How often do you stop and take a moment to truly appreciate the beauty of our region?
Whether it be the ever-changing skyline of city centre buildings, the rolling hills within our borders, the lakes, rivers and reservoirs spanning for miles, or the wealth of untouched nature right on our doorsteps, Greater Manchester has a lot to offer.
And if there’s one thing that can really shine a light on that, it’s photography.
The power of photography has the ability to capture a moment in time that may otherwise have passed us by, and allow us to remember that moment forever.
So, in an attempt to not only showcase the beauty around us, but to also give a well-deserved platform to some of the region’s most talented amateur and professional photographers, for the past 10 weeks over on our Instagram – @the.manc – we have scoured the internet to find and feature 10 of the best photographs taken in each of Greater Manchester’s 10 boroughs – and it’s proven to be an extremely popular series with our 142,000+ audience.
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That popular, in fact, that we have decided to round-up each of the 10 posts in one place to really bring home why Greater Manchester is so great.
Don’t forget to go over and follow @the.manc on Instagram if you’re keen to see more.
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Manchester
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNSrkjDjDL6/
The borough of Manchester itself may not boast some of sights that its neighbours do, but it’s not one to be overlooked.
Manchester is overflowing with culture, character and charm.
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This was undoubtedly one of the hardest boroughs to whittle down 10 photos for, as there are plenty of talented photographers teeming our streets and an endless list of moments to capture, but with everything from sunkissed skylines and skyscrapers, to rainy days, blue skies and more, we’ve picked the best of a brilliant bunch.
Don’t forget to head on over to Instagram to show some love and check out more from the photographers featured in our Manchester round-up.
Salford
https://www.instagram.com/p/CL4jyNqgEHc/
There’s nowhere quite like Salford.
Besides being home to Greater Manchester’s second city, a wealth of cultural sites that are worth visiting, the ever-developing and expanding MediaCity UK, and some of the most close-knit communities around, Salford is also spoilt with green space and weekend walks thanks to Kersal Wetlands, Worsley Woods and Drinkwater Park.
It’s also hard to ignore the spectacular scenery on offer at the Quays, too.
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The 10 pictures featured as part of the Salford round-up showcase all the borough has on offer.
Don’t forget to head on over to Instagram to show some love and check out more from the photographers featured in our Salford round-up.
Oldham
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNAw3NwMbGJ/
How brilliant is that view of the Manchester skyline?
Thanks to its location neighbouring the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, the eastern Greater Manchester borough of Oldham not only offers one of the best looks at the city centre from afar, but it also boasts gorgeous hill views and breathtaking reservoir scenery, with places like Tandle Hill and Dovestones all within its borders.
We were truly spoilt for choice when narrowing down 10 photographs to showcase here.
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Don’t forget to head on over to Instagram to show some love and check out more from the photographers featured in our Oldham round-up.
Bury
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMc0jFmjIg2/
Despite the pronunciation of ‘Bury’ being up for debate amongst us Mancunians, we can at least all agree that the borough has some great views, right?
Not only is it home to several popular town centres, alongside Holcombe Hill, Peel Tower and Heaton Park, but Bury is also known nationally for its black pudding, as well as being steeped in history as the regimental town of the Lancashire Fusiliers, and the start of the East Lancashire Railway.
Have a gander at 10 of the best snapshots captured by local photographers.
Don’t forget to head on over to Instagram to show some love and check out more from the photographers featured in our Bury round-up.
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Wigan
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Can you believe that the vast range of sights and scenery showcased in this selection of 10 photos are all nestled in the same borough?
Wigan really has a lot to shout about.
Not only is the borough home to the famous Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls, and is known the world-over for its iconic pier and pies, there’s also a wealth of beautiful nature reserves, great public parks, monuments and some rich heritage to explore too.
Don’t forget to head on over to Instagram to show some love and check out more from the photographers featured in our Wigan round-up.
Rochdale
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMKlVeOAZrw/
We can’t get enough of the views on offer in Rochdale.
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This is one of Greater Manchester’s most underrated gems, so when it comes to experiencing all that nature and culture can bring, you need look no further than Rochdale with its bustling town centre, multiple reservoirs, the beautiful Hollingworth Lake, Healey Dell Nature Reserve and so much more.
It was hard to narrow it down, but we’ve picked a selection of photos that truly show what Rochdale is made of.
Don’t forget to head on over to Instagram to show some love and check out more from the photographers featured in our Rochdale round-up.
Bolton
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There’s so much hidden beauty in Bolton.
The northwestern borough doesn’t always get the level of recognition that the rest of the region does, but with its popular country parks, reservoir walks, picturesque views over the city, and a historic town centre with streets that have been used as filming locations for a number of films and well-known TV shows, don’t count Bolton out.
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Here’s 10 of the best snapshots Bolton has to show for itself.
Don’t forget to head on over to Instagram to show some love and check out more from the photographers featured in our Bolton round-up.
Stockport
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Stockport has plenty of show-stopping sights.
The region’s most-southern borough is known by the rest of Greater Manchester for its iconic viaduct, M60 pyramid and Plaza, but with the wonders of Lyme Park, Reddish Vale and Etherow Country Park all within its borders too, Stockport has so much more to offer than initially meets the eye.
We’ve selected 10 of the best snapshots by local photographers to show Stockport off.
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Don’t forget to head on over to Instagram to show some love and check out more from the photographers featured in our Stockport round-up.
Tameside
https://www.instagram.com/p/CKwdfXtA1cQ/
Looking for some of the best views in Greater Manchester?
Head to Tameside.
With are large chunk of the eastern borough neighbouring Derbyshire and the unrivalled sights of the Peak District National Park, Tameside is home to some of the best views the region has to offer, whatever the weather, so we’ve done our best to highlight its beauty through the lens of local photographers.
Don’t forget to head on over to Instagram to show some love and check out more from the photographers featured in our Tameside round-up.
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Trafford
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Trafford’s got it all.
The sought-after borough in the southwestern part of Greater Manchester is known for bringing a little bit of everything to the table, so from cultured high streets and grand shopping centres, to public parks, nature reserves, National Trust sites and everything in between, we’ve picked 10 of our favourite snapshots to best represent the area.
The beautiful scenes from the recent winter months are definitely the star of the show.
Don’t forget to head on over to Instagram to show some love and check out more from the photographers featured in our Trafford round-up.
The most magical Christmas displays have now landed at one of the North West’s best garden centres
Emily Sergeant
Christmas has officially arrived at one of the best garden centres in the North West, and it’s just as magical as you’d hope it would be.
Just outside of Greater Manchester in the village of Glazebury in Warrington, you’ll find Bents Garden and Home – a multi award-winning destination garden centre that’s often voted one of the region’s best. It’s great place to visit all year round, but as anyone who has ever made the trip there will tell you, this place really comes alive during the festive season.
Bents first started out life all the way back in 1937, when Alfred and Margaret Bent began growing and selling roses in the front garden of their terraced house in Glazebury.
Ever since then, the business has gone from strength to strength – opening its first dedicated garden centre building in the early 1950s, and then undergoing several expansions in the 60 years that followed to create the place we know and love today.
A place that’s home to everything you need to kit out your home and garden, several cafes and restaurants, a food hall, a cook shop, a children’s boutique, and plenty more.
Christmas has arrived at Bents Garden and Home for 2026 / Credit: The Manc Group
And then at Christmas time, you can also get to wander around all the magical festive displays and stop for a bite to eat at the winter food markets.
Christmas at Bents originally began in the 1970s, establishing what would become one of the garden centre’s most successful – and favourite – times of the year, with people travelling in their thousands from all across the North West to visit, making it an annual tradition in the festive events calendar for many families.
With a jaw-dropping display to suit everyone’s festive decor tastes, Christmas at Bents really does need to be seen to be believed.
Expertly decorated trees form the centrepiece of each display, with all the baubles and decorations adorning them for sale by the side for you to recreate yourself at home.
Walking around the centre, you’ll also find every type of artificial tree (both normal and pre-lit), an array of fairy lights, wreaths, and garlands, before you arrive at what is sure to be one of the best Christmas Lemax Model Village set-ups you’ve probably ever seen.
A trip to Bents is an annual festive tradition for thousands across the North West / Credit: The Manc Group
Then, once you’ve filled your basket up with all the decs you need, you have to stop off at the Winter Food Markets before you head home.
There’s a wide array of different street food options to choose from like bratwursts, giant filled Yorkshire puddings, loaded fries, nachos, mac and cheese, crepes, churros, and build-your-own crumble, before taking a pew in one of the little wooden huts and washing it all down with festive-themed hot chocolates and mulled wine.
Don’t forget to stop off at the food hall, farm shop, and deli counters to stock up on plenty of goodies there before you leave too.
Basically, if you’ve never been to Bents before, we honestly cannot recommend it enough – even more so during Christmas time.
Don’t forget to stop off at the Winter Food Markets before heading home / Credit: The Manc Group
But it is really important to note that it does get very busy here, especially on weekends and at peak times like the run up to Christmas.
So you may have to be prepared to patiently wait for parking spaces and cooperate with your fellow shoppers, as well as join queues at the cafes and restaurants, all while respecting the hard-working staff at all times.
Let’s be as respectful as possible, and make this a place where everyone can enjoy a magical festive experience in 2026.
Meet Larishka – the DJ making her mark on Manchester’s Garage scene
Emily Johnson
It’s time to meet Larishka – Audio North’s Artist of the Month for October.
For Larishka, music has always been around her in some form. Growing up surrounded by classical and rock music, she never expected her route into electronic music to begin with a Parklife set from Carl Cox, before eventually becoming a DJ, promoter, and co-owner of Manchester’s Ghosts of Garage.
Today, she runs events, DJs across House, Garage and Bass, and is helping build a community around one of Manchester’s most exciting electronic music brands.
From promoter to DJ
Larishka actually started out as a promoter while doing an apprenticeship at a music booking agency. She always knew she wanted to work on the events side rather than bookings, but felt like she wasn’t going to make many connections within the industry while living in Oldham.
Her plan was to go to university to study music, with the hope of learning to produce while also moving into Manchester and making connections within the city’s music scene.
Quite quickly into her studies, she joined Ghosts of Garage. After about a year, she had something of a lightbulb moment.
Meet Larishka, the DJ making her mark on Manchester’s Garage scene / Credit: Supplied
“I was studying music, I run my own nights, and I was always on the aux at house parties, so why have I not learned to DJ yet?” she explained.
That realisation came while she was sitting on MATTIK’s living room sofa, where she asked if he would teach her. Before long, she was calling him every day asking if they could go to the studio and practise mixing.
“I owe it to him really, he was a brilliant teacher.”
“I get it” – the Parklife moment that changed everything
Larishka’s introduction to electronic music wasn’t exactly the traditional one.
“I grew up on classical and rock music – my dad was a sound engineer in the 70s so that was his thing really, and my mum played the piano every single day so that’s what I was constantly around.”
She first heard house music when she was around 15 or 16, after a friend sent her a track they had found on SoundCloud.
“I listened to it out of my phone and didn’t really get it, it was too repetitive.”
A few years later, everything changed. After hearing Parklife from her window every year growing up, Larishka eventually went to the festival for the first time and watched Carl Cox close The Valley. He played ‘Finder’ by Ninetoes, and it was the first time she had experienced electronic music on a huge sound system.
“I remember being in absolute awe and turning to my friend and saying ‘I get it’ and from then, I was just absolutely hooked.”
It became a genuine turning point.
“I had my A Level exams that following week and when I was revising all I was listening to was house music and I remember my Dad coming in and saying ‘Is this you forever now?’ and I said ‘Yeah I think it is'”.
Larishka is Audio North’s Artist of the Month for October / Credit: Supplied
Why Manchester means so much
“I mean it’s home, and always has been.”
Having become part of the city’s music scene, she says she feels incredibly lucky to have found a community around her.
“There’s a certain camaraderie that exists here that I don’t know that you’d find anywhere else.”
For her, that sense of community is what makes Manchester’s music scene so special.
“Seeing people you know everywhere you go, you kinda feel like you’re never alone and that you’re actually part of something.”
That spirit extends beyond electronic music, too.
“And it’s not just in electronic music either, that spirit exists across all genres – Manchester music history is so rooted across such a broad spectrum of genres, and to see that still prevailing today is something we should all be proud of.”
Building Ghosts of Garage
It’s impossible to talk about Larishka’s journey without talking about Ghosts of Garage.
She’s a co-owner of the brand, having joined in 2021, and works across its marketing, bookings and creative direction alongside Rich Reason. For her, one of the biggest things that makes a Ghosts of Garage night stand out is its commitment to the music.
“The music and lineups truly never miss, which is a credit to Rich. The guy knows how to program a lineup.”
The team makes a conscious effort to champion new talent, often including at least one Manchester or UK debut on a lineup.
“A big part of each event is making them unique while keeping the brand consistent – each event has to have its own USP or else the nights get boring and people think they can just skip this one and go to the next and it’ll be the same.”
For Larishka, music has always been around her in some form / Credit: Supplied
Community is a huge part of the brand.
“We’re also big advocates of community and want to create the gap between audience and DJ as little as possible, so try to get the crowd involved as much as possible through things like our WhatsApp community.”
The aim is to make people feel like buying a ticket means becoming part of something bigger.
“We want people to feel like if you buy a ticket for our event, then you’ve unlocked a key to be part of something.”
Larishka’s advice for getting into Manchester’s music scene
For anyone hoping to break into Manchester’s music scene, Larishka’s advice is simple – go out.
“I’m way more likely to book you if we’ve met and we’ve had a good chat because it means I can put a face to a name and I know what you’re like.”
For her, being part of the community is about more than simply sending messages and asking for opportunities.
“Being an active member of the community means you’re already part of the night, so booking you to DJ just makes you even more part of it than you already are, rather than someone I’ve never met before who’s in my DMs.”
Ultimately, it comes back to the same thing that has shaped so much of Larishka’s own journey – showing up, meeting people, and becoming part of something.
Emily Sergeant -
8th April 2021 
