencer store fell through in 2016, two years after being announced. Oldham residents now say they are fed up with the 'constant changing'. More here.
Worth a read
“I stare at the colossal vehicle in front of me and wonder whether any learner has managed to destroy a bus before,” writes Nicole Wootton-Cane, who has been learning to drive a bus.
Go North West are on a recruitment drive and they’re particularly keen to encourage women to sign up. Nicole popped down to the AJ Bell stadium - where they train their drivers - to give it a go. And she found she wasn’t half bad at it.
“We arrive, and I am forced to drop the seat considerably, pull it closer to the wheel, and move the wheel down so that I can actually reach the pedals,” she writes. “It turns out that at 5ft I am not too short to drive a bus, which is a relief and leaves me with what I can only describe as a dangerous sense of elation. I can do this! I can actually drive a bus! The world is now my oyster.”
You can read Nicole’s funny and inspiring piece here.
That's all for today
Thanks for joining me. If you have stories you would like us to look into, email beth.abbit@menmedia.co.uk.
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The answer to today's trivia question is: Emmeline Pankhurst
