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Guides
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6 December 2014

Polly Checkland Harding

Introducing our Advent Calendar – the sixth post in a cultural countdown to Christmas. Today: independent shops, Christmas markets and coffee.

Today is Small Business Saturday – which means a celebration of independent shops. We love Cow Vintage in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, Magma nearby and the Craft & Design Centre. As it’s a Saturday, it’s also the ideal time to explore Manchester’s Christmas Markets – we’ve selected the very best from over 300 stalls, focussing both on some ace gift ideas and foodie indulgences to give into. Stop for a coffee at Pot Kettle Black in Barton’s Arcade when it all gets a bit much.

Do more. You could also make a shopping day trip with our Top 10 Christmas Markets in the North guide. Altrincham Market, St. George’s Hall Winter Arts Market and the Hepworth’s Christmas Market are all open this weekend – perfect for present buying as the days between now and the Big Day get ever fewer…

Destination Guides

Image by Jonathan Schofield.
Spotlight on

Walking Tours in Manchester by Jonathan Schofield

Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.

Take me there

Culture Guides

Food and Drink in the North

Spring is here, so sign yourself up for some much-missed al fresco dining at these highly recommended (and mostly new) Manchester restaurants.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

A busy image created using generative AI. The image depicts a man at the centre with grey hair and rosy cheeks, surrounding him are fairies that appear to be created in his own image with multiple limbs and unique bodily proportions. Around them are hundreds of vials, microscopes and dated scientific equipment.
Exhibitions

Spring has sprung a wealth of great exhibitions in the North West, from intimate photographic shows to huge installations.

Theatre

Closer, riskier, more immediate. Our small-scale theatre picks stretch from unsettling fables about nationhood to the inner workings of a mind trying to hold itself together.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.

Fatoumata Diawara by Alun Be.
Music

This month’s live music picks move between ambitious new work, grassroots celebrations and a few memorable settings.