Man About Town – March 2026

By Greg Hall

By the time you read this article, spring will be well and truly upon us. Maybe not literally, bearing in mind ‘astronomical spring’ officially starts on the vernal equinox (which is usually around 20th March and, quite frankly, sounds like one of Elon Musk’s children), but the weather should hopefully be getting brighter and warmer, with the first few plants shooting up out of the ground.

Speaking of ‘astronomical’ and things ‘shooting up’, you might also notice the cost of flowers and chocolates starting to rocket in the next week or so, as local retailers prepare themselves with unbridled glee for Mother’s Day on Sunday 15th March. In fairness, who can blame them for wanting to make a hefty profit while they can, as Mother’s Day – along with Valentine’s Day last month – is one of those annual events florists and gift shops thrive on to keep them going through the cold winter, when flower-based occasions are few and far between.

Likewise, the excellent restaurants and cafes we have dotted around town will be hoping for a barrage of bookings in the run up to Mother’s Day (in fact, if you haven’t yet made a reservation, you had better act fast to avoid disappointment), with set menus of various global cuisines available to whet the appetite.

Aside from Mother’s Day, Sandbach Town Council are running a free surgery the day before (Saturday 14th March) and, while I’m sceptical of how qualified our town councillors are to perform major surgery, my right knee is still playing up and if they’re willing to operate for free, that seems like a risk worth taking (for legal reasons, that was a joke – please don’t pop into the free surgery asking for free surgery).

Then, the following week, Saxon Players are performing ‘Abigail’s Party’ at the Masonic Hall. The play, which was written in the 1970s, comes with a warning that some of the themes might be considered somewhat outdated, with ‘attitudes and language that were prevalent at that time but may seem inappropriate and could be considered offensive if expressed in general conversation today.’ There are a few people around town who should come with a similar warning.

Fellow lovers of the arts might also be interested to know that our world famous Foden’s band will be performing alongside Sandbach School Band at… erm… Sandbach School on Thursday 26th March, before the Choral Society put on their Spring Concert at St Peter’s Church Hall in Elworth to conclude the month’s calendar of events on Saturday 28th March.

Quite a lot to look forward to this month, then. Before we know it, Easter will be here (although, according to some local shops, Easter began immediately after Boxing Day).