Manchester is a popular cultural destination for tourists, with a great musical culture. The city also hosts famous festivals, such as Manchester Pride and the Manchester Food and Drink Festival.
Manchester is first known as England’s second largest city. A former industrial lung, the city is now famous for its many nightclubs, libraries, and glorious sporting history. Some areas of this city like the Northern Quarter have many independent shops, bars and cultural spaces and offer a beautiful playground for lovers of street art.
Large buildings such as Town Hall and Manchester Central Library can be found around St Peter’s Square. Here are some must-see things to do in Manchester throughout the year if you have the chance to visit this magnificent city!
Must-see Activity: The Manchester Museum
The Manchester Museum is as famous as the British Museum in London. The permanent exhibitions showcase more than 4 million objects. Dinosaur skeletons and mummies from ancient Egypt can be found there. The site also has a vivarium, in which researchers breed extremely endangered frog species. The local café will allow you to take a break between the different galleries. As admission is free, you can spread your visit over several days.
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St Mary’s RC Church “The Hidden Gem”: In the Heart of Manchester
The “Hidden Gem” is a little-known little church in the heart of Manchester. A modest brick building set in a quiet street lined with similar buildings, St. Mary’s is Manchester’s oldest Catholic church. Behind its walls lies a treasure trove of marble sculptures, works of art and stained glass. Don’t miss the 7-astonishing works of modern art by Norman Adams displayed on the left wall as you enter.
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Manchester’s Famous Nightclubs
Music has been an important part of Manchester culture since the 1960s. Since the 1980s, the “Madchester” movement has flourished in the nightclub and rock scene. Even today, Manchester is renowned as one of the best cities in the UK to party. The Warehouse Project, which takes place every 12 weeks from September to December, attracts over 3 000 visitors per night. You should also go to the Gorilla, the Soup Kitchen, and the Hula, which offer a wide variety of festive atmospheres.
Old Trafford, Home to One of The World’s Biggest Football Clubs
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Manchester United have supporters all over the world. Its stadium is therefore a must-see for football fans, which is why it is one of the largest in the UK. It is renowned for the fantastic atmosphere that reigns there on match days. You can take a tour of the museum and the stadium, which will allow you to admire the club’s rich collection of trophies!
A Thoroughbred Horse Breeding Farm Near Manchester
Some thoroughbred horse breeding farms are located near Manchester. These farms select the best thoroughbred horses from the best lines. Some horses are also chosen to compete in the most famous horse races in the country. A racehorse can follow several paths to become successful. It can be bred in national or private stud farms on a larger or smaller scale. There are also racing stables which are there to bring together horses from all backgrounds to perfect their training and make them suitable for racing performance. The Cheltenham Festival is the perfect opportunity to experience the best horses in the country. If you are passionate about horse racing, don’t hesitate to visit these farms and follow the cheltenham festival tips for the week. to fully enjoy this event.
Heaton Park, Far from The Hustle and Bustle of The City
Heaton Park covers an area of over 240 hectares and is one of the UK’s largest city parks. You will have access to sumptuous gardens, a famous golf course, several ponds, and many well-preserved historic buildings. This is a popular spot with families thanks to the Animal Centre, playgrounds, navigable lake, and various cafes. Kilometres of paved paths allow you to walk or run in the park. If you don’t feel like walking, a tram can help you go around the park.
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Famous Chinatown
Chinatown is one of the UK’s largest Chinatowns. There are dozens of Chinese businesses: restaurants, shops, supermarkets and even banks. Year after year, the Chinese New Year festivities in this district are growing in scope and intensity.
Manchester
Manchester set for its busiest weekend of the year with pop-up Park and Rides to open
Emily Sergeant
Pop-up Park and Ride facilities are set to open as Manchester prepares for what’s expected to be its busiest weekend of the year.
The festive season in the run up to Christmas always sees more people flock to the city centre than usual, but this weekend will likely be even busier than expected, as not only are Manchester Christmas Markets still in full swing, but there are also a number of gigs, live festive shows, and major sporting events coinciding with this.
So in a weekend that sees legends gigging and the Manchester Derby take place, as you would expect, thousands are predicted to flock to Manchester city centre and Etihad Campus.
Manchester Christmas Markets are in full swing and Paul McCartney will be at Co-op Live this weekend / Credit: The Manc Group | Wikimedia Commons
Because of this, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is taking action and encouraging people to dodge the likely congestion and use public transport instead where possible – with pop-up Park and Rides set to be introduced for weekend shoppers and fun-seekers who do want or need to drive.
On Saturday and Sunday, Booth Street West Car Park D (M15 6PD) – which will have 965 parking spaces available – will be free for customers travelling to the city centre by bus, and then again on Sunday, the same car park will be free for those attending Paul McCartney at Co-op Live.
Your ticket to the gig must be shown on entry, before a dedicated shuttle bus then takes you from the car park to the Etihad Campus.
Disney On Ice will be hosting four shows at AO Arena this weekend / Credit: Supplied
Shuttle buses – which are only available on the Sunday – will depart from Higher Cambridge Street and run to Co-op Live and back every 15 mins from 4pm until midnight.
Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground (Talbot Road, Stretford, M16 0PX) will also have 500 parking spaces available for Metrolink customers on Sunday, but you must show a valid pre-booked tram ticket to park there.
On Sunday [15 Dec], we’re offering free parking at Emirates Old Trafford to help relieve congestion in the city.
The Park and Ride is available to customers with a valid tram ticket purchased on the app, at a ticket machine or via contactless.
Anyone else planning to drive across the weekend may also want to consider using one of the permanent Park and Ride sites and complete their journey on foot or by public transport, and you can find more information and the locations of these sites on the Bee Network website here.
Tram capacity has been increased for the festive season, with every available tram running until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
The V1 and 36 bus services now also run 24 hours a day.
Other late-running buses on the Bee Network from Manchester include the 43 service to Manchester Airport, the 86 to Sale, and the 142 to East Didsbury.
You can send messages of hope to a veteran in Greater Manchester this Christmas
Thomas Melia
A Manchester veteran is urging local people to show support by writing messages to other veterans who suffer with physical and mental challenges.
Lamin Manneh, who served in Afghanistan, is fronting this initiative alongside Help For Heroes with the aim to deliver as many uplifting messages as possible to veterans who need a little pick-me-up this Christmastime.
The Manchester-born veteran experienced his own struggles while serving for the Armed Forces losing both legs and an arm whilst on patrol.
There are at least 7,700 veterans in Manchester and there are even more that can be supported by Help For Heroes.
Their latest campaign ‘Send A Christmas Message To A Veteran’ allows anyone to upload their own words and pictures of support that veterans can access virtually.
It’s easy to access and the message is uploaded straight away meaning people can reach it through any digital or desktop device whenever they need.
Last year, Christmas cards with some inspiring messages and words of support were distributed between more than 9,500 veterans and the Armed Forces charity are hoping to reach even more.
These cards are vital to any retired soldier as Help For Heroes knows for some people this may be the only card they receive this year.
Pairing this with the fact that many veterans are affected by both physical and mental challenges which limit socialising, Christmas can be a tricky time for them.
Some of the messages posted to the online wall have images attached to them too, which you can also do, including some of the cutest dogs, that’s sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.
Manneh said: “During military service, service men and women have a strong support network and a close-knit community, but transitioning to civilian life can destroy that.
“Coupled with physical and mental health issues, which can prevent them from socialising, Christmas can become a time filled with dread rather than a celebration.
“Loneliness can lead to unnecessary thoughts coming to you, which can cause so much harm. Therefore, it is paramount for anyone who needs help to reach out.
“I know from last year that receiving messages from Help for Heroes supporters made a massive difference to some people and showed there are people out there who care. It also encouraged veterans to come forward and get support.”
If you want to get involved and show your support with a few words of encouragement and empathy, you can do so via their virtual message wall here.
The Manc -
2nd January 2021 
