Culture Guides
Destination Guides
Seasonal Guides
Winter is here and we’ve put together a jam packed guide of tours and activities that totally avoids the C word (Christmas). There is plenty to make, see and do in the winter months, so scroll down to see our top picks.
Grab up your instrument and head to Partisan for the soul warming sounds of Partisan Folk Club. This collection of old and new folkies meet monthly, sharing tunes, stories and a common love of community. It’s a BYOB affair and feel free to bring food, whether you’re itching to get your fiddle out or just want to listen.
There are plenty of activities to get your hands dirty with as the weather gets colder. Check out the Manchester Urban Diggers winter clay workshops. These relaxed Sunday afternoons of hand building pots are taking place in The Frog House at Platt Fields Market Garden. All the profit goes towards MUD’s wider projects supporting local food supply chains. You can also check out their website for various volunteering opportunities.
For something more crafty why not try creating your own macramè necklace with the adventurous jewellery designers at Salford Makers, WONDERHAUS. Or join the Jewish Museum for a Chanukah inspired marbling workshop where you’ll have the opportunity to create your own Cards, bags and paper.
If you’re looking for some good old screenless fun, why not try the Board Game Sundays at Hyde Park Bookclub in Leeds. These relaxed afternoons will introduce you to the best new games out there and make an excellent alternative to a lazy Sundays in front of the TV. Join Cards or Die as they teach and advise on the best table top games to suit your interest and group size.
Scroll down to find out more, alongside some other tops picks of tours and activities, and stay well folks.
Here are our picks
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1. Partisan Folk Club
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels Partisan Folk Club at Partisan, Manchester, 12 December 2021, free entry - Find Out More
Embrace the sesh with Partisan Folk Club, a monthly gathering of musicians and listeners who take time to learn the tunes for everyone’s enjoyment.
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2. Winter Clay Workshops
Manchester Urban Diggers Winter Clay Workshops at Platt Fields Park, Manchester, Until 19 December 2021, from £65.00 - Book now
Join MUD (Manchester Urban Diggers) for a series of friendly winter clay workshops, where you can build and decorate your own pot.
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3. Chanukah Marbling Workshop
Manchester Jewish Museum Chanukah Marbling Workshop at Manchester Jewish Museum, Cheetham Hill, 5 December 2021, from £4.00 - Book now
Inspired by the oil based miracle, this Chanukah Marbling Workshop give you the chance to create your own unique bags, cards and paper.
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4. Macramé Necklace Workshop
WONDERHAUS Macramé Necklace Workshop at Salford Makers, Chapel Street, 13 January 2022, from £40.00 - Book now
Learn the art of macramè and create your own statement macramè necklace, with this relaxed workshop from WONDERHAUS.
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5. Board Games at Book Club
via Leeds Inspired Board Games at Book Club. at Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds, 12 December 2021–2 January 2022, free entry - Find Out More
The perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Get together with friends or make some new ones with some screen free board games time.
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6. The Workshop, Jewellery Studio
Jack Downing -
7. Levenshulme Market
Image courtesy of Levenshulme Market Levenshulme Market, Stockport Road (junction with Albert Rd), Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 3AB
One of the best in the city, Levenshulme Market brings new businesses, arts and lots of delicious food to a carpark in Levenshulme on a weekly basis.
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8. Clay Studio Manchester
CLay Studio Manchester -
9. Candle Making with Cedar Manchester
Giulia Zonza Photography Candle Making with Cedar Manchester at OBJECT, Chorlton, Chorlton, Until 6 December 2021, from £45 - Book now
Create your own bespoke scented candle with Lizzy from Cedar Manchester and their excellent candle making workshop.
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10. Rock and Goal Tour
Photo by Florent B. from Pexels Rock and Goal Tour at Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester and online, Until 27 February 2022, from £4.50 - Book now
Join Joe Feeley a Mancunian through and through, who guides you into Manchester’s two pillars of cultural excellence with his Rock and Goal tour.
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11. Manchester Taxi Tours
Manchester Taxi Tours Manchester Taxi Tours at Manchester Cathedral, Cathedral Quarter, Until 31 December 2021 - Book now
Manchester Taxi tours are the most personalised guided glimpse of the city you can find and now you can get to know Manchester better whilst enjoying a delicious afternoon tea.
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12. DJ Gym at Hatch
Photo by Erik Mclean from Pexels -
13. Craft Beer Tour Around Manchester
The Craft Tour Company -
14. Eat The City – Scranchester Tours
Scranchester tours Eat The City - Scranchester Tours, Until 31 December 2023, from £50 - Book now
Satisfy your hunger for knowledge as well as lunch with Scranchester’s food tours of the city centre. You may discover a new favourite hidden gem or learn a bit more about the cultural or historical significance of the food you eat all the time.
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15. Goodtime Games
Goodtime Games
More Tours & Activities
Flecky Bennett’s Ghost Walks
Meet, Flecky Bennet, your guide through the dark and demonic side of the city as he takes you on one of Manchester’s award winning ghost walks.
Curious About Leeds, Self guided walking tour of Leeds
Alternative to walking tour guides, Curious about Leeds give you the materials to experience Leeds’ heritage in your own time with their self guided tours.
Shiverpool: Ghost and History Tours
Expect chilling street theatre and immersive thrills as the award winning Shiverpool return to Liverpool’s streets.
Blackburn Open Walls
Over 3 years, forgotten walls of Blackburn were brought to life with the creation of a vibrant outdoor gallery, by international, national and local artists, who together over 2 weeks, created a collection of large scale murals and art walk trails for the residents and visitors of Blackburn to enjoy.
Pendle Hill Witch Experience Tours
Group tours of Lancashire in the area surrounding Pendle Hill. Through visiting the countryside and villages of Pendle, visitors learn all about the dark deeds and wicked plots surrounding the Pendle Witches in the 1600s.
Discover Buxton Tram Tours
Enjoy a journey through time on Discover Buxton Tour’s unique vintage tram.
Discover Buxton Character Tours
These colourful character guides offer unique and entertaining insights into the history of some of Buxton’s most iconic buildings.
Discover Buxton Walking Tours
Have your history delivered by expert guides whose passion for the heritage of Buxton spills into the unexpected.
Discover Buxton Roman Tours
Join local historian Brian Shepherd for a walk around the town and learn what Buxton may have looked like during Britain’s Roman occupation.
Culture Guides
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Classical Music in Manchester and the North
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Food and Drink in Manchester and the North
We’re cramming two seasons of festive cheer into one as we present our top Christmas menus and cocktail lists in Manchester and the North.
Destination Guides
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