Manchester City Council

North West Prisoners' Art and Writing

Location: Central Library

Cost: Free

An impressive display of winning entries from The Co-operative Group's innovative Prisoners' Art and Writing competition.

Central Library Opening Hours

Location Details: First Floor, Manchester Central Library, St. Peter's Square, Manchester, M2 5PD. Telephone: 0161 234 1900 (switchboard).

Manchester Christmas Markets 2008

Location: Please see below for information

Cost: Free.

Soak up the festive cheer at Manchester Christmas Markets.

Celebrating their 10th birthday this year, the traditional, twinkling chalets will be bursting with gift ideas and seasonal produce from across Europe. 

Whether you call in after work, make it your venue for a special, social get-together or a family day out, soak up the wonderful sights, sounds and aromas of festive cheer at one of the country's top, winter attractions.

Locations: Albert Square, St Ann's Square, New Cathedral Street, Brazennose Street, Exchange Street

More information about Manchester Christmas Markets

The North Pole - Manchester's winter bar

Location: Cathedral Gardens, next to Urbis

Cost: N/a

Christmas will be considerably cooler in Manchester this year with the opening of The North Pole - the city's first festive 'pop-up' marquee bar & restaurant, next to Urbis.

Award-winning chef Robert Owen Brown has created a bespoke menu of rich meaty stews and broths to savour throughout the day and night.

Acclaimed Northern Quarter bar manager Adam Binnersley has taken care of the drinks with his unique range of spiced winter cocktails, including mulled wine sweetened with Manchester's own Vimto.

The restaurant can cater for Christmas parties of any size with special credit-crunching deals on a two-course dinner plus winter cocktail. Music in the 300-capacity bar will be a laid-back mix including one-off DJ performances and club nights and could be anything from Northern Soul to rare covers of Christmas classics from Kingston, Jamaica.

The North Pole is the creation of Ear to the Ground, the Manchester events organisers who are best known in the city for the Dpercussion festival but who have been involved in a string of major international events in 2008 including the launch of the European Capital of Culture in Liverpool.

Spinningfields Ice Rink

Location: Hardman Boulevard, Spinningfields (off Deansgate)

Cost: Please see above.

Manchester’s open-air ice rink returns for 2008 in an exciting new location in the heart of the city centre.

Hardman Boulevard at Spinningfields will be transformed into the ultimate winter fun destination with dazzling ice rink, sparkling Christmas trees, contemporary yuletide decorations and plenty of quality eateries in the vicinity. It's an unmissable family friendly experience.

For advance bookings call 0870 066 6848* or go to http://www.quaytickets.com/ (with booking fee) (external site).

Opening Times:

Sunday - Friday, 10am with last skate sessions at 9pm; Saturday, 9.30am with last skate session at 9.45pm.

The ice rink is open on Boxing Day and New Year's Day, check with the Box Office for session times. Closed Christmas Day.

Ticket Prices:

Ticket Prices and details fo special rates for groups and schools

* Calls cost 10p per minute from a BT landline, calls from other providers may vary.

• More information about Spinningfields (external site).

Snow Slide

Location: Piccadilly Gardens

Cost: £1.50

This Christmas, Piccadilly Gardens hosts Manchester's new slide experience.

Feel the alpine rush as you whizz down the 50 metre long open air slide. Everyone can have a go - no skill or previous experience required!

At the bottom, stroll through the fir trees and Christmas lights to enjoy a refreshing drink or snack in the alpine chalet.

Opening times:

Sunday - Friday: 11am - 9pm. Saturday: 10am - 9pm. Closed Christmas Day.

• Minimum height restriction: 1.1m unless accompanied by an adult.
• Slide surface is white astroturf.

Holman Hunt Exhibition Tours

Location: Manchester Art Gallery

Cost: Free, no need to book.

Take a tour of the exhibition with a trained guide from the Friends of Manchester City Galleries. Tour takes place every Sat and Sun from 18 October, see times above.

It's the first ever opportunity to see all three versions of Hunt's iconic work The Light of the World together - discover how it became the most viewed painting in the world.

In our latest historical exhibition we guide you through Hunt's life and the time in which he lived.  Maps, photographs and personal letters explore his involvement with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and trace his pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Thoughtfully positioned seating and quiet reading spaces are also provided so you can linger a while over Hunt's contemplative work.

Holman Hunt and the Pre-Raphaelite Vision

Location: Manchester Art Gallery

Cost: Free, no need to book.

This illuminatinig exhibition tells the remarkable story of Pre-Raphaelite artist Holman Hunt. Our major new show features over 50 key works by the artist, many on loan from around the UK.

It's the first opportunity to see all three versions of Hunt's iconic work The Light of the World together- discover how it became the most viewed painting in the world.

In our latest historical exhibition we guide you through Hunt's life and the time in which he lived. Maps, photographs and personal letters explore his involvement with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and trace his pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

Thoughtfully positioned seating and quiet reading spaces are also provided so you can linger a while over Hunt's contemplative works.

Treasures of Central Library

Location: Central Library

Cost: Free

A Victorian Christmas

See a Victorian child's scrapbook; an illustrated edition of A Christmas Carol featuring work by Arthur Rackham and John Leech; early collections of carols and music; and records of workhouse admissions over the 'festive' season in nineteenth century Manchester.

Image: From a Victorian child's scrap book. It was donated to the library anonymously, so we know very little about it. We do know the child's name was Vera and her sister was Eileen. This christmas card was signed 'Mary and Freddie'.

A Victorian Christmas Celebration

Celebrate an age when just about every Christmas tradition we know and love was born. Enjoy free family fun with stories, crafts, a treasure hunt, mince pies and more. You'll also find live festive music from the Cavendish Singers, the City of Manchester Opera and Pleiades, a stellar collection of singers from the Hallé choir.

Saturday 13 December from 10am

Christmas Opening Hours

Location Details: The Great Hall, 2nd Floor, Central Library, St. Peter's Square, Manchester, M2 5PD. Telephone: 0161 234 1900 (switchboard).