Girls Aloud will perform in Manchester and Liverpool next year as part of their Tangled Up Tour. The British girl group will appear at the Liverpool Echo Arena on May 30 2008 and at the MEN Arena the following night. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
Around 2,000 Oldham Athletic fans gathered at Oldham Civic Centre today to demonstrate against Oldham Borough Council’s rejection of plans to redevelop the club’s stadium. After hearing speeches from Chief Executive Alan Hill and others, the fans marched to Boundary Park to watch their team draw 1-1 with Port Vale.
Schoolchildren from across Rossendale will get the region’s Christmas celebrations underway next week. Students from Haslingden High School will sing carols outside Haslingden Library at 3.45 pm on November 21, and the following day the Alder Grange Jazz Band will perform at the switch-on in Rawtenstall near the Dale Public House at 4.30 pm. Bacup and Rawtenstall Grammar School will entertain the crowds at Bacup’s switch-on at the Cenotaph at 4.30 pm on December 6.
Barrow’s Christmas celebrations will start on Sunday November 25 when the town’s Christmas lights are switched on. The festivities will take place on Town Square between 1 pm and 5 pm and will feature street entertainers, Santa’s grotto and children’s rides.
Dublin boy band Boyzone are reuniting for a UK tour next summer that includes appearances in at the MEN Arena on June 13 and the new Liverpool Echo Arena on June 15. All five original members of the band will join the tour including front man Ronan Keating. Tickets go on sale November 19.
Bolton Council has announced another addition to Bolton’s Christmas lights switch-on. Pint-sized Lil’ Chris will join Orson and Ted Robbins on Victoria Square on November 18. Chris found fame on Channel 4’s Rock School, which gave a class of school children the chance to form a successful rock band under the guidance of former Kiss front man Gene Simmons. His first single Checking it Out, released last year, went to number three in the charts.
Bolton Council Leader Councillor Cliff Morris said ‘We’ve got a great line-up this year and what Lil’ Chris lacks in size I’m sure he’ll make up for in noise! It’s going to be a magical day and the Christmas lights will add a real sparkle and festive atmosphere to the town centre. We are hoping to attract a lot of people. There’ll be something for everyone and it should be a real family event.’
The show begins at 4 pm with the switch-on scheduled for 6 pm.
Work has begun on a new £500,000 crazy golf course at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. The 12-hole Adventure Golf course is being built on Flagstaff Gardens, just outside the theme park, and is set to open around March 2008. Pleasure Beach Managing Director Amanda Thompson said, ‘Adventure Golf will improve the overall look of the promenade and offers a significant new statement in the realm of public art. I’m sure it will be great fun for all the family and is yet another fantastic addition to Pleasure Beach.’
The tearoom at Kendal’s Quaker Tapestry Exhibition Centre has been recognised for its vegetarian catering by the Vegetarian Society. It was named joint winner of the 2007 award for Best Provision for Vegetarians at a Visitor Attraction, sharing the title with Cornwall’s Monkey Sanctuary.
Burnley Football Club has announced that manager Steve Cotterill has left the club by ‘mutual consent’. The club currently stand 15th in the Championship, having won just one of their last ten matches. Assistant manager Steve Davis will take charge of the match against Leicester City on Saturday.
Morecambe will celebrate the run-up to Christmas with an open-air ice rink in the newly developed West End Gardens. It will be in operation from December 17 to 21. Use of the rink and hire of skates will be free of charge.