Having attended my first Ramsbottom online Bloggers meeting in the welcoming surroundings of the First Chop, suitably warmed up and my inhibitions quelled by a delicious drop of Mulled wine, I was delighted to learn that my fellow bloggers were also new to Rammy.

Jamie and Tom, the brains and passion behind Ramsbottom online, asked what attracted us to Ramsbottom in the first place and what we liked about the site. We were unanimous in our opinion that Rammy is a fantastic village with a big heart and community (not to mention a sumptuous plethora of great places to eat) and we all love the website as it gives us an insight into the village life, issues and interests, in an easy to navigate contemporary portal.

We were very sad to hear that our village traders are loss leading through the week before making a profit at the weekend. Credit where it’s due, these guys work tirelessly to put on events to make Ramsbottom one of the premier weekend destinations North of Manchester, earning us the accolade of the ‘Didsbury of the North’. We all benefit from niche shops and restaurants attracted to Rammy for its reputation, but we shouldn’t take it for granted that they’ll always be around. We’ve lost a couple of traders recently and more are struggling. It would be great to be able to offer them some ideas to help bring in more trade during the week to keep our town centre the envy of our neighbours.

If you’re new to the village, like me and the other bloggers, then don’t be shy, get in touch, get involved, or just turn up to an event. Join our facebook page or follow our tweets to keep abreast of everything that’s going on. Let us know in advance if you need some handholding and we can offer a friendly face to meet and greet at any of the events in Rammy.

Article written by Elizabeth Clark
www.rapportunlimited.co.uk

What was the name of the dog that found the stolen Jules Rimet World Cup trophy in 1966?

Think you know the answer to this piece of trivia or does it leave you in a bit of a pickle?

If you think you’ve got the knowledge to answer this brain teaser of a question then you and a gaggle of your pals could take part in what could easily be described as Ramsbottom’s answer to Mastermind meets the Krypton Factor, (minus the physical activity part, unless raising an ice cold Amstel to your lips is classed as physical activity) in ‘RamsbottonOnline.com’s Not So Famous Quiz Night™’.

This great monthly quiz takes place on the last Wednesday of month. The next on is on Weds 27th October.

The rules are simples enough:

• £5 per team entry (up to 4 people)
• Bowl of chips, nuts & crackers to share
• Drinks offers on the night
• Winner takes the pot of cash
• Everyone is guaranteed to win a prize!
• Start at 8.30pm
• 4 sets of 10 questions covering all sorts!

All you need to do is turn up. Pay your cash. Get an answer sheet and you’re in.

43 Bolton Street
Ramsbottom
BL0 9HU

Tel: 01706 827722
Web: www.thefirstchop.co.uk

43 Bolton Street
Ramsbottom
BL0 9HU

Tel: 01706 827722
Web: www.thefirstchop.co.uk

Thursday May 20th  9pm – 2am
Pablo’s Finest Hour
Damien Heakin

Friday May 21st  9pm – 2am
Dirty Hands (acoustic set)
UkePunk

Saturday May 22nd  9pm – 2am
Roots Cafe
Ivan Campo
Stephen Copeland

Sunday May 23rd  7pm – 12midnight
Miss James and the Misterz
Risa Hall
Roydan Styles

Admission is free so please give generously. The First Chop will be donating a percentage of bar takings for the duration of CHOPFEST to Bury Hospice.

CHOPFEST is part of Bury Arts Week, raising money for Bury Hospice.

This weekend why not check out the new menu’s at some of Ramsbottom’s finest eateries…

The Retro Lounge, The Lounge, The First Chop and The Chocolate Cafe have launched their menu’s for spring and you can check them out here first…

Click for The Retro Lounge menu

Click for The Lounge menu

Click for The First Chop menu

Click for The Chocolate Cafe menu

Starts: 8pm
Finishes: 1am
Admission: FREE!!

The other night I shared a nice of bottle of my favourite tipple, Jever, with the First Chop head honcho and he gave me a sneak preview of his new menu. In a sentence I would say ‘it’ll give you a nice warm winter hug just when you need it’

He swore me to secrecy then but now its out and needs to be tried, check out it by clicking here, or read on for a small sample..

They’ve got some lovely pies – cow, fish and cheese and onion, steak and chips are back on, bangers and mash, some lovely lamb chumps with Lancashire Pesto and of course lots of lovely tapas.

There’s some great offers on too – come and get a burger with chips and salad, pie, chips and roast veg or bangers and mash for a fiver – weekday lunchtimes – and they’re probably the best pies, burgers and bangers in town!

Tea Time Beat the Clock on tuesday, wednesday and thursday evenings between 5pm and 7pm, selected main courses for between £5 and £7 depending on what time you order.

There’s never been a better time to get yourself down the chop!

On the 17th of September, after receiving a round robin email about a gig at The First Chop, I decided to wander down into the town and see what was in store.

The intriguing part of the email was that the night was to be hosted by a certain Ivan Campo. Immediately my mind was awash with visions of a night with the hirsute ex- Bolton Wanderers Spanish playmaker holding court, casting aside his boots, donning some stack heels and using his footballing downtime to hone his flamenco guitar/castanet technique to dazzling effect. In his place, however, I found three unassuming musicians from the North West weaving a blissed-out blend of vocal harmony and acoustic guitar folk-pop.

Think of a jazzy kitchen sink drama soundtrack scored by the Beatles, the Kinks, the Coral, Beck, Bacharach and David and the Beach Boys and you may get an idea of the sound made by the Campo’s. Add one xylophone, a harmonica and one of those Casio-tone mini keyboards you got for Christmas when you were 7 years old and you’re nearer still! Sweet 3 part harmonies are underpinned by charming, witty and sometimes absurd lyrics and rhythms are tapped out on a bric-a-brac of percussive instruments.

The obligatory post-gig CD’s were offered up which I duly purchased (£3 pounds each or 2 for a fiver!) and they have had regular outings floating from my hi-fi speakers at home. As a venue The Chop, which has recently taken back up its Thursday night live music policy, is the perfect suitor to this laid back assembly and, as luck would have it, Ivan Campo return there again on Thursday October the 1st. See you down there…

For more information on Ivan Campo, hover your mouse here

Following Ramsbottom’s successful Chocolate Festival in April, the town is putting itself firmly on the map for UK chocoholics by launching a Chocolate Trail leaflet during National Chocolate week (12-18 October 2009)

The trail promotes Ramsbottom as a destination for quality chocolate and links the town’s many chocolate related independent businesses on a relaxing shopping and dining tour, covering everything from handmade chocolates to chocolate wines and chocolate themed dishes from award-winning restaurants and cafés. Two hotels on the trail mean that visitors from across the UK can enjoy a weekend stay.

Organised by a partnership between Bury Council and members of the Ramsbottom business group, the trail is good news for consumers, as the leaflet will entitle holders to enjoy discounts at some of the participating outlets. Weekend attractions such as the monthly farmers markets and the East Lancashire Railway already pull in the crowds, but the unique chocolate theme will increase the town’s appeal for food-lovers, with award-winning eateries such as Ramsons and The Cultured Bean serving chocolate inspired courses and the Chocolate Café offering innovative produce such as chocolate pizzas and melt-in-the-cup drinking chocolate bars.

Other independent retailers on the trail include The Cooks Emporium, specialist cookshop selling chocolate cookery gadgets, The Vineyard the North West’s wine retailer of the year offering chocolate wine and stylish bars such as The Lounge and The First Chop serving chocolate beer and chocolate cocktails to round off a day’s indulgence.

Download the Ramsbottom Chocolate Trail leaflet here