🐝 Steins, Scarecrows & Summits

Good Morning Cheshire! 👋 

October is here with a proper autumn line-up. There are scarecrows at Quarry Bank, a lakeside Halloween trail near Warrington and not one but two Oktoberfests. Goostrey's arts festival is in full swing too, and this week's Hidden Gem is a hilltop with big views and a pub reward, so grab a coat, a flask and a plan.

Let’s dive in!

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🎉 What’s On In Cheshire

🎹 Goosfest: Two Pianos Rock 'n' Roll
Fri 2 Oct, Goostrey Village Hall
Al Kilvo and David Barton open the main festival with a high-energy rock 'n' roll piano show.
👉 Details

🍻 Oktobearfest
Fri 2 Oct, 7pm-late, and Sat 3 Oct, 12pm-late, Beartown Brewery, Congleton
Beartown's German-style beer festival is back after selling out last year, with Beartown beer, food, live music and family fun. Kids go free, and booking early gets you a free pint token with every £10 ticket while tokens last.
👉 Details

🤘 Matallica Tribute
Fri 2 Oct, 7pm, Empire, Bridge Street, Warrington
A live tribute night at Warrington's Empire, Experience the energy of live music at its best.
👉 Details

🎤 Fastlove: The George Michael Tribute
Fri 2 Oct, 7:30pm, Parr Hall, Warrington
A West End tribute with a full video and light show, playing the hits from Wham! through his solo career, including Careless Whisper, Faith and Freedom. Tickets from £31 plus fees.
👉 Details

😂 Daniel O'Reilly: Let's Have It
Fri 2 Oct, 8pm, Crewe Lyceum Theatre
The comedian brings his Let's Have It tour to Crewe. Tickets from £37, ages 16+.
👉 Details

🎭 Bugsy Malone
Thu 1 to Sat 3 Oct, Storyhouse Theatre, Chester
Castaway Theatre brings the much-loved gangster musical to the Storyhouse stage.
👉 Details

🌾 Quarry Bank Scarecrow Festival
Sat 3 Oct to Sun 1 Nov, 10:30am-5pm, Quarry Bank, Styal, Wilmslow
The first ever Scarecrow Festival brings a scarecrow trail, storytelling, crafts and games, plus an autumn play area indoors.
👉 Details

🎶 Goosfest: The Easy Rollers
Sat 3 Oct, Clonter Opera Theatre, Swettenham, near Congleton
A seven-piece band returns to Clonter on their 10th national tour.
👉 Details

🎹 Enjoy The Silence UK: Depeche Mode Tribute
Sat 3 Oct, The Arena, Crewe
A tribute to classic-era Depeche Mode, with Personal Jesus, People Are People and Just Can't Get Enough on the setlist.
👉 Details

🌱 Chester Seed Swap
Sat 3 Oct, 2pm-4pm, Storyhouse, Chester
Free to join. Bring seeds to swap, or just take some for next year's veg, fruit and flowers.
👉 Details

🎺 Ska Face
Sat 3 Oct, 7:30pm, The Irish Club, Orford Lane, Warrington
A Blackpool two-tone revival band play songs by Madness, The Selector and The Specials. Ages 14+.
👉 Details

🎤 The Take That Experience
Sat 3 Oct, doors open 7pm, Ellesmere Port Civic Hall
The Greatest Hits Tour, with Pray, Relight My Fire and Rule The World, plus a Robbie Williams set of Angels and Rock DJ.
👉 Details

🎻 Andy Irvine with Quilty
Sat 3 Oct, St Mary's Creative Space, Chester
An Irish folk great teams up with Swedish band Quilty for a night of Irish and Swedish traditional music. £25 in advance.
👉 Details

🎸 Cheshire Guitar Show
Sun 4 Oct, 10am-3pm, Crewe Alexandra FC, Gresty Road, Crewe
Guitars, live demos and workshops including cigar box guitar and ukulele. Free parking, £6 in advance or £7 on the door, under-12s free.
👉 Details

🎤 Goosfest: Luke Wright, Later Life Letter
Sun 4 Oct, evening, Goostrey Village Hall
One of the UK's top performance poets in a night of verse and wit.
👉 Details

🍺 Oktoberfest on the Rooftop
Thu 1 Oct, 3pm to Sun 4 Oct, 10pm, Rooftop Social Club, Pepper Street, Chester
Speciality German beers, currywurst and pretzels all weekend on Chester's rooftop.
👉 Details

🎬 Madness: Take It or Leave It
Sun 4 to Thu 8 Oct, Storyhouse Cinema, Chester
A BFI release of the Madness film (12A) on the big screen.
👉 Details

🎙️ Matt Willis: Mending, In Conversation
Mon 5 Oct, 7pm, Storyhouse Theatre, Chester
An evening in conversation with Matt Willis about Mending.
👉 Details

🎭 The Diary of Anne Frank
Tue 6 Oct, 7:30pm, Daneside Theatre, Congleton
The Congleton Players stage the moving true story of hope and courage. £12-£16.
👉 Details

🕵️ The Mousetrap
Tue 6 to Sat 10 Oct, Crewe Lyceum Theatre
Agatha Christie's whodunnit, running since 1952, with the best-kept secret in theatre.
👉 Details

🍺 Goosfest: Wings Wednesday
Wed 7 Oct, The Space Invader, Station Road, Goostrey
An early evening chill-out session from guitar and sax duo Bill and Ben.
👉 Details

🎶 Walk Like A Man
Thu 8 Oct, Chester Cathedral
A tribute show playing the smash hits made famous by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
👉 Details

• Rode Hall Farmers' Market - Sat 3 Oct, 9am-1:30pm | 👉 Details

• Crewe Makers Market - Sat 3 Oct, 10am-3pm | 👉 Details

• Chester Makers Market - Sat 3 Oct, 10am-4pm | 👉 Details

• Small Street Markets, Blakemere Village - Sun 4 Oct, 10am-4pm | 👉 Details

• Knutsford Makers Market - Sun 4 Oct, 11am-4pm | 👉 Details

• Creative Crafters Fair, Wincham - Sun 4 Oct, 11am-4pm | 👉 Details

• Norton Priory Autumn Orchard Festival - Sat 10 Oct-Sun 11 Oct | 👉 Details

• Seth Lakeman: Freedom Fields - Sat 10 Oct | 👉 Details

• Pumpkin Patch at Tatton Farm - Sat 10 Oct-Sun 11 Oct | 👉 Details

• Autumn Family Dog Walk at Combermere Abbey - Sun 11 Oct | 👉 Details

• Crafting for All Occasions: An Afternoon with Sara Davies - Sun 11 Oct | 👉 Details

• Blood Brothers - Tue 13 Oct-Sat 17 Oct | 👉 Details

• The Clone Roses, Parr Hall, Warrington - Sat 17 Oct | 👉 Details

💎 Hidden Gem: Helsby Hill and Woodhouse Hillfort, Helsby

Two of Cheshire's most northerly hillforts, one loop. You climb to the rocky summit of Helsby Hill with its ancient defences, then cross the valley to the tumbled ramparts of Woodhouse Hill, high on the Sandstone Ridge.

Early October is the sweet spot for it. The woodland is turning and the views from the top are big and open. Walkers rave about the hills and woods in autumn.

Then treat yourself. The Ring O'Bells in Frodsham is a 400-year-old pub on the Sandstone Trail serving home-cooked food, with free parking. It's a short drive from the start, not on the loop, so plan it as your reward.

Practical bits:

• Start: Helsby Quarry car park (free), Alvanley Road, Helsby WA6 9PU

• Distance: 7.5km (4¾ miles), allow 3 to 3½ hours

• Terrain: field and woodland paths and bridleways, short stretches of country road, two steep climbs onto Helsby Hill and a sharp descent from Woodhouse Hill

• Accessibility: not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs

• Dogs: welcome, but keep them under close control and preferably on a lead near livestock

• Bring: boots, as paths get muddy after rain

• Short on time or legs? Try the 2.3km Helsby Hill loop on its own, or wander the nature reserve opposite the car park.
  
  👉 Route Details
  👉 Ring O'Bells

That’s it for this week.

Thanks for reading The Cheshire Buzz! See you next Thursday - same time, same inbox.