A woman has called the anonymous return of her cochlear implant a “miracle” after she misplaced it on a shopping trip last month.
Urmston resident Jessica Mortimer was devastated to have lost her electronic hearing assistance device – which she said was “literally [her] lifeline” and is unable to hear without it – whilst out shopping in Barton Square at the Trafford Centre only a couple of days before Christmas.
The cochlear implant was sadly nowhere to be found, and had not been handed in to staff at the shopping centre or left inside the Uber vehicle she rode home in either.
Hoping a member of the public may have come across the device, Jessica took to Facebook – and also to the over 32K members of the popular Urmston M41’ers group – to ask people to keep an eye out for it and contact her should they have any information as to its potential whereabouts.
Accompanied by a picture of the implant for reference, Jessica said: “Lost this implant on the 23rd of December. Was in Primark at the Trafford Centre, got an Uber there and back from the side of Barton Square. Unfortunately, nothing has been handed in to either Trafford Centre or Primark [and] I went to look outside Barton Square yesterday [and] couldn’t see it anywhere.
Been in touch with Uber [and] nothing’s been reported [either].
“I cannot hear without this, it’s literally my lifeline. I’m devastated and just want to find it. It’s an awful feeling not being able to hear anything [and] I’m hoping I’ll get a miracle and it’s found.”
The post was shared hundreds of times by people all across the country, but this was unfortunately not enough to help locate the device before Jessica had arranged for a replacement, which was due to be fitted this morning.
Luckily though, in what was some “good news to end a rubbish year”, she managed to arrange to only pay £80 for the replacement – when such devices can often set an individual back close to £6,000 – and admitted she would be looking into insuring the implant should it ever be misplaced again in the future.
But this was all up until yesterday evening when Jessica was re-united with the device after an anonymous source posted it through her letterbox.
Astonished at the gesture, Jessica took to the Urmston M41’ers group once again to share the news saying: “Just come home and found this in my letterbox. No note left [but] oh my god [I’m] totally in shock. Wish I knew who left it [but] whoever it was, thank you so much, I’m in tears with happiness [and] my faith has been totally restored in human kindness.”
How brilliant is this?
“[I] feel like it’s a late Christmas miracle,” Jessica told The Manc.
“[I] was so sure I wasn’t going to find it. Hundreds of people shared my post, but we heard nothing [so it] was a huge shock when myself and my mother came home yesterday from shopping and saw [my cochlear implant] in a money bag.
“Just wish I could thank the person who left it.”
Although Jessica is yet to find out which kind stranger is to thank for reuniting her with her “lifeline”, in an equally as impressive gesture, she revealed that the £80 she would have spent on the replacement device today has instead been donated to “an amazing local charity”.
“I’ve donated to Jonny Spangles Community Charity, ” Jessica said.
You can find more information about DJ Jonny Spangles and the Jonny Spangles Community Charity via its website here.
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Pep Guardiola hints at when Manchester City fans can expect to see their latest arrival
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has given supporters a rough timeline as to when they can expect to see their new signing, or at least their latest arrival, make his first appearance.
The Blues wrapped up the January transfer window with four major signings: their new attacking number seven, Omar Marmoush (who has already bagged a hattrick on his home debut) promising defensive duo, Abdukodir Khusanov and Brazilian Vitor Reis, as well as their ‘mini-Rodri’, Nico Gonzalez.
However, the club has had another late arrival who was technically signed back at the start of last year but who has spent for the last 12 months or so loaned back to his previous parent club, River Plate in Argentina, waiting to make the move over to the Etihad Stadium – and now he’s here in Manchester.
Speaking on his touchdown in 0161, Pep said Claudio Echeverri won’t be thrown into first-team action straight away but did give a rough estimate as to when City fans could expect him to get involved. You can see him discussing the integration plan in his post-match press conference following the Spurs win.
The mention was only brief but there’s still plenty of reason for Man City fans to be excited by the late January signing.
“Yeah, he [Claudio Echeverri] is going to start to train and mainly will be for the end of the season, maybe the [Club] World Cup and as soon as possible [that] he arrives he can adapt quick for the future.”
As mentioned, the 19-year-old Argentinian attacking midfielder from Resistencia officially put pen to paper with CFG back in January 2024 and was quickly dubbed ‘the next Messi’.
Now, although the football world is often quick to jump the gun with these things and he isn’t the first and certainly won’t be last to be slapped with this premature title, he’s done more to back up these claims since then than he has rubbish them.
Starring at the 2025 Under-20 South American Championships, netting six goals in nine games to finish the tournament as the second highest scorer thanks to notable braces against Brazil and Uruguay as the young Argentine’s finished as runners up.
He also notched 48 senior appearances for River Plate thus far, netting four goals and grabbing eight assists in that time, not to mention having already captained his national team at the 2023 Under 17s World Cup, where he scored another five.
Safe to say there’s plenty of talent to be tapped in this lad.
Once again, Echeverri won’t go straight into the senior set-up for a little while yet, barring a major injury crisis, but he’ll be a more than exciting addition to the City Football Academy and for future first-team lineups for years to come.
Who knows, maybe he’ll be included in an FA Cup matchday squad? Nevertheless, you can expect him to not just come of the bench but hopefully show what he can do at the Club World Cup this summer.
City‘s first fixture as reigning champions of the competition will be against Moroccan side Wydad AC on 18 June 2025.
You can watch Echeverri’s first full interview as a Man City player down below:
The new Man City signing is excited to be finally be part of the club 13 months on from agreeing his contract.
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.
Emily Sergeant -
4th January 2021 
