A Manchester institution closed for the first time in 16 years - and how northern hospitality became 'whipping boy' of the pandemic

straight to your inbox every day for freeThe games are still coming thick and fast and Manchester United are back in action on Wednesday as Sheffield United visit Old Trafford.United go into the game full of confidence after beating Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday and having not lost in the Premier League in 13 matches.The players were back in training at the start of the week ahead of the Blades' visit.

direct to your inboxAfter the Storm Christoph floods which caused devastation to parts of South Manchester and Cheshire earlier this week, the weather is set to turn much colder and wintry today.Thousands of homes had to be evacuated due to 'dangerously high' water levels as the River Mersey came very close to breaching its banks.Snow will return to Greater Manchester today.It prompted the Met Office to issue a yellow weather warning for snow and ice for Greater Manchester,This is your

direct to your inboxThe Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital is to open emergency Covid beds for adults in a sign of the unprecedented pressure facing Greater Manchester’s hospitals.Sir Richard Leese, the region’s health chief, said the situation in the system was now ‘critical’ as NHS bosses have scrambled to discharge as many people as possible ahead of a sustained peak over the coming three weeks.Crisis meetings have been held to determine the ability to scale up beds, as Salford Royal and

direct to your inboxThe NHS has sadly confirmed the deaths of 29 more patients in hospitals in Greater Manchester who had tested positive for Covid-19.The region's hospital death toll now stands at 4,757.NHS bosses said on Friday a further 993 people who tested positive for the virus have died in hospitals across England.It brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 65,104.In the north west, a further 94 hospital deaths were reported, the NHS said on Friday.A

straight to your inbox every day for freeOf all the virtual lockdown calls, the most surreal was submitting questions for Jesse Lingard while he sat at his kitchen counter in front of a bowl of pistachios.Rather than allow face-time with reporters, a pistachios company arranged for a conversation between Lingard, a nutritionist named Nigel and an enthusiastic American lady whose carefree demeanour suggested her house backed onto Venice Beach.Questions had to be typed into a widget and were

direct to your inbox‘If the water rises another metre, we could be in big trouble.’Some residents in South Manchester say they are 'preparing for evacuation' as the River Mersey reaches the highest levels ever recorded on the waterway and roads become flooded.'Flooding to properties is expected', according to the Environment Agency.Greater Manchester Police declared a major incident on Tuesday evening and the Met Office warns of a 'danger to life' due to fast flowing or deep floodwater.

direct to your inbox A road is closed in Oldham due to a serious crash between a car and a motorbike.

straight to your inbox every day for free Amad Diallo says he will be asking Eric Bailly and Paul Pogba for advice following confirmation of his move to Manchester United.United agreed a deal to sign the 19-year-old winger on deadline day of the summer window, but his move to England was only made official last week when he got his work permit.Diallo was at Carrington for the first time on Wednesday as he looks to settle into life at Old Trafford and establish himself firmly in Ole Gunnar

direct to your inboxA flood 'alert' has been put in force in Greater Manchester today after hours of heavy rainfall overnight.The alert warns of 'possible' flooding around the area of the middle River Mersey catchment area.It includes areas near Bramhall in Stockport, Sale, Altrincham and Urmston.The Environment Agency warned: "Flooding is possible - be prepared."And Transport for Greater Manchester said: "With heavy rain in Greater Manchester this morning, expect flooding in some areas.

direct to your inboxThe temperature has certainly dropped and the thought of going outside is filling most of us with dread.And the snow has been falling across Greater Manchester after a brief glimpse of a white Christmas a couple of weeks ago.The Met Office forecast has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice beginning at 5pm tonight (Thursday) right up until late Friday evening.The weather warning means that icy stretches are likely to form, perhaps leading to some disruption to

direct to your inboxManchester city centre's steepest street has been closed due to a large sinkhole.Jutland Street has been shut off after part of the road collapsed on Monday (Jan 4).It's understood that the cavity was caused by a water leak.Manchester City Council say the area has been made safe and that the leak has been reported to United Utilities.Residents who live nearby believe that the surface of the street has been weakened by heavy vehicles using Jutland as a cut-through between

Follow our dedicated live blog here The ones that are closed are providing places for key worker and vulnerable children, as they did during the first lockdown. If your child's school has closed, get in touch with us on our Manchester Family Facebook page here, let us know in the comments here, or email [email protected]. These are the schools that have closed by boroughMount Carmel RC, BlakleyOswald Road Primary, ChorltonSt Peter's Catholic Primary, WythenshaweBirchfields Primary,

straight to your inboxManchester City goalkeeper Ederson Moraes appears to be a doubt for Sunday's match against Chelsea and the Manchester Derby on Wednesday.Pep Guardiola 's men face Manchester United at Old Trafford during the week in a Carabao Cup semi-final clash, and they could be without their number one. Ederson has said he is self-isolating, putting him at risk of missing the clash with Manchester United in just four days' time.

direct to your inboxPrimary schools in London will remain closed following a government U-turn.It comes after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announced 50 education authorities in the south of England would be closed to primary school pupils for the first two weeks of term.The list failed to encompass several school areas in London, where Covid-19 rates remain alarmingly high as the new strain continues to spread across the country.Latest scientific advice warns that the new strain variant

direct to your inboxThe streets were empty as Greater Manchester said goodbye to 2020 and ushered in a new year - but many were determined to keep alive at least one tradition.Our video from Werneth Low shows how many parts of Greater Manchester were ablaze with colour as people set off fireworks at midnight to celebrate the arrival of 2021.Around 200 socially distanced people gathered on the popular spot to watch the moment our region said goodbye to 2020 and ushered in the New Year.Car horns

direct to your inboxIt has been a year like no other.However Great Mancunians have still made headlines across the world, for all sorts of reasons.Here we look at those who have put the region on the map in 2020, a year we will never forget.2020 has undoubtedly belonged to Manchester United and England star Marcus Rashford.However it is his incredible work off the pitch which has made the headlines, even more than his impressive goal-scoring feats on it.The Withington-born and Wythenshawe raised

direct to your inboxManchester United and Manchester City will be handed the opportunity to strengthen their squads when the January transfer window opens in a matter of days.United will welcome Amad Diallo to the club after agreeing a deal to sign the 18-year-old on deadline day in October. Last season, Bruno Fernandes ' deal was the headline transfer activity from Manchester, although rumours about a deal for Jadon Sancho have gone quiet since the summer.

direct to your inbox"It's absolutely gut-wrenching."Hair salon owner Jane Nixon describes how she felt as Matt Hancock announced that Greater Manchester would be moving into Tier 4.And it's a feeling thousands of business owners across the region will be familiar with.A change in restrictions, businesses finally being allowed to open then being forced to shut again just a few weeks later.

direct to your inboxDoctors and paramedics say they are bracing themselves for a new tide of Covid patients to hit Greater Manchester's hospitals within weeks. Speaking as plans for the region's move to Tier 4 were announced and the return to school for secondary pupils was delayed, Dr Carole Gavin, a consultant in Greater Manchester, said concerns were growing as hospitals in the south battle to find beds as infection rates - largely found to be caused by the new mutant strain - rise.