Things To Do

You can still grab tickets to learn all about the ‘Serial Killer Next Door’ this Halloween

Emma Kenny - one of the UK’s most notable Psychological Therapists and Crime commentators - will lead audiences into the minds of murderers.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 7th October 2021

Ever wondered what goes on inside the head of a serial killer?

Well, if you’re keen enough to find out the answer to that question and you’re looking for a particularly-chilling way to spend your Halloween, then the hugely-popular Serial Killer Next Door talk is returning to Manchester this month, and there’s still time to grab tickets.

Emma Kenny – one of the UK’s most notable Psychological Therapists and Crime commentators – will lead audiences into the minds of murderers.

Emma specialises in victimology, and is mostly-known for presenting crime shows including Britain’s Darkest Taboos, Lady Killers, and The Killer in My Family.

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She will take audiences on a journey looking at what ingredients of possibility lead to body counts by killers including Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Paul Knowles, attempting to answer the questions – what creates a serial killer? Could anything have prevented their potential being activated? Or were they simply born to kill?

How, and why do they select their victim? Is there anything anyone can do to protect themselves from such a sinister predator?

Emma will use her extensive experience of analysing some of most heinous crimes both here in the UK and the US to explore with audiences just what makes a killer, and why some people can be born into seemingly normal families, brought up without fear or abuse, and yet still choose a murderous path.

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It’s ultimately fascinating but not for the faint-hearted.

While it’s certainly not how everyone would choose to spend the spookiest night of the year, tickets for previous talks in Manchester have flown off the shelves and are set to do the same when The Serial Killer Next Door arrives at the Stoller Hall.

The Serial Killer Next Door by Emma Kenny will take place at the Stoller Hall on Sunday 31 October 2021 at 7:30pm, with ticket prices ranging from £12 – £22.

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Grab yours here.

Featured Image – Serial Killer Next Door

Things To Do

City-wide celebration of beer – including a beer festival in an old swimming pool – to take over Manchester this weekend

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

One of Manchester’s biggest and best-loved food and drink events is making its big comeback this week, celebrating all things beer right across the city.

Indy Man Beer Con (or IMBC)’s cornerstone event is the beer festival at the historic Victoria Baths, where the old Edwardian swimming pool is filled with bunting and bars.

IMBC was founded by Jonny Heyes of Common & Co fame back in 2012, and now brings together more than 60 brilliant breweries, including Bristol’s Lost and Found and Cheltenham’s Deya.

But the celebrating won’t be confined to Victoria Baths, with a city-wide IMBC Fringe festival also taking over other venues around Manchester.

Takeovers, events and collaborations will seep into bars right through until Sunday evening.

IMBC will be back at Victoria Baths. Credit: Jody Hartley

One of the big ones will be Runaway to Kampus, with Runaway Brewery Tap Room upping sticks and moving into the Bungalow at Kampus for the whole weekend.

The building-on-stilts at the canal-side neighbourhood will host the four-day residency, in conjunction with Nell’s Pizza and other friends of the brewery.

There’ll be fresh beer on tap plus a full selection of bottles (including a few rarities from the cellar).

Elsewhere, the award-winning Salford brewery will land at Chorlton’s beloved The Beagle all weekend, taking over the taps with keg and cask offerings.

IMBC will be back at Victoria Baths. Credit: Jody Hartley
IMBC will be back at Victoria Baths. Credit: Jody Hartley

On Saturday and Sunday, the Drop Project Den will pitch up at Common with a six-tap takeover and a Shifty special pizza from Nell’s.

London’s Drop Project are known for creating fresh, premium beers that push creative boundaries.

Back at IMBC at Victoria Baths, there’ll be tasting areas, snug bars in the Turkish Baths, street food and – obviously – plenty of beer.

Traders on site will include Bundobust, Siop Shop, Tikka Chance on Me, Great North Pie, Dim Sum Su, Wholesome Junkies, Honest Crust, and Triple B.

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Ticket-holders for the main event are advised to download the IMBC app, which will act as a total guide to all the beers on offer and where to find them, and will also send out alerts for pop-ups and more surprises.

Tickets get you access to the festival and a festival class, with tokens inside priced at £25 for 10 or £2.70 each, with each token entitling you to one third of beer at any Indy Man bar.

It’s a completely cashless event, and you’re encouraged to take your own vessel for water as, to minimise waste, there won’t be bottles on sale.

Final tickets are available now at indymanbeercon.co.uk/tickets.

Featured image: Jody Hartley

Things To Do

Unplugged – The stunning countryside cabin where guests are told to lock their phones away for a ‘digital detox’

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson

We all know all-too-well that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to properly switch off – even when we’re on holiday.

With the constant pings and buzzes and flashes of digital technology begging for our attention every minute of the day, it’s not easy to properly step away and unwind.

Which is why the Unplugged countryside cabins were invented – and its first north west location has just opened.

Each of these stunning tiny homes includes a lock box, which guests are encouraged to lock their mobile phones in.

Over the course of each three-night stay, Unplugged guests are instead given other items to keep them entertained.

The Luna Unplugged cabin in Cheshire. Credit: Pasco Photography

The Unplugged cabins include board games, books, and cassette players, as well as an instant camera with film so you can still capture your break – without the pressure to immediately shout about it on Instagram.

You’re also handed a classic Nokia phone (yes complete with Snake) in case you need to contact anyone, and a map and a compass.

They are also kitted out with a compact but fully equipped kitchen for cooking up a storm, a log burner and an outdoor fire pit, and comfy beds with luxury Piglet bedding.

Credit: Pasco Photography
Credit: Pasco Photography
Phone lockboxes and fire pits at Unplugged in Cheshire.

There are several of these countryside retreats dotted around the south of England, and there’s now an Unplugged property here in the North West, just outside Greater Manchester in Cheshire.

The ‘Luna’ cabin has a huge panoramic window overlooking the countryside, and its location just off the Sandstone Trail.

The cabin is even pet-friendly.

You’ll find inside the compact wooden-clad space a powerful hot shower and toiletries, while outside are wellies and umbrellas to brace you for the great outdoors.

Unplugged was launched by two friends – Hector Hughes and Ben Elliot – who at the time both worked at a tech start-up and were teetering on the edge of burnout.

Unplugged kitchens. Credit: Pasco Photography

So after one of them took a two-week silent retreat in the Himalayas, they decided to try and create a few pockets of total, switch-off zen here in the UK.

They say: “Humans have always escaped to nature as an antidote to hectic city life. The issue is that now so many of us just wouldn’t know where to start.

“We’re glued to our phones, inundated with push notifications and respond to emails at all times of the day. We’re on a mission to help you unplug from your devices so that you can recharge.

“So we decided to build beautiful off-grid cabins just outside of city life that take less than an hour or two to get to.

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“We also remove any of the woo-woo and stigma that might come with meditation and Buddhist retreats by creating beautiful cabins in nature for you to use the space and time to switch off how you want to.

“When we launched our first cabin, Koya in July 2020 we’d check in and out every guest, lock their phones away and take the key back with us to London. Now we have a lot more cabins, guests check themselves in and are encouraged to lock their phones away to benefit from 3 nights offline.

“We of course practice what we preach and all of the Unplugged team go for a digital detox at least once per year to help us switch off and recharge.”

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You can book Luna, the Unplugged cabin in Cheshire, here.

Featured image: Pasco Photography

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