Life

Dan Haygarth speaks to three Northern Premier clubs about battling through the coronavirus pandemic

In a photo of the Oval Office, President John F. Kennedy sits behind the desk on the phone frowning. A navy man, he carried his love of all things nautical with him throughout his life. On the desk are displayed several carved sperm whale teeth, known as scrimshaw.

Cat cafés, which act as the home to furry felines and welcome visitors to come and joyfully interact with them, have had to adapt quickly under the lockdown. Three such cafés across the country share with MM how they are enduring the most challenging hurdle businesses have had to face in recent times – and just how their residents are feeling about it all.

Britain’s overall education scheme isn’t exactly weak. 93% of the school-age population attend state-funded schools, many of which have an excellent record when it comes to securing university places for its pupils.

After interviewing three motivational speakers for Mancunian Matters, it quickly became evident that they undoubtedly have the necessary tips and advice to boost morale amidst a global pandemic.

Two Government reports – the Corston Report in 2007 and the Ministry of Justice Female Offender Strategy in 2018 – have revealed that short-term custodial sentences do not work for women. 73% of women sentenced to less than a year reoffend. Despite this the number of short sentences have risen according to the charity Women in Prison. Mancunian Matters spoke to three women on the issues surrounding female sentencing.

For the first time since World War II, the Chelsea Flower Show is cancelled, it was announced last month. This year’s absence of the pageantry found in the Queen’s favourite outing, however, has since revealed itself to be trivial in light of the country’s and the world’s devastating situation. Flowers are not insignificant in the battle, though. Covid-19 has left the fate of the workforce in unprecedented territory, and one field that is facing new challenges as a result is floristry.

When did you last remove the hair from your legs, your armpits, your face…or any other part of your body? It may have been longer than usual during the Covid-19 lockdown. Or maybe you’ve been de-fuzzing as ritualistically as ever. Either way, have you wondered why?

Those more au fait with binary code know the above tells an undeniable truth about the 2020s. It’s a truth that is becoming more evident to more people as every hour of lockdown passes, and one that could influence policy debate across the decade.

Today, the fitness industry is worth billions globally. But everything recently came to a halt and we have been forced to find new ways to stay active. Are these new methods making us think we can live without gyms? Or is isolated training helping us realise that they offer more than just a place to exercise?

With 2020 dragging on, we’re told to stay indoors for ever more weeks. We’ve been resigned to looking at the great outdoors through Perspex window or the gap in bedroom curtains for most of the day.