Seeing the Sights in Manchester

This weekend I did two things that I have always wanted to do in Manchester.

Usually when I am staying in hotels in Manchester it is for  special occasion, a night out or a shopping trip; I tend to stick to the same areas, bars and restaurants.  But there is so much more to Manchester that you can go and see.

So this weekend I decided to visit the Christmas markets (my first ever visit) and also to check out the Manchester Cathedral.  Although I am not religious or even a believer in any way, it does not mean that I cannot appreciate the architecture and the beauty of the place. 

How beautiful, right?  The height of the columns, the intricate detailing of the stained glass windows and have you seen that doorway??

I would also recommend seeing the John Rylands Library, the Bridgewater Hall Concert Hall and Calatrava Trinity Bridge.

After the Cathedral it was on to the Christmas markets.  Just a tad busy as you can see!

We decided to do the tradition thing and get a mulled wine to start our shopping out on a warm and fuzzy note.  £8 got us two delightful mug fulls of delicious and warming mulled wine and really got our shopping trip on to a lovely start.

After our mulled wine it was time to hit the food stalls located around the Town Hall and check out the welcoming Santa Claus!

Full of food, and one more mulled wine, it was time to start Christmas decoration shopping.  We were looking for some feature pieces to dot around the house rather than Christmas tree ornaments which we have in abundance.

The stalls had so much to offer!  What we quickly noted that it is worth shopping around to find what you are looking for as the prices differ, sometimes quite vastly, from stall to stall so it is worth checking everything out before making your purchases.

Although there are some gift based stalls, the Christmas markets are primarily for food and drink stalls as well as the usual Christmas decoration stalls so this is something that you need to bear in mind if you are looking for Christmas presents.  This beautiful Santa Claus is what we ended up bringing home, for the amazing price of ten pounds!

The spending money was gifted by Hotels.com, but all views are my own.

What To Buy The Boyfriend At Christmas

Men always say that buying for a woman at Christmas time is impossible, but what about what to buy for our partners?  Socks seems to be the stock answer but we want to be a bit more imaginative with our loved ones don't we?

I have put together some items that you could consider buying your boyfriend/partner/husband at Christmas with a range of idea and prices.  I have based my choices on the tastes of previous boyfriends, let me know if I have hit the mark for yours!

 While men tell us that they don't care about clothes, many of the men I have dated have had a near obsession with their footwear.  What about these skate shoes from SkateHut for £94.95?

For the guy that loves speed, you can't go wrong with a supercar experience with a professional instructor.  Priced at £79.00 

Skincare is for girls they tell us! Until you wonder why your favourite moisturiser is getting low very quickly and then spy your boyfriend using it.   How about getting his own grooming kit from Clinique for £30.00.

For more of a stocking filler but something that he will love (if he has an obsession with the Discovery Channel like my last boyfriend!); how about some Discovery Channel VR Glasses?  A bargain at £13.99.

Finally, and something to be honest that I would utterly love as well, for the Doctor Who lover, how about a Sonic Screwdriver remote control?  Priced at £54.99.

Hope these have given you some inspiration!!