FIRST GROUP'S Manchester bus services have been criticised by a transport watchdog and threatened with heavy fines after continually failing to hit punctuality targets. A study carried out last year on more than 860 journeys in the Greater Manchester area found that one in four services were leaving early, or arriving late. First Director Richard Soper blamed roadworks and ‘difficult economic circumstances’ for the breakdown in timeliness.
GCSE RESULTS at schools in Greater Manchester are on the rise, with the number of pupils achieving C grades in at least five core subjects climbing to 52 per cent, a figure that remains below the national average but significantly improves on the 37 per cent reported four years ago. Having recently sat at the bottom of league tables, Manchester now ranks 135th of 150 Local Education Authorities.
TAXI DRIVERS are avoiding parts of Salford after repeated attacks by gangs of brick-wielding thugs endangering both passengers and cabbies alike. Areas around Salford Precinct and Chimney Pot Park are being branded as ‘too dangerous to visit’, with many drivers opting to divert to avoid having a brick hurled through their window. Police are appealing for witnesses.
THE LION KING is set to continue its worldwide box office success with a marathon 18-week stretch at Manchester’s Palace Theatre. Arriving just in time for Christmas, shows run from Thursday 6 December with tickets going on sale at the end of February. Since its Broadway premier in 1997, the popular musical has grossed over $4.7bn in ticket sales.
This day in 1870: Charles Dickens, by then in poor health, visited Manchester to give a ‘farewell reading’ of his work at the Free Trade Hall.
Thanks to @revealmcr
