Scooter Grannies have scooted to a number of locations across the North West to raise vital funds
A group of men dressed in their best old biddie attire will be embarking on a gruelling scooter race from Preston FC to Blackpool Town Centre to raise funds for a disabled schoolgirl.
Scooter Grannies was born in 2016 when Darren Bailey, from Irlam, wanted to do something a bit different to help his daughter Freya, was born with two holes in her heart and has cerebral palsy and epilepsy.
Freya, now eleven, undergoes regular physiotherapy for her conditions, none of which is not available on the NHS and costs the family around £1,000 per month.
After seeing his daughter struggle every day, Darren decided to gather his closest friends to come up with a solution to her pain.
The fifty-year-old dad explained: “Originally I was thinking of some kind of event with us dressed as superheroes but my friend Olive, who is eighty, said: ‘Everyone does that, why not dress as grannies?’
“So I took myself to the charity shop, bought some outfits and Scooter Grannies was born.”
Over the years, Darren and his pals have scooted from Irlam to Blackpool, Irlam to Chester, Huddersfield to Irlam and Anfield to Old Trafford, all of which has raised funds for not only Freya’s physio, but also for life-changing SDR surgery on her spine.
Darren said: “As ever, I’m grateful to all my loyal mates who take part in Scooter Grannies every year, as well as the local businesses and individuals who donate money to help Freya.
“The funds raised continue to provide physiotherapy and essential equipment for Freya to make life as comfortable and pain free as possible.”
He went on to explain that, with Freya’s growing need for independence and changing requirements, he is constantly having to buy or upgrade equipment, having recently spent £3,000 on an off-road buggy.
He said: “She’s nearly twelve now and will be wanting more independence, so I’m keen to get her an electric wheelchair but that can be anything from £12,000 to £20,000.”
This will be the fifth Scooter Grannies event, with money being raised through Tree of Hope, an organisation that helps transform the lives of sick and disabled children.
You can donate to Freya’s fund here.
Joe Lycett investigated by police after ‘offended’ audience member complains about joke
Teenage Ukrainian refugee secures job at top Greater Manchester restaurant
Joe Lycett investigated by police after ‘offended’ audience member complains about joke
Teenage Ukrainian refugee secures job at top Greater Manchester restaurant
Coronation Street’s Maria Windass embroiled in ‘mortifying’ online porn scandal
Gordon Ramsay pays surprise visit to new loaf cake cafe in Salford
Big Brother set to return ‘back to basics’ on ITV
Chester Zoo unveils plans for overnight safari lodges with giraffe feeding stations
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The joke was apparently deemed offensive enough to require police action…
Comedian Joe Lycett has revealed he was investigated by police after an audience member reported him over an ‘offensive’ joke during a stand-up performance.
Explaining the incident on social media, the comic said he had to write a statement to explain the context of his on-stage joke to officers, which had included the phrase ‘giant donkey d***’.
He did not say which tour show led to the police complaint.
Thankfully, Lycett was able to see the funny side of the investigation, which has since been closed by police.
In a Twitter post, Lycett said: “So someone came to my tour show a few weeks back and was offended by one of the jokes.
“And their perfectly understandable response to this was… to call the f****** police.
“To be fair to them the fuzz were very nice about it all but felt they had a duty to investigate. This involved me writing a statement explaining the context of the joke for them; I particularly enjoyed putting the words ‘giant donkey d*** into a message to a police detective.
“Charmed, and hopefully amused, the rozzers have since closed the matter.
“You’ll be pleased to know that the joke – which I consider to be one of the best I’ve ever written – remains firmly and proudly in the show.”
Lycett added that his ‘More, More, More! How Do You Lycett? How Do You Lycett?’ tour will continue until September: “unless I am jailed, of course”.
This is an actual series of messages I have received from someone who works for a cabinet minister. Source is verified. pic.twitter.com/PVfCCjJMQL
Though this isn’t the first time the comedian has been embroiled in controversy for his sense of humour; at the start of the year, Lycett wreaked havoc in Number 10 with his own version of the anticipated Sue Gray report.
He shared his own spoof version of the report – which was investigating the numerous parties held at Number 10 during the 2020 lockdowns – onto Twitter, included a comical list of findings in the ‘leak’, with references to WhatsApp group chats named ‘Definitely a Meeting’ and ‘Down It Street’.
He later revealed that the humorous report was taken a little too seriously within the walls of Number 10, with a ‘verified’ source who works for a cabinet minister claiming that MPs’ staff were ‘running around panicking’ after seeing the tweet.
Though the source clearly found the whole thing hilarious, with them sending a series of laughing face emojis and a congratulatory message: “Absolutely legendary work well done”.
The restaurant’s boss has been ‘blown away’ by Misha’s positive and hard working attitude
A teenager fleeing the war in Ukraine has landed himself a job at one of Greater Manchester’s top Italian restaurants.
Sixteen-year-old Misha Chumak and his mother Yuliia were forced to abandon their home in Kyiv when the Russian invasion began almost four months ago.
The pair have since found a temporary home in the North West thanks to the Manchester Homes for Ukraine scheme, which found them their hosts, Zoe and Martyn Cohen.
While they haven’t been in the UK for long, Misha already has hopes to sit his GCSE’s next year before starting an apprenticeship in IT.
And to fund his studies, the teenager has now landed himself a job as a waiter at San Carlo Fiorentina in Hale Barns, one of the regions top Italian restaurants.
Misha told ITV News that the restaurant staff have been very welcoming, explaining: “I felt like I’ve been working here for a while.
“They taught me how to serve and how to manage the orders and everything.”
Mauro Visinoni, regional manager of San Carlo, has sang Misha’s praises, saying: “When we first met Misha, we were blown away by his positive attitude.
“He’s a hard worker, he’s very polite, very confident and we’re really happy with the way he is.”
Since Misha’s arrival, four other Ukrainian refugees have found work at the restaurant thanks to Steph Ashworth, who has used her links to help those fleeing the war get back on their feet.
Steph told ITV: “My son works at San Carlo and he’s quite proud of what we are achieving as a group.
“He mentioned it to the restaurant manager and the kitchen manager, and they just came and said, ‘if you’ve got any people that need work, absolutely they can come here.'”
Misha is making the most of his opportunities in the North West, though hopes the violence in his home country will end soon so he can return to his father, who stayed behind to fight the war.
Gordon’s a big fan of the Manchester Tart…
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay paid a surprise visit to a new loaf cake cafe in Salford this week, where he sampled a twist on a local delicacy.
Staff at Loaf MCR couldn’t believe what they were seeing when the Hells Kitchen star strolled in with his team while on a break from filming.
According to Loaf MCR’s founder and owner Aiden Ryan, Gordon opted for a slice of the Manchester Tart flavoured cake, this week’s special.
The special loaf features the traditional flavours of custard, raspberry jam and coconut in honour of the iconic dessert, something that was a huge hit with the hotheaded chef.
A post shared by LOAF MCR (@loaf_manchester)
Sharing a selfie on Instagram, Aiden wrote: “NEWS JUST IN… We had a cheeky visit from the one and only @gordongram and his team!
“Thank you for joining us for a slice of the Manchester Tart and for the well wishes!!! Such a gent!!!
“If Gordon says it’s good, it must be good – right?!”.
Loaf MCR found life in the height of the Covid pandemic in May 2020 when Aiden started selling his homemade loaf cakes in a bid to raise money for the NHS.
Aiden’s freshly baked loafs and their unique flavours and toppings proved to be a huge hit and, before he knew it, he was supplying thirteen different cafes across Manchester and making personalised orders from a shipping container in Pollard Yard, Ancoats.
A post shared by LOAF MCR (@loaf_manchester)
And last month, Loaf MCR opened its first official cafe in Affinity Living Riverview, Salford, with a cafe down Oxford Street in the works.
On the menu, guests can find all the usual loaf delights that have made the brand so popular over the years, including fan favourite flavours of Jammie Dodger, Biscoff, Bourbon Biscuit, and Custard Cream.
Alongside Loaf MCR’s classic collection of nostalgic cakes, there is also selection of handmade Loaf Au Choc, Croissant Loaf and Brioche Loaf fresh on the counter each day.
Loaf MCR is open 10am-6pm Monday – Saturday, and 11am-5pm on Sundays. Make sure to follow the cafe on Instagram to stay posted with news and updates.
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