sidetracks & detours, Sunday, 25th October 2026. THERE´S A LOT GOING ON

THERE´S A LOT GOING ON

AT HEATON PARK OF HORRORS UNTIL Ist NOVEMBER

previews by Norman Warwick

Get ready for a fright-filled adventure as Heaton Park of Horrors brings Halloween thrills to Zip World Manchester until  1st November 2026.

As darkness falls, Forest Tubing takes on a spooky new twist, with illuminated slides, eerie woodland surroundings and monsters lurking in the shadows. Grab your friends and family, hop into your tube and race through the forest after dark for a Halloween experience with plenty of twists, turns and surprises.

Located at Heaton Park, just a few miles from Manchester city centre, this after-dark adventure offers a different way to celebrate the spooky season. Whether you’re planning a Halloween outing with friends or looking for a family activity with an extra dose of excitement, expect an evening of thrills as you speed down the slides and keep an eye out for whatever might be hiding nearby.

Each ticket includes one hour of unlimited slides, so you can take on the course again and again. With every run bringing another chance for a scare, you never quite know what might be waiting in the darkness. The event runs between 5.30pm and 8.30pm on selected dates, with tickets starting from £25, plus a £5 booking fee per order. On-site parking is available at an additional cost, with pre-booked parking offered for £3 per vehicle at selected locations.

Participants must be aged nine or over, at least one metre tall and weigh more than 20kg but less than 120kg. Closed-toe, flat footwear such as trainers or boots is required. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult, with supervision requirements varying by age group.

HOE-DOWN ON THE ROAD TO NASHVILLE

Saturday 19^th December, preview

Get ready for a festive hoedown on The Road to Nashville returns to Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse on Saturday 19 December 2026, following a hugely successful show earlier in the year.

The venue will transform into a Wild West wonderland, blending country music, rodeo thrills and Christmas celebrations for a full day of boot-stomping entertainment.

Expect tribute performances celebrating country favourites including Teddy Swims, Shania Twain, Luke Combs, Ella Langley, Zach Bryan, Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson and Garth Brooks. Whether you’re a country music fan or simply fancy something different this festive season, there’s plenty to get you in the party spirit.

Alongside the live music, visitors can try their hand at honky-tonk line dancing, take on a bucking rodeo bull and enjoy vintage games, roaming entertainers and immersive Western-themed décor.

Sizzling barbecue and smoker food will also be available, adding to the authentic American country atmosphere.

Dust off your boots, embrace the festive Western style and get ready to dance the afternoon and evening away.

FIREWORKS OVER THE SHOWGROUND

Fireworks Over The Showground is set to bring an evening of family entertainment, food, music and fireworks to Cheshire County Showground.

The event offers plenty to keep visitors entertained throughout the evening, with live DJs hosted by Happy Radio, shopping stalls, street food, licensed bars and funfair rides. Families can arrive from 4.30pm and take their time exploring the showground, browsing the stalls, grabbing something to eat and enjoying the entertainment before the main event.

The evening will build towards a spectacular fireworks display at 7.30pm, lighting up the sky above the showground. With entertainment continuing until 10.30pm, there’s plenty of time to make an evening of it with family and friends.

The event is designed to offer something for all ages, whether you’re heading along for the fireworks, looking for a fun night out with the family or simply want to enjoy the atmosphere and entertainment.

Children aged five and under can attend for free, while free parking is available on site, making it easy to spend the evening at the showground. One carer accompanying a full-paying visitor can also receive free admission when presenting valid ID.

Visitors booking online can save 15% on their tickets when they book before midnight on 5 November.

With food, entertainment, shopping, fairground rides and a fireworks finale all in one place, Fireworks Over The Showground offers a full evening of autumn fun for families and friends.

The event takes place at Cheshire County Showground, with gates opening at 4.30pm. The fireworks begin at 7.30pm, followed by further entertainment until the event finishes at 10.30pm

MANCHESTER CHRISTMAS MARKETS

new location opens

As trustees of Can´t Dance Can, my wife Dee and I used to join the management and staff of the outfit that had previously been known as Spiraldance and head off to the Christmas Market on Albert Square in front of Manchester Town Hall. We steered first to acquire two wooden tables to facilitate the dozen of us.  Then a couple of us would go and fetch mulled wines from a nearby dispenser and another two ´volunteers´ would become hunter-gatherers and return with their ´kills´ of roast potatoes, burgers, Christmas cake and hot apple-pie and custard. And when had devoured our prey we would each have our favourite hot toddy of continental coffees, and the talk would relax from a ´review of the business year´ to cosier chats of shared memories of Christmas past, as we enjoyed this Christmas present and looked ahead to what Can´t Dance Can practitioners and choreographers might dream up for the next before Christmas Future. Meanwhile management and trustees would be chattering to each other about how the dance outfit could deliver even more benefits to school children and those of an older age so that continue to create a wider community spirit in the Borough of Rochdale. over our continental coffee we would discuss and almost sign off on a plan to implement our practical suggestions. But by the time we had had another couple of mulled wines our discussion had become more fanciful, and they too were woven into our plan for The New Year.

The crew included former chair person and dancer Catherine Wilkes, dancer and choreographer Margaret Greenwood, and dancers and officers Romina Thornton and Lucy Fleet would speak of dance and development, Beata Mielemier and two scholteachers from Falinge Park Art School, Muriel Gott and Simon Armitage, chatted about finding funding and Phil Cunningham, the wise man of CDC, would add his three pence worth on any of those subjects. I enjoyed those outings every year, and with nostalgia and hindsight I now see them as halcyon days.

However, things change. The Manchester Christmas Market is now at a different venue. At 1pm on a Wednesday, there’s always a queue outside Rita’s Reign in Piccadilly Gardens. People are waiting for their usual Caribbean lunch, just as they have for years.

But soon, this familiar corner of Manchester will look very different.

The street food market is closing to make way for the long-awaited redevelopment of Piccadilly Gardens, with traders preparing to move to Lincoln Square for the Christmas Markets.

TRAFFORD F:C:

daring to dream a Wembley dream

Just five miles from Old Trafford, there’s a football club doing things a little differently. Trafford FC, a team from Urmston recently enjoyed / endured an FA Cup afternoon involving packed terraces, hardworking volunteers and a fair bit of heartbreak.

The home crowd was considerably larger than usual. Home fixtures usally less tha five hubndred but today´s count was more than 1,000. everyone seems to have discovered this little football club in Urmston.

They’re here for an FA Cup Third Qualifying Round tie against Atherton Collieries, with a place in the next round and a decent chunk of prize money up for grabs.

Trafford play at Shawe View, just five miles from Old Trafford, but the two clubs couldn’t be much further apart. This is ninth-tier football. No players have yet announced their millionaire status but nor do they scream for fancy facilities. Trafford is ust a club relying heavily on volunteers, local supporters and a lot of hard work.

And today, they’ve got a chance to make history.

Trafford have already won four away games to get this far, equalling their best-ever FA Cup run. Beat Atherton, who play one division above them, and they’ll reach the Fourth Qualifying Round for the first time.

There’s £5,625 for winning, plus at least another £3,125 in the next round. Not bad for a club trying to raise money for a new clubhouse.

As kick-off gets closer, people are still queuing to get through the turnstiles. There’s another queue at the bar, and fans are finding whatever space they can around the pitch, including the grassy banks.

It’s a proper non-league ground, complete with a few hand-me-downs. The seats and turnstiles came from Huddersfield Town, while a phone mast brings in some extra income each year. Every little helps when you’ve got floodlights to maintain, licences to sort and a ground to look after.

Then there are the volunteers. The supporters do their bit too. A few years ago, the supporters’ club raised enough money to build a new stand in memory of one of Trafford’s founders.

And it’s not just the first team keeping everyone busy. Trafford FC have 27 youth teams and give all those kids a season ticket so they can get in for free during the games. For everyone else, it’s £10 to get in, or £6 for concessions. Food and drink won’t cost you a fortune either. For families who fancy watching live football without spending Premier League money, it’s a pretty good deal.

Atherton have brought a decent away following themselves. Some are even heading to Old Trafford afterwards for the Rugby League Grand Final.

They’ve got something to cheer before half-time too, taking a 1-0 lead and leaving Trafford with a bit of work to do.

But the second half is a different story.

Kyle Worsley levels the score five minutes after the restart. Eight minutes later, Bile Ahmed puts Trafford 2-1 up. Shawe View goes mad. Suddenly, Trafford are half an hour away from the Fourth Qualifying Round and a possible tie against a National League club.

The prize money would make a real difference. But getting one over a team from the division above, in front of more than a thousand people, would be pretty special too. The home crowd are loving it, although the nerves are starting to show.

By the 75th minute, the can bar has run out of booze. Not ideal when you’ve still got a quarter of an hour left to get through. With ten minutes remaining, Trafford have a brilliant chance to make it 3-1. Their player is through one-on-one but can’t finish.

You can probably guess what’s coming. With almost the last kick of the game, Atherton equalise from a corner through Essa Janneh.

2-2. An absolute sickener.

Trafford were seconds away from making club history. Instead, they’ve got to do it all again in a replay at Atherton three days later. Still, the home fans give their players a proper round of applause. They’ve more than held their own against a side from the league above.

Unfortunately, the replay doesn’t go Trafford’s way. Atherton win 3-0 on Tuesday night, ending the cup run and taking the place in the Fourth Qualifying Round.

It’s a disappointing way to go out, especially after coming so close at Shawe View. But there’s plenty Trafford can take from it. More than a thousand people came through the gates on Saturday, some perhaps discovering the club for the first time. Four away wins and a cracking cup tie have given supporters plenty to talk about.

Now it’s back to the league and the push for promotion. For the players, that means going back to their day jobs before getting ready for another match. For the volunteers, there’s still the usual mountain of work to get through. And next time Trafford get a crowd like that, they’ll probably want to stock up on a bit more beer.

Fancy going to a match? Check out the Trafford FC website for upcoming fixtures, tickets and information about visiting Shawe View in Urmston.