Good morning, Warrington. Mike here. This is The Warrington Scoop.

Storm Boelo, the clocks going back, half term and now Halloween, all in one week. We made it to Friday, so go and put the kettle on, because you've earned it and have a read about the good stuff happening around town.

Grab your favourite brew, and let's start. ☕

I first noticed Lymm Rocks outside the Lymm Heritage Centre, where there's a little village of painted rocks. I thought they were amazing, and I always wondered who made them.

This week, Helen got in touch to tell me all about them. Lymm Rocks started in April 2018, and the idea is that members paint a rock, hide it somewhere around Lymm, and wait for someone to find it. There's a message on the back asking the finder to post on the Lymm Rocks Facebook group, so the person who put the effort in knows that their rock was found4. Helen says rocks have travelled all over the world, and the group now has around 5,700 members.

Here are a couple of events that they do throughout the year.

During Covid, the team painted "Vera Lymm" rocks for care home residents and anyone shielding, each with a message saying we'll meet again. Towards the end of lockdown they painted a village of shops and houses in rocks, and some of it is still on display outside the Heritage Centre (which is the part I first saw).

Helen did tell me they've got a problem right now, as not enough people are posting when they find a rock, and they've lost some painters because of it. A finder's post is what keeps the painters going, so if you come across a Lymm rock, please post it on the Facebook page, as it will make their day.

And if you fancy having a go yourself, the group has plenty of advice. Paint something, hide it, and see who finds it. You'll find them on the Lymm Rocks Facebook group, and if you've found one of their rocks, hit reply and tell me.

🍰 Get down to Monia’s Cakes, who are based in The Hive on Sankey Street. They have a new limited edition banoffee cake on the menu, I tried it and it was really good!

🎵 On Monday, we were passing what was the old 53 Degrees (or Churchills as it was also called). The builders were ripping it all out, and I noticed a sign on the door that showed the old dress code, which made me laugh about how times have changed.

🪩 More nostalgia for you today. Was this you when your favourite tune came on in Mr Smiths?

🤣 We are all so used to the Pink Eye that we don’t even think twice about it…. it’s just become a landmark for directions. However, if you are from out of town, this is how you might react.

💙 Directions for Warringtonians, a new mental health charity for people of all genders, launched at Warrington Market last Saturday. It was set up by Nicholas Bain, who has been a facilitator at Directions for Men for six and a half years, and it offers support and advice to individuals and couples. There’s also a WhatsApp group where people can reach out at any time, and Directions for Men carries on every week too.

🎄 Christmas is on its way to Warrington. Warrington Unwrapped 2026 kicks off with a three-day weekend from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th November, with an outdoor screening of Elf on the Friday, the Christmas Lights Switch On on the Saturday (with entertainment from 11am), artisan markets over the weekend, and Winter Wonderland opening at Time Square and running until Christmas Eve.

⚽ Warrington Town are asking primary school pupils to design their away kit for the 2027/28 and 2028/29 seasons, and the winning design will be the real thing. Entries close on 27th November, every entrant gets a ticket for themselves and an adult to a home match in the New Year, and the winner gets the first shirt made in their size plus two season tickets. If your child's school isn't involved yet, email [email protected].

🃏 Warrington Bridge Club plays at Alford Hall on Manchester Road and has been growing for the last 8 to 10 years. Jim, the club's secretary, says they'd love some new players, so if you fancy giving it a go, have a look at their website to find out more.

This week's house of the week was sent to us by a Scoop reader who asked if we would feature their home for them.

It's a three bedroom semi on Birtles Road, WA2, and it's been heavily extended, so you can see where the money has gone. The back of the house is one big open plan kitchen and dining room with bi-fold doors out to the garden. There's a new kitchen with granite worktops, underfloor heating in the extension, a big utility room and a downstairs toilet. Up in the loft there's an extra room that could be an office, a playroom or a spare bedroom.

Outside, the east facing garden is about 70 feet long and easy to look after, with a garden room, and the driveway has space for at least two cars.

It's on for £289,950. Have a look here on Rightmove.

Want your house featured? If you're selling, you could put it in front of 16,800 Warrington inboxes. It isn't free, but it's very affordable, so get in touch by replying to this email and we'll sort it out.

It's the day before Halloween, so let's see if this one is a trick or a treat. Last Friday Jill, a Warrington expat in Canada, got it in two, Angela and Carol both got it in three, and Anne got there in four without the clue. Today's word has a Warrington connection, so reply and tell me how you got on.

Click here to play

There is a clue at the bottom of the email if you need it.

🗳 Culcheth and Glazebury. Residents, businesses and community groups in Culcheth and Glazebury are being asked how the area should be represented in future, as part of a Community Governance Review. There's a 10 minute online survey, paper copies and other formats are available on 01925 443322, and it closes at midnight on Monday 30th November. (Warrington Borough Council)

We are currently onboarding new clients for December across the newsletter and social media. When you work with us, you get full access to:

📧 16,900 email subscribers (this email, like a mini newspaper)
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That's over 52,800 people across Warrington, all in one package.

Fancy featuring in the Scoop? Reply to this email and let's have a chat, as we are only taking on a certain number of partners.

Thanks for reading The Warrington Scoop today.

If you found this useful, please share it with someone who has a spare rock in the garden and a free half hour.

Catch you on Monday

Mike

Wordle clue: Water based

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