What's On
The scenic fairy woodland miniature railway which only costs £2.50
‘People ask us what we sell at Brookside and I say we sell smiles.’
A cute miniature railway station close to Greater Manchester has been a popular attraction amongst families for the past 40 years — and its station manager is a TV star.
Brookside Miniature Railway in Poynton now looks even better after a team of volunteers saved it from risk of closure five years ago — giving it the TLC it deserves and a much needed glow-up. A team of railway enthusiasts look after the mini station, tending to the steam trains and tracks, paint it and keep it looking picture perfect for when it opens to welcome visitors every week.
The Cheshire-based attraction is open to the public every Thursday to Sunday and costs just £2.50 to take a ride on the tiny train. The little loco heads out to do its half mile loop of the Brookside Garden Centre where it takes in scenic river views along its route, weaving through tunnels and even passes an original 100-year-old signal box.
The owners have created a fairy garden and kingdom through the woodland to add some extra magic and imagination to the journey, along with a colony of garden gnomes donated by local residents.
The train navigates its way across the Nory Brook as it goes along the Stockport and Cheshire border. And there’s even a local celebrity who is the station manager — band lead Andy Prior who had his own entertainment show on the BBC in the 1990s, called The Andy Prior Big Band.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, retired police officer Chris Mackenzie MBE and Lee Oxley joined forces as the directors of the railway back in 2018. Chris, 62, says: “I’ve always been a railway enthusiast so I always knew about it here, and when we had a young son he loved it, and of course we were there every weekend.
“When we heard it was closing down, there was a public outcry. We decided it was too good to close down, so we formed a local company, a lot of us got together and here’s where we are now a few years later.
“We didn’t realise how run down it was, so a lot of work has gone into it and without the volunteers we wouldn’t be where we are now.”
During lockdown the team took the opportunity to repaint it all, while the garden centre, now owned by Klondyke & Strikes, helped in providing materials too. Chris said: “The general community here have been brilliant. It’s how to run a railway, with a lot of volunteers and not much money and a community behind you.
“One of the things we created to make it interesting all the way around was a magical fairy wood. People donated gnomes, we got a load of fairies and spent a lot of time making it. Wives will come along and ‘donate’ their husbands to help out!
“Only a couple of months ago a widow donated a shed to us, so we transformed that into a signal box and painted it in red and cream it looks lovely now.” Dozens of volunteers help out to maintain the railway and man the trains and generally make it a lovely time for all involved.”
Local celebrity and station manager, Andy Prior, gamely dresses up for the themed events at the railway, which include special Santa trains at Christmas and an Easter egg hunt over Easter.
He told The Manchester Evening News: “People ask us what we sell at Brookside and I say we sell smiles. It’s aimed at families and that’s why we have the fairy wood and pirates and that sort of thing, just to make it that bit more magical.
“It was in a pretty derelict state when we took it on, I’ve always been involved in railways and trains all my life. A lot of kids know me as Andy the train manager now. I train all the drivers. Sometimes I’ll be driving, sometimes I’m train guard taking the platform tickets — I’m pretty hands on.”
The sit-in carriages are each named after volunteer’s family members and even Chris’ beloved pet dog that sadly died called Daisy. They’ve also just invested in a new loco called Graeme — for which the naming ceremony is set to take place in the next few weeks.
The station also features a gift shop, which includes a range of Thomas the Tank Engine toys and ice creams. There’s also an original signal box that came from Aughton Road near Southport. Staff have worked hard to repair and restore the historic building, although little of the signal works in the top floor survives.
The railway is open weekly from Thursday to Sunday, and also on bank holidays. Opening times are 10.30am to 4pm.
Tickets are £2.50 for adults and children aged over two. You can also buy 10 rides for £25.00 and get an extra two rides for free. You can find out more on the Brookside Miniature Railway website.
What's On
The new FREE Christmas night market with over 40 traders from across our region
Get in the festive spirit!
Get in the festive spirit with a brand new FREE Christmas makers night market, with over 40 traders and small businesses from across the region.
Brought to you by Renaker, the Manchester Made Christmas night market is coming to New Jackson, Deansgate Square from Friday December 6th to Sunday December 8th.
Following on from a successful summer market in May, the Manchester Made Market is returning bigger and better than before but with a Christmassy twist.
Manchester Made Market
Expect a ‘cosy and magical’ Christmas night market experience, with food, drink, live music and even a grotto for visits to Father Christmas.
There’ll be Christmas trees galore, glittering with lighting, with one huge show-stopping tree taking centre stage.
Bringing together over 40 artisanal traders and small businesses from across the region, the three-day event will showcase a plethora of food produce, homewares, crafts and creations.
Manchester Made Market
Visitors will be sure to find unique Christmas gifts that support local businesses, including from The Cole Men and their award winning sauces, Moon & Sixpence’s handmade jewellery, and fine art photography by Craig Barker.
There’ll be live music from a 20-piece choir, playing Christmas classics, cocktails from Manchester Gin and Gooey’s sweet treats.
The experts from Millington Hall Farm in Altrincham will be bringing a taste of their Wild Grill experience, including live sausage making demonstrations and an array of German sausages served from a festive BBQ trailer.
Manchester Made Market
Families with children can visit the Christmas grotto, where Father Christmas himself will be waiting in a cosy tipi – kids will get a gift from Santa, and bookings can be made online for £8.50 per child.
Manchester Made Market will be open from 4pm to 9pm on Friday December 6th, and 1pm to 9pm on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th – pre-register for a free guest list ticket and 50% off a hot chocolate HERE, or book the Christmas grotto HERE.
What's On
Free one-day Christmas festival returning to Stockport to kick off festive season
Get in the festive spirit in Stockport!
Stockport’s free, one-day Christmas festival is returning this festive season, with 200 performers and more than 50 shows.
Spectacular Sunday will return to the town on November 17th at various sites and venues.
Following the success of last year’s event, hundreds of performers will take over Stockport, with everything from giant roller-skating presents to a living snow globe and roaming Christmas dolls.
There will also be street theatre, including grumpy Christmas grandads, a gigantic balloon man and water show.
Matthew Nichol Photography
Produced by carnival arts organisation Global Grooves and organised by Stockport Council, Totally Stockport, Merseyway and Stockport Market, the town centre will be buzzing with Christmas excitement.
Events will be happening in iconic Stockport locations like Market Place, Underbanks, Merseyway, Redrock and Suffragette Square.
A grand finale in Merseyway will bring together the brass bands of Stockport, ending the day with a huge flash mob and rendition of All You Need Is Love.
Cirq Delight
Cllr Singleton, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Sport, said: “We’re so excited to bring this event back after last year’s amazing success.
“It’s such a fun way to get everyone in the festive spirit and really shows off what makes Stockport special – our sense of community and joy.
“With loads of free performances and activities, plus a chance to enjoy the newly improved areas of Merseyway, it’s a perfect day out for families.
“Stockport’s Spectacular Sunday is all about having fun, making memories, and starting the holiday season in style.”
Spectacular Sunday is happening from 11am to 5pm on Sunday November 17th – find out more HERE.
The prestigious Manchester Art Fair is back in town for its 16th year next month, bringing with it a vibrant gallery space showcasing thousands of works from over 500 artists.
One of the biggest and most significant events in the UK art world calendar, it’ll take over Manchester Central for three days, from Friday November 15th to 17th.
The city will be flooded with art from all corners of the world, championing everything from local heroes to new emerging talent, as well as international artists with worldwide acclaim.
Manchester Art Fair
A wide range of artistic disciplines will be represented at the event, from painters, illustrators, and sculptors to graffiti artists and everything in between.
Expect exhibitions, workshops, Q&A sessions, demos, book signings and parties happening across the event.
Tickets include free access to art workshops and talks from leading artists and cultural experts, and are on sale now.
You can grab them HERE.
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The prestigious Manchester Art Fair is back in town for its 16th year
