What’s On

Deck the halls, ring the bells, get the sprouts on… it’s official, Christmas is back! After last year’s non-event, we can get together and celebrate the festive season or bring in the New Year with friends and relatives, and where better to do that than in a theatre or at a fabulous event or concert. Check out these shows, book some tickets and enjoy some seasonal fun

Family & Christmas

Aladdin

Until 8 January Oldham Coliseum Oldham Coliseum’s pantomime is always a great way to kick off Christmas festivities and this year it is back with a bang. It has silly fun by the bucketload and a big helping of slapstick and audience shoutouts to match. Take the family and be reminded just how good panto can be!

Stick Man

30 November – 9 January The Lowry Join Stick Man on his epic journey as his morning jog turns into an epic adventure and a race to get back home to the family tree in time for Christmas. A joyous show for young children and their families.

Winter Wonderland

4 December – 2 January Event City The UK’s largest indoor Christmas theme park returns to Event City for the first time in four years. The ticket price includes all 50 rides and attractions. It is perfect for an action-packed afternoon with the family.

Snowstorm

Until 3 January Heated Big Top outside the Trafford Centre This is an ice show packed with amazing skaters and international circus stars performing breath-taking aerial acrobatics with some comedy and fabulous special effects too!

Eric and Ern at Christmas

6-12 December The Lowry A reminder of Christmases gone by when the whole family would gather around the TV on Christmas Day to watch the Morecambe and Wise Show Christmas specials. This is a definitely a show for all the family. Watching Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens recreate those classic comedy sketches will ensure you are full of enough Christmas spirit to keep you going well into 2022.

Peter Pan

Until 9 January Bolton Octagon We are promised music, mischief and magic in this retelling of J.M. Barrie’s classic tale of Neverland with pirates, Lost Boys, Peter Pan and Wendy and, of course, Captain Hook and the crocodile.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

8 December – 15 January The Lowry This C.S. Lewis classic is the perfect setting for a family adventure. Step through the wardrobe into Narnia and a thrilling, icecold world filled with magical creatures, a very noble lion and a cold, evil white witch. This Leeds Playhouse production stars Samantha Womack and is beautifully staged with an amazing cast and stunning puppetry.

Aladdin

11 December – 2 January Opera House It is great to have panto back and this year’s offering from the Opera House does not disappoint. Aladdin stars powerhouse Alexandra Burke (who was also amazing on the Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins TV show), an extremely talented cast, special effects and lots of opportunities to hiss and cheer. Go on, buy a ticket, you know you want to…

SIX

14 December – 9 January The Lowry The international smash-hit musical where the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic is back! Sadly, if you haven’t got your ticket already, you’re probably too late! All is not lost though – there is time to get in someone’s good books and buy them some SIX tickets for Christmas as they are back AGAIN in August – book at thelowry.com.

Christmas Spectacular

16 December Bridgewater Hall A celebration of Christmas featuring seasonal songs, such as Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride and Frosty the Snowman, performed by West End vocalists, a full orchestra and Jingle Belle dancers.

Grand Christmas Classics

20 December Bridgewater Hall Join TV personality and broadcaster Alan Titchmarsh as he leads you through a superb concert full of Christmas spirit and classics, accompanied by soloists and a full orchestra live on stage.

Christmas Hits Live!

23 December The Monastery As part of the Christmas by Candlelight season, Christmas Hits Live! is the ultimate sing-a-long pop concert featuring an incredible rock band and vocalists performing over 20 Christmas chart hits, including All I Want for Christmas Is You, Fairytale of New York and Merry Christmas Everyone.

The Last Night of the Christmas Proms

26 December Bridgewater Hall A concert full of rousing classics such as Ravel’s Bolero, Sousa’s The Liberty Bell march and Land of Hope and Glory.

Horrible Histories Presents Horrible Christmas

29 & 30 December AJ Bell Stadium Car Park Panto is back and this year, it features Horrible Christmas, which isn’t strictly speaking a panto, but it is a lot of fun! So, if you don’t fancy an indoor venue, you can sample some Christmas cheer without even leaving the comfort of your car!

Jack and the Beanstalk

7-9 January The Lowry Salford’s own Barton Theatre Company presents a brilliant panto featuring an ogre, a beanstalk, some goodies and baddies and lots of singing and dancing and interactive fun. Start the year as you mean to go on with a show for all the family.

Musicals

The Book of Mormon

8 December – 1 January Palace Theatre It’s back! The outrageous musical comedy from the creators of South Park bring you a tale of misadventures from a pair of mismatched missionaries. It is very, very funny and has become a worldwide sensation – definitely not for the faint-hearted though.

School of Rock

4-15 January Palace Theatre Originally a movie starring Jack Black, this is a story that makes a very easy transition to the theatre. A cast of ridiculously talented kids take to the stage every night in this brilliant production. It is full of catchy songs and is genuinely hilarious. This is a perfect show to welcome in the new year.

Saturday Night Fever

25-29 January Opera House This was a great movie and it is a great stage show too. It has an amazing Bee Gees soundtrack –including, of course, Stayin’ Alive, How Deep Is Your Love and More Than a Woman – and terrific dance scenes and plenty of drama.

Comedy

Katherine Ryan

11 December O2 Apollo

Bill Bailey – En Route To Normal

22 December Manchester Arena

The Pundits

17 January Opera House When it comes to football pundits, they don’t come more knowledgeable – and funny – than some of this lot. Jeff Stelling will be missed when he leaves Sky in 2022 and this is your opportunity to catch him and the rest of his football crew – Merson, Le Tissier, Thompson and Nicholas – as they step away from the TV camera and talk about everything football, from managers to players, with lots of anecdotal stories thrown in for good measure.

Mercedes-Benz of Stockport celebrates success

LSH Auto’s flagship Mercedes-Benz showroom in Stockport is going from strength to strength

The state-of-the-art, purpose-built, three-story facility opened its doors in August 2019 and has now become the most popular Mercedes-Benz destination in the North West, attracting an unprecedented number of new customers.

Stefan Bowett, Dealer Principal, said: “Mercedes-Benz of Stockport has had a fantastic two and a half years. We’re grateful for the continued support that we receive from our customers and I’m proud of our team, particularly how hard they have worked over the past 18 months to overcome the challenges of the global pandemic.” Stefan became the new Dealer Principal at Mercedes-Benz of Stockport in November 2020, having previously led LSH Auto’s Whitefield operation. The move marked a return to the area for Stefan as he spent five years working at the original Mercedes-Benz of Stockport site from 2013 to 2018.

“I was really pleased to return to Stockport, where I initially built my career. It’s been fantastic to hear from so many of my old customers and to make sure they continue to receive excellent service from my team here. Mercedes-Benz of Stockport is now our flagship site, attracting more customers than we could have imagined and my team pride themselves on maintaining the highest levels of personal service for each individual.”

In its second year of trading, MercedesBenz of Stockport grew new car sales by more than 47% and used car sales by 72%, despite the UK lockdowns. “I think our ongoing commitment to putting our customers first and giving them the best possible service has stood us in good stead. ‘You come first. Always’ is our mantra at LSH Auto and that aligns perfectly with my personal high standards and the expectations I have of my team.”

Spread over 10.5 acres, Mercedes-Benz of Stockport has two buildings. Its 13,492sqm showroom is a retail space for new and used cars and is also home to an aftersales facility with 30 workshops and two MOT testing bays. The 17,166sqm purpose-built, high-tech body, paint and repair centre operates as LSH Auto UK’s regional used car preparation facility and parts distribution centre.

“In our second year of trading, our aftersales team has also grown and our high-tech body, paint and repair centre has continued to support customers in getting their vehicles back on the road and looking as good as new.”

A destination in its own right, MercedesBenz of Stockport offers customers a unique experience. Its contemporary water feature makes the perfect impression on arrival. Customers can sit back and enjoy a refreshing drink with a speciality cake or pastry from the on-site bistro, and there’s even a golf simulator for those who fancy perfecting their swing while their car is being serviced. The modern space can be hired for private events and meetings, offering multiple meetings rooms, an ample outdoor roof terrace and a private cinema room.

“One of our customers recently hired the venue for a wine-tasting event, which was a huge success. We’ve had enquiries from local artists and high-end businesses about hiring space for exhibitions and special events for their customers, and we’re looking forward to resuming our own regular calendar of VIP customer events in 2022.”

LSH Auto was one of the first automotive retailers in the UK to recognise that some customers prefer to browse and shop from home and in 2019, launched a full digital platform. The service enables customers to browse online, book a solo test drive from their home, buy online and choose either click and collect or home delivery. Since its launch, the service has been incredibly popular and the LSH Auto customer experience team have helped thousands of customers over the phone or via online chat and email.

“Even though our online sales have skyrocketed, many customers choose to come to the showroom for the full handover experience.

“Mercedes-Benz of Stockport has set a new standard in the UK luxury vehicle retail industry by responding to our customers’ desires and needs. We are constantly looking for new ways to improve our service and we’re looking forward to continuing to grow the business into 2022 and beyond.”

To find out more about Mercedes-Benz of Stockport pop in for a tea or coffee, call 0161 442 1000 or visit our website www.lshauto.co.uk.