The body of missing Didsbury woman, Rachel Jackson, who went missing on Friday evening has now been found, with friends and family paying tribute to “a ray of sunshine”.
Jackson, a 38-year-old mural artist from Didsbury in Greater Manchester, is thought to have been found dead in a nearby park in Preston. The body is yet to be formally identified but police believe it is Rachel and her loved ones have been informed. Her death is not being treated as suspicious.
The muralist was visiting friends over the weekend and went out for what they thought was a quick 10-minute walk after she told them she needed some air.
Sadly, she never returned and after growing concerned by her absence, the group of friends contacted the police sometime after 7pm. The body was located on Saturday night and tributes to the talented Manchester artists have been pouring ever since.
A fundraiser has now been set up to help cover funeral costs and in hopes of funding a memorial fitting of her memory, as he friends and family have described her as a “one-of-a-kind soul” and an all-around “amazing person”.
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Brother Luke said on Facebook that he has “not processed it at all” as countless on social media have expressed their shock and immense sadness at the news of her passing.
Her sister Sarah issued an emotional statement in the description of her GoFundMe: “Yesterday, the unthinkable happened and after an awful day of searching, the news came in that my precious, beautiful sister had been found dead.
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“I never thought I’d have to do this but we need to raise funds to give her the most beautiful, colourful, Rachel-esque send-off ever.
“She was a sparkling ray of sunshine who brought unconditional love, joy and beauty to the lives of every single person she encountered. I’ve never met anyone who loved so purely and deeply, never met anyone with the compassion and empathy she had.
“She was one in a million and our family are in pieces at having lost the beautiful rainbow in our sky. Our lives will never be the same and the pain is so deep and raw, but your donations will ease the financial struggles for the funeral and memorial at least.
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Sarah went on to add that she knows “Rachel’s pure love, zaniness and beauty touched all your lives”, urging them to donate whatever they can in her memory.
You can donate to Rachel Jackson’s GoFundMe page HERE. Rest in peace.
Met Office gives verdict on how Storm Boelo aftermath will affect Greater Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
Storm Boelo is finally on his way out, and now the Met Office has given its verdict on what we can expect from the rest of the week.
In the aftermath of two successive storms, Storm Austen followed by Storm Boelo – the latter of which affected Greater Manchester – the UK is now able to begin recovering from the effects of the adverse weather.
But the Met Office has warned that, although there is no named storm, strong winds and heavy rain will continue to affect parts of the UK early this week, before high pressure brings calmer conditions.
Yellow national severe weather warnings are in place for parts of Scotland and western areas of the UK today (Tuesday 27 October), including areas of the North West, as gales and spells of rain bring the potential for ongoing disruption around the region, particularly on exposed coasts and higher ground.
“The continued winds could hamper recovery efforts in some places,” forecasters also unfortunately confirmed.
⚠️ Strong winds and heavy rain continue across parts of the UK early this week with a yellow weather warning in place, before high pressure brings calmer conditions for many from Wednesday ⛅
Read our news release to find out more 👇
https://t.co/EQU4vvaA3B https://t.co/hpvTd8v7EZ
As rest of the week pans out though, conditions will begin to settle down and showers are expected to become ‘less frequent’, while winds also ease for most, although gales could continue for a time in the far north.
Thursday is expected be ‘largely dry’ with lighter winds and variable cloud, with a touch of mist and fog likely across parts of England and Wales during the morning.
From Friday and into the weekend, light rain will team up to potentially affect northwestern areas of England, but for the most part, temperatures are expected to remain close to, or slightly above, average for the time of year.
“From Wednesday, high pressure will start to build which will ease the winds and bring a quieter and largely drier end to the week for many, although some rain is still possible in the North and West,” explained Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Steven Keates.
“However, with wind warnings in place, those in warnings areas, particularly in northern Scotland and western high ground, continue to be exposed to strong winds and heavy rain before the more settled weather arrives.”
Featured Image – The Manc Group
News
Popular pumpkin patch attraction describes ‘catastrophic’ impact of Storm Boelo
Daisy Jackson
Bates Farm, one of the most popular pumpkin patch attractions in the North West, has shared its heartbreak after Storm Boelo forced its closure on the busiest day of the season.
The Warrington-based family farm said the financial impact has been ‘honestly catastrophic’, after they had to cancel all tickets for Sunday.
Sisters Ali and Fiona Wilshaw, who run the farm, said it was simply not safe to allow members of the public onto the farm in the storm, with ‘crazy’ gusts of wind.
They later shared a video that showed their marquee was badly damaged and many footpaths turned to deep mud.
The sisters said they were ‘heartbroken’ to have to close at such a busy time, but stressed to followers that ‘your safety and our integrity will always come first’.
On Saturday, as Storm Austen and Storm Boelo chased each other across the UK, several people shared videos of themselves getting battered by the weather at Bates Farm.
And it’s pretty clear from that why Ali and Fi decided to cancel all tickets and close for the day on Sunday.
They wrote: “We have put in so much love, energy and investment putting on this event at this scale. The cost to cancel and refund everyone today on our busiest day of the season is honestly catastrophic, but business aside, your safety and our integrity will always come first.
“To think last night we were running round Tesco trying to stock up on milk and now we are in the depths of recovering the site to go again tomorrow. All emails and enquiries are being responded to as quickly as possible and we are doing our best to open up more available slots next week.
“We are being tested like never before, but pulling together in true force. Huge shout out to the whole team and Farmer Fi the absolute queen in any crisis.
“Thank you all for your patience and especially thank you to those who have sent such kind words and support, we are so grateful to have customers like you.
“We will be back tomorrow to enjoy the remaining of this tough season, we are putting in so many provisions with wood chip paths, undercover seating and an indoor barn to make your visit as enjoyable as possible. Ali & Fi.”
Anyone who had tickets to visit Bates Farm on Sunday will be refunded, and can book in for another date.
Bates Farm has safely reopened its autumnal experience and pumpkin patch today.
Danny Jones -
3rd April 2023 
