A local community has come together to raise thousands of pounds for the family of a restaurant owner who sadly died after a carjacking in Stockport this past weekend.
Haji Mohammed Heydayatul Islam – a 53-year-old father known as Nowab Miah from Hyde, Tameside – was delivering a meal on Friday 8th January in Romiley was run over whilst trying to stop his car being taken at around 9pm on Hazel Avenue.
A murder inquiry has begun and a 14-year-old boy – who was arrested on suspicion of robbery – remains in police custody.
Police are also searching for a silver Mercedes which was stolen.
The family of Mr Miah asked that the community on social media to “keep us in your prayers and allow [us] to come to terms with this loss”.
Following news of the tragic event which shocked the region, tributes have been pouring in for Mr Miah – who owned popular Indian restaurant and takeaway Marple Spice in Marple – after it was revealed he had died in hospital on Sunday.
In a touching tribute posted to Facebook on Sunday, Mr Miah’s son Shaf Nowab said: “I am saddened to announce that my father, my mentor, my role model Haji Mohammed Hedayatul Islam known as Nowab Miah to his friends has sadly left this world surrounded by close family.
“Many of you will be aware of the recent incident that occurred in Romiley.
“My father is the person that it occurred with [and] he was just doing his last delivery for our restaurant before he went home [so] I would like to thank everyone in the community for their prayers and regards, and me and my family genuinely appreciate everything you have said.”
Local residents have also since launched a GoFundMe page in the hopes of raising money and showing their support for Mr Miah’s family and for charity causes close to his heart.
The description of the GoFundMe page reads: “As a community we are all saddened to hear that a precious life has been lost. Donations will be used towards fulfilling the wishes of the gentleman, who especially wanted to help the Children of Bangladesh.”
More than 450 people have donated to the fundraiser, which has already reached over £6,000 and counting.
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Police are appealing to the public to come forward with any information.
Chief Inspector Liam Boden – of Greater Manchester Police’s Major Incident Team – said: “This is an extremely tragic case which has rocked the community and left a family utterly devastated. We believe there may have been others involved in the incident and a number of lines of enquiry are continuing to be carried out in order for us to find those responsible.
“We’re still asking the public to come forward with any information that may assist us – even the smallest bit of information can prove vital.
“Anyone who may have seen a silver Mercedes in the area at the time or may have seen it in suspicious circumstances since is asked to get in touch – this vehicle could prove vital in our investigation.
“We’re also keen for anyone with any CCTV or dash-cam footage to get in touch.”
Anyone with information should call 0161 856 9821 or 0161 856 9790 quoting log number 2499 of 08/01/2021, or alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
You can also donate to the GoFundMe page for Mr Miah’s family here.
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There’s a World Gravy Wrestling Championship near Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
Just on the outskirts of Greater Manchester, there’s a country pub set in a rural village that hosts a world gravy wrestling championship.
Leave it to us northerners to organise a world gravy wrestling championship because let’s face it, there’s nothing more northern than plummeting yourself into bucket loads of gravy.
At The Rose ‘N’ Bowl in the village of Stacksteads, it’s not just their meals they’re drenching in the brown nectar; they drench any willing guest in this beige saucy goodness too as part of the World Gravy Wrestling Championships.
Here’s a little taster from nearly a decade ago.
Participants are expected to wrestle in the gravy for two minutes, with the winner being judged not only on their play-fighting skills but also on their choice of fancy dress, comedy effect and entertainment.
Past wrestlers have rocked up as zebras, racehorse jockeys and famous TV characters like Ali G and Mickey Mouse.
Each wrestler is encouraged to raise money on behalf of a charity of their choice, but if you don’t have one, donations will be sent to East Lancashire Hospice, which has helped people countywide suffering from life-limiting illness for the past 30 years.
The World Gravy Wrestling Championships have been held outside this very pub for over a decade, with the first ever event taking place at a car park in Wigan before it found a permanent home outside The Rose ‘N’ Bowl.
And if swimming in a pool of gravy isn’t for you, don’t fret because there’s a handful of sauce-free activities you can get involved with spread throughout the pub’s car park.
Fret not, past events have included bouncy castles, cheerleading performances, craft beer stalls, cake and tombola stands and even a BB gun shooting range that are all completely gravy-free.
There will even be help from a local fire brigade who will be on hand to wash down wrestlers in between their gravy-filled tournament, so they can wander round all the stalls too.
The 2025 World Gravy Wrestling Championships are coming to The Rose ‘N’ Bowl in Stacksteads on 25 August, with tickets available in person only, but plenty of information about the event HERE.
If you’re after signing up to be one of the wrestlers at this event, applications are still open and you can get stuck in with all the details you need HERE.
And if that wasn’t enough Northern food competitive action, we’ll catch you at the World Black Pudding Hurling Championships, innabit.
Inside this Victorian mansion with 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and more near Greater Manchester
Thomas Melia
There’s a million-pound Victorian-style mansion that has 10 bedrooms and its own personal swimming pool just outside of Greater Manchester.
Just like the childhood nursery rhyme, “There were three in the bed and the little one said… there’s another seven beds, roll over!” or at least that’s how they remember it in this character property.
Located in Warrington, less than an hour away from Manchester city centre, this property is a semi-detached Victorian property built in 1860, with 10 bedrooms and its own private swimming pool, all spread across four floors.
As soon as you enter the foyer, your eyes are drawn to the sleek silver chandelier before you notice the grand staircase, which feels like a piece of living history.
Inside this Victorian mansion with 10 bedrooms and a swimming pool near Greater Manchester / Credit: On The Market)
The ground floor hosts two of a whopping 10 bedrooms alongside a teal-toned farmhouse-style kitchen and that extremely impressive swimming pool with its own built-in projector.
In the kitchen, the focal point is the large wrap-around kitchen unit, which is accompanied by a variety of hanging lights and a big central island.
On the way to the swimming pool, there are a handful of lockers identical to those found in a leisure and as you enter the room, your eyes are drawn to the island-inspired feature wall.
Venture upstairs to the first floor and you’re greeted by five spacious bedrooms with one having its own en-suite while the rest share a main bathroom.
Each of these bedrooms follows a completely different design style, with the largest following a muted grey palette with pops of yellow thanks to the artwork and bed accessories.
The grand staircase and one of ten bedrooms inside this Victorian mansion near Greater Manchester / Credit: On The Market
As you go upstairs again, you’ll find (you guessed it) even more bedrooms, three to be exact, with the standout
The stand-out of this second floor is the navy-walled bedroom with a vintage vanity unit, patterned floor-to-ceiling curtains and a similarly dark-blue rug to match its four walls.
Another flight of stairs and you’ve finally reached the top of this property, and there’s an LED-lined ceiling and a neutral bedroom colour scheme of greys, whites and everything in between.
There are various amenities nearby, including three schools and three train stations… for if you get fed up of strolling around your four-floored ten-bed, swimming pool-owning mansion.
Two contrasting bedrooms found within this Victorian mansion near Greater Manchester / Credit: On The Market
We know this property may not be in the price range and might not be affordable for a lot of readers, ourselves included, but we can dream, right?
You can check out this Victorian mansion and flick through even more pictures of this property – Snooping never hurt anybody? Official site HERE.
As always, make sure to check out The Manc‘s property page to check all the other stunning structures currently on sale/in progress across Greater Manchester and in the nearby North West.