The entire town of Urmston, on the outskirts of Greater Manchester, is thrifting heaven with a big cluster of reasonably-priced charity shops spread over just a few streets. The pick of a great bunch is the Shaw Trust.

Eternally popular curry canteen taking its name from a time when patrons didn’t know what to call their orders, but pointed instead to a bit of “this” and “that”.

Test your skills and logical thinking with Breakout Manchester’s wide selection of themed rooms for you to escape from.

The northern quarter’s Frog Flowers is part florists, part artist’s studio – and is one Manchester shop that ticks all the boutique boxes.

Miller & Carter Steakhouse brings its traditional steak and sides to Manchester’s King Street.

Crowd-pleasing Thai casual dining at Manchester’s Spinningfields.

Hunan, a Chinese restaurant in Manchester’s Chinatown, may be a bit off the beaten track – but it’s all the better for that.

Jamie’s Italian is located in Edwin Lutyens’ soaringly elegant Midland Bank, one of the city’s treasures. The menu’s full of crowd-pleasing choices, with a huge selection of pastas, mains and bruschettas, and an appealing kids menu.The drinks range is broad and deep, with wine, beer and cocktails for all tastes and budgets.

Walkden Gardens in the Manchester suburbs has all the makings of a fairy tale garden. As a venue, it’s hard to imagine a more magical gateway, a wonderful escape only a short(ish) stroll from the Brooklands Metrolink stop..

The iconic MMU Hollings Campus, or the Toast Rack as it is more affectionately known. Nikolaus Pevsner described it as “a perfect piece of pop architecture” when it opened as a Domestic and Trades College in 1960.

Built in the late 19th centure, the Holy Name sites in the middle of the University of Manchester.

The Ritz was originally a dance hall, built in 1928, has hosted The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and The Smiths and is still going strong as a gig venue now.