A picturesque village on the outskirts of Manchester is bringing its high street to life in a magical way this Christmas with a festive window trail.
The seasonal trail is shining a light on “the art of storytelling”.
With the festive season officially here, Glossop – which is a bustling market town nestled in the rugged hills on the edge of the Peak District – has launched its very-own Winter Story Trail dedicated to the late Dame Hilary Mantel, who lived in the area as a young woman.
Dame Hilary was a celebrated and award-winning novelist most famous for the Wolf Hall trilogy, but she sadly passed away aged 70 back in September.
The work of community creative group Glossop Creates, and showcasing the talents of local writers, authors, performers, and poets, and utilising the high street windows of shops and venues in the town centre, the Winter Story Trail takes you on a literary journey around Glossop.
24 local writers have been paired-up with a local shop, and have each created a 150-word winter tale based on that business.
Dark Peak Books, George Street Community Bookshop, Decor8, The Bureau, and Pepino are some of the businesses taking part in the trail, while a few of the writers who have penned stories include Mark Henderson, Michelle Collier, and Keli Tomlin.
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Local actors Julie Hesmondhalgh – famous for having played Hayley in Coronation Street for many years – and Isobel Middleton from Harry Potter are also taking part in the campaign.
Families can collect a map for the Winter Story Trail from local venues around the town, and then head out and find all the windows while filling in a word from each to spell out a specially-commissioned 24 word poem.
You can go on a winter story trail round this picturesque village near Manchester this Christmas / Credit: Glossop Creates
“Glossop boasts huge talent in the literary space, with writers, storytellers, authors, script writers and poets all living in our town,” explained Claire Tymon from Local – the placemaking arts organisation that runs Glossop Creates.
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“This year, we all mourned the loss of Dame Hilary Mantel, so it seems fitting to dedicate this year’s festive creative activity to her literary genius.
The Winter Story Trail takes you on a literary journey around Glossop / Credit: Glossop Creates
“It’s wonderful to see the high street brought to life at Christmas through storytelling and imagination, and the trail will also help to further showcase Glossop as an amazing and innovative destination for cultural activities, art and creativity at the gateway to the Peaks.”
The Winter Story Trail is running throughout the festive season until 6 January 2023, and you can find out more here.
Featured Image – Glossop Creates
What's On
Chester Zoo’s spectacular light trail returns this winter with a new route and new animals for 2026
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo’s popular winter light trail is set to return with a redesigned route and some magical new animals for 2026.
Produced by Chester Zoo in partnership with Sony Music and Culture Creative, Lanterns & Light has become a popular fixture in the region’s festive calendar over the years, and it’s back this winter – transforming the zoo after dark with thousands of festive lights, colour, and wildlife-themed displays.
The 2026 trail has been redesigned with some exciting new installations, including the dazzling Suspended Jellyfish underwater display, a mirrored disco tunnel, a glittering pea-lit canopy, and Floating Feathers.
New for this year too, visitors will also get to encounter parrots, dolphins, and a giant polar bear among an expanded cast of life-sized animal puppets, all brought to life by specialist performers.
More than 140,000 people visited the trail last year, but for the first time ever in 2026, the event will also host two adults-only evenings, one on 19 November and another 8 December – giving grown-ups the chance to enjoy the trail without children.
Alongside the new additions, plenty of much-loved features will return too, including the walk-through Cathedral of Light and atmospheric Fire Garden, as well as the chance to meet Father Christmas in a snowy setting.
Visitors can also enjoy marshmallow fire pits, festive food, and warming drinks, alongside a funfair at the entrance.
But Lanterns & Light isn’t just about Christmas, as every ticket purchased helps fund Chester Zoo’s vital conservation work, supporting projects protecting threatened wildlife and restoring habitats in more than 20 countries around the world.
“Lanterns & Light is a chance to have a brilliant night out, but it also helps us do something much bigger,” explained Gemma Wright, who is the Head of Guest Experience at Chester Zoo.
“Every ticket helps support Chester Zoo’s work to prevent extinction, from protecting threatened wildlife in the places where it lives to caring for and breeding endangered species here at the zoo.
“So, while our visitors are enjoying the lights, puppets and festive atmosphere, they’re helping to give wildlife a brighter future too.”
Lanterns & Light returns to Chester Zoo from 13 November 2026 through to 3 January 2027.
Tickets are on sale and available now from £19.50 for children and £27.50 for adults, while babies under 12 months go free. You can book yours here.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
What's On
Manchester Art Fair returns this autumn with more than 180 exhibitors under one roof
Emily Sergeant
One of the UK’s largest art fairs is back in Manchester this autumn, bringing more than 180 exhibitors together all under one roof.
Not only is it one of the UK’s largest and one of the most significant art fairs, but it’s by far one of the most celebrated cultural events in Greater Manchester‘s social calendar too.
Designed for the collector, the curator, and those who are just simply curious, the event draws in tens of thousands of visitors, and will feature lots of new and returning galleries and artists this year – all of whom will be showing new works.
2026’s edition will be its biggest yet too, as the event is returning to Manchester Central for four days this year instead of the usual three.
Returning from Thursday 19 to Sunday 22 November, the fair will have more than 600 artists there for an exceptional showcase of modern and contemporary art, with thousands of works available to discover and buy from both world-renowned names and some of the most exciting emerging creative talent.
In a significant move, the fair’s highly anticipated Preview Night will move to Thursday evening, opening an expanded programme of art, talks, workshops, and new experiences across the four days that follow.
Leading the lineup of new features are Manchester Art Fair’s Art Masterclasses, which have been created for developing artists looking to advance their creative practice.
These new experiences will sit alongside a rich programme of artist talks, panel discussions, Q&As, live demonstrations, and other hands-on creative workshops.
More than 180 exhibitors will all gather together under one roof / Credit: Supplied
Manchester Art Fair 2026 will first open at Manchester Central with an exclusive preview night on Thursday 19 November, before it then continues on Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 November – with tockets now on sale.
Tickets are priced at £15 for a day ticket or £25 for a preview night ticket, including access throughout the weekend, all with booking fees applying.
Emily Sergeant -
8th December 2022 
