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FIND OUT MOREA Mancunian Christmas
There's no place like Manchester this Christmas. From ice skating and snow sliding to browsing the Christmas markets and indulging in late night retail therapy, the city offers a host of events and activities to keep you blissfully busy. Lee Stansfield selects 10 of the best.
1: Spinningfields Ice Rink
Spinningfields, off Deansgate, once again hosts an open-air ice rink - one of Manchester's favourite festive attractions. Only this year Manchester's sparkling business district is more festive than ever, with the addition of a magic carousel and mammoth Christmas tree alongside the ice rink on Hardman Boulevard.
Temporary pop-up bar The North Pole is also moving to Spinningfields this year, decked out with aromatic fir trees. Overlooking the ice rink, it will be serving up fresh pizzas (£6.95-£9.95) and seasonal tipple, including their famous hot winter cocktails (£3.50 each) - just the Dutch courage you might need for some imminent floundering on the ice.
The ice rink is open until Jan 3, and one-hour sessions cost £7.50 for adults (children under 5 skate free). www.spinningfieldsicerink.com
2: Manchester Christmas Markets
You know Christmas has truly arrived in Manchester when the traditional market stalls open their doors to the public.
Spread across six city centre sites, including Albert Square and St Ann's Square, the markets are packed with shoppers looking for that special Christmas present among a dazzling range of colourful trinkets from all over the world. From jewellery to wooden toys and glass blown ornaments, you're sure to find something to catch your eye.
Or, if you're just feeling hungry or parched, you'll find a plethora of taverns offering beer and a variety of hot food and drink to enjoy.
The markets are open until Dec 21, from 10am until late, and they are well worth a visit to fill up on a little festive spirit. www.manchestermarkets.com
3: Piccadilly Snow Gardens
Yet another prominent area of Manchester gets its annual Christmas makeover. The proliferation of yuletide amusements in Piccadilly Gardens makes it a top festive destination this year.
Returning is the popular open-air Snow Slide, offering people of all ages the chance to shoot down a 50-metre slant of artificial snow on a giant rubber tyre for £2.
If that's a little too boisterous for you, then take the family inside the brand new Giant Snowglobe for a play in the snow (from £4, including souvenir photo), or visit the ubiquitous Santa Claus as he sets up his grotto in the Magical Ice Palace, accompanied by his usual throng of elves (from £5, accompanying adults go free).
Also new for this year is the arrival of the Bungydome. Looking like a giant snow ball, this bungee/trampoline fusion will launch you up to 12 metres into the air for the price of £6. www.manchesterlive.co.uk
4: Christmas theatre shows
If you're dreaming of a white Christmas, but don't actually want to be caught up in the bitter cold of one, then come inside and bask in the radiated warmth of The Lowry for a production of, well, White Christmas, starring Suzanne Shaw, Aled Jones and Adam Cooper.
Or take a trip to the Opera House and let off steam by booing Gray O'Brien, who plays the panto baddie in Aladdin.
For a Christmas show with an edge, try Grimm Tales, an adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, at the Library Theatre, or Noël Coward's hair-raising comedy Blithe Spirit at the Royal Exchange Theatre.
Theatre tickets can be as cheap as £8.50, with many family package deals available to boot.
5: A Christmas BBQ
You read right. For those of you wanting to try something a little different this Christmas, Space Cafe Bar's roof terrace yuletide BBQ is a step in the right direction.
The terrace will embrace the season by turning into a Christmas grotto of decorated trees and festive tunes, minus the kids whining at a dubious-looking Santa. Don't worry about the cold, as the terrace will be kitted out with chimeneas and you'll be greeted on arrival with a hot glass of mulled wine.
The BBQ menu tries to keep it fairly Christmassy, with turkey, roasted suckling of pork and other succulent-sounding dishes to help you pile on those obligatory Christmas time pounds.
At just £10 per head, it sounds like a bit of a bargain. www.purespacecafebar.co.uk
6: Festive flicks
Every person has their own - a movie without which Christmas wouldn't be the same (Home Alone, A Nightmare Before Christmas, Scrooged... Elf, anyone?). Well, this year sees the return of an old favourite in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with Jim Carrey bahing and humbugging in cinemas as Ebenezer Scrooge. If you're prepared to pay £10.50 for your ticket, you can even rub noses with the Christmas ogre thanks to IMAX's ludicrously large 3D screen over at the Printworks.
If, like our friend Ebenezer, you're not in the mood for Christmas cheer, then James Cameron's comeback movie, Avatar, should be well worth your dosh, if the phrase '12 years in the making' is anything to go by. Again, gawk beneath the wonder of the IMAX, as this film proposes to take 3D to the next level.
7: Late night shopping
Emptying your savings for another recession-hit Christmas may not be the greatest idea, but who can resist a good shop when the bright festive lights beckon?
The Manchester Arndale, Market Street, King Street and the Triangle are obvious places to splurge your cash, while the Northern Quarter and Christmas market stalls offer a different, quirkier blend of stocking fillers.
Let's not forget the Trafford Centre, with its £1.5 million Christmas lights, and the Lowry Outlet Mall at Salford Quays, with its fabulous, year-round bargains.
So go ahead and treat your loved ones. And if you're not sure if anyone is doing the same thing for you, don't fret, treat yourself too.
8: Christmas concerts
The Bridgewater Hall has a number of festive concerts this month to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Our favourite is Carols by Candlelight on Dec 18 (£19-£36), which features carols and seasonal classics performed by the Canzonetta Choir in full period costume and in a candlelit setting. www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk
Also worth checking out is the Handel Messiah concert (£11-£16) at the imposing Manchester Cathedral on Dec 12. www.manchestercathedral.org
9: The Wheel of Manchester
This giant observation wheel in Exchange Square can help make your Christmas a little bit more special by offering panoramic views of the city's Christmas lights from its 42 glass heated capsules.
Adult prices start from £6.50, but if you're feeling a little flush in the wallet, then you can splash on a champagne ride and party with up to eight of your friends for a not-so-meagre £70. www.worldtouristattractions.co.uk
10: Chill Factore
If you have a spare few hundred quid this Christmas, why not take a flight to the snow-glazed Swiss Alps for a leisurely ski? Or, you could have it all for about £20 at Manchester's Chill Factore, next door to the Trafford Centre.
There you can take the button lift to the top of the longest and widest real snow indoor ski slope in the UK and show off your skiing skills, or frolic on the smaller, beginner slope. There is even an alpine village of bars, shops and restaurants overlooking the snow.
Access to the main slope for adults costs from £20 for one and a half hours. www.chillfactore.com