Over 160 postcodes across the four Heatons of Stockport are to be decked out for the spookiest weekend of the year as part of the ‘Halloween Town Trail’.
The haunted houses of the four Heatons getting more ghostly than ever before.
With trick or treating sadly off the cards this year under Tier 3 restrictions, this completely COVID-safe event – spread across Heaton Moor, Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey, and Heaton Norris in the Greater Manchester borough of Stockport – has been organised as a way of bringing the communities together to celebrate as safely as possible, while supporting a worthy cause.
It’s the second COVID-safe trail event to hit the Heatons since lockdown.
The first – a zoo-themed trail aimed at supporting Chester Zoo in its hour of need – raised a whopping £7,500, but this weekend, the theme is of course Halloween and scary movies, so you’ll need to keep your wits about you as you can expect to see windows and garden frighteningly festooned in hundreds of homes.
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As per government regulations, no treats or sweets will be handed out from the houses of Halloween Town, but attendees are welcome to bring their own personal supply of treats for the trail.
The three-day event is to take place from Friday 30th October – Sunday 1st November.
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Residents have already begun decorating and have been sharing pictures of their homes over on the #4HeatonsHalloween hashtag on social media.
It’s not just about celebrating the spookiest time of year as safely as possible though.
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There is another very important cause at the heart of ‘The 4 Heaton’s Halloween Town’, and that is to raise funds for “beloved” local picture house The Savoy Cinema in Heaton Moor, which is a family-run independent boutique cinema nestled in the heart of the community boasting the latest projection and sound systems, mixed with classic style, comfort and service.
Amy Vose – Organiser of ‘The 4 Heatons Halloween Town’ – said: “The Savoy, as an independent cinema, is a real jewel of the Heatons. It’s very much loved by this community, and people want it to be enjoyed by their families for many years to come,
“So it was easy getting people involved.”
Money raised from the event will support the cinema, which, like many local businesses across the country, has sadly suffered a tough time financially due to the restrictions in place and the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the arts industry.
It comes after the cinema was named one of 42 independent picture houses in the UK to share £650,000 in the first awards from the Culture Recovery Fund earlier this month.
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The owners of The Savoy Cinema have expressed how “very grateful and humbled” they are by the community’s fundraising efforts ahead of ‘The 4 Heatons Halloween Town’ event, and how wonderful it is to be “valued in that way” by the people of the local area.
The Savoy Cinema Heaton Moor
“If you know the Heatons at all, [you’ll know] people here are extra,” Amy explains.
“So give them a silly community challenge and they will raise the bar.
“It’s brought families together to pump their energies into something positive, at a time where either every day feels the same, or everyday is a worry”.
Are you brave enough to head to ‘Halloween Town’ this weekend then?
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You can find more information about the event, read up on all the COVID-safe precautions and measures being put in place, and download the map to familiarise yourself with the trail ahead of time via the ‘4 Heatons Halloween Town’ website here.
Donations to The Savoy Cinema can be made through the dedicated JustGiving page set up by event organisers and residents here.
More information can also be found via ‘The 4 Heatons Halloween Town’ event on Facebook.
What's On
A huge free careers festival geared towards young creatives is coming to Manchester this week
Daisy Jackson
The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International are hosting a careers festival in Manchester this week, designed to empower young creatives.
The huge free event on Thursday 3 April will take over Aviva Studios, offering everything from speed mentoring to CV clinics to expert talks.
Attendees will be able to have a free headshot taken, meet employers and like-minded creatives, and generally get a feel for how to build a career in the creative industry.
The Career Festival will boost Manchester’s creative future by supporting the next generation of creators, investing in their skills and confidence.
It’s all geared towards young people aged between 16 and 24 who face challenges in finding sustainable careers within the creative industries.
On the day, attendees will be able to receive one-on-one career advice from top industry professionals in speed mentoring sessions, learning from experts in marketing, media, production and more.
They’ll also be able to network with organisations, training providers and employers including Crew gal, Walk the Plank, and Gate Films.
Expert talks will give advice on how to break into the industry, while a CV clinic will help to hone CVs into a stand-out that’ll get a foot straight in the door, along with free headshot portraits.
The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International careers festival. Credit: Mark Crayden Photography
And the whole time attendees will be surrounded by other creatives, building a network that could launch them towards their next big opportunity.
The TikTok Creative Academy, delivered by Catch22 and funded by TikTok, is a free employment program designed to provide vital support to young people aged 16-24 seeking to enter the creative industries.
It’s been specifically targeted towards young people who experience barriers to employment, whether that’s because of challenges like mental health and limited educational attainment, or involvement with the criminal justice system.
The programme itself has a free employment course, offers targeted supports, and opens the door to the industry, fostering networking and career development.
The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International careers festival. Credit: Supplied
It also offers practical skills development and emphasises creative abilities to help young people thrive.
Quote from TikTok Creative Academy Senior Service Manager, Hilda Dotsey: “At Catch22, we are acutely aware of the challenges that young creatives face when it comes to finding sustainable employment in the creative industries and we are about to mark the 1000th person supported into work, training or further education through TikTok Creative Academy.
“With lack of industry insight and experience cited as one of the key barriers to quality creative careers, it is fantastic to be partnering with Factory International once more.
“This event, which celebrates our third year of delivering the programme, will open up pathways for Manchester youth, linking up the next generation of creative talent with industry experts and Manchester’s top creative voices.”
The Catch22 TikTok Creative Academy and Factory International: Career Festival will take place at Aviva Studios from 1pm to 4pm on Thursday 3 April.
You can find out more about Catch22 and the services available HERE.
Masters Football isn’t just back – it’s coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
The much-loved Masters Football format made its glorious comeback in 2022, and since then, it’s been steadily rebuilding an audience of passionate fans, plenty of whom you’ll find here in the sporting city of Manchester – so it’s a good job the national tournament is heading our way.
That’s right, the official English Masters Football competition is coming to 0161 later this year and will be bringing a host of legendary North West talent from years gone by to take part.
Although the full squads and their team captains have yet to be announced, former professionals from Manchester United, Man City, Liverpool, Everton, and more will be lacing back up their boots.
Manchester Masters Football 2025 lands at the equally iconic AO Arena this September.
Credit: Publicity Pictures (supplied)
For anyone unfamiliar with Masters Football, which developed a die-hard following when it first ran between 2000 and 2011, is shorter, indoor-only six-a-side footy tournament similar to futsal.
Each team will feature eight retired players, and the games unfold in a round-robin format, with each match consisting of two eight-minute halves, meaning that both sides have a little over a quarter of an hour to score enough to make it past the other.
In addition to the quicker matches, they will battle it out on a 60m x 30m pitch – the same size of an international ice hockey rink – and whoever makes it through with the highest points will battle it out in a grand final to claim the Manchester Masters title.
As you can see, players set to star this year include ex-United and City defenders Wes Brown and Joleon Lescott, as well as Liverpool and Everton strikers Djibril Cisse and Yakubu Ayegbeni.
You can see some of the best moments from the year it officially returned to the UK down below:
The Manchester edition of the 2025 English Masters Football Tournament Series arrives at the AO Arena on Friday, 5 September.
Doors will open to the venue from 6pm, with the first match kicking off at 7pm, so you better have drinks and snacks in time for bums to hit seats.
As for tickets, there’ll be two chances at early access, first for Three+ mobile members at 10am on Wednesday, 2 April and then via the venue’s presale window at the same time the following day. General admission tickets will be made available, also from 10am, the following Saturday, 5 April.
Emily Sergeant -
29th October 2020 
