Bolton
Lineup revealed for Bolton Food & Drink Festival on bank holiday weekend
The 16th edition of the festival kicks off on August bank holiday weekend.
Beer sampling, cheese tasting, food demos and foraging are all part of this year’s bumper Bolton Food & Drink Festival – with a long lineup of events, live music and expert chefs officially unveiled this week.
The 16th edition of the bank holiday festival will run from Friday to Monday – featuring more than 80 free performances.
Bolton-born The Jade Assembly, The Lancashire Hotpots, Lottery Winner, and Jeramiah Ferrari have all been confirmed as live music headliners, with Jean Christophe, Simon Wood and Anjali Pathak all pencilled in for chef demos.
Music will span folk, rock, pop, jazz, indie and reggae genres, with acts performing on stages at Le Mans Crescent and Victoria Square.
There will also be the Bolton Mela – a fringe event managed by Bolton Community Railway and the Hindu Forum to offer food and music on the platform at Bolton Train Station.
Brewers, cooks, confectionery makers, tea and coffee vendors and wholesalers will all be in attendance across the festival.
Street performers, magic shows, and a seaside family zone have also been arranged for the occasion – along with tasting sessions where guests can pair craft beer with cheese.
Cookery demonstrations will take place in the Chef Zone in Market Place Shopping Centre across all four days.
Organisers stated: “This year’s Festival promises to be a celebration of the Bolton family and will bring together a magical weekend of food, drink, fun, entertainment and live music complete with plenty of space to enjoy a wander around the market or to take a break from the hustle and bustle in one of our dedicated seating areas.”
More information is available on the official website.
Featured image: Bolton Food & Drink Festival
Bolton
Man jailed for ‘savagely’ attacking woman with a meat cleaver
Daisy Jackson
A man who attacked a woman with a meat cleaver, causing life-changing injuries, has been jailed.
Mark Nuttall has been sentenced to 21 years behind bars for the attack, which took place in his house in Farnworth, Bolton back in February.
The shocking and ‘savage’ attack saw Nuttall attempt to strangle his victim with a rope, as well as setting upon her with a knife and a meat cleaver.
She was kept inside his address for four hours, and was ‘mocked’ by Nuttall when she was bleeding heavily from her head.
He then attempted to cover his tracks and fed paramedics a false story, but the victim bravely told police officers the truth.
Mark Nuttall, 46, pleaded guilty to attempted murder in June, and was sentenced to 21 years in prison yesterday at Bolton Crown Court.
Detective Constable Jon Liversage, of Bolton CID, said: “The savagery of this assault cannot be understated – the bravery that the victim has shown throughout the investigation is inspiring and I want to thank her for assisting me throughout the investigation.
“I hope this sentence can now give her and her family some closure.
“He kept her inside the address for four hours and when he couldn’t get his own way, he attacked her with a meat cleaver, hitting her in the head four times causing life-changing injuries.
“Whilst she was bleeding heavily from her head, instead of getting her medical attention, he mocked her.
“He called the ambulance service and told them the false story but once she was in the ambulance, she told the police officers the truth and Nuttall was arrested before he could harm her any further.”
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Featured image: GMP
Bolton
Bolton man jailed for life after killing ‘vulnerable’ woman and hiding her body in his shed
Emily Sergeant
A man has been jailed for life after murdering a vulnerable woman and then proceeding to hide her body in a shed at his house in Bolton.
Christopher Barlow killed Mariann Borocz back in December 2024 after randomly meeting her at a shop and inviting her to his house, before killing her and then going on to dump her body in a locked shed in his garden.
55-year-old Mariann, who was originally from Hungary, was reported missing on Sunday 15 December having been last seen alive in the early hours of the previous day.
During the police search and investigation, CCTV showed Barlow following Mariann into a shop near his house and then back out again, and after Barlow was arrested on suspicion of assault on 23 December, officers found the keys to his shed – which is when they, sadly, discovered Mariann’s body.
Barlow was charged with murder, but the 63-year-old first denied this charge, and also denied any contact with Mariann.
The case was then handed over to Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Major Incident Team, led by Detective Chief Inspector Tony Platten.
A three-week trial then began at Manchester Crown Court, and when forensic evidence linked Barlow to Mariann’s body, he then when on to admit during the trial that he had invited her into his house, and found her not breathing in his kitchen about 40 minutes later.
Despite maintaining he did dot murder her, the jury returned its guilty verdict after less than a day of deliberation.
Last week, Barlow was sentenced to life in prison and must serve a minimum term of 20 years behind bars.
Detective Sergeant Fiona Manning described this as a ‘harrowing’ investigation and subsequent trial for Mariann’s family.
“Barlow befriended Mariann and she believed she could trust him,” DS Manning said, “That could not have been further from reality.”
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DS Manning then assured that GMP remains ‘steadfast’ in its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of women in Greater Manchester‘s communities, and will continue to work ‘tirelessly’ to uphold justice.
She concluded: “Women should be able to go out freely and without fear that something may happen to them.”
Featured Image – GMP
The Manc -
18th August 2021 
