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
Influential indie veterans The Wedding Present to embark on 40th anniversary tour
Danny Jones
Influential indie band The Wedding Present are about to begin a big live tour across the UK for their 40th anniversary, and one stop is right here in Manchester.
As boundary-pushing veterans of the genre for the best part of four decades, The Wedding Present have always been one of the most pioneering auteurs of the Northern music scene, and nothing has changed even after all this time.
The Leeds-formed icons are a favourite not only of ours but even more so among our friends over at The Hoot, and with an artistic legacy as strong as Yorkshire’s, that’s saying something.
David Lewis Gedge’s long-standing project rather quietly announced its major retrospective series of live shows back in June – so quiet, in fact, that we missed it until now – but as they gear up for a handful of very special dates, we’d urge Manc gig-goers to give themselves a Wedding Present.
Gedge and co. will be coming to the O2 Ritz in Manchester for just the second show of merely half a dozen confirmed for The Wedding Present 40th Anniversary Tour, having played the venue many times.
In fact, even after visits featuring live configurations over the years, the current lineup played the Ritz as recently as May 2023; the show was met with strong reviews pretty much across the board, and it seemed to signal somewhat of a falling back in love with the crowds of the North.
For anyone unaware of the self-styled ‘semi-legendary band’ (their PR’s words, not ours), The Wedding Present are probably in similar territory to fellow underdogs and Manc natives, James, when it comes to the amount of music they’ve put out over the years, inspiring generations of those who came after.
You might assume we’d name one of their most famous tracks, ‘George Best’, as our favourite, for rather obvious reasons – but you’d be wrong: it doesn’t get much better than ‘Dreamworld’, if you ask us.
Their rich back catalogue encompasses not only so many different eras but also sounds, styles and various other eccentricities; so much so that their multi-genre-spanning music has even produced its own musical.
But before we dive any deeper down into the rabbit hole, let’s get back on track.
Set to play Manchester on Friday, 10 October, The Wedding Present will be kicking off the tour in Bristol at the start of next month.
There are other dates in the likes of Sheffield, Liverpool, Chester, Holmfirth, Buxton, Newcastle and more, but only a few are officially part of the anniversary tour.
Tickets are live as we speak, so if you fancy going along to see them, you can grab yours HERE.
A unique Manchester attraction is offering FREE entry to anyone who shares its ‘birthday’ month
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s most unique attractions is offering free entry for two weeks to celebrate its first birthday.
But there’s a catch… free entry is only granted to people born in one specific month.
Museum of Illusions – which is is one of the largest and fastest-growing private museum chains – is celebrating the first birthday of its debut UK attraction in Manchester this September by giving away free tickets to anyone who shares its birthday month.
Since opening on Market Street in 2024, Museum of Illusions has welcomed more than 200,000 visitors through its doors to experience the dozens of mind-bending illusions and interactive exhibits inside, and has quickly established itself as one of the city’s top attractions in what is a very competitive market.
Manchester’s Museum of Illusions is celebrating its first birthday / Credit: Supplied
Loved by locals and tourists alike, the museum blends fun and education for visitors of all ages, and is fully-accessible too, ensuring everyone can enjoy the fun.
Manchester‘s Museum of Illusions is not only the first in the UK, but it’s also the second-largest in Europe, just behind Copenhagen – so yes, it’s a pretty big deal.
To mark the milestone and celebrate its first anniversary, visitors born in September can enjoy free entry to the museum from Monday 22 September through to Friday 3rd October (excluding weekends).
All they need to do to access this offer is show a valid ID when they arrive.
The museum will also be dressed for the occasion too, adding a birthday touch to its already-captivating mix of optical illusions and immersive exhibits.
“Manchester has truly embraced the Museum of Illusions, and we’re so grateful for all the support we’ve had in our first year,” commented Steve Buchan, who is the General Manager at the Museum of Illusions in Manchester.
The unique attraction is offering free entry to anyone who shares its birthday month / Credit: Supplied
“Welcoming over 200,000 visitors in just 12 months has been incredible.
“Free tickets to anyone celebrating their birthday in September feels like the perfect way to give something back. It’s our way of saying thank you for the incredible support, and of course, to invite even more people to experience the fun, curiosity, and wonder the museum brings.”
Is your birthday in September? You can visit the Museum of Illusions in Manchester anytime from Monday 22 September – Friday 3rd October (excluding weekends).
Emily Sergeant -
29th October 2020 
