The nights are drawing in and autumnal hues adorn the treetops in Manchester’s parks, which can only mean one thing: Hallowe’en is on its way.
Away from the bustling streets, local folklore suggests that there’s something strange in our neighbourhood; it’s bursting to the seams with ghostly residents.
If you’re feeling brave, put some batteries in your torch and come with me to our city’s darker corners to uncover uncanny tales of ghouls, demons, and macabre happenings.
Here are just a small taste of Manchester’s most spooky legends and tales.
Decades of drama and tragedy are woven into the fabric of the Royal Exchange Theatre on St Ann’s Square; in fact, it’s packed to the rafters with some of the more artistic spirits that Manchester has to offer and our first bit of local folklore.
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Late at night, a phantom piano player is said to tinkle the ivories from deep within the darkened building. During refurbishment work, shocked builders heard an old-fashioned show tune being played from a disused room.
Would you dare to investigate? In the green room, multiple witnesses have seen a spectral couple rehearsing their lines, thought to be a pair of actors from yesteryear; meanwhile, along the corridor in the wig room, a melancholy poltergeist often throws objects around and even causes flowers to wilt.
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2. Devilish encounters at Bury Grammar School and Chetham’s Library
Chetham’s in Manchester is the UK’s oldest public library and is rich with folklore. (Credit: Third Eye Traveller)
Lucifer himself is said to have appeared in Manchester on at least two occasions, and who can blame him? It might not be as warm as his usual abode, but it’s the perfect place for a night of mischief.
In the mid-18th century, anarchic schoolboys at Bury Grammar School supposedly summoned the dark one, only to discover that he intended to set up shop right there in their school. Thankfully, their wily schoolmaster outfoxed Satan and banished him back to hell. Teachers are clever like that.
Before his departure, the Devil furiously smote the fireplace with his cloven hoof, leaving a huge crack in the wall. That’s how the schoolboys explained the vandalism, anyway… Before that, famed alchemist, occultist and man of mystery, Dr John Dee summoned the Devil to Chetham’s Library in the 1500s.
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This time, he burned a hole in Dr Dee’s table, where you can still see the scorched hoofprint on the wooden surface to this day. If you go on a Chetham’s tour, look up to the ceiling, and you’ll see a devilish face peering back at you.
3. Satanic sacrifice in Saddleworth
This particular spot is buzzing with Manchester myths and legends. (Credit: Diego Sideburns via Flickr)
When the sun is shining, the Saddleworth Valley is a picturesque stretch of countryside popular with outdoor enthusiasts from near and far. But, as soon as the weather closes in, the vast swathes of barren moorland take on a different personality, exuding a bleak and sombre atmosphere.
It’s no wonder, then, that tales of phantoms and dark magic trickle down from these mist-shrouded hills. Back in the days when Druids called the valley home, the rock formations crowning the hilltops above Uppermill and Greenfield are thought to have been used to catch the blood of sacrificial victims. Other markings on the rocks suggest offerings for the fairy folk were once left here by Saddleworth residents.
According to reports from decades gone by, evidence of satanic rituals was uncovered on Saddleworth moor; demonic symbols, suspected animal sacrifice remains, and other unsettling paraphernalia. So, just the usual, then. But it happened again, just down the road in Standedge’s disused railway tunnels – then, again at an abandoned church in nearby Oldham. Gulp. So, next time you’re in one of the Ale Trail pubs and you hear someone talking rubbish, remember demonic entities might be to blame!
Besides that, locals in Scouthead have reported numerous encounters with a troop of spectral Roman soldiers over the years. Some say that this legion met their doom when a tribe of native Mancunians funnelled them across the boggy heath, where they were dragged to a watery grave by the weight of their heavy armour and weaponry.
What does Manchester have in common with ancient Egypt? We’ve got our very own mummy! In the 18th century, a fear of being buried alive swept the nation amidst newspaper reports that numerous coffins had been exhumed with scratches on the interior lid. Horrifying.
A Manchester woman named Hannah Beswick gave her doctor strict orders to keep her body above ground after her death; a wish that set her on course for a rather eventful and bizarre afterlife. The doctor soon embalmed her, then stored her mummified remains inside the case of a grandfather clock!
As you do…
Her mummified body was put on display by Manchester Museum‘s Natural History Society; one of their more gruesome artefacts. Meanwhile, back at Hannah’s old manor house in Oldham, numerous people witnessed her pale figure haunting the grounds, even after it was converted into a factory. Eventually, more than 100 years after her death, Hannah’s body was laid to rest in Harpurhey Cemetery.
5. Goblin builders of Rochdale
Another intriguing bit of Manchester folklore. (Credit: Gerald England via Geograph)
Alongside Manchester’s abundance of ghostly tales, we’ve also got our fair share of goblin folklore. According to legend, supernatural forces were at work when St Chad’s Church in Rochdale was built.
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Overnight, the heavy masonry was mysteriously removed from the building site, leaving the workmen baffled. The night watchmen claimed to have seen strange goblin folk interfering with the construction site, hoisting the stones up the steep hillside with unearthly strength.
If you visit St Chad’s, a couple of eerie sights await you; within the church grounds, the town’s medieval stocks still stand, used for centuries to torture and punish Rochdale’s criminals. From the rooftop, Gothic gargoyles guard the graveyard.
Can you also spot the tomb lid that looks as if it has shifted? Almost like unseen hands have been meddling with the stones…
So, do you think it’s just a bunch of hocus pocus? Or will you be brave enough to go on the hunt for Manchester’s ghostly residents?
There is plenty of Manchester mythology and folklore to dive into and whether you believe in any of it or not, it’s still a fun world to immerse yourself in come Halloween. You never know what might be waiting just around the corner.
Blossoms at O2 Ritz Manchester – five-night hometown residency is already a triumph
Daisy Jackson
Blossoms are a band who were born and forged here in Greater Manchester, and now they’re back retracing their steps with a five-night residency across the venues that launched them into the big leagues.
Their star has risen all the way to arena level and headline shows at Wythenshawe Park at this point, especially here in their hometown, so the chance to see them back in these cosy-ish little venues is special, and a little bizarre.
For night two of their landmark sold-out gig series, it was the turn of the O2 Ritz, that sweaty spot off Oxford Road where the floor bounces downstairs and you stick to the carpets upstairs.
Poetically, the first time I ever saw Blossoms was in this very room in 2016, when they had the mid-afternoon slot at Neighbourhood festival and the queue to get in went all the way back to St Peter’s Square.
Since those days, Blossoms have come a long, long way, and their live show has evolved and matured from five lads thrashing on their instruments to this well-oiled, hip-swaying, flares-wearing, chart-topping machine.
There’s even choreography now – how fancy!
A stand-out moment from the show is actually a song from their new, fifth studio album Gary, which is still barely eight weeks old.
A spoof recording of legendary Manchester indie club 42s rings out, then all five band members abandon their stations, slinging keytars and marching drums around their necks so that they can dance together in front of neon signs.
Blossoms have just done their second of five shows in Manchester, this time at the O2 Ritz. Credit: The Manc GroupBlossoms on stage at the O2 Ritz in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Blossoms promised more disco with this album and they bloody meant it. It’s not just the flares and the blow-dries and the moustaches (though those do help) – it’s in the funk and groove that’s gradually crept into their music exponentially with each album release.
This is still indie rock but it’s the most danceable of its genre. Good luck keeping your shoulders from wiggling and jiggling in here. Good luck keeping that grin off your face.
And Gary is one of the most unexpectedly fun albums to be released in the last year – the fact they called it Gary, named after a giant fibreglass garden centre Gorilla, should’ve been our clue. It could border on silly were it not such a masterpiece.
It seems like the only thing Blossoms are trying to prove is that you can be wildly successful without taking yourself too seriously. They just seem like a group who want to have a good time and it’s totally infectious.
Case in point – when each band member is introduced, keyboardist Myles Kellock plays the riff of Satisfaction by Benny Benassi and The Biz. Unexpected.
Blossoms also clearly give a sh*t about their live shows and graft at it – I’ve seen these guys an awful lot and it’s because their tour dates are plentiful and consistently worth the ticket price.
This is definitely the biggest era of their career so far, but have they peaked? Not even close.
Ravyn Lenae at Gorilla Manchester – Our ‘One Wish’ was granted
Thomas Melia
This was Ravyn Lenae’s first rodeo at Gorilla and it’s safe to say she had the Manchester crowd hooked on her live set like ‘Candy’ (sorry).
Only two lines in and three puns deep but Ravyn’s performance was nothing to joke about, especially with her to-die-for vocals and killer live accompaniment.
Her most recent album and tour are both branded, Birds Eye, and while Gorilla may not be the most panoramic place in our beautiful city to overlook the Manchester skyline, the bubbly and engaging crowd sure painted a pretty well-rounded picture of the Mancunian hospitality.
The introduction to ‘Bad Idea’ feels like a spaceship descending to earth and it couldn’t be more fitting because let’s face it, an artist this good simply can’t be living on the same planet as us she’s simply out-of-this-world.
Similarly, the follow-up ‘1 of 1’ has an identical space-tech vibe with a static-filled opening and instrumental making it a perfect predecessor. These two tunes have impressive soundscapes with the live drums even more so helping to excite a sold-out venue.
Ravyn Lenae wasn’t shy on stage, commanding the Gorilla stage.Lenae appreciating the roars of the Manchester crowd.Credit: Audio North/The Manc Group
Seven tracks into the setlist, Lenae knows how to keep Gorilla at her fingertips performing hits ‘M.I.A’, ‘The Night Song’ and ‘Candy’ back-to-back-to-back – easily the holy trinity of track runs on this tour.
Taken from her debut outing Hypnos, the afrobeats and lo-fi inspired ‘M.I.A’ doubles as a dancefloor filler and an instant crowd pleaser, ironically we were lost in the music.
The middle of this three-track-run ‘The Night Song’ keeps spirits high and boosts our confidence as the 25-year-old has us singing, “Hair down, feeling alright/ Got my edges on tight, It’s a party tonight”.
Her sweet-named album track ‘Candy’ jet sets us to a tropical paradise with its reggae-fused rhythms, and after a full ten minutes of side-stepping and attempting to dance, the cold temperature outside didn’t even cross the crowd’s mind.
Besides being some of her best numbers, these three upbeat tunes take us through a small piece of her past three projects with each of the singles featuring on a different respective release from 2018 all the way up to present day.
Nothing but love from Ravyn Lenae and her crew for the Mancs.Lost in music, Lenae and band at Gorilla, Manchester.Credit: The Manc Group
Steve Lacy produced ‘Sticky’ was another standout, her rocker chic-esque vocal style flaunts all over the live band’s arrangement as she flaunts, ‘What did you do?/ Got me confused’.
‘One Wish’ was ethereal; I may have an unfair bias with this single being my personal favourite in the American star’s discography, but the vocal delivery and Lenae’s characterisation elevated this to new heights – even better than its original studio recording, maybe.
Manchester never misses the chance for an encore, especially not when it’s the plucky guitar bop ‘Love Me Not’. Up there with one of her best.
The crowd erupted as Lenae asked, “You want one more?”, before whistling, “See right now I need you, I’ll meet you somewhere now”, it was obvious concertgoers wanted this show wasn’t done.
The Manchester date marks the final show of the whole tour and Lenae was feeling very reflective during song breaks, telling the buzzy crowd, “I’m so grateful that I still get to tour this part of the world and I appreciate you all braving the cold for me”.
When you’re getting to witness someone as remarkable as Chicago-born singer Ravyn Lenae, a little bit of nippy Manchester weather is nothing!
Katie McCall -
19th October 2024 
