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Page 2 May 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 TRAINoperatorNorthern is remind- ing travellers about changes to train timetables later thismonth. The update to timetables on Sunday May 17 forms part of the national timetable change, which takes place each May andDecember. Most of Northern’s services will see no change in May, with some targeted adjustments taking place tohelpwithpunctualityandreflect- ing feedback fromcustomers. In the North West, there will be some small changesona fewroutes to helpwith punctuality. Toby Higgins, head of business performance at Northern, said: “We’ve listened to feedback from our customers andhave focusedon improving reliability when the May timetable change takes place. “Whilst there won’t be wide- spread changes to times, I’d advise customers to check before they travel as some services will leave a few minutes earlier than they do now to help with over- all punctuality.” Full details of all of the changes taking place across the Northern network can be found on its website. DETAILS of the route taken by riders competing in 2027’s iconic Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift have been revealed and it will see some of the best cyclists in the world pass through Middleton. Full routes have now been revealed for the two stages of the 2027 Grand Départ as the race leaves host city Leeds, before heading through Yorkshire and into Greater Manchester. It will weave its way through a five-kilometre stretch of the Rochdale borough including the centre of Middleton, and then into Manchester, before going back out of the city through Stock- port and Derbyshire to the finish in Sheffield. Town’s big race revealed Dame Sarah Storey, active travel commis- sioner for Greater Man- chester, said: “Seeing the competitors of the world’s biggest women’s cycling race right up close, as they weave their way through Manchester, Stockport, Rochdale and Oldham, will be incredi- bly inspiring for people of all ages and the benefits to local communities and future generations of rid- ers will be far reaching.” Jon Dutton, chief exec- utive, British Cycling, added: “This is a hugely exciting moment for women’s cycling in Great Britain and having two stages on our doorstep here in Greater Man- chester makes it even more exciting, espe- cially now we can reveal the towns and villages through which the race route will pass in each of the boroughs.” Timetable change alert Simply FAB: Young stars shine! Festival time: The events in the town entertained the crowds (Photo credit: Rochdale Council) ROCHDALE’S new youth arts festival took to the streets and venues across the town showcasing the creativity of its young people. The FAB festival was at the centre of a packed programme dur- ing the closing week- end for Rochdale’s year as Greater Manches- ter Town of Culture 2025-26. Created with young people for young people, FAB – which stands for freedom, art and belong- ing -featured theatre, live music, dance, poetry, cir- cus, exhibitions, e-gam- ing, murals a carnival parade and more. The showcase of work by local children and young peo- ple attracted more than 1,500 visitors. There were tours of the towns murals as well as the unveiling of a new one created especially for the festival on the side of the Regal Moon building in the town centre by top mural artist Hayley Gar- ner (aka Aylo). The epic creation was inspired by the views and aspirations of more than100 local children. A lively carnival parade through the town centre, which drew big crowds, was led by local performers from Global Grooves and the Nigeria Community Association. An outdoor art exhibi- tion at the Square Gal- lery in front of Rochdale Town Hall, featuring work by art students from Hopwood Hall Col- lege who have been work- ing with social enterprise PLACED and Rochdale Development Agency to explore the future of the town and how they would like local public spaces to look. Number One River- side hosted a ‘Poems to Change the World’ exhi- bition as well as poetry workshops hosted by the town’s two young poets in residence, Alende Amisi and Sasha Mostafa. Pete Courtie, head of culture and placemak- ing at Rochdale Devel- opment Agency said: “A big thank you to all the young people who helped produce and deliver this festival, they have all worked so hard. “FAB provided our young people with an inspiring platform to showcase and celebrate their amazing creativity and was a perfect end to our year in the cultural spotlight. Do go and take a look at the artwork on display at The Square Gallery in front of Roch- dale Town Hall and the inspiring new murals.” Julia Heap, principal and chief executive of main sponsor Hopwood Hall College, said: “It was great to see so much cultural and artistic tal- ent and we were proud to help bring the celebration to life.”