'We'll conquer this, as sure as eggs is chickens': Manchester icon Dena Murphy's alternative Christmas speech

forced to close. The page has been set up by Lindsay Cooke, an administrator at the county court, and hopes to raise £5,000 to support the cafe.The cafe was founded by sisters Ellie and Sarah Close.

straight to your inboxManchester City have sent a clear Premier League title reminder to worry their rivals, says Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy. Pep Guardiola's side swept aside Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday with an impressive performance that lifted them up to fifth in the table - four points behind leaders Liverpool and Manchester United, with a game in hand.Murphy was in no doubt that it was City's best performance of the campaign to date.

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.

direct to your inbox A man has died after being hit by a car in Middleton on Christmas Eve. The 30 year-old pedestrian was involved in a collision with a grey BMW 320i M Sport on Rochdale Road just after 7.30pm on Thursday, December 24.Emergency services raced to the scene he was rushed to hospital in a serious condition.

Jason Manford has shared his heartbreak after finding out his BBC and XFM radio star pal has died.The stand up comedian took to his Instagram feed to share a photo of Michelle Mullane before explaining to his 318,000 followers that she sadly lost her battle with bowel cancer aged 50 on Christmas Eve.The snap saw the the brunette beauty smiling at the camera, which he captioned: "Just found out my dear friend and ex-BBC Manchester presenter Michelle Mullane sadly passed away on Christmas Eve.

direct to your inboxA family is trying to track down the person behind a kindhearted random act of kindness.An envelope with a £5 note inside had been left in the car park of Asda in Chadderton on Christmas Eve.Inside the envelope, which had a Christmas tree drawn on it, the card read: "To whoever has found this, I hope you have a lovely Christmas, treat yourself."Keep smiling, there is light at the end of the tunnel!Get the latest updates from across Greater Manchester direct to your inbox with

straight to your inbox every day for freeMatch of the Day pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy have offered firm Manchester United predictions on where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side could finish this season. The Reds have enjoyed a resurgence in the Premier League of late, winning six of their last seven in the top-flight before a 2-2 draw with Leicester City on Boxing Day.

Queen delivers her annual Christmas speech. This year, however, the world really needed her wisdom.

direct to your inboxLike this entire year, Christmas Day in 2020 is anything but normal.It's a restricted, and for some quite sad time.But Greater Mancunians did have something to smile about today...

straight to your inbox every day for freeThere's no rest for Manchester United, who were last to play on Wednesday night and are first to kick off on Boxing Day. That gives Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad little time to prepare for a tough test at Leicester tomorrow, let alone fit in a proper Christmas Day with the family.

Ariana Grande has brought some Christmas cheer to hundreds of young hospital patients in Manchester.The pop star has surprised hundreds of children at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital and Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) with an Amazon voucher each worth £100.Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, the father of one of the patents said his daughter was “absolutely delighted” with the kind gesture, describing the ‘7 Rings’ singer as “a wonderful human being”.“She said, ‘look dad, I’ve got a

direct to your inboxIt's been another busy couple of weeks in the region's courts in the lead up to Christmas.People have been locked up for all manner of  criminal offences  with M.E.N. reporters there to cover the most serious.There was the vicious knifeman who has left three people permanently disfigured and traumatised.Then there was the troubled baker told investors she had 'turned her life around'.

direct to your inboxA man in a Manchester United mask stands alone with his holdall bag in an empty, closed check-in hall. His story is anything but festive.He tells me he he left home following a row with his girlfriend and decided to jet off on a flight abroad on a whim.But now that he is in Manchester Airport with no ticket, he just wants to get back home to east Manchester.Last year I visited the airport on December 24 to capture the heartwarming moment couples reunited for the festive

Ariana Grande is proving the people of Manchester are very much in her heart this holiday season.

Ariana Grande had an early Christmas present for young people in Manchester spending the festive season in hospital. It’s been reported that Ariana has gifted every child being treated at Manchester’s Royal Infirmary and the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital with a £100 voucher that they can use on Amazon.

Queen's annual Christmas speech is a holiday staple, but this year's broadcast is set to be especially important. During the most difficult times for the people of the United Kingdom (and around the world), the Queen's addresses to the public have been a source of both comfort and inspiration and this year's Christmas speech, coming amid the coronavirus pandemic, is expected to be on for the history books, according to royal experts.

direct to your inboxDreaming of a white Christmas?Sadly, forecasters have predicted there will be no snow on Christmas Day this year.But the Met Office has said Greater Manchester is likely to see widespread frosty conditions that will bring a 'seasonal feel' to festivities on the day.Temperatures across most of the country will stay in mid-single figures on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but no snow is expected to settle, Met Office forecasters have predicted.They said that despite a wet