Liam O’Toole
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Liam O’Toole
@liamrotoole.com
For 2026 you’ll find news articles and stories here that you may not have seen. All my Socials & Buy me a Coffee >>> lrot.link
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Major UK supermarkets launch investigations after shocking food waste claims

The chains have been accused of sending edible food to landfill

While supermarkets are encouraged to partner with schemes like Neighbourly and FareShare, there is currently no legislation to do so

lrot.link/yi5xgm
Major UK supermarkets launch investigations after shocking food waste claims
The chains have been accused of sending edible food to landfill
lrot.link
January 22, 2026 at 5:36 PM
Cyber attack would wipe out over 10% of UK businesses

The message from Vodafone Business is clear: UK businesses are woefully underprepared for what could be coming their way, including failing to implement even the simplest preventative measures

lrot.link/gx4mmt

#cyber
Cyber attack would wipe out over 10% of UK businesses – Vodafone
More than one in 10 UK businesses would be unlikely to survive a cyber attack, according to a new study from Vodafone Business.
lrot.link
January 22, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Allwyn partners with Gopuff for scratchcard delivery

lrot.link/3upb4w

#nationallottery
Allwyn partners with Gopuff for scratchcard delivery
Customers will be able to order National Lottery scratchcards online and have them delivered in 'as fast as 15 minutes'
lrot.link
January 22, 2026 at 1:34 PM
The future of Hopwood Hall Estate

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Future of 'Downton Shabby' to be decided at two-day trial
A High Court battle for control of Hopwood Hall in Rochdale will take place over two days
lrot.link
January 22, 2026 at 11:52 AM
The ‘Best Toilets’ In The Country Have Officially Been Named

The awards recognise the need for ‘away from home’ washrooms to be of the highest standard in terms of accessibility, hygiene, repair and facilities

lrot.link/25n129
This Award-Winning Shopping Centre In Greater Manchester Is Home To Some Of The 'Best Toilets' In The UK
A Greater Manchester shopping centre has won three titles at the Loo of the Year Awards 2026, including the best changing room facilities.
lrot.link
January 22, 2026 at 10:16 AM
Message of the day
January 21, 2026 at 1:19 PM
Top Loch Ness Monster hunter gives final verdict after 52 years of searching

Was it just a wild goose chase?

#animals #lochnessmonster #weirdnews

lrot.link/hk9ur6
Top Loch Ness Monster hunter gives final verdict after 52 years of searching
Adrian Shine has spent over five decades chasing the mythical creature that supposedly stalks Scotland's Loch Ness, but now believes Nessie doesn't exist.
lrot.link
January 20, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Dude, the history behind the word #dude is wild

For any child of the 80s or 90s the word ‘dude’ conjures up a specific vibe

lrot.link/qx0ob2
Dude, the history behind the word dude is wild
The word "dude" is often associated with the '80s and '90s. But its origin is rooted much, much farther back in American history and it took a long and winding road to reach the coast of California.
lrot.link
January 20, 2026 at 2:56 PM
The lost books of the Manchester Central Library: scandal or conspiracy theory?

A quarter of a million volumes were disposed of in circumstances that remain deeply contested

@manchestermill.bsky.social

lrot.link/enr84e
The lost books of Central Library: scandal or conspiracy theory?
A quarter of a million volumes were disposed of in circumstances that remain deeply contested. Some former workers accuse the council of a cover up
lrot.link
January 19, 2026 at 7:25 PM
One of the organisers of the World Conker Championships has been named Anorak of the Year 2025

StJohn Burkett, who helps stage the Northamptonshire event, was recognised by the Dull Men's Club, an organisation which "celebrates the ordinary”

lrot.link/e53lh6
Southwick's World Conker Championships man is Anorak of the Year - BBC News
StJohn Burkett says he is honoured and may display the award, from the Dull Men's Club, in his loo.
lrot.link
January 19, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Working patiently at his desk, scattered with tools, wood and paint, Lee Smithson brings entire worlds to life in miniature

“I've never considered myself an artist but a lot of people do call me that," he says

"I just enjoy the challenge."

liamo.short.gy/ZbAnj3
The Sheffield man turning childhood memories into tiny worlds - BBC News
Lee Smithson says he has enjoyed making models ever since he began constructing Airfix kits as a boy.
liamo.short.gy
January 19, 2026 at 11:29 AM
Picture Quiz for a Friday!

In 2020 where was this and what was it used for?
January 16, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Petrol prices vary wildly from one filling station to the next. Why?

From postcode pricing to falling wholesale costs, the price you pay at the pump depends less on petrol itself than on where – and when – you fill up

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Petrol prices vary wildly from one filling station to the next. Why?
From postcode pricing to slow-falling wholesale costs, the price you pay at the pump depends less on petrol itself than on where – and when – you fill up
tr.ee
January 15, 2026 at 12:47 PM
An emerging trend sees some of London’s school-leavers forgo university to train as black cab drivers

Motivated by the prospect of avoiding tens of thousands of pounds in student loans, more young Londoners are opting to tackle the legendary “Knowledge of London” examination

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DODGING DEBT AND EARNING EARLY: Why are young Londoners swapping university for the Knowledge of London?
An emerging trend sees some of London’s school-leavers forgo university to train as black cab drivers. Motivated by the prospect of avoiding tens of thousands of pounds in student loans and entering a...
tr.ee
January 14, 2026 at 7:58 PM
2026 is the Year of the Horse

Going back in time to 2017 it was the Year of the Rooster

Celebrating in Manchester’s St. Ann’s Square

#ChineseNewYear
January 14, 2026 at 6:14 PM
How London finally cracked mobile phone coverage on the Underground

Dotted around London, there are a number of private hotels that aren’t the sort of hotel you might expect – they’re needed to make mobile phones work on the London Underground.

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How London finally cracked mobile phone coverage on the Underground
Dotted around London, there are a number of private hotels that aren’t the sort of hotel you might expect – they’re needed to make mobile phones work on the London Underground.
tr.ee
January 14, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Nearly 60% of people miss important calls from doctors, banks and delivery firms because they don’t recognise or trust an unknown mobile number, according to YouGov research

Data from a Vodafone partner shows that over 70% of anonymous calls go unanswered because of spam or scams.

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Vodafone answers call to give customers more confidence to pick up the phone
Vodafone’s anti-fraud Network API portfolio expands with introduction of Branded Calling.
tr.ee
January 13, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Going back in time - seven years ago

#Leftbank, #Spinningfields, #Manchester, before the scaffolding and the closure of the pedestrian walkway
January 13, 2026 at 11:26 AM
Manchester Airport recorded 32 million passengers in 2025, the first time it has achieved this figure which is a four per cent increase on 2024. It cements the northern travel hub as the UK’s third biggest, behind only Heathrow and Gatwick

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Manchester Airport serves record-breaking number of passengers
The northern travel hub experienced its busiest Christmas on record, boosting passeneger numbers for the year
tr.ee
January 12, 2026 at 4:35 PM
FROM HANSOM CABS TO ELECTRIC TAXIS: How regulation, technology and design shaped the taxi trade from the 17th century to the electric era

The modern UK taxi industry is the product of centuries of regulatory control and repeated waves of technical change

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FROM HANSOM CABS TO ELECTRIC TAXIS: How regulation, technology and design shaped the taxi trade from the 17th century to the electric era
The modern UK taxi industry is the product of centuries of regulatory control and repeated waves of technical change. From horse-drawn hackney carriages to plug-in hybrid black cabs, each shift has al...
tr.ee
January 12, 2026 at 4:00 PM
‘There’s a dark side to #floristry’: are #pesticides making workers seriously ill – or worse?

Unlike in food, there is no upper limit on the amount of pesticide residue levels in flowers.

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‘There’s a dark side to floristry’: are pesticides making workers seriously ill – or worse?
Unlike in food, there is no upper limit on the amount of pesticide residue levels in flowers. But after French officials linked the death of a florist’s child to exposure in pregnancy, many in the ind...
tr.ee
January 12, 2026 at 1:13 PM
From street stalls to startups – why #cybersecurity isn’t just for big business

With #criminals in the #digital world becoming ever more #sophisticated, #Mastercard is working relentlessly to keep smaller, and potentially more vulnerable, enterprises out of their clutches

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From street stalls to startups – why cybersecurity isn’t just for big business
With criminals in the digital world becoming ever more sophisticated, Mastercard is working relentlessly to keep smaller, and potentially more vulnerable, enterprises out of their clutches
tr.ee
January 11, 2026 at 3:59 PM
A teenager from Bedford has been awarded a Guinness World Records title for assembling the largest collection of Jellycat toys

Her collection has grown further since being awarded the Guinness title, and she said she thought it was now near the 1,000 mark.

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Bedford teen wins world record title for her Jellycat collection
Hope Roberts, 19, from Bedford, has been awarded the Guinness title for her Jellycat collection.
tr.ee
January 10, 2026 at 4:05 PM
Cancelling ‘zombie’ subscriptions could save Britons up to £400 a year, survey finds

Consumers advised to review paying for services such as Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime if they are unused

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Cancelling ‘zombie’ subscriptions could save Britons up to £400 a year, survey finds
Consumers advised to review paying for services such as Netflix, Apple TV and Amazon Prime if they are unused
tr.ee
January 10, 2026 at 3:44 PM