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The main hub for this year’s Manchester Christmas Markets will be moved to Piccadilly Gardens

Piccadilly Gardens will be transformed into 'Winter Gardens' as the markets take over the city.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 15th October 2021

The main hub of the world-famous Manchester Christmas Markets is moving to a new location as it returns to the city centre this year.

After Manchester City Council confirmed the return of the iconic event – which spreads festive cheer right across the city centre, and draws in visitors from all across the globe each year – last month, it’s now been revealed that Piccadilly Gardens will take over the reigns from Albert Square as the heart of the markets event as the town hall regeneration project continues.

The area will become the ‘Winter Gardens’.

This year’s markets will open to the public from Friday 12 November, and run right through until Wednesday 22 December 2021 – but the new family-friendly Winter Gardens site is going to remain open until early 2022.

The brand-new central hub will include a live music stage for the first time in the markets’ history, hosting DJs and bands throughout the festive season.

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There’ll also be marquee seating, festoon lighting, and a huge selection of food and drink.

Some of the returning traders to the Piccadilly Gardens hub this year will include fan-favourites Dutch Frites, Greek Gyros, and stalls serving up a whole host of sweet treats and warm puddings, as well as bars serving locally-brewed beers and signature winter cocktails.

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Piccadilly Gardens will take over the reigns from Albert Square as the heart of the markets event / Credit: Flickr (Andrew Stawarz)

Manchester City Council has confirmed that visitor numbers will be strictly controlled this year to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Plans for the Winter Gardens includes a one-way system, and separate entrances and exits, and they are also adding a fully-accessible toilet to make the hub as inclusive as possible.

Manchester Christmas Markets were sadly cancelled in 2020 – but two scaled-down versions were opened instead to support local independent traders who would have set up at the usual Christmas markets.

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“It’s wonderful to welcome back our world-famous Christmas Markets and the addition of the Winter Gardens for the very first time,” said Cllr Pat Karney, the council’s Christmas spokesperson.

“Manchester has been the capital of Christmas for 22 years since the very first Christmas Market arrived in the UK in 1999 and we know it was a huge disappointment that we had to scale back our celebrations last year [but] we’re making up for lost time this year.

“I can’t wait to see the transformation into the festive wonderland we know and love.”

Featured Image – Flickr

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Police issue statement after remains of young baby found in Salford field

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Police issue statement after remains of young baby found in Salford field

Police have issued a statement after the remains of a young baby were tragically found in Salford yesterday.

Emergency services were called to the scene near Ashtons Field after a dog walker made the shocking discovery.

The baby – who is being called Baby A – has not yet been identified and police are now investigating ‘who this baby could be, how long they have been here, and how they have sadly died’.

GMP are appealing for anyone with any information to come forward so they can ‘find answers for this baby’.

Chief Superintendent Neil Blackwood held a press conference near the scene on Ravenscraig Road last night.

He said: “Tragically, today, we have found what we believe to be the remains of a young baby on Ravenscraig Road, near Ashtons Field in Little Hulton.

“We have a scene in place, and you will likely see an increased presence of officers in the local area while we carry out enquiries to understand the circumstances.

“At this stage, we are following several lines of enquiry, and we are working with local partner agencies to understand who this baby could be, how long they have been here, and how they have sadly died. We are now calling this baby, Baby A. 

“All of this is extremely sensitive, and this investigation needs to be handled with the utmost care it deserves, and it is going to take time.

GMP press conference after remains of baby found in Salford

“We know that this news will devastate our communities, and while we do not have all the answers to these questions yet, I want to reassure residents that we will do all we can to find out what has happened here. The most important thing for us right now is to find answers for this baby and I would urge anyone who has any information at all to get in touch with us.

“Even the most minor detail could be crucial to our investigation. If you have seen anyone in the area over the last few days, or know who the parents could be, please call us as soon as you can.

“As soon as we are in a position to confirm further details about the circumstances, we will do so.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 quoting log 1319 of 20/11/24. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, call the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”

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Featured image: Google Maps

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Pep Guardiola agrees new contract to stay at Manchester City for at least one more year

Danny Jones Danny Jones Pep stay at Man City for one more year new deal

Blues will be delighted to hear that Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is staying after agreeing to sign a contract extension that will keep him at the club for at least one more year.

The Catalan coach and supremely talented tactician has won all there is to win with Man City and after completing not only a record-matching treble but making history by becoming the first English team to win four Premier League titles in a row, you could argue his Etihad project is well and truly completed.

Guardiola, who joined City back in 2016, has gradually been creeping towards the end of his most recent contract, leaving those slowly searching for his replacement and the fan base wondering what the future holds for their next chapter.

But it turns out they don’t have to worry about life after Pep for a little while longer, as the 53-year-old has now extended his stay for at least another season. The blue moon that has loomed over Manchester for the best part of a decade isn’t going anywhere just yet.

Breaking the news on Tuesday evening, 19 November, The Athletic‘s Sam Lee revealed that Pep Guardiola will remain head coach for another season after agreeing to a new one-year deal.

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager, who is comfortably one of the most decorated and celebrated coaches in football history, was due to leave the club at the end of the current campaign.

However, although his contract would have seen him depart by June of next year, this new deal will now see him stay in post until the summer of 2026, which will talk his tenure to a full 10 years.

Although City themselves are yet to confirm the signing amid the international break, it’s only a matter of time before they deliver the news all Blues have been waiting for – news that will no doubt come as a huge relief given the immense success he has brought to East Manchester.

Despite waiting until now to seemingly decide his future, the man himself has actually been pretty clear on the matter, insisting that he “fell in love” with the club from the moment he got here and saying as far back as 2020 that “unless they [CFG] sack me, I will stay here.”

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Better still, while the details of the agreement are yet to be fully detailed, the report says that his new contract also includes the option to extend for a further year beyond that, meaning we could be looking at Pep in the dugout until 2027.

Should City go on to close the gap on current league leaders Liverpool, it would mean Guardiola would have overseen five title wins with the same team in a row: a feat only matched by very few in European football, most notably Juventus and Bayern Munich, the latter having managed 13 consecutive years.

Who knows if/when Guardiola will actually leave the Etihad Stadium for a new challenge, all we know is he changed modern football forever and has given Manchester – a city already spoilt in this respect – some of the most impressive football it’s ever seen.

All we do know is that the beautiful game’s passionate, bald, tiki-taka extraordinaire known simply as Pep is staying in 0161 for the time being and there are countless fans who are absolutely buzzing about it.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Optus Sport/Sky Sports (via YouTube)/Rufus46 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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