Your Local Independent 205

Page 2 March 2026 AD SALES 01204 478812 No part of this publication may be used or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure that the articles and advertisements that are carried are authentic, however the publisher accepts no responsibility for claims made. © Investors in Publishing Ltd 2026. This newspaper is published monthly by Investors in Publishing, Publishing House, 3 Bridgebank Industrial Estate, Taylor Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7PD. Tel. 01204 478812 EDITOR: Ged Henderson ged@hendersonnewsandmedia.com ADVERTISING : JayneMeadowcroft 01204 478812 or 07703 045189 jayne@independentnewspapers.co.uk CLASSIFIEDS : Teresa Bond 01204 478812 teresa@independentnewspapers.co.uk CONTACT US BOMB SQUAD WAS CALLED IN AFTER ‘GRENADES’ FIND A NEW youth arts festival in Rochdale will put young peo- ple’s creativity at the heart of a packed pro- gramme of events. FAB – which stands for freedom, art and belong- ing – will include thea- tre, live music, dance, poetry, circus, exhibi- tions, e-gaming, murals a carnival parade and lots more, showcasing work by local children and young people. The festival will take place on Friday March 27 and Saturday March 28 and aims to showcase and celebrate amaz- ing creativity. Highlights will include creation of a huge new mural on the side of the Regal Moon building in Rochdale town centre by top mural artist Hay- ley Garner. Hayley, who is also know as Aylo, curated last year’s highly-ac- claimed Common Walls International Mural Fes- tival in the town. She will mentor young artists working with her, creating new works of art on Yorkshire Street. FAB will also include a carnival parade by Global Grooves and the Nigeria Community Association, live performances by M6 Theatre, and an outdoor art exhibition at the Square Gallery in front of Rochdale Town Hall. The festival’s main sponsor is Hopwood Hall College, who will host an e-gaming event on the Saturday. Skylight Circus Arts Youth Circus will also be performing shows for the whole family to A RAFT of road safety improvements will be delivered in Kirkholt as part of a major investment into high- ways across Rochdale. The project, which is now under way, will include the upgrade of an existing crossing to a push button facility in Balderstone Road, close to the Strand shopping area. New footpaths will be created along Balder- stone Road around the Strand to make it much safer and easier for peo- ple to get around. The steps leading to the crossing will also be upgraded, alongside the ramp access. In addition, a new zebra crossing will be introduced in Balder- stone Road close to its junction with Rus- kin Road. The section of Daven- try Road close to the Kirkholt medical prac- tice will be realigned to improve visibility around the bend, with footpaths being created on one side where there is currently no pedestrian route. Traffic calming measures will also be introduced along Balder- stone Road. Shah Wazir, Rochdale Council’s cabinet mem- ber for highways, said: “These improvements, which represent a big investment into the area, Volunteers needed to save town’s 1940s Day Road safety drive moves up a gear will provide a welcome boost to road safety in a thriving neighbourhood. “The Strand is a fan- tastic and well used community and shop- ping facility with a large number of people visiting each day, so it’s vital that they can get around this area safely and easily and make the most of being out and about in the community. “I’m really pleased that this work is getting under way and I can’t wait to see the end result.” The Kirkholt project, which is expected to complete in the summer, is one of a number of road safety upgrades being delivered across the bor- ough using funding from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM). New pedestrian cross- ings have already been installed on Oldham Road in Middleton, Shawclough Road in Rochdale and in Hali- fax Road, Smallbridge, while a scheme in the Hopwood Triangle area of Heywood is also being developed. ORGANISERS of the popular Hey- wood 1940s Day have warned it may not go ahead this year unless more volunteers can be found to help run it. The free annual event needs around 10 new faces to support an exist- ing group of volunteers from Heywood Business Group who organise the day, to ensure it can go ahead. Usually staged on a Saturday in June, the colourful celebration of all things 1940s offers a great day out for all the family, including live music and enter- tainment, a street party, food and drink, armed forces parade, children’s fairground rides, military vehicles and much more. Last year’s event included military and vintage vehicles, a full- size replica Hurricane and Spitfire, various displays and historical re-enactments as well as 1940s themed train trips. Many visitors dress up in traditional 1940s fash- ion and the event contin- ues into the evening in the town’s pubs and bars, bringing a boost to the local economy. Allison Bamford, chair of Heywood Business Group, said: “Heywood 1940s Day has been a popular fixture on the cal- endar for over 15 years, bringing thousands of people into the town. “But as visitor num- bers have increased, so have the demands on our very small team, so with people moving on and a couple of our older members needing to step back from some of their responsibilities, we urgently need people to come forward to ensure the event can continue. “It’s already been a challenge in recent years but we’re at the point now where we can’t carry on. “We’re putting a call out to the community to ask for support, not just on the day itself, but to help us organise it too. Unfortunately, there is now a real risk that if we don’t get sufficient help, the event won’t be able to go ahead.” Volunteer roles availa- ble cover a wide range of jobs, across all areas of the event including, set- ting up and dismantling stalls and attractions, looking after visitors, stewarding, health and safety, event plan- ning and management and marketing. Popular: Heywood 1940s Day attracts the crowds (Photo credit: Rochdale Council) Festival will be just FAB! Inspiring: FAB will showcase young people’s creativity (Photo credit: Rochdale Council) Art attack: Top mural artist Hayley Garner will create a new piece of work (Photo credit: Rochdale Council) enjoy with opportunities to join in. All elements of the event, including its name and colourful logo, have been designed by more than 100 local young people. All the events are free. Sue Smith, Rochdale Council cabinet mem- ber for communities and co-operation, said: “This new festival will provide our young people with an inspiring platform to showcase and celebrate their amazing creativity. “Offering some bril- liant chances to take part in creative activities for free, it’s also a perfect way end to our year in the cultural spotlight.” Julia Heap, principal and chief executive of festival sponsor Hop- wood Hall College, said: “In Rochdale’s year as Greater Manches- ter Town of Culture, this festival represents everything that makes our community special – talent, opportunity, and cultural ambition. “We are thrilled to be part of an event that will inspire the next genera- tion and help bring this vibrant celebration to life.” BOMB di sposa l units were called to an address in Roch- dale following the discovery of sus- pected grenades at an empty house. Police say they were found during the clear- ing of an unoccupied property on Manches- ter Road. A Greater Man- chester Police (GMP) spokesperson said: “Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers attend the scene, along with police and other partners. The items were recov- ered and taken to a nearby location where they were safely and remotely detonated. The spokesperson added: “There are no wider con- cerns to the public.”