The immersive tour of Rochdale, revealing hidden secrets

Culture, music, religion and the history of the town centre Wetherspoons. Only Rochdale could weave tales of these things together into a compelling intertwing web.

The sold out ‘Stories We Tell’ immersive tour has been the hottest ticket in town.

Many walking past Rochdale train station recently could have been confused by the big group of people donning lit up headphones all huddled up.

The transport hub was the start of the adventure, described as ‘a love letter to Rochdale, guided by the people of the town’. Those were the words of Ella Marshall, creative producer of Breaking Barriers – the production behind the council-backed culture project.

Immersive is the key word when describing the tour, with the headphones completely shutting you off to the noises from the outside world. The way in which the sound hits your ears is so convincing that some tourists twisted their heads in panic when they heard the imaginary wooshes of bikes and cars going past.

This is why the safety briefing was necessary, as were the walk stewards cloaked in hi-vis jackets that surrounded the walking group throughout like a security detail. The excitement was palpable amongst the many locals taking a trip to uncover the hidden secrets of their town – told by their own.

As walk-lead Hannah Thomas-Byrne guided what looked like a walking silent disco from the station towards Milkstone Road, voices of locals started playing through the headphones. The atmospheric tones behind the plethora of storytellers was the key ingredient to really taking you back in time.

It was difficult to imagine you were taking a winter’s night stroll in freezing temperatures, rather than the soundscapes of the hustle and bustle of 1970s Milkstone Road. Rochdale’s takeaway hub was the first pit stop on the tour, where a sweet treat was enjoyed and the initial projection show was on display.

From Milkstone Road, the route took the group around the corner into St John The Baptist Church for a lights show. It was at this point one of the storytellers recalled the time King Charles III visited when he was a mere prince and mistakenly thought the dome structure was a mosque.

He could be forgiven for this error, as the catholic churches likeness to a Islamic house of worship is uncanny. After the church lights show, the group made their way towards Drake Street – where a local musician put on a quick show.

En route to Baillie Street, even the local Wetherspoons had some history to offer punters. The Regal Moon, built in 1938 was originally a cinema, popular with locals, before it transitioned into a bingo hall and then later a pub.

It was a quick jaunt through the aesthetically pleasing Baillie Street to admire the mural dedicated to the Suffragettes before ending the hour-long tour at the majestic Rochdale Town Hall.

The historic Grade-I* listed building was the scene of the last projected lights show, displaying images of local people, memories and illustrations from the town’s rich cultural history.

The last urban myth from the headphone voices was on a classic tale about the town hall. It is believed, but not proven, that Adolf Hitler admired the 1800s building so much, he wanted to take it back to Germany brick by brick.

After removing the headphones and walking towards San Remo cafe on Drake Street for the post-tour hot chocolate, the message from the storytellers was clear. They are fed up with seeing Rochdale’s identity marred by negative headlines, being ashamed to say where they live and not being given the credit they deserve for their cultural contributions.

Breaking Barrier production billed this tour as an outdoor audio experience that transformed the town’s streets into a living storybook – and it delivered. The audience really did explore Rochdale through personal memories, everyday moments and powerful community voices.

The production company even gave local talent a chance to thrive with this council project, by teaming up with the Young Company.

Young Company brings together emerging artists aged 18 to 25 who have a connection to Rochdale. The programme offers a paid, hands-on opportunity to develop professional skills, collaborate with industry practitioners and contribute meaningfully to an ambitious, community-centred production.

Walk-lead Hannah was a filmmaker on the project, but like the others involved with Young Company she helped put on the tours for locals.