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.

The Manc The Manc - 18th August 2021

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

Bolton man jailed for life after killing ‘vulnerable’ woman and hiding her body in his shed

Emily Sergeant 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

Bolton

A night of bare-knuckle boxing is coming to Manchester’s AO Arena

Danny Jones Danny Jones Bare knuckle boxing Manchester AO Arena 2025 BKFC 81

More fighting action is heading Manchester’s way as a night of bare-knuckle boxing is coming to the AO Arena.

The city’s iconic arena has seen plenty of entertainment and combat sports over the decades, including plenty of famous boxing bouts in those years, and now the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is bringing its latest event to its doors.

It’s not the first time the BKFC has landed at the AO Arena, but with a extra tasty fight card booked for the upcoming night in Manchester, it’s tipped to be one of the best yet.

Wrists wrapped, guards up and fists at the ready, this is sure to be one of the feistiest nights on the Manc sporting calendar, hands-down.

Set to be headlined by two-time world boxing champion James DeGale vs Matt Floyd in a light heavyweight showdown, not to mention a co-main event crossover clash between Aaron Chalmers and former Love Island star turned fighter Jack Fincham, that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

There’s also a UK Lightweight Title is on the line, with Jonny Graham facing off against Navid Mansouri, as well as fan favourite and Bolton‘s very own Jack Cullen returning to take on the experienced Moldovan mauler, Stanislav Grosu.

It’s fair to say even prior the closers, this is a stacked undercard of British and international contenders, so its no wonder there’s already plenty of eyes on this particular edition of BKFC.

Speaking ahead of the fight night, Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship President, David Feldman, said: “BKFC 81 is a statement night for our UK expansion, Manchester is a fight city and this is one of our most explosive UK cards yet.

“James DeGale is a proven champion and a massive attraction. Pairing him with a live threat like Matt Floyd at the AO Arena is everything fans love about BKFC, elite talent, high stakes, and action from first bell to last, this is an unmissable event.”

Turning to the two headliners themselves, DeGale says “fans can expect skill, spite, and a KO”, while Floyd added that while he respects what his opponent has achieved in his career thus far, “[he’s] coming to shock the world in Manchester.”

As you can see, the promotion has a number of dates to play out before BKFC 81 gets underway at the AO Arena next month, but you won’t get many with the same kind of energy Northern crowds guarantee.

Kicking off on Saturday, 27 September, the venues pre-sale window is already open and general admission tickets go live at 10am this Sunday (24 Aug).

You can get ready to grab yours HERE.

In the meantime, you can get a better taste of the no-holds-barred boxing beatdowns, well, down below – and be warned, it really is brutal…

Read more:

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Featured Images — BKFC (supplied)/The Manc Group

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