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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
More than 300 new roles available at Manchester Airport jobs fair this November
Lydia Mastrolonardo
The Manchester Airport jobs fair is back this November meaning hundreds of jobseekers are in with a chance to land their dream job.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) are set to host the event, facilitating networking and connection amongst jobseekers and employers, whilst showcasing the wide variety of exciting roles across the aviation sector, available withinManchester Airport.
Jobseekers will be able to gain information on the current vacancies in sectors such as airport security, ground handling, passenger assistance, and terminal operations.
Along with other positions like hospitality, retail, catering, construction, recruitment, logistics, and aviation support services, there’s bound to be something to match your skill set and interests.
There will be plenty of employers to talk to including some pretty big names such as Accessorize, Bethell Construction Limited, DHL, JD Wetherspoon, Lagardère Travel Retail, MAN Fire Service, Pret A Manger, and Swissport.
The Airport Academy, in partnership with Manchester Airport and Trafford & Stockport College Group (TSCG), will also be at the fair sharing information on its free pre-employment support programmes. These include fully accredited training schemes, perfect for anyone seeking some support before applying for airport roles.
More than 300 new roles available Manchester Airport jobs fair this November. Credit: The Manc Group
Tina Edwards, People Director at Manchester Airport shared: “As one of the region’s largest employers, we’re proud to work alongside our partners to create opportunities for local people – and the aviation industry is a particularly exciting one to work in.
“This jobs fair is a fantastic chance for jobseekers to meet employers face-to-face, learn more about the wide variety of roles available at the airport and take the next step in developing their careers. With around 300 vacancies at the moment, there are opportunities for people with a wide range of skills and experience.
“We want Manchester Airport to be one of the best places in the world to travel from, and if you’ve got the passion and drive to help us make that happen, we’d love to see you at this event.”
Not to mention MAG offers a wide range of benefits to its employees, including discounts on public transport, free on-site car parking whilst working and when going on holiday (what a dream!), as well as an excellent pension scheme, training programmes, retail discounts and many more.
Simply book your free tickets, bring along copies of your CV and enjoy talking with a range of recruiting employers about the opportunities they have available to suit you.
This event will be held between 10am – 2pm, at The Forum in Wythenshawe, on Wednesday 4 November.
M&S launches massive recruitment drive in Greater Manchester with hundreds of jobs available
Emily Sergeant
M&S has launched a massive recruitment drive across Greater Manchester.
With the festive season fast approaching, and most British stores having already unveiled their Christmas ranges for 2026, one of the country’s largest brands has launched a massive UK-wide seasonal recruitment drives to gear up for what is always one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry.
M&S has announced it will recruit more than 300 new colleagues to support its store teams across Greater Manchester this festive season.
As mentioned Christmas is one of the busiest moments of the year for M&S, and seasonal colleagues play a ‘vital’ part in delivering that.
New recruits will be tasked with helping M&S deliver a ‘brilliant’ service for customers.
Stores with vacancies span the whole of Greater Manchester – including Altrincham, Bolton Middlebrook, Bury The Rock, Manchester Market Street, Prestwich, Sale, Stockport, Stretford, Trafford Centre, and Walkden.
M&S has launched a massive recruitment drive in Greater Manchester with hundreds of jobs available / Credit: M&S Manchester | Supplied
M&S says the roles are ‘fast-moving and hands-on’, with colleagues required to work together to make sure customers still get the very best of M&S, even at its busiest.
The roles will pay £13.41 per hour, with successful applicants receiving the training, tools and support needed to get up to speed quickly.
“We can’t wait to welcome over 300 new colleagues to our store teams here in Greater Manchester,” commented Zeba Khan, who is the Regional Manager at M&S.
“As we get ready for our busiest time of year, it’s a great opportunity to join us and help bring a magical M&S Christmas to our customers.
“We have a range of opportunities available, whether joining our city centre flagship or our fresh market-style foodhalls. We’re looking for colleagues who are passionate about delivering great customer service and being part of a team.”
Emily Sergeant -
8th October 2026 
