It’s the 19th Century, and a woman sits alone in Bolton’s oldest pub Ye Old Man and Scythe having a quiet drink in the snug.
Suddenly she looks down, terrified, to see her hands and other parts of her body mysteriously streaming with blood. Fleeing in fear, later she discovers that she hasn’t got a single scratch on her. Not one.
This is just one of many blood-curdling tales to come out of Britain’s fourth-oldest pub, which today sits rather innocently in the town centre, looking the picture-perfect idyll of old-world country drinking.
Inside, it’s a different story. Indeed, time appears to have stopped here – or rather it remains very fluid for the estimated 53 different spirits that haunt the pub to this day.
From a 17th century Earl beheaded by Royalists directly outside (in a chair that is still there now), to a little girl called Jenny that’s known to pinch guests and pull on ladies skirts, the old pub is not short of ghoulish regulars.
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Broken glass and moving furniture is a regular occurrence here and, according to landlord Richard Greenwood, ghostly activity happens on an almost daily occurrence.
He even says that none of his female staff will enter the cellar any more because, apparently, when they do they are touched by the spirit of a young boy – although there are also stories of a young woman hanging herself down there many years ago.
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The old pub’s history can be traced back to 1251 and includes hundreds if not thousands of slaughtered townsfolk and.a brutal massacre that once saw blood running through the streets outside its doors.
The ancient building is said to be home to a huge range of spirits – including a ghost dog that’s known to lick the live-in manager’s feet when he lets them hang out of bed in the middle of the night.
Apparently, sometimes he’s woken up by his wet feet – but other nights, he stirs only to see the dog peacefully sleeping at the foot of his bed.
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A handful of patrons stand in the front of the Olde Man and Scythe pub in Bolton
Its murderous past dates back to the English civil war and the storming of Bolton, which saw the town seized by Royalist forces in 1644.
In the spine-chilling battle that ensued to defend the town, around 1,600 soldiers and civilians were mercilessly slaughtered and left to lay in pools of blood outside the front of the Old Man and Scythe, or Cider ‘Ouse as it is often known today.
As if that wasn’t enough, the pub was then the scene of another gruesome murder just seven years later when James Stanley, the seventh Earl of Derby, was dragged from its bar and beheaded outside after a few hours of drinking.
A still from the pub’s CCTV footage shows a hooded figure standing behind the bar / Image: The Old Man and Scythe.
In truth, the more we discover the more things just get stranger and stranger.
The Olde Man and Scythe made headlines first ini 2014 after CCTV captured a hooded figure emerging from the bar, surrounded by flickering lights before everything cuts out.
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Two years later, it hit the headlines again when The Earl, whose spirit is said to haunt the old pub today, was allegedly “stolen” by Chinese artist Lu Pinguyan in 2016 – leading to international attention from the world’s media.
Artist Lu Pinguyan claimed at the time the ‘burglary’ was “an act of protest against England’s colonialist past”, leading the landlord to write and demand the late Earl’s safe return.
People stand outside the Old Man and Scythe in a black and white photograph
Suffice to say, then, this has to be one of the weirdest buildings in Greater Manchester. Not that stops locals in Bolton from popping in for a drink today.
From the outside its all black and white wooden beams, but step inside and you’ll find leaded windows and stone floors that date back to the early 20th-century.
Sitting near the Parish Church on the historic Churchgate, today it retains a cosy snug and a separate drinking room that in times past was often used for folk sessions and open mic nights.
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On the back wall you’ll find a painted mural of the much-missed former landlord, John Jewitt, and outside there’s a small enclosed courtyard that doubles as a smoking area.
With adventurous ales provided by Enterprise Inns and topped up with brews local brewery Bank Top, there’s some good beers to be found on tap here – promising a pleasant afternoon of drinking if you can overlook their more spooky clientele.
Why not pop in for a pint on the weekend and see if you can spot any ghostly spirits for yourself. We double dare you.
The adorable open farm in Bolton where you can hold baby lambs, bunnies, and chicks this spring
Emily Sergeant
Just outside of Manchester, nestled within 70-acres of rolling countryside, you’ll find Smithills Open Farm – the perfect place for a spring day out.
Smithills Open Farm – tucked away in the picturesque Bolton countryside, beside the historic Smithills Hall and former Coaching House – is, to this day, still owned and operated by the Grimshaw family who have farmed in the area for more than 100 years, and is, by its own admission, a family-run business where children ‘have the time of their lives’ and ‘nothing sits still’.
Anthony Grimshaw moved to Smithills in 1986 with his own young family to start a dairy farm, and ever since then, was encouraged by Bolton Council open a visitor attraction.
The farm went from solely being a working farm to officially ‘opening’ to the public all the way back in 2001, and it’s fair to say it’s gone from strength to strength ever since.
From a huge expansion in 2015, to installing its own dairy and pasteurising plant in 2018, weathering a COVID lockdown where Bolton was one of the worst-hit areas nationally, and going viral on social media, Smithills is showing no signs of slowing down.
At Smithills Open Farm, you’ll find dozens of animals all cohabiting peacefully.
We’re talking everything from the ‘typical’ animals you’d expect to see on a farm like cows, pigs, sheep, goats, donkeys, ducks, rabbits, and horses, to the more exotic kind of residents like alpacas, llamas, emus, and wallabies, as well as meerkats, porcupines, snakes, tortoises and turtles, and so many more.
And thanks to the popular ‘Pets Corner’ and regular tractor rides taking place throughout the day, visitors are able to see, feed, and even hold the animals for themselves.
Smithills Open Farm in Bolton is the perfect spring day out / Credit: The Manc Group
Animal care and education is truly at the heart of everything they do at Smithills Open Farm.
Owners and staff alike pride themselves on giving the animals the ‘best life possible’, while allowing the public to enjoy them too and learn about all the incredible species along the way.
Not only does the farm hold a number of hugely important licenses to operate in the way it does – including a registered Zoo Licence – but it’s also doing a lot to help with the conservation of some rare breeds of animals too, by both allowing customers to see and learn about them, and even overseeing its own breeding to increase numbers.
The animals may be the stars of the show, but it’s only one half of what makes Smithills so special, as it’s remained a working dairy farm all along and supplies milk and a wide range of other products to thousands of households across Bolton.
The farm is also known and loved for its ice creamery and dairy products / Credit: The Manc Group
On site, you’ll also find a shop selling all the products the farm produces, as well as goods from other local sellers, and adorable gifts to take home with you too.
And, of course, how could we forget to give a shoutout to the ice creamery?
People travel from far and wide just to get their fix of these adventurous flavours – and it’s honestly not hard to see why.
Smithills Open Farm is open from 10am-5pm all year round, but as you’d expect, it’s at its cutest (and busiest) around the spring time and school holidays. Whether you want to visit as a family, or organise a school trip, the farm aims to cater for your every need.
‘If only he was here’: Peter Hook reflects on Ian Curtis as Joy Division join Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Danny Jones
We were lucky enough to play a part in a bit of music history (albeit only a small one) this week, as we had the privilege of chatting with the one and only Peter Hook of Joy Division and New Order, as the pair were finally admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
A long overdue bit of recognition, if you ask, but a momentous day nonetheless.
Chatting with Hooky and a long-time friend, collaborator, and beloved Manchester-based DJ, Graeme Park, in the aftermath of being named in the ‘Class of 2026’, he was visibly moved and honoured by the announcement. Here’s what he had to say…
Joking from the off by repeating Graeme’s initial question, “How does it feel?” (an absolute tap-in, that one), the 70-year-old bassist and co-founder of both iconic Greater Manchester groups admitted that they “had a couple of false starts”, to put it mildly, but went on to add: “we can only thank our fans.”
Confessing there has been somewhat of a mixed reaction about “what it means” to them and/or in the industry these days, he made it clear that on a personal level, it’s still a huge moment.
Put simply, he said: “Without the fans, we’d all be nothing.”
He also went on to praise the sort of no-nonsense, DIY and unapologetic approach of the Manc music scene, quipping: “You know, what would Simon Cowell have said about Ian Curtis, Bez, Shaun [Ryder] – Ian Brown, for god’s sake?!”
Acknowledging that while no one was necessarily an “accomplished singer” (often the case when you start early and just pursue a passion), his caveat was that “they had heart and soul” and “they embody something deep within us all that has lasted and will continue to last.”
Noting a de facto ‘Renaissance’ that a few names have enjoyed – especially following the passing of certain notable figures – he believes, rather, that they never went anywhere and that Northern crowds and beyond have helped those songs stretch to three, four, even five different generations.”
He’s not wrong: they’ve never stopped connecting with audiences, and they NEVER will.
Once more, it was an absolute joy (again, pardon the pun) to chat with Peter and Parky, who clearly haven’t lost their love for each other, nor this business – even after all these decades.
Congratulations to both bands, Hooky, Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, Tom Chapman, Phil Cunningham, as well as every session musician who’s ever played these tunes and kept them alive.
Last but not least: forever and always, rest in peace, Ian Curtis.
Georgina Pellant -
2nd July 2021 
