There may be six weeks still to go before the big day, but it hasn't stopped thousands of people getting in the spirit at Manchester's Christmas Markets. Today (November 12) is the first Saturday of trading for this year's markets, which run until Thursday, December 22.
By the early afternoon, bars were already bustling and queues were forming for the most popular traders. And even with the unseasonably mild weather, there were a few Santa hats on display as visitors wasted no time in soaking up the atmosphere.
Emma Potter, who travelled down to the Christmas Markets from the Lake District, had been queueing in line for her first ever Porky Pig Yorkshire pudding wrap when she spoke to the Manchester Evening News . "It's absolutely manic," she said.
