But before the beloved markets arrive to see in the festive season, they’ve this year been voted among some of the best the county has to offer.
Manchester Christmas Markets – which first took over the city in 1999, and are known to attract around nine million visitors each year – are arguably one of the most popular markets in the country online, with over 114,000 Google searches last year, surpassing the ever-popular Winter Wonderland in London’s Hyde Park – but now they’ve officially been named the best.
The company analysed 30 UK markets against eight data points, which includes things like the number of stalls, the running time of the markets event, the number of visitors, entrance fee, and the likelihood of meeting Santa, all to provide each market with an overall market score out of 10 and therefore finding the best market of those analysed.
Here’s the top 10.
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The UK’s Best Christmas Markets 2021
Manchester Christmas Markets
Birmingham Christmas Markets
York Christmas Markets
Glasgow Christmas Markets
Bristol Christmas Markets
Blackpool Winter Gardens Market
Canterbury Christmas Markets
Brighton Christmas Festival
Sheffield Christmas Markets
Stratford upon Avon Victorian Christmas Market
Manchester Christmas Markets has topped the table of the best in the UK in 2021 / Credit: Flickr
According to the study, Manchester Christmas Markets ranked highly across all eight factors analysed – including having 300 stalls across the city centre, and running for one of the most prolonged periods of almost six weeks.
It got an overall market score of 8.39 out of 10.
Birmingham’s Christmas Market takes second place with an overall market score of 8 out of 10, and only misses the top spot by a fraction due to the fact is brings in fewer annual visitors (five million) and has fewer market stalls (over 180).
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York Christmas Market pinches third place with an overall market score of 6.68 out of 10, followed by Glasgow (6.57) and Bristol (6.47) rounding out the top five spots.
Blackpool and Sheffield are among the other northern hubs in the top 10.
You can find more about the UK’s Best Christmas Markets for 2021 on the My Favourite Cottages website here.
Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street
Daisy Jackson
An arrest has been made after a teenage boy was found unresponsive on Market Street in Manchester city centre.
Detectives believe that the boy, 14, was approached by seven males who stole a designer jacket from him.
Following the altercation, he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Thankfully, the teenager is continuing to recover well.
Detectives from Manchester City Centre Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that an 18-year-old male was arrested yesterday, Thursday 20 February.
He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury of GMP’s City Centre Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We hope the victim can continue his recovery following what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him.
“Officers are fully investigating all aspects of this shocking incident that has left a man with serious injuries in hospital.
“Our work doesn’t stop here, we are continuing to investigate this incident and information from the public plays an incredibly important role in our investigations and I ask that the community keep talking to us and keep sharing their concerns with us so our teams can act.”
If you have any information, contact GMP 101 or 0161 856 4305 quoting log 2854 of 16/2/25.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials
Emily Sergeant
Trials are currently underway to see if comedy could be an alternative to antidepressants as a way to reduce NHS costs.
UK tech company Craic Health has secured important funding for its ‘comedy on prescription’ project that’s aimed at helping the Government work with the comedy industry, communities, and organisations on comedy-based social prescriptions in the hope that they can solve financial struggles within the NHS.
The groundbreaking scheme uses stand-up shows and workshops to help people who are isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.
Craic believes comedy is an ‘untapped opportunity’ to improve health and wellbeing, and has a goal to make comedy easier to access, so that it can help communities experience its mental health and social benefits.
To achieve this, the company has started trialling Comedy-on-Prescription experiences in the UK – starting in London, with the potential for expansion – which includes things like curated comedy panel game show events and workshops, and general stand-up comedy shows at some of the capital’s world-famous venues.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Mental health issues like loneliness, isolation, and stress are more common than ever,” the company explains.
“So much so that it’s projected that by 2030, mental health problems, particularly depression, will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, [but] in this challenging world, comedy stands out as a universal language that breaks barriers.
“Research shows that comedy and laughter have powerful effects – they bring people together, create positive connections, and make life more enjoyable.”
Craic Health says that social prescribing, of which Comedy-on-Prescription is a part of, is all about inclusivity, which makes it making it suitable for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Its focus is on personalised support, tailored to individual needs and preferences.
Emily Sergeant -
1st November 2021 
