A tough year' as market taken down

MIXED VIEWS ON 25TH ANNIVERSA OF FESTIVE ATTRACTION WITH RECORD NUMBERS BUT PRICES RISING

- JENNA CAMPBELL

THE last of the mulled wine has been served up, the sausage grills have been stood down and the final wooden huts have been broken down. Manchester Christmas Markets have wrapped up for 2023 after another busy year of trading.

If you walked down Market Street or wandered around St Ann's Square you will have found few traces of the festive chalets and twinkling lights that have lined the streets for five weeks. Dismantled in record time, now all that remains are a few final piles of wood - though the shopping thoroughfares remain busy.

Thousands have descended on Manchester this year to make the most of the markets, which featured over 225 ski chalet stalls across nine different locations around the city. Again, the main hub was based over in Piccadilly Gardens, which is better known as the Winter Gardens at this time of year.

Alongside the Winter Gardens, St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, King Street, New Cathedral Street, and Exchange Square also provided a home for markets.

Meanwhile, Cathedral Gardens, which hosts the undercover ice rink remains open until December 31.