/THE BEST OF MANCHESTER

THERE’S nothing like having a skate on the ice to get you in the festive spirit and there are plenty of places you can give it a whirl in Manchester this Christmas.

If you’ve got kids, that’s OK. Some of the rinks are offering special family sessions to take the little ones along to - with penguins to keep them steady as they make their way round. Manchester Christmas Markets, Cathedral Gardens THE rink forms part of this year’s much-anticipated Ice Village, which has brought an Ice Cavern, Santa’s grotto and more to Cathedral Gardens.

The rink is open now with 45-minute sessions running daily from 11am to 8pm.

Tickets cost £11 for adults, £9 for children (aged four to 16), or £35 for a family. There’s a 45p booking fee per ticket. Anyone under 12 must be accompanied on the rink by someone over 18. Manchester Ice Rink at First Street MANCHESTER’S First Street development is home to an outdoor ice rink again this winter, as well as a series of pop-up markets.

The ice rink used to be a regular at Spinningfields, taking a brief stint at London Road Fire Station before moving to First Street last year.

The 15m by 20m rink is open now and will be there until January 6, in the square outside HOME theatre, which is screening classic Christmas films and hosting family theatre shows throughout the festive season.

The pop-up market stalls will be selling everything from jewellery to Christmas decorations, arts and crafts to food.

The rink is open every weekday from 3pm, with final sessions at 8pm. At weekends it is open from 10am onwards.

Tickets are £13 for adults and £11 for children under 12 and available through manchestericerink.co.uk, or you can call 0161 820 9718 to book your spot. Penguins or seal skating aids are free and available on a first come, first served basis for kids up to the age of eight. Bolton Winter Festival A covered ice rink once again forms part of Bolton’s Winter Festival.