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The mysterious haunted caves near Greater Manchester where four children ‘vanished’
Have you seen or heard strange things happen here?
There are some mysterious haunted caves close to Greater Manchester filled with ghostly figures, witches, monks and dwarfs.
Just a few miles from Ashton-in-Makerfield, there’s a mystical underground world called Crank Caverns.
According to local history archives, sandstone quarrying began here as early as 1730 — no wonder it’s haunted!
Having seen plenty of paranormal activity over the years, the abandoned quarry near Rainford in St Helens, has attracted visitors from far and wide to see if its folklore is really true.
The spooky abandoned site is said to be home to dwarfs, monks and witches who inhabit its labyrinth of caverns, living deep underground.
Many have reported seeing the monks walking deep into its murky tunnels, seen a ghostly highwayman leaning on a rock, heard the echoing of strange voices and even spotted what resembles a witch’s face on a rock wall.
Formerly called Rainford Delph Quarry, the area is filled with a network of tunnels and caverns, as well as an extensive woodland — enough to make your imagination run wild.
The caverns aren’t easy to locate and are now sealed off by a gate on the private road that leads up to it.
Though now officially closed to the public, due to instability, the area can still be accessed from a nearby footpath.
The caves are thought to have been used as a game reserve by the Earl of Derby, and then an ammunition storage facility during the Second World War.
Legend has it in the late 18th century, four children decided to explore the sandstone caverns and vanished. One child survived and told a story about small old men with beards who killed his three friends and chased him.
The petrified child stumbled over human bones in the caves and finally managed to scramble through an opening to the surface as a hand was grabbing at his ankle.
The authorities were concerned because a number of people had gone missing in the area near the cave entrances.
Two heavily armed soldiers descended into the caverns with torches and claimed that they not only found a heap of human bones, they also found the ruins of an ancient church of some unknown denomination.
The interior of the church was lit by three large candles and grotesque gargoyles formed part of an altar.
Throughout the exploration of the underground, the soldiers said they felt as if they were being watched, and also heard voices speaking in an unknown language.
It is believed one report said that a child’s head was found in a cave, along with evidence of cannibalism. After a second investigation, the caves either collapsed or gunpowder was used to seal them.
Another myth surrounding Crank Caverns is that there could be a cathedral deep within the caves, however through research, Lewis Atherton from Exploring History UK folklore podcast, along with Claire Rigby from Momo’s cafe, believe this is not the case.
In the podcast, Lewis said: “In a caving world, a cathedral would be the opening of a cave, of a mine. The best way to describe a cathedral in a mine is how it is described to this day — a big grand opening with big rooms and big walls.”
Claire said: “If you studied caving at university, a cathedral would be classed as the largest cave out of a series of caves and caverns, and the largest cave would normally have some sort of slab and that would be where a lot of miners would sit and rest and drink and things like that.”
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A Greek, Caribbean and Argentinian barbecue is coming to Manchester
What better way to enjoy summer than with a huge barbecue!
A huge cookout featuring Greek, Caribbean and Argentinian barbecue is coming to Manchester next weekend.
Three Manchester pitmasters will cook-up a storm over live smoke and fire with dishes from around the world on the lush green at the Carlton Club, Whalley Range, on Saturday, June 17th.
Shindigger has announced the family-friendly day — which also welcomes dogs — running from 2-10pm and featuring food from Manchester’s Knights BBQ, Broke N Bone, and Taka Taka Mam.
The brewers are holding The Cookout to raise money for Trussell Trust with 100% of ticket revenue going to Food Banks.
Knights BBQ will serve up their succulent and tender smoked Caribbean jerk chicken, while Broke N Bone will grill their meat slowly, taking influence from the traditional Argentinian Asado way of cooking.
Foodies can expect a whole lamb at The Cookout, as well as beef steaks charred on the fire pit.
Taka Taka Mam will have a menu of chicken and lamb Greek gyros, as well as halloumi and mediterranean salads.
Shindigger will also be serving up the perfect ales to accompany the variety of chargrilled food — a heavenly summer combination.
There will be a dedicated bar of eight draught options to wet your whistle, including summer specials and Chin-Chiller — a brand-new ale making its debut at the event.
The easy drinking 3.4% pale ale, with refreshing zingy notes of mango and lychee, is designed for all-dayers.
Tickets for The Cookout cost a fiver, with all proceeds going towards local Trussell Trust food banks.
The Trussell Trust supports a nationwide network of food banks that supply food to people facing hardship, with numerous sites across Greater Manchester.
The money will go towards vital community work and support for families struggling with soaring food prices.
Grab yourself a ticket so you can get your chops around a gyros, with a Chin-Chiller in hand to wash it down – it’s all for a good cause. Tickets cost £5, plus an additional booking fee.
To book tickets to The Cookout at The Carlton Club on June 17th, click HERE.
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A 1980s Miami Beach rooftop cinema is opening in Manchester this summer
Backyard Cinema is back!
A rooftop cinema experience bringing Miami Beach vibes is coming to Manchester next month.
You can take a romantic date, or even a bunch of mates, to go and sit on the sandy rooftop of Depot Mayfield and watch some classic ’80s films under the breezy palms — don’t forget to wear your best Hawaiian shirt and a pair of aviators to complete the look.
Next month, take a trip back to 1980s Miami with neon lights and deco architecture, and get ready to enjoy a summer holiday in the city.
All ages are welcome to this family-friendly experience, which will host a variety of special events as well as spectacular sets.
Friday nights will feature Dirty Dancing beach parties with watermelon cocktails.
In addition there will be movie sing-a-longs, drag acts, and for those who are fans of all things pink, there will be screenings of the new Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
There will also be lots of matinee screenings added for the school holidays so the kids don’t miss out. They’ll be able to have a whale of a time as they enjoy movies such as Super Mario Bros, Moana, The Little Mermaid and plenty more.
A variety of food and drink will be available, as well as alcoholic themed-cocktails, and guests are encouraged to come in fancy dress.
Join the waiting list for Backyard Cinema Miami Beach now. Open from July 5th, opening hours will be every Wednesday – Sunday from 12pm.
Given the name, it may not be a huge surprise to learn that Backyard Cinema started in its founder’s back garden with a group of friends enjoying a Blues Brothers sing and dance-along, with fancy dress, food, drink, the whole works.
Things took off from there and Backyard Cinema has now grown to be one of the leading alternative cinema experiences in the UK.
Dominic Davies, Founder and Creative Director said: “After the huge success of our Winter season we are super excited to bring our smash-hit Miami Beach to the roof of Depot Mayfield.
“We are going to take people back to a retro 80s Miami full of glitz and glamour and create the closest thing to a Summer Holiday in Mayfield.”
Open from July 5th, ticket prices start from £9.50 and you can book tickets HERE.
Children under the age of 15 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+. Age certification for films apply regardless. The venue is wheelchair accessible.
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Manchester’s biggest Country and Western night is happening this weekend
Get ready for a boot-scootin’, rootin’ tootin’ good time!
Manchester’s biggest night of Country and Western floor fillers is happening this week.
Red Solo Club is bringing its successful club night to Cooper Hall on Saturday, June 10th — yeehaw!
Put on your best cowboy hat and boots, and get ready for a great night of dancing as country lovers can expect to hear some absolute contemporary bangers by the likes of Luke Combs, Taylor Swift and Shania Twain.
And for those who love to a little Hillbilly Rock, there will also be occasional interludes of traditional country singalongs from Kenny Rogers, Alan Jackson, Jimmy Buffett and more.
Since its first night sell-out in November 2022, Red Solo Club has grown to become a successful bi-monthly event in Manchester, and as of July, it will be coming to Glasgow too.
Taking its name from Toby Keith’s country hit Red Solo Cup, Red Solo Club was created by friends Ste Brown and James Macdonald.
They said: “We were both introduced to modern country music while driving around America together about 15 years ago. You can’t go far over there without hearing some country music, and our interest in it has grown and grown since then.”
The pair also present The Dive Bar on LCRUK — an online country radio station setup during lockdown.
They continued: “We’d play all this music on our show and go to gigs but there was nowhere in the area that would play these songs late into the night, so we thought… why not do it ourselves?
“The genre is becoming really popular in the UK, and with young people too. I think some people maybe assume it’s just line dancing, stetsons and Achy Breaky Heart but give it a listen and realise there’s some great rock and pop songs — just with a little southern American twist.”
Red Solo Club is Manchester’s biggest country party, playing five hours of the best country music at Cooper Hall, Northern Quarter, on Saturday June 10th 9pm to 2am.
Ticket prices start from £5 and can be purchased by clicking HERE. Advanced tickets are available for £6, or £7 for anybody wishing to pay on the door.
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