Culture
Open mic night blends visual art and spoken word
Words and images intertwined yesterday at The Hive Gallery in The Market Place, Bolton, as poetry echoed from the walls in celebration of the Let’s Talk About Text exhibition.
Lois Barnett
Howfen journalist featured in Wigan Today and Bolton News. Local stories & events.
Culture
Art meets language in new exhibition at The Hive Gallery
The installation provides people a foundation to explore on a personal level how text can be a tool to think, reflect and unpack ideas or events for us to connect with moments of the past, present and future.
Culture
Herds create thought-provoking display at Pennington Flash
Last weekend the Herds, a spectacular public art initiative made up of life-sized animal puppets made a striking debut at Pennington Flash. Having travelled 20,000 KM on a journey from Africa to the Article Circle.
Culture
With smiling faces and a fantastic turnout, Tyldesley Carnival returned this year for the first time in 33 years
Tyldesley Carnival made its long-awaited return last weekend, with over 3,000 residents turning out to celebrate the occasion.
Culture
Witty and heartfelt: Calendar Girls made the audience laugh and cry at Turnpike community production
Turnpike Community Theatre's production of Calendar Girls by Tim Firth invited the audience to laugh together, and, at times, quietly wipe away tears.
Life & Community
Undervalued and frustrated: the hidden challenges of unpaid carers
In this special investigation for Carers Week, Mia Mohamed Sueres and Lois Barnett shed light on the lives of local carers.
Life & Community
Fighting loneliness through cups of tea and conversation
In a small backroom behind a Wigan charity shop, tea, laughter and quiet kindness offer a powerful response to loneliness.
Culture
Joe Kiney Whitmore’s silent aria exhibition fuses the two worlds of art and music
The two forms fused seamlessly, inviting the audience to feel the melody not just in sound, but within the artwork itself. Each note, rhythm, and pause of silence seemed to resonate through the space, blending together in both form and feeling.
Culture
We can still admire Walt Whitman, but we should read him with caution
Whitman’s poetry inspired a democratic ideal, but his prejudices demand a more critical reading.
Life & Community
A prickly kind of love: The woman behind Westhoughton’s hedgehog hospital
From late-night rescues to microscope inspections, Jayne Schofield’s work at The Hoggery is as hands-on as it gets
Life & Community
Not just skincare: how influencers became Gen Z’s trusted journalists
Influencers are no longer just promoting skincare or the latest makeup trends. They’re calling out media bias, decoding bureaucracy — and, in Kat Abughazaleh’s case, running for Congress.
Life & Community
80 years on from VE Day, Westhoughton throws a very special celebration
'A time to reflect on the strength of our community, both past and present' — Lois Barnett reports from Westhoughton's VE Day celebrations