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A huge board game festival is happening in Manchester this weekend

Tabletop Gaming Live is taking over the historic Cotton Sheds at Victoria Warehouse on Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 September.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 16th September 2022

There’ll be over 100 different games to play when a huge board game festival sets up shop right here in Manchester this weekend.

Run by the teams behind the Tabletop Gaming and Miniature Wargames magazines, and with games across the whole hobby, from must-see miniatures, to incredible indie RPGs and hot new board games, this epic two-day gaming convention gives the people of Greater Manchester and beyond the chance to play some of the most exciting games out right now.

The show is set to bring together gamers from across the country to our city centre for the first time.

Tabletop Gaming Live is taking over the historic Cotton Sheds at Victoria Warehouse on Saturday 17 & Sunday 18 September – which festival organisers say offers ample space for the 5000+ expected hobbyists and 100+ traders, publishers, and designers.

A huge board game festival is happening in Manchester this weekend / Credit: Tabletop Gaming

So, what can you expect to see this weekend then?

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Well, as Tabletop Gaming’s inaugural Manchester show is sponsored by local hobby titans Steamforged Games, they will be demoing Bardsung and showing-off upcoming titles, while Fanboy 3 – which has been at the heart of the Manchester gaming scene for years – will be presenting some of the biggest publishers from the US.

They are joined by Manchester indie legend Hall or Nothing – who will be showing new titles like the historical battler 1815: Scum of the Earth, and Manchester’s biggest gaming group Tabletop Manchester.

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Some of the other new games at the 2022 festival include – Amelia’s Secret (Hachette Board Games UK), Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side (Ravensburger), the new edition of Kingmaker, Call to Adventure: Epic Origins (Brotherwise Games), and Cartaventura Caravans (BLAM!).

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There’ll be hands-on games demos and events happening all weekend at various different stands.

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You can also roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty with a variety of workshops too, including learning how to make your first game with James Wallis (The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen), create an RPG in an afternoon with Chris McDowall (Into The Odd Remastered), or even make your own miniature with Kit-bashing YouTube star Bill Making Stuff.

Tabletop Gaming Live is promising to bring a huge weekend of gaming where you can “get stuck into the hobby like you never have before”.

Fancy it then? There’s still time to grab tickets from £11 here.

Featured Image – Tabletop Gaming

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Namaste Nepal – West Didsbury favourite reveals new look and even more phenomenal curry

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

Namaste Nepal, one of the best restaurants in West Didsbury – if not all of south Manchester – has undergone a big refurbishment, with new menu dishes to boot.

The family-run business has become a local institution over the last 15 or so years, famed for its comforting, authentic Nepalese food. 

For the first time since it opened, Namaste Nepal has had a full-scale cosmetic transformation to become a modern – but still cosy and welcoming – neighbourhood restaurant. 

You’ll now find green suede, gold, and marble, in amongst the Nepalese artefacts on the shelves. 

Namaste Nepal is known for its menu of curries and street food which takes influences from India and China.

One of its hero dishes is its handmade Momocha dumplings, which are stuffed with lamb mince and topped with a classic peppery, spicy sauce.

There are platters of mixed shashlik, the meat slow-cooked in the tandoor oven; fiery traditional Chwela; and Kantipur Methi, where Tandoori chicken and minced lamb are mixed together. 

Namaste Nepal is a much-loved Nepalese curry house in West Didsbury. Credit: The Manc Group
Namaste Nepal is a much-loved Nepalese curry house in West Didsbury. Credit: The Manc Group
Namaste Nepal is a much-loved Nepalese curry house in West Didsbury. Credit: The Manc Group
Namaste Nepal is a much-loved Nepalese curry house in West Didsbury. Credit: The Manc Group

Curries range from the mouth-numbingly spicy (looking at you, vegetable naaga) to a crowd-pleasing Makhan Chara (aka butter chicken).

There’s plenty to keep vegetarians well-fed, from saag paneer to aloo gobi. 

Namaste Nepal has been spicing up our lives since 2005 and is well and truly standing the test of time. 

The restaurant is taking bookings for Christmas now. 

You can find Namaste Nepal at 164-166 Burton Road, West Didsbury.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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Manchester’s ‘sky park’ Castlefield Viaduct to become sparkling grotto as night falls

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Castlefield Viaduct has a series of night time events including a Lantern Lates light trail

Castlefield Viaduct in Manchester, the lush National Trust site built up on a disused railway viaduct, has announced plans of night time activity this winter.

The beautiful park in the sky will be inviting visitors to see the urban green space by nightfall.

There’ll be a free Lantern Lates series where the park will transform into a ‘magical, sparkling grotto’.

Visitors can climb up to Castlefield Viaduct, the huge industrial landmark that has views right across Manchester city centre, and savour the winter wonderland created for the coming season.

It’s before the National Trust project closes for a few weeks in the new year for work to refresh the gardens for spring and summer.

The viaduct itself has been abandoned since 1969, until the charity revealed plans to turn it into a sky park similar to New York’s High Line.

The temporary urban garden has attracted thousands of visitors and the National Trust is now fundraising to secure a permanent future for the project, which is currently closing in September 2024.

Along with the Lantern Lates series, Castlefield Viaduct’s other night time events will include a Winter Garden Tour, where guides will explain the stories behind winter plants like holly, ivy and mistletoe.

Castlefield Viaduct has a series of night time events including a Lantern Lates light trail. Credit: David Bewick/National Trust.
Castlefield Viaduct has a series of night time events including a Lantern Lates light trail. Credit: David Bewick/National Trust.

And at the end of it all there’ll be a Cosy Corner, a relaxing spot with books, boardgames and crafts.

The Cosy Corner will be built at the far end of the Castlefield Viaduct park, where huge windows look across the overgrown and untouched section of the old railway bridge.

Castlefield Viaduct is the ideal spot to escape all the madness of the silly season and non-stop parties going on in the city below.

It’s open all the way through winter until Saturday 2 January (except Christmas Day and Boxing Day), with free entry. You can book morning tours on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, or take a wander after 12.30pm on those days or any time on Wednesdays, weekends and bank holidays.

Lantern Lates at Castlefield Viaduct

17 November 2023 – 1 January 2024, 3.30pm – 5pm | Free – Drop-in 

As the nights draw in Castlefield Viaduct transforms into a magical, sparkling grotto. 

From 3.30pm to 5pm every day, drop in to wander along the light trail and visit the garden in  the sky in a different way. It’s the perfect time for a moment of rest above the busy city, take  in Greater Manchester’s 21st century skyline and maybe even spot a bat or two. 

The Winter Garden Tour 

Wednesday 13 Dec, Friday 15 Dec, Thursday 28 Dec, Friday 29 Dec – 2pm | Free – booking essential 

Get out of the busy city streets and join Castlefield Viaduct for a tour around some festive flora.  

Nature has long associations with this time of the year from holly and ivy to mistletoe and  chestnuts. Your guide will tell you the stories behind some of the winter plants on the viaduct  and introduce the beauty of winter in the garden. 

Book a spot at the website and take a festive look at nature on the viaduct and beyond.

Cosy Corner 

11 December 2023 – 1 January 2024, daily | Free – Drop-in 

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Warm up and chill out… After a walk through the winter garden take some time out in the  Castlefield Viaduct Cosy Corner. 

This December the visitor building will be transformed into a relaxing spot with books, board  games and easy crafts plus the spectacular views of the wild viaduct and Castlefield below.  Take a break from the rush, settle in with a good read or simply watch nature go by.

The viaduct is a temporary project from the National Trust and due to permanently close after summer 2024. To help secure a future for the project and help the garden grow, you can make a donation or give one as a gift? Click here to give direct to Castlefield Viaduct. 

Featured image: David Bewick/National Trust

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