Major airlines have published fresh updates for customers in the wake of last weekend’s Spain travel quarantine announcement.
New UK rules state that all passengers arriving from Spain willneed to self-isolate for two weeks due to the country experiencing a sudden surge in coronavirus infections.
Officials are discouraging all “non-essential” journeys to Spain, with an alarming rise in case numbers recorded on consecutive days last week.
The UK Government moved quickly to block the air bridge agreement – which allows passengers to move freely between countries without having to quarantine.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called the response “unjust”.
The head of Spanish government is keen for tourism to continue, and is urging Britain to reconsider its decision on the basis that COVID-19 cases are contained to specific regions.
Talks are ongoing and guidelines are subject to change, but in the meantime, many major airlines have been forced to act.
Easyjet, Ryanair, Tui, Jet2 and British Airways have all published updates for passengers.
EasyJet’s flights to Spain will continue, but holiday packages have temporarily been put on hold.
The airline said it only offered holidays to destinations where self-isolation on arrival or return was not required.
In a statement to customers, the airline said it was “disappointed that the Government has decided to impose a quarantine requirement for those travelling from the whole of Spain since the increased occurrence of coronavirus is regional rather than nationwide.”
EasyJet representatives added: “We plan to operate our full schedule in the coming days.”
Ryanair
Ryanair is continuing to operate its flight schedule to Spain as normal.
Chief Financial Officer Neil Sorahan said: “As things stand, the market remains open, the schedules remain in place and we continue to operate in and out of Spain as normal.”
The airline’s Chief Executive Michael O’Leary has been highly critical of the Government’s quarantine measures, calling the latest announcement a “badly managed overreaction”.
TUI
TUI has cancelled all flights and holidays to mainland Spain until August 9.
It had initially hoped to continue routes to the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands, but these flights have now also been halted until at least August 1.
The airline said any customers due to fly to mainland Spain can claim a full refund or change their holiday dates.
Jet2 has grounded its flights to Spain until August 17.
All customers affected are set to be contacted, with refunds available.
The airline is advising customers to keep an eye on updates given how the situation was “fast-moving” and subject to change.
A Jet2 spokesperson said: “For customers who are due to travel to Mainland Spain from 17th August onwards, we will provide an additional update once we receive further information from the government.”
British Airways
British Airways said it will continue to operate flights to and from Spain for the time being.
A message on their website states: “If you no longer wish to travel to Spain from the UK, or travel from Spain to the UK, you can claim a voucher for future travel.
“If you are returning from Spain and wish to make a change to you booking, please contact us.”
Travel information continues to be updated regularly, so be sure to check your airline’s website to stay up up-to-date.
News
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025
Emily Sergeant
Rochdale has officially been named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025.
Taking over the reins from Bolton – which held the title in 2024 – and following in the footsteps of Stockport before that, which held the title in 2023, and even hosted a massive ‘Town of Culture Weekender’ festival with 50+ free events to celebrate and bring its title year to a close, it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale.
Rochdale’s year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Unfamiliar with what the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture’ title is all about? It’s an accolade that’s handed out every year to different boroughs across the region.
Bury was the inaugural title-holder 2020 and held onto it in 2021 too due to the COVID pandemic, before being followed by Stalybridge in 2022, Stockport in 2023, and of course, Bolton in the year just gone.
The title celebrates Greater Manchester’s culture and heritage.
As well as getting a new title to shout about, it also sees the towns given a grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture fund to help develop a programme of cultural events and activities throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
This includes the popular free days out for families, an exciting new urban arts festival, two different food and drink festivals, a lantern parade, the Ignite Fire Festival, a Pride parade, and so much more.
You can also expect live music performances, a new people’s gallery, and even some major international collaborations that are yet to be announced.
Rochdale is taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024 / Credit: Rochdale Council
“Rochdale is a place with a rich cultural history, so it is great to name it Greater Manchester’s town of culture as it’s town hall and town centre enter a new era,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as the borough was crowned this week.
“Rochdale submitted a fantastic bid for this which, was incredibly exciting and ambitious, while being firmly rooted in its local talent and deep history.
“We are definitely going to see the very best of what Rochdale has to offer over the next 12 months and people will come from far and wide to see it.”
Featured Image – Rochdale Council
News
The Lowry Theatre undergoes revamp following Biffa Award grant
Danny Jones
The Lowry in Salford Quays has had a bit of TLC with one of its biggest theatre spaces undergoing a pretty significant refurb this past month.
Following a well-deserved grant distributed via the Biffa Award, a multi-million-pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through community and environmental projects across the UK, the legendary local theatre received nearly £75k last year.
As a result, all 440 seats and various other aspects of The Lowry‘s Quays Theatre have now been renovated and refurbished.
The short story is, she looks more gorgeous than ever – see for yourself:
Being initially handed over in March 2024, The Lowry was awarded a total of £74,816 to reupholster seating in the venue’s Quays Theatre with new padding and fabric.
After almost 25 years of constant use as one of the most popular theatres in the North, the seats in the Quays Theatre were much in need of a refurb, and with work completed in December, Lowry visitors can now enjoy watching the venue’s wide range of theatre, dance, comedy and drama in comfort.
The work was actually carried out between July and December, with seats being carefully removed in batches and reupholstered off-site.
This was made possible due to the Biffa Award’s most recent ‘Cultural Facilities’ theme, which aims to improve recreation, interest and education, drawing funds from the UK government’s wider Landfill Communities Fund.
The old fabric and padding were disposed of sustainably, with lots of it being repurposed where possible to minimise waste and all the new materials used meet current guidance for safety and quality.
The Lowry’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Development, Gwen Oakden, said of the long overdue update:“It is so important that our audiences are able to enjoy our world-class performing arts programme in a comfortable and welcoming space.
“For many visitors to the Quays Theatre, this is their first experience of live performance – often to see a family show or as part of a school trip. We really want it to be the best experience possible, and for them to begin a lifelong relationship with Lowry.
“As a registered charity, without the generous support of this Biffa Award, for which we’re hugely grateful, we couldn’t have carried out this important work for our audiences.
As we head into our 25th Anniversary year, we are delighted to be able to welcome audiences and visitors can enjoy the beautiful and revived Quays Theatre.”
As for the Biffa side of things, Grants Manager Rachel Maidment added: “We are delighted to have supported The Lowry in refurbishing the Quays Theatre seating, ensuring audiences can continue to enjoy performances in comfort.
“Through Biffa’s Cultural Facilities theme, we fund projects that provide engaging and inspiring spaces for communities. The Lowry is a key cultural venue, and we’re proud that our funding, made possible through the government Fund, has helped enhance the experience for visitors for years to come.”
Like most Mancs, we love The Lowry, so here’s to hosting countless more theatregoers in the most comfortable seats possible for generations to come.
We’ve been to some brilliant performances around here of late.
The Manc -
28th July 2020 
