A group of hikers had to be rescued from a Lake District mountain after taking magic mushrooms and “falling ill” from the side effects.
Keswick Mountain Rescue – which is a team of around 50 volunteers who live in and around the area, and respond to calls all year round – explained that it had received a number of calls this past Saturday (8 April) from passers by who’d come across “a group of young adult males who had taken magic mushrooms”.
Two of the men were said to have been “feeling unwell”, with one of them being the driver who’d taken the group up to Stonycroft Beck in the Newlands Valley.
Psilocybin mushrooms – which are more-commonly known as ‘magic mushrooms’ or ‘shrooms’ – are a type of fungi with psychedelic properties that grow in the wild, and can be eaten or made into tea.
Hikers rescued from Lake District mountain after taking magic mushrooms and ‘falling ill’ / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The strength of magic mushrooms varies depending on their freshness, the season, and where they grow, but, according to Talk To Frank, taking them makes the world appear distorted, and colours, sounds, objects, and time all seem very different.
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Taking magic mushrooms can make people feel giggly, euphoric, energised, excited, and in awe of the people and things around them – with some people even getting mild hallucinations called ‘visuals’.
They can, however, also make people paranoid, anxious, panicked, overwhelmed, and nauseous.
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The distressed hikers were rescued by the mountain rescue team at around 12:15pm.
With the rescue mission involving 11 members of the Keswick Mountain Rescue Team, and taking around two hours, the hikers were escorted down from the mountain to safety, before they were given advice by the team medic to help with their onward travel.
They were escorted to safety by Keswick Mountain Rescue Team / Credit: Keswick MRT
Largely relying on public donations, Keswick Mountain Rescue responds to calls in all weathers, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, and also undertakes a “significant amount” of ongoing training in advanced first aid, mountain, and water rescue all year round.
The team thrives off the dedication of its volunteers and the generosity of the public.
Featured Image – Keswick MRT
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Iconic Manc movie 24 Hour Party People is set to return to cinemas for its anniversary
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most iconic movies is set to return to the big screen next month.
Remastered in 4K and returning to UK cinemas to mark 24 years since its original release, Michael Winterbottom’s 2002 biographical comedy drama film, 24 Hour Party People, tells the story of Manchester‘s popular music community from 1976 to 1992 – specifically about Factory Records‘ founder Tony Wilson.
The film begins with the punk rock era of the late 1970s, before moving through the 1980s into the rave and DJ culture, and of course, the ‘Madchester‘ scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The narrative largely follows the career of Tony Wilson, played by Middleton-born actor Steve Coogan, while also covering the careers of the major Factory Records artists – especially Joy Division and New Order, as well as A Certain Ratio, The Durutti Column, and Happy Mondays.
If you haven’t seen 24 Hour Party People before, it’s a dramatisation based on a combination of real events, rumours, and urban legends, as the film is sure to make clear.
Coogan is joined by a cast by a mixture of big names and, at the time, rising stars like Paddy Considine, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, John Simm, Ralf Little, Andy Serkis, Sean Harris, John Thomson, and even Peter Kay, alongside cameos from other figures connected to the Manchester music scene.
Before it returns to cinemas, the film will first open music and media festival/conference, Beyond The Music, at MediaCity in Salford on 6 October.
The screening at the festival will also be followed by a Q&A with Coogan, Winterbottom, and producer Andrew Eaton.
24 Hour Party People will then be re-released in UK cinemas from 9 October, and you can check your local cinema for screening times and book tickets online now.
Featured Image – Altitude
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Bury actress Kate O’Flynn wins big at 2026 Emmys with record-breaking comedy show
Emily Sergeant
Did you know that one of the big winners at the 2026 Emmy Awards last night was actually an actress from Bury?
In case it wasn’t on your radar, American television‘s biggest night, the Emmys, took place yesterday evening over in Los Angeles, and several records were broken in the process – including Apple TV’s comedy horror Widow’s Bay taking home the most Emmys ever for a single series of a comedy show, with 14 of them.
Widow’s Bay tells the story of mayor Tom Loftis, played by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys, who is trying to boost tourism on his rugged New England island, but must navigate several strange events that suggest it might be cursed.
Created by Katie Dippold, and executive produced and directed by Hiro Murai, Widow’s Bay was released in late April to widespread critical acclaim.
At the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards last night, the show scooped a record 14 awards, including for Outstanding Comedy Series, several acting wins, and wins for directing and writing too.
One of those acting wins was Kate O’Flynn for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – an actress who hails from the Greater Manchester town of Bury.
Kate stars as Patricia Moyer, mayor Tom’s eccentric assistant in the show.
She grew up in Holcombe Brook near Ramsbottom, and was educated at Bury Grammar School, before she went on to train at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Acting in 2006.
Taking to the stage to accept her award last night, Kate said in her speech: “I want to thank our mayor [Matthew Rhys] and all the residents of Widow’s Bay, in front and behind the camera – you’re amazing. This is the role of a lifetime, thank you Katie and Hiro for trusting a Lancashire lass to play a sassy broad like Patricia. And thank you Apple [TV] for saying yes.
“Thank you Nicky and Tony for looking after me, my family back home, my mum and dad, and the loves of my life, my husband and our darling daughter – another sassy broad in the making.
Emily Sergeant -
11th April 2023 
