It’s been a rough few weeks for businesses in Manchester, whose Christmas trade has been slashed by concerns around Omicron.
But there are ways you can support your favourite indies, while ticking off a few tricky last people on your gift list.
We’ve rounded up some brilliant Christmas gift ideas that are perfect for those people who are impossible to buy for, and give a little something back to Manchester at the same time.
Do you know of a great business we’ve missed out? Let us know on our social media pages on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Restaurant vouchers
Salvi’s in the Northern Quarter
Everyone, and I mean everyone, loves going out for dinner – but with Covid cases rocketing, a lot of us are spending a bit more time at home in the run-up to Christmas.
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A great way to help your favourite restaurant to weather the current storm is to buy a restaurant voucher, paying it forward to a date where things are a little calmer.
It’ll give your friends and family something to look forward to, too.
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Loads of local indies offer vouchers, but a few to consider are Salvi’s, Elnecot, and Mowgli.
Secret Spa
Credit: Secret Spa
Got someone in your life who absolutely loves a pamper?
You can deliver whole spa treatments – complete with professional masseuse/nail tech/spray-tanner – to their door with Secret Spa.
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Services include manicures from £27, massages from £45, and spray tans from £27, all performed in the comfort of your own home between the hours of 6am and 10pm.
Mancs can take £20 off their first book using code THEMANC – the code expires on January 31, 2022.
There are gift cards too. You can browse the lot at secretspa.co.uk.
Zymurgorium
Zymurgorium’s mini bottles
Let the festivities be gin, am I right?
Manchester’s got loads of local distilleries but if you want to have a bit of fun with your booze, it’s got to be Zymurgorium.
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Beer-lovers can sip on The Cub Gin, made in collaboration with Congleton brewery Beartown; pink drink fans can go for a shimmering Realm of the Unicorn gin liqueur; and there’s even something for jam fans in the marmalade gin, made by the legendary Duerr’s.
You can order a yard of gin, a Zym Experience Pack of five little bottles, or just commit to one of their many flavours as an ideal Christmas gift.
Manchester’s beautiful bagel bakery and florist hybrid has put together the ultimate Christmas morning hamper.
You can win over the hearts of your tricky relatives by rocking up and Christmas day armed with a selection of bagels, schmears, smoked salmon, sparkling wine, coffee, juice, and a floral centrepiece.
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The hampers are available to collect from Kampus on Christmas eve, but if you can’t make it, there are also gift vouchers you can pass on as an IOU.
Tipples of Manchester
It’s getting a bit close to the wire to be relying on online orders, but if you’re in the city centre you can grab some great gifts at Tipples on Lloyd Street.
This independent booze shop has got a whole library of liqueurs and spirits to suit every taste.
The staff are always happy to make recommendations if you’re really struggling too.
The best light trails around Greater Manchester to explore this winter
Daisy Jackson
Well done Manchester, we’ve finally done it – with the amount of light trails illuminating our skyline this winter, you might be able to see us from space.
Who doesn’t love a light trail? The incredible views that brighten up the dreary winter nights, the synchronised wows as we gaze at the statues and figures along the way, or the hot chocolate waiting for you at the end that greets you like a warm hug.
That’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best light trails around Greater Manchester for you to explore this winter.
The 10 best Christmas light trails in and around Manchester 2024
1. Yuletide – Tatton Park
A festive event with a difference is taking over Tatton Park this winter, bringing folklore stories to life with illuminated puppets, live music and storytelling.
The latest seasonal event from Wild Rumpus, ‘Yuletide’ will captivate families as they explore the stunning illuminated landscape.
Organisers say the captivating event promises to be a ‘truly magical experience’.
We’ve found a light trail with a difference for you to explore this winter – a magical world of glowing lanterns has taken over Gulliver’s World, and it’s a brand-new installation for 2024.
‘Land of Lights’ is a one-mile trail that showcases a huge array of lanterns and displays, with loads of nature-inspired enchanting realms to explore from Fantasy Forest, Ice Kingdom and Winged Wonders.
Plus you can treat yourself to a hot chocolate or toast some marshmallows on your way round, and then fill yourself up with Yorkshire pudding wraps and crumble at the end.
The Trafford Centre‘s hidden woodland has been transformed into a festive wonderland, with stunning light displays, Santa’s sleigh and, of course, mulled wine at the ready for the adults.
There are even free marshmallow toasting and letter-writing stations for the kids to get their Christmas lists ready.
Then there’s food from Freight Island’s traders, including premium smashed burgers from a Michelin chef, southern fried buttermilk chicken, cheese toasties and more. Plus, kids eat free for ticket holders when buying an adult meal.
Dates: On now until 2 January
Tickets: £8 for children, £10 for adults, £32 for families
Ignite Fire Festival is back in Rochdale this month. (Credit: Supplied)
Goblets of fire, a daisy chain of flaming flowers, a firebird with blazing eyes and even fire eaters – it could only be the return of ‘Ignite Fire Festival’.
Rochdale will be looking extra glowy next week when the free event by Walk the Plank arts group fills the gardens opposite @rochdaletownhall with dazzling pyrotechnic displays.
There’ll be three nights of fiery displays, culminating in the annual Christmas lights switch-on.
A new festive light maze is heading to Cheshire for the first time this December. (Credit: Supplied)
There’s a brand-new festive light maze heading to Cheshire this Christmas, and it sounds absolutely a-maze-ing (so, so sorry).
‘A World of Illumination’ will feature giant candy canes, tunnels of light, and an overhead laser show all hidden inside a festive maze. There’s much more than meets the eye with this light trail and
And the eagle-eyed amongst you can look out for hidden handles and buttons which lead to secret rooms and festive treasures.
Arguably the toast of Cheshire’s light trail offerings. (Credit: Supplied)
This National Trust site is one of the founding godfathers when it comes to light trails and has been consistent ever since they first lit up the iconic house and its gardens.
Whether your favourite part is the lit-up moat, the array of bright figures and statues, or toasting a marshmallow, Dunham Massey has got you covered.
Being an important hub for wildlife, each ticket sold helps with the conservation and care of this UK historical landmark.
Running for four nights only in December, the festival aptly named after what your Mum shouts five times a day is back in Bolton town centre.
This festival prides itself on bringing experiences to all and this year visitors get to admire ‘Gaia’.
This six-metre-wide illuminated Earth replica will be on display throughout the festival’s duration, and is a direct detail comparison of the imagery NASA utilises. Wow!
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Dates: 5-8 December
Tickets: Free
Bookings: No tickets required
10. Lightwaves Salford – MediaCityUK
This Salford special has stood as one of the most beloved light trails in Manchester for some time now.
Spread across two kilometres and branded as ‘MediaCity‘s winter season highlight’, this experience features 14 different art installations that are set to be awe-inspiring.
One of the most engaging pieces, ‘I Caught a…’, will change throughout the night with a varying display of animals pictured in a cage.
Originally commissioned in 2021, ‘Through No 4’ will receive a glow-up with some innovative lights helping to really enhance this pretty little project located along Salford Quays.
Chatsworth House – The Peak District stately home that’s been transformed into a Christmas wonderland
Daisy Jackson
Chatsworth House is one of the great gems of the UK, and now that winter is rolling around this stately home in the Peak District has been made even more magical.
For this year’s festive transformation, the grand manor house has been filled with twinkling lights, enormous Christmas trees, and light projections.
Around every corner you’ll find another magnificent hall or corridor dressed up to the nines for the season.
There are more than 20 different rooms that you can explore at Chatsworth House this Christmas, and you’ll feel a million miles away from the city.
The house even SMELLS like Christmas, with Chatsworth collaborating with fragrance experts creating scents like chocolate, gingerbread, and the smells of a kitchen on Christmas Day.
There’s even a Christmas Market in the grounds, with more than 100 exhibitors offering themed gifts, food and drink – you can even toast marshmallows or grab a bratwurst.
Chatsworth House at Christmas. Credit: The SheffThe banquet at Chatsworth House. Credit: The SheffEvery corner is magical. Credit: The Sheff
This year, the Christmas event has been themed around an original new story written exclusively for Chatsworth House by former children’s laureate, Joseph Coelho OBE.
Henry and the Lion’s Christmas Feast is inspired by the house itself and the life of Henry Cavendish, and follows young Henry and his accomplice, a little lion (inspired by the statues in the Sculpture Gallery).
You’ll spot the book’s illustrations in the scenery and decorations all around Chatsworth House, and see a banquet laid out in the Great Dining Room.
Other events this season will include pop-up theatres, and an illuminated light trail embracing its best-loved garden landmarks.
Chatsworth House at Christmas. Credit: The SheffChatsworth House Christmas Markets. Credit: The SheffChatsworth House at Christmas. Credit: The Sheff
Joseph Coelho, author of ‘Henry and the Lion’s Christmas Feast’ said: “It was such a wonderful challenge to be invited to write a new book that would inspire the Christmas decorations at Chatsworth this year.
“I was really captivated by the life of Henry Cavendish and his amazing scientific experiments, and I got great ideas from visiting the house and grounds, especially going through the Sculpture Gallery when I saw the two great lions. I thought how interesting it would be to put the Chatsworth lion and Henry Cavendish face to face and give them a little adventure together.
“I hope that visitors come to Chatsworth and, seeing the decorations, are inspired by all the Christmassy mischief that Henry and the lion get up to and leave with that excited bubbly feeling you get when you know that Christmas is around the corner.”
If anything is going to get you in the festive spirit, it’s a wander around Chatsworth House.
Daisy Jackson -
17th December 2021 
