Scarecrows, Spooks and Singalongs

The pumpkins are out, the scarecrows are up and half-term is nearly here. This weekend you can pick your own pumpkin at Tatton, sample your way round Macclesfield’s coffee festival, there are ghost stories behind ten doors at Lyme, and a Queen tribute. If you need to stretch your legs, we’ve found a coal-mining walk in Poynton.

Let’s dive in!

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🎉 What’s On In Cheshire

🗓️ Fri · 16 October

⚙️ Anson Engine Museum
Every Friday until 23 Oct, 10am to 4pm, Poynton
A museum of working engines, £8 for adults and free for under-13s. The closing steam weekend is 24 and 25 Oct, so it’s one for the diary.
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👑 The Freddie & Queen Experience
Fri 16 Oct, 7pm, Cinemac, Macclesfield
A five-piece Queen tribute recreating the 1986 Magic Tour, in Macclesfield’s old Sunday School cinema.
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🖤 Fire & Ice Charity Ball
Fri 16 Oct, 6:30pm to 11:30pm, Combermere Abbey, near Whitchurch
A black-tie charity ball for the Wishing Well Project.
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🎨 Painting in the Dark: Halloween Starry Night
Fri 16 Oct, 7pm to 9pm, Pictura, Eastgate Row North, Chester
Adults-only guided painting under UV light, with the canvas to take home.
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🎤 Ward Thomas
Fri 16 Oct, 7:30pm, Nantwich Civic Hall, Nantwich
The country-pop duo play the Nantwich Words & Music Festival.
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🏇 CRY Charity Race Night
Fri 16 Oct, 6:30pm, Delamere Events, Oakmere
A night of betting on the “horses” for a good cause, with a drink, a raffle ticket and a late-night sandwich in the £20 ticket.
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🧶 Giant Finger Knitted Pumpkin Workshop
Fri 16 Oct, 6pm to 8pm, Station House, Delamere
A beginner finger-knitting session where you take home a giant pumpkin. Booking is essential.
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🎻 A Vivaldi & Mozart Candlelight Experience
Fri 16 Oct, two sittings (7pm and 9pm), St Bartholomew’s Church, Wilmslow
A string trio by candlelight, suitable for ages 8+ and wheelchair accessible.
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🗓️ Sat · 17 October

☕ Macclesfield Coffee Festival
Sat 17 Oct, 10am to 4pm, across Macclesfield town centre
28 independent cafes and businesses with tastings, talks, workshops and a stamp trail. Free entry, and some timed workshops need a free booking.
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🦁 Halloween at Chester Zoo
Sat 17 Oct to Sun 1 Nov, Chester Zoo, Chester
A Top Trumps trail and giant pumpkin sculptures, included with zoo admission.
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🚪 Doors to Hallowtide
Sat 17 Oct to Sun 25 Oct, 10:30am to 4pm, Lyme Park, Disley
Ten decorated doors dotted round the gardens and parkland, each with a ghost story or a bit of folklore. It’s about 6km on uneven paths, so not one for buggies.
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🎵 LEGEND: The Music of Bob Marley
Sat 17 Oct, 7:30pm, Chester Cathedral, Chester
Reggae in a cathedral: a live show celebrating the life and music of Bob Marley.
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💃 Northern Soul and Motown Evening
Sat 17 Oct, 7:30pm to 12:30am, Congleton Town Hall, Congleton
DJs spin the classics all night for Ruby’s Fund. £8 in advance, £10 on the door.
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🌳 Arley Hall: Botanical Art Class and Tree Climbing
Sat 17 Oct, Arley Hall & Gardens, near Great Budworth
A beginners’ watercolour class and a Discover Tree Climbing session for ages 6+.
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🎶 Ainsley Hamill (duo with Toby Shaer)
Sat 17 Oct, 8pm, Lion Salt Works, Marston, Northwich
Folk storytelling with a voice that’s all velvet and grit.
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🎻 The Houghton Weavers
Sat 17 Oct, 7:30pm, Knutsford Little Theatre, Knutsford
Folk songs and comedy with plenty of audience joining in.
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🌼 Parvey Lodge Open Garden
Sat 17 Oct, 11am to 3pm, Parvey Lane, Macclesfield
A private garden opened for charity under the National Garden Scheme. £5 for adults, free for children.
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🗓️ Sun · 18 October

💍 Tatton Park Wedding Show
Sun 18 Oct, 11am to 3pm, Tatton Park, Knutsford
Meet up to 60 wedding suppliers, watch a catwalk show of outfits, enter a free prize draw, and the first 100 couples get a goody bag. Entry is £3 (under-18s free), with a £10 VIP upgrade. (Parking is £11 per vehicle all day)
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🎤 Old Red Eyes: Paul Heaton Tribute
Sun 18 Oct, 6pm to 9pm, The Salty Dog, Northwich
Songs of the Housemartins and The Beautiful South.
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🍂 Autumn Wreath Making Workshop
Sun 18 Oct, 2pm to 4pm, Tarporley Community Centre, Tarporley
Make a wreath from seasonal foliage, with materials supplied. 18+.
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🎸 Rumer: Special Acoustic Performance
Sun 18 Oct, 1pm, Nantwich Civic Hall, Nantwich
An intimate matinee with the stories behind the songs.
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🎼 Ménestrel: Songs of the Mayflower
Sun 18 Oct, 3pm to 5pm, Parkgate & Neston United Reform Church, Neston
Medieval folk duo Ménestrel play songs of the Mayflower, over on the Wirral side of Cheshire.
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🌿 Meditation at the Museum
Sun 18 Oct, 9am to 10am, Norton Priory, Runcorn
A guided meditation out in the museum grounds, so bring a blanket. £8, and you must pre-book.
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🎷 When Rivers Meet
Sun 18 Oct, 7pm, Nantwich Civic Hall, Nantwich
Blues, rock, Americana and folk, closing the Nantwich Words & Music Festival.
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🗓️ REST OF THE WEEK

🥾 Timbersbrook Explorer
Tue 20 Oct, 10am to 2pm, Timbersbrook Picnic Area, Congleton
A ranger-led 6-mile circular walk that takes in Dane-in-Shaw Pasture and the top of Bosley Cloud. Strenuous, ages 10+, £7.50, booking essential, packed lunch.
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🎗️ Tits Up, starring Crissy Rock
Tue 20 Oct, 7:30pm, Parr Hall, Warrington
A funny, big-hearted play set in an oncology waiting room.
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🕵️ Catch Me If You Can: The Musical
Wed 21-24 Oct, Northwich Memorial Court, Northwich
The con-man musical comes to Northwich. Based on the Steven Spielberg blockbuster featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, appearing for a limited run.
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🍷 Wine Tasting Evening
Wed 21 Oct, 7pm to 9pm, Barley Hops & Grape, Congleton
Several wines with a cheese and charcuterie board. 18+, £35.
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🎹 Sandbach Concert Series: Imogen Whitehead & Jennifer Walsh
Wed 21 Oct, 8pm St Mary’s Hall, Sandbach
A classical recital, with tickets via the series site. Young musicians perform at 7pm.
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🌾 Scarecrow Festival
Now to Sun 1 Nov, 10:30am to 5pm, Quarry Bank, Styal
Scarecrows all over the estate, plus a trail for the little ones.
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🧺 LOCAL CRAFT MARKETS

• Wilmslow Artisan Market – Sat 17 Oct, 10am-4pm | 👉 Details

• Winsford Food & Craft Market – Sat 17 Oct, 10am-4pm | 👉 Details

• Tarporley Makers Market – Sun 18 Oct, 11am-3pm | 👉 Details

• Lymm Artisan Market – Sun 18 Oct, 11am-4pm | 👉 Details

🗓️ DATES FOR THE DIARY

• Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail, Arley Hall – starts Thu 22 Oct | 👉 Details

• The ELO Show, Parr Hall – Fri 23 Oct | 👉 Details

• Halloween Half-Term Fun, National Waterways Museum – Sat 24 Oct-Sun 1 Nov | 👉 Details

• The Illegal Eagles, Parr Hall – Sat 24 Oct | 👉 Details

• Fireworks Night, Sandbach RUFC – Fri 30 Oct | 👉 Details

• Festival of Diwali, Chester – Sat 31 Oct | 👉 Details

• The Macc Big Bang – Fri 6 Nov | 👉 Details

• Blakemere’s Firework Display – Sat 7 Nov | 👉 Details

• Lanterns and Light, Chester Zoo – Fri 13 Nov-Sun 3 Jan | 👉 Details

• JUST.BATHE Charity Casino Night – Fri 20th Nov | 👉 Details

💎 Hidden Gem: Poynton Mining Heritage Walk and Anson Engine Museum

Poynton once had the largest coalfield in Cheshire, with 74 pits. Mining ended in 1935, but the village is still full of clues. This 6-mile circular walk follows the old colliery railway, and it’s a good autumn route mostly along the Macclesfield Canal and the Middlewood Way. It’s one for anyone who likes reading a landscape.

Keep an eye out for the “Yell Tunnel”, which carries a footpath under the old incline on rails salvaged from street trams. There’s also a canal bridge where colliery subsidence has sunk the road by several feet, and the miners’ cottages built in 1815. You can see Lyme Park in the distance, and the sculpture at the Nelson Pit Visitor Centre carries the names of all 74 pits.

The route passes the Anson Engine Museum, built on the old Anson Colliery site. It holds more than 250 gas and oil engines, including the largest running Crossley Atmospheric engine and the Mirrlees No 1, the first diesel engine built in the UK. There’s also a c1900 scale model of Poynton. It’s only open on Fridays until 23 Oct, plus a closing steam weekend on 24 and 25 Oct

Practical bits:

• Start: Civic Hall car park, off Park Lane, Poynton, SK12 1RB. Middlewood station is an alternative start, on the Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton line.

• Distance: 6 miles, about 2 hours 45 minutes, plus 1 to 2 hours if you visit the museum. You can shorten it at the canal by leaving at Bailey’s Trading Post.

• Terrain: mostly flat, with a total climb of 278ft. Canal towpath, village pavements and field paths. There are stiles and a kissing gate, so it’s not one for pushchairs or wheelchairs.

• Anson Engine Museum: Anson Road, SK12 1TD, open Fridays 10am to 4pm until 23 Oct. Adults £8, ages 13 to 16 £2.50, under 13s free.

• Closing weekend: the museum’s closing steam weekend is Sat 24 and Sun 25 Oct, with event-day entry at £10.

• Refreshments: Bailey’s Trading Post at Poynton Marina for light refreshments, the Boar’s Head pub near Nelson Pit, and cafes on Park Lane.

• Toilets: free at the Nelson Pit Visitor Centre.

• Dogs: not stated on the council guide, so check before taking one into the museum.
  
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  👉 Anson Engine Museum

That’s it for this week.

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