After my mini meltdown last year looking for last minute things to do in Manchester, I believe I have finally cracked how to stay in the know.
We regularly have guests from out of town, usually London, and I am always determined to show off our city’s greatest assets. After many an hour spent scrolling through social media and internet searches behold my top five Manchester go-to resources:
1. Manchester Confidential
Website: http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/
Twitter: @mcrconfidential
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manchesterconfidential
Discounts available: Yup – clearly labelled at the top under offers
Good for: On the top menu under ‘Arts & Entertainment’ is the link for ‘Event Listings’ This is the section I use most on the site. I love how Thursday always includes a round up of what’s on over the weekend. The top ten lists are also super handy
Favourite Feature: I love love love reading the Friday Super Sleuth articles. Full of juicy gossip on what’s just opened, what’s coming up and any other tit bits Mancunians should be aware of.
2. Manchester Wire
Website: http://manchesterwire.co.uk/
Twitter: @mcrwire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manchesterwire
Discounts available: They do run competitions on the social media channels but there is no dedicated discount page.
Good for: The website design is perfect for dropping in and getting what you need without too much faffing around. The home page is a list of events in colour codes, but you can filter them using the ‘what’s on’ tab right at the top.
Favourite Feature: The inclusion of FREE things to do, so important for those of us on a budget but still wanting to go out and about. I also need to reiterate the no fuss website design is a real winner for me.
3. I LOVE Manchester
Website: http://www.ilovemanchester.com/
Twitter: @ILoveMCR
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ILoveMCRdotcom
Discounts available: Indeed there are, just click ‘offers’ on the top menu bar.
Good for: A bit of everything really. The ‘whats on‘ guide includes a lot of small gigs as well as the big contenders. There’s also an important section titled ‘students‘ fitting for a city with one of the largest student populations (and for those of us in our thirties that still believe we’re still cool)
Favourite Feature: On this site it’s got to be the health and fitness section. For someone who has recently discovered the importance of exercise, it’s great to find somewhere that talks about more than just gyms and diets. I like to hear about new fitness trends and activities that are nearby and that’s exactly what you get here.
4. M-Dog / Manchester dining offers
Website: http://mdog.me/Welcome.html
Twitter: @MDOG_Manchester
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mdogmanchester
Discounts available: Oh yes, that’s exactly what this dogs about
Good for: Curing all types of hunger. This site has the best deals for all the best restaurants in Manchester. If you’re planning to eat out it’s always worth a check on here first. If you see an offer that looks too good to be true, you can hit the ‘review‘ button to see if it’ll get your tail wagging.
Favourite Feature: Twitter competitions. You need to follow this puppy to take part and be in with a chance to win meals, vouchers and all other things eating related. I should warn you, the graphic imagery that continuously pops up will have you salivating on the spot.
5. Manchester Evening News
Website: http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/
Twitter: @MENNewsdesk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ManchesterEveningNews
Discounts available: They do offer discounts, but it’s not easy to find off the cuff. They crop up in articles as and when they’re available.
Good for: News. (No s*** I hear you say but sometimes you simply have to call a spade a spade).
Favourite Feature: It’s all good and well knowing where to see, eat and play… but you need to be able to get there too. Enter the MEN ‘Breaking News’ feed. I find it’s much more helpful than sites such as BBC travel etc.
So there you have it.
There are of course many more and you can obviously visit the Manchester section on my blog (wow that’s a shameless plug) where I will be concentrating a lot of my upcoming posts on boasting about the place I call home.
But the guys above are by far the best for up to date information on special offers and what’s happening. So bookmark them on your pc’s, add them on social media and I guarantee you’ll never miss out.
I’ve also recently signed up to Shops and Spots, a new site that hosts video content, encouraging people to explore the city:
The videos are pretty snazzy and being a member allows you to take advantage of local offers and discounts. I also like the ‘Just around the corner’ feature, handy if you’re planning a day out.
Have you got any other websites I should be adding to my favourites section? Manchester is growing bigger and better every year, the more people we have shouting about it the better right???
