King Street Townhouse is far and away one of the best and most beautiful hotels in Manchester, and it gets even more magical at this time of year.
The boutique hotel in the heart of the city centre, right by Albert Square, has been decked out with twinkling lights and a huge tree ready for the festive season.
And there are loads of reasons to pop in to King Street Townhouse this winter, even if you’re not staying overnight in its stunning hotel rooms.
There’s a seasonal twist on its legendary afternoon tea, which features playful and nostalgic twists on classics like a Baileys eclair, a cranberry scone, and a spiced winter berry and white chocolate cake that’s topped with a tiny gingerbread man.
There’s also a festive high tea, which features mini turkey and cranberry burgers and sage, onion and chestnut sausage rolls.
Festive afternoon tea at King Street TownhouseFestive fizz and bar snacks at King Street Townhouse
After work, you can pop in to King Street Townhouse to unwind with their festive cocktails and bar snacks, including classic winter drinks like mulled wine and hot toddys, but also a Mrs Claus (rose liqueur, Tanqueray gin, cranberry juice and milk), Campfire Mule (whiskey, lime, maple syrup and ginger beer) and Winter Wonder (vodka, apple juice, elderflower, egg white, cinnamon syrup and nutmeg).
And the hotel’s stunning rooftop South Terrace is open for drinks throughout November and December as it transforms into a Festive Cocktail Bar.
There’ll be live music on 1, 8 and 15 December, with performances setting the soundtrack to your festive evening.
There’s a full winter lunch menu that’s perfect for work lunches or catching up with friends, featuring dishes like steak sandwiches, beef and bone marrow burgers, Caesar salads and brown crab hand-rolled cavatelli.
Food and drinks at the King Street Townhouse’s restaurant The Tavern
And for snacks while you’re enjoying the festive atmosphere, there are delights like Pollen sourdough and focaccia, savoury bread pudding with goat’s cheese, and Cobble Lane charcuterie.
For the best celebration of the season, round up your loved ones for a night in the King Street Tavern, which has its classic British fare on offer with a little seasonal flare.
Hand raised game pie, stuffed cornfed chicken, and Lyme Park venison, plus a full grill menu and delicious desserts like carrot cake and a baked apple and almond tart.
To find out more and book your visit to King Street Townhouse this winter, head HERE.
Hit theatre production set at a house party to visit Manchester on UK tour
Daisy Jackson
Alright then, 24 hour party people, we’ve found a theatre production you might like the sound of – it’s called The House Party, and it’s set in (you guessed it) a house party.
This smash hit production by pioneering theatre company Headlong is set to land at HOME in March as part of the arts venue’s 2025 theatre season.
It tells the tale of a wild 18th birthday party, where Christine is trying to pick up the pieces of her best friend, a newly-dumped Julie (who happens to be the birthday girl).
Themes of class, power and privilege are all explored with a raw intensity as the cast on stage plough through shots and dive head-first into a night that will change everything they know.
The House Party, which has received glowing reviews from previous showings, is filled with ‘privilege, desire and destruction’.
When it stops off in Manchester, its cast will include Bridgerton’s Sesley Hope as Christine, Synnøve Karlsen (Miss Austen, Last Night in Soho) as Julie, and Tom Lewis (Gentleman Jack, Patience) as Jon.
The ensemble of Frantic Assembly performers includes Ines Aresti, Oliver Baines, Cal Connor, Micah Corbin-Powell, Rachael Leonce, Jaheem Pinder and Jamie Randall.
The House Party is written by Laura Lomas and is a reimagining of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie for today’s generation.
It’s directed by Headlong’s artistic director Holly Race Roughan, who directed the Royal Shakespeare Company’s world premiere of David Edgar’s major new political play The New Real.
The House Party. Credit: Ikin YumThe production will be at HOME. Credit: Supplied
Movement direction will come from Frantic Assembly’s Scott Graham.
Prior to the UK tour of The House Party, Headlong celebrated its 50 year anniversary, including the hit production of A Raisin in the Sun which played nationwide.
The House Party will be at HOME in Manchester between 25 and 29 March, 2025 – you can get your tickets HERE.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff
Daisy Jackson
If you’re not a handy person, when something breaks, the temptation is often to abandon or bin it straight away.
But that’s just not how we’re gonna do it here in Greater Manchester any more, with the return of the annual Repair Week to help you learn valuable repair skills and save money at the same time.
Whether it’s tinkering with your bicycle, fixing up your small tech items, or having your furniture re-varnished and upcycled, there are so many places and people who are on a mission to help you fall back in love with your belongings.
There are even workshops to help you put flat-pack furniture together.
Taking place between 3 and 9 March, Repair Week will be the chance to learn skills, fix your stuff, gain repair confidence and find local fixers.
Events throughout the week (and beyond) will be hosted by community groups, businesses and plenty more.
You can sharpen knives, fix zips, and un-wobble chairs with a little hand from local repair heroes.
JillyGDesign Jewellery in Heaton Moor will fix up your sentimental and special jewellery items, while Rag Revival will help you turn unusable textiles into new creations with basic sewing skills.
There are repair cafes popping up all over Greater Manchester where you can take your belongings.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff. Credit: Supplied
Repair Week will highlight schemes like the Manchester Library of Things, where you can borrow the tools and equipment you need for those repair jobs at home.
During the week you’ll also be able to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the incredible Renew Hub, the UK’s biggest reuse hub, where donated items are brought back to life.
Similarly, you’ll be able to get inside the textile recycling centre run by homelessness charity Emmaus Bolton, where you can choose your own fabric from the scrap store and turn it into a very handy draught excluder to keep costs down and your heat in.
Recycle for Greater Manchester’s Repair Week will take place between 3 and 9 March, with workshops, events and resources to help you revive your belongings.
Daisy Jackson -
25th November 2024 
