The UK’s biggest indoor Christmas theme park is returning to Manchester after a four-year break – bringing the magic of Christmas back to be enjoyed by families across the region.
The original Christmas spectacular Winter Wonderland will be coming home to Trafford’s indoor venue EventCity for 2021, having become a top attraction in the city in the years from 2013-2017.
The event will be bringing with it some magical Christmas experiences, with real reindeer on-site and elves and fairies on hand to greet little ones as they arrive to visit Santa in his grotto.
Image: Winter Wonderland
Organisers Kingpin Events will transform the indoor 22,000 sq m exhibition space into an “unbelievable and magical winter wonderland” with over 50 family rides on hand to enjoy, including popular favourites like the dodgems, roller coasters, waltzers and more.
ADVERTISEMENT
They’ll also be bringing a huge array of children’s theatre to the fore this Christmas, with plenty of child-friendly shows taking place on the main stage with daily performances held throughout the Christmas period.
And as a special thank you to families, organisers will be introducing reduced ticket prices on certain days throughout the festive period to celebrate their return to Manchester.
Image: Winter Wonderland
Featuring TV stars Daisy and Ollie, families can head down to enjoy shows like the Ice Princess Show, Christmas Meltdown and the return of Winter Wonderland’s spectacular Christmas Circus.
ADVERTISEMENT
There’ll be festive foods aplenty to enjoy too, from German bratwursts to waffles and crepes, plus lots of Christmassy games stalls to keep the kids happily entertained. Elsewhere, a German bar will serving up fresh Bavarian beers and other festive drinks and adult refreshments.
The magical festive bonanza has taken over Trafford’s EventCity every Christmas until 2017, at which point it was replaced with similar concept Winter Funland.
Image: Winter Wonderland
However, after a brief hiatus, the original spectacular Christmas event is back – and organisers still say they’ve more surprises up their sleeve that are still to be announced. Personally, we can’t wait.
ADVERTISEMENT
Speaking on their return, organisersTammy and Billy Silcock of Kingpin Events said “We are absolutely delighted to be returning to Manchester this Christmas after a four-year gap, after the last 18 months we all need to create magical memories with our families, and we hope the return of the event will spread joy across the region.
Image: Winter Wonderland
“As a special thank you for the hard work of our NHS and Armed Forces we are introducing reduced ticket prices on specific days throughout the run.”
Located at Event City next to the Intu Trafford Centre, this year’s Winter Wonderland event runs from Saturday 4th December 2021 to Sunday 2nd January 2022.
Tickets are on sale now, priced at £29.50 for adults and children off-peak and £35 at peak times. OAPs are priced at £20 and £27.50 respectively, and under-threes can visit for free at any time.
Manchester music store Forsyth is giving away free music lessons
The Manc
Manchester music store Forsyth is giving away a host of free music lessons next month in a bid to inspire people to learn a new instrument, or pick up an old one.
The store is giving new and returning musicians a chance to receive a 10–15-minute free music taster session as part of its Music for All Learn to Play ’22 event.
Taking place across 8 and 9 October between 10am-5pm (8 October) and 1130am-30pm (9 October),short taster music lessons will allow all ages and abilities to have a musical experience that could turn into a lifetime of enjoyment, or even a new career.
Speaking on the free music lesson initiative, Emma from Forsyths said: “The past two years have shown how important music is to all our lives and how it can bring people together even in the most difficult of circumstances.
“We aim to help as many people as possible understand the unique joys and benefits of learning an instrument (or taking part in a choir).
“Anyone interested in learning to play an instrument or looking to pick it up again, should come and join us for this two-day celebration of music making.
“We’re delighted to be part of Music for All’s Learn to Play ’22 event, and we can’t wait to get started.”
OBE Jools Holland, Patron of Music for All, said: “Making music is very important to me. It’s my work, my pleasure, my friend, companion and therapist.
The charity Music for All believes passionately in the unique power of music to change lives and that is why it runs Learn to Play.
Music for All believes everyone should have equal access to music making.
The charity supports disadvantaged music makers by providing cash grants for tuition and instruments and by donating instruments directly.
The Learn to Play ’22 event is generously supported by the NAMM Foundation and other partners include Music Industries Association, Musicians Union, Making Music, Music Mark and Black Lives in Music.
Those interested in joining Forsyths for a free music lesson simply need to email [email protected] or pop into the Sheet Music department on the ground floor to register interest.
Celebrated author Dame Hilary Mantel has died ‘suddenly yet peacefully’ aged 70
Emily Sergeant
Dame Hilary Mantel has died aged 70.
The unexpected passing of the critically-acclaimed author whose celebrated career spans nearly five decades has just been announced by her agents 4th Estate Books and her publishing team at HarperCollins in two separate statements released this morning – who confirmed that she died “suddenly yet peacefully”.
The Glossop-born writer was famed for historical fiction work, and was most-known for being the author of the beloved Wolf Hall trilogy.
The statement by her agents confirming her passing reads: “We are heartbroken at the death of our beloved author, Dame Hilary Mantel, and our thoughts are with her friends and family, especially her husband, Gerald.
“This is a devastating loss and we can only be grateful she left us with such a magnificent body of work.”
We are heartbroken at the death of our beloved author, Dame Hilary Mantel, and our thoughts are with her friends and family, especially her husband, Gerald. This is a devastating loss and we can only be grateful she left us with such a magnificent body of work. pic.twitter.com/d8bzkBBXuH
Mantel’s publishers HarperCollins called her “one of the greatest English novelists of this century”.
The company’s statement reads: “It is with great sadness that AM Heath and HarperCollins announce that bestselling author Dame Hilary Mantel DBE died suddenly yet peacefully yesterday, surrounded by close family and friends, aged 70.
“Hilary Mantel was one of the greatest English novelists of this century and her beloved works are considered modern classics.
Mantel has twice been awarded the Booker Prize, the first time for the 2009 novel Wolf Hall, a fictional account of Thomas Cromwell’s rise to power in the court of Henry VIII, and secondly for the 2012 novel Bring Up the Bodies, the second instalment of the Cromwell trilogy.
She was the first woman, and fourth person, to receive the award twice.
Georgina Pellant -
21st September 2021 
